De Rodriguez Cuba on Ocean

• Cuisine(s): Contemporary, Latin, Seafood
  Hours: Sun-Mon 6pm-10pm, Tue-Sat 6pm-0am
  Price: $$$$
  Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards
• Attire: Casual dressy
  Features: Smoking, Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Private Party, Wheelchair Accessible, Kid Friendly
  Serving: Dinner
  Alcohol: Full bar
• Reservations: Required
  Parking: Meters, Valet

Description

The style of cooking and presentation here don't fall far from the Doug Rodriguez tree - plantain-crusted mahi-mahi, oxtail stew, crisp croquetas, kooky ceviches, mini tacos lined up in a wooden stand - yet with its bacalao fritters, fritta sliders, and medianoche sandwiches, D. Rodriguez Cuba is one of the few dining establishments in Miami where you can indulge in creative, contemporary Cuban cuisine. Ceviche might not be Cuban, but it is a Rodriguez specialty. Witness the tiradito of paper-thin snapper slicked with sour orange juice - a sleek, tangy tarp for the ceviche confetti of conch, red pepper, tomato, and crisp fried onion threads. Empanaditas are enticing too, especially an oxtail version with scrumptious smoked pineapple purée. Skip yuca-crusted flatbread in favor of robust salads such as goat cheese-coated watercress with calabaza purée. A favorite among main courses is rabo encendido en lata, or oxtail stew served in a can. Beyond the clever presentation are chunks of braised meat bolstered with tomato, capers, olives, and piquant red wine sauce, all plated upon roasted cauliflower purée. The frozen bittersweet chocolate ganache stogy, one of Rodriguez's whimsical old tricks, comes coated in powdered cocoa and presented in a cigar box. A diverse collection of real cigars is also proffered, as are pitchers of mojitos, Cuba libres, and hand-blended daiquiris.