& enough meat daily, owner Matt Kuscher’s kitchen team starts working the night be- fore. If you visit during the week, the king of pastrami, Henderson “Junior” Biggers, will carve your meat personally before placing it onto two slices of chewy Jewish rye, just as he has done since 1957. Other sandwiches are available, including a tuna melt and a spicy chicken, and burgers (yes, a burger is a sandwich), but with us it al- ways seems to be a tossup between the pas- trami and the corned beef. BES T CUB AN S ANDWICH Karla Cuban Bakery MULTIPLE AREA LOCATIONS, INCLUDING: 6474 W. FLAGLER STREET MIAMI, 33144 305-267-9000 KARLABAKERY.COM The cubano is one of the city’s most iconic contributions to the national food scene. While there are literally dozens of renditions, riffs, and upmarket ways Miamians have devised to dress up what amounts to a gussied-up ham and cheese sammie, nothing beats the traditional take at Karla Cuban Bakery, a three-generations- strong institution whose OG location still stands on West Flagler Street. The tender roasted pork and housemade pickles can leave a lasting impression, but what truly makes one Cuban sandwich stand out from another is the bread, and Karla’s uses a recipe straight from the motherland, baked in-house daily. It’s equal parts light, airy, toasty, and flaky, with the perfect ratio of chew to crunch, yet it’s strong enough to handle the requisite layers of meats, cheese, pickles, and mustard. Served toasty and warm, wrapped in the required white paper, this is the consummate rendition of Miami’s finest sandwich. BES T F A S T -FOOD S ANDWICH Pollo Tropical’s Cuban Sandwich MULTIPLE AREA LOCATIONS POLLOTROPICAL.COM 78 78 An outer shell toasted to perfection that encapsulates the ideal combination of flavors within: slices of ham, mojo roasted pork, Gouda cheese, pickles, and a mustard mayo. Six simple ingredients (counting the bread), but any Miamian knows what they signify: a Cuban sandwich. No need to wait at a bakery or sit down at a café; Pollo Tropical whips up these delicious bad boys and hands them to you out of the drive-thru window. One bite of this unimpeachably prepared sandwich as soon as you pull into a parking space (we’re not judging), you might find your shoulders shaking and your hips moving to an Afro- Cuban beat in your head. It’s that good. And only eight bucks! Drink Eat BES T CHICKEN S ANDWICH Off Site 8250 NE SECOND AVENUE MIAMI, 33138 786-360-4237 OFFSITE.MIAMI Off Site, a modest-size collaboration between Adam Darnell of Boxelder and Steve Santana of Taquiza, isn’t fancy, but it’s golden — as in the hue of the perfectly fried chicken thighs wedged between two slices of bread. The sandwich itself has really no frills — it’s just... perfect. Santana starts with plump Bell & Ev- ans poultry that he breads and fries to that gorgeous, glowing shade. then he tops it with lettuce, garlic mayo, and housemade pickles. That’s it. Bite into that baby with caution, though; the chicken is still so hot from the fryer that it actually steams. Cool yourself down with a glass of Off Site’s Super Good la- ger, the sandwich’s best friend. BES T CHICKEN WINGS (at Wynwood Brewing Co.) 565 NW 24TH STREET MIAMI, 33127 Cluckin’ Right Chicken @CLUCKINRIGHTCHICKEN (INSTAGRAM) Chicken wings have become such a staple of American snacking that it’s practically a trav- esty to watch a game or drink a beer without them. Although you can find wings almost ev- erywhere, they are not created equal. Cluckin’ Right Chicken’s Mathieu Saint-Louis brines his wings, then dredges them in flour and spices and fries them to order. The result is a juicy, meaty wing that requires no slathering or mask- ing, to the point where Saint-Louis prefers them with no sauce — the better to show off their in- herent flavors. That’s not to say he doesn’t offer sauces (on the side!), including buffalo, barbe- cue, honey mustard, and a sweet and spicy “Frankenstein” version. Taste them for yourself Thursday through Sunday at Wynwood Brew- ing Co. — where you can avail yourself of freshly brewed local beer to pair with them. BES T FRIED CHICKEN Chick’N Jones 1601 DREXEL AVENUE (IN TIME OUT MARKET) MIAMI BEACH, 33139 305-335-0538 CHICKNJONES.COM Want to eat like the Boss, Rick Ross? Eat at Chick’N Jones. Amaris Jones has served as personal chef for Ross and a host of other ce- lebrities. Her fried chicken was a draw at her Motown-inspired restaurant South Street in the Design District. It closed in 2013, but Jones vowed to return. It took a while, but she made good on her promise in the summer of 2021 when she opened Chick’N Jones at Time Out Market in Miami Beach. Here, JUNE 23-29, 2022 JUNE 23-29, 2022 NEW TIMES NEW TIMES BEST OF MIAMI® 2022 BEST OF MIAMI® 2022 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com
