Las Olas Cafe – Best Empanadas & Café Con Leche in South Beach, Miami

Brunch for 2 at Mondrian w/ 2 drinks = $200

Breakfast for 2 at Oliver’s Bistro w/ coffee = $35

Breakfast for 2 at Las Olas Cafe w/ coffee = $11

By far my favorite place to eat breakfast is Las Olas Cafe. The $11 bill included 2 vegetable tortilla sandwiches, 2 cafe con leches and 2 bottles of water. But the reason to come to Las Olas is not solely for the price. It has the best cafe con leche and empanadas I have had since New Orleans (for the coffee) and Cartagena, Colombia (for the empanada).

Not only are the prices great and the food authentic and memorable the whole experience of going to Las Olas is fun. There are some tourists but most of the customers are locals. Some stay to eat but most are grab and go before work. The place is packed in the morning; I barely squeezed inside to see if I could see a menu, there isn’t one. The alternative is to walk up to the take-out window and place your order. You can see what others are getting and go from there.

You can’t be shy, there is an informal line outside and you need to shout out your order. Most people speak Spanish so if you can order in Spanish even better. It’s a bit chaotic and not the fastest service but worth the wait. I sat outside at the tables and eavesdropped on the Spanish conversations. Mostly older men swapping tall tales, it was great.

Okay, the food. The chicken empanada was spicy, freshly baked, flaky crust and generous portion. I really wanted another one but it really wasn’t necessary as I was full but wanted to taste more.

I’m a wimpy coffee drinker so when a coffee tastes like a dessert I love it. I tried the cafe con leche without sugar and I was surprised how much I liked it (I know it’s half milk but I still drink it with sugar). I have to admit I couldn’t stop thinking about the cafe con leche. I wanted it all day long…and any other coffee I had I couldn’t stop myself from comparing. I guess you could say I fell in love.

The last item I tried (on visit #2) was the vegetable tortilla sandwich. A huge sandwich they cut in two, it’s big enough for breakfast and lunch.

The consistency of the eggs is hard for me to explain but I don’t remember feeling that taste before. They were not runny but were pulled off the pan just before they were done and tasted like a farm fresh egg, no flavor lost. Pepper, tomatoes and a bit of cheese all served on a quality baguette.

They also serve lunch and I am sure the Cuban sandwiches are fantastic as well as rice and beans. Orange, grapefruit and sugar cane are among the freshly squeezed juices they offer. I look forward to coming back to fall in love again.

Made friends with this little guy who really wanted me to share.

Las Olas Cafe – 644 6th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139

The Biggest Village in Germany – Stuttgart

The beauty of the autobahn is the drive to Stuttgart from Munich can be as quick as you want, pending traffic of course. Coming into Stuttgart I was struck by what a beautiful valley I was driving into. It looked like there were vineyards in the hills as well. Wikipedia describes it perfectly, “The city centre lies in a lush valley, nestling between vineyards and thick woodland close by…Thus, the city is often described as lying “zwischen Wald und Reben”, between forest and vines.”

You really can see vineyards from downtown. After learning that Stuttgart is in the Württemberg wine growing area dating back to around 1100 I figured some great wine was in my future.

A Christmas Market (Christkindlmarket) off the Schlossplatz provided my first taste of Glühwein in Germany. A warm mulled red wine that is served at Christmas Markets. It keeps you toasty while you shop and hang out at the market. Coupled with a Germknödel (steamed dessert dumpling covered in vanilla cream sauce) and you have yourself a nice little treat.

Next order of business was to find some authentic Swabian food for dinner. Swabian food is known for its sauces on everything and on the rich side, which is fine by me…when in Swabia I will do as the Swabain. Enter zum Ackerbürger, a rustic farmhouse even the taxi driver couldn’t find. I was lucky to be with some Germans that asked about 5 people on the street for directions before finally finding someone who thought they knew where it was. I have a theory that the locals don’t want any tourist finding out about this place. There was a little too much “keine ahnung” (I have no idea) where zum Ackerbürger was from people standing less than a block away. Don’t blame them.

Established in 1551 it is the second-oldest house in Stuttgart. Their website indicates the back of the tavern is preserved in its original city walls. Stepping inside you immediately feel like you are in a cozy cottage. It is decorated with antiques and trinkets to make you feel like how it could have been at one time.

After taking in what a find this place was it was on to the food. Appetizers of Carpaccio vom Rinderfilet an Ackersalat in Kürbiskernvinaigrette (Beef Carpaccio) and Cremesuppe von champignons (Cream of Mushroom soup). Hands down the best mushroom soup I have ever had. The mushrooms were so fresh I think they actually were picked a few minutes before they were cooked. The sauce was rich and creamy but not so overpowering that you felt you couldn’t move on to a main course. I do suggest splitting it. The Carpaccio was of very high quality and the pumpkin seed vinaigrette was a refreshing change.

The Hauptspeisen (main course) was the Ackerbürgerpfannle – Rinder un Schweinemedaillon vom Grill mit Steinchampignons in Cognacsahne, dazu handegeschabte Spatzle. Wait, what? That was my reaction anyway…basically beef medallions and pork grilled with porcini mushrooms in a cognac cream, served with Spätzle. To say it was good is an understatement. The cognac sauce was rich and the meat was literally mouth-watering. You must get this dish.

It’s rare that I don’t order dessert but I was satisfied enough with the meal that dessert actually didn’t seem necessary.  Besides, we had some Cannstatter Zuckerle Trollinger wine to finish which had some body but was on the lighter side and tasted of fresh fruits. Perfect way to end the heavy meal.

Bon Bini! Welcome To Aruba

There are plenty of restaurants in Aruba but none as laid-back and romantic as Passions on the Beach. Tables are set up 25 feet from the ocean literally on the beach so you can enjoy the sunset with your feet in the sand. Another plus, it is located away from the high-rise madness so no crowds to deal with. I was in a trance from the waves and the breeze and said “sure” when offered the “signature” cocktail, it was out of the 80s but made me laugh and just added to the fun.

Requisite Beach Cocktail

I’d like to say the meal was amazing but there was only one really great standout which turned out to be a very simple dish. The Watermelon Salad. The sweetness of the watermelon mixed with the saltines of the feta is always a beautiful thing but the addition of the chili dressing made this dish memorable. It’s also really easy to recreate which I have multiple times since returning from the One Happy Island.

Almost everyone that was dining on the beach was celebrating a birthday or anniversary or seemed to be on their honeymoon or with someone they loved so it didn’t matter that the food wasn’t the main attraction. Just being there was the point…oh and the view…

Here is a recipe I found that is a good reference to make your own beach watermelon salad creation courtesy of Miri Leigh. You should really make it while we still have summer.  Ban come! Let’s eat! 

10 sprigs thyme
1 serrano chili
1 small shallot
juice and zest of 1/2 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup champagne or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 oz fresh baby spinach, rinsed and dried
3 lbs seedless watermelon
4 oz crumbled feta

Remove the thyme leaves from the sprigs by gripping each sprig with your thumb and forefinger near one end and, with your other hand, pulling the sprig away from you so that your thumb and finger run along the stem opposite to the direction that the leaves grow.  Set aside half of the leaves to use as garnish.  Place the remaining leaves in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade along with the serrano chili (remove some or all of the seeds for less heat), shallot, lime juice and zest, olive oil, canola oil, vinegar, and salt.  Pulse a few times until the chili and shallot are chopped, then process until the dressing is smooth and emulsified.

In a large bowl, toss the spinach with the dressing until it is fully coated, reserving 1/4 cup of the dressing for the last step.  Arrange the dressed spinach in equal quantities among four plates.  Slice the watermelon as thinly as possible and arrange over the spinach.  Sprinkle the crumbled feta over the watermelon and garnish with the remaining thyme leaves.  Drizzle the remaining dressing over the feta, about 1 tablespoon per plate.  Serve immediately.