Calle Ocho, historic street full with delicious food restaurants, interesting places and Hispanic culture.
The Calle Ocho (8th Street) is a “must” for everybody who visits Miami, weather as a tourist or with the purpose to settle down in the city. Known for being the main way crossing the historic Little Havana neighborhood, this street is the center of restaurants, galleries, theaters and nightspots showing the culture and costumes brought to the city by the Cuban community. First of all, it is advisable to left the car parked in a garage and to do the tour walking. When you go down the Calle Ocho do not think you will be in the 5th Avenue of Manhattan.
At the Calle Ocho there are not skyscrapers or dazzling architecture. However, the attraction lies in the people and in its cozy shops. Do not be shy and cheer up to have a chat with the people who work and live there. Although the Little Havana demography has changed (now many people call it Little Managua), the Cuban culture continues to have a strong presence when it comes to shops, restaurants and galleries located there. Below you will find the best places to visit.
Maximo Gomez Park
The commonly called Domino Park would be only a small square with cement tables with no attraction if it were not for the characters that daily go there to play that popular game. The place comes to life with the players’ spark (most of them Cubans of the old school) who spice each domino game. Tourist from all over the world visit the park, but the best thing to enjoy the visit is to chat with the players, who are willing to explain the game to the curious ones with a great sense of humor and will even pose nicely to your camera. A mural showing the 1993 Summit of the Americas is the background decorating the park, which has become a must visit place for tourist sightseeing Miami.
Right around the corner there is something that you cannot miss: the Latin Walk of Fame of Little Havana, which is a clear reference to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. There you will see the stars of the most famous Latin celebrities such as Celia Cruz, Lucia Mendez, Willy Chirino and the rest of the greatest Hispanic celebrities of all times. Also, at the interception of Calle Ocho with 13th Avenue you will find a monument in tribute to the Bay of Pigs heroes and another one to the poet and Cuban independency forefather, Jose Marti. One of Marti’s famous phrases is printed in his bust: “Freedom is not begged for; it is conquered with the edge of the machete.” This is the ideal place to have a rest.
Pinareños 1332 SW 8th St 305-285-1135
If you get heat while walking near the Bay of Pigs monument, you may be able to enjoy a refreshing garapa or cane juice. Those who prefer a more conventional drink may choose between pineapple, guava, medlar, or any other fruit juice or any other combination that you can think of. This place turns into a piece of a Caribbean island with the owner Don Ángel Hernández, with a machete in his hand, chopping a coconut for you to refresh and calm down the thirst. If you prefer a cheaper lunch, Los Pinareños could become your favorite place. For a few dollars you can eat delicious and cheap. This local has been in the same place since 1967 and survived to fires.
La casa de los Trucos 1343 SW 8th St 305-858-5029 crazyforcostumes.com
Once you have calmed down the thirst, the only thing you have to do is to cross the street to enter into a different world. In La Casa de Los Trucos (Tricks` House) you will find all kinds of masks and every color and style costumes. If you are looking for a sexy costume to satisfy your partner fantasies, that is the perfect place to go. There you can find nurses, prisoners, motorcyclist, and even nuns’ female costumes. The same goes for men. Making jokes to your friends has never been so fun. There you can find cigar boxes or beer cans that will make your friends jump with a harmless electric shock. You can find some off-color jokes in La Casa de Los Trucos as well, which has been in the same place for 35 years. According to the manager, the store was in Cuba 100 years ago.
Molina Fine Art 1634 SW 8th St 305-642-0444 molinaartgallery.com
Art has more than one spot at Calle Ocho as well. If you enter to the Luis Molina´s Gallery, you will be entering into the Afro-Cuban folklore. As the door opens, you will be welcomed by pictures of Wayuu people, cocks and Orishas (Gods of the Afro-Cuban religion, Regla de Ocho, commonly known as Santeria.) “Everything I paint has to do with my culture, which is a cultural syncretism, the union of two worlds,” Molina said. All the characters of Molina have a mysterious eyes elongation, which is the personal stamp of the artist. In this gallery, the visitor should take the opportunity to talk at length with the artist.
MGI Fine Art Gallery 1516 SSW 8th St 305-642-8922 martagismail.com
This is another studio gallery where the visitor could find the artist either working in a new paint or chatting nicely with a friend. Established one year ago right in the middle of the Little Havana, Marta Ismail will make you feel at home. “I consider myself as a surrealist painter, but I learnt how to paint Cuban landscapes because tourists come here looking for something from Cuba. Now I am incorporating Cuban elements in my surrealism,” Ismail said. We recommend visiting the galleries on Cultural Fridays, which are the last Fridays of each month, between 7:30 pm and 1:00 pm.
I love calle ocho 1547 SW 8th St 305-643-3737 ilovecaleochocafe.com
This casual restaurant is known as the house of crepes of the Calle Ocho. In a comfortable place you can enjoy sweets or salty crepes, matching with your favorite wine or with a delicious coffee. The heart of the Little Havana is a meeting place of artist, poets and theater people. On weekends you can enjoy live music played by talented local songwriters. And if you really liked the place, you can take a souvenir and show your love for Calle Ocho.
Teatro Tower 1508 SW 8th St Miami, FL 33135 305-642-1264
The Tower Theater is one of the oldest historic monuments in Miami. It was built in 1926 at a value of $110.000 dollars, a high fortune for the time. Currently, the theater is managed by the Miami Dade College. In this place people may enjoy European and Latin-American film Festivals. Most of the movie screenings are for free. This historic venue also dresses up in its finest in the presentations of the Miami International Film Festival.
Alfaro´s Gallery & Lounge 1604 SW 8th St 305-643-2151 alfarosmiami.com
Who would say that in a place where guayaberas are sold, tapas and pasta accompanied with a good wine list may also be enjoyed? Alfaro´s Gallery & Lounge offers that option and could even be a unique local in its field: it is a boutique, an art gallery and a restaurant, all in one. In here the locals can enjoy tapas and wines alongside guayaberas and hats, all on sale. There is even a fitting room in the middle of the restaurant. Now it is the time to put on the guayabera and the hat before enjoying tapas, pastas and wines listening live music and surrounded by art.
Cuba Tobacco Cigar Co. 1528 SW 8th St 305-649-2717
Cigarretes may be found anywhere, but in this Calle Ocho corner you will be able to see how they are made. Tobacconist with years of experience can roll up to 100 cigars per day, keeping a high quality control in the best Cuban cigars style. The most attractive thing is that while the tobacconist makes the cigar that you are going to smoke, he explains the whole process step by step.
This cigars factory has been in Miami for 38 years. “The tobacco seed is Cuban and we plant it in our tobacco plantations in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The tobacco is cured for three years in those countries and then we bring it here, where the tobacconists twist the tobacco in the heart of Little Havana,” the owner of the store, Pedro Bello Jr., said. Undoubtedly, Cuba Tobacco Cigar Co. is more than a cigar store; it is an obligatory stop for those who want to know an emblematic symbol of the Cuban culture. Do not be surprise to see many men smoking and to find yourself immerse in a cloud of smoke.
Little Habana To Go 1442 SW 8th St 305-857-9720
This souvenirs store is in the way of all sightseeing places of the Little Havana. It is kind an official store to buy Cuban and Little Havana souvenirs. Do not be surprised to see a bus full of European tourist stopping in the store to buy the obligatory souvenirs. The most important item could be a handmade chessboard made out of lead. What makes it interesting is that the chips are not black and white, but represent the Cuban Patriotic Army and the Spanish Realistic Army. The Cuban Dolls recreating the island colorful characters are other very attractive items.
Sentir Cubano 3100 SW 8th St Miami, FL 33135 305-644-8870 cubanfoodmarket.com
Who would say that a fondness for Cuban products would end up in one of the Cuban souvenirs biggest stores in Miami. Once retired, Miguel Váquez started to sell the products of the Materva, Jopiña, Malta Hatuey, Badia, Goya and others brands that he had consume before leaving the island when he was 13 years old. “Then, they started to ask me for guayaberas, hats, books, and I asked myself Why not?” Vázques said.
Now, the store is a box of surprises. In here, apart from groceries, you can find any type of guayaberas (from the classic, up to the modern ones), dominoes, hats, cigars, jewelry, recipe books and books about the island; but the collection articles Miguel Vasquez has in a special section are the most amazing items on the store. Some of the articles might cost up to 2 thousand dollars, like the black freedom document with which Cuban slaves used to buy their freedom. The slaves carried that document in a metal case (which is also in the store) hanging around their necks. Don Miguel also has old newspapers, artists and social life characters photos as well as of everyday life scenes in Cuba. You could also find coins and bills from before the 60s. According to Vásquez “Sentir Cubano” (Cuban Feel) has contributed with the decoration of many of the television productions about the Cuban community as the Flower of Hialeah. Take a trip and visit Sentir Cubano, a special place that will take you to the Cuba of bygone days.
Restaurante Versalles 3555 SW 8th St 305-444-0240
Mentioned in every touristic guide about Miami, we could not fail to mention the legendary Versalles restaurant. This is one of the best places where the authentic Cuban food may be enjoyed in Miami and perhaps in The U.S. Ropa vieja, picadillos, moros, vaca frita, sopa de chícharo, and other delicious dishes can be found here, prepared at the best Cuban style. This is also the meeting place of oldest exiled Cubans and it is visited by the media every time something important happens in the island. At the cafeteria you can drink a delicious Colada Cubana, besides the excellent ham and cheese croquettes.
Do not forget that a good time to visit Calle Ocho is the last Friday of every month when Cultural Fridays are celebrated. Visitors can enjoy Latin music outdoors and artistic performances at sidewalks. Artists open their galleries and their wine bottles to share with their guests. According to www.viernesculturales.org, Cultural Fridays attract approximately 70 thousand visitors per year and such number is expected to be surpassed due to the Cultural Friday’s increasing popularity and success. Cultural Fridays are a good opportunity to feel the Latin community spirit in Miami.
By Omar Benel
