118 June 27- July 3, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times b e s T o f m i a m i ® 2 0 2 4 has dogs under $5 with options to add chili, sau- erkraut, and a side of fries or onion rings for a perfect, messy pairing. You can also “Miami-fy” your dog with potato sticks, cheese, and mayo, or get a Chicago dog. Really, that’s it. Arbetters is just an excellent greasy spoon for a super cheap dog. Your cardiologist may disagree, but there’s not a better bite in town to cure what ails you. BEST SANDWICH Jholano’s Deli 1390 S. Dixie Highway, #2122 Coral Gables, 33146 305-661-0177 jholanosdeli.com You would never expect to find the best sand- wiches at an indiscreet apartment building across the street from the University of Miami. But the no-thrills Jholano’s Deli has made its waves on social media for good reasons. The restaurant, open until midnight most days of the week, draws influence from Milan, Tus- cany, Venice, and Rome and uses only the best ingredients, like Italian cold cuts to cheeses. The “7 a.m. in Milano” features fresh focaccia bread, salami, capitol, burrata, arugula, and, well, perfection. No gabagool? No problem — try the “Jholano,” featuring fig jam, Brie cheese, prosciutto di parma, and mortadella. BEST CHICKEN SANDWICH Off Site 8250 NE Second Avenue Miami, 33138 786-360-4237 offsite.miami Local food scene vets Steve Santana (Taquiza) and Adam Darness (Boxelder) opened Off Site only three years ago along the stretch of NE Sec- ond Avenue that connects the City of Miami with the wee hamlet of El Portal. It already feels like a mainstay in the Little River neighborhood, though, thanks to a laidback atmosphere, house- made beers, and a small menu of simple, well- executed comfort foods. The recent addition of a fish sandwich was a welcome one, but we still find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get past Off Site’s inaugural offering — seriously, it was the only menu item when the place opened — the fried chicken sandwich. They call it the “Super Good Chicken Sandwich,” but they’re just being modest. The fixings are straightforward: buttermilk-battered chicken, lettuce, pickles, and a mayo-based sauce. The se- cret lies in the perfectly calibrated batter, which crisps up literally like you would not believe, and equally crucial, the chef’s choice to deploy the thigh rather than breast for the preparation. The result is — and we’re not exaggerating — the Pla- tonic ideal of a fried chicken sandwich. So much so that we’ve never bothered having them “make it hot” with Cajun buffalo sauce (you do you; we won’t judge), though we strongly recommend accompanying your sandwich with a glass of the house rosé, a crisp Austrian offering from Fami- lie Bauer Zweigelt. BEST CUBAN SANDWICH Sanguich 2057 SW Eighth Street Miami, 33135 305-539-0969 sanguich.com It might seem simple. Cuban bread, lechón, ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles. But the Cubano at the quaint 25-seat Calle Ocho staple, San- guich, is anything but. The bread? Made under Sanguich’s specific parameters at a bakery in Homestead. The lechón? Marinated for 24 hours in garlic and spices. The ham? Brined for seven days. Then two slices of Swiss and satisfy- ingly vinegary pickles are pressed between the thick Cuban bread brushed with lard. Expect a mouthwatering melted cheese hammock when you separate your two fresh halves of Cubano goodness. The bites are so perfectly crisp and packed with flavor that you’ll happily embrace the light layer of crumbs left on your shirt after- ward. Made mostly in-house and handled with the utmost care, there’s a reason this classic Lit- tle Havana sanguich reigns supreme in Miami. BEST CHICKEN WINGS Sports Grill 7 area locations, including: 10005 SW 72nd Street Miami, 33173 305-598-2227 sportsgrill.com For nearly four decades, this family-owned es- tablishment has been cranking out the most re- liably best wings in town in a whole host of flavors. Sports Grill serves the classics like Buf- falo, jerk, and barbecue — but the special grilled wings really take the cake. Dipped in a secret Sports Grill sauce, the special grilled wings are mildly spiced and always a house favorite. Love them spicy? The Miami Heat wings will shake your taste buds into a tizzy. Want the best of both worlds? Go for the Dale wings (pro- nounced like the name, not Pitbull’s catch- phrase), named after a regular who loved his special grilled wings also coated in Miami Heat sauce. Fans may remember the chicken wing shortage that drove up prices all over the coun- try during the pandemic, and Sports Grill defi- nitely felt it, but it recently lowered its prices again to pre-pandemic cost, so five wings will only set you back $7.
