Jorge Castillo: Pasteles or "pastelitos" are Cuban pastries.
Glenn Lindgren: They're a lot like the American turnover -- a warm and flaky crust surrounding a fruit filling.
Jorge Castillo: But these have fillings that are typically Cuban.
Glenn Lindgren: You're not going to be able to get these from Sara Lea!
Raúl Musibay: Unless that's the name of the girl behind the counter at your local Cuban bakery!
Jorge Castillo: Pastelitos typically come in these flavors, and these flavors ALONE: guava (guayaba), guava and cream cheese (guayaba y queso), cream cheese (queso), coconut (coco), ham (jamon) and meat (carne).
Raúl Musibay: The meat ones are great, sweet on the outside, mildly spiced ground meat on the inside.
Glenn Lindgren: I've always thought that pineapple would be a great flavor for a pastelitos. But none of the Miami bakeries makes one.
Raúl Musibay: IT IS TRADITION! That's why!
Jorge Castillo: Anyway, you can find pastelitos all over town.
Raúl Musibay: They're as common as tamales.
Glenn Lindgren: And we've eaten them all over town.
Jorge Castillo: Over the years, we have found several tried and true bakeries where the pastelitos are great every time.
Glenn Lindgren: Like Cuban bread, you're just not going to get the freshest pastelitos in a supermarket. And if you came all the way to Miami to enjoy Cuban food, why not spend a little more time searching out the best?
Jorge Castillo: One of our favorite spot for pastelitos is the San Lago Bakery on Bird Road.
Glenn Lindgren: They keep them fresh and warm in a huge heated rack right behind the counter. You're guaranteed to get one that tastes like it just came out of the oven.
Jorge Castillo: Yes, you can actually buy one or two, but it seems like we never get out of the bakery without buying a dozen or two dozen
Glenn Lindgren:What is it they say about our eyes being bigger than our stomachs?
Raúl Musibay: They say you haven't taken a good look at our stomachs. They're much bigger, believe me.
Raúl Musibay: You can say that again!
Jorge Castillo: La Ward is a nice little neighborhood bakery. They have many beautifully decorated cakes available here.
Glenn Lindgren: They also have a nice little lunch counter. Pick up your pastries and sit down for a sandwich Cubano or a pan con bistec.
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Glenn Lindgren: If you have enough time, stop for lunch in the restaurant, then pick up a box of pastelitos next door for the trip home.
Jorge Castillo: The people here have been turning out delicious Cuban baked goods for years.
Glenn Lindgren: Want a quick afternoon snack? Join the locals and step up to the walk-up window and order a café and a pastelito or two to eat there.
Raúl Musibay: We need to mention three other bakeries that we also like very much: Gilbert's Bakery, La Gran Paris Bakery, and Versailles.
Glenn Lindgren: Gilbert'smoved from its old location near Miracle Mile in Coral Gables to a new bakery on Coral Way.
Jorge Castillo: Although you can buy some great pastelitos at Gilbert's, most people come here for their delicious and fancy cakes in a wide range of flavors: Chocolate, coconut, key lime, orange, amaretto, strawberry and so on.
