24 Apr South Beach from a Local’s perspective: FOOD

Miami Beach offers so much more than the usual touristy things in Miami, such as walking down Ocean Drive, visiting Nikki Beach and shopping on Lincoln Road. If you are visiting this wonderfully sunny and exciting place but don’t want to experience the typical tourist trip to Miami, you are looking for the local places to go to. When it comes to great food in South Beach, let me introduce you to some of my favorite places on this island:

If you are craving sushi, and not just the typical California roll, you should stop by the Pubbelly (www.pubbelly.com). Not only do they have great Sake but they have some amazing rolls that are quite out of the ordinary. Personally, my favorites are the Shortrib Tartare (apples quail egg, green mustard, tobanjan, and capers) and the Pork Belly (kabocha, butterscotch miso, and corn powder).

Right on the other corner of the block is Barceloneta, a Tapas restaurant (www.barcelonetarestaurant.com). Their menu is full of delicious foods that will leave you craving for more. I absolutely loved their Morcilla bread, the Croquetas and their Pulpo a Feira!

How does this sound to you? “Fresh sheep’s milk ricotta and caramelized pear filled ravioli with butter and sage.” Or maybe you’d prefer the “Peppercrusted ostrich Carpaccio with shaved fennel and Parmigiano and caper citronette.” If you are in the mood for Italian cuisine, you should go to Escopazzo (www.escopazzo.com) on Washington Ave.

Do you want something light and refreshing while simply tasty? Giardino (www.giardinosalads.com) has a wonderful variety of delicious salads suited for everyone’s individual tastebuds. With baby leaf & romaine greens, brie cheese,
green apples, roasted garlic cloves, sliced almonds, champagne vinaigrette & garlic croutons, the Parisian is my favorite!

Let me give you another tip. While there are several big groceries stores in the area, such as Publix, Fresh Market and Whole Foods, my absolute favorite is the Epicure Market on Alton Road (www.epicuremarket.com). Coming from Europe it is always hard for me to find my favorite foods in most grocery stores in the US. However, Epicure really amazes me everytime. They have an extensive wine selection, a cheese wonderland, their seafood counter is considered one of the best in Miami, and their bakery items just left me standing there in awe.