Newt Gingrich courting the Cuban-American vote in Miami Little Havana neighborhood

Visits to South Florida by presidential candidates are becoming a daily occurrence.

Today, it was Newt Gingrich who visited The Versailles Cafe, one of the most famous restaurants in the state to stump for votes from the Cuban-American community, the largest group of Republicans in Miami-Dade County.

Gingrich alternated sips of cafecito - Cuban espresso - and digs at Mitt Romney.

"He's raised a lot more money from Wall Street than I have," said Gingrich of Romney. "[I can] solve immigration in a way that's humane and responsible, I think it's a huge contrast with Gov. Romney."

Behind in statewide polls, he chatted today with dozens of voters and took every opportunity to slam the frontrunner.

He's nearly-neck-and-neck in South Carolina with Romney, but Gingrich said he would love a come-from-behind win in Florida's Jan. 31 primary to slow Romney's momentum.

"We will surge very rapidly in Florida, we have a statewide organization already being developed," said Gingrich. "We are very confident we're going to be able to more than match the governor in volunteers, and I think in enthusiasm there will be no comparison."

He got loud applause today from the dozens of people who crammed into the restaurant.

They liked his stance on immigration reform.

Although he said "no" to a path to full-fledged citizenship for illegals, he says he has a heart.

"What if you're an abuelo or an abuela? What if you have children and grandchildren? What if you belong to a local church? What if you've been paying your bills for the last 25 years?" said Gingrich.

He argued that people in that category should be offered residency cards.

"I haven't heard anybody before saying the things he's going to do. Specific. Which is explaining everything, every step of the way," said Millie Cruz, a Little Havana resident for 50 years.