Chef Douglas Rodriguez is one of the foremost craftsmen in the New Latin Food Movement because he boldly takes traditional recipes and reinterprets them for a brand new audience. His restaurants on South Beach offer diners a variety of inspiring options that open the door to the flavors of the Americas.  Latin Food in South Florida has countless practitioners who boast that their kitchens make dishes just like Grandma did back home. While Rodriguez is obviously proud of his family heritage, the success of his award-winning dining empire in Miami, Philadelphia, and Arizona owes everything to his innovative cooking techniques which bring the best of the old country to new culinary heights.

For diners who may be unfamiliar with Latin fare, an evening at D.Rodriguez Cuba at South Beach’s Astor Hotel can be a revelation. Chef Rodriguez was raised in Miami by Cuban parents who inspired him with the tastes of their homeland and helped him collect the cookbooks and cookware that would become the tools of his trade starting in his early teens. The children of Cuban parents in Miami enjoy the post-yuppie moniker “YUCA,” or Young Urban Cuban Americans so Rodriguez named his early restaurant YUCA to capture the imagination of this modern tribe. While his later Pan-Latino venture OLA (Of Latin America) still enjoys a loyal following at South Beach’s Sanctuary Hotel, his latest venture at the Astor returns to Cuban cuisine as the essential elements of the menu.

To experience the best of D-Rod’s signature dishes, explore the prix-fixe menu that includes a choice of five different tapas, three entrees, and two tropical desserts. Start with chicken or crab empanadas (filled pastries), vegetarian flat bread or chorizo pork patty sliders, then move on to chicken and rice, vaca frita skirt steak or yuca rellena (stuffed with a mushroom picadillo). Desserts of pineapple flan or guava cheesecake end the evening on a sweet note.  Be sure to toast your discerning dining choice with a minty mojito to truly savor the flavors of the island.

On Sundays, D. Rodriguez hosts an unlimited Sangria Brunch from noon to 4pm including your choice of empanadas and croquetas, the chef’s signature ceviche and then a salad, sandwich or Cuban-inspired egg dish. Finish off with nutella crepes or dulce de leche French toast. Delicioso!

D.Rodriguez Cuba is located at 956 Washington Avenue on South Beach.

Prix-fixe menu is served Mondays -Thursdays. Brunch Sundays noon-4pm. Reservations 305-673-3763