Uneven development

When we first arrived in downtown Miami I was taken aback by the intensity of development.  The waterfront screamed tourist trap but it also a bit transient.  The "ethnic food court" was blah and overall the area looked as if Bayside's hey day had come and gone without any reinvestment. 

On day two, we walked off the beaten path and ended up in a shopping district clearly zoned for the local ethnic population (Miami - Dade clearly hasn't invested any money into this area in at least 20 years).  Jackpot.  We went to a Peruvian restaurant - Mar y Tierra - ordered the $5.99 pollo especiala - the chicken soup was very flavorful, yucca works better than potatoes, the cilantro was very nice, and the lime and hot pepper sauce were excellent condiments - fried chicken, salad, and rice...we topped that off with fresh fruit drinks - I had guanabana and the husband had mango. 

As with any downtown tourist area there is marked zones of development.  Fortunately we chose to venture off the tourist path and hit the jackpot.  Now we're on a cruise and thus far the food has been unimpressive.  Maybe something tasty awaits us at the port.