Natalia Thrailkill

    A Cafecito 

A cafecito translates to small coffee, and this small cup of coffee has become a symbol of home to Cubans, ingrained into their culture, and we have a restaurant that has made it famous, Versailles in Miami where you can get the best cafecito ever. Just like other cultures have a dish that everyone knows how to make and are famous for, Cubans have the cafecito. This restaurant was started by Felipe Valls and he started this business to create fair priced meals for struggling Cuban immigrants who wanted authentic Cuban food to remind them of home. Cafecito is also a very important part of Cuban culture as to us it is not just coffee it is one of the first things we are taught to make, it is what we were given to drink as kids and adults and if you ask a Cuban they have many memories centered around this coffee, whether it is making it or drinking it with friends and family.

In the late 50’s and throughout the 60’s there was mass immigration of Cubans to the United States but specifically to Florida or even more specifically Miami. Slowly just as we have Little Italy in New York, Florida gained Little Havana. Little Havana, a small little neighborhood,  is a place you must visit if you go to Miami as it is filled with deep Cuban Culture.  Little Havana is surrounded by tall buildings all around but you are able to point it out by the colorful roosters all along the neighborhood. The inside of Versailles sends you back to the 60’s in Cuba with its decor as it's covered in greens and whites and the ceiling is covered in glass chandeliers. You sit in these old booths that look as if they have been there since their grand opening along with the menus, then you can see the bakery and the little take out window (la ventanita) and the people walking by the window and ordering. The main street is Calle Ocho, here you can find Domino Park, and the one and only Versailles with its walk up window where you are able to order a coffee and a guava or meat filled pastry called a pastelito.

Cafecito is almost guaranteed to be the strongest coffee you will ever taste. Cafecito is a dark brew of espresso,with a very pungent taste, with a smell that you can not get out of your nose or kitchen. Since it is so strong, many people who do not like it make a foam out of sugar and a few drops of coffee  that you will whip with a spoon in a cup until it becomes a light brown foam. How you make it is also important, you must pack the ground into the top half of a moka pot which will compress the grounds . The water in the bottom half makes  a whistling noise when it is hot enough and the coffee will rise into the top half of the pot. When you pour it into the cup it will be an almost black color until you add the foam on top, which will give it a more golden color. 

While only taking it in small amounts in mini espresso cups or a tiny white disposable shot cup it will still wake you up as it is so strong. This small coffee has and will always be one of the most important parts of Cuban tradition; and so long as Versailles is still around more people will continue to learn about the culture and symbolism of the Cuban coffee. So the next time you are in Miami and someone asks for coffee, let them know about Versailles, as once you have it your whole world will change.