Melitones By La Tortoleta

You know you’re from Miami when it’s completely normal to get great food from someone’s trunk parked in a strip mall. Melitones By Tortoleta isn’t quite that sketchy, but it is a cottage business based out of someone’s home. They specialize in one thing: melitones. These are a French-influenced Cuban pastry that was once very popular in Havana cafes. They’re a crumbly, buttery tart shell filled with an egg custard and topped with almond paste and slivered almonds. And this is the only place in Miami that we’ve seen make these. Call them up (speaking Spanish helps), tell them how many you want, and they’ll coordinate a time to pick up your order. We’ve also been able to drive up, call, and get a half dozen of these beauties in a matter of minutes. It’s a cash-only operation, but they also accept Zelle.