New Places: Arcano and Coffee For the Soul

Arcano

Left: Cocktails At Arcano Are “Mystical Potions”
Right: We Ordered Dishes Tapas-Style For More Variety

Though we’ve spent the past few months mourning for one of our favorite restaurants, TUR, we are happy to report that not only is Arcano, its replacement, a worthy successor, but also comes with a familiar face. Old TUR manager Luca Delogu greeted us upon arrival and made sure we felt welcome in the new digs, which look strikingly like the old restaurant, though now with a bigger bar area.

Arcano advertises its food as hailing from Hispanic America, a mix of Spanish, Latin, and Central American cuisine. Its cocktail list isn’t a list of drinks but rather “mystical potions” – one of which comes in a giant glass that looks like an avocado – and its wine list is called “elixir de uva.” In the new fashion, the menu is separated not by appetizers and entrees, but by earth, land, and sea, with “teasers” as sides. Still, there are both small and large dishes here, and, to sample as many dishes as possible, we ordered tapas-style.

We tried the chicharrón suflado ($18) to start, which is quite literally the biggest pork rind we’ve ever seen, served in a vase with sides of pickled onions, mango salsa, achiote emulsion, and limes. A great dish to share. Our favorite dish, however, was the raíz encantada ($15): small stacks of golden and purple beets served in “goddess juice” with chili oil. Just slightly spicy and perfect with the pachamma bread ($7) we ordered on the side to soak up the leftover sauce. We’ll be back for a more formal dinner and to try and make off with one of those giant avocado cocktail glasses. –Kylie Wang

259 GIRALDA AVE.
305. 530. 8332
ARCANOMIAMI.COM

Coffee For the Soul

Breakfast and coffee runs all day with smoothie bowls, yucca waffles, pressed sandwiches, and arepas.

You know a café is serious about its coffee when it serves one with 30 grams of protein. The Protein Latte ($8.50) isn’t something you see every day, but it fits right in at this new spot on Giralda, where Latin flavors meet an all-day menu designed for both quick stops and leisurely meals.

Breakfast runs all day, so smoothie bowls, yucca waffles, and protein pancakes are quite literally always on the table. Lunch and dinner expand the options with pressed sandwiches, arepas, and hearty bowls, all made with fresh ingredients and a balance of lighter and more indulgent choices. The coffee lineup holds its own too, of course, with drinks like the Café Bombón, a smooth shot of espresso layered with condensed milk, and the Farmer’s Coffee, subtly spiced with brown cane sugar and cloves.

A small market inside offers woven bags and house-roasted coffee, adding to the charm. We were tempted to order one of every- thing, but reason won out – at least this time. And while the yucca waffles and smoothie bowls seemed like solid bets, we’ll have to come back to see if the dulce de leche cappuccino really lives up to the hype. –Amanda Martell

256 GIRALDA AVE
786. 953. 6594
CFSCOFFEE.COM

Catch up on more of our favorite recent openings in past New Places features.