Cheap Eats - Heidy's Cafe and Laundromat

I go to Heidy’s Cafe (2804 NE Second Ave., Miami) for the $6 special. The portions are generous and the food delicious. Today, the daily special features carne asada, white rice, refried beans, and spaghetti. I add on Honduran cheese, mantequilla, spicy vegetables and habanero salsa.

By the end of the meal my nose is running; Honduran food brings that fire. I'm drinking a “batido de trigo,” a cereal-milkshake. I think it's made with Smacks, but I'm not sure. Either way, I only discovered it this year, but I think it's amazing.

The special includes hot tortillas, made to order as you watch. They are my favorite part of the meal because, well, tortillas are fuckin' awesome.

Heidy’s Café and Laundromat faces Biscayne Bay. You can see the water from four blocks away. The customers are mostly local. Working-class Wynwood, small-business owners from the Boulevard, and fans of Honduran food share the space with folks doing their laundry.

For more-or-less 10 bucks you get a good meal, quality beverage, and tip the waitress. Heidy’s is a great, metro-central landmark establishment, and it's open 7 days a week. Check it out.

-- Jacob Katel