On a Thursday night in Coconut Grove, the streets and bars are packed with college students. Here, if you aren’t in one of the bars dancing, you’re out searching for food. And around 3:00, when all the bars close, what can only be described as a feeding frenzy ensues.

Recently, most of the traffic has been centered around El Taquito, a new late night taqueria in the center of the Grove.

This simple counter service eatery barely has enough room for ten people to stand inside, but the bright interior and tasteful decorations make it more than welcoming. Regardless, the line usually stretches out onto the street. With offerings like the deep fried tacos crispy (corn tortilla stuffed and fried, served with lettuce, sour cream and cheese), amazing quesadillas, enchiladas and tortas (sandwiches) like the chorizo and cheese, its no wonder people are willing to wait. After taking friends there the first time, I was informed, at the beginning of our next Thursday out, that we would be going again.

Tacos Crispy

Nothing on the menu, is more than $7.00 and due to its usual audience and its location, it has quite long hours, its open from 10:00 am to 11:00 PM Monday through Wednesday, until 4:00 AM on Thursday through Saturday and until 6:00 PM on Sundays.

Chicken Quesadilla

El Taquito

3410 Main Hwy

Coconut Grove FL, 33133

Phone: 305.446.2303

Finding and chasing down Latin Burger and Taco has taken me weeks, but yesterday, my search was over. The burger and taco truck, whose menu was created by the Food Network’s Ingrid Hoffman, is constantly on the move, and now I know why.  The burgers are amazing, and the truck is just trying to spread that deliciousness evenly across Miami.

Photo Courtesy of Latin Burger & Taco

The pink and black truck has a relatively small menu, the Latin Macho (chorizo, chuck  and sirloin burger, oaxaca cheese, caramelized onions, jalapenos topped with their special avocadolicious sauce or red pepper mayo) serving as their basic burger, with all the others on the menu being slight modifications of that. The taco options are a little more exciting with the chicken tomatillo (shredded chicken cooked in tomatillo salsa topped with avocado, scallions and cilantro), pulled pork, and chicken mole tacos, or you can get one of each with the Three Amigos Tacos.  Despite the fact that the truck is a novelty the prices don’t necessarily reflect that,  the Three Amigos costs $8 and the Latin Macho is around $6.50.

Depending on when you get there, the wait can be a bit long, and when I was there, they were out of french fries, but the managers stay on top of it the best that they can. If you are stuck waiting, people who are also waiting for their food are more than happy to tell you what they think of the food and give suggestions.

Latin Burger may be hard to find, but the game is definitely worth the hunt!

The truck moves around a few times everyday, but you can use their website, twitter or facebook page to find where they are at any time.  http://latinburger.com/ OR  http://twitter.com/latinburger OR  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Miami-FL/Latin-Burger/163336532522?ref=ts

Next time you find yourself in the mood for sushi, take a break from the touristy spots on South Beach and instead head to Sunset Place in Coral Gables, where you’ll find Sushi Maki. There’s a good chance they’ll have something on their menu to suit your mood.

This relatively small sushi place has never let me down. The slightly modern interior give the place an upscale look yet is still practical enough that you can enjoy a meal there regardless of your attire or plans for the evening. Small, dark wooden tables are scattered around the restaurant, which is painted in various hues of brown and beige. Of course there is always the granite counter at the sushi bar, where you can watch your various rolls come to be.

The menu has enough options so you will never be bored, but you also won’t become overwhelmed by an excess of options. The menu is also far from limited to sushi, they have options for those who aren’t necessarily fans, so you can still take your non-sushi loving friends. They offer noodle rice courses such as pad thai and fried rice, as well as curries and various teriyaki platters. Not to mention the long list of salads available.

Though some of the rolls can be a bit expensive on their own – some reaching the $12 range – they have excellent deals. Sushi combos provide you with two types of rolls for the price of one, or if you’re looking for something a bit more, they have the Maki Madness deal.  This option provides you with a three course meal for $12.95, it features a miso soup or typical salad with ginger dressing at the beginning, followed by an appetizer of Edamame, Chicken Gyoza (chicken dumplings), Shrimp Shumai (shrimp dumplings), Seafood Sunomono (conch, crab or octopus in a sweet vinaigrette) or Hiyashi Wakame (chilled and marinated seaweed salad). Finally, you have a choice between five different rolls, and this list includes some of their most popular options. I would definitely suggest the Dragon Roll, you’ll have dreams about it for weeks to come.

The staff is incredibly friendly as well, they make a point to be as accommodating as possible, and are always happy to help with suggestions. Sushi Maki offers delivery or curbside pickup options as well, in case you can’t make it to them.

So in the end, I suggest you take their advice, and “put your maki where your mouth is”, you’ll thank me for it.

Sushi Maki

5812 Sunset Drive
Miami, FL 33143
Ph. (305) 667-7677

There are various other locations around Miami (including ones on the campuses of Florida International University and The University of Miami) for alternate locations and a complete menu, check the website –http://sushimakirestaurants.com/

The giant blackboard learning against the wall of 1909 Cafe can be a bit daunting at first. But this unique menu has your best interest in mind. After reading it though, it quickly becomes clear that there is no way this menu can’t offer you the sandwich that you’re craving at that moment.

The menu is divided into turkey, beef, chicken, ham, seafood, pork, and vegetarian sections, making it easy to make a selection based on what fillings you’re interested in.  Not to mention each comes with a mini side salad, you have a choice of potato, egg, tuscan pasta, and fruit salads. If a sandwich isn’t what you have in mind, they have a fair selection of salads as well (not to mention some awesome desserts). When you’re craving something before lunchtime, 1909 still has the answer, with a variety of breakfast sandwiches. Regardless of your choice, you can be assured that it will be made with fresh ingredients and will have you leaving the place very fulfilled, and with everything priced under eight dollars, your wallet will still be too.

The cafe is L shaped with relatively simple decor.  A    long bench along one wall is broken up by small  tables which can easily be pushed together for bigger  groups of people. On the other side are a few more  small tables. Across the front is the long counter,  behind which the incredibly friendly staff prepares  your food in full view.

If a good sandwich is what you’re looking for, you can  put your trust in 1909′s blackboard.

1909 Cafe

5710 Bird Road

Miami FL, 33155

Phone: 305.666.1909

www.1909cafe.net

Hours:  Mon-Fri: 8am – 10pm        Saturday: 9am – 5pm        Sunday: 11am – 5pm