 The many tiny Latin sandwich and coffee shops offer some great (and cheap) beverages that can help you budget those dwindling end-of-vacation dollars.
Cuban coffees come in all sorts of strengths - from high test to jet fuel. My favorite is cafe con leche (coffee with milk). It comes with heaping spoonfuls of sugar added, so be sure to say "sin azucar" if you don't want your teeth to dissolve. When you want to wake up without drinking too much coffee, try a Cortadito - a small cafe con leche, a bit darker and with the same amount of sugar. The most powerful are the espresso shots, served in tiny plastic cups and shared among friends. A colada is the whole cup of espresso - enough for two Cubans or any other family of 10. Materva, or cane juice, is very sweet. It contains lots of minerals. Batidos are delicious Latin milkshakes found in little sandwich shops. Usually, they are made with milk, sugar and tropical fruits such as mamey, papaya or mango. The Athens Juice Bar on Collins Avenue, between 69th and 70th is a funky little place that serves up fresh fruit punch, pina coladas and any combination of blended fruit drinks. It's been there forever, and the shakes are always delicious - about $2.00. If you have a blender handy, a great hot weather refresher is a lassi, an (East) Indian drink made by mixing a few tablespoons yogurt, ice, fresh water and a few drops of rosewater. Mix in a blender for 10 seconds and viola - instant coolth. |