A couple of months ago, the man and I went to our favorite Florida city – Miami.
Oft portrayed as an ‘oonz, oonz, oonz’ nightclub town, Miami may wield some of its famed Art Deco Miami Vice backdrop, but the sunny city offers much more than the glitz and glam the TV portrays….
We generally skip the late night scene and opt for daylight hours where we bike around town, stopping at hidden spots, downing Acai Bowls at Pura Vida, meandering through vibrant alleys where the smell of Cuban coffee is stronger than the Cuban accents, and jaunts to touristy spots alike – with a must-hit Lincoln Road visit to stock up on a zillion boxes of Nespresso like we are about to embark on The Oregon Trail. (PSA: Get a Nespresso machine. It will exponentially improve your life.)
Then we ride our bikes around town until the relentless orange circle in the sky demands we cool off by the big blue….
Then we double back into the city to smash as much La Sandwicherie bread and sauce into our faces as our gullets can contain and tool around town to check out the newest street art. Miami is oozing street art out of its every alleyway. It’s such a treat to see what’s new and the unbridled talent coming out of these kids. I liked this one because it reminded me of my long hair. When I had long hair. Why did I cut my long hair? Ugh.
And then, of course, we eat. We couldn’t NOT stop at Pubbelly, named Best New Restaurant and the winner of a Golden Spoon Award, and its counterpart, PB Steak. If you find yourself in Miami, please do right by yourself and stop into one of these haunts.
PB Steak…
The photos are horrible. Really. Thus, I won’t show you too many. I’m truly sorry. But, I only have an iPhone 4 and not the glorious, awesome camera-ness that is the iPhone 5. Thus, taking pics of your food in a room that has less luminescence than moonlight can prove difficult.
That mound of meat was made to perfection – no knife needed. And the sauce, oy! The sauce! The miso bacon glazed brussels sprouts on the right are so fucking stupid. Forget a Golden Spoon, that chef needs a golden star tattooed to his forehead. Some of the most delicious, flavorful veggies I’ve ever had. The sprouts just melted in your mouth and the miso glaze coated your tongue like a perfectly tailored jacket clings to your body. And that amorphous blob on the bottom made me want to stab myself in the neck. Truffle polenta with a poached egg, goat cheese and syrupy balsamic. What? What!!!!! I die. The textures, although all soft, melded together to form this perfectly unctuous bite that left me near tears with its faultless culinary execution.
We ate so very much more, but I won’t disservice the restaurant with my cave dweller pictures. Here’s all you really need to know:
Fine, if you insist. Here’s a little background info straight from the source: “Pubbelly is the collaborated creation of Andreas Schreiner, Jose Mendin & Sergio Navarro. These 3 young entrepreneurs and hospitality professionals have joined forces to make their dream a reality creating the first Asian inspired Gastropub in Miami. This tavern like restaurant will feature true gastropub fare such as homemade pate’s, duck and pork rillettes, specialty terrines, braised dishes, homemade sausages and pickled vegetables along with it’s signature and innovative haute Asian street food.”
They go on to say: ”The ‘gastropub’ is the next evolution of the concept making the food as important if not the most important part of the establishment. Often referred to as a “chef driven bar” the gastropub is just that.”
Don’t miss these restaurants. So damn delicious. And, ps, don’t miss the Negroni at PB Steak – made with Prosecco in place of gin, this delightful drink sipped in these ambient surroundings beats out an ‘oonz, oonz’ club any night of the week.
Have you been?