Kat's 9 Lives

After a long arduous red-eye flight from LA to Miami, Ms. Lin and I were looking for what we could do to kill time. We had a horrible time dealing with Hertz and their incompetent staff. Believe me, we needed something to wash that nasty taste from our mouths. After an endless search for what was open at 6-7am in the morning, we were able to find Enriqueta's Cafe.
Sure, it might be super early but we definitely needed a caffeine spike. A whole night without sleep because of other inconsiderate airplane passengers plus idiotic service at Hertz, I needed a few gigantic cups of coffee! If you have never had a Cuban coffee, it's really time that you hunt down a tasty Cuban cafe to get a few helpings of it. I loved how they were cranking the machine like crazy and then scooping a ton of sugar into a tiny cup of coffee. Welcome to the world of diabetes and flavor!
Still, there's a reason why they sell tons of this coffee and for the price it is not bad. I wish we had bought a few cups and asked for light sugar. In my memory, Cafe Versailles had such tasty Cuban coffee that I didn't want to order too much here but times have changed. I am not sure if it was an off day or something but I thought the coffee at Enriqueta's Cafe was a million times better. The one at Cafe Versailles was like muddy water. It was quite sad actually. Hence, I wished I bought more coffee here and not save my tastebuds for Cafe Versailles later.
I asked what they recommended and they said to order the Bistecca (Steak) Sandwich. This was about $8 and I was skeptical, but it turned out to be super tasty! They stuff the sandwich full of thin crisp fries that are so crunchy and wonderful with every savory bite. The meat was very aromatic mixed in with fresh tomatoes and onions. Everything just came together heavenly. If I wasn't planning to stuff myself later, I would have gotten another one of these! It took a while for them to crank out this sandwich but it was worth the wait! The number one sandwich I was looking forward to was a Cubano (Cuban) Sandwich, but the steak was the clear winner that morning!
Somehow there was a miscommunication because they thought that we ordered the simple bread with butter. I don't think we really ate it but everyone else was getting it and somehow they messed up with our order. It would be smart to double check your order so that you won't run into the issue we did. The bread was only $1.50 or so but we weren't going to eat it. Ms. Lin had to go back and re-order the Cuban sandwich.
Maybe it was because the steak sandwich was toooo good that it made the Cuban sandwich seem less impressive. They packed it full of meat and pickles. It was nicely toasted and flavorful but I think that morning I was really feeling the solid savory flavor rather than a mix of salty and sour. Again, I might have been judging them to the memory of the Cuban sandwich I had at Cafe Versailles a year or so ago. Yet AGAIN, when I went back to Cafe Versailles I was dramatically let down. The Cuban sandwich here was much better and it was piping hot versus the lukewarm slop I got at Cafe Versailles.
All in all I thought the food here was tasty, reasonably priced, and they were open when the sky was still dark! Many thumbs up! Next time I am in town and have a car again, I will definitely come back again for another go. Hopefully it will be just as good!
While we were waiting for everything to be made, the air was filled with the scent of the ocean. I told Ms. Lin that she was going the wrong way but she did not believe me. After a little detour on our way to Cafe Versailles, we reached a dead end where we could see the sunrise glisten on the water under the bridge. Of course I had to take some photos to celebrate this momentous occasion... us going the wrong way! lol
Ms. Lin of course used the excuse that she did this on purpose for us to enjoy the view... BS! lol =) Still, it makes a great story at least.

Enriqueta's Cafe (Sandwich Shop)
186 NE 29th St
Miami, FL 33137
(305) 573-4681

Time has really flown by! The last time I was at Porto's in Burbank was during the Obama vs. McCain election. Of course with the heated debate around Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown for Governor I would think they'd be selling cookies to poll the audience again. Sadly they did not have a poll going.
Nonetheless I am back and happy to see all the cute Halloween decorations and themed cakes! The Spider and Pumpkin cake looked frightfully cute and delicious! If I lived close by, I'd be buying Porto's cakes all the time because they are such a great deal and nicely done.
I really enjoyed the Halloween inspired cakes. They would definitely be a hit at any party. One year, I will make it my goal to have a Porto's cakes as my b-day cake. O=)
As always they have a vast selection of delectable pastries. It's so hard to resist buying up everything.
The best thing about Porto's are their prices. They are pretty tasty for the price. Although I do think they have been raising their prices, but then again the times are changing and nobody really have the same prices anymore.
There's so many choices. They have muffins, croissants, breads, cakes, cookies, and more!Don't forget about the hot food selection. This time around they have added a new tasty treat. The Chicken Croquette was surprisingly tasty. Normally I love the Ham Croquettes but this time around they were just salty and lacked the special taste and flavor that I liked before.
Guess we came too late in the day because they ran out of their ham & cheese croissants. It's one of my favorite savory treats at any bakery. The prices have gone up for them but at least the ones here are usually a pretty decent size and work great for an on-the-go breakfast.
After a crazy day of moving about in LA, I welcomed the option of a White Chocolate Mocha to keep me going. Caffeine has no effect on me but drinking lots of sugar does make me happy.
Still nothing is better than finishing the day off with a freshly toasted Cheese Roll in the oven. The only way I recommend people eating the cheese rolls is to toast them. I use my toaster oven to heat the pastry just high enough for the bits of sugar to melt and caramelize on top. As soon as that happens, remove them from the heat to allow the heat to dissipate.
Wait for a minute or so for the crust to crisp and attack the delicious pastry! Must eat the whole thing while the cream cheese filling is warm and each bite is filled with a crunchy sweet flaky crust. Mmmm mmmm goodness!
Want fresh from the oven cookies? Who doesn't? I love the Dulce de Leche Kisses here. It's Porto's take of Alfajores. The secret to them is the same as the cheese rolls. I wouldn't turn the heat as high for the toaster oven for the cookies. Just let them slowly heat up so that the cookie can maintain its moistness as well as soften the dulce inside. Trust me, it'll be delicious! =DPorto's Bakery

After a full meal of breakfast and the beginning of lunch at Cafe Versailles, I headed out to my "second lunch" destination. Ms. Lin had done a bunch of research of what to do while I was on Calle Ocho and of course the list was mainly composed of food destinations. Even though I was really stuffed, I forced myself to walk over to La Carreta. It is actually really really close by and I read somewhere that it is the same owner as Cafe Versailles. The main difference is that La Carreta is more like Cuban home cooking than Cafe Versailles. They also have an outside area for coffee drinkers. Inside there is also a diner style bar for customers to sit and eat. The servers here don't speak a lot of English but they are super friendly. I can see why they say it is more like Cuban home cooking because you get the cozy and warm feeling of being in a local place close to home.
The nice lady brought me out some hot buttered bread that simple goodness. Too bad I was way too stuffed to eat the basket. If this had been the first meal of the day, I'd be all over that bread. Who doesn't love hot bread and butter? O=)
While browsing the menu I found an intriguing item. They had a few choices in flavors for the batidos. I saw they had a flavor called, "Mamey". This definitely caught my eye and I tried to ask them what kind of flavor is mamey. All I got in response was that this is a fruit... I did the smart thing that anyone would do. I pulled out my phone and looked it up! "They are grown in Mexico, the Caribbeans, and South Florida. The fruit's flavor is variously described as a combination of pumpkin, sweet potato, and maraschino cherries with the texture of an avocado. Some consider the fruit to be an aphrodisiac. The brown skin has a texture somewhere between sandpaper and the fuzz on a peach." Another name for Mamey is Sapote, this new knowledge actually came in handy later in the day. To me it tasted like a mixture of fruits too. The texture was reminiscent of avocado mixed with the grittiness of a guava. This was a very thick and rich drink. It was very sweet and I had a lot of fun trying to decipher what this fruit reminds me of.
There was just too many things to choose from on the menu. They all looked so good! I asked the server what she recommended and she pointed out a few items. The Criollo caught my eye because it was a huge sampler for a good price. I get to try a bunch of new things and get to kill two birds with one stone. The Criollo included Fried Pork Chunks, Shredded Beef in Creole Sauce, Tamale, Ham Croquette, Sweet Plantains, Yucca, Yellow Rice, and Black Beans. I thought the fried pork chunks were succulent and flavorful. The ham croquette was simply divine! I was looking on the menu to see if I can just order a huge batch for takeout. They were super savory and melted in my mouth with a delightful crisp outer crust. The yucca was nicely cooked and went well with everything.
Even though I was extremely full, I really enjoyed the food here and the service. I was able to try so many things in this one sitting that I felt extremely accomplished. Since I don't like beans, I asked to substitute out the black beans and the server gave me a few choices. Communication was a bit lost in translation but she highly recommended this mixture of beans, sausage, ham, and more. It was not bad but I still don't like beans so I just picked out all the yummy meats to eat. O=9
I really enjoyed the coffee at Cafe Versailles so I thought I should end the meal off with a bang and get another cup of coffee. Unfortunately something got lost in translation and I ended up getting a regular cup of coffee and milk. It was watery and bland. I was really let down but I think that was partly my fault since we failed to communicate with each other. Later on before I left, I got two orders of just Cuban coffee for takeout and they were fine. I made sure not to order the same thing I had earlier.
All in all I really enjoyed La Carreta and I loved the variety of food I got to try. The service was much more attentive and the people were very friendly. It was a nice finish to my day on Calle Ocho, of course there was something in between that I have yet to publish. O=9 If I ever make it back to Miami, I am definitely hitting this place up again and trying out more of the different dishes that they offer.

La Carreta
3632 SW 8th St
Miami, FL 33135
(305) 444-7501

I took a red-eye with Ms. Lin to Miami. Unfortunately our flight was delayed, The Ritz-Carlton totally broke my luggage, the rental car took long to get, and we were running extremely behind. Needless to say that day was hectic and I was barely catching my breath before moving on to a full day's activity. Before we left California, we talked about where I would camp out during her business meeting. We both decided that Calle Ocho would be a good place. I was a little worried but it sounded like "Little Cuba/Calle Ocho" would be a fun adventure. Nowhere in the reviews did it say it would be dangerous, but I was a little cautious since I am foreign to this are and in another state. Still, I am a tough cookie and I am not afraid of most things. ^_-
Calle Ocho was not what I had imagined it to be. I thought there would be more culture and stores but it was really just a street of great Cuban food. Since I would be stuck there for around 4 hours, I found very little to do except eat and eat some more. =X Usually Cafe Versailles is super busy and I was afraid there was going to be a line but I got a seat really easily in the dining area. The area that was super busy in the morning is the Cafe/Coffee area where are the locals come to line up for a fresh cup of Cuban coffee and to chat. Since Cafe Versailles is so well-known for their coffee, I had to order myself a cup. The only problem is that there were a few choices so I asked my server which they are most well-known for. He told me to get the Cuban Coffee with Evaporated Milk. They bring you the hot evaporated milk and you pour the coffee in. The coffee aroma was delightful and tasty. I could see why all those people outside are lined up just to get themselves a nice cup of coffee. A must have indeed. =D
I mulled over the breakfast menu and there were a bunch of choices. Most of it seemed like a normal breakfast menu with a few tweaks. In the end I chose to order the Special Cuban Sandwich. It's Ham, Swiss Cheese, Pickles, and Mustard all on Cuban Bread. The best part is the bread being nicely toasted, fresh, and crispy. All the flavors came together in harmony. It had just the right saltiness, crisp bite, and a wide flavor palette. The pickle helps add another complex level to the flavor of the ham and a special bite. I was really surprised at how good this sandwich was and I should have bought another order to bring back to the hotel to snack on. Although it wouldn't be freshly toasted and crispy if I brought it home, but I'm sure it would still be superb. Thinking about this sammy, I really need to find a great place nearby with a yummy Cuban sammy like this. O=9
The whole time I was sitting there I was eyeing the Tres Leches Cake. Once I see that on the menu, I am sold. Their cake was super moist, rich, and sweet. It was super sweet and leches comes out when you use the fork to cut the cake. The glass of water really helped in between so that I could scarf down more cake. Muy delicioso! The whip cream on top helped mellow out and balance the sweetness. If I had more stomach room I would try a bunch of other desserts.
Even though I was really full by this point, I still went on to ask for the lunch menu. I was there for so long that I made it to the beginning of lunch time. They have daily specials and deals, so I decided to try the Yellow Rice with Pork. Maybe it was because I was full or it was just an off day, I wasn't that impressed with this dish. It was not what I had expected or I would have chosen a different dish. There was barely any pork and it was stewed inside with the rice. I thought it was nice and light. What I really wanted was the pork with a side of rice not rice with bits of pork. Still, it was a solid dish and I enjoyed the plantain on the side. That was my favorite part of the dish! ^_^

All in all it was a nice morning after a super tiring flight. The coffee was wonderful and an eye opener. I should have gotten 2 cups of that delicious treat and maybe 2 slices of cake! Oh and I can't forget the fabulous drool inflicting Cuban sammy. I can easily see why this place is a classic jewel in the neighborhood. The next time I make my way back to Miami and have a car, I would definitely stop by here. Too bad Ms. Lin and my Mom weren't there to enjoy it with me. Don't worry, I made sure to save them some food. The sad part is my Mom ended up letting the hotel throw out due to some miscommunication. My poor money and yummy food flew out the window! =**(

Cafe Versailles
3555 SW 8th St
Miami, FL 33135
(305) 444-0240

First let me start off by introducing the almighty Porto's Bakery! I have always been going to the one in Glendale, but since we were in Burbank... we had to come and try it out! I have been raving about it to Ms. Lin for the longest time but we never get a chance to make our way down there. Finally I was able to show her the joys of Porto's Bakery! It's a great deal for what you get. I prefer this over most high-end bakeries that are all show. I like my food simple and simply delicious! ^_- Of course making it pretty attracts the eye, but taste matters most of all!
I started cracking up as I walked in and saw the Porto's Presidential Cookie Poll! As of September 26th it was McCain 170 and Obama 219. I am actually quite surprised that it's so close especially for California. I know I am going to get a lot of jeers and boos from you people but I was going to buy a cookie for McCain just to help bridge the gap. It's not because I am voting for him, but I am the type of person to cheer for the person or team that other people don't want or like. O=) I am a Bruin but I will cheer for a Trojan just to annoy my friends who are obsessed with school loyalty. I love yanking their chains! ^_^ Sadly, Ms. Lin forced my hand and stopped me from buying a cookie! I say give me cookie or give me death! lol It's all good though because I was just playing and it's fun to annoy Ms. Lin a little... hey that is what sisters are for! ^_~
Porto's always had pretty and reasonably priced cakes. I was very tempted to get one and Ms. Lin wanted the Alright now for the goods! The goodies of course. I tried to take as many photos of the baked good display but there were a lot of people around so it was hard to snap the photos without some behinds getting in the way. Ms. Lin promised me a cake and I couldn't decide where to get one and she set a price limit... it's too hard to find a cake in LA for that price.. maybe a slice! lol Tiramisu because it had beautiful lady fingers lined up around it. Of course it's in the photo! ^_- Then I decided against it because I was sooooo caked out. Maybe next time. I need a cake break.
My favorite cake at Porto's is the Opera Cake. I wanted to get a big cake of that but it's just a flat and unflattering cake. We both wanted something pretty despite taste. =oP So instead I picked up a slice for my tummy. Never too caked out for a tiny slice of the cake I love. Especially since their cakes are reasonably priced and sized. Not a one-bite and it's gone cake... that's for sure. They layer the chocolates perfectly with delectable cake.
They have really good Ham and Cheese Croissants so I always pick up a few to take home. I only ordered the remaining 3 they had left in the case. In retrospect, I should have ordered more! Ms. Lin seemed to enjoy the tasty baked goods. She stole so many bites! Boo! lol The croissants are huge and flaky. They definitely do not skimp on the ham and Swiss cheese inside. It's a much better deal and price than what you get at Tartine in SF. I'd take the croissants and baked goods any day over Tartine. My wallet will thank me too! ^_^ **OMG I haven't posted about Tartine!!! I need to get on that!**
Another fan favorite is the almighty Porto's Cheese Rolls! Yum YUM! The trick is to toast it lightly and let it cool so the crust can crisp. Then sink your teeth into the heavenly wonderful pastry that will have you begging for more! Be sure to toast it enough that the cheese oozing on the outside starts to crisp a little too. That way the center will be warm and moist with a flaky outer layer. The killer combo! I want one now! ^_^
Since Ms. Lin is so salty! Yes, she loves salty foods. I recommended her the Ham Croquette that is just a great mixture of diced Ham and Mashed Potatoes. It's very flavorful and on the saltier side. All batter and fried. How can you go wrong with that? It's just a simple and quick snack that I like.
While we were sitting down to chow down on some of our goods, an employee was walking around offering free samples. They were great! It's half the size of the original with all the flavor! I chose my favorite cheese roll and Ms. Lin got the Guava Roll, which is pretty good if you like guava. As for me, I am just not a fruit person but I have had this many times. If I got one, I would get the Guava CHEESE Roll! ^_- Got to have me some wonderful cream cheese inside. The guy was funny too. Apparently the staff was talking about me and the pictures I take. See the sacrifice I make for my site! lol
All in all I love this bakery. I wish there was one in OC! Even if it was 20 minutes away from my house I'd go often! For those of you who know me and know how lazy I am... that's the highest compliment! lol If you live in LA or go to LA often and have not heard or tried this place you are MISSING OUT! Where have you been hiding!! It's time you come out into the sun and see the world! Also my new favorite is the Caramel Kisses! Be sure to bake this so that the center will be warm before you bite in. It gives it that extra kick. They are shaped like a Hershey Kiss. Inside is filled with a Semi-Solid Caramel/Dulce de Leche. The cookie part is like a soft Sugar, Buttery, Shortbread like cookie. I am drooling just thinking about it! Apparently I forgot to take a picture of the awesome cookie and I have eaten it all already! Tough luck! ^_^ It's in one of the photos of the food case if you look closely. That's my Where's Waldo Challenge for you! Happy Hunting!

Porto's Bakery