Cortadito, Little Havana, Miami

Today is one of those magical days when I have a coffee that reminds me exactly why I love coffee as much as I do. Today I had my first cortadito. These days are few and far between: that coffee at the Smithsonian ten years ago, Iceland, Gibb's Farm at Ngorongoro Crater, Kopplin's Coffee... and now I have Miami.

As we finished our meal at Versailles (a popular Cuban restaurant and bakery worth its own post) in Miami, Matt told me that he heard that you can't leave this place without having a cortadito. Not that I would have, but I didn't know what I was in for.

This little drink is a pull of Cuban espresso, brewed into a decanter with sugar, and finished with steamed milk - mine was about half and half. The espresso was that perfect kind of strong - not bitter, not overwhelming. I'm not good at describing the notes and bouquet and finish of wine and coffee, so you'll just have to trust me that it was perfect.

We'll be going back before we leave Miami!

not my image.... my cortaditos were in little styr0foam cups, but I wanted to whet your appetite.... image found at: http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/2006/11/30/florida-dining-latin-american-cafeteria-restaurant/

If you want to learn more about some of my other favorite cups of coffee, check out Kopplin’s Coffee in St. Paul and Gibbs Farm in Tanzania! Or, if it’s easier, you could check them out at these links, but you can’t drink any coffee that way:

http://www.gibbsfarm.net/

http://www.kopplinscoffee.com/

Another day, I’ll write about them!