I’d like to start this post by saying I’m not usually a fan of guided tours. They make me feel like… well, a tourist! When I travel through a new city, I like to wander through the streets hoping to find something amazing or exciting. Or I’ll plan out an activity before hand. You will not see me holding a map on a street corner trying to figure out where to go! It also helps I’m really good with directions {ask Huck}. I’m sure that’s why I was nicknamed the Sleuth during my study abroad trip.
I’ve found some amazing, off the beaten path, restaurants this way, but sometimes it’s a little overwhelming trying to pick just one place when you have SO MANY options. I want the best of the best when I only have limited time. A places that showcases everything that’s great about that city.
Miami is know for being a melting pot of many different cultures and a foodies dream, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to pick just a couple of restaurants to sample on my own. I wanted to go EVERYWHERE! Luckily, I found Miami Culinary Tours, so we didn’t have to decide. My blogging buddy Dianna {The Kitchen Prep} recently toured South Beach, and after reading her recap, I knew this was the perfect way to experience everything South Beach had to offer in a short amount of time.
Huck and I decided our 6 year dating anniversary was the best day to explore South Beach for the first time {Yes, we’ve lived in South Florida for over 2 years, traveled to Miami weekly, and still had not been to SOBE {South Beach}! Oh and yes, we’ve been together 6 year!! Crazy right?}
We started our trip to SOBE with a walk on the beach.
After our stroll, we meet our group at our first stop, Bolivar Restaurant. A cute Colombian restaurant located on Washington Street.
Once inside we met our guide Ann and the rest of our group and handed a drink to start the day. Refajo is a Colombian Beer Cocktail made with two parts Cerveza Aguila {Colombian Beer} and and one part Colombiana La Nuestra {A Colombian Soda}.
While we enjoyed our cocktails, we were served our first meal of the day, Ceviche marinated in lime and Passion Fruit and Papas Rellenas {Stuffed Fried Mashed Potato Balls}.
The ceviche was fresh and you can’t go wrong with fried mashed potatoes! I’d like to point out this was our first stop and still had 6 more to go!
Next up, Manolo’s for some Spanish street food, Dulce de Leche Churros {Caramel Stuff Churros}.
I told Huck I wanted to skip the rest of the tour and go back for more yummy fried doughnuts stuffed with caramel! I was really hoping he didn’t like his so I could eat it, and was really disappointed when I looked over and he was happily enjoying his, too!
As we walked along Ocean Drive with our Churros, Ann provide us with history about Miami. Did you know in the 70’s, Miami was just a bunch of retired senior citizens? Not the lively, party place it is now.
Along our walk, we made our third stop of the day, David’s Cafe for Cafe Cubano {Cuban Coffee}.
Cuban coffee is coffee on crack! Actually, I think it is crack! It’s like a really strong shot of Espresso brewed with sugar. It’s actually served in these little cups because really that’s all you need! Trust me!!
Now that we were wired, we made our way to stop four in recorded speed, Polo Norte Cuban Restaurant for Yuca Frita {Fried Plantains drizzled with Mojito sauce} and Vaca Frita Sliders {Beef Sliders with Chimichurri sauce}.
The Plantains were my favorite. I’d take them over a bag of chips any day.
Stop five, Charlotte’s Bakery, the “Best Place For Empanadas” according to the Food Network.
This Empanada had a flour exterior and full of shredded chicken and topped with an avocado sauce. They lived up to the reputation.
Stop six, are you full yet? Because I was!! Stop six was at Block’s Pizza Deli for Block Pockets filled with Pesto, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Feta Cheese, and Kalamata Olives.
The dough was super crispy, and I loved the ingredient combination. Huck agreed the crust was great, but he wasn’t a fan of the ingredients inside. He said if we would have tried a regular style pizza, this stop would be his favorite of the day.
Another interesting fact about Block’s, they use a Mother Dough that’s 300 years old!
After Blocks, we rolled over to Espanola Way for authentic Gelato at Milani Gelateria.
When I was in Italy, I ate Gelato almost daily. I haven’t found anything that compares in the states. Everything taste like regular ice cream. I’d say this was spot on, though!
They also had the coolest display! I went with the Tropical and Chocolate, and Huck picked the Pistachio and Dulce De Leche. We both picked Dulce De Leche as the winner with Tropical as a close second.
After enjoying our gelato, we walked around the streets of South Beach, as we made our way back to the car. I was searching for more Cafe Cubano the whole time but didn’t find any! We did find a Burger King Bar. It was a regular Burger King that sales beer, too.
I highly recommend Miami Culinary Tours to anyone who’s interested in learning more about about South Beach, and anyone who wants to explore the food. I wasn’t concerned about feeling like a tourist. We never would have learned as much about the area and tried so many different restaurants on our own.
They also have tours of Little Havana and Wynwood Art District. I’d love to try the Little Havana tour… More Cafe Cubano!
I’ll be back later with a recap from our trip to Wynwood Art District and Wynwood Brewery! As you can tell, we had a busy day.
Disclosure: Miami Culinary Tours provided me with a complimentary pass for this experience. I was not compensated for this post, and as always, all opinions are my own.
I know this experience was right up your alley. Can’t wait for the rest. Mom
Thanks Mommy!