Three Guys from Miami:La Bodeguita del Medio Miami (La Bodeguita de Martinez)

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The Bar: Hemingway would have felt right at home here.

Jorge: There is only one La Bodeguita del Medio in Miami.

Raúl: Never mind that an enterprising Californian has evidently bought the exclusive rights to the name in the United States.

Glenn: Forcing the renaming of this restaurant to La Bodeguita Martínez.

Jorge: We're not talking legalities here, we're talking about a family business.

Glenn: The provenance of the original restaurant, La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana is not in dispute.

Raúl: The original in Havana was created by Ángel Martínez and soon became a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway.

Glenn: Although most people think of the original as primarily a bar, it was the quality of the food they served that made its reputation.

Jorge: However, after the "revolution" La Bodeguita, -- like so many other businesses that were built with the sweat and tears of good Cuban families -- was taken over by the Castro government.

Jorge takes a turn at the mic -- fortunately for all, it was turned off at the time.

Raúl: The Communists literally gutted the restaurant and turned it into another failed socialist experiment. It wasn't until someone realized the value of this tourist attraction that the restaurant was restored, although it was never the same.

Jorge: The third generation of the Martinez family opened the Original La Bodeguita Del Medio in Miami.

Glenn: Although the name has changed, this is where you will find the heart and soul of the original.

Raúl: All the rest are very poor imitations.

Glenn: La Bodeguita Martínez in tucked away in the back corner of a little shopping center on 29th and SW 8th Street (Calle Ocho). It's a small restaurant with a small menu, but the food is great and the atmosphere can't be duplicated.

Raúl: The tasajo is also very good here. They serve it in the Criolla style swimming in a rich broth of tomatoes, onions, peppers, and garlic.

Jorge: My wife Mary had the Pollo Cacerola -- a half chicken baked casserole style until the meat was quite literally falling off of the bone and served topped with a nice Creole sauce.

Glenn: Nephew Neil had the pierna de puerco asada en su jugo, tender slices of roasted pork leg.

Jorge: There is Cuban music on weekends and by 8:00 PM the place is packed.

Raúl: We made our first trip to La Bodeguita on Jorge's birthday, and it turned out to be a great party.

Glenn: Everyone ordered from the 10 or so entrees that are served at dinner time.

Raúl: They really know how to cook pork here.

Glenn: I asked the waitress to surprise me and she brought out a plate of delicious strips of pork -- Lomo de Puerco. They were very tender with a crispy skin, just the way I like them.

Glenn: If you come for lunch they have a complete sandwich menu.

Jorge: We had a good time at La Bodeguita.

Glenn: Best of all, somehow the Birthday Boy ended up picking up the check!

Raúl: I wonder how that happened?

Jorge: Yes... I wonder!!!

Kissing cousins! Nephew Neil suffers at the hands of his cousin Onix.

Luckily this plate of pork, moros, and tostones cheered Neil up.

Glenn didn't need any cheering up. However, he did enjoy the Lomo de Puerco.

Pollo Cacerola -- a half chicken baked casserole style until the meat was quite literally falling off of the bone and served topped with a nice Creole sauce.