My New Found Spot: The Citadel Miami
If you haven’t been you need to!
If you are not familiar with the citadel, it is a well-rounded destination for great restaurant lovers, music listeners, and avid shoppers. I have recently moved to Miami, about 7 minutes away from their location in Miami Shores, and the first time I visited, I was impressed with the inclusivity they had going on with the local vendors/restaurants. Despite many critics and topics on gentrifications of Little Haiti, I must say, if you are an entrepreneur living or doing business in the area, this is a perfect opportunity to attain a broader audience, but hey, to which his own!
So what is so special about The Citadel? There are varieties of reasons why many folks find The Citadel a great hot spot. For me, it is the food. I know, I know! I am supposed to be on a diet (which I will talk about in a different post). I have found my two favorites restaurants inside the food hall at The Citadel: Lil’ Laos and Manjay. Manjay was the first restaurant I tried because they are Haitians.
You already know I will support my own before anything else, and boy, they did not disappoint! I am so happy to see them going strong inside the food hall against the other restaurants who have come and go (especially since COVID, a few restaurants left the court).
“The food is great at the Citadel but boy if you don’t know how to handle a breakup, don’t get too attached to a restaurant in the food court! Some of them do not last!”
Anonymous Review
Last week, my roomie and I went to The Citadel for brunch and noticed a new restaurant on the far right of Manjay named Lil’ Laos. We looked at each other and said, “meh! Let’s give it a try.” I will tell you I am glad we tried it. They are Laotians (Laos, east of Thailand) and have the same spice that I adore to have in my food. I am an avid traveler and have had my share of ethnic cuisine, and having a little bit of Laotian food in Little Haiti is the perfect fit!
Now, I am not trying to influence your decision as to which restaurants you should try. The Citadel has over 12 different restaurants, from bakery options to finger food and trying a full meal option. The decision rest in your pocket and stomach! Laughs. Since I now live close to that location, I can assure you, I will be a returning eater haha. Lil Laos’ owner already recognizes my face when I go in and greats me with a “Hey, you’re back!” So, when you visit the restaurants, get familiar with the owners or cashiers. It helps to know the person you’re trusting your stomach with.
Until next time foodies,
Lafrance