No longer just a toll-free way to zip from Miami to Miami Beach, the 79th Street Causeway is becoming a surprisingly hip restaurant row — not a walkable one, but at least a strip with enough interesting eateries to justify the drive. Some of the road's new charms, though (like the teahouse Amate's hidden meditation garden and cupcake bakery), are difficult to spot from the street.
None is harder to find than the relaxed four-month-old restolounge Havana's on the Bay. There's no sign out front, simply a small menu posted by the door. True, a large sign hangs on the side of the condo complex in which the restaurant is located, but it's for a previous tenant. Then there's the location, along a drivewaylike passageway that bisects the complex, and the parking garage with a "Valet Only" sign, but no valet. (Drive right in; self-parking is free.)
The food is Cuban-inspired rather than traditionally Cuban. Replete with little Nuevo Latino attempts at elegance — chipotle mayo with the chicharrones; masitas de cerdo (fried pork chunks) finished with tamarind glaze — this is not Abuelita's home cooking. And some items are Latin in name only, like the "Hamburger de Media Libra" (garnished with sliced onion and blue cheese), which, according to our beaming server, a recent patron proclaimed "better than Checkers!"
Because the restaurant specializes in seafood, we opted for a Havana fish sandwich, a beautifully moist grilled fillet garnished with tomato, onion, and lettuce — romaine thankfully. (Salads, also, are based on romaine rather than the iceberg used in typical Latin joints; nontraditional approaches can definitely be improvements.) Although we had to ask for the chipotle aioli that was supposed to come with the sandwich — and for several other missing niceties, like serving spoons — the slightly smoky dressing was a tasty alternative to mayo.
The "sweet chili lime" dip that came with crispy calamari, though appealingly tingly-hot, was too viscous (like Chinese duck sauce) and not citrusy enough for our taste. But the sweetness might please many Latino palates. And the squid (tentacles as well as rings) was both crisp-coated and tender.
Best was a skillfully gentrified seafood mofongo, the house's signature item. The spiced plantain mash came classic Cuban-style, as one large ball. But rather than being seafood-stuffed, the rounded heap came surrounded by perfectly cooked shrimp, squid, mussels, salmon, and white fish, in a zesty, creamy-light creole sauce.
With its obviously expensive renovations (marble floors, fish tanks), many outdoor tables overlooking a marina, live Latin bands many nights, and appetizing bites, the place has trendiness potential — which, with luck, will not prove terminal. North Bay Village's city commission has already received one noise complaint from condo residents. But Havana's owner promises that episodes like the Thanksgiving party for 100 guests, to which 400 showed up, won't happen again. Let's hope not. The nabe needs comfy, casually stylish, reasonably priced hangouts like this one.
