I'm In Miami Trick! South Beach Food Tour.

Our cruise through the Bahamas began and ended in Miami, Florida.  After frightfully watching the weather that entire week before due to Hurricane Isaac, our flights were successful and we landed in Miami the day the hurricane was just starting to move west.  All flights into Miami were cancelled except for Delta flights which is what we happened to be on.  For once the Foreseasons had some luck on their side when it came to flying!  Miami airport was a ghostown and we quickly got to our hotel just as it started raining.  It continued to rain all night and into the next day, so we were pretty much stuck at our hotel, but at least we made it. 

Our cruise didn't actually board until that Monday night and then we spent the next 3 days in the Bahamas, ending up back in Miami on Friday.  I will share some pictures from our cruise at some point, but for now wanted to blog about the Miami Culinary Tour that we did on Friday night in Miami.  I had read about it on Trip Advisor and knew it would be right up our alley and a great way to be able to eat and see South Beach so I bought us tix ahead of our trip. 

To begin, our tour guide was excellent.  She was Austrailian, a big foodie and a big traveler.  She really did know her stuff about Miami, and not just the restaurants that we stopped at either, so we definitely felt that the entire experience was authentic.  She was easy to listen to and encouraged questions and tried to get to know everyone while pointing out landmarks along our walk or explaining the history of the art deco architecture in South Beach. 

 

Our first stop was 660 At The Anglers, a restaurant within this boutique resort.  We sat just within the lobby and tasted the gazpacho.  The gazpacho was super creamy and completely pureed so there were no vegetable chunks like you would typically see with a gazpacho.  A swirl of EVOO topped it which added to the elegant taste.  This place is apparently very busy for brunch on Sundays.  My Mother-in-Law has since recreated it, she loved it so much.

Our next stop was Bolivar for some Columbian-Peruvian cuisine.  This was one of the larger meals served which was a beef empanada, a patecone which is a deep fried plantain topped with shredded chicken and parmesan cheese, and an arepa which is a sweet corn pancake.  We gobbled it up.  I loved the decor and the south american flair of Bolivar.  Not to mention, tasting all the different appetizers.

 

Our next stop was Lario's, owned by Gloria Estefan for some traditional cuban fare.  I'm a sucker for anything "celebrity" related, so being in this restaurant excited me, even though it isn't like I'm a huge Gloria fan listening to "The Rhythm Is Going To Get You" in my car everyday or anything.  The food here was also one of the larger portions of the tour and served family style to be shared between two people.  On our plates were; 1) picadillo, a creole spiced ground beef with olives and raisins, 2) cuban rice wtih black beans and pork mixed in, 3) plantains, and 4) a mojo sauce which is a citrus garlic sauce.  To combine the flavors, you were supposed to eat the picadillo with the plantains and put the mojo sauce on top of the rice.  It was a lot of food that I noticed many people didn't finish.  This tour was dinner for Chris and I, so as usual we didn't leave a crumb.  This restaurant is right on Ocean drive, which is pretty much the main drag in South Beach.

Our fourth stop was David's Cafe to sample a cafe colada which is basically a cuban espresso.  Our tour guide described this place as "Miami's lifeline".  It has a 24 hour pickup/walkup window for ordering.  I am not a coffee drinker but she insisted everyone must at least try it.  It is so strong, you don't want to drink too much of it, so even coffee drinkers like Chris and his parents didn't even need more.

Along the way we also saw the Versace mansion where Gianni Versace was murdered which is actually the #3 most photographed home in the U.S.  We also saw The Carlyle Hotel where the movie The Birdcage was filmed.

 

 

Next stop was Miami Beach Caffe & Restaurant, dubbed "MIMO or Miami Moderne" by the locals.  It is a newer restaurant with sleek, clean, all white decor.  The chef here is a Michelan Star Chef which is the highest accredidation given to the restaurant that the chef works for.  This was the fancier of the food we sampled.  We had an amuse- bouche created by the chef (I had to google the spelling,as well as the definition).  Amuse-bouche means 'mouth amuser' in French and these small bites are typically not found on menus, but rather created by the chefs as hors d' oeuvres to give guests a glimpse into what the meal will be like.  We also got to witness molecular gastronomy.  One of the chefs made strawberry ice cream using liquid nitrogen.  It was less than a 2 minute demonstration with a really flavorful ice cream as a result.  Let's just say we would have loved to have experienced an entire meal here.

 

Amuse-bouche: tomato caviar, salmon mousse and a red wine reduction.

 

 

Our next stop was Jerry's Jewish Delicatessan to sample an almond pastry.  This place had a lot of history and over 600 items on their menu.

 

Our final stop was on Espanola Way, a street/strip built to give the feel of being on a Spanish boulevard.  We were served gelato from Melani Gelateria.  I thought this would be just a small cupful, but rather we were able to pick two different kinds of gelato served in a large cup.  This was definitely a filling food tour!  I stayed true to the italian flavors I tried in Italy and got the bacio (nutella flavored) and stracciatella (like american choc chip with with larger choc chunks). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later that night I went out with my brother and sister-in-law to sample some of the nightlife and bars.  I think I am a little old for the Miami night-scene however.  Either way, we had fun watching the crowds and sipping on this huge drink...

 

 

 

If you ever visit Miami, make sure to check out the Miami Culinary Tours.  They offer a Little Havana Food Tour and a South Beach Food Tour. 

 

P.S. If you are wondering how I remembered all of these details.....I was the dork scribbling notes on an envelope so I wouldn't forget instead of digging into the food right away at each stop.

 

P.P.S.  I shared my review on Miami's Culinary Tour's Facebook page and the owner was kind enough to write me and let me know that if readers mention our blog when booking a tour, they will receive a discount.