Las Vegas Cuban Cuisine - Broward/Palm Beach

Taste: ****

Cost: $

We had our wedding rehearsal here and I'm glad we did. The food was very good. Kim actually thought the lechon was better than at Don Ramones, but I think the Vaca Frita is definitely not as good as the Don (though still good). I had the churrasco and it was very good. Everyone seemed to love all their dishes and the service and price were excellent. Will have to try some more things on the menu!

There are various locations but we went to the Delray Beach one.

1715 South Federal Highway, Delray Beach, FL‎ - (561) 278-2133‎

Alta Cocina (Miami)

Taste: ***
Cost: $$

Went here for lunch, very nice decor inside. Definitely a nice place to take a date. The menu and name evoke Latin Flavors, but the menu suggests a more global fusion type cuisine. I had the Yellowtail Tuna Salad. Expecting some chopped ahi tuna on a bed of greens, I was pleasantly surprised to find a decent sized Tuna Steak on plate waiting for me next to their side salad. The Tuna was cooked rare as per my request, but the soy/ginger sauce it was served with was a tad too sweet and detracted a bit too much from the flavor of the Tuna. The side salad was luckily dressed with a vineagrette so that provided some much needed acid. With the obvious asian influence on this dish, I would of appreciated a wasabi rub on the fish. The french fries were very light and crispy; they had a nice starch to them. My co-workers enjoyed their various Panini's, and had no complaints. At a glance on their dinner menu, 33 bucks for a choice (non-prime) filet, is a bit steep. The food was solid food though in a nice atmosphere, its definitely worth a try.

www.altacocinarestaurant.com
5837 Sunset Dr
South Miami, FL 33143
(305) 662-7435

Texas de Brazil (Miami)

Taste: **
Cost: $$$

I come from a long line of large eaters. My resume' includes 50+ pieces of sushi, a 2 lb burger. 8 slabs of prime rib, 2 large pizzas, 24 hotdogs, 3 racks of ribs, 8 baked potatos, etc... in fact my lineage includes a cousin who once got kicked out of an all you can eat restaurant. Texas de Brazil serves up some tasty brazilian meats ala cart, nonstop. The first few pieces were great and I looked forward into slipping into a meat induced coma. After the 4th piece it hit me. Yes their food is a bit salty but I love salty food (I was the kid who ate bread dipped in soy sauce). Its some kind of special salt they must use that his this incredible cumulative effect. A half hour in my whole family had tapped out but I kept chugging along, although difficultly. I was not full, in fact I could eat more but my tastebuds were on salt overload. I resorted to alternating plates of salad with balsamic vinegar to shock my buds back to normal with limited success. I've had real guacho brazial bbq from my brazilian friends and there i could eat for hours. Alas I finally threw in the towel and must of drank gallons of water in the aftermath. Long story short, yes its tasty, yes you can eat all you want, but can you? From an empirical standpoint, the food was good but the price is better spent on something else in my opinion.

11401 NW 12th St
Miami, FL 33172

Mojitos (Miami)

Taste: ***
Cost: $

No this isn't the one in Dolphin mall, its the small pan con bistec shop on red road by Sunset Place. On a whim after getting some new tennis strings, I decided to stop in. I've had my fair share of pan con bistec in my life, from the roach coaches to other hole in the wall joints. After my first bite, I was ready to dismiss it, but on the second bite I changed my tune. Lets be honest, its cheap meat, seasoned and thrown between bread with papa fritas. I was never a fan of them bc of the tough meat, but also bc the meat jsut wasn't seasoned enough. It always left a slightly sour after taste in my mouth. Whether it was from a lemon marinade to tenderize the meat, or just bad meat... i was never a fan. Mojito's thank fully omits the overly acidic overtone and accentuates what cuban cuisine is known for: onions. The sauteed onions light up the sandwich and makes me forget about the tough meat. In fact on a 2nd bite the meat is well seasoned and compliments well with the freshly baked cuban bread. They get 3 stars for making me like the pan con bistec.

7318 Red Road
Miami, FL

Rincon Argentino (Miami)

Taste: ****
cost: $$$

I base my own churrasco recipe from this place. It is a bit pricey and thats why I never come here for dinner. However, at lunch time they offer their same flap steak that sells for $26 for 7 bucks. Thats a great deal and a tasty piece of meat. The chinichurri is not so chunky, but they've allowed the olive oil base to emulsify adequately which results in a great smooth consistency.

7744 N. Kendall Drive
Miami, FL 33156

Jaguar (Miami)

Taste: **
Cost: $$

A trendy little ceviche spoon place in the Grove. Jaguar has some tasty ceviche which is their main draw but the actual entre items are less than stellar. All the menu items seem a tad toned down and homogenized to my palate. Its shame bc the ambiance is great and they're in a prime location in the Grove. Still the food won't set you back very far and the ceviche is actually pretty good. With time maybe some more attention can be paid to their menu items as well?

3067 Grand Ave
Miami, FL 33133

Don Ramon's (Palm Beach)

Taste: ****
Cost: $

Another one of the staples for me when I get homesick for Miami (hah, yeah right...). Don Ramons offers up a great menu at a low price. Their portions on some dishes are excellent, while others leave you wanting more. The Lechon Asado is a must have. Do not goto the Wellington location as they prepare this dish differently. The skin is crispy, the pork is succulent before they shred it up with the mini onions that just burst with the lovely mojo flavor. If I get bored with the Lechon (not likely) the Vaca Frita is another show stopper. The meat is boiled with lots of flavor, then fried to a perfect crisp. They really know how to take a crappy piece of meat and make it wonderful. The rice and beans are good, really second to only my dads, and the plantains are great. I haven't really ventured off the menu too much here, but I'd imagine it to taste just as good.

502 S Military Trl
West Palm Beach, FL 33415