October 2011
1 post
it's hard to say goodbye
dear miamians,
i did so well in my last post - i really should have just made it my last. but, alas, here we are.
my work, travel and life priorities have only grown over the summer, not diminished (i can barely make time to write 140 characters on twitter). so, i am finally taking the leap and saying farewell.
like i said in my last post, i really love it here. miami is an amazing, young city...
June 2011
1 post
gone for the summer
dear miamians,
miami favs will be out for the summer. i will return mid-september.
the decision was hard, but with a lot of upcoming travel, work and new life priorities, i figured it was better to shut down for the summer then to make you wait 5 weeks between posts.
please know that i REALLY love miami. and my list of favs is still long. i haven’t even reached half of them yet, i think.
...
May 2011
1 post
5 tags
miami fav #123 / the round up
you can’t just go home after a rodeo. especially not when you don your go-to pink cowgirl hat. it just wouldn’t be right. the hat must make appearances! and when people put on boots, they mean business. and that business lasts all night long. which also translates to really long lines at the local country/line-dancing bar. in davie, this means the round-up. where the line is like...
April 2011
3 posts
7 tags
miami fav #122 / the rodeo
i had never been to a rodeo before. and then randomly, one day, i thought: ‘wow, i should really do that.’ weird. but i was like, there is no way there is a rodeo in south florida. ah. and then i remembered davie. and then i googled. and then i went. but you can’t ‘just’ go to the rodeo. an entire itinerary and wardrobe is needed. it started with...
6 tags
miami fav #121 / tom jenkins'
if you’re ever on your way to davie - go to tom jenkins’. it’s the best bbq in south florida (i have a few friends that have literally tried every bbq place in south florida - at least two to three times -and still swear this is the best. sometimes i like when people do the work for me. good job, boys!). now, you might wonder a) why i was going to davie and b) how a...
4 tags
best of blogs
i hate to be selfish and ask all of you busy miamians to take a second and vote for miami favs on the sun sentinel’s best of blogs awards (especially since it’s more like minutes, because you apparently have to register), but it’d be really cool. as i’m not used to asking for such things, i figured i would look to one of the best politicians of all times, and see what she...
March 2011
7 posts
4 tags
o, miami
o, miami is a knight foundation sponsored event and their goal is to have every single person in miami-dade county encounter a poem during the month of april (which is amazing! help some bros out!). they have a fantastic line-up of events (including readings by the james franco and u.s. poet laureate w.s. merwin). this is probably one of the most inventive, coolest events i have ever heard of,...
5 tags
miami fav #120 / garcia's
post-trapeze i was starving (you’d be surprised at how many calories you burn while flying through the air. who knew fat burning could be so fun?) and i wanted a beer (a girl has needs). it must have been fate that a friend invited me earlier that day to garcia’s. because although i couldn’t go then, it was close-by now. and i was starting to get hangry (yes, hangry). we...
4 tags
miami fav #119 / flying trapeze
when i heard that miami had flying trapeze classes, i obviously had to go. that weekend. i mean, what was i waiting for? how had i never known that this awesome experience existed for non-carnies? luckily, four of my fabulous friends also saw the opportunity for fun and joined me. let me tell you: IT IS AMAZING. at first i was thinking, i’ll probably get to swing back and forth...
4 tags
miami fav #118 / wall's
i love the 50’s. play me some billie and ella and i’m content. add poodle skirts, saddle shoes and buddy holly, and now it’s a party. let me split a malt shake with a cute boy in a varsity sweater and i swoon. so i’m kind of in love with wall’s for giving me the opportunity to live out some of my 1950’s fantasy. yummy ice cream. gentlemen prefer blondes...
4 tags
miami fav #117 / deli lane
i kept driving by sunset place on us-1 and could see this little off-street that looked kind of cute. every time i drove by i would strain my neck to see what was down there, never having the time to go and see for myself. although promising myself that the next time i went by i would make the time. one day, i finally gave up and just asked a friend. they said, ‘you must be talking about...
miami fav #116 / art walk (or, 'second saturdays')
the first art walk i went on, i didn’t make it very far (basically, i made it to a bar in the design district) - so i don’t count it. and, because the first art walk was a little ‘lame’ (although the bar was super fun) it took me forever to feel the need to go again. but when i did, i realized what an idiot i had been and how much i was missing (!). as someone who...
miami international film festival
the miami international film festival is here march 4-13 (!). i’m going to the screenings below. they are $12 per film (except the gusman is $14). this is only here once a year! hope you can make it out for some of them too. =)
friday, march 4 gusman theater 7:00 p.m. chico & rita trailer: http://miami.slated.com/2011/films/chicoritachicoyrita_miami2011
saturday, march 5 gusman...
February 2011
10 posts
3 tags
march
i am a huge dork. but here are some awesome events in march. sharing is caring. hope i get to see your pretty faces. xo, m wednesday, march 2 6:30 p.m. / live from the met (nixon in china) at regal sobe. tickets are $18 which you can get here. FYI: sobe comedy festival begins TODAY until March 6. saturday, march 5 12 p.m. / miami bike hunt hosted by beachedmiami.com and emerge miami (FREE) 7:30...
2 tags
a friend is coming to town...
my out-of-town friends always reach out to me when they, or friends of theirs, are coming to miami for a quick trip - mainly with the question: what should we do while we’re there? i recently put this novel of an answer together for a friend of a friend and thought - why let it go to waste? why not share? so here goes - feel free to copy/paste! =)
the best restaurants are in...
5 tags
miami fav #115 / superwheels
it is fitting that this post happens for fall on the same day as president’s day. firstly, because roller skating is my FAVORITE american pastime and secondly, because what better way to celebrate a birthday than at a skating rink with 80’s music, neon lights, pizza, sno cones, air hockey, whac-a-mole and space invaders galactica (or at least spending some time reminiscing...
5 tags
miami fav #114 / oleta
oleta park is like narnia. you’re in south florida, sitting in traffic, and then boom. you take a quick turn and end up someplace that cannot actually exist where it is located. therefore, it must be otherworldly. well, until you encounter the mosquitos, and then you realize: no, i’m definitely still in florida. regardless, this place is beautiful. in a city full of beaches...
2 tags
miami, be mine?
even after all this time
the sun never says to the earth, ‘you owe me.’
look what happens with a love like that!
- it lights the whole sky.
(hafiz)
happy valentines day miami!
to the city i will never take for granted,
i am sincerely yours,
xoxo, m
6 tags
miami fav #113 / coco de ville
give me a reason to dance, and i’ll take it (we’ve actually instituted ‘random acts of dance’ in our office just because we can’t help ourselves). i don’t venture out to ‘the clubs’ on sobe much - even though hitting the dance floor is a favorite pastime - but when there is an art event, i go and support it. and when dancing is involved, even better....
8 tags
miami culture
the opening of the new world symphony center combined with the coming of spring has everyone excited for arts and parks - and a combination of the two! here is a quick post of some of the awesome cultural events that are available in the coming months. and most are FREE! (note: don’t complain about the lack of culture in miami if you never go to any of the cultural events that are...
13 tags
miami itinerary #12 / 007 doral
partake in parkour, visit arabia, eat some cake, and drink like a champion.
as james bond would say, “i love a drive in the country, don’t you?” in doral, (a place where chain restaurants and cow pastures collide) who knew you could learn how to move like the 007 himself. it is my pleasure to introduce you to the miami freerunning and parkour academy. spend the day learning the tricks of...
4 tags
miami itineraries
i probably should have explained these a little sooner. but sometimes i’m a blonde. however, after explaining miami itineraries to some people recently, i got the reaction: ‘oh, so THAT’S what those were on your blog. i was always wondering…’ so, here’s the deal: when i first got to miami, i felt that almost every miami event/’things-to-do-ish’...
3 tags
miami fav #112 / the knight foundation
i love miami. i’ve made this very clear for 112+ posts. and, the one thing i love most about miami is that it has so much potential. you can see it everywhere. and furthermore i love that i am here during a time when so much of that potential is coming to life. for a lot of that, we can thank the knight foundation. everything amazing i have been to in this city (miami book fair, youngarts...
4 tags
miami fav #111 / one burger
as a vegetarian, there are two things that i kind of miss (if any): burgers and bbq (oh, and pepperoni pizza, but, as that isn’t really fitting for this post, we’ll ignore that for now). so, when i saw that one burger had a veggie bbq burger, i about died with excitement. then the question was - is it good? or did they just cook a garden burger and throw some heinz sauce on it. if...
January 2011
6 posts
3 tags
miami fav #110 / blue heaven
okay, so ‘miami’ is kind of a stretch here considering blue heaven is in key west… but, how amazing is it that we are so close to the magic that is the keys? and more specifically, the magic that is the smell of freshly baked banana bread from blue heaven? ah! blue heaven is my favorite key west staple. i cannot go there without a visit to this adorable place. i always...
4 tags
miami fav #109 / tina's cakes
if you know me or know this blog, you know i am more than a little dessert-obsessed. so, even after stuffing my face at arabian nights, i had to have dessert. you do know that dessert goes to another part of your stomach, right? say what you will, but it totally feels like it. there is always room. always. it’s like a magic trick. and it makes me so very happy =). the owners of...
4 tags
miami fav #108 / arabian nights
doral, doral, doral. you did not have me at hello. and for awhile, you did not complete me. not.even.close. i pretty much didn’t like you (and i like almost everything!). do you remember when all i wanted after parkouring was a decent pizza joint? i mean, how easy of a foodie i was that day! well, in the world of warehouses, easy is apparently difficult. remember when i actually did...
6 tags
miami fav #107 / miami freerunning and parkour...
my friend, pierre, being awesome yet again, asked me if i would be up for doing a parkour lesson. ‘a what lesson?’ ‘a parkour lesson.’ ‘no, really, a what lesson?’ ‘this.’ ‘a lesson on how to be james bond?’ ‘for the love of god, megan…’ well, i was close. parkour is the physical discipline of training to...
6 tags
youngarts week
a week from today miamians have the chance to see FREE week long performances by the nation’s most talented young artists. i beg you not to miss it.
isn’t it amazing that at the beginning of the new year, you get to see america’s freshest talent (for FREE)? isn’t it also spectacular that this signature organization, that finds the next generation of america’s...
December 2010
6 posts
4 tags
my new years wish is...
that everyone in miami realizes how lucky they are to live here.
cheers to you and yours and our magic city.
with love,
m
3 tags
miami fav #106 / gigi
i heard about gigi via [the explosion of pre-opening hype on] twitter and foodie blogs, but wasn’t officially introduced to it until a random first date. the guy didn’t last (he didn’t know who nancy pelosi was (among other things). and no mom, i’m not a dc snob, she was THIRD IN LINE to the presidency and is always on the cover of some magazine, like every newspaper, or...
7 tags
miami fav #105 / an italian cooking class
i bet you didn’t know miami has its very own dante club. i didn’t either. until i did a little google-ing. i had been dying to take a cooking class for forever. although i knew it would be hard for me to choose which ethnic cuisine i wanted to delve into, i was pretty sure i would choose italian. because, really. who doesn’t want to cook like an italian? and as much...
7 tags
miami fav #104 / improv
i love me some funny people. and just so you know how serious i am, i will share that my current girl crush is the miami comedian jessica gross. so, there. but, really. who doesn’t love someone that can make you laugh? so when a friend asked me if i wanted to go with a group of people to see improv, i said ‘hell, yes!’ and then said wait. where is it? because i figured it...
3 tags
miami favs #103 / copas y tapas
sometimes i feel like there is no authenticity on miracle mile unless you’re looking for wedding dresses. of course, i am not looking for wedding dresses, so i may even be wrong about that part. the point i am trying to make is that when i do find a good, local, authentic place on the mile, i get excited. and i want to keep it. it’s funny how sometimes you can be deterred from...
6 tags
miami fav #102 / a mechanical bull
i know, i know. i am so easily amused. but how often to you get to experience a bull ride? um, never. so, how convenient is it for some place to have a mechanical one that you can enjoy whenever your little heart desires to be thrown off something. in public. in a mildly embarrassing way (?). answer: pretty freaking convenient. and what’s even better is that it is at a place that...
November 2010
13 posts
6 tags
miami favs #101 / jaxson's
um. love this place. the sundaes are the size of my face. and it is kind of magical. you feel like you’ve been transported to a different era. kind of like all of a sudden you are a carnie. in the 1950’s. there are weird rides. there is a piano that plays itself in the back room. there is candy galore. a man making balloon animals. and flashing lights. if only...
4 tags
art basel
art basel is one of the reasons i fell in love with miami before i was lucky enough to move here. i worked for a museum in washington, dc and was fortunate enough to come down here for a few days of the five day extravaganza. free concerts. free art. amazing parties. the best and the brightest artists. cultural intellectuals all around. art basel is pretty magical. i should have done this for the...
5 tags
happy thanksgiving!
in the spirit of giving, and in celebration of the day of thanks, i wrote a post entitled ‘ten reasons to be thankful you live in miami’ for beached miami. check it out here.
happy thanksgiving fellow miamians! i cannot wait to celebrate the rest of the holiday season with you. under palm trees. in the sun. doing crazy things. and smiling all the way.
annnnnd i would like to thank...
21 tags
miami favs #100 (drum roll please...) / miami...
miami favs started as soon as my feet touched ground in miami (july 12, 2009 to be exact). not the blog, but the idea. and it originated on the book of faces (a.k.a. facebook). they were short and sweet, and heartfelt. i really love this place. i’m in my element and i couldn’t be happier. i have found my home. i started the favs because i’m a sharer (if you haven’t...
7 tags
miami fav #99 / big al's gun range
i used to be a republican (don’t judge), and yet never shot a gun in my conservative days (wha? and i was so close to the nra in dc!). so, in my ‘independent’ state, i decided why not have a shot (dur hur) at it. and what better place than hallandale. and what better venue than big al’s gun range. the place kind of freaked me out from the outside. and then i walked...
5 tags
miami itinerary #11 / roller derby (whip it....
sure, you can call roller derby grrls feminists or punks; or you can just admit that you’re jealous that they have more fun than you. and can quite possibly kick your butt. more than once, if needed. i say, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. you’ll have a blast, get a killer workout, and become a skating hellion before you know it (and maybe gain a little florida spirit while you’re at it). but...
3 tags
miami fav #98 / kb burgers
when it reads ‘best burgers in town’ – consider it an understatement. these may be the best burgers in all of south florida. someone call oprah and let her know please. i’m serious. when i asked people that had been here about this place, they mumbled something like ‘columbianburger’ and basically started drooling. i swear. and when my friend ate one, she looked up after the first bite and...
5 tags
miami fav #97 / kiteboarding
kite boarding is like wake boarding, except that you don’t have to rely on owning (or having a friend with) a boat to do it. however, it does mean that you have to wait for perfect wind-conditions of 12 mph (but at least you’re reliant on nature and not reliant on having to purchase something that costs more than a house – and i more than appreciate that). while it’s not uncommon to see riders...
3 tags
miami fav #96 / misha's cupcakes
if you don’t understand the ‘cupcake craze,’ let me explain it to you. basically i can buy cake, for myself, without looking like a heifer coming out of a bakery with a 9x12 sheet cake with no ‘happy birthday (!)’ written on it (a total giveaway). and, i can buy a cupcake (or a dozen) without having to wait for a birthday. they are fitting for every occasion....
miami fav #95 / the place where i run
i am a true yogi. give me my mat, a few asanas, and breathing exercises any day. and i am happy. zen. sane. i practice every morning and every night. recently however, my family has taken up running. i was sportastic in high school. i played something every season. soccer, lacrosse, volleyball. i even did a year of track. so, i feel like i did my duty. i ran. all the time. and was competitive....
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4 tags
miami fav #94 / bali cafe
after my friend introduced me to first and first southern baking company (utterly crushing any ignorant/close-minded doubts i had about the place), he could have told me pigs fly and i would have believed him. he had my full attention. so, when he suggested bali cafe for one of our ‘friends-that-work-on-brickell-and-are-sick-of-mary-brickell-village-lunch-options’ lunches, i jumped...
2 tags
VOTE
i know you’re hearing it from everyone. so why not me too? ;)
please vote tomorrow.
florida (including our environment, our schools, our senior citizens, my favorite lgbts, the list goes on) is counting on you!
make magic happen.
good night, and good luck.
xoxo, m
October 2010
20 posts
5 tags
miami favs #93 / t-mex
rawr. i love this place. i probably would have never found this on my own (i’m not going to lie, washington avenue is not really my cup of tea). so, i feel lucky someone introduced to me to it! if you live on sobe, please note that they deliver. what do they deliver, you ask? only the best fish tacos EVER. oh, and they have taco TWOSdays. two for one. love. love. love. it is kind of a...
5 tags
miami fav #92 / the perseid and the everglades
the perseid meteor shower only comes once a year. having lived in a city for 8 years, and being kind of scared to venture outside of said city (yes, i was one of those people), i never saw a meteor shower. but, in miami, we have this beautiful backyard called the everglades. the perseid shower falls close to my birthday, as well as the birthday of a good friend. so, we thought, why not take a...