100 Montaditos

There are about 200 locations worldwide, but the 100 Montaditos in midtown Miami is the first to open in America. It is the dollar store of fast-food franchises, but instead of a bunch of junk, you can get all sorts of great sandwiches: for instance, thin wisps of Serrano ham on warm, crunchy-crusted, olive-oil-drizzled, oven-fresh bread. That's $1. Other one-buck wonders include the same bread filled with pulled barbecue pork, smoked salmon, chorizo, or a host of other ingredients. For fifty cents more, diners are privy to sandwiches of tortilla española with chipotle aioli, or grilled chicken with brava sauce. Big spenders can get the $2 fillings, such as duck mousse with crisp onion. The same amount buys a hamburger or hot dog (100 sandwiches altogether). Sampler plates bring six montaditos for $8 and other such combinations. An 11-ounce bottle of Mahou 5 Estrellas beer is $2.50; a 17-ounce draft is $3. A five-beer bucket comes for $10; on Fridays it's two buckets for $10. Flat-screen TV sets provide entertainment, and the room looks more like a modern pub than a fast-food joint. Leave Ronald McDonald to the clowns.