Turning An Irish Stud Into A Cubanaso

Daithi O Se after downing some Cuban coffee rocket fuel at Calle Ocho's Exquisito Restaurant.

What does a redheaded Cuban-American, an Irish film crew and one hot TV celebrity make on a sweltering day in Little Havana? No, it's not some kind of Celtic porn with pork and potatoes, it's a segment for an upcoming series on Ireland's TG4 network!

Route 1 will air in Ireland this October, with celebrity host Daithi O Se leading a travel show about driving all the way from Maine to Key West on U.S. 1. Production company Dearg Films made up the crew.

How the heck did I get involved in this? Well, Ciaran Gallagher, co-producer, sent me a very funny email last April. It started like this: "I hope you don't mind this cheeky unsolicited email, but I was hoping I could pick your brain about all things Miami." Ciaran found me via this blog and the work I do at Miami Beach 411.

Fast forward to yesterday, when I found myself meeting a crew of four self-proclaimed "Irish pasty guys" and one hot papi chulo from the Emerald Isle for a four-hour shoot in Little Havana. With the mic firmly adjusted to my bra -- having the sound guy poke around under my dress was the most action I've gotten in weeks -- Daithi and I improvised in front of the camera.

Yours truly and the host. His t-shirt pays tribute to Tony Montana of Scarface. It says "say hello to my little friend" in Gaelic.

The goal here was to give the Irish audience a quirky and entertaining look at Little Havana: "drop their talk about the potato crop and make them spill their Guinness in astonishment," as hilarious Ciaran put it in his original cheeky email. So in the weeks prior to the shoot, I contacted a few businesses and came up with a loose schedule.

Here's what we did, focusing mainly on the heart of Little Havana between 16th and 11th avenue:

1. Stopped at Maximo Gomez Park (Domino Park), where we talked about the importance of the park as a community hub and noted the signs that say "no cursing, no sweat shirts, no flip flops and no guns," among other rules.

2. Filmed in front of the Tower Theater, where I explained its architectural and cultural importance.

3. Had Daithi sample a colada, a cortadito and a pastelito de guayaba (coffee and guava pastry) at El Exquisito, my favorite family-owned Cuban restaurant. I discussed the ventanita (little storefront window where coffee is served) as the space for political talk and local gossip.

4. Smoked cigars at Cuba Tobacco Cigar Company, a family-owned business that started on the island circa 1896 and has been making cigars in Miami for over 40 years. Unfortunately -- or perhaps fortunately -- I had to squeeze in a Monica Lewinksy joke.

5. Filmed at the Bay of Pigs Memorial on 11th Avenue, where I fielded some hardcore questions about Cuba and the exile experience.

Cuban coffee, pastries and a cigar ... what's not to love? The only thing we didn't try was a mojito.

I'm not sure if I turned Daithi -- voted Ireland's sexiest TV man -- into a real Cubanaso, but he did tell me he learned a lot during the experience. And if any of my Cubanita vibes rubbed off on him, I'm sure he's all the more sexier for it.

For the Florida segment, not only did Route 1 hang out with yours truly, they also visited with the Dolphins Cheerleaders (blah!) but made up for that with an exclusive interview of Burt Reynolds in Jupiter and the State Attorney of the Conch Republic in Key West.

Setting up on location in Little Havana.

This isn't the first time Daithi and the friendly crew worked together. Previously, they shot two similar series, one covering Route 66 and the other Highway 61. They also made a documentary about country music legends.

Route 1 will air in October on Irish TV, some of which is broadcast in Gaelic. I've been promised access to clips so stay tuned! There are few more photos on Flickr.

THANK YOU ...

Thanks to Ciaran, the Dearg Films crew and Daithi for a morning well spent! Come back to Miami soon!

Thanks to Lourdes of Vice Beauty Blog for an amazing makeup job. I managed to look fresh and glowing in spite of the humidity. It's sheer skill, and not a miracle, that kept my face from melting.

Thanks to blog sponsor D & L Studio for a fabulous job on refreshing my hair color. (I've been a redhead for over half a year now and my hair never looked or felt better.)

Thanks to El Exquisito Restaurant and Cuba Tobacco Cigar Company for graciously letting us film on the premises.

And last but not least, thanks to historian Dr. Paul George for teaching me so much about our beloved city and for being such an inspiring mentor. (Coincidentally, I just happened to bump into Dr. G right before the shoot; he had been giving a tour of Little Havana to a private group.)

Don't forget! Dr. G gives a FREE tour of Little Havana every last Friday of the month during Viernes Culturales: Touring Little Havana with Dr. Paul George.