Today was the third day of the conference, the second day of the technical program. We started out by an interesting talk from a fellow from Symantec, all about separation kernels and how they will save everyone’s bacon with high assurance and formal methods. Needless to say, this engendered a lot of comments. More interesting were his opening slides, which talked about the growth of spam and phishing attacks. This latter theme was echoed in some presentations from DHS from some folks who are doing some neat research from them.
But you don’t want to hear about that. You saw “A Taste of Cuba”, and were curious. So on to the restaurant review…
This evening, the conference committee went out to Versailles in Little Havana. Now, I’ve had Cuban food before in Los Angeles at a similarly named restaurant. I like Cuban food. So how did the two compare. Versailles: Miami had a much more extensive menus. There was loads of stuff I’ve never seen in Los Angeles. Wanting something safe, I ordered my favorite: Cuban Roast Pork, Rice, Beans, and Fried Plaintains, with a Jupina to drink. I think I like the roast pork at Versailles: Los Angeles better: it is moister, softer, and has more juice, more onions, and more garlic. On the other hand, the beans were much better at Versailles: Miami. I should note the prices were about the same between the two, and not being a resort, no gratuity was added. I’d go back there, but I think I’d try something different.
Driving there and back, I also discovered the mistake I made coming out here on Sunday. First, I didn’t realize that I-195 just “became” 41st St. I was looking for a Collins exit. When I-195 ended, I thought I had made a mistake, so I turned S on Meridian and meandered all the way to South Beach, near Alton Way. I should have stayed on 41st to Collins, for a simple left after that goes straight to the hotel. Coming back from the restaurant, I zigged where I should have zagged, and ended up on I-395… which turned into A1A, leaving me at Alton Way (right where I got lost on Sunday). This time, I knew what to do. I stayed on A1A (5th St, I think) until I got to Collins. A left, a drive through South Beach, and I’m at the hotel. By Jove, I think I’m figuring this area out.
Well, it was a late dinner (but yummy), so I think I’ll toddle off to bed. I’ve got a 7am meeting before the conference starts its last full technical day (Friday is another tutorial day; I fly home late late on Friday night).
