|
Versailles
Cuban Restaurant
The Versailles guarantees an authentic Cuban experience. This is
a Miami institution and quite frankly, no trip to the Magic City
is complete without a foray into the Little Havana neighborhood.
The Versailles is a great reason for us locals to make the trip
over and over. We've found that the vast majority of the staff
speak little English and you're advised to point and smile. The
smiling is easy, because looking at all of the pastries in the
nearly twenty foot long pastry case is an unbelievably exciting
experience. If you think, you've seen it all, there's another
case near the hallway. Don't come here if you're on a diet!
I
know a lot of people that think the thing to do is to eat where
the locals eat. I assure you the Versailles is that place. On
nearly every visit, we've found firefighters, policemen and
women, Cubans, suntanned beach boys, and tables with
politicians, newscasters and a variety of Miami's elite and
power brokers.
If
you're not on a sugar run, we've enjoyed the ropa vieja, a
shredded beef soup, empanadas, pastry filled with beef or
chicken and veggies and of course the almighty Cuban sandwich. A
good Cuban sandwich is pressed in Cuban bread (bread that is
similar to a baguette), and filled with salami, ham, Spiced
pork, Swiss cheese, sliced dill pickles and dressed with
mustard. The Versailles makes one of our favorites.
The menu is filled with traditional Cuban fare like black beans
and rice and fried yuca as well as sandwiches, salads and other
fare for those of you that are not into a Spanish diet. The
restaurant is open late and if you've got the balls to go out
drinking in Little Havana, this is a great place to get a bite
before or after.
Leave room for the dessert. As we mentioned there is a huge
pastry case and there is nothing that you won't find in it! From
heavy duty chocolate cakes, to flans, pies, tarts, rolls and
every kind of fruit covered or filled desert you can imagine,
there is something for everyone. If you're coffee drinker you
have to get the espresso. There's nothing better than Cuban
coffee, so thick it's like syrup. I'm told cafe con leche is
tasty, but I like my coffee black and strong like my men.
|
