My Top 3 Miami Restaurants Right Now! Zuma, Prime 112, and Sugarcane

Wednesday January 19, 2011

In Miami, it's more then just good food if you want to make my top 3 restaurants.  Location, Atmosphere, the Scene, the crowd, and the decor all come into play.

Prime 112 is an oldie but goodie, located in South Beach's highly sought after neighborhood SoFi (for those of you that don't no the lingo- that means South of Fifth)!  365 days a year, 7 nights a week, this place is packed all night! Even with a reservation, expect to wait an hour - and that's with constantly bugging the hostess.  Somehow Prime 112 enthusiasts seem not to care because the scene at the crowded bar and the bacon they serve- so much cooler then nuts keeps us content.  Last week when I was there, I even had a guy who was eating dinner at the bar by himself insist that my friend, Missy and I, have some of his Signature salad because it was huge, to die for, and we just had to.  We kept saying no, but before we knew it we were sharing a strangers salads- don't worry he served us before eating off of it, and we got our own plates.  Everyone in here is dressed to impress- it's a mix of locals, Europeans, and some tourists- but mostly only those cool enough to fit in.  Celebrities and star athletes are the norm.  I remember one night for my friend Dave's B-Day, Mark Walberg, Ludacris, a comedian whose name I'm at a loss for, and 4 NBA stars were all there.  Another time for Giovanni's B-Day, an ex NFL guy at the table next to us, kept sending over rounds of tequila shots after tequila shots after tequila shots for the guys at the table--- and this was before dinner even came!  I highly recommend sharing here- even main courses.  I usually split a fillet with a girlfriend or my husband if he's not sharing the 48 oz Porter House with another hungry man (PS in the future that could feed 4 even though the menu says 2).

If you like sauce with your steak, the Prime 112 sauce is delicious.  One of my favorite apps is their signature diver sea scallops with slow braised short rib, truffled mash and pinot noir sauce.  They also often have great special appetizers, such as the Hawaiian poke tuna I had last week.  It was the best $45 appetizer I ever had, and no there is no sarcasm-- it was amazing and we easily shared it between 3 people.  It is essential to save room for the great sides- all family style- and let me tell you leftover Prime 112 vegies make for delicious frittatas or omelets the next day.  I love the broccoli rab and mixed mushrooms.  I've heard the cauliflower with cheddar gratin and the truffle mac are to die for, but unfortunately I'm lactose intolerant, but hey less calories for me!  My last word of advise at Prime 112 is to sit in the main dining room- don't let them try to move you across the street or outside. Here - you want to be inside.  However, if you have a large group that you want to be able to hear, have a baby with you, or want a quiet night, then you will enjoy sitting in the lounge in the Prime Hotel next door as it has more of a chic chill vibe going on.

Zuma is a new favorite! It just opened this summer, and lucky me I can walk there in less then 2 minutes.  Its located in NoBri (North of Brickell) at the Epic Hotel.  It's the restaurants first US outpost- the others are in Dubai, London, Istanbul, and Hong Kong.  This place is crawling with people that want to be seen and people you want to see.  Giselle and Tom Brady stood at the bar across from my table in the lounge one night before sitting in the back of the restaurant.  We walked out at the same time, and I was able to snag a picture:

Another night, I sat next to Vera Wang.  Besides celebrities, you will find a well dressed sexy chic crowd - ages ranging across the whole spectrum.  The best waitress there or maybe in all of Miami is Eva! I have now eaten here 8 times since its opening- 7 for dinner and one for lunch, and I can't get enough.  Again, I love that this place is all about sharing, and the food comes from 3 areas of the restaurant- the sushi bar, the kitchen, and the robata grill.  If you want a twist on edamame, try their stir fried ones - you won't be able to stop eating them! Their cocktail list is extensive, but I think my favorite is a glass of Reisling with this Asian fusion food.  If you like sake though, there is a great list here as well.  Heck- no one says you need to limit dinner drinking to one type of alcohol.

The spicy yellow tail roll with serano peppers and the sliced seared tuna with chili daikon and ponzu sauce is a great way to start, but by start please note that because food is coming out from 3 places, there is no "order," the food just comes when it is ready and is usually spaced pretty nicely. The rice hotpot with wild mushrooms and Japanese vegetables is so amazing you won't even be able to handle it!  The sweet corn and the zucchini skewers are also great, pair that with either the rib eye or the skirt steak and you will be one satisfied customer!  If you save room for desert, the green tea and banana cake is out of this world, and if you want to just cleanse your pallet, the sorbets come out with an array of fruit and flowers and leaves sticking out  in a little box with ice- so pretty you may just want to stare before taking a bite.  And if you are like me, and like to end a meal with tea, the jasmine green Tea is sensational.  And lastly, in regards of where to sit, I like the lounge a lot- almost better then the full dining room.  They recently opened an outdoor area, but most of the tables are small and awkward- but it's nice because it's on the water so again depends if you are aiming for a more chill dinner or if you want to be part of the scene.

Sugarcane comes to us from the owners of Sushi Samba.  It's located in the hip new area, Midtown, which is right between the art districts, Wynwood and the Design District. The atmosphere is excellent here inside and out- I would actually say outside is the best with lanterns and high bushes hiding the outside world.
 
Concept of sharing and the food coming from 3 places is just like Zuma's.  Some of my favorites include home fries with a fried egg on top, orange soy brussel sprouts, and their sushi is just like Sushi Samba with creative maki rolls.  The crowd is people who have moved on from South Beach and want to get away from the tourists- mid 20s to late 30s is the majority age group here.  Everyone is trendy of course... I mean we are still in Miami after all, but it is not as showy and you can tell people are here to hang for the night mostly and not going to a club after.

So there you go - 3 different neighborhoods, 3 great scenes, 3 great menus, and 3 great atmospheres.  Would love to hear your comments if you agree or disagree.  If you haven't tried one or all of these places, I suggest you make a reservation!


Now that you are all drooling, go get something to eat!

xoxoxo
Lauren

PS- Who is so excited for the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Finale tomorrow?  I have an event in Palm Beach so will have to watch not on real time but cannot wait!! The preview of Kyle looking like she is going to kill someone in the limo is ummm woahhhhh!


PPS-Who is a Chuck Bass lover??? I have been dying every Monday since last month waiting for the return of Gossip Girl! Shout out to Tiffany for seeing him in NYC the other day.  Apparantly he still lives next door to her.  Anyways, I am beyond excited for GG to return as I miss my Monday night drug!  Who else is!??

St. Barths Top 3- Le Ti St. Barths, Boating, and Do Brazil

Tuesday January 18, 2011

Welcome to my 3rd blog! My husband was asking last night what I was going to write about tonight, and of course I already have a list of topics marinating, but he suggested St. Barths, and within one second, I thought perfect.  St. Barths is such fabulosity that it deserves to have its 3 mini topics all be about itself!  My first time there was my honeymoon last April/May.  I highly recommend it! Do we have any Bravolebrity fans reading this? Well if so, "Betheny from Real Housewives of New York" and "Bethenny Getting Married? and soon to be "Betheny Ever After" actually stayed at the same hotel as me on her honeymoon just days after we did!  Le Guanahani is extremely romantic and located on a cove so the beach actually has ocean on two sides of it and gorgeous little villas make up the small hotel.  There is more staff then patrons and you definitely get your exercise walking around this place! Lots of open space and beautiful gardens and hills but only about 60 rooms total, and that is actually big for St. Barths!

St. Barths is part of France, and you feel as if you are in Europe in the middle of Ocean.  Because of its exclusivity, commercial planes cannot fly into the small airport- so you either have to take a ferry from St. Maarten or a puddle jumper- we tried both- each has its pluses and minuses.  The people their tend to be very well off, and there is no poverty like you see on most islands.  It is a relatively small island but has lots of little towns- all a few minutes apart with different beaches and shopping and restaurants.  A car is a must-- the roads are very narrow and people drive fast... I recommend a Smart convertible.

The food is Aaaamazing! Yes I purposely had to draw out the A.  And it looks pricey even before you start doing the conversions from euros to $s in your head, but it is well worth it!  One of our favorite spots if you want to combine a night out with fine dining is Le Ti St. Barths.  The night we went, all the wait staff was dressed in doctors and nurses uniforms.  Apparently there is always a theme, and some how it worked in a crazy way with out being cheesy.  And later in the night, after the fashion show during dinner, the host even asked Giovanni if he minded if they dressed me up, so next thing I know I'm in a nurses uniform dancing on the tables with half the crowd with Stereo Love pumping through the room (a few months before it became popular in the US).

Boating is also a MUST.  We did a full day private boat charter and a half day.  There are some beaches only reachable by boat and you can see all the celebrities homes from the water.  It's as if you are in a whole other world that is almost completely uninhabited as you speed through the open ocean.  We also went to a fabulous restaurant only reachable by boat on a deserted island.  The only thing on the whole island was this restaurant serving the most delicious locally caught fish.  Your boat pulls up and anchors in the vicinity, and then a little dingy boat shuttles people back and forth to the dock of the restaurant. 

Do Brazil is another favorite- went there for not just dinner, but returned for lunch.  They had this mixed seafood in a light curry sauce that was to dye for- pair that with a mojito and a lobster salad and you are in heaven!  This restaurant in Shell Beach is practically built like an adult tree house right in the sand. 

So there you have it! If you go boating, visit Le Ti St. Barths for some dinner and dancing on tables, and have lunch at Do Brazil, then you are on your way to an amazing vacation!

Other perks- celebrity sitings, Louis Vuitton is cheaper then the US even with exchange rate because it is part of France and in France LV is cheapest since its from there,  in the beginning of May all boutiques have major sales- think a $5K Missoni dress for just a few hundred euros, and I could go on but I think you are already drooling.  Oh and the weather is amazing- sunny and hot ( it maybe rains 1 day the whole year.)  I cannot wait to get back there, and if you haven't been yet, I suggest you think about it!

Au Revoir and 'till next time,
L

A Girl's Obsession with Louboutins, Long Walks, and Icon Brickell

Monday January 17, 2010

Hello Followers!
I think I may stick with this 3 Topics a Blog thing... It's a reflection of me and my randomness and I like to tie together unrelated things.  So lets start with those red bottom shoes.  Every fashionista dreams of her first glorious pair of Louboutins:

For me, my first pair finally came to me this Christmas.  My theory is "go big or go home," so as you can see by the picture I went with a rocker chic, v-throat bootie, with a 6 inch heel, platform, and spikes.  These shoes are a major WOW and make me 5'7.  Is there such thing as a shoe-gasm? If so, these would do it!  For years I wanted to be part of the red bottom club, and now I finally am, but the search wasn't easy.  Before Christmas, Christian Louboutin store, Saks, and Jeffreys in NY were sold out of just about all black Louboutins in a 37 1/2.  Same story at Neiman Marcus at the King of Prussia Mall, but finally Saks in Philadelphia and the sales guy, Larry, came to the rescue with a few styles in my size.  So far I've rocked these bad boys on Christmas Day... I wanted to make it a very Rocker Christmas, New Years Eve with my Black Swan-esque Alice and Olivia dress, and Saturday night with grey skinny j-brands, a simple white tank and a black vest with metal decor going down the side.  These shoes bring lots of attention, and I'm not going to lie and pretend I don't like it, because you don't buy shoes like this if you don't want to be noticed.  So why such the obsession with these shoes that could cost someone's month rent or a weeks paycheck?  It's like the Ferrari of shoes- all about living the dream- and the sexiness and status they hold.  I'm already contemplating my next pair- a double platform 6 inch heel nude peep patent leather pump.  Nude pumps give the allusion of longer legs... For now my Sam Edelman nude pumps will do.

So Saturday night I was rocking these rocker chic Louboutins at Chase and Jenny's party at the Icon Brickell and between being there the other night, walking past it every day, and Annie looking at apartments there, I got the Icon on my mind.

The Icon Brickell is something you either don't understand because you are too uptight and boring OR because you are comfortable enough with yourself to recognize this isn't your style OR you love it because it is so ridiculous and unsuspecting.  First you have to get through the hundreds of pillars that are shaped as heads.  I love how all the faces are different and some have those eyes that are glaring through you.  Walk into the dark lobby and wanabees may be scared and turn away as the coolness factor is exuding.

If you make it to the elevators, you may have thought that you really did just go crazy and that you were seeing seats that look like heads.... oh wait you were!  Anyways you now suddenly feel like you are in an insane asylum with sparkly white everywhere!  And as you tour around the  asylum and make your way to the pool area, you may never want to leave....

The back of Icon Brickell faces Brickell Key, one of my favorite places to walk around, and if you know me, you know I love to walk.  Some people love running, but not me, I loathe running.  In fact the other night while walking on Brickell Key, there must have been 75 runners that sprinted past me.  I literally felt like the broken down car in the slow lane as cars sped past me beeping in annoyance.  However, it doesn't bother me, because I am just fine with my walking and if you are a walker- you should be too!  To me walking is like therapy- a way to escape or let my imagination run wild, all while getting in some exercise and extra toning thanks to my shape ups.  And Yes they do work and they've given me some extra compliments on my legs when I've flaunted them around in those Louboutins. Walking when the sun comes up is pretty amazing too, especially when you live and walk around the water... it's as if the city is awaking and it's so peaceful and beautiful to watch.  See one of the pictures I snapped on my blackberry this AM:

So there you go, I tied in Louboutins, Long Walks and the Icon Brickell together.  And to summarize, the person who gets the Icon Brickell admires or owns Loubitons and also probably walks like me- of course you have to mix that with yoga, pilates, spinning, and Boot Camp.... more exercise blogging to come in the future....

Ciao!
L

Friends, Quinoa, and Puppies

Sunday January 16, 2011


Hello "You Out There." Thank you for visiting my first blog.  I don't know why I've waited 27 years to write one.  I constantly blog my life, keeping friends and family up to date on what I'm doing, thinking, my latest fashion must haves and obsessions, new restaurants I'm loving or hating, what I'm cooking, etc.... via facebook and twitter.   My friends often make fun of my long and often posts or tweets, and they know they can always count on me to be the paparazzi documenting our lives through pictures.  I have an odd saying, "If I don't have a picture of the night, it didn't happen." I love to capture memories and relive them for days and years to come.  I love to share my pictures and my life with friends, family, and whoever is interested.  So don't worry, pictures will be included in upcoming blogs! My "rambling" is even evident in my record-length bbms and texts that I bombard my friends and husband with.  What can I say? I like to write, have my voice heard, and tell my story-- almost like an autobiography that continues every day....hence the name of this Blog "Lauren's AutoBLOGraphy."  The idea to blog all started at brunch today at Olivers in South Beach with my friend Annie who just moved here from LA, originally from Boston, and Giovanni, my husband. I was giving usual commentary like "what is that girl wearing? Did she forget her pants or forget to look in the mirror?" and on the beach, "Don't you wonder where those boats are going when you look out far into the ocean... it's almost as if they are going to fall off the "edge" of the ocean and go into another world...." I'm always thinking, always pondering, always commenting- whether aloud or to myself, so why not put it out there? 

You are probably wondering why the title of the blog is "Friends, Quinoa, and Puppies."  Well, don't worry, I'm getting to that.  One of the things I love most about Miami is the open-ness of people and the ease of meeting people.  For example, I just met Jenny at work last month in between presentations I was doing.  I was resting before my next hour talk and she was early and new to the company.  She had just moved here to Brickell and it brought memories of when I first moved here and then when I moved back again this year....for good!  She seemed like a cool girl, and I always like meeting new people.  This led to a lunch and then I invited her to my "Welcome Annie to Miami Party" last weekend where she came with her boyfriend, and the two were a big hit.  So not only did I make a new friend but many of my other friends did as well.  The other thing about Miami is that it is always such a small world.  For example, Betsey, who I met through Tonya who I know through Mike who is a Doctor who got his MBA with me... Yes he is an over achiever who loves education and new challenges... in fact he just complted a marathon last weekend and closed on a new condo today.  Well Betsy came with a friend, Anette, who I had never met, who then hit it off with Annie.  Then my friend Pilar from UM MBA brought a friend Victoria who just so happens is good friends with a former boss who was going to meet her later that night and that led to me reconnecting with her, and Victoria happened to go to high school with Betsys or Betsys friend... to be honest it's sometimes hard to keep up with all of the connections :).  Then Jill and Mike realized they had a mutual friend that is also a friend of mine.  It just goes on and on- everyone connects some how... it's like the six degrees of seperation, but in Miami there is only one degree.  So last night, Jenny and Chase had a party and invited Giovanni, Annie, and I along with Barbara and Mike.  And by the way I met Barbara at Tonya's baby shower back in July and she knows Tonya because her boyfriend, Mike and her went to school together.  Of course last night we met more new people, and I hit it off with Courtney who lives down the street and is finishing Law School and her boyfriend Ari knows my friend Lauren and her husband Michael.  Lauren works with me too and we both used to be shoe buyers before coming to the pant world.  We used to just say "hi" at work as we don't have much direct contact, and then we hit it off at a group work dinner one night.  So Lauren and Michael had loaned Ari and Courtney a dog leash a few days before as they were dog sitting their friend dog who was also at the party and some how it came up that they knew Jenny.  From there we then went to one of Giovanni's new client's friends party and I met Kellys friend, Naman, along with some great, interesting, ambitious girls visiting from DC.  There were also two girls there visiting from Princeton, NJ, Giovanni's home town.  Go figure.

This weekend, we are also dog sitting, Noodle and Nala, the most adorable dogs ever for Barbara as she is traveling for the night for business with Mike- yes they work together- he owns his own outdoor advertising company.  They are so adorable and I love the unconditional love they provide.  However when I saw all the little notes Barbara left, the rules, the emergency numbers, etc..., I laughed for a minute, and then I thought, you know these are her kids, and I'm sure I would be the same way.  It was endearing and I somewhat envied her orgnazinedness- something I often lack!  They are like her babies and are so much fun and you can't help but smile when you are with them.

And lastly, I'm on a new kick, Quinoa..... it's a nice substitute for rice and pasta.  I had it first last weekend and now again tonight.  It's a staple in the diet of Incas, high in fiber, high in protein, gluten free, and lower in carbs then rice.  Interestingly enough Carla, Jenny's friend, was talking about Quinoa last night.  It has a very different consistency and doesn't have much flavor to it but add veggies to it and some white wine or soy sauce and spices, and it's delicious and really makes the meal.  Tonight we had it with sauteed scallops and shrimp along with a side of corn salad, made with blackened corn, roasted red peppers, cilantro and onions.  On a somewhat unrelated note, it also came to me this weekend, I hadn't used my slow cooker in a while, and with my busy schedule and my husbands, it's hard when we both work a lot to always prepare nice dinners at night because of the lack of time, so I am cooking while I sleep tonight and have a turkey chili that will cook on low for 8 hours and will be great for for dinner tomorrow night and leftovers for lunches.


Well that's all for now.  Hope you enjoyed my first blog.  Maybe you related to the first degree of separation in Miami or you wish you had that in the city you were in.  Maybe you will try Quinoa now, and lastly if you have a dog I'm sure you are smiling right now and if you don't, I'm sure you are like me and wish you had one but are unfortunately too busy with life right now.


xoxo
Lauren


PS- Upcoming Blog Topics that I'm already brainstorming include:
"A Girl's Obsession with Loubitons- The Genius Behind the Red Bottoms"
"Why It's Fun to Dress Rocker Chic"
"Brunch Blogging"
"Icon Brickell- Love it or Hate It?"
"The Great Escape I call The Standard"
"Zuma-Licious"
"Bravolebrities and the RHOB"
"Yoga Girl Becomes Pilates Fan"

and more!!