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. so when the miami city ballet upper room held a kick-off party for their 25th anniversary season at coco de ville, it was basically like inviting a fat kid to a party with free, never-ending servings of birthday cake (annnnd ice cream with a cherry on top). now, i don’t know if the same dj is there every night, but the dj for this party rocked it. and we responded. we danced for what seemed like forever. and we loved every hot second of it. not one person was sitting unless it was because they were panting after the latest salsa song or had just rocked their thriller moves. it was amazing. it is always a good party when the dancing don’t stop. and coco de ville, i will always love you for keeping the music rocking, the drinks flowing, and the dancers (me!) smiling.
http://www.gansevoortmiamibeach.com/coco-deville/
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 dive. but, did i mention that they have the best fish tacos? if you like the ceviche-type tacos, this is not your place (try mercadito), but, if you like cheap fried fish tacos, with four different varieties of hot sauce, you’ve found your venue. it’s right across from deuce so it’s super fun to watch people stumble in and out. and they have beer. and guacamole. just like any good mexican joint should. if you’re on the beach and hungry, and looking for some inexpensive grub, go here. and have a cold one. and chill.
http://t-mex.net/
this house is like a breath of fresh air. i feel like it has been transplanted from the italian country-side. like a guest house in a vineyard. but it’s not. it’s on south beach. and i love it. i want to live here. i imagine the inside to look like a cottage. warm and cozy. i love the old-fashioned mailbox. i love the ivy and the shrubs with bright pink flowers. imagine waking up to this every morning. walking down the stair case. breathing in the fresh air. getting a little taste of country. and then walking four blocks to the beach. perfection? i think so.
someone recommended ice box when i first moved here, and i paid no attention until one day i just happened to walk by it. firstly, it reminds me of a brooklyn brunch place, and i like that feeling. secondly, it has a quote from the oprah show saying it has the best cake in all of america. SOLD. (okay, i’m not an oprah groupie (i have a job, and got rid of having a tv/dvr almost a year ago). but, i tend to believe the lady when it comes to food. one, because she seriously enjoys it. you can tell. and two because she has so much money, she can eat anywhere/everywhere - and probably has. so, when she gives a title to a random restaurant outside of new york city, i listen. especially when it has to do with dessert). i heart ice box. the food is honestly great. breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner. whichever you choose, you won’t be disappointed. (and the food is pretty - i usually never remember to pause and take a picture of a plate of food before devouring it - but i stopped to stare at the salad above, and voila. there is your picture. it looks so refreshing. it tasted refreshing too). i take people here when they’re visiting. i like that it has more of a local-feel and less of a tourist-filled-lincoln-road one. its location is perfect for strolling after. and of course, i love the dessert. the cake is honestly pretty freakin’ amazing.
i love when more reasonably-priced restaurants open up on south beach. and i am a sucker for mex and tex-mex. i was so excited to hear about this new restaurant that i paid no attention to the actual open date and went three days early. i wanted to cry when i realized my mistake. i can’t go inside? but it’s so pretty in there! no tacos? so sad! three days later i was on this place like a fat kid on birthday cake. i loved every second of it. i actually ended up meeting people there three days in a row. apparently i crush hard. but this place is so awesome. i actually love that it’s right off of lincoln road. you get a little piece of quiet, but not too much. and the colors. ahhhhh, the colors! so bright and pretty. sit outside with a glass of wine and some fish tacos. basically, sit outside and be happy.
http://www.tacontento.com/
if you’re anything like me, you’ve wanted to learn how to salsa dance since your first toe touched ground in miami (there must be something in the air). of course, time escapes us, and we keep pushing off our dreams of learning salsa and being the next star on SYTYCD. however, if we really embraced the cuban culture that has made miami what it is today, we’d say ‘Vamos echar un pie!’ so, let’s ‘¡Meter mano!’ cuban-style. and what better place to do that then on south beach, surrounded by cuban design, cigars, food, coffee and attitude.
read you’re full itinerary here: http://www.miami.com/salsa-south-beach-article
sometimes, even in miami (as obsessed as i am), i want a break where i can feel like i am somewhere else. somewhere far away. so, i walk 6 blocks to espanola way and park it at a la folie. suddenly, i’m in france. i feel like an american in paris. sitting there at my little table. i bring out a book. i order a cappuccino. i sip. i read. i people watch. i stare lazily into the distance. i relax. i ponder. i order a crepe. with nutella. and strawberries. i enjoy. i taste. i feel. i be. and i remember one of my favorite quotes: ‘you have been warned against letting the golden hours slip by. yes, but some of them are golden only because we let them slip by’ (james matthew barrie). thank you a la folie. for giving me that little haven where i can escape for a few moments. and just be. in france. (also good for date nights and sharing a cheese plate and wine with friends. in case you were wondering). =)
http://www.alafoliecafe.com/
what i love most about miami are the colors. the colors of nature surrounding me at all times (the blue/green of the ocean, the green/yellow of the palm trees); and the colors that the people have created here (hot pink and teal houses - I LOVE YOU). i guess i am just a visual person because i feel like my eyes explode at every turn and i cannot get enough. it’s so stimulating. these benches kind of sum it up for me. go to most any other city and they have brown or faded grey wooden benches. not miami. we paint ours. in bright and ridiculously wonderful colors. and they make me smile. every day.
i love ice cream. a lot. and this ice cream is the cat’s meow. and i love that they won’t give me my ice cream of choice until i call it by it’s proper name: ‘can i have a get down boggie-oogie cookie please?’ honestly, i’d say anything to get a scoop of that ice cream. if you haven’t been here, you’ve been missing out on some yummy goodness. i’d get on it; stat. it’s the perfect lincoln road treat, and perfect for strolling down the lane with; if you can manage to not devour it before you get out the door. some say things are better when savored over time. i wouldn’t know. i’ve never tried that; and especially not here. =)
the frieze ice cream factory, 1626 michigan avenue, miami beach
i have to admit that there is one thing i miss about dc; and it’s my favorite pizza joint, pizzeria paradiso (and by favorite, i mean obsession. i can hear my dc friends groaning from the understatement already. i love you guys!). sosta is my miami alternative. it’s not the same, but i still love it. this is my go-to pizza place. it’s perfect for dinner with friends, a date, or even when you just want to be alone, reading a book with a glass of chianti (yes, sometimes i like to be a loner). the pizza is the thin crust kind, and it’s great. and i like the simple interior. and of course, as anything on lincoln road does, it has outside seating. i love miami.
http://www.sostapizzeria.com/
