From healthy delicious desserts and scrumptious baked goods to soups, sandwiches and a great selection of coffees, Latin American Bakery & Café has it all. While the restaurant next door has been opened since 1992, the bakery is “brand new.” With it lovely French bistro atmosphere, the bakery entrance also features a walk through with nostalgic pictures of Cuba and offers its clientele a quiet place to meet friends or business associates for a quick coffee and pastry or a relaxing meal.
Centrally located at the corner of SW 8th Street and Red Road, owners Alberto and Jael Elias, their family and staff make this a warm and friendly place to convene. The location also makes it an easy place to pick up baked goods on the way to or from work but, if you need to have an event catered, they can do that as well.
“I think we are the only bakery to make whole wheat Cuban bread,” Jael Elias said adding,“ the whole wheat Cuban bread is just one of many specialties the bakery offers and all the baked goods are made fresh by two pastry chefs on the premises.”
“Everyday we get new customers…they have seen the newspaper ads…they like the atmosphere,” Elias remarks.
Customers have a strong influence on what is offered. Elias recalls that South and Central American clientele were requesting oven baked spinach pie and ‘tequenos’ which they quickly added to the menu.
“As we see that our customer base grows, we try to accommodate them,” she said.
With the whole wheat Cuban bread, Elias explained that some of the customers were more health conscious; so, she pitched this idea to her chef who went for it. The crust is softer on that bread so it stays fresh for up to three days. Since the crust on the original Cuban bread is thicker, it lasts longer. The original Cuban bread is baked fresh daily but the whole wheat Cuban bread has gained popularity with customers.
Even with the recent egg recall, their bakery was not affected. “Same prices…same quality…I didn’t want it to be the customers problem,” Elias adds.
The bakery also continues to expand. New soups such as broccoli cheese and lobster bisque on the weekends have been added to the menu. It features everything from Latin favorites like ‘medianoches’, mini baguette sandwiches even personal pizzas. In addition, there are sandwich combinations as well as party platters and amazing cakes for all occasions. They now also offer full breakfast, from freshly fried or scrambled eggs, with ham, cheese and your choice of French fries or tater tots, toast and café con leche, even Belgium Waffles. One of their many bakery specialties is a Flan cheesecake, as delicious as it sounds. Pequeños, a Cuban sandwich that is prepared with ham, pork and cheese is also popular. A variety of wines are also available to complement your meal.
Above all, Latin American Bakery and Café caters to all kinds of customers in a Miami setting and attracts many non Hispanics who enjoy its cozy, comfortable European feel.
The Latin American Café & Bakery is open Mon. through Thursday, 6 a.m.– 10 p.m; Friday, 6 a.m. to Midnight; Saturday, 7 a.m. – Midnight; and Sunday, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. For more information, call 305 264-2800.
