Miami
Our love affair with Miami... Dining and Gallery Hopping
It is clear why Miami loves Canadians, but why do Canadians love Miami? In the city of Miami, 7,072,439 hotel rooms have been sold from January to May 2019. Even as far back as 2016, the spend-per-year of the 3.5 million Canadian visitors was $6.5 billion dollars. We make up 25% of the international visitors and 9% of purchasers of properties. Wow.
Miami, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Like most of us, as soon as the snow flies, I answer the siren call of the sun, sand and sea. And every year, no matter what part of Miami I visit, there are new and exciting things to do: art and culture, new dining experiences, walks along the beach, and for adventurers, there is no limit to outdoor water sports.
Miami is one place where it’s worthwhile to wake up early.
ART GALLERIES AND PUBLIC ART
› It’s been recommended that we include at least a “drive-by” of the Wynwood District and Wynwood Walls. Within minutes, we let the driver go as we began a stroll through a neighborhood where the world's greatest artists working in the graffiti and street art genre show their brilliance. We see murals by artists like RETNA, Ron English, Aiko, NUNCA and so many more. Our “drive-by” turns into most of the day. This is another world with ever expanding “walls”, ones we have never seen the likes of before. There are restaurants galore and outdoor cafes offering prime people-watching. Wynwood Walls must not be missed. www.thewynwoodwalls.com
› Pérez Art Museum Miami is a modern and contemporary art museum dedicated to collecting and exhibiting international art of the 20th and 21st centuries. Contemporary art installations may intrigue you or may have you saying, “What in the heck is this all about?” Come with an open mind and stretch your sensibilities. www. pamm.org
› The Bass Museum of Art features diverse art, artifacts, a sculpture garden, plus films and lectures. The City of Miami accepted a gift of baroque and renaissance works of art from John and Joanna Bass, and in due course, the Museum opened. The architecture and the collections give this building a personality of it’s own. www. thebass.org
› Patricia and Philipp Frost Museum of Science does not tell us, it shows us the core science behind living systems, the solar system and known universe, the physics of flight, light and lasers, the biology of the human body and much more. We leave feeling better about our world and the humanity in it. www. miamisci.org
› Institute of Contemporary Art is where we see the work of emerging, local and under-recognized artists. It provides a platform for the most innovative art of our time and plays a role in developing cultural literacy throughout the region. Admission is always free. Leave your pre-conceived notions about art at the door before you enter. www. icamiami.org
In many major cities of the world, there is the phenomenon of the Umbrella Sky, an international art installation that has popped up in Lisbon, Paris and now Coral Gables. Walk along the promenade under these swaying colorful umbrellas and feel protected and happy. We’re inclined to pop into Threefold Café for a sparkling Mimosa cocktail.
HOTELS
› Lowes Miami Hotel was built in 1998, and now, with a $50 million makeover, the entire hotel has been re-imagined to even more fabulousness than the original. We’re greeted with enthusiasm, staff remembers our names and can answer every question. We’ve never felt more pampered and cared for, lounging on a ➤
daybed, enjoying lunch and cocktails in the St. Tropez inspired, adults only, SOAK cabana with butler service. www.loewshotels. com/miami-beach
My favorite meal of the day is breakfast. The menu at Prestons quickens my pulse. Florida spiny lobster eggs Benedict; avocado toast capped by perfect poached eggs; fruits deliciously in season; and baked goods sparkling with just-out-of-the-oven freshness. I am ready for come what may.
We’re back for dinner at Bar Collins, in an expansive arm of the lobby. Recently completed with cutting edge design, here is where we find an explosion of the new Miami Cuisine. Latin and Cuban flavours course through the menu. We try a chicken empanada with Poblano Citrus Crema and a succulent Cuban sandwich that becomes a made before your eyes encrusted Cuban pizza in the gorgeous pizza oven. A local Cobia comes with lemon dill beurre blanc. Chipotle Citrus chicken is piqued with orange agrumento. These are the flavours of Miami: colorful, exciting and exotic.
› The Biltmore Hotel is a national historic landmark, but don’t be fooled by the stately Spanish, Moorish, Italian architecture and handsome early 1900s lobby. The inner workings of this hotel are cutting edge. The 71-par championship golf course and tennis courts are renowned, and the beautiful pool is the largest to exist in a hotel in the eastern U.S. Rooms are graciously appointed with not a hard edge in sight. But nowhere is excellence more evident than in the dining rooms. Meet in Fontana for breakfast, and you can while away a morning on this landscaped terrace, under the trees, enjoying local fruits and breakfast specialties. www.biltmorehotel.com
Still it is the Palme D’OR, the restaurant named as one of the best in the U.S., which offers thrilling contemporary French cuisine. You’ll want to dress to dine under the fresco painted ceiling, gorgeous chandeliers, and beautifully appointed tables. When I have the opportunity, I like to order dishes that are new to me. An artfully folded French crepe filled with well seasoned braised oxtail, spinach, leeks and natural juice, followed by the local Corvina, enriched with creamy lobster polenta and tangy with Single Malt sauce. Dessert can’t get much better than Macaroon tart with Pineapple compote, Mango Sauce and Coconut cream. But it ain’t over ‘till it’s over. The eye-popping selection of petit fours tells me that this pasty chef dreams in all the colours of the rainbow. It is worth the drive to Coral Gables.
› Marriott Stanton Hotel, with a small frontage to the street, is an easy gem to miss. A rarity, step away from the lovely pool with its palm tree landscaped terrace and lounge, and in seconds you are on the beach. We begin and end our day at Lolo’s Surf Cantina, where guests and locals appreciate that they take casual dining all the way. www.marriottstantonsouthbeach.com
The main restaurant serves Japanese cuisine. At Azabu it is clear to someone who has travelled to Japan that here, Executive Chef Masatsugu Kubo pays homage to the American appetite. He defies the usual limitations on classic Japanese cuisine by offering large portions of Tokyo comfort food at reasonable prices. No one leaves hungry from Azabu.
DINE AROUND THE DISTRICTS
› Versailles restaurant is the oldest Cuban restaurant on these streets, and as such it has become a virtual town square in Little Havana. A quick pause to indulge in rich Cuban coffee and a pastry is a moment to savour. www.versaillesrestaurant.com
› Mignonette in the Edgewater District is a former 1930s gas station turned oyster bar/seafood haven. Chef Danny Serfer adopts a no frills/full flavor attitude. Try a flight of oysters, twelve to the order with selections from U.S. coast to coast, and conclude with a warm lobster roll and fries—american cuisine at its freshest. www.mignonettemiami.com
› Sette Osteria in the Wynwood District is hard to miss. It’s on the corner painted in zebra stripes and fits right into the neighborhood. The bartender mixes a mean cocktail, and in the American style, there are no skimpy pours. I’m happy with the focaccia straight from the pizza oven and a drizzle of EVOO. Insalata Caponata Napoletano with its assorted heirloom tomatoes is a treat. The chef works his magic with the humble eggplant in Melanzane alla Parmegiana. And take note: they offer a white pizza menu and a kid’s menu. www.setteosteria.com
› No.3 Social is the one and only rooftop bar and lounge in Wynwood. Survey the district and beyond while enjoying signature cocktails or locally crafted beer. Renowned Chef Norman Van Aken has incorporated Miami delicacies into his menu of street food from around the world. Inquire about his cooking school and have a hands-on demo at his Three Restaurant. Foodies can always learn something new. www.no3social.com
› Upland in the south of Fifth neighborhood is an outpost of the popular NYC restaurant created by owner Stephen Starr and chef Justin Smillie. This chef, a semi-finalist in the James Beard Best Chef in New York, has been heralded as a pasta savant. I am not one to gush over pizza, but the Sausage and Kale pizza with young pecorino, stracciatella and Parmesan is something special. Drunken Hamachi crudo with tequila, cilantro and key lime packs some punchy flavours. The menu is delightful Miami/ Italian. www.uplandmiami.com
At a time of uncertainty in the world, Miami is pure escapism. It wraps its arms around us and says, “Enjoy.” Everything’s going to be allright, baby. www.miamiandthebeaches.com