Dine Magazine South Florida

Latin Roots

by Cristiane Roget, Mary Luz Mejia and Jill Cole

Culinary history may not repeat itself, but at times it hums a familiar tune. Evidence abounds that local tastes have made a paradigm shift from “Deep South” to “South of the Border” over the last few decades.

It was intrepid Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León who is credited with the discovery of Florida and being the first Eurocentric influence on the region’s culinary landscape. Greeted by virgin sands and trees bursting with tropical fruit, he was surrounded by an abundance of seafood, fresh game and enough indigenous food to sate a hungry seafarer’s appetite.

And the New World provided an almost ludicrous variety of new foods and seasonings to
replenish Renaissance pantries, including maize, potatoes, chocolate, peanuts, vanilla, tomatoes, peppers, tapioca and even turkey. We owe a debt to the Incas who domesticated fowl, along with the palates of Africans whom, once emancipated, were followed by indentured Cantonese and Hakka of the Orient. From this global stew a gastronomy of fusion foods evolved.

Catholic Castellanos, Spanish Jews and Muslim Moors, for example, brought the essential ingredients that make up most popular Latin dishes: rice, eggplant, spinach, oranges, cane sugar and saffron. (Even the ubiquitous black beans and white rice dish is known as “Moors and Christianos.”) To grasp the essence of Latin cuisine, one must first understand that it is a response to a mix of cultures rather than a representative of specific Latin American regions.

In the spirit of adaptation as much as conquest it was the Mayans, Incas, Aztecs, indigenous Caribbeaners and the transplanted Africans who toiled in the kitchens of the vast plantations and were Florida’s original culinary curators. Native ingredients were mixed and matched in an attempt to replicate the tastes of their European masters. The saffron-steamed arroz con pollo is but a twist on Spain’s national dish, paella.

Since the mid-‘50s successive waves of Cubans, Nicaraguans, Hondurenos, Mexicans and South Americans have found their way to Florida’s shores, the “Gateway to the Americas.”. It has been the hub for Latin Americans for decades, as well as culinary repertoires. Fortunately for us in South Florida, we have access to an entire world of cuisine. But the Latin American flavor profiles are the ones that we have become most associated with and the ones we strive to provide in the most impressive manner possible. For this reason, Dine Magazine is happy to share with you some of our top local Latin American restaurant choices.

BRAZIL
Fuegovivo, Fogo de Chão and Texas de Brazil

Brazilian churrascarias aren’t difficult to find nowadays. Locally they all follow a similar style, wherein guests are first invited to graze among at least 20 items at a large salad bar. Then gauchos meander table-to-table with skewers of glistening slow-roasted meats, shaving off slices of pincaha (seasoned sirloin), linguiça (pork sausages) and frango (chicken drumsticks), while you sip your caipirinha and munch on the complimentary fried bananas and savory cheese bread.

Fuegovivo,
14301 W. Sunrise Blvd., Sunrise. 954-514-5851
7711 SW 40 St., Miami. 305-261-7249
16375 Biscayne Blvd., North Miami Beach. 305-947-9239

Texas de Brazil
300 Alton Road, Suite 200, Miami Beach. 305-695-7702
11401 NW 12th St., Suite 514, Miami 305-599-7729
A location in Hallandale Beach is also coming soon.

Fogo de Chão, fogodechao.com
836 1st Street, Miami Beach. 305-672-0011

CUBA
Havana and Don Ramon

Mention Cuba and vivid recollections and intense emotions, dressed in the garb of visual archetypes, spill forward. And for those who want a taste of home without having to cook for themselves, thankfully Cuban restaurants are plentiful… and usually economical, friendly, fast and—if they’re doing it right—tasty. To find a veritable Cuban diorama, where guayabera rumbas provide on-site cigar rollers, the clack and rattle of domino players, mulled mojito bars, stylized Cuban hors d’oeuvres, and “café Cubanos,” one need look no farther than Calle Ocho in Miami.

But one can also head up to West Palm Beach to try two local favorites, the casual two-story Havana and Don Ramon. Havana has been around for over a decade, offering diners options ranging from café con leche at the 24-hour walkup window to a full-on dinner featuring palomilla steak or arroz con pollo, buttery grilled bread and tres leches cake for dessert. Don Ramon has been around nearly as long and it’s slightly more formal, but the flavors diners experience here are no less enjoyable. Start with the crispy, smoky croquetas, then enjoy bistec de pollo encebollado (breaded, marinated chicken topped with sautéed onions), lechon asado or the cherna Imperial (broiled grouper with shrimp and garlic sauce). Finish it off with flan for a memorable meal.

Havana, 6801 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach. 561-547-9799.
Don Ramon Restaurant, 7101 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach. 561-547-8704.

EL SALVADOR
El Tamarindo Café

Though there are nods to an amalgam of Latin cuisines, for El Salvadorians El Tamarindo is like home away from home. The pupusas filled with loroco buds or nutty flavored beans and cheese come with a crunchy curtido slaw. Cheeses and tortillas are artisanal and made in the wee hours to be served fresh daily at this full-service restaurant with takeout available. The house churrasco is seasoned to perfection and comes with a tossed salad (try the sweet vinaigrette), french fries, rice, beans or plantains. Ask for the house-made chimichurri sauce.

El Tamarindo Café, 233 State Road 84, Fort Lauderdale. 954-467-5114.

LATIN FUSION
Ola

Internationally acclaimed Chef Douglas Rodriguez brings the essential flavors of Latin America to his OLA Restaurant. Author of best-selling books, Rodriguez was named by Newsweek Magazine as “One of the 100 Americans that will influence the coming millennium” and Zagat labeled him “The Most Important Latin Chef.” Many in the food and restaurant industry consider the James Beard award-winner the Father of Nuevo Latino cooking, which began in Miami in the early 1990s. The spirit of Nuevo Latino cooking is found at OLA , where the unique blending of regional favorites such as Argentinean beef with Mexican poblano molé becomes a harmonious fusion.

According to Douglas, “Latin Fusion means many things to many people. In some cases, it’s the melding of various Latin American ingredients and traditions. In others, it’s combining Latin ingredients with, say, European or Asian influences.” His menu offers dishes such as his signature foie gras empanadas and plantain-crusted mahi-mahi.

OLA, Sanctuary Hotel, 1745 James Ave., Miami Beach. 305-695-9125. olamiami.com

MEXICO
Eduardo de San Angel

Tradition inspires haute cuisine at this award-winning Mexican gourmet restaurant which, to the uninitiated, may be considered an oxymoron. Chef Eduardo Pria has developed a world-class reputation for progressive cooking with a fresh local foundation. Creative dishes such as ancho chile-flavored crepes filled with cuitlachoche and onions, then covered in asadero cheese laced with squash blossom sauce and his trio of Colorado lamb chops brushed with cilantro-garlic oil and grilled exotic mushroom tamale with smoked chipotle and green tomatillo sauces are only enjoyed more when accompanied by sides like stir-fried spinach with imported Brie. Such dishes truly challenge the conventional definition of Mexican cuisine.

And the atmosphere here is a far cry from the carnival-like eateries with serve-yourself salsa bars. Semi-formal, yet entirely comfortable, expect to be surrounded by the terra cottas, mustards and smoky tomato shades that tempt the appetite and please the eyes.

Eduardo de San Angel, 2822 E. Commercial Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. 954-772-4731.

PERU
Francesco and La Cofradia

Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro may have conquered the Incans during his exploratory voyage to Peru, a land where emeralds were the size of birds’ eggs, but he was also known as the founder of Lima. To taste what Pizzaro savored on his first encounters, visit Francesco, situated in a setting that feels more like a quaint wooden Craftsman-style house in Los Angeles instead of colonial Lima. Or try the sophisticated La Cofradia, a modern eatery in the Financial District, helmed by Chef Jean Paul Desmaison.

Both eateries serve sublime ceviches, featuring fresh fish with a citrus tang and the crunch of ripe vegetables, and perfectly sliced tiraditos. Prepare to taste traditional Peruvian flavors: corn, lime and cilantro among them. Don’t be surprised if you sense Asian influence, too, as Peruvian cuisine dates back to pre-Incas, when Chinese and Japanese immigrants emerged. Be sure to enjoy a glass of Pisco Sour with your meal for the complete experience.

Francesco, 325 Alcazar Ave., Coral Gables. 305-446-1600.
La Cofradia, 160 Andalusia Ave., Coral Gables. 305-914-1300.

SPAIN
Ideas

A visit to Ideas is de rigueur to understanding the unfettered origins of Latin cuisine. Situated in the palm-strewn fringes of Coconut Grove, Ideas is a cool oasis boasting authentic Spanish cuisine with contemporary flair via the flavors of Castilla y León.

The restaurant’s décor may best be described as a visit to a regal embassy. With the capacity to serve 60 diners at one sitting, its tables are appointed with starched white linen and gleaming crystal. The coup de grace is a private table for eight ensconced in the kitchen for those who wish to observe their meal in the making.

The lunch menu is re-created daily depending on seasonal availability and the whim of newly appointed chef Chef James Figueroa. The restaurant features a combination of traditional and modern selections of tapas and pinchos as well as a full ‘a la carte’ menu and is complemented by the world’s largest selection of wines from Castilla y León.

Selections such as scorpionfish mousse with seasonal mushroom aioli can be found, along with octopus with lentil salad. Seafood is imported fresh from the Mediterranean and the Cantabrian Sea daily. Entrée selections may include red wine braised veal cheeks with baby lima bean, Spanish cod fish with zucchini Castilian garlic soup, and Norwegian lobster à la plancha.

Ideas, 2833 Bird Ave., Coconut Grove. 305-567-9074.