On a recent trip to Miami I asked a friend to take me to an authentic "hole-in-the-wall" Cuban restaurant. I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant when we pulled up to a strip center in the middle of an Industrial zone, but I knew he was a fellow foodie and I was sure he would not steer me wrong.

The first thing that surprised me when we walked in was the decor - very contemporary and stylish, yet warm and inviting. I knew right away that we were not in some isolated "hole in the wall." The place was very clean and the servers were obviously well trained professionals.

The menu could be best described as eclectic with a variety of Italian and Spanish influenced dishes. I asked them to serve me something that I would not find somewhere else and our waiter suggested the Picadillo "Sabores" A la Criola. This hearty dish of seasoned ground beef is a Cuban tradition, and it´s even better when served over Pure de Malanga. Malanga is a brown tuber closely related to taro and is served in a similar style as whipped potatoes. Our group also tried the Grilled Covina Filet with Alioili sauce, and a variety of side dishes. Every dish was served to perfection in both flavor and presentation. The reason for the high quality of their food was made evident when Chef/Owner Daisy Diaz stopped by our table. My first question was where she learned her culinary skills, and her reply clearly reflected her Latin and Italian heritages - "from my mother." While that was obviously true, somewhere along the line she learned how to take her traditional family dishes and deliver them with a level of culinary expertise that you rarely find in small family restaurants.

We finished our meal with some Cuban coffee and shared a serving of Daisy´s homemade Tiramisu, which was undoubtably the best I have had in quite some time. I can´t wait to find myself in this part of Miami again. I highly recommend Sabores to all of my foodie friends!

Wednesday - November 21, 2012