David's Cafe II to Close: One Last Cafecito For the Road
David's Cafe II is closing its doors for good on Monday. The 24-hour cafe was never just a place to get something to eat. It was a meeting ground for everyone in Miami Beach -- from City Hall officials who came for an afternoon jolt of caffeine to tourists wanting to experience their first Cuban coffee. Construction workers drank rich, dark coladas alongside beautiful young women and police officers mingled with club kids needing a little energy after a long night of dancing. If you lived on Miami Beach, chances are you've got a story about this cafe/meeting place/safe house.
My husband and I moved from New York to Miami Beach nearly eight years ago. The promise of palm trees, warm breezes, and ice cream colored buildings sounded romantic. We jumped on the opportunity and within a few weeks we were on the road, bound for South Beach.
Anyone who has made the drive from New York to Miami knows that it's long and tiring. We arrived in South Beach at around one in the morning. Our furniture wasn't scheduled to arrive for a few days, and the prospect of snuggling into a sleeping bag, as tired as we were, wasn't appealing. What we really wanted was some food -- but where to go?
We smelled it first. The scent of
strong coffee, ham, and pastries wafting through the night air called to
us. Sitting at the counter, half asleep but too jazzed up about the future to rest, we chatted over Cuban coffee and bit into our sandwiches
-- the first taste of our new home.
David's Cafe II is closing
its doors for good. There's no big drama -- just another casualty of
rising prices and changing times. The biggest problem for owner Adrian
Gonzalez and his family -- exactly when do you close a restaurant that's open 24
hours?
David's Cafe II will remain open all day Sunday, July 22
and into the night. On Monday, July 23, at 8 a.m., the cafe will stop
selling its trademark Cuban sandwiches and pastelitos forever. There is
some good news....
On Monday July 23 from 8 to 11 a.m., the
restaurant will be giving away free cafecitos and pastelitos as a thank
you to friends and patrons.
Be sure to stop in and have one
last cafecito and a chat. It's a bittersweet sendoff for a restaurant
that holds memories for so many of us.
If you have a memory about David's Cafe II, we'd love to hear it. Please share it in our comments section, below.
Follow Short Order on Facebook and Twitter @Short_Order.
