Miami's been giving us lots to talk about lately, and the new Caña Restaurant & Lounge tucked away on the second floor of the Hyatt Centric Brickell Miami hotel, is just one of those things.
Home to Miami's tallest skyscraper and what will soon be the tallest building in Florida, Panorama Tower, Hyatt Centric is centrally located-staying in the city's financial center leaves you mere minutes from Brickell Key, Downtown Miami (where the port of Miami is located) and even South Beach-and is super walkable for those looking to explore the neighborhood on foot. The hotel offers sweeping bay and city views from many of its suites and a picturesque skyline shot from the rooftop pool deck.
Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Caña-which means "sugarcane" in Spanish-meshes local flavor with traditional Latin style and adds a Cuban twist for a menu that's modern, delectable and refreshing. The restaurant, with executive chef William Milian (previously working under José Andrés at Bazaar at the SLS South Beach) at the helm, specializes in handcrafted cocktails, beer, hand-rolled cigars and family-style dining.
Though it does offer 24-hour room service to hotel guests, I prefer eating at the restaurant in order to get the full experience, for dinner at least. Latin salsa plays throughout; a wall-sized mural painted by local Colombian artist, Francisco Ceron, and lots of windows contribute to the ambiance here. Service was impeccable when I visited, but the dishes at Caña really speak for themselves.
In Spanish and English, the menu is simply divided into three categories: Para picar (appetizers and tapas-style dishes), guarniciones (sides and fittings) and Plato Fuerte (big plates). Then there is the comprehensive cocktail menu. We started with a Smoked Bacardi Old Fashioned-quite the presentation-and a Cuba-Rita (a tropical off-menu Margarita-Mojito hybrid).
From there, we commenced to try an assortment of small dishes including:
-Camarones Al Ajillo (garlic shrimp with cilantro, olive oil, lemon, and Zac the Baker toast),
-Pulpo Crujiente con Mofongo de Yuca (crispy octopus with olives, Peruvian pepper sofrito, sitting on a bed of yucca mofongo),
-Chicharron de Viento (crispy aired pork rind with sea salt, lemon, and garlic),
-Ensalada de Aguacate, Burrata y Palmito (an avocado salad with hearts of palm, burrata, red onion, cilantro, lemon and panca vinaigrette).
I could've continued to order food, but wanted to leave a little space for more drinks and dessert, which led me to Como La Flor, a mezcal cocktail with ginger liqueur, lime and hibiscus and Copper Coated Dreams, fresh and fruity with Absolut Elyx, St. Germain, blackberries, lemon and simple syrup. We closed the meal with a moist flan and a cappuccino.
Didn't have any main courses this time around, which is a great excuse to visit again. I'll take a Lechon Asado (slow roasted Cuban marinated pork with caramelized onions, rice, and beans) or vaca frita (grilled grass-fed shredded beef with Cuban mojo) any day. Did I mention Caña has a great happy hour?
Get the party started here next time you're in the 305 with salsa dancing, a game of dominoes, live music and more.
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