As cliché as it may sound, we all want to go where everybody knows our name. We all crave the familiarity, comfort and safety that a place away from home can create for us – be it the corner bar or the local restaurant you visit two or three times a week – and that is what Cafe Oasis is all about.

In the early hours of the morning – and I mean as early as 5:30 am, this small Latin cafe at the entrance of Key Biscayne, FL starts welcoming the islanders – old men, young mothers, cyclists, policemen, runners, and Pepe, the dachshund (see photo below) – with the smell of fresh Cuban coffee and warm pastries. The employees at Café Oasis, including the owners, know thee regulars’ names and what they order. They welcome them in Spanish, salsa music in the background, with authentic Latin food + coffee.

42 years ago, two Cuban men who had escaped the Castro regime, opened up Café Oasis, the first restaurant in Key Biscayne. 42 years later, my friend Carlos Flores and his family took over and are now preserving this treasure in the island – a rustic beach shack offering Latins (and non-Latins alike) an authentic taste from back home. This is invaluable – having lived away from Mexico for such a long time, I know this is something people truly treasure.

Cuban coffee, pulled pork and chicken sandwiches, {arepas} and {pan de guayaba}, Mexican {aguas frescas}, {empanadas}, {mariquitas}, fresh fruit + juices are some of the authentic staples offered at this spot. And one of the things I love about Café Oasis in regards to their food is suppliers are kept it as local as possible. Produce comes from Homestead, FL (read my post on Homestead here). The {pan de bono} and {arepa de choclo} are made by a Colombian woman who lives close by; the {alfajores} are made by an Argentinean woman; when there’s coconut water it’s because a local fireman picks them up from his home and brings them over – same goes with mangoes.

Café Oasis is most famous for their Cuban sandwiches. They not only taste amazing, but they are cheap. One of the secrets? Slow-roasting their chicken for the entire night.

Café Oasis is not only about its Latin flavor – it’s about sound, too. If I could include music in any of my posts it would be this one. Olga Tanon, Carlos Vives, and Juan Luis Guerra are some of the icons who blast away as customers come and go – making employees and customers sing and customers dance to the music, giving Cafe Oasis the ultimate Latin touch.