Miami is a seaport city in the U.S. state of Florida. As the seat of Miami-Dade County, Miami’s metro area is the eighth-most populous and fourth-largest urban area in the U.S., with a population of around 5.5 million. Downtown Miami is home to the largest concentration of international banks in the U.S., and metropolitan Miami, which includes the famous Miami Beach is the second largest tourism hub in the U.S. (after New York City) and number 13 in the world.
Three quick facts about Miami:
- In 2008, Forbes magazine ranked Miami “America’s Cleanest City”, for its year-round good air quality, vast green spaces, clean drinking water, clean streets, and citywide recycling programs.
- For more than two decades, the Port of Miami, known as the “Cruise Capital of the World”, has been the number one cruise passenger port in the world. It accommodates some of the world’s largest cruise ships and operations, and is the busiest port in both passenger traffic and cruise lines.
- Miami has the third tallest skyline in the US with over 300 high-rises.
the local:B.B. Free
the location: Miami, Florida, USA
how long have you lived in Miami? I’ve lived here over 30 years.
a quick intro about yourself
I am an elementary school reading and English teacher, and published my first children’s book, The Rescuers, back in 7/15. (available on Amazon)
I am currently working on my second children’s book and editing my novel, Friends of the Bride. And of course, I have a foodie blog, For the Love of Food! I’m married, I have a 26-year-old daughter, and traveling and photography are my serious addictions.
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…a perfect egg, sunny side up, that breaks and flows deliciously when punctured by the baguette. This is why I explore eateries. This is why my blog was born.
WHERE TO EAT:
A la Folie Cafe Francaise
516 Española Way, Miami Beach, FL, 33139 | alafoliecafe.com
This is the perfect place for brunch French-style. Their ‘Croque Madame’ delivers what it promises: a toasted french baguette doused in melted Swiss cheese that also greets you from inside the sandwich, along with savory ham and a sinfully silky bechamel that escapes from the sides of the bread when you take a bite. Madame wears a crown that Croque Monsieur does not: a perfect egg, sunny side up, that breaks and flows deliciously when punctured by the baguette. This is why I explore eateries. This is why my blog was born.
Latin House Burger & Taco Bar
9565 SW 72nd St, Miami, FL, 33173 | latinhousegrill.com/
Without a doubt, the best burger I’ve ever had, and I’ve had many. A note about the meat: LH is not secretive about their formula for rich, juicy, savory patties. They use a mixture of ground sirloin, chuck and brisket, and it does set these burgers apart from the mundane.
Ortanique on the Mile
278 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, FL, 33134 | ortaniquerestaurants.com/miami/
This restaurant offers the quintessential fine dining experience with elegant surroundings, friendly service, and an expertly designed menu. The pan sauteed grouper, marinated in Teriyaki and sesame oil with Ortanique orange liqueur and Bacardi Limon sauce, came topped with steamed seasoned chayote and carrots on a citrus sweet plantain-boniato (white sweet potato) mash. The fish was meaty and sensuously touched by the sauce, but the mash was the superstar of this dish. The sweetness of the plantain, the velvet luxury of the boniato and the playfulness of the citrus, all mix in your mouth so delectably, you just have to close your eyes and experience the flavors one by one.
ChillN Nitrogen Ice Cream
8271 SW 124th St., Miami, Fl, 33156 (plus several other Florida locations) | www.chillnicecream.com
Given my vast ignorance in matters of chemistry, my expectations of flash-freeze nitrogen ice cream were not high. I couldn’t shake the images of creepy cryogenic experiments from my head. What I found was the creamiest ice cream I’ve ever had this side of my beloved gelato. The flavor choices, add-ons and miscellaneous elements available can be combined in nearly limitless ways to build your personal cup of heaven.
Swine Southern Table & Bar
2415 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL, 33134 | www.runpigrun.com
Southern cuisine of the highest quality. Who knew so many delectable things could be done with pork? But that’s not all that makes this restaurant top notch. For example, basket of plump buttermilk biscuits were delivered as a starter accompanied by maple whipped butter and a little jar of rich, powerful blackberry jam, my new favorite. I could’ve settled right there with this basket and my cocktail in a mason jar and called it a day. The biscuits were big, but every bite quickly melted in my mouth and all that lingered was the strong addictive sweetness of the blackberry jam, which left me begging for another bite of warm biscuit, and another, and another…
Thanks for helping us Eat Like a Local in Miami, B.B.!
Planning a trip or thinking about visiting Miami? Check out Miami and The Beaches, The Official Vacation Guide for some great information and guides! Or buy Top 10 Miami and the Keys (Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide) from Amazon!
The Eat Like a Local series is a unique look at good places to eat in various town, cities and countries around the world. This isn’t your usual tour book guide list and it definitely isn’t paid for by any restaurants or tourism boards – this is just a local resident sharing their favourite food recommendations. You can check out all the places we’ve covered on and find out how YOU can get involved on this page.
Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. However, I am part of the Amazon affiliate program and the product links shared in this post are affiliate links – if you click on them and purchase something, I will receive a tiny commission fee (at no extra cost to you) which helps me keep this site running. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.
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