I am in Miami for the day with my airline job. I am always in search of good food here and I am most often disappointed, not because of Miami, but because my layover location is not the best in Miami. It's not the trendy South Beach, nor is it Coral Gables, or Coconut Grove. I am staying near the Miami airport where my choices of decent dining are very limited. There are lots of strip mall style stores, cafes, and nondescript restaurants- all of them latin. Cuban food is king here. On this rather gloomy FL day, I went out for lunch and explored some of the less trodden, rather shady looking streets and came across a very authentic Cuban place, not very originally named "Havana Cafe.". This place was the real deal with the walk-up espresso window and not much evidence of the English language to be found inside. It was a local's hangout. I went in despite the not-too-friendly glares.
I lived in FL for many years. There has always been a divisive prejudice between the Cubans and the non-Cubans. Don't ask me who is at fault. I don't know. Today I felt that prejudicial eye as I sat at the bar and prepared to order. I was generally ignored, my order was taken without a smile, and all of my English was met with replies in Spanish. I ordered a Cuban Steak sandwich which was priced at an incredible $4.50! I could have actually been in Cuba with these low prices. My cafe Con leche came first. I have to admit, the Cubans have a great coffee ritual. As I drank the coffee, the cuban music filling the air, I remembered a passage in Julia Child's book "My Life in France" where she was annoyed with Americans who found things to complain about the French culture rather than embracing all of the wonderful qualities of the French. Maybe I can do the same here. My heartbeat slowed almost immediately at the thought and my anxiety level came down a notch.
My steak sandwich came. A very humble looking sandwich on a white bun in a plastic basket. With low expectations, I took a bite and was really rocked by how good it was. There was some sort of rub/marinade on the meat that gave it a great "tangy" flavor. Hmmmm. "This is pretty good" I though to myself. After finishing my meal, I told the waitress that the steak was really good and asked if she knew how the meat was prepared. It was as if I had found the key to unlock the barrier between us. She smiled and responded in English that she would find out. She went into the kitchen and returned with the cook (an older Cuban woman) in tow. The Cook proudly explained, through translation by the waitress, how she made the marinade/rub. Truthfully, I didn't fully understand all that she said. I was too caught up in suddenly becoming an "insider". The graciousness didn't stop there. When presented with the bill for a whopping $5.45, I was told that I could not use my credit card unless I had a $10 minimum. Having no cash on me, I offered a tip of $4.55 to bring the total to $10. She refused and wanted to give me the meal for free! After a few back-and-forths, I finally won and paid the $10. I had gone from being a lowly non-Cuban stranger to being offered a free meal in a mere 30 minutes.
There are so many lessons to be learned here that I don't know where to begin. I'll just keep it relevant to this blog. Food.....We all need it. We all go about making it differently. Each culture celebrates their food differently. Yet, in the end, it's the one thing that all humans have in common that can bring us together - our love for food. Food is the ultimate equalizer.
I lived in FL for many years. There has always been a divisive prejudice between the Cubans and the non-Cubans. Don't ask me who is at fault. I don't know. Today I felt that prejudicial eye as I sat at the bar and prepared to order. I was generally ignored, my order was taken without a smile, and all of my English was met with replies in Spanish. I ordered a Cuban Steak sandwich which was priced at an incredible $4.50! I could have actually been in Cuba with these low prices. My cafe Con leche came first. I have to admit, the Cubans have a great coffee ritual. As I drank the coffee, the cuban music filling the air, I remembered a passage in Julia Child's book "My Life in France" where she was annoyed with Americans who found things to complain about the French culture rather than embracing all of the wonderful qualities of the French. Maybe I can do the same here. My heartbeat slowed almost immediately at the thought and my anxiety level came down a notch.
My steak sandwich came. A very humble looking sandwich on a white bun in a plastic basket. With low expectations, I took a bite and was really rocked by how good it was. There was some sort of rub/marinade on the meat that gave it a great "tangy" flavor. Hmmmm. "This is pretty good" I though to myself. After finishing my meal, I told the waitress that the steak was really good and asked if she knew how the meat was prepared. It was as if I had found the key to unlock the barrier between us. She smiled and responded in English that she would find out. She went into the kitchen and returned with the cook (an older Cuban woman) in tow. The Cook proudly explained, through translation by the waitress, how she made the marinade/rub. Truthfully, I didn't fully understand all that she said. I was too caught up in suddenly becoming an "insider". The graciousness didn't stop there. When presented with the bill for a whopping $5.45, I was told that I could not use my credit card unless I had a $10 minimum. Having no cash on me, I offered a tip of $4.55 to bring the total to $10. She refused and wanted to give me the meal for free! After a few back-and-forths, I finally won and paid the $10. I had gone from being a lowly non-Cuban stranger to being offered a free meal in a mere 30 minutes.
There are so many lessons to be learned here that I don't know where to begin. I'll just keep it relevant to this blog. Food.....We all need it. We all go about making it differently. Each culture celebrates their food differently. Yet, in the end, it's the one thing that all humans have in common that can bring us together - our love for food. Food is the ultimate equalizer.
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