Despite the bright reds and yellows on the weather radar and all of the advice against it, I still felt it imperative to get out on the bicycle yesterday for a 40 some odd miler. Leaving the Gables area with an equally crazy friend around 2 PM we ventured down 8th street, up Biscayne Blvd and across the Venetian Causeway ultimately arriving hungry and soggy on the Beach.
After weaving through the crowds on Lincoln Road and Washington we strolled up on Sandwich Q Bano . I remember seeing this place a few weeks ago and putting it on my snack list, hungry and decidedly against Pizza, I figured there was no better time then now to stop by.
The place occupies the corner unit of a 5 story condo and office building on the corner of Washington and 2nd St. Parking would usually be a hassle but seeing as it was a rainy Sunday afternoon and we were on bikes that didn’t seem to be a problem.
In short the place serves up Cuban style sandwiches in a cleaned up franchise like environment. If your looking for Cuban Coffee or any type of fruit shake or “batido” your shit out of luck here. This took a little bit of adjustment for me at first, the place smelled like new concrete instead of brewing coffee or cigar smoke. There was no water jug outside or window I could order from… I actually had to walk in and sit down after ordering my food and most unsettling of all; there was soccer playing on the giant plasma TV hanging on the wall on not one mention of Fidel within ear shot…
Esto no pasa en Cuba Little Havana.
Once I bit into my Media Noche all those reservations went away. The sandwich itself was very good and on par with most of the stuff you get back on the mainland. Thick but not overwhelming and the bread was nice and fresh. Better still it went down just fine with a Jupiña Pineapple Soda (one of my favorites). The price at about $5 dollars was on par with what you would expect and for Beach lunch standards I would venture to call the place a good deal. The best part of the sandwich itself was the unexpected addition of a garlic “homestyle” sauce which can be seen the in the picture above in the little condiment container. This sauce really makes a difference and adds a unique taste to what would have otherwise been a run of the mill lunch.
The menu includes many other sandwiches among them, a Hawaiian sandwich which combines Pineapple, Ham and Mozzarella cheese on French Bread and a few salads to round off the menu.
Final Verdict : Not one of the best Cuban Sandwiches in Miami, Sergio’s and Sarussi share that honor but if your ever looking for some lunch South of 5th Street around the South Pointe area , it’s worth a try.
Vital Statistics
Sandwich Q Bano
110 Washington Ave CU 9. Miami Beach FL, 33139
Phone: 305-535-3031
Delivery : No
Payment Options: Cash & Credit Cards Accepted
In an effort to stay lean and mean Menu Pirates it becomes important to take the focus off food every once in while so I’m going to start posting sporadicly about some of the recreational stuff Miami has to offer, after all part of enjoying food is about doing it in moderation.
So attempting to listen to my own advice I’ve decided to step up my outdoor activities.
In short, my friend and I are as close to amateur mountain bikers as you can get in Miami. Were not pros or anything and our equipment is far from top flight. But it’s fun to get out there and screw around the streets of Miami while employing our valuable “how to cross the street” lessons from first grade. It’s a great workout for a life long office dweller like myself and a computer engineer , I’ll add it’s a pretty cool way to scout shopping centers for good eats and harvest much needed scars to earn street cred.
Anyway, as our mileage piled up keeping track of our rides and routes became kind of difficult. Using Google as our guide we quickly stumbled upon sites created to catalog distances and spit them out into cool maps with notes and stuff. By far the site imbued with the most coolness was MapMyRide.com.
Fresh layout, easy to use click and plot path editor and a very well throughout community feel make the site a must visit for not only Florida bikers but MMRide’s sister sites at MapMyFitness.com makes themselves useful to triathletes and try-athletes alike with its training log features and other helpful tools to keep you in shape or motivate you to keep going.
I have yet to really take advantage of all the training tools but I see myself posting new routes and stuff often so keep an eye out.
Fear not, we still love things cooked in their own juices, get ready for an in depth review of the kick-assery that is Miami’s Pizza Corridor, US1 AKA South Dixie Highway.
From the “texas toast” style bun to the thick patty of tender meat the thing is simply burger perfection. I had it with all the fixings ; cheese, lettuce, onions , tomatoes and a few carefully selected after market modifications from the unlimited salad bar I had as an appetizer. The Ruby Tuesday’s website describes the Triple Prime as …
Triple Prime Burger
100% USDA Prime beef with prime tenderloin, prime rib eye and prime sirloin fresh ground, blended and grilled. With garlic mayonnaise.
But it’s a lot more than that. it shares a rectangular plate some excellent fries. I’d still have to say Friday’s has the better fries but sitting next to this burger they do a great job of rounding off the meal.
The burger is between $10 and $11 dollars which is a great price for a truly premium burger. Finding a Ruby Tuesday’s isn’t quite as simple as say, finding a Friday’s or Chilli’s but the locations are out there if your willing to find them or fortunate to live by one. I visited the Deerwood Plaza location across from Metro Zoo on SW 152 ST right off the Turnpike. If you interested in locations from West Palm to South Dade click here.
If you’ve never been to a Ruby Tuesday it’s comparable to TGI Fridays, Chilli’s, or Applebees. Well rounded menu structured around a few signature of featured items. Lots of random junk hanging off the walls as usual with this class of casual dining establishments. Rumor has it though that the corporate powers that be may be dropping the “casual dining” style, switching the emphasis of their menu to higher quality dishes and premium beer and wine. (thank you wiki!)
I’d also recommend the Sliders (Mini Burgers) and their soups are pretty good too.
Trans-fat-free oil has passed Burger King taste tests and will be fully integrated in all of their U.S. restaurants by the end of next year, the company says.
Good news if your like me and love all things fried. BK as always is a bit behind the curve on anything health concious but none the less welcome news. If your a trans-fat nonbeliever fear not, The King will still be home to triple whoppers and of course this beauty…
Because a pound of sausage, egg, bacon, cheese and Italian bread coupled with hash browns and orange juice is a great way to start the day!
But I must give homage to The King, Cam Cameron should really look into grabbing that guy when he hits free agency. Would’nt mind seeing him in a Dolphins jersey.
If you watch Food Network your bound to recognize Alton Brown, he’s their resident food nerd. His show is a lot like Mythbusters except there are a lot less explosions and more food. He takes a recipe and breaks it down to the scientific level, letting us in on all the crazy stuff happening in our pots and pans and occasionally he will even break down what our bodies do to the stuff once it goes down the hatch.
That leaves us with today’s video clip, Alton Brown explains why beans are the magical fruit with some corny graphics and an annoying French dude.
Enjoy the fireworks and BBQ everyone. Don’t forget that the Coral Gables Fourth of July Celebration at the Biltmore Hotel is canceled this year due to horribly timed golf course restorations. The City of South Miami has invited all the displaced patriots to their celebration at Palmer Park.
This will be the first year I wont be working the Forth of July at the Biltmore so I guess I’ll have to actually make plans to go somewhere else. Sadness. I hope it comes back next year along with Barbara’s Roasted Corn stand!
If your a hermit or bed bound or just plain lazy The History Channel will be playing their special, titled The Revolutionthroughout the day, it’s the story of the birth of the nation. It was not as easy as history class makes it seem and it took a lot of hard work and luck to send the King packing. Watch it.
If your looking for something to do with the family before the festivities get out and watch Live Free or Die Hard or The Transformers , both are “proper” action films I hear.
