Little Havana got its name from the hundreds of thousands of Cuban exiles who fled their homeland after the revolution between the late 1950s and early 1970s. Originally a lower to middle class Southern Jewish neighborhood, the Cuban exiles changed the look and feel of the place. Later waves of immigration continued to revamp the landscape, taking us to present day, where Little Havana has become a melting pot of Latin American cultures with giant rooster statues and the aroma of cafecito as its welcoming committee.
A few blocks east and north of where dominoes are slammed on tables by old-school Cuban abuelos smoking tabacos, stands a hotel that was originally built in the 1920s. Known then as the Thomas Jefferson Hotel, it is now the Life House Little Havana, a charming boutique hotel that takes the shape of a tropical mansion from that era. Decorated with collected textiles, furnishings and art from a variety of journeys and destinations, the hotel captures the essence of the neighborhood and its residents. Life House Little Havana is located at 528 SW 9th Avenue.
Right to the left of the entry is the kitchen of their lobby cafe Parcela. This is where I indulged in a laid-back lunch on a Friday afternoon. The kitchen is a tiny spot not much larger than a small hallway, yet conjuring up some seriously healthy and tasty magic. Parcela's menu is inspired by the simplicity of the urban farms in Cuba. Most of their ingredients are locally sourced, with a lot of their herbs and spices coming straight out of their back garden. It is a vegan-friendly spot for a healthy and fresh meal, in a cozy, paradise retreat. Since it is not a traditional restaurant, a meal at Parcela can be enjoyed in their intimate lobby, or better yet, in their relaxing garden right off the lobby, complete with hammocks and shady trees.
Being that we have now entered our much awaited Miami summer, we started our adventure with some refreshing drinks. I'll start by telling you that I am not the kind of girl that shies away from drinking liquor at noon, so once they saw I was game, they prepared us a very special cocktail they like to call Parcela Maid. Made with Probitas white rum, it had all the fixings to cool us off and provide a welcoming herbal chill on a Friday - cucumber, lemon, mint, and symple syrup. That Jamaican and Barbados flavor kicked in right away and the awesome part was that the profile seemed to change with every sip. Great way to start our experience....
Next we took a look at the menu. It wasn't easy to decide. They offer a lot of appetizing dishes and we wanted to try them all. We broke the ice with their Florida Avocado, which is Parcela's version of an avocado toast.. We had seen this tasty treat on their website and being avocado fans, we knew it would be a given. It was beautifully prepared on sourdough toast, topped with Florida avocado, roasted heirloom cherry tomatoes and cucumber, then sprinkled with Parcela seed mix. Wow...
We were very intrigued by another dish on the menu. It was called the QFP and no it didn't stand for Queen Foodaholic's Page. (Although that would've been nice). The QFP was actually a fresh bowl of goodness including tri-color quinoa, farro, house pickles, Florida avocado again, all served on locally harvested mixed greens, and drizzled with citrus vinaigrette. It was so original and fantastic, I could've had three.
We both looked at each other, unbuttoned our pants, and decided to go for one more dish. This time we tried the Mallorca, a brunch-like sandwich prepared with free-range eggs and a locally crafted sausage blend from Proper Sausages Wynwood, then topped with white cheddar on a brioche. The dish was served with locally harvested greens and vegetables, and plantain chips. Talk about a fusion of Little Havana flavors all in one bite. It was so good, we had to lick our fingers...
Life House Little Havana still has a lot of surprises they're working on, and there is a rooftop restaurant and bar in the works for the Fall. You should definitely go pay Parcela a visit very soon, and stay tuned to my blog for more information on their continued transformation. For reservations, you can visit their website or call them at 866-466-7534.
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