A taste of Spain in the good ol' USA

[Daysi Caldevilla-Duing]

For those of you living in the U.S. who would like a taste of Spain without actually traveling to Spain, may I suggest a road trip to Miami, Fl. Due to the influences of the Cuban Exile community, who in turn have strong influences from Asturias and Gallecia, we have numerous authentic Spanish restaurants and grocery stores. Furthermore, the regular "American" grocery stores around here are well stocked with imported Spanish olive oil, spanish olives, canned fabada, canned caldo Gallego, etc.... You can find Serrano ham , a variety of chorizos and morcilla in the deli. Sidra, sangria and other Spanish wines can be bought in the wine section of local grocery stores, also. With regard to Spanish restaurants, you can't swing a dead cat around Miami without hitting a paella. As a matter of fact, the newest trend in party entertainment around here is portable paella caterers. How this works is that the caterer comes out to your home with a portable gas stove and giant paella pan and cooks the paella out on your patio while your guests watch (and get drunk off Sangria).
While you are enjoying the Spanish cuisine, don't forget to enjoy the other cultural aspects of Miami that are influenced by Spain. For example, much of Miami's architecture imitates Spanish Colonial architecture, particularly in Coral Gables. We have Biscayne Bay on which you can find "Villa Vizcaya", a former private mansion open to the public.
And if you want to practice speaking Spanish, there's no better place than here. You could go a month in Miami without ever having to speak Ingles because almost everyone speaks Espanol. Albeit, the Spanish spoken here sounds nothing like the Spanish from the mother country.
Below, I have included links and addresses to some of the places I've mentioned.

Authentic Spanish Market/Deli/Restaurants:
1. Delicias De Espana
4016 SW 57th Ave
Miami, FL 33155
(305) 669-4485
www.deliciasdeespana.com
[you can order food products online ]

2. 5 J J J J J Delicatessen
7384 Bird Rd
Miami, FL 33155-6634
(305)265-4045


3.Brisa De Espana
8770 SW 24 St (Coral Way)
Miami, Fl 33165
(305) 552-0082
------or------
(305) 436-3995
8726 Nw 26th St
Doral, FL 33172

[All three are within a .5 mile radius of each other]

Villa Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
http://www.vizcayamuseum.org/

Centro Asturiano de Miami:
D. Francisco García Presas
West Gables Plaza
6741 Coral Way
Florida (USA) 33155
(305) 559-2468
[Mostly a social club, with no permanent edifice. The phone # given above is for the president]

[Art]

Wow, that is impressive! Thanks for the education, Daysi.

We should hold one of our Asturian conferences in Miami, don't you think?

[Daysi Caldevilla-Duing]

Your welcome. And I think Miami would be a great spot for the next conference. Did I mention we have beaches too?

Also, check out my latest post about the Asturian card game of La Brisca (in the Folklore forum). It may be of interest to you.