Simply Superb, South Beach, Miami Florida

Eat and shop and eat some more to get your strength up for more shopping! Stay on South Beach if you can, it is right in the center of all of the action. All of the hotels are nice: Art Deco in design but are pricey. Going in the off season (May through Dec 15th) brings prices down considerably. Take a walk to Lincoln Road (only a few blocks away and check out the stores-- all unique with all kinds of things you won't find elsewhere). Lincoln Road is known for its cute cafes and excellent restaurants. Pacific Times is one of the best, as is Rosinella's known for its great Italian food, try the lasagna. When your feet wear out, stop at one of the cafes and people watch. It is a real hoot! I once saw a ballerina (in tutu) roller blading like an ice skater with arms and legs horizontal! You will see everything from gays in drag to grandmas.

Quick Tips:

You really want to get out to a good restaurant every evening because the food in Miami is spectacular. It can however, get a little pricey. To save money pick up the Entertainment book, it is available in bookstores in south Floida, you can get it at borders in Coconut Grove. I t gives you buy one get on free coupons to well over 200 restaurants.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you stay on South Beach you do not need a car, you can walk to everything. If you want to get off of Miami Beach to visit Cocont Grove, take a taxi.

This hotel makes you feel as if you have just stepped into a beautiful Dali painting! From the curtains on the front veranda to the private cabanas around the pool, everything is gorgeous and very different. All of the rooms are done completely in white...everything including the staff is in white. The outdoor dining room is open for lunch and dinner and the inside dining room is open for dinner only. The food is fabulous and pricey. There is a spa on the top floor that is owned by Madonna.

The communal breakfast bar made of beautiful granite is on the main floor and you never know who you will bump into there. I had breakfast across the table from Leonardo DiCaprio...really!

The back yard area is a eclectic mixture of mirrors hung in the trees, moss covered easy chairs with lace doilies on the arms to a huge chess set and a hammock for your enjoyment.

This place is where all of the VIPs in Miami stay. Go if you can afford it.

Nestled on the corner of quaint Española Way and bustling Washington Avenue, The Clay Hotel/Hostel is a find for the money.

This is a hostel/hotel but it is one of the nicer hostels that I''ve experienced and the location cannot be beat. It is older and needs a bit of maintenance work, rooms could be repainted, but it is just so incredibely cheap for Miami Beach.

They do accept reservations and book far in advance during season. The rooms range from $40.00 to $99.00 depending on season for the hotel side and the hostel side rates range from $13.00 to $17.00 per person! Really!

The outside is prettier than the inside!!

Monty's is one of my favorites. The she crab soup is out of this world. I always get three or four containers to go, put it in plasic bags back in my room, freeze in the mini fridge and take them out just before leaving. It is a great enjoyment to be eating this soup back in Pa on a snowy night remembering Montys'. There is a swimming pool around the bar that you can use and is a great place to take the kids so yuou can enjoy a few cocktails and they can swim. They have live island music from 4 to 8 Monday thru Friday. A fun place...enjoy!

Johnny Rockets is a chain restaurant that feature hamburgers, milkshakes and cherry and vanilla cokes. The restaurant takes you back to the 50's with its decor, quarter juke boxes, and staff.

The hamburgers made your way are excellent in taste and very large. They feature great onion rings and the milk shakes are thick and crreamy.

They have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the picky kids. I have been there when the waiters and wairesses have broken out into song, grabbing the ketchup bottles as microphones and danced around the restaurant.

It is a fun restaurant with very good food at very reasonable prices.

I love this place. Mama Rosinella still prepares the food and watches over all to see that you get an excellent meal. You can dine indoors or sit outside in the cafe area, which is what I recommend.

The lasagna bolognase is out of this world and a real bargain at $7.95. The white bean tuna salad is also excellent. The waiter told me last time that I was there, that the pasta is homemade. This is a great place to people watch as you enjoy your lunch or dinner. I have eaten there at least 20 or 30 times and have always had an excellent meal. I highly recommend it.

Rosinellas is on Lincoln Road, definately a place to visit when you are in Miami.

I have never had a meal here that has been less than outstanding! This restaurant always is named as one of the best restaurants in South Florida. It is one of the most expensive restaurants on Lincoln road but worth every penny.

You will usually find things prepared in ways with sauces or seasonings that you have never had before. It is truly a dining experience. You may have tilapia with mango and lime sauce or instead of mashed potatoes you may have yucca. You can count on finding things here that are out of the ordinary and always exceptionally delicious.

The inside decor (you can dine outside if you prefer) is quiet and calming, a nice break form the hustle and bustle of Lincoln Road. Quite often orchids decorate the tables.

This outdoor cafe on Lincoln Road is known for a good meal with great prices. The last time I was there (Christmas '00) you would get dinner for two, which consists of salad, bread and butter, Main course of fish or italian pasta and sauce (pasta varies by the day) or lasagna and a full bottle of wine for $25.00. Thats right $25.00 covers wine and dinner for two!

I usually get the fish, it is usually your choice of either salmon or snapper, which has been delicious evey time I have ordered it.

The pasta is a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10.

It is a nice, inexpensive dinner at a good spot on Lincoln Road to sit and people watch.

Balans is a mixture of continental cusine and pizza. Last time I was there I had chicken livers that were sauteed in a red wine reduction sauce that was out of this world.

Their pizza's are made with fresh dough and fresh spices like basil and rosemary.

They are a cafe style restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating.

If you don't have skates with you you can rent them from Fritz's on Lincoln Road. You can skate all over Miami Beach but the best area is on South Beach as described earlier. It is just gorgeous to skate along next to the beautiful water watching cruise boats, and sailboats glide by. Turn to the street side and you will see all kinds of gorgeous people skating with and around you.

You always seem to have the tropical breezes on Sout Beach so you can get a good workout but you won't be sweating everybody up...lol. Have fun!

Take a cab over to Coconut Grove one evening. There are all kinds of restaurants, cafes and things to do. The Coconut Grove Playhouse always has intersting plays. Again, lots of shopping and more great restaurants. One of my favorites is the Green Streets on Main Street, very good Italian food.

Senor Frog's has super Mexican food and there is a Monty's down by the harbour that has super seafood and live island music.

If you get a chance and have a car, drive through the South Grove. Coconut Grove was the first village established in south Florida, and there are gorgeous old Spanish style homes with huge old trees providing a lovely green canopy. Flowers are everywhere. It is truly beautiful.