- If I'm sensitive to caffeine, I'll figure it out today.
All right, I'm ready!
OK!
It's really good!
(upbeat latin music)
I don't know about you,
but I'm ready for a legendary Miami Friday.
No one does Fridays like Miami's Calle Ocho.
Galleries open up their doors every last Friday of the month
for a block party that you'll never forget.
If you've ever been to a Latino block party,
then you already know, no one throws it down like us.
You down?
("Caliente" by The Marco Pinia Band)
- [Kat] In Little Havana, y'all just
continue having parties.
- [Second Woman] It's just a place where
everybody celebrates life all the time.
- [Man] From entrepreneurs to creatives to locals,
the blender gets turned off right here.
(latin music)
- [Kat] We're gonna see Little Havana
through Miami's beloved Ventanitas.
These Cuban café windows are where locals go
to kick it with friends and, of course,
refuel with a cafécito and a croqueta.
Before we hit this barrio's monthly block party,
I'm gonna meet up with some of Little Havana's very own.
It's 8am and Sergio's Ventanita is buzzing
with the morning coffee rush.
That's good! (laughing)
I'm meeting up with the owner
for a traditional Cuban breakfast.
Carlos!
- [Carlos] Kat!
- How are you?
- Great.
- Mucho gusto!
- Is this the Cuban breakfast that you were talking about?
(upbeat latin drums)
This is a lot of food, I don't know if I'm ready.
- [Carlos] Come on in!
- [Kat] Wow.
- [Carlos] This is a great Cuban spread.
- [Kat] Can you break it down for me...
- Absolutely.
- [Kat] I gotta know everything.
- What you see in every Cuban window will be croquetitas.
A croqueta is basically bechamel with ham, chicken,
you can see cod.
All the different flavors, lightly fried.
You see people eating croquetas all different ways.
So you can get a little bit of lime on top...
- [Kat] Right.
- And you get that little flavor, right
on that fried crisp on the outside,
that bechamel, which is very like creamy on the inside,
but then some people will grab a galletita, a cracker,
and then...
- Make a little sandwich out of it?
- Make a little sandwich,
and you can just, mmm
bite right in.
- Mmmm
- [Carlos] Good right?
And you can't forget a Cuban toast.
You know how you eat it right?
Make sure there's enough butter, right,
and then from there what you gotta do is just dunk it.
- Hold on I gotta join you.
Cheers! - Cheers!
And what we're known for...
- Uh oh, drumroll.
- ...is empanadas.
- (inhale)
OK because you already know, I'm half Colombian,
so my empanadas, they mean a lot to me, so let's see.
- Cheers!
- Cover your ears for a second.
It's good.
I just can't let a Cuban know.
I said cover your ears!
I'm actually going to go for the first time tonight,
I'm a little scared because people say
it's like a big block party.
What are some of the places that I have to go to?
- Domino Park, see some great dominos, great culture.
By the way, don't ever bet.
You might think they don't know what they're doing,
they are experts, sharks over there.
- You think if I walk in there
they're going to take advantage?
- No, not with you.
- Oh, OK.
- But someone like me?
(laughter)
But enjoy the culture, enjoy all the artists.
Talk about paintings, go to Agustin Gainza.
His paintings are amazing.
We get about 3,500 people.
- That's a lot!
How many people?
- 3,000 to 3,500.
(upbeat latin music)
You start off in this building which is called
the Futurama Art Galleries,
walk down the block and have a nice dinner...
- [Kat] Dancing, Cubaocho...
- [Carlos] Azucar to get some ice cream.
You want to have drinks at Ball & Chain.
- [Lady] The Union you should definitely go and have a beer after.
- [Pati] Then after that you go to see the vendors,
the music is in the end of Domino Plaza.
- That's like a sexy date, but for free.
- For free.
- I love it, I'm down.
- And you have Concrete Beach as a vendor
so you get free beer.
- Bam!
(upbeat latin music)
It's time to meet up with the next generation
of artists and entrepreneurs who are reviving
Little Havana in their own image, literally.
It's Friday and I'm hanging out with some of the most
influential people in Little Havana.
- [Male Voiceover] We have a design studio,
it's called Create.
- [Male Voiceover] Most of the signage you see here behind you is made.
- I want to know from you all, where should I get a mojito?
- In Cubaocho, there is a guy called The King of Mojitos,
and he will do a concoction of mojito you've never had
anything in your life. - The King, is he...
Is it true? Is he The King?
- He's The King of mojito.
- What can I expect when I order a mojito
from The King of mojitos?
(upbeat latin music)
- You heard him, he said real strong!
- Pineapple.
Ladies and gentlemen, this doesn't have a label, so um
see you tomorrow.
Wow! This is extravagant!
(inhales)
Whoa!
(sparkler)
Wow!
If you're at Viernes Cultura--
(gasps)
- We're usually so busy around here that we don't know,
like, what day it is or what's going on,
but once we hear that music starting to build downstairs...
- Yes.
- You can just, building and building, and once that builds
it just, I guess it's time for us to go downstairs.
(upbeat latin music)
- Oh my God, I love my job.
(upbeat latin music)
- Next time you're in town, make sure to hit up Calleocho
for the most Cuban block party of your life.
From live Cuban music, and fiery mojitos,
to colorful art galleries, you haven't experienced Miami
till you've lived this.
I'm exhausted, Imma need another coffee.
Perdon!
No?
I've been cut off.
(upbeat latin music)
- [Producer] Thrillist!
- Thrillist! Thrillist, the best!
- The best.