12:00 pm – Arrived at MIA International Airport: An amazing flight into Miami, FL, Delta Airlines provided great in-flight hospitality, a couple of complimentary drinks and some more than decent gingerbread cookies which I somehow love. As we descend into the beautiful city if Miami, I feel like the weekend of March 11th 2016 to the 14th was going to be great. As soon as I get off the plane I look at the distinct style of this airport, very tropical, clean, spacious and enormous. I went to pick up my rental with Sixt rent a car and I was in and out in less than five minutes.
1:00 pm – lunch at La Camaronera: I am a huge fan of Chef Guy Fieri’s show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. I have gone to at least fifteen restaurants that has been on the show and went to this amazing Cuban seafood restaurant in the heart of Little Havana that he once visited and so far he has yet to fail me. Driving to the restaurant was a bit sketchy, but as soon as I walked into the place, I was immediately greeted and asked if I wanted to dine on the counter standing up or wait for a table, and since it was lunch time and there was a long wait for I decided to stand up. I ordered what Guy Fieri ordered and what the restaurant was known for their famous fried lobster sandwich served with a very soft but crispy Cuban bread, and fried shrimp with their own tangy chipotle sauce and half a lime. THE MOST AMAZING SEAFOOD I EVER HAD!!! It was so good, cooked to perfection, an amazing display of Cuban cuisine, it was simple but amazing. They only accepted cash in this place, and I had to ask why. Not because it was a problem but out of curiosity, and they simply told me, “Because we want to keep tradition as long as possible.”
2:00 pm – Drove to my sister’s house: After my lunch I drove from about 45 minutes from Little Havana to Miramar where my sister Amanda and her family lives. As I drive to her place, I see the amazing Miami skyline, not a big city but a beautiful one at that. As I drive to my sister’s house, I pass the Miami Marlins stadium, Florida International University, Johnson and Wales University, and Sunlife Stadium (where the Miami Dolphins play). All sights to see and places where I want to visit.
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4:00 pm – Shopping at a great supermarket: Bravo supermarket, across the street from my sister’s apartment complex, is an amazing Dominican owned supermarket that has a bunch of Spanish products and an amazing buffet. I take my sister and her two boys shopping for food, because let’s be honest I love to cook and eat like a maniac. We got food to survive for the weekend, but I came across the Dominican buffet and ordered Chimi de pollo (a Dominican chicken sandwich), and shared it with my family. I was in heaven.
9:00 pm – dinner at Amanda’s: My brother-in-law Ray can throw down on the grill, he cooked BBQ beef ribs, hot sausages and a beautifully brazed brisket with an amazing chimi churri sauce and of course a nice moro de abichuela roja (Spanish rice with red beans). Nothing like having a couple of brews with your family while stuffing your face with some good BBQ before you go out.
11:00 pm – Going out to Wynwood, the Art District: I met up with one of my buddy’s K’mari who was stationed with me in Hawai’i. We were looking for a place to go to and he suggested a pretty cool place to go to within Wynwood, FL, Miami’s art district. Like any other art district, this place was super gentrified, but of course beautiful in its own ghetto neighborhood. We saw some beautiful art at the Wynwood Walls, and then had some drinks at Wynwood Kitchen & Bar attached to Wynwood Walls. After, we spent the rest of the night at the Wood Tavern, an amazing place to go for after hour food and drinks. Once I walked in, I wasn’t really impressed, I thought it was very small, but as I walked to the back, God smacked me and said “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” It was an amazing beer garden, that replicated a boardwalk, it had a humungous bar and tons of space to sit. It also had three means of food: two food trucks and a short-order restaurant. The DJ booth was in the corner of the dance floor in a cozy treehouse that was covered in graffiti. Just a very chill, very diverse place to visit, with good drinks, and good food.
9:00 am – Dominican breakfast at Yarumba: If there is anything that can cure a hangover, it is an all Dominican breakfast. Yarumba is a great Dominican restaurant in Miami Gardens, FL that has changed the way of Dominican cuisine, normally Dominican restaurants in New York are usually short order, but they have amazing food and flavor. Yarumba takes a twist in Dominican cuisine. I had the normal Dominican breakfast, Mangu with salami and onion (mashed plantains), covered with fried white tropical cheese and sautéed onions drenched in tomato sauce. They made deep fried mangu blocks with panko covered with fried white tropical cheese and sautéed onions drenched in tomato sauce served with a specialty drink, morir sonando (orange juice, milk, vanilla extract, sugar and ice) that was simply delicious.
12:00 pm – Strolling South Beach: It is noon and 50 degrees in NYC, but 84 degrees in Miami, and my friend from last night happens to work in the Ritz Carlton in South Beach. I intended to abuse the discounts off of drinks for my family and I, that was offered from my buddy. The Ritz Carlton South Beach is beautiful to say the least. An amazing staff that took care of me and my family on the beach, and an incredible bartender who made some tasty drinks. After we left the Ritz, we strolled through Ocean drive and since it was during spring break (for other universities), we could barely get through the people partying on the streets. We passed the extravagant Clevelander Hotel that we couldn’t get in to because it was at max capacity, then we made a pit stop at Fat Tuesday’s for a much needed yard long mango-strawberry smoothie with two shots of Jose Cuervo (Yes, it was made to perfection), and after fighting off all of the tourists and locals, we came across Mangos, one of South Beach’s premier Spanish all-day clubs.
4:00 pm – Driving through Star Island: Tropical city? Check. Giants Mansions? Check. Celebrity filled island? Yes. Star Island vacates some top notch celebrities like Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Gloria Estefan, Rosie O’Donnell, and Shaquille O’Neal. If you ever find yourself in South Beach, take a stroll through this magnificent dream.
6:00 pm – A fun time at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino: On the way back home I thought it would be nice to test my luck and gamble a little at the Hard Rock Casino, which is a party city within itself. With five bars, four restaurants, three clubs and a theatre on the strip. A great sequence of hospitality in this landscape, but we skipped all of it to play some blackjack and roulette. When we get to the tables, we immediately are greeted by the dealer and get offered a massage that I of course accepted because, why not. After releasing some tension and winning some money, I strolled around the casino floor looking at the displays of the various artists that have played at the Hard Rock.
8:00 pm – Dinner at the Rustic Inn Crabhouse: Great family restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, FL, with good drinks and good seafood. An enormous amount of seafood. But don’t go if you have a headache, so much hammering in celebration of birthdays.
11:00 pm – Club Seven: Club Seven is a small Dominican club in Miramar, FL that has a great atmosphere, and a fun place to go with a group of friends that just want to have a good time. Hookah, and an affordable price on a bottle and a table (not like clubs in Hawai’i or New York City), top that off with great music, you have a winning combination of a good club. Daylight savings didn’t have an effect on partying as we partied until 630 in the morning. After the club we did what any typical Dominican would do…sober up and eat some bomb chimi churri sandwiches, empanadas and some water to wash it all down and finally hydrate.
RFERENCES
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Art Basel Parallel Art Show in Wynwood. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2016, from http://wynwoodmiami.com/home.php
The Best Hotels, Resorts & Villas Around the World. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2016, from http://www.luxurytravelmagazine.com/property/the-ritz-carlton-miami-south-beach-luxury-hotels-resorts.php
Hughes, K. (n.d.). The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino: A True Destination Hotel. Retrieved April 27, 2016, from http://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/articles/2008/march/867-the-seminole-hard-rock-hotel–casino-a-true-destination-hotel.html
