On the new COCINA editorial series MI FAVORITO, we ask high profile names to uplift a local Latin restaurant that holds great meaning to them. Shouting them out for nourishing and inspiring us.

This time, Chef Bradley Delgado tells the story of the restaurant where he first started chopping his skills and the woman behind it: his grandma.

As a chef, I get stopped one million times a day and get asked the same question: “What is your favorite restaurant? What is your favorite food? What is your favorite thing to cook?”

I’m here to settle one debate and to tell you about Bahamas Fish Market, my favorite restaurant in all of Miami.

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When I was a little kid growing up, my mother would take me to one restaurant. We would drive around 15 minutes—and to a six- or seven-year-old, that would probably feel like 40 minutes—but we got to this little place. Kind of rundown; didn’t look all that. The outside was covered with murals of mermaids and fish; as a kid, it drew me in. But the magic was when we walked through the door.

Everyone knew me; everyone knew my mom; they would ask, “How’s your uncle? How is your dad?” and “How are your sisters?”. They knew my whole life story better than I did, and that to me was what set it apart!

Like clockwork, we’d sit down at the far right corner table, and my grandmother would just appear out of thin air and sit with us and have lunch with us. I never understood how my mom timed it so perfectly and how my grandmother could come to the table right as we got there! Oye, when did she get the call? As a seven-year-old kid sitting at the table, I looked up at my grandmother and said, "Abuela, why are you always here?” “It’s my job to run this whole place, and I do it with your uncle and help from your mom,” she said.

It was at that moment that this little hole in the wall restaurant became everything to me. I’d be in and out of the kitchen every day and try to help my Abuela as much as I could. I was no help! Pero, oye!, the food always came out great and on time!

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As the years went on, my grandmother's health started to decline. In her final months, she put up the fight of her life. She was in the midst of battling cancer, but she insisted on being at the restaurant every day, making sure it ran. On May 5th, 2018, my grandmother lost her battle to cancer. My world was shattered. The woman who had taught me everything was gone.

My family came together as every Cuban family does in a time of pain and crisis, and to this day, Bahamas Fish Market is still up and running.

You will find me there at least 2-3 times a week getting my usual: the dolphin (Mahi mahi) al broiler and the shrimp ceviche are a must, some mariquitas, maduros, white rice, and black beans. To finish it off, the best flan in all of Miami. Yeah, you heard that right: Bahamas has the best flan in Miami.

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So going back to the beginning: Bahamas Fish Market isn’t just a restaurant that sells fish. It is a place to bring your family, share amazing stories, and surround yourself with amazing food and people! If you are ever in Miami and want a taste of true authentic fresh cuisine.

I call it the factory of flavor memories: Each bite of food transports you back to sitting on your grandmother's counter watching her cook your favorite dish. I am forever grateful for my grandmother; what she left behind in Bahamas Fish Market is what makes it Mi Favorito!

Mi favorito

Chef Bradley Delgado's Mi Favorito: Bahamas Fish Market

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