Miami may be known for cafe Cubano and Latin American coffee stands, but Panther Coffee is carving out an entirely new space in the Miami Coffee Scene. After a long coffee career in Portland, Oregon, Joel Pollock and his wife Leticia packed their bags and relocated to sunnier Miami.  

Their coffee shop in the arts district of Wynwood is amazing - there’s such a sense of community and dedication to sustainable practices.  In fact - Joel is currently working on a project in Haiti with St. Thomas University to help set up long term-solutions for sustainable and fair trade coffee production.  

Check out our most recent Hungry in Miami, and just below the video embed, you’ll find tips from Leticia and Joel on how to buy your beans.  Enjoy!

Joel and Leticia’s Coffee Advice:

• Before you buy a bag of coffee, check for the roast date.  Nothing substitutes freshness!
• Try to buy just enough coffee for the week.  Again, freshness is key to great tasting coffee!
• It’s important to grind your beans at home, just before brewing.  Invest in a small burr grinder, which keeps the flavor and aroma of the coffee beans intact and grinds the coffee to a uniform size.  Make sure you grind your coffee right before you brew it!

If you liked what you saw and find yourself in Miami, make sure to check out public cuppings held at Panther Coffee at 3 PM every second Friday and third Sunday of each month! 

When we decided to spend a month in Miami, I thought that I would REALLY miss New York.  Don’t get me wrong, I knew that the sunshine and high temperatures in January were way better than any blustery winter cold we may experience up here.  But I was nervous to leave my food community of Brooklyn, and to be honest, wasn’t sure that I would find that same community in Miami. 

Until I went to Sustain.  Sustain Restaurant + Bar became our home away from home.  It was everything we could ever want in a restaurant - amazing food sourced locally and sustainably, strong drinks with dark spirits, and happy hour.  Oh, happy hour! And did I mention one hell of a staff that became our friends and bad influences while in the Sunshine State?  

I’m just sad I had to leave before they instituted their new Sunday Brunch - rife with make-your-own bloody mary’s and foie gras french toast.   But I’ll be back soon, because even though I missed New York while I was in Miami, I now miss Miami since I’m in New York.  

This post is not the first time I have expressed my love for Guarapo, that delicious, cold, refreshing, pressed sugarcane juice.  Whenever I head down to Miami, my first stop is Latin America Market where they serve up the freshest guarapo in town - pressed to order - from local sugarcane.  It’s a Miami mainstay in an unassuming spot, but worth the trip west of downtown. Watch here to see how it’s made! 

photo courtesy eatinglocalinthetropics.blogspot.com

Despite what many people think, Cuban food is never spicy.  Instead, it’s tangy from citrus and pungent from loads of garlic.  That combination is the quintessential sabor cubano, and it comes from their signature sauce: Mojo. 

Before you make Mojo, you have to first find Sour Oranges.  They’re local to the tropics and are easily found all throughout Miami and South Florida, but you can also pick them up at Latin American supermarkets and sometimes even Whole Foods in other areas. They’re very bitter and extremely sour, but once combined with fresh garlic and smoky cumin, you have a marinade that will transport you right to Havana. Watch and learn how it’s made, and as always the recipe is below: 

CUBAN MOJO:

• 1 Cup Sour Orange Juice (seeds strained - about 5 sour oranges)*
• 10 Cloves Garlic
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 2 TBSP olive oil 

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week, and is AMAZING on pork.  

TIP:  Try making Lechon or Cuban Roast Pork.  Get a pork shoulder 3-7 lbs and pierce it all over with a knife.  Cover the pork shoulder in the mojo and allow to marinate for 8 hours or overnight.  Roast on 220 for 8-12 hours until falling apart and tender.  Viva Cuba! 

*If you can’t find Sour Oranges (also called Bitter Oranges or Seville Oranges) you can substitute equal parts Lime and Orange Juice.