Reviews for Finka Table & Tap and Candela

"Finka — a funky spelling of the Spanish word for 'farm' — made a splash when it opened in early July as a stylish gastropub with an Asian and South American flair," writes food critic Zachary Fagenson of Finka Table & Tap, noting the eatery already "buzzes at all hours." He lists several well-executed dishes including a stand-out tiradito:

The tiradito rocoto is a standout, with thin slices of corvina fanned out and doused in a tart blend of lime juice, ají limo, and ají rocoto with ginger, garlic, and basil. Sweet, toothsome kernels of choclo -- giant, opaque pale-yellow Peruvian corn -- balance the sour wash while small nibs of crisped pig skin add a distinctly Cuban texture to each delicate bite.

"This is a fine restaurant that could get better," begins Fagenson in his final paragraph, "While Cuban specialties like bacalao croquetas and flan are excellent, the gastropub fare is welcome but predictable." His final words, however, are optimistic, "With a little polish, Finka could be the savior of La Saguesera's dining scene." [SO]

Calling Candela in Wilton Manors "one of the area's best-kept secrets," food critic Nicole Danna says the eatery will help you understand "the Spanish art of celebrating food and drink." She goes on to describe the restaurants down-to-earth offerings:

You may be familiar with a restaurant where the chef knows your name and delivers your dish as if you were family. This is the type of experience you'll get from chef-owner Armando Vega and his wife, Yudaris. They aren't looking to thrill with fancy farm-to-table fare, seasonally rotating menus, or fancy cocktails. And this is neither some newfangled gastropub with craft beer coursing through its veins nor the type of place that offers 20 different small-batch bourbons. It's no bar at all, for that matter. The main draw is the food, the Cuban-born couple's version of authentic Latin and Mediterranean cuisine.

Praising multiple dishes including the pork confit, the Moroccan chicken and fideua negré, "a noodle dish with an unctuous sauce of squid ink that's filled with fat chunks of tender squid and octopus," the critic notes that it's the owner's "knowledge of the painstakingly sourced ingredients," that makes Candela so endearing. [CPC]
· Finka Table & Tap Takes Bold Flavors to Miami's Hinterland [SO]
· Candela in Wilton Manors Mixes Mediterranean and More [CPC]
[Photo via SO]