Miami

My holidays took me to wonderful Miami this year. I have never been and couldn't wait to go some place warm while the temperatures were dropping in Rome. We stayed at the The Betsy Hotel in South Beach, and loved it very much. The hotel is a cozy boutique hotel, right on Ocean drive, yet far away from the chaos. We had a pool view room which is quieter than the other rooms.

 While in Miami we ate at many places like Jerry's Famous Deli on Espanola way, and Big Pink in the SoFi (South of Fifth) area. Jerry's  is open 24 hours, and came in handy while we were recovering from jet lag. News café on Ocean Drive is also a popular all day dining place, and is open 24 hours.

News Cafe

Foot long Kobe beef hot dog at Big Pink

We had dinner at BLT at the Betsy Hotel several times, and while the food was excellent every time, our experience varied with each visit. This had a lot to do with weather, and service on that day. The hamachi with avocado, the tuna tartare, ceviche, and stone crab were all excellent appetizers.  The beef is so tender you can cut it with a butter knife! The sides were wonderful, and the signature pop overs were cheesy and good. I didn't try all their desserts but loved the key lime panna cotta. This is an expensive restaurant, almost 100 dollars a person, and wine is way over priced. The outside seating is the best, I would not go if I had to sit inside, since it really seems like you are in a hotel restaurant.

We also managed to have lunch at  the Rusty Pelican on Key Biscayne. The Rusty Pelican is a nice water front restaurant with great floor to ceiling windows and offers panoramic views of the Miami skyline. We had several small plates which ranged from ceviche to grouper sliders, all very good. Their key lime pie was very good too.

view from Rusty Pelican

We wanted to go to Joe's Stone Crab, but since there is a huge "No Strollers" sign at the front desk we decided it was not the place for us. Plus who wants to wait over an hour for something you can get in many other places in Miami?  Monty's is one of those places, and although we didn't eat there, we liked it because they serve all sorts of fresh seafood, and they also have a raw bar. Monty's is on the other side of Miami beach, on the port, and is has a much more relaxed vibe. They had a live band around happy hour, and a much younger crowd frequents this place compared to Joe's.

We had lunch at Grill Fish several times, mainly due to its good food and proximity to our hotel. It's right on the corner of  Collins and Espanola Way. I liked their crab cakes, and their grilled fish.

We also managed to do some shopping while trying to see other parts of Miami like Coral Gables, and Coconut Grove. I recommend Dolphin Mall for great discounts and lots of outlets. I also liked Aventura Mall which is big, and has high end as well as regular shops.

Friendly travel advice on Car Rental in Miami Airport :  We rented with Alamo and had to wait in line  for one hour. I noticed that all other car rental companies had much shorter or no lines at all.  I don't know if Alamo has the best rates,  but it certainly has the longest lines of all other car rental companies.