I was in Ft Lauderdale staying on the beach and the first couple days were record cold, so we did other stuff like ride the "Duck Boat" which is an amphibious and rudely obnoxious tour bus that rolls down the road with guides encouraging you to quack at all the people on Las Olas. It also goes up the Intracoastal and lets you gawk at million dollar homes by water. Probably woulda been better if I was drunk and from Canada or Michigan like the others, but I was kinda glad to get off after 90 minutes.

It had been almost 20 years since I was on Calle Ocho and i was craving Cuban food, so we rode down to South Veach, then over to Little Havana for my favorite lunch at Versailles, which I feel is the best Cuban food, but am probably wrong. Regardless, the food was excellent and the pastries are the best in Florida and I left very satisfied.

Sosa Cigars is very close and I popped in and was curious as to where Pepin's El Rey shop was and the dude told me it's closed but he sells Pepin's stuff in there. I smelled BS and finally figured out it was up the road further, closer to Padron. Found it, sat outside and had a smoke and walked over for a cafe con leche nearby. Apparently, Pepin was due later that day to come in and I felt tempted to tell him what the guy in Sosa is saying, but what good would that have done?

Not likely I will stop in Sosa's place in Downtown Disney as I normally do, because of this experience. Again, no big deal I'm sure.
[Reply]

Real nice. I would have felt a little weird asking directions in another cigar shop but he was not being cool.
[Reply]

:-) Versailles is my favorite...and I grew up there.

Authentic Cuban food, not bastardized by "fusion;" excellent quality over 30+ years. And damn good coffee.

It's disappointing that you received such shabby treatment at Sosa. It makes me hold them in far lower regard.
[Reply]

Something interesting I noticed in the small cafes down there.

The decorations and furnishings are very modest in most cases but every single one had top of the line coffee grinders, with Mazzer being the most common and Rancillio machines with 2 groupheads were standard. This is a great setup and not cheap. I would have never noticed such things before getting into expresso recently.
[Reply]

I can't believe they would say that at Sosa. If the guy said "I don't know where it is" that would be one thing but to say it's closed is a really scummy thing to do.
[Reply]

You never called.
[Reply]

buuuuuuusted!
[Reply]

Sorry Carlos. Between a 72 y/o mom and my 3 y/o daughter, I was up to my ass in alligators.
[Reply]