Monday, December 16, 2013

Bread + Butter

For months now I’ve heard my friends call me crazy for not having tried Bread + Butter. So I decided to stop in for lunch one afternoon and see what the fuss was all about. The restaurant is small, but trendy and very decorative. The dining room area is decked out with cool coiled light bulbs, vintage Cuban photos, mason jars, books, with the poem "Cultivo una Rosa Blanca" by José Martí's written on a wall. There is also a small L-shaped bar and counter. Agua is served the old school way in small tin cups, very nostalgic for those of us that remember them growing up. Alberto Cabrera is a genius, this place essentially is Miami’s first Cuban-gastropub.

For starters my friend and I decided on the Media Noche Croquetas. They come with soda crackers and mustard aioli. Even though I’m not a big fan of the small round croquetas some of these "modern" restaurants are making, I liked these. TIP: Make sure to dip your croquetas in the aioli, but avoid the dreaded double dip. From there we moved on to the Frita China with napa cabbage kimchee, cilantro, onion, papitas juliana and sriracha ketchup. WOW! Love this frita! Everything came together perfectly. Finally, we indulged in their Cheeseburger! This masterpiece came with bacon, tomato, onion, Swiss cheese, and their house made b+b pickles and steak sauce. Not for the faint of heart, this cheeseburger is piled high with juicy meat, melted cheese and freshly baked bread.


For dessert you must try the flan. Their Flan Cabrera uses creamy Humboldt Fog goat cheese, which makes it a bit tangy. It also contains the customary ingredient of evaporated milk, and is uniquely baked in one of the empty milk cans and served with citrus slices on top. They're small and a little hard to find, but when you’re in the Downtown Coral Gables area, I suggest you make your way to 2330 Salzedo St. Come in for breakfast, lunch, dinner or their Sunday brunch to try traditional Cuban dishes with a modern spin. I'm sure you’ll find something that you can really enjoy.