Miami - Florida - page 217

South Beach (1st to 11th Streets)
Puerto Sagua CUBAN
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 305-673-1115; 700 Collins Ave; mains $6-20; 7:30am-2am)
There's a secret colony of older working-class Cubans and construction workers hidden
among South Beach's sex-and-flash, and evidently, they eat here (next to a Benetton).
Puerto Sagua challenges the US diner with this reminder: Cubans can greasy-spoon with
the best of them. Portions of favorites such as picadillo (spiced ground beef with rice,
beans and plantains) are stupidly enormous. The Cuban coffee here is not for the faint of
heart - strong stuff.
11th St Diner DINER
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 1065 Washington Ave; mains $9-18; 24hr except midnight-7am Wed)
You've seen the art-deco landmarks. Now eat in one: a Pullman-car diner trucked down
from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania - as sure a slice of Americana as a Leave It to Beaver
marathon. If you've been drinking all night, we'll split a three-egg omelet with you and
the other drunkies at 6am - if there's a diner where you can replicate Edward Hopper's
Nighthawks, it's here.
Pizza Rustica PIZZA
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.pizza-rustica.com ; 863 Washington Ave; slices $5, mains $8-10;
11am-6pm)
South Beach's favorite pizza place has several locations to satisfy the demand for crusty
Roman-style slices topped with an array of exotic offerings. A slice is a meal unto itself
and goes down a treat when you need something to soak up the beer.
News Cafe AMERICAN
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.newscafe.com ; 800 Ocean Dr; mains $7-17; 24hr)
News Cafe is an Ocean Dr landmark that attracts thousands of travelers. We find the food
to be pretty uninspiring, but the people-watching is good, so take a perch, eat some over-
the-average but not-too-special food and enjoy the anthropological study that is South
Beach as she skates, salsas and otherwise shambles by.