A South Floridian’s guide to being a Miami Heat fan in Philly

Being a Miami Heat fan in South Philly has not afforded me a ton of support since moving here in December. But for the most part, it hasn’t earned me enemies either — it’s not like I’m a Celtics fan.

Born and raised in South Florida, Heat Culture is in my blood. It started when my late grandpa gifted me a licensed Heat Barbie when I was 4. It blossomed at watch parties in my teens circa “The Big 3.”

It morphed into full-fledged fanaticism in college when I joined The Miami Heat Street Band, the team’s official pep band. I played bass drum for the team for six seasons before moving to North Florida in 2019 for my career (and love life).

But my support and love for the team has never wavered and this move to Philly has only strengthened things. Repping Wade, Haslem, Mourning, Butler, and other Miami jerseys around town has started plenty of conversations (especially Butler!).

It’s also solidified just how many transplants live here — I’ve met Lakers fans at P’s and Q’s, Knicks fans at block parties, and, most importantly, other Heat fans (including two more in my newsroom).

Fans like Sarah Ramírez, a fellow South Florida transplant who has lived in Philly for a decade now.

“I’ve come around on some of the teams but the Sixers’ ‘Trust the process’ is the opposite of Heat Culture,” she told me. “I just can’t.”

Now, as the Heat approach a Finals series against the Denver Nuggets, how should a fan based in Philly prepare?

Predictably, there are no Miami Heat bars in Philly, but there are other ways to nod to Heat Culture. Here’s my unofficial guide:

While local teams remain the iconic company’s bread and butter, Mitchell & Ness’ flagship shop on Walnut Street sells gear for dozens of other teams, including the Heat.

On Tuesday, the store posted photos on Instagram of its curated Heat gear, including a 2012 championship jacket, a throwback Tim Hardaway jersey, Hardwood Classic shorts, and more.

» READ MORE: Mitchell & Ness is a global brand. Forty years ago, the Philly company was nearly bankrupt.

A rep told me that in-store sales remain mostly for Sixers gear, or from casual fans who are buying merch as a fashion statement over team devotion. They said neither Heat nor Nuggets merch clocked major sales for the day — which from a glass-half-full standpoint, means more options and size diversity for real fans who pop in.

In Miami, 305 is more than an area code. In Florida, 3:05 p.m. is cafecito time.

The strong-enough-to-put-hair-on-your-chest sugary espresso shots are just one of many cultural cornerstones for Heat Culture. I mean, what other basketball arenas serve Café Bustelo and tequeños (popular Venezuelan cheese sticks) or croquetas in their concourse areas?

Philadelphia isn’t swimming in ventanitas, Cuban-style walkup windows for coffee and snacks (our walkups are reserved for cheesesteaks and pretzels, I’ve learned). But there are several spots to satisfy the itch.

In Old City, Home Cuban Cafe uses family recipes to bring fresh-made croquettes, colada, empanadas, and more to Philly diners. It’s owned by cousins Danae Pereza and Dairys Mayoral, who has South Florida ties. Before moving to Philadelphia to be close to her college-aged daughter, Mayoral owned and ran a Cuban restaurant in Naples, Fla., for 21 years.

“Of course I’m a Miami Heat fan,” Mayoral said Wednesday. “We still love Miami even though we live in Philly now.”

Other popular Cuban food spots include Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, a restaurant that doubles as a late-night salsa bar, which launched in Philadelphia but has since expanded to New Jersey, D.C., and Florida — and Mixto, a fusion restaurant serving a mix of Cuban, Latin American, and Caribbean flavors.

In South and West Philly, Pizza Plus has a small assortment of Cuban/Italian/snacky fusion food that is perfectly suited for an NBA watch party, including smothered Cuban plantains topped with slow-roasted pork, black beans, fried onions, cheese, and sour cream or “Cuban pizza.”

Owner Alex Carbonell — who is Cuban and lived in Miami and Key West before heading northeast in 2005 — is behind the Cuban flair.

“The intention was never to do Cuban food, but I’ve got a great crew of guys that are Latin and we decided to give it a shot,” he told me.

At Pizza Plus, Carbonell and his team approach the menu’s Cuban items — which were added in November — as a supplement.

“It’s not a ton of options, but we do it right,” he said. “Our Cuban sandwich is very traditional. We marinate the pork in a mojo for 24 hours. You’ll find Cuban sandwiches all over Philly, but that doesn’t mean they’re made right.”

Carbonell declined to admit if he was a Heat fan, citing business relations. “People take sports personally here,” he said.

Last summer, Jimmy Butler launched a collab between his coffee brand, BIGFACE Coffe, and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.

The result was a light, airy, affogato flavor that shops continue to sell by the scoop or pint. Philadelphia has three Van Leeuwen shops, and all confirmed they are serving up scoops of Butler’s flavor now.

While we’re talking about Butler — which I realize can be a sore subject for die-hard Sixers fans and I’m sorry — he was just recently enjoying some Philly spots.

» READ MORE: 'Tobias Harris over me?' Jimmy Butler's Sixers legacy as he returns to NBA Finals

Ahead of a regular-season game against the Sixers last month, Butler hosted a BIGFACE Coffee pop-up event at Forin in Fishtown.

I attended the one-day takeover, which swapped Forin’s usual beverages for coffees made with BIGFACE roasts and sold merch for the brand. Butler and other members of the Heat organization, including Gabe Vincent, attended before continuing their tour of Philly food and drink spots.

Instagram posts from Butler showed the group also visited Menagerie Coffee in Old City and Harp & Crown in Rittenhouse before going on to win against the Sixers.

When the Heat win a big game, all you can hear for miles throughout South Florida is a metallic clanging.

It’s the sound of wooden spoons hitting pots and pans in celebration throughout Little Havana and beyond. That plus a lot of horn honking makes up our version of a Broad Street celebration. But I haven’t seen a pot or pan on Broad yet (maybe we should look into that?).

The tradition stems from Cuban and Dominican fans extending a practice from their home countries during political or sporting events.

Philly — clearly a food town — has no shortage of cooking-supply stores where you can stock up on your next percussive instrument. Fante’s, Kitchen Kapers, and newcomer C.M. Neff are all worthy contenders.

And with that, I’ll end this with a hearty Let’s Go Heat — please direct all hate mail to the Celtics fans on our staff.