latin Archives -

Sometimes what is meant as a compliment sounds like anything but. So that there is no confusion, what I am about to say is offered as high praise, given with much respect and admiration not only for this restaurant but also, and perhaps more importantly, to the Mexican-American population, to Mexicans around the world who bring a taste of their homeland to the faraway places they travel, and to the residents of Mexico, a land steeped in history, culture, tradition, and fabulous food creations.

And so I say lovingly, that to call Mexican cuisine, however, prepared, “gourmet” is almost an insult to Mexicans because the very essence of Mexican cooking speaks to hominess, family, friends, sharing, and joy. Gourmet sounds like an affectation. Gourmet sounds highfalutin. Gourmet sounds like a separation of the haves from the have-nots. And, dear friends, Mexican food is the reverse of that. It is the embracing of different tastes, different spices, and herbs, and meats, fowl, and fish made to be enjoyed — not diagnosed. It is meant to be experienced holistically and not separated from the environment, the people at the dining table, or the time of year, day of the week, or occasion.

Los Tacos by Chef Omar ought to be called gourmet without any of the negative connotations attached. The food is quite simply fantastic and quite simply — typically Mexican, in the truest sense.

South Florida has an abundance of fast-food Mexican places, mostly franchises, and I really enjoy them. Though the restaurant names are different, the menus vary very little, and I actually thought that what I was served was the extent of Mexican food. Wow! I was so wrong.

Also, Coral Springs is rapidly becoming a mecca for inter-national foods. Indian, Peruvian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, American, and now Mexican restaurants dot the commercial strips. It’s great for us, great for the locals and visitors, great for families, and great for me, as I get to sample foods from around the world and I barely have to leave home.

Los Tacos by Chef Omar is a mini-chain – I think Chef Omar now has three. I’m betting he can’t open them fast enough, as his eating public is likely demanding them.

So, why am I so gaga over such a simple formula? It’s how Omar perfected the items and balanced the spices and kept the decor simple but inviting. It is also how he staffs his eateries. On our review night, Vanessa served us. She is fluent in English/Spanish and fluent in each and every item’s ingredients and the expected results of the blends, such as smooth on the palate but warm in the tummy, or hot on the tongue but quickly dissipating to sweet. For the sake of fairness, I must reveal that Vanessa is not Mexican. She is Puerto Rican. I tell you this so you will know that food servers come in all sizes, shapes, and backgrounds. It is up to each one to master the art of serving. Vanessa has succeeded.

I am not going to spend much time discussing the particular dishes, although Omar spends much time preparing them and fine-tuning them. My reasoning is simple: Mexican cooking revolves around using a few ingredients per item and balancing them to achieve the desired result. I don’t enjoy writing about the use of chili peppers offset with a sweet spice or hot sauces balanced with avocado; I’m gambling that you agree. I am gambling that, like me, you want to know if this place is worth going to. It most assuredly is.

What I am hoping you want to answer is this: Is Los Tacos by Chef Omar a place I and my family will enjoy? Yes. Is Los Tacos by Chef Omar a place where the clientele is seeking a fun evening in addition to great food? Yes. Is it bright, clean, and festive? Yes, yes, yes.

Finally, the one thing we all want to be comfortable knowing is that the food is fresh. Omar uses as many locally grown ingredients as are available. He shops daily to assure freshness. His meats are selected for their tenderness, color, complexity, and use (no sense in using breast meat chicken if the recipe calls for wings). Olé!

10299 Royal Palm Boulevard, Coral Springs

754-229-8940

by Charles Marcanetti

March 2016

As a lifelong South Floridian who grew up in Miami, I find that often one Cuban restaurant’s menu is pretty much the same as the next Cuban restaurant’s menu. Mainstays at most include camarones al ajillo (shrimp in garlic sauce), ropa vieja (shredded beef), chicharrón de pollo (chicken chunks marinated in mojo and fried), churrasco (steak), lechón asadá (roast pork), and vaca frita (fried beef). All are delicious – that’s why they are classics – but I must admit it is refreshing to find a new take on an old favorite.

At Little Havana Bar & Grill in Coral Springs, those dishes exist, but owner Jorge Alvarez also has more inventive dishes – often influenced by other Latin cultures. That is what my friends and I discovered while dining there on a recent Friday night.

Dinner / Cena

We started with drinks and piquillo, Spanish tapas that are not always on the menu. A tasty marriage of a roasted red pepper stuffed with bacalao (cod), the appetizer sat in a rich sauce that tasted like lobster bisque. We also had mariquitas, fried plantain chips that were perfectly tender in the center and crispy on the edges. It came with a mojo sauce, which we drizzled on top.

“They are delish,” declared Vida Handelsman of Coral Springs, who was also dining that night with her family. The mariquitas are her preferred way to start a meal at Little Havana. She said she prefers Alvarez’s place to the other Latin restaurants in the neighborhood that serve Cuban food. “They don’t specialize in Cuban as they do here. The Latin flair here is so authentic, I feel like I’m on vacation.” Her husband, Kenny, who works in Hialeah, said the food at Little Havana is as faithful to the original cuisine as any of his regular Cuban lunch spots.

Alvarez, a 14-year resident of Parkland, grew up in the restaurant business. Twenty-seven years ago, his parents opened Little Havana restaurant in North Miami, followed by another one in Deerfield Beach four years later. In May of this year, Alvarez and his wife, Michelle, opened the newest Little Havana on the corner of Coral Ridge Drive and Holmberg Road. Open seven days a week, from 11:30 am to 10 pm, the community welcomed it with open arms, and the restaurant is packed daily.

One of the more unusual dishes is lechón tamarindo, pork topped with a sweet and slightly sour sauce made from sweet red peppers and tamarind fruit. On its own, the tropical tamarind can be so tart it is almost inedible unless cooked or rolled in sugar. At Little Havana, the popularity of this dish hatched pollo tamarindo, the chicken version that my dining companion, Rachel, described as “tender with a fantastic sauce.”

For Rachel, the farther a culinary concoction strays from the beaten path, the bigger the smile on her face. She often finds chicken uninspiring, but not this time. “I love finding authentic cuisine cooked in a way I have never tried before,” she said. “That was the dish on the menu that spoke to me.”

Perhaps because they represent comfort food, I chose the hearty chicken soup and the tender Little Havana steak, pounded thin, then grilled and served with chimichurri sauce. My friend, Sara, chose the Relleno, a piece of haddock stuffed with tender bites of shrimp and mingled with a creamy seafood sauce. It didn’t disappoint (her, or any of us.)

There are a couple of choices on Little Havana’s parrillada (grilled) menu, both intended for two people – or in our case, it was enough for three. The first one has chicken, beef, and pork smothered in onions and chorizo (Spanish sausage). The second option has roast pork, lamb shank, ropa vieja (which got its name because the shredded meat in this classic dish resembles “old rags”), grilled chicken steak, and Little Havana steak. Bring your appetite and invite your meat-loving friends if you plan to order this. All of the meats were perfectly grilled, moist, and hearty.

For health-conscious diners, who think they need to limit Cuban food to an occasional calorie splurge, Little Havana’s manager Jorge Fuentes has you covered. He suggests salmon (not on the menu but always available), grilled snapper filet, or Pescado Diana, haddock baked with tomato, onion, garlic, and capers, then toasted under a broiler. Vegetables and salads can be substituted as a side instead of the standard rice and beans.

Drinks / Bebidas

Little Havana serves wine and beer, but Alvarez says the most popular drink is the mojito (which also comes in pineapple, mango, and guava flavors). It is strong and refreshing, but my favorite was the robust sangria… flavorful and sweet. There is also a mojito martini.

Happy hour is from 4-7 pm every day, which means you can celebrate the end of the day with $6 mojitos and sangria, and $4 beers. Furthermore, you don’t have to sit at the bar to enjoy these specials – happy hour includes the whole restaurant. Monday’s happy hour is actually a “happy day,” when drink specials are available all day long. Two favorites come out twice a week: paella is served all day on Fridays and arroz con pollo is available all day on Tuesdays.

There is some form of live music Thursday through Sunday from 6-10 pm. A singer crooned Spanish language tunes to a packed house on Friday night when we dined. Alvarez said this is a typical Friday night crowd including large parties, families, and couples.

Dessert / Postre

Save room for dessert… we tried three, proclaiming our favorites to be the creamy flan and crema catalana flambé, the Spanish version of crème brulee. Aside from the name, catalana flambé is very close in taste, texture, and appearance to its French cousin. Flame-kissed, the sugar fused on top and cracked under my fork. Once in my mouth, those crunchy bits wedged themselves in the crevices of my delighted molars. The tres leches cake was moist, dense, and very sweet. Of course, if you have a sweet tooth like me, I encourage you to be the judge. So take your pick, or better yet, try them all.

by Linda Brockman

November 2018