Eating Around Southern Florida

While I have many fond memories of diving in heaps of ceviche, empanadas and Cubanos, many restaurants have upped the ante on everything from insanely fresh seafood to classic pizzas. While the classics, like Casablanca—which has a boat-like feel bobbing in the Miami River—and Versailles in Calle Ocho; the Cuban neighborhood, still remain there is also a lot of new and exciting food on the radar.

I started my epic culinary journey at the Diplomat Hotel—in Hollywood which is conveniently almost dead center between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale—the classic hotel dates to 1958 and greats like Frank Sinatra used to stay there. Playa, the hotel’s beachside haven, is stocked with refreshing watermelon salad and strong rum drinks. The hotel’s steakhouse Prime offers divine cuts of Wagyu that come complete with certificates of the cow’s name and a picture of its nose print.

Seafood Options

Burlock Coast flanks the beach in Ft. Lauderdale and offers delicious oysters, tall piles of ceviche as well as savory pulled-pork tacos for when you need a seafood break. The pasta with feta and lemon butter was the favorite of the evening: and I will admit that I was dubious as I lived in Italy for years and am fanatical about pasta being perfected cooked and it was.

Lona is another great spot to grab a bite by the beach. The yellowtail bites—which feature eggplant tempura and avocado as well as tuna—were complex, crispy and satisfying. The best of all was the posole, the traditional Mexican dish of hominy with pork shoulder or belly, this one was enough to share and did not disappoint.

Heading down South to Miami and hugging the Miami River is Seaspice. This festive, almost entirely outdoors space, is infused with energy. It has a festive Las Vegas vibe, with food to match, and a celebratory crowd. It is also one, of the ever-growing number of, restaurants that can be reached by boat. The locals do like to make splashy arrivals.

The King Crab tempura, dipped in Ponzu, was astounding. I almost wish I could have had just that. I finally got my Stone Crab fix on here too: with a claw the size of my fist. Hamachi Tataki with candied kumquat and serrano peppers was also delicious.

Champagne options abound here, as so lots of California whites and reds by the glass and the bottle. The list gets a bit more international with the reds reaching into Chile, Argentina, Bordeaux and Piedmont.

On the Meatier Side

There is nothing better, in my book, than a perfectly crunchy thin-crush pizza with a pile of meat on it. Pizzacraft does not disappoint with crispy fennel-sausage pizza, crunchy Arancini—Sicilian rice balls—and braised greens. The local place has tables outside and a cocktail bar right next store.

Lucky me for my last night one of my Cuban besties brought me the best Ropa Vieja that I have ever had. This dish of shredded flank beef is cooked with tomatoes and marinated in garlic. It is a big soupy, stewy delight. This divine dish came from the oddly named, but absolutely fantastic, Las Vegas Cuban Cuisine in neighboring Hallandale Beach. I can’t wait to explore more of their menu on the next visit.