Miami Trip Report March 2025

[Mr_Happy]

I spent a few days in Miami last month. It was my first time in Florida, and I stayed in South Beach for my visit. Here’s a report of some of the places I dined at.

La Sandwicherie

I got into town early on a Friday on a red-eye from SFO. After dropping my bags at my hotel, I took a free trolley to the original South Beach location of La Sandwicherie, a walk-up sandwich stand in operation since 1988. It’s open 22 hours daily, with a break between 5 AM and 7 AM.

There’s a counter with bar seats available.

Menu

I had a Frenchie ($11.20) off of the “Signature Sandwiches” list, which is a sandwich with “French salami” and Brie cheese. I had it on a croissant rather than their baguette for an extra $0.95. The sandwiches here are pretty reasonably priced, especially for South Beach.

It was a very good sandwich on a very large croissant. I got all the veggies minus the hot peppers - lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, green peppers, black olives, and cornichons - and it was a veritable salad. They provided a squeeze bottle of their “magic sauce” to drizzle over the sandwich. It was like a mustardy vinaigrette and was tangy and great on the vegetable heavy sandwich. They sell it by the bottle too. The French salami was a hard sausage, and the Brie was creamy and rich and sliced into medium sized slices.

I also had a drink - a Carrot Ginger Splash ($7.50), which had carrot juice, orange juice, and ginger. This was quite nice and healthy tasting with the ginger.

[Mr_Happy]

Stubborn Seed

After a very filling breakfast/brunch at La Sandwicherie I went back to my hotel and crashed for a bit. I guess I’m not used to red-eye flights! For a late dinner, I went to Stubborn Seed in South Beach. Stubborn Seed is a restaurant from former Top Chef winner Jeremy Ford with an emphasis on seasonal locally sourced ingredients. They have a Michelin star, and this year opened another location in Las Vegas.

Stubborn Seed is a tasting menu only restaurant with two options - an 8 course menu for $175 and an 11 course menu for $225 that has a few more dishes with premium ingredients. I opted for the standard 8 course menu.

VERDANT ORCHARD ($23)
tequila ocho reposado | rockeys botanical liqueur | granny smith apple | fennel | ford’s farm yang yang basil cordial | fresh lime
To drink, I had a Verdant Orchard cocktail, which was refreshing. I got a bit of sticker shock from their cocktail prices - they start at $20.

STUBBORN SEED OLD FASHIONED ($20)
JoJo’s Tea infused redemption rye | dom benedictine | five spice syrup | citrus aromas
I also had an Old Fashioned variation later, which was also well made.

First, some welcome bites - house baked Castelvetrano olive bread with whipped feta and ricotta, with a local carrot. The bread was quite nice - olive studded and served warm, with a tangy cheese spread.

OITA PREFECTURE MADAI
yuzu & elderflower compressed starfruit
green tomato nuoc cham | marigold & starfruit granita
Bright, sweet, and salty, with meaty madai / Japanese sea bream. It had a bit of a Southeast Asian influence with the fish sauce and sweet fruity granita.

Next, a box of little bites.

SUNGOLD TOMATO PÂTE DE FRUIT
florida orange | herb powder
In the bottom left of the box - this tasted like a concentrated tomato gel.

WAGYU BEEF TARTARE*
milk bread | kumquat gel | papaya & radish kimchi | crispy leek
This was delicious - tartare on a toast round with crispy fried leeks on top.

HUDSON VALLEY FOIE GRAS TORCHON
strawberry fresno jam | pistachio sunflower crumb
sullivan sesame sourdough
Next, a foie gras torchon with a side of sesame studded sourdough bread. This was delicious, the foie was prepared with Riesling wine. It had a sweet strawberry jam topping with strawberries from Knaus Berry Farm. I spread it on the bread.

HOUSEMADE RICOTTA GNUDI
buttery greens | hazelnut “everything” crumble
confit squash | caramelized onions | brown butter umami foam
Next, some gnudi dumplings. It’s not much to look at as it is covered with a savory foam, but it was very good if a touch salty. There were some spinach-like greens and squash.

INTERMEZZO
heirloom tomato sorbet | fennel granita | rosemary gel
Next a palate cleanser-like dish with a striking presentation that had some dry ice. This had a sweet tomato sorbet that was covered with squiggles of a rosemary flavored gel, all on top of a refreshing and slightly herbal fennel granita.

STRIPED SEA BASS
zucchini | swiss chard chimichurri | fennel root purée confit fennel | spring onion emulsion | dill fennel oil
And a fish dish. This had meaty firm sea bass with a crispy skin. The sauce was quite rich and a touch salty with a hit of fennel and dill flavor. There was a Florida zucchini on the right side. Very good.

BROCCOLI & CHEDDAR DOUGHNUT
charred rapini relish | winter truffle
This doughnut dish had a soft interior with a crispy fried exterior that was topped with winter truffle. Not bad, but the broccoli cheddar filling could have used a little salt.

7 DAY DRY-AGED DUCK BREAST
aleppo roasted cauliflower | cauliflower purée | marcona almond
local mushrooms | miso cabbage | allspice jus
This was delicious! It had a perfectly medium rare duck with a nice crispy skin, served with a rich demi glacé-like jus that was poured on tableside. On the side was some cauliflower, mushrooms, and sour cherries.

MILLE-FEUILLE
black sapote crémeux / espresso hazelnut crumble ginger diplomat | florida kumquat marmalade
allspice ice cream
Finally, dessert, which was a slightly misnamed mille-feuille (it only had like 2 feuilles), which was very nice - light and tropical with the allspice flavored ice cream and the kumquat also adding to the tropical taste.

There was also a mignardise that I unfortunately forgot to take notes on.

This was a very good meal. A few of the dishes I felt had a bit of a heavy hand on the salt. And I like salt! They were good nonetheless.

I took a long walk back to my hotel via Ocean Drive.

[Mr_Happy]

Sanguich De Miami

For lunch on Saturday I went to the Little Havana location of Sanguich, a restaurant that specializes in Cubanos / Cuban style sandwiches. I definitely wanted to try a Cuban sandwich in Miami, which has a large Cuban community. The Cubano sandwich is (possibly - the origin story of this sandwich is apparently a bit murky!) a Cuban American invention - originating either in Tampa or Key West, Florida (thanks Wikipedia) and along with its cousin the medianoche sandwich is very popular in Miami as well.

The Sanguich in Little Havana is located in a strip mall on Calle 8. There’s a walk-up window and also some tables and a bar inside.

I ordered a Cubano sandwich ($13.49), natch. They also have other sandwiches, including a medianoche. I haven’t had that many Cuban sandwiches to compare with, but this was an excellent sandwich. Sanguich cures their own ham and makes their own mustard and pickles. They also make their own bread. The Cubano sandwich has very thinly sliced ham and marinated roast pork, with melty cheese. The sandwich is cooked on a press that also flattens it out, and the bread was compressed and a little crunchy on the outside. The mustard and pickles provided an acidic counterpoint to the richness of the meats and cheese. It was a delicious sandwich!

I also had a mamey batido ($6.75), which is like a smoothie or milkshake made with condensed milk and mamey, a tropical fruit with a custardy flesh. It was cool and sweet and quite nice with the sandwich.

[Mr_Happy]

Cafe La Trova

After lunch I explored Little Havana and Calle Ocho a bit.

I saw a few roosters walking around.

For dinner, I had a late reservation at Cafe La Trova on Calle 8. The restaurant was packed and had a party-like vibe on Saturday night, with many people standing at the bar and dancing to the live band.

Menu - the kitchen is led by chef Michelle Bernstein and offers many Cuban and Cuban inspired dishes.

BUENAVISTA ($16)
Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin, elderflower liqueur, mint, cucumber, lime juice, sugar
I had a refreshing gin cocktail to drink.

HAND CUT STEAK EMPANADAS ($13)
with caramelized onions, spanish olives and jerez
To start, I had the steak empanadas, which were great. They were deep fried and filled with a slightly sweet picadillo of chopped steak with olives, with a vinegary sauce on the side.

SKIRT STEAK ROPA VIEJA ($29)
arroz y frijoles negros, tostones, avocado cream
For a main, I had the skirt steak ropa vieja / “old clothes” which was very good. The beef was very tender and flavorful, and there was a healthy amount of black beans and plain white rice to eat with it, along with some fried plantain / tostones and some avocado sauce. It was also a pretty large portion.

No room for dessert!

[Ziggy]

Great reporting, as usual. We usually go to Old’s Havana when we around, but this looks really good

[Mr_Happy]

Joe’s Stone Crab

Lunch on Sunday was at Joe’s Stone Crab in South Beach. They also have locations in Las Vegas and Chicago. I’d been to the Joe’s in Vegas once before and remember enjoying the crab claws there.

The original Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami is a South Beach institution, opened back in 1913 before Miami Beach was a city, and is one of the oldest restaurants in the US run continuously by the same family. They started serving stone crabs in 1921. Stone crabs are a sustainable fishery because usually only claw (the larger “crusher” claw) is broken off when the crabs are caught, and the crabs are then returned to the water. If it survives, the crab will eventually grow another claw to replace the one it loses.

The restaurant is large, with several rooms and outdoor patios, and a bar area.

Menus - of note is the fried chicken, which looks like a deal at around $9 for half a chicken. I came here for the crab though!

Jim Dandy ($12)
Martini & Rossi Floreale, Ginger-Thyme Elixer, Lemon
To drink I had a non-alcoholic Jim Dandy, which was nice and tart and a good drink with the crab.

Bread Basket

For lunch I had had the select sized stone crab claws ($59.95), which are the second smallest size. I also made it a “Joe’s Classic Meal” for an extra $30, which includes individual portions of cole slaw, hashed brown potatoes, and creamed spinach, and also includes a slice of key lime pie for dessert.

Cole Slaw

Stone Crab Claws, Creamed Spinach, and Hashed Brown Potatoes, with Mustard Sauce and Drawn Butter

My friendly waitress Jeanette showed me a trick of using one of the pinchers to de-shell the big part of the claw, and then you can eat the meat off the claw like eating an artichoke leaf.

The crab was sweet and meaty. The mustard sauce that came with the crab was very good, it was kind of like a mustardy mayo that really highlighted the sweetness of the crab meat. There was also drawn butter as another dipping option

The sides were also quite good. The creamed spinach had IMO the right ratio of spinach to cream sauce, and the hashed brown potatoes had a nice crispy crust and tender interior. The cole slaw was fine, but I’m not a big cole slaw enjoyer to begin with.

Key Lime Pie

The key lime pie was excellent. Definitely save room for dessert. The filling had lots of lime flavor and was creamy and rich with just the right amount of sweetness, and the crust was crumbly and made of graham crackers.

[Mr_Happy]

Boia De

For Sunday dinner I went to Boia De (the name is an expression of surprise in Italian - thanks Google) in Little Haiti, an Italian restaurant in a strip mall that has a Michelin star.

Boia De is a small restaurant with some outside seating.

Menu - some of the dishes (the chopped salad, the pate, and the ribs) could be made into half portions, which was a nice option for a solo diner.

To drink, a very nice hazy IPA - Dopealicious from local brewery 3 Sons Brewing Co.

BEEF TARTARE ($20)
TONNATO, GARLIC-SHALLOT CRUMBLE, CRISPY CAPERS
To start, the beef tartare, which was served with some deep fried beef tendons that were puffy and crackly. The fried tendons tasted a bit like shrimp chips but slightly beefy, and they were a great base for the tartare. The tartare itself was delicious - the beef was chopped into small cubes and was topped with a really nice savory tonnato (tuna) sauce, chives, and crispy fried bits of onions and shallots for crunch. Great!

LUCI’S CHOPPED SALAD ($10.50 for a half portion)
Next I had a half portion of the chopped salad. This was good. A half portion was quite substantial. There were some crisp little gem lettuce leaves, beans, and other vegetables including sport peppers and olives. It was dressed with a zingy vinaigrette.

TAGLIOLINI VERDI ($35)
CRISPY ARTICHOKE, KING CRAB, OYSTER AIOLI
For a main of sorts I had the tagliolini pasta with crab. I thought this was only ok. The tagliolini, which I believe is fresh and made in-house, was very good and had a very nice texture. The sauce was kind of like a pesto, but with different herbs. There were some crispy shreds of artichoke on top for some flavor, and chunks of sweet king crab. The crab, the artichoke shreds, and the pasta were all good, but I thought the sauce was a bit too acidic and a bit out of balance.

CRISPY TIRAMISU ($6 for a “baby” portion)
For dessert I had the crispy tiramisu in a half / “baby” portion, which was just the right size. This had the zabaglione custard of a tiramisu but had crispy and light cookie layers instead of the typical ladyfingers, which gave a nice crunchy contrast in texture. A great tiramisu.

I had a somewhat mixed but mostly good experience at Boia De. There were some things that were just great - the tartare and the tiramisu, with a good salad and a pasta dish that was a miss for me.

[Ziggy]

Its one of those places we enjoyed but not in a rush to go back. Mainly due to the comfort level and zero atmosphere where we sat. outside.

[Mr_Happy]

El Rey De Las Fritas

On Monday afternoon I visited the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens in the Coconut Grove neighborhood, which is a former residence on Biscayne Bay that’s a bit akin to Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California or the Pittock Mansion in Portland, Oregon in that it is a really big house that once belonged to a really rich person and is now open to the public. It’s worth visiting and has a beautiful garden. Here’s a few non-food pictures of Vizcaya.

For a very late lunch I headed again to Little Havana because I wanted to try a frita / Cuban style hamburger. I went to the Little Havana location of El Rey De Las Fritas, a local chain that specializes in fritas.

El Rey De Las Fritas is on Calle 8 and has a walk-up window.

The interior looks like a diner, with booths and a large counter with barstools.

Menus

To drink, I had a cup of guarapo / sugar cane juice ($5.75), which was freshly pressed from stalks of sugar cane by a machine. It was quite refreshing.

The sugar cane juicer.

I had a Frita Original ($5.95) which is a basic Cuban frita. This was a good burger. The bun was a light white bread. The patty was well done and cooked through, but was quite flavorful with the spices mixed into it, and the little shoestring potatoes on top of the patty provided some nice crunch.

---

Rico Bakery & Cafe

I wanted to try another sandwich in Little Havana - the minuta whole fish sandwich from La Camaronera, but they had closed early when I arrived there, drat. I ended up stopping by Rico Bakery & Cafe in Little Havana nearby to have a few other Cuban specialities that I wanted to try - a pastelito with guava and cheese and a Cuban coffee / colada / cafecito which is an espresso with sugar that has been whipped with the crema of the espresso. Both were good. The pastelito was served warm and had a nice mix of somewhat salty cream cheese and sweet guava paste. The colada was quite sweet.

[Mr_Happy]

Sweet Liberty

For a very late dinner at around 11 in the evening I walked over to Sweet Liberty, which was just down the street from where I was staying. They’re open until 5 in the morning and serve food until 4 I believe.

Sweet Liberty had a live DJ spinning at night with a dance floor.

Menus - they had a bit of an abbreviated menu because it was St. Patrick’s Day. They also had some special cocktails and dishes for St. Patrick’s Day.

Our Piña Colada ($18)
plantarey pineapple • cruzan coconut • bacardi cuatro • fresh pineapple •coconut cream • jamaican coffee • pedro ximenez
I had one of their signature cocktails - their Piña Colada, which was very good. It had a bit of coffee in it, which was an interesting twist.

Oysters to start - East & West Coast Oysters, 6 for $21. They were good.

Buns of Liberty Burger ($21)
two ground brisket and sirloin patties, american cheese, house pickles, LTO, special sauce and a side of fries
For a main I had their burger, which was great! But a bit difficult to eat due its size. It had two patties cooked to medium, fried onion rings, pickles, lettuce, tomato, melty American cheese, and special sauce which was like a Thousand Island, all in a sesame bun. It tasted like a classic American burger. On the side were some thin shoestring fries which were nicely seasoned and crispy.

Burger cross-section.

McSpresso Martini ($16)
four walls irish whiskey • mr black • espresso coffee • guinness reduction
For dessert I had a “McSpresso Martini” off of the St. Patrick’s Day menu, which was a good espresso martini with some Guinness beer flavor.

[ieatalotoficecream]

Wow you hit some of our favorites and are providing inspiration for new spots to hit on our next trip!

I am kind of obsessed with the jackets the waitresses wear at Sweet Liberty but I don’t know where I’d actually wear it if I bought one myself! Maybe around the house.

[Phoenikia]

I love how you travel. And I love good piña coladas!

[Steve (from DC)]

I heartily approve of substituting out the baguette for a croissant at Le Sandwicherie, though saucisson on a sandwich is a bit awkward.

That looks like a terrific cubano and you did well to order a mamey shake. Hard to find outside Miami.

Of course, the pastelito was served warm. And like any self-respecting Miami bakery, they probably served it from a warming case, a fixture you don’t see in most bakeries but de rigueur in Miami.

Guava and cheese is the default great pastelito, which is why bakeries run out of them while the others sit there. Kind of like how sesame bagels are long gone from the shelf while those asiago cheese or blueberry bagels in the supermarket are still available through the night.

Stone crabs are a rare delight and totally awesome. For anyone who has not had them, you need to try these. There’s an old time seafood place in Ft Lauderdale that used to serve them for a bit cheaper, but it looks like they are long gone from the menu.

Was the key lime pie served very chilled or what I sometimes think of as ‘ice box cold’?

[Mr_Happy]

@ieatalotoficecream

I am kind of obsessed with the jackets the waitresses wear at Sweet Liberty but I don’t know where I’d actually wear it if I bought one myself! Maybe around the house.

Those are pretty cool jackets. Miami is indeed the shit, bro.

2 am pic with a jacket sighting:

@Steve

Of course, the pastelito was served warm. And like any self-respecting Miami bakery, they probably served it from a warming case, a fixture you don’t see in most bakeries but de rigueur in Miami.

Yes, I believe it was taken out of a warming case.

@Steve

Was the key lime pie served very chilled or what I sometimes think of as ‘ice box cold’?

It was chilled but not freezer cold IIRC. Refrigerator cold maybe.

[Mr_Happy]

Puerto Sagua

For lunch on Tuesday, I stayed in South Beach and had some Cuban food at Puerto Sagua.

They have an extensive menu.

Free garlic bread, very light and airy.

HAM CROQUETTE ($2.25)
To start, I had another Cuban dish I wanted to try in Miami - a croqueta. This was nice - crispy and filled with ham and cheese and a creamy bechamel-like sauce.

#62 FRIED PORK CHUNKS ($28.95) / MASITAS DE PUERCO
Moro Rice and Yuca
For a main, I had the masitas de puerco / fried pork chunks. I believe the pork is marinated in a citrus mojo marinade before being fried. The pork was quite flavorful, with a crispy fried exterior and a tender interior. It was a bit like Mexican carnitas. It was served with some grilled onions which were sweet and soft and great with the pork. I also applied some of the vinaigrette like hot sauce on the table. It came with plain white rice and black beans. Delicious.

I also had a guanábana / soursop batido to drink. It was nice and creamy and not too sweet.

[mts]

What an incredible report! Next…

[bsprout]

Miamian here. Great report! Thank you for taking the time to post this, I enjoyed reading it.

[Steve (from DC)]

Those masitas look really nice.

Also, there is a dish called vaca frita, (I will choose this all the time over ropa vieja) which is chewy, like a sun-dried beef. Served crispy with onions.

[linguafood (Natascha)]

Oh, man. That pork looks insanely good!

[Mr_Happy]

@bsprout

Miamian here. Great report! Thank you for taking the time to post this, I enjoyed reading it.

Thanks, and welcome to HO!

@Steve

Also, there is a dish called vaca frita, (I will choose this all the time over ropa vieja) which is chewy, like a sun-dried beef. Served crispy with onions.

I did see that when looking at some Cuban restaurants, will have to give it a try next time.