Pillar to Post: COFFEE BEANS & BEINGS / RAINY AFTERNOON IN MIAMI

Saturday, July 25, 2015

COFFEE BEANS & BEINGS / RAINY AFTERNOON IN MIAMI

Dry and cozy inside Havana Coffee & Tea Company on Miami's East Flagler Street
Photo: Pillar to Post/Phyllis Shess, April, 2015

We had a Thursday afternoon to kill in Miami before we boarded a Friday flight to Cuba so we left our utilitarian hotel by the airport via Uber to do a walkabout of downtown.

We hopped aboard the elevated Omni Loop people mover to get a feeling for Miami’s burgeoning downtown area. The ride was free and for about two blocks we liked what we were seeing.

Then the downpour. Because we couldn’t see through the tram’s rain streaked windows we hopped off. Of course, we didn’t have umbrella’s. We’re from San Diego. What do we know about rain?

Nearby we spotted a Walgreens. But before we could enter to buy umbrellas we had to wade through ankle deep curb runoff. No, thanks.

Fortunately, we were on the dry side of East Flagler, where we discovered Havana Coffee & Tea Company, a modern coffee house. I’ve never known it to rain inside a warm coffee house.

Havana Coffee has a distinct South Florida/Cuba feel to the décor and the wide-ranging menu featuring all espresso drinks, a fine collection of tea offerings to go with breakfast and lunch offerings.

Menu highlights:

--Salad: Havana tropical w/mixed greens with mango vinaigrette

--Homemade empanadas, beef, cheese, spinach, ham and cheese.

--Havana burger: ground beef mixed with chorizo and onions grilled on a Cuban Rolando bread and topped with potato sticks.

--Havana half and half sandwiches: Cuban sandwich on Cuban bread with grilled pork or ham Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles. Also: Ropa Vieja (shredded beef).

--Breakfast includes “Tortila:” Spanish omelet; Havana breakfast sandwich: Cuban bread grilled with egg, ham & Swiss cheese.

Espresso highlights:

--Cortadito; Café con leche and Cafecito.