Want a taco with Southern Cali cred, but right here in Miami? The Taco Stand is your spot. And the long line of folks also hungry for affordable, warm, housemade corn tortillas at its Wynwood location is evidence of this being the best in town. Taco types include carne asada, al pastor, Baja, mushroom, mahi mahi, and even cactus, AKA the nopal taco for $3.35. The real winner is the camarón, a spicy grilled shrimp taco with cheese, avocado, and cabbage, topped with a spicy chipotle sauce. Still hungry after downing a few tacos? Try the mar y tierra fries with grilled shrimp and Angus steak on a bed of french fries with guacamole, sour cream, and cheese. And if the lines in Wynwood are too long, no worries. Earlier this year, the chain expanded to a second local location on Calle Ocho.

Sure, even bad tostada gets the job done, but how is flaccid Cuban bread with bald spots and artificial butter supposed to get you through the whole day? With a good tostada, the bread needs to be pressed tightly, like coal turning into a diamond, flat as Death Valley, and buttery as hell. The quality mantequilla should seep through the bread like waterlogged wood. Hold my cafecito, someone! Tinta y Café knows the rules well. The café has been giving a modernist touch to the classics for almost twenty years. Try the housemade Cuban bread pressed thin and crisp but with a chewy crumb. It's the absolute perfect juxtaposition to a silly sweet café con leche. One bite makes the adage true: Nothing is better than bread and butter.

The Argentina-style empanada can be a sober affair of baked pastry stuffed with savory but never spicy picadillo or other predictable flavor combinations. So, a proper "best" empanada is defined in the details, which they observe at Punta Lara in Buena Vista. They make the dough and fillings by hand daily, cook to order — even if it means customers have to wait seven minutes — and make sure each empanada has uniform bubbly char spots from the industrial 500-degree toaster oven. The owners are from landlocked Córdoba but named their restaurant Punta Lara after the seaside city to showcase the maritime origins of the empanada itself. The tuna gallega is the go-to order here, made with savory tuna ragout with onion, red pepper, briny olives, egg, and a pastry crust that is thin and delicate yet somehow maintains a crisp outer layer and a chewy inner layer. Add a side of chimichurri or sriracha, pair with an $11 imported tall boy of hazy IPA from Argentina's Temple brewery, and consume it all under the shady banyan in dreamy Upper Buena Vista.

Between local staples like Vicky Bakery and Pinecrest Bakery, you can get your pick of croquetas here in Miami. But no one is doing it as right as Dos Croquetas, a Cuban restaurant putting its modern spin on the classic Latin hors d'oeuvres. The self-proclaimed "croqueta bar" has locations in both Little Havana and Bird Road and a pop-up in Hialeah, where customers can sample different handmade croquetas, from classic ham or cheese to new culinary takes including mac & cheese and medianoche croquetas. They also offer a decent Cuban sandwich, Cuban fritanga wrap, or areparada sandwich, all of which build on the brand's favorite delicacy. These delectable croquetas can even be shipped nationally for friends or family looking for a taste of the Magic City. For those with a sweet tooth, Dos Croquetas also has one hell of a mango shake, cloud coffees (with flavors from tiramisu to white chocolate cinnamon), and even chocolate croqueta bites that you can dip in icing. For anyone and everyone looking for a fun remix on their abuela's favorite snack, see ya at Dos Croquetas.

Filled to the brim, the arepas at La Latina are easily the best in Miami. Made with gluten-free corn flour and antibiotic- and hormone-free meats, there's nothing but flavor to savor with these babies. They're crunchy on the outside, packed with juicy meats and melty cheeses, and complemented with delicious garlic and cilantro sauces that are made in house. Since 2011, this somewhat hidden gem has been cranking out these corny portable meals with more than a dozen filling options (think: cheese, sweet plantains, and avocado or shredded beef and cheese) in a cozy space just on the edge of ever-evolving Midtown. Perhaps the best part is how well they travel/deliver, making them the ideal poolside, party, or beach snack.

When the summer sun shines, it's time to cool down with something refreshing and light to keep you from melting at high noon. Enter Dr. Limón, a Peruvian slice of paradise specializing in the country's signature meal of raw fish "cooked" in lime juice. If you're a first-timer, try the "remedio casero," featuring a fresh catch of white fish bulwarked by sweet potato, choclo (large Peruvian corn), fried corn kernels, and a delicate topping of pickled onion. You could, of course, spice it up more with "Dr. Tokyo," tuna, pineapple, and hot limo pepper inside a fried tortilla chip. The dish, whose history goes back thousands of years, is a beautiful pairing of flavors, prompting Dr. Limón to have thirteen ceviche options, all as deliciously sour and fatty as the last.

When it comes to ramen, nothing matters more than a good broth –– and no establishment in South Florida makes a ramen broth quite like Shimuja Ramen. Tucked away in a Southwest Ranches strip mall, the laid-back restaurant has been slinging bowls of authentic Japanese ramen since 2018. It's one of those places where everything on the menu is just right, like their flavorful Japanese curry, immaculately crisp karaage chicken, and addictive shishito peppers. However, most people make the journey deep into suburbia for one particular item: the Kagoshima special ramen. A generous bowl consisting of an 18-hour pork-bone broth and rich pork belly, jammy boiled egg, and thick noodles, the hearty soup warms your soul and fills your belly (literally, it's enough to feed at least two or three people). Starting at $20, it's pricier than your average ramen, but we'd argue that's because it's far better than your average ramen.

With so much brewery goodness stemming from Broward County, picking a favorite one is like picking a favorite child. Well, let us choose. Tarpon River Brewing is the undisputed golden child for its consistent brews, community happenings, and badass space. Housed in what once was a 1929 horse barn, it's an oft-open-air experience with a tap room, tasting room, brewery, kitchen, and plenty of seating for consuming it all. Whereas other breweries are getting obnoxiously experimental, Tarpon River Brewing does the classics well. Its Deflated IPA and Morning Express stout are fool-proof and should never, ever leave the menu, period. Beyond booze, its grub is upper-tier, with LOL-worthy named plates like the "Cluck Norris" fried chicken sandwich and "Et Tu, Brute" caesar salad.

Open less than a year and already Miami's best brewery? Yes, dreams come true when they are deserved. The brainchild of Haidar Hachem (of Lincoln's Beard Brewing Co. fame) and his amazing wife, Marilyn Orozco, Sho_jo_'s Dojo is Florida's first sake brewery. It occupies the former Ceiba space but has quickly made an identity all its own. Beyond housemade sake brews, the spot has a killer craft beer selection. And, yes, you can order a sake bomb for $9 with your choice of a craft brewski and shot of sake. Pro-tip: Don't skip out on a sake-infused cocktail either, with a menu curated by Giovanny Gutierrez (@ChatChowTV). Mari's mule, with lemongrass-infused sake, lime, and ginger beer, and a dehydrated lime bedazzle is a chef's kiss.

Miamians who are into vinyl bars but don't want to deal with the hype of hot-spots like Dante's HiFi have a more subdued but just as cool option with Miami Sound Bar. Nestled between a pizza shop and a pilates gym downtown, Sound Bar was inspired by Japanese listening bars. It has an excellent high-fidelity sound system that's been used properly by some of Miami's best DJs, like Jovigibbs and Sinopoli. The intimate setting, with its suede red couches and low lighting, also makes this an easier place to connect with party companions than nearby bars like Lost Boy or Mode. The rotating cocktail menu is definitely one of the highlights, with musically inspired drinks like "Leaving on a Jet Plane" with pear-infused bourbon and the "Blind Melon," a tequila-Midori mixture. Bonus: This is easily one of the best spots for a first date with a vinyl-curious Gen Zer.