Brunch - Cafe Cortadito

Well I'm going a bit nuts trying to prepare for this trip, so I decided to take a break and write about Sunday. To start it was one of those picture perfect NY days, sunny, blue skies and not too hot and not too cold. My dear friend Silvia and I met for brunch at this great Cuban restaurant on the Lower East Side called Cafe Cortadito. I'm not one to eat Cuban food too often but the name of this place was intriguing, as I have found it nearly impossible to explain what a "cortadito" is when I am trying to order one in NY. For those who don't know, it's espresso with milk, but until you have had it at the window in a Cuban restaurant in Miami, you won't really understand. It's like diluted jet fuel.

Anyway, I walked into this gorgeous little place on an unassuming street and was truly transported. The music was old school cuban and the decor was warm and welcoming. So I had a guanabana juice (don't know what fruit this is in English, suffice it to say it was yummy), a cafe con leche, vaca frita and some of the best plantains I have ever had . Vaca Frita is shredded beef, prepared with lots of garlic and onions and lime (I think - I'm not quite sure how to translate mojo but it is a sauce that meat is sometimes cooked with). It was a great place, see their review in NY Mag. http://nymag.com/restaurants/reviews/underground/35516/. Oh and I did get the cortadito too...

After all this eating some serious walking around was called for. So we strolled for hours through Soho. I made a few last minute purchases, like sneakers, as the ones I have are over 5 years old, much to the disgust of certain friends. Then I was dragged into a boutique to buy a ridiculously expensive and sexy dress that "packs well for traveling" at the insistance of Silvia, as woman can not live in yoga pants alone. As long as I don't have to wear high heels, all will be well.