I know that the weather in NYC hasn’t been the winter cold we are used to, but never the less, a weekend getaway to Miami with my mom was just what I needed to relax, recharge, and of course…eat! We got lucky with the weather and had a beautiful day in the sun…we lounged by the pool, caught up on celebrity gossip with only the best trashy magazines, and I went for my last long run before the NYC half which is fast approaching!
The pool at our hotel
Having only three dinners in Miami makes deciding where to eat very very tough! While NYC has many amazing restaurants, Miami is no slouch. So I did my research, consulted many friends and family, and came up with three restaurant choices that did not disappoint!
Dinner #1: Michy’s
I’ve watched Michelle Bernstein on Top Chef, Iron Chef, and have seen her dishes featured on The Best Thing I Ever Ate. So Michy’s was an obvious choice for me to get a taste of her “whimsical bistro dishes” and “luxurious comfort food.” The restaurant is just gorgeous and the service was top-notch. I also loved how you could order half portions of their appetizers…which just means you get to try and eat more! So I took advantage of this and ordered two apps and a main.
White gazpacho with marcona almonds, grapes, and cucumbers
Peruvian ceviche with ginger, lime, corn, and sweet potato
Seared halibut with celery root puree, periwinkles, and spinach
I don’t have one bad thing to say. The gazpacho, which was poured table side, was rich, smooth, and so different from the usual tomato based cold soup. The ceviche was by far and away some of the best I’ve ever had and that halibut…both my mom and I ordered it and both scraped our plates clean. That celery root puree…let’s just say I dream about it!
Dinner #2: Joe’s Stone Crab
A florida institution, Joe’s Stone Crab is obviously known for their…stone crab. My mom and I met our aunt and cousin for a lovely dinner at this old school, table side service restaurant and dined on large portions of seafood and vegetables. Sweet and succulent crab, a delicious chopped salad, and very unique tomato side dish were had. Nothing over the top amazing, but good solid food and great service.
Chopped salad with diced vegetables, egg, feta, olives, peanuts, and the most amazing salad dressing I've ever had! It was like salsa
Grilled artichoke
Roasted tomato with creamed spinach and cheese
The infamous stone crab
Dinner #3: Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink
Now this was the dinner to end all dinners…and it did as it was our last evening in Miami. I had been looking forward to Michael’s Genuine since I booked the reservation about a month prior to our vacation. Michael’s Genuine focuses on seasonal and local food, with many interesting menu items (fried pig ears anyone?) We were initially disappointed because they were sold out of the roasted whole fish we had our eye on. But the waiter sold me on the 1/2 roasted chicken and once our food came out, all of our initial dismay vanished.
Greek farro salad with French feta
Wood oven roasted local eggplant with chickpeas, raisins, pinenuts, and Greek yogurt
Kimchi and burrata with heirloom tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and sea salt
Pan roasted half chicken with parsley and capers
Wood roasted cauliflower with parsley sauce
I think a lot of people veer away from ordering chicken at a restaurant for fear of a boring and dried out bird. This chicken was the complete opposite…crispy skin, moist flesh, served with salty capers and arugula…it should have its own feature on “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” If I were to be picky, I would say the chicken took a long time…a very long time. But our server had overheard us talking curiously about the fried pig ears and the famous desserts that he brought over a complimentary order of each. They could take as along as they want with my chicken next time!
Fried pig ears
Enjoying a bite of a fried swine ear
The fried pig ears tasted, well…fried. They were seasoned perfectly in an almost bbq/chili seasoning and were actually quite tasty and crunchy. Then you got a little bit too much of the cartilage ear in your bite…yeah, that’s a turn off. Am I happy I tried them…definitely! Was I also happy they were free…Yes! The dessert on the other hand, I would happily pay for any day!
Warm doughnuts with tangerine creamsicle pot de creme and blackberry jam with orange zest and tarragon
How good was this? Let’s just say the table next to us saw the dessert, immediately ordered it, and we all ate in stunned silence at how delicious some fried dough, fruit cream, and jam could be. If you are in Miami…this is a restaurant you MUST visit! A wonderful weekend away with my mom!
A wonderful weekend with my daughter! Great food, good eating, fabulous company and a fun time!
Did I hear pigs ears?!! Come again? repeat?