Why go to the Little River neighborhood in Miami?

You'll find local, talented creators offering specialties that range from authentic Vietnamese pho to locally roasted coffee and vegan do-nuts. And there's parking!

Feb 12, 2024

I don’t know about you, but I can be lazy when it comes to restaurant choices. I tend to go to the same ‘ole places, the convenient ones where I know what I like to order and what to expect when it arrives. And parking, if needed, is easy-peasy.

But sometimes I poke my head out of my cave to see what else is out there. And more often than not, the effort to go to a new neighborhood is totally worth it.

This week, I ventured to the Little River neighborhood in Miami.

I went to Little River for an appointment and stayed to explore some of the many restaurants and bakeries that live there. My 3 hours in Little River was a 3-hour detour of discovery, an adventure in a city I thought I knew. And I want to share some highlights with you.

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

A little background:

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

Little River was a once-thriving neighborhood that was disrupted when I-95 pushed through in the 1960s. The area has been distressed for a long time. Now, as Miami evolves, so does Little River. Local talents nurturing small businesses are creating a new neighborhood.  You can visit a variety of locally owned restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops and bars, as well as art galleries and boutique shops, thanks in part to the efforts of MVW Partners, a local development company committed to fostering neighborhoods where real people can live and prosper.

First Stop: Imperial Moto Café. THE PLACE for coffee-afficionados.

Walking by the garage door entrance, Imperial Moto Café looked kind of cool, appealing and, well, intimidating! Motorcycles – real, life-size, gleaming, fierce and dangerous looking motorcycles - are everywhere in the cafe. And the place is filled with guys. As it happens at cafes, they are drinking coffee, nibbling on croissants and working on their computers, not throwing back beers and talking trash at the pool table.

So I put on my proverbial big girl pants and walked in.

So glad I did.

Imperial Moto folks know their coffee. Matt McKenna, the founder/owner, is passionate about two things: vintage motorcycles and coffee. He commissions beans from South America and roasts them in Miami. The blends are rich and dark without being bitter.

I ordered a cortado and learned that the barista is an artist. He told me he’s been working on this seahorse in foam for over a year.

The sweets and treats are all commissioned from local bakeries. I tried two mini-donuts from Pamela Wasabi: the cinnamon and the charcoal. Yup. Charcoal.

They were cake-like in texture, not too sweet and, much to my surprise, vegan and glutan-free. Wowsa.

I bought a pound of coffee and might go back for more!

What I had and what it cost:

Cortado
2 mini donuts
one pound ground imperial Moto coffee

Cost: $39.15 including taxes and tip. (The ground coffee is very expensive!)

Imperial Moto Coffee
7299 NW2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33150
305-364-5083

Next: Order an authentically great Vietnamese pho at Tran An!

I’m a pho-freak (which, by the way, is pronounced “fuh” – that rhymes with “duh”). So I ventured to Tran Am.

Jon Ngugen is the Vietnamese-American chef/owner of Tran An. His family came from Hanoi, ground zero for pho.

Jon’s expertise is global. Born in Houston, he trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, worked under Tien Ho (of Momofuku fame) and then went to Danny Meyer’s two starred Michelin restaurant, The Modern, in New York. But Vietnamese food is his heart, his home, his love. So he put all that fancy stuff aside and came to Miami to create this homage is to his family and his heritage.

The place is small, garishly pink and yellow, funky, homey, welcoming and utterly delightful, with a cool, retro playlist humming in the background.

The menu is full of potential delights. It’s known for its banh mi. But all I had was the pho.

Pho, for me, is restorative. It’s rich and savory and clean and refreshing, all at the same time. It is a distinctively Vietnamese meal-in-a-bowl, complete with a rich broth, slurpy noodles, a protein of your choice, fresh herbs, some lime and bean sprouts.

When the bowl arrived, I just sat there taking in the aroma of the complex and richly flavored broth. The broth is the essence of pho. Every cook has their way of making it, but it generally includes a slow simmer of charred onions and ginger and secrets herbs and spices. It’s deep and smokey with a touch of sweet. It is remarkedly clear, due to attentive skimming.

Pho is served with a variety of condiments so you can customize your meal. There are always fresh herbs and lime, as well as fish sauce, hoisin, sriracha.

Pho is not just a dish, it is the embodiment of Vietnamese culture and history. And if you want to try a great version of it, visit Tran An.

What I had and what it cost:

$33.00 (including tax and tip) for:

-Supreme Beef Pho
-Iced Tea

Tran An Miami
215 NE 82nd St.
Miami FL 33138
786-423-3578

Frudeco makes the most uniquely beautiful cakes you will ever see.

Frudeco describes itself as a creative pastry studio. And that is not pretension; it’s the truth. They make the most beautiful and intricate pastries I have ever seen. Ever. Including some of those fancy places in Vienna and Paris.

This is a case of pictures being worth a thousands words so take a look: