Finest Foods >>

• PERSONAL BEST
  Puerto Sagua
  Bill Nunn -- the grizzly bear of an actor who played Radio Raheem in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing (and has barreled through supporting parts in scores of other movies) -- takes a seat at the counter, simultaneously inhaling a croqueta and remarking about the lack of guava pastries which,... More >>
• BEST ICE CREAM PARLOR
  Cold Stone Creamery
  "Hi! Have you been to Cold Stone before?" the chirpy server asks. If not, gear up for a delicious, frosty experience. You can go for the menu choices, predetermined confections of ice cream and candy with names like birthday cake remix, breathless Boston cream pie, mud pie mojo, cheesecake... More >>
• BEST PLACE FOR TEA AND SCONES
  Théine
  "Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea? -- how did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea," British clergyman, writer, and wit Sydney Smith gushed about the leafy brew. And he was certainly right. Nothing warms the belly and soothes the soul quite like a cup of tea. In a... More >>
• BEST MEXICAN MARKET
  Everything you could want from a Mexican market -- dried and fresh peppers by the handful, salsa picante, cheap fresh produce, even mortar and pestle sets -- is for sale here. If you're English-only, bring a Spanish phrasebook in case you plan on any complicated transactions. Bring your appetite... More >>
• BEST CHEESE
  Epicure Market
  A 1400-pound portion of cheese was delivered to President Andrew Jackson's inaugural reception in 1837. When the party was over, the 10,000 guests left the White House in shambles, and the cheese left an aroma that lingered for some time. Modern presidents have pursued a different brand of... More >>
• BEST RAW BAR
  The River Oyster Bar
  BEST RAW BAR The River Oyster Bar 650 S. Miami Avenue Miami 305-530-1915 www.therivermiami.com The oyster selections at this urban-chic downtown seafood house vary seasonally, but their descriptions consistently read as though lifted from Wine Spectator. "Coromandel," from New Zealand,... More >>
• BEST DOUGHNUTS
  Krispy Kreme
  BEST DOUGHNUTS Krispy Kreme 6290 S. Dixie Highway South Miami 305-669-1311 www.krispykreme.com Krispy Kreme has won this title a few times over the years, but when you are stoned at 3:00 a.m., is that mom-and-pop joint going to bake you fresh and HOT doughnuts to satisfy your munchies?... More >>
• BEST CAFé CUBANO
  Puerto Sagua
  BEST CAFé CUBANO Puerto Sagua 700 Collins Avenue Miami Beach 305-673-1115 It's nearly impossible to get a bad café Cubano anywhere around here. The sugary jolt in a cup and its cousin the cortadito are essential to human life, thus generally prepared with care. The only thing... More >>
• BEST TACO
  Roberto's Taco Shop
  BEST TACO Roberto's Taco Shop Various locations in Miami-Dade County www.robertos.us The year 1962 was very bad for tacos. That's when Glen Bell opened the first Taco Bell in Downey, California. A good year for tacos was 1964. That's when Roberto and Dolores Robledo and family introduced... More >>
• BEST HEALTHY FAST FOOD
  Pasha's
  BEST HEALTHY FAST FOOD Pasha's Various locations in Miami-Dade County www.pashas.com Fast food has always been about unhealthy choices. Still is for the most part, but nowadays McSalad chains such as Fresh Salads and Baja Fresh Mexican are yielding fresh profits from gullible dieters. Please... More >>
• BEST BAKERY
  Delicias de España
  BEST BAKERY Delicias de España 4016 Red Road South Miami 305-669-4485 The espresso machine starts steaming up at 7:00 a.m., as sleepy-eyed patrons straggle in for any number of luscious Spanish breakfast pastries. Some head to the bakery counter and take their meal on the run;... More >>
• BEST FRESH SEAFOOD
  Casablanca Seafood Market
  BEST FRESH SEAFOOD Casablanca Seafood Market 404 NW North River Drive Miami 305-371-4107 To get the freshest seafood, you've got to go to the source. No, not the local commercial fishing boats, they'll just shoo you away like the pelicans. We mean Casablanca Seafood Market, which is among... More >>
• BEST CROQUETAS
  Islas Canarias Restaurant
  BEST CROQUETAS Islas Canarias Restaurant 285 NW 27th Avenue Miami 305-649-0440 and 13695 SW 26th Street West Miami-Dade 305-559-6666 The thing about croquetas is that every one is different. It's impossible to know exactly what you're biting into. They come in different colors,... More >>
• BEST GELATO
  Gelateria Parmalat
  BEST GELATO Gelateria Parmalat 670 Lincoln Road Miami Beach 305-276-9475 www.gelateriaparmalat.net Once upon a time there was a traffic accident involving a Carvel truck, a Häagen-Dazs truck, and a Vinnie's Italian Ice truck. Moments later an unassuming man, who was fortuitously... More >>
• BEST COLOMBIAN EMPANADAS
  Mi Colombia
  BEST COLOMBIAN EMPANADAS Mi Colombia 702 71st Street Miami Beach 305-867-1013 In contrast to the snacky little Argentine and Cuban empanadas one tends to find around town, the Colombian variety is more of a meat-and-potatoes, meal-in-itself phenomenon. Loosely translated, empanada means... More >>
• BEST CURRY AT A PUB
  Churchill's Pub
  BEST CURRY AT A PUB Churchill's Pub 5501 NE Second Avenue Miami 305-757-1807 www.churchillspub.com It may be hard to believe, but one Wednesday evening recently we blindfolded Paris (Hilton) and Nicole (Ritchie), drove them to the other side of the tracks to this often gloomy, always... More >>
• BEST FRIED CHICKEN
  Restaurant MWoods
  BEST FRIED CHICKEN Restaurant MWoods 12953 Biscayne Boulevard North Miami 305-895-9962 www.mwoods.com Italy has its pollo fritto, Vietnam has its gá xaó, and Austrians cook up a mean wiener backbendl -- Southerners were not the first people to fry chicken, they just do it... More >>
• BEST FROZEN YOGURT
  Tasti D-Lite
  BEST FROZEN YOGURT Tasti D-Lite Various locations in Miami-Dade County www.tastidlite.com Calling it a culinary revolution may be a bit much, but for the Beach's waist-conscious, the arrival of the NYC-based Tasti D-Lite chain was earth-moving. Virtually fat-free yet creamier than any other... More >>
• BEST FISH SANDWICH
  Jumbo's Restaurant
  BEST FISH SANDWICH Jumbo's Restaurant 7501 NW Seventh Avenue Miami 305-751-1127 It's sweet that Jumbo's turned 50 this year, and noteworthy that it was one of the first Miami restaurants to integrate, but excuse us for being more impressed with the golden fried fish sandwich than any... More >>
• BEST HOMEMADE PASTA
  Lucciano Pasta
  BEST HOMEMADE PASTA Lucciano Pasta 18288 Collins Avenue Sunny Isles 305-792-6940 It's time to bring in the lawyers and file a class action suit against Atkins. The case is simple: Any diet that requires the relinquishing of pasta constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Wait -- not a good... More >>
• BEST HEALTH-FOOD STORE
  Whole Foods Market
  BEST HEALTH-FOOD STORE Whole Foods Market 21105 Biscayne Boulevard Aventura 305-933-1543 www.wholefoodsmarket.com Whole Foods Market doesn't just talk the talk, it walks the walk. For twenty years this national chain has been advocating and supporting organic agriculture, working with... More >>
• BEST CAESAR SALAD
  Costa Mar
  BEST CAESAR SALAD Costa Mar 18250 Collins Avenue Sunny Isles Beach 305-933-5900 The International Society of Epicures in Paris hailed caesar salad as "the greatest recipe to originate from the Americas in 50 years," but was it named after Caesar Cardini, the Italian immigrant who created... More >>
• BEST CANDY
  The Fresh Market
  BEST CANDY The Fresh Market 18299 Biscayne Boulevard Aventura 305-466-1786 Maybe it's not so much the candy itself but the way it's displayed -- in a beckoning rainbow of glass jars -- or that you'd never expect to see such an impressive candy section in a "health food" market; or the... More >>
• BEST CEVICHE
  Cacao
  BEST CEVICHE Cacao 141 Giralda Avenue Coral Gables 305-445-1001 In a town where good ceviche is seldom far enough away to require hopping in the car, and great ceviche is served in dozens of places (from humble neighborhood Latin joints to nationally known gourmet palaces like Ola),... More >>
• BEST HOT DOG STAND
  Dogma Grill
  BEST HOT DOG STAND Dogma Grill 7030 Biscayne Boulevard Miami 305-759-3433 Hot dogs are eaten in 95 percent of American homes, consumption per person averaging out to 80 franks per year. Some like the boiled, porky type, and nobody makes the soft, pink pup better than Arbetter's Hot Dogs.... More >>
• BEST CROISSANT
  La Provence
  BEST CROISSANT La Provence 1627 Collins Avenue Miami Beach 305-538-2406 Although he wouldn't reveal the exact recipe, the key to a good croissant, says La Provence owner David Thau, is the way the baker works with the dough, which should always be cold. Also, all the ingredients have to be... More >>
• BEST CUBAN SANDWICH
  Enriqueta's Sandwich Shop
  BEST CUBAN SANDWICH Enriqueta's Sandwich Shop 186 NE 29th Street Miami 305-573-4681 Abuelita is going to lay the smack down if she finds out about this guilty pleasure. It will most certainly break her frail heart to learn about the culinary adultery that will ensue once you bite into the... More >>
• BEST PREPARED FOODS
  Joe's Take-Away
  BEST PREPARED FOODS Joe's Take-Away 11 Washington Avenue Miami Beach 305-673-4611 www.joesstonecrab.com With lines perennially stretching outside of Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant, Joe's Take-Away next door has become known simply as "Joe's Without the Wait." Same impeccably fresh stone... More >>
• BEST TAPAS
  Salero
  BEST TAPAS Salero 1000 S. Miami Avenue Miami 305-371-3473 www.mosaicorestaurant.com Contrary to popular belief, the word tapa does not translate to "small snack" or "little bite," but rather it means "lid." The story starts in the mid-Nineteenth Century, when barkeepers in Andalusia and... More >>
• BEST U-PICK
  BEST U-PICK Grandma's Garden 18001 Krome Avenue South Miami-Dade 305-232-2823 Forty minutes southwest of Miami is the Redland, where secrets of the Tequesta and their Paleolithic forebears lie below massive layers of ancient oolitic rock, which itself is covered in red clay (thus the... More >>
• BEST BAGELS
  Mo's Bagel & Delicatessen
  BEST BAGELS Mo's Bagel & Delicatessen 2772 NE 187th Street Aventura 305-936-8555 If you're looking for authentic hand-rolled bagels New Yorkers are always raving about -- we're talking real bagels and not those dense, giant softball-like beasts other places sell -- then Mo's is the place... More >>
• BEST SMOKED FISH
  Captain Jim's Seafood
  BEST SMOKED FISH Captain Jim's Seafood 12950 W. Dixie Highway North Miami 305-892-2812 Captain Jim's will leave your stomach and your wallet full. And what Jim's lacks in location (a homely strip of shops in North Miami) and décor (fish nets, rudders, shells, and other nautical... More >>
• BEST CARRY-OUT CHINESE
  Bamboo Garden II
  BEST CARRY-OUT CHINESE Bamboo Garden II 13195 Biscayne Boulevard North Miami 305-899-9902 Chinese take-out joints are like auto mechanics. It's one of the first things you look for when you move to a new town; you have to try a lot of duds before you find a good one; and once you find... More >>
• BEST SMOOTHIE
  Latin America Cafeteria
  BEST SMOOTHIE Latin America Cafeteria Various locations in Miami-Dade County What's not to like about a smoothie? For one thing the word itself, which to pronounce in public is almost as embarrassing as admitting to being a "foodie" or "Trekkie." Then there's the tendency of smoothie joints (do... More >>
• BEST KEY LIME PIE
  Knaus Berry Farm
  BEST KEY LIME PIE Knaus Berry Farm 15980 SW 248th Street Homestead 305-247-0668 Key lime pie inevitably involves a graham cracker crust, filling made of key lime juice and condensed milk, and topping of either whipped cream or meringue. So how can one be that much better than another?... More >>
• BEST SALADS
  Grass Restaurant & Lounge
  BEST SALADS Grass Restaurant & Lounge 28 NE 40th Street Miami 305-573-3355 www.grasslounge.com The name of the restaurant, Grass, seems just right for eating salad. The tropical trappings reinforce the mood with French West Indian accents, Indonesian colonial slate floors, tiki hut... More >>
• BEST FARMERS' MARKET
  South Florida Farmers Market
  BEST FARMERS' MARKET South Florida Farmers Market 8287 SW 124th Street Pinecrest 305-255-2468 http://store.gardnersmarkets.com/farmersmarket.html From relatively exotic items to basic organic produce, this Pinecrest mainstay has fair prices and a staff of local growers and dreadlocked... More >>
• BEST HAMBURGER
  Carmen the Restaurant
  BEST HAMBURGER Carmen the Restaurant 700 Biltmore Way Coral Gables 305-913-1944 Since her eponymous restaurant opened two years ago, chef Carmen Gonzalez has won so much national recognition for the upscale Nueva Puerto Rican-influenced fare in her venue's formal dining room that it's easy... More >>
• BEST CHOCOLATE
  Truly Scrumptious Chocolate
  Don't let the silly name stop you from sampling this damn good chocolate. Some of you are happy with just a Hershey bar, but true addicts who know good chocolate from the dregs are willing to drive for their fix. Whether you like the creamy white, the bitter dark, or the smooth milk chocolate,... More >>
• BEST CONCH FRITTER
  Captain's Tavern
  BEST CONCH FRITTER Captain's Tavern 9621 S. Dixie Highway Pinecrest 305-666-5979 People can respectfully disagree about what the best thing is about Captain's Tavern. There are those who insist that the experience of Bill (the captain) and Audrey Bowers, who've helmed ship for more than 30... More >>
• BEST FRENCH FRIES
  Dawg House Grill
  BEST FRENCH FRIES Dawg House Grill 1111 Collins Avenue Miami Beach 305-604-3647 Once upon a time the best French fries were the ones grandma made with her crinkle-cut slicer, deep fryer, and aged Crisco seasoned with assorted residues from the previous 21 days of high-temperature... More >>
• BEST DELICATESSEN
  Mo's Bagel & Deli
  BEST DELICATESSEN Mo's Bagel & Deli 2780 NE 187th Street Aventura 305-936-8555 Ask Mo's fiercely faithful regulars about the roasted chicken, Roumanian steak, or stuffed cabbage, and their praise will be effusive. Inquire about the sizable sides of potato latkes and kasha varnishkas, and... More >>
• BEST CAFé CON LECHE
  Islas Canarias Restaurant
  BEST CAFé CON LECHE Islas Canarias Restaurant 285 NW 27th Avenue Miami 305-649-0440 and 13695 SW 26th Street West Miami-Dade 305-559-6666 www.islascanariasrestaurant.com You will be served a cup of hot hot hot steamed milk (pale yellow in color because it's made with... More >>
• BEST FLAN
  Lila's Westchester Restaurant
  BEST FLAN Lila's Westchester Restaurant 8518 Coral Way West Miami-Dade 305-553-6061 There is a science to perfect flan: Look for holes in the texture. If flan is cooked at too high a heat, the mixture bubbles, leaving behind little holes with hardened edges. Flan with holes is not good... More >>
• BEST MICROBREWED BEER
  Titanic Restaurant & Brewery
  BEST MICROBREWED BEER Titanic Restaurant & Brewery 5813 Ponce de Leon Boulevard Coral Gables 305-667-2537 When he decided to dip his toe into the rapidly growing microbrewery pool, Kevin Rusk wasn't entirely sold on the concept. He took his time, did a ton of research, and was considering... More >>
• BEST FALAFEL
  Pita Loca
  BEST FALAFEL Pita Loca 601 Collins Avenue Miami Beach 305-673-3388 www.pitaloca.8m.com Perhaps to no great surprise, Jews and Arabs argue about falafel. Palestinians charge that Israelis have stolen the fried chickpea fritter, a traditional Arab food, and passed it off as "Israel's... More >>
• BEST BREAD
  Joe's Stone Crab
  BEST BREAD Joe's Stone Crab 11 Washington Avenue Miami Beach 305-673-0365 www.joesstonecrab.com Miami has precious few bakeries, with most bread connoisseurs forced to loiter around the supermarkets or sample the occasional roll or two at a local restaurant. If it's the latter course... More >>
• BEST BLACK BEAN SOUP
  Norman's
  BEST BLACK BEAN SOUP Norman's 21 Almeria Avenue Coral Gables 305-446-6767 If you've never ventured inside Norman Van Aken's signature restaurant in Coral Gables, the black bean soup alone is worth the sojourn into his exquisite location in the City Beautiful. This traditional... More >>
• BEST GOURMET GROCERY
  Laurenzo's Italian Market
  BEST GOURMET GROCERY Laurenzo's Italian Market 16385 W. Dixie Highway North Miami Beach 305-945-6381 This cavernous Italian market is so respected a Miami institution and such a great place to shop that it's not a matter of whether or not it receives a Best Of, but in which category. Best... More >>
• BEST FAJITAS
  Guadalajara
  BEST FAJITAS Guadalajara 8461 SW 132nd Street Pinecrest 786-242-4444 According to Virginia B. Wood of the Austin Chronicle, in 1984, Homero Recio did a study on the shocking price increase of skirt steak, as part of his graduate studies in animal science at Texas A&M. He stumbled across... More >>
• BEST ASIAN GROCERY
  Lucky Oriental Mart
  BEST ASIAN GROCERY Lucky Oriental Mart 8356 Bird Road Westchester 305-220-2838 The aroma hits you at the door, a kind of sour-sweet spice hanging low in the air. Looking around at Lucky's polished aisles, you suddenly feel you're not in Miami anymore. The customers are varied -- Asian... More >>
• BEST CHICKEN WINGS
  Jumbo's Restaurant
  BEST CHICKEN WINGS Jumbo's Restaurant 7501 NW Seventh Avenue Miami 305-751-4267 For the most part, chickens aren't meant to be feared. They flutter, cluck, and aimlessly peck at the ground in search of food. But the chickens served up at Jumbo's Restaurant must have been a breed apart.... More >>