I finally found the west’s version of Hialeah/Miami Lakes. It turns out that the majority of Cubans left Echo Park and ended up in two neighboring towns, one named Bell and the other named after a fabric softener. Downey, as in ¿Le echaste ‘dauni’ a la lavadora?, is in many ways fancier than Bell. And in true … More El barrio
Richard Nixon was a congressman, a senator, a two-term vice-president, a near two-term president, and an adviser to the presidents after him. He was also the first president to resign. All of these are facts I knew thanks to my seventh grade civics report on the 37th POTUS. Years later through movies, books and the Pentagon Papers, … More El escándalo
How far would you travel for a good flan de leche? Five miles. Maybe 10. How far would you go for the best flan de leche in Southern California? The answer to that is 30 miles, because it’s the distance between the city of angels and the city of Orange. Located on an adorable roundabout facing a small park is … More Un flan
As a kid, I remember watching the Rose Bowl Parade on our very non-HD, barely color and monstrously boxy television set. I could hardly hear the announcers’ color commentary over my mother’s “¡Mira pa’ eso!” “¡Que cosa más bella Dios mio! ” and “Como inventan los Americanos.” Now I get to send her text messages with crisp photos, inches … More Las rosas
I was in Miami when Fidel Castro died. More specifically, when the news broke I was asleep on a pull-out couch in Hialeah exactly one block from la 49 del west. I honked my horn, drank entire coladas and serendipitously ran into Marisela Verena en una esquina de Mary Brickell Village. Since then many have written, much … More Periodo especial
Decades before Puff Daddy changed his name to Diddy, there was Diddy Riese. However, the rapper’s nickname and the cookie shop’s name are not pronounced the same way. Por supuesto que no because, you know, English. The cookie mogul Diddy is pronounced DEE-dee and Riese sounds like a singular version of Reese’s from Reese’s Pieces even though it’s … More Las galletas
In 1956, Nat King Cole traveled to Cuba to perform at Tropicana, but he couldn’t stay at el Hotel Nacional because of the color of his skin. That same year, 1956, the iconic Capitol Records building was completed. A thirteen-story, earthquake-resistant tower that was the world’s first circular office building. And its nickname became “The House That Nat Built,” because … More El capitolio
As the boat slowed on its approach toward the dock, I couldn’t help but hear El Beny sing, “Cuando a Varadero llegué, conocí la felicidad…” Only it wasn’t Varadero, it was Catalina and she was glistening. There’s nothing like leaving the crowd and noise of the city behind. Although its only 22 miles off of the coast, … More Isla de la juventud
Aché pa‘ti, Deborah. Watch as one woman takes on the male-dominated world of traditional percussion. Hell hath no fury like a Cubanita who only wants to play drums. La dama de la percusión / The lady of percussion from K D M on Vimeo.
Vegas baby! I can’t help but love everything about this silly town. Everything is so far-fetched and over the top, yet so perfect all at the same time. If I were to list the top ten meals of my life, two of them would be from this place. This place is also home to my most indulgent spa … More Carretera central: Las Vegas
A Cuban's Guide to L.A. 