You’d be hard put to find a more diverse city in the country – or a concentration of cuisines that reflects that diversity so dizzingly – than Miami. How about a restaurant called Asia de Cuba? That says all you’ve got to know.
To clue you into the diverse dining that this slice of Florida serves up we’re in the midst of MiamiSpice just now, where multi-course lunches can be had for $19 or $23, and dinners for $33 or $39. The cut-rate feasting lasts through Sept. 30.
Here are but a quartet of the participating players:
- Asia De Cuba’s design (a Sleeping Beauty Castle) is outdone only by the restaurant’s fusion cuisine. As the name suggests, the menu relies heavily on melded Asian and Latin flavors. Think about it for a second, they pair almost perfectly. These dishes are designed for sharing.
- La Côte indeed reflects the culinary inclinations of the Côte d’Azur. The cuisine is simple, and simply elegant: tapas-style starters, a savvy raw bar, jumbo prawns and a really nice pressed crab and lobster salad are some of the dishes served up at this bi-level Oceanside restaurant.
- The Dining Room Pop-Up at Vespar is one of those dark, rustic brasseries that gives you the option of dining outside by the pool for a breath of salt air. Yin and yang. Wherever you savor it, the cuisine is fashioned from locally-sourced folks and is nicely sustainable.
- Sustaining his place among Miami legends is Don Shula. Don Shula of the National Football League Hall of Fame, of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins. That Don Shula. Along the way he opened a chain of steakhouses styled simply Shula’s. If you don’t like (dare we say crave?) beef there are ample seafood opportunities on the menu.
(Image: TheHungyHungryHungryHippo)
