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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 their original Mexican Taco Shop in San Diego. Their mission statement then was the same it is now for the far-flung Roberto's Taco Shop chain: "Fresh, authentic, quality ingredients; simple food at modest prices; and satisfying portions." Roberto's tacos encapsulate these qualities within their hard little U-shaped shells and soft tortilla wraps. The grilled chicken and beef tacos will satisfy any hunger, but grilled and marinated fish, juicy carne asada, and plump pork carnitas, in our preferred soft tortillas, will have you shaking your head at just how delicious a fast-food taco can be. Prices are more than modest: $1.95 to $2.25 for a generously sized shell, or three smaller tacos for $1.99 (a dollar more with guacamole or sour cream). A wide array of hot sauces too. Ay, Chihuahua!

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 their original Mexican Taco Shop in San Diego. Their mission statement then was the same it is now for the far-flung Roberto's Taco Shop chain: "Fresh, authentic, quality ingredients; simple food at modest prices; and satisfying portions." Roberto's tacos encapsulate these qualities within their hard little U-shaped shells and soft tortilla wraps. The grilled chicken and beef tacos will satisfy any hunger, but grilled and marinated fish, juicy carne asada, and plump pork carnitas, in our preferred soft tortillas, will have you shaking your head at just how delicious a fast-food taco can be. Prices are more than modest: $1.95 to $2.25 for a generously sized shell, or three smaller tacos for $1.99 (a dollar more with guacamole or sour cream). A wide array of hot sauces too. Ay, Chihuahua!

BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT

Lung Gong Restaurant

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BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT Lung Gong Restaurant 11920 SW Eighth Street

West Miami-Dade

305-553-4644 If we dusted off our abacus and computed the percentage of South Florida's Chinese restaurants that are situated in strip malls, it would probably turn out to be a high figure. If we then pushed the beads around to determine those that served the sort of authentic cuisine rarely found outside of Beijing and big-city Chinatowns, the numbers would plummet to a scant few. One of these few would be Lung Gong. Those lacking a sense of gastronomic adventure can satisfy themselves here with inexpensive Cantonese standards such as egg rolls, chow mein, chop suey, sweet-and-sour dishes, and a pu pu platter. Those of us who profess to possess a more sophisticated palate can ponder tender strips of chicken breast tossed in peanut dressing with "green bean starch sheet" (flat noodles made from the vegetable) and sesame-seeded matchsticks of cucumber. Or thin, chewy wheat-dough noodles with black mushrooms and dried lily flower. Or beef flank stewed with malanga in coconut-laced brown sauce. Important: Do not bypass shockingly delectable fried duck perfumed with bay leaves. Really sophisticated diners can try "spicy pig intestine with pork blood and tofu in fire pot." Lung Gong's owners are from Beijing, the chef is from Szechuan, and the sometimes mellow, often fiery, always awesomely authentic foods are from all points in between.

BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT

Lung Gong Restaurant

BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT Lung Gong Restaurant 11920 SW Eighth Street

West Miami-Dade

305-553-4644 If we dusted off our abacus and computed the percentage of South Florida's Chinese restaurants that are situated in strip malls, it would probably turn out to be a high figure. If we then pushed the beads around to determine those that served the sort of authentic cuisine rarely found outside of Beijing and big-city Chinatowns, the numbers would plummet to a scant few. One of these few would be Lung Gong. Those lacking a sense of gastronomic adventure can satisfy themselves here with inexpensive Cantonese standards such as egg rolls, chow mein, chop suey, sweet-and-sour dishes, and a pu pu platter. Those of us who profess to possess a more sophisticated palate can ponder tender strips of chicken breast tossed in peanut dressing with "green bean starch sheet" (flat noodles made from the vegetable) and sesame-seeded matchsticks of cucumber. Or thin, chewy wheat-dough noodles with black mushrooms and dried lily flower. Or beef flank stewed with malanga in coconut-laced brown sauce. Important: Do not bypass shockingly delectable fried duck perfumed with bay leaves. Really sophisticated diners can try "spicy pig intestine with pork blood and tofu in fire pot." Lung Gong's owners are from Beijing, the chef is from Szechuan, and the sometimes mellow, often fiery, always awesomely authentic foods are from all points in between.

BEST HEALTHY FAST FOOD

Pasha's

Leah Gabriel
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 pardon our skepticism over the notion of iceberg lettuce, white rice, and Snapple being salubrious. We don't kid ourselves into thinking Pasha's Mediterranean menu of fried falafels, meaty kebabs, or white flour-based, boat-shaped individual pizzas called pide will lead us to the road to wellville either, but they taste better than anything you'll get at the larger corporate franchises, and if you're selective, you can indeed dine on healthy hummus, zucchini pancakes, lentil soup, and bulghur salad, all under ten dollars. More to the point, unlike the fare at other fast-food emporiums, you can eat this stuff regularly and not end up looking like Shrek.

Readers´ Choice: Giardino´s Gourmet Salads

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 pardon our skepticism over the notion of iceberg lettuce, white rice, and Snapple being salubrious. We don't kid ourselves into thinking Pasha's Mediterranean menu of fried falafels, meaty kebabs, or white flour-based, boat-shaped individual pizzas called pide will lead us to the road to wellville either, but they taste better than anything you'll get at the larger corporate franchises, and if you're selective, you can indeed dine on healthy hummus, zucchini pancakes, lentil soup, and bulghur salad, all under ten dollars. More to the point, unlike the fare at other fast-food emporiums, you can eat this stuff regularly and not end up looking like Shrek.

Readers´ Choice: Giardino´s Gourmet Salads

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; others settle in at one of 65 seats in the café and slowly savor a dish of eggs scrambled with Serrano ham. As the morning moves on, many more people will partake of the gorgeous desserts that positively glitter in their glass display cases; or take cakes and boxed pastries home; or carry out loaves of ciabatta, baguette, or chewy Galician bread; or perhaps purchase some of the fresh fish flown in from Spain (they cook these fish up too, about as well as anyone but for a lower price). The seats will keep turning over as diners luxuriate over dreamy crema catalanas and flans, charlottes and mousses, and individual fruit-and-custard pastries that would make a French tart blush with envy (generally about $2.50 each). You may have to take a number and wait awhile on the weekends, because the space becomes electrified with the anticipatory energy of overflow crowds. For seven years (which is how long Ernesto Llerandi and Isabel Miranda have owned the shop,) the secret has been spreading until it's hardly news anymore: Delicias is one hell of a great bakery, fish market, restaurant, and café. And that's just the half of it: The other half, accessible from indoors, is an extensively stocked Spanish-import shop with chorizos, cheeses, and more than 200 wines, sherries, and ports. Now, honestly, doesn't all of this make the bakery that you frequent seem sort of inadequate?

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; others settle in at one of 65 seats in the café and slowly savor a dish of eggs scrambled with Serrano ham. As the morning moves on, many more people will partake of the gorgeous desserts that positively glitter in their glass display cases; or take cakes and boxed pastries home; or carry out loaves of ciabatta, baguette, or chewy Galician bread; or perhaps purchase some of the fresh fish flown in from Spain (they cook these fish up too, about as well as anyone but for a lower price). The seats will keep turning over as diners luxuriate over dreamy crema catalanas and flans, charlottes and mousses, and individual fruit-and-custard pastries that would make a French tart blush with envy (generally about $2.50 each). You may have to take a number and wait awhile on the weekends, because the space becomes electrified with the anticipatory energy of overflow crowds. For seven years (which is how long Ernesto Llerandi and Isabel Miranda have owned the shop,) the secret has been spreading until it's hardly news anymore: Delicias is one hell of a great bakery, fish market, restaurant, and café. And that's just the half of it: The other half, accessible from indoors, is an extensively stocked Spanish-import shop with chorizos, cheeses, and more than 200 wines, sherries, and ports. Now, honestly, doesn't all of this make the bakery that you frequent seem sort of inadequate?

BEST RISING CHEF

Jordi Vallés

BEST RISING CHEF Jordi Vallés The first wave of boisterous Basque cuisine came ashore a couple of years ago by way of La Broche, which was quickly swept back out to sea before most people even had a chance to dip their toes in. The second wave was Mosaico, with executive chef Jordi Vallés riding atop the cresting foams and making a very big splash in the Brickell area. Born and raised in Barcelona, Vallés is no newcomer to the brash, cutting-edge Spanish cooking that has garnered gastronomic gasps around the globe. He trained with three of Spain's most renowned Michelin-starred chefs, including a tenure as chef poissonnier under Ferran Adrià at El Bulli. After his apprenticeships and experimentations in juxtaposing the tastes and textures of classic and contemporary Spanish cuisine, Vallés spent another five years adding to his repertoire at Ritz-Carlton properties. One taste of his tantalizing, langoustine-laden gazpacho Andaluz or Gulf Stream grouper in sumptuous pork and garbanzo stew and you'll realize just how much experience does count. Even when conjuring up savory sorbets, tropical fruit gels, and other avant-garde whimsies, Vallés's cooking never veers away from diner accessibility. His ascendant talent makes him the cream of the crop (or shall we say foam at the top) among our young local chefs.

BEST RISING CHEF

Jordi Vallés

BEST RISING CHEF Jordi Vallés The first wave of boisterous Basque cuisine came ashore a couple of years ago by way of La Broche, which was quickly swept back out to sea before most people even had a chance to dip their toes in. The second wave was Mosaico, with executive chef Jordi Vallés riding atop the cresting foams and making a very big splash in the Brickell area. Born and raised in Barcelona, Vallés is no newcomer to the brash, cutting-edge Spanish cooking that has garnered gastronomic gasps around the globe. He trained with three of Spain's most renowned Michelin-starred chefs, including a tenure as chef poissonnier under Ferran Adrià at El Bulli. After his apprenticeships and experimentations in juxtaposing the tastes and textures of classic and contemporary Spanish cuisine, Vallés spent another five years adding to his repertoire at Ritz-Carlton properties. One taste of his tantalizing, langoustine-laden gazpacho Andaluz or Gulf Stream grouper in sumptuous pork and garbanzo stew and you'll realize just how much experience does count. Even when conjuring up savory sorbets, tropical fruit gels, and other avant-garde whimsies, Vallés's cooking never veers away from diner accessibility. His ascendant talent makes him the cream of the crop (or shall we say foam at the top) among our young local chefs.

Best Of Miami®

Best Of Miami®

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