Brekky/chill time…Miami Beach–

After a long weekend of art viewing, beach walking, and sunshine soaking it is time for some Sunday brekky and a little chill time…jaaaaa!

Our absolute favorite brekky spot is the 11th Street Diner located on…you got it, 11th Street down in South Beach.  11th Street is famous for their alcohol-laced shakes…you can get any shake you desire with any alcohol you want all day and all night long. . .mmm, aaaah!

We skip the shakes and simply do mimosas and bloodys…they both hit the spot.

For food we decide on eggs with crab salad, eggs benedict, and a full order of challah French toast smothered in butter and syrup. . .all of this stuff slides down easily at our shaded outdoor table–veddy nice.

After a stroll around it’s time for a nap at the landmarked pool area at the old Seville Hotel on Collins Avenue…now called The Edition after a full gut renovation by Ian Schrager et al. about five years ago.  During our stay they just had the five-year anniversary of The Basement club with Diplo DJing the tunes along Idris Elba…such a name dropper, I know…but we saw Diplo hangin’ at the pool the other day, and he seems chill…check his stuff some time, you might like.

Anyway, Miami Beach has got her hooks in us, and we don’t want her to let go…come on down some time, you will love it all–I gar-ron-taaaayy!

I send you warmth from south Florida…feel it…it’s good for your skin.

It’s lovely out there.

Seafood…Sunset Harbor–

Time for us to eat some fish…a big 3.75 lb. red snapper…grilled, not fried…delivered to our table PRONTO…jaaaa!

We are enjoying this big baby at a joint called Stiltsville Fish Bar on Purdy Avenue in the Sunset Harbor section of Miami Beach, and it is good, real good.

Stiltsville is a super-casual joint…a real fish bar–there is a bar, they serve drinks, and they serve fish…just like any self-respecting fish bar should.

This is not touristy Collins Avenue or Ocean Drive…this is a joint for folks who want to get away from all of that stuff, roll up their sleeves, sip some cocktails, and eat some fish…lots of fish…big whole grilled fish. . .we love it here!

Stiltsville is lively, a tad hectic, and full of staff who are helpful and welcoming. . .we sip on margaritas, we wait for our big fish to be grilled to perfection, and we eat it while enjoying a bottle of chablis…wow, what a wonderful way to enjoy the passage of time.

Please check out Stiltsville the next time you find yourself wandering around Miami Beach…you will love it if you have the right frame-of-mind–I gar-ron-taaaay!

It’s lovely out there.

Keep following the light–

Art Basel down here in Miami Beach includes a shiny Buddha and a crumbling Buddha out in the sand…the Atlantic Ocean as backdrop…the sunshine sparkling all around. . .mmm, aaaaahh!

The light is key…the sun is, too (it supplies the light–man, I have this thing all figured out)…without light, without sun, nothing–no thing.

We walk around and ponder all of this light/beginning/end/impermanence stuff for awhile. . .then I need a shower and a coffee…a strong Cuban cafe con leche will do. . .I drink it while looking toward the light, and all is clear. . .oh so clear, or at least it feels clear for just a second, and then we are deeply mired in confusion once again, ah well…but MMMMMM, dat java is delicious–jaaaaa!

I send you moments of clarity from Art Basel 2019 in Miami Beach. . .feel them. . .they are good for a laugh or a smirk.

It’s lovely out there.

Delectable pizza…Miami Beach–

BAM!  We finally sample a pizza pie from Lucali here in Miami Beach, and it is FABULOUS…never had tastier pizza ANYWHERE–let’s check it out.

Lucali is a famous pizza joint up in Brooklyn, New York…I have lived in New York for 30 years now and have still never gone out to Brooklyn for one of these pizzas. . .I now ask, ‘why?’…’what the heck has been wrong with me?’

In New York folks tend to stay in whatever neighborhood they live in and do most eating nearby…we have read many good things about Lucali…the son or relative of the di Faro guy–another famous Brooklyn pizza spot…we have seen the Lucali guy make pies on TV…we have seen important food connoisseurs rave about these pies and eat them on TV…Zagat has always rated Lucali near the top for best pizza in NYC, etc. and so on. . .

. . .and now, finally, we hit this joint down in Miami Beach where the same folks run a fabulous outpost of the Brooklyn original.

We pop in late, about 11:00 p.m., and order a pepperoni pie to go…no slices and only one size here–so simple, so easy.

Our pie is ready in about 15 minutes…we jump in our Uber and head back to our hotel on Collins Avenue.  As we are walking into our chi-chi hotel other guests are eyeing our box…one guy asks us where this place is–we tell him…he asks, “is it walkable?”  We say, “no, you gotta Uber it…you gotta really want one of these babies.”  He nods with total understanding, and we all carry on.

We get up to our room…we open the box…this pizza is gorgeous!  Fragrant because of the combo of dough, cheese, sauce and pepperoni…and also, possibly most importantly, because of the large sprigs of fresh basil waiting to be applied to the warm pie.

We get busy…we tear bits of basil and distribute it all over the pie and start eating.  This thing is so easy to eat–it is airy, light, crisp…the cheese has some kind of additional bite to it that makes it totally delectable…the sauce seems perfect in both flavor and quantity…the pepperonis are rich and substantial–really good…and the dough is charred to perfection and, again, airy…light…crisp…and gobble-worthy.

We finish this whole pie in about 8 minutes…we can’t stop eating it…and we want more…so much more—mmmm, aaaaahh!

Please do yourself a favor: eat a Lucali pizza in Miami Beach or Brooklyn some time before you die…you will be a better person for having done so. . .saluti!

It’s lovely out there.

Good Italian grub…Miami Beach–

YUM!  We love warm weather…we love the beach…we love Italian grub…we love the nighttime–WOW!–Macchialina has all of these things and more here in Miami Beach…let’s check it out.

Macchialina is located on the southern end of Alton Road in the Sunset Harbor section of town…we like it over here…it’s chill, it’s off the well-trod tourist path, and it’s cozy. . .mmm, aaaah!

This joint is small, you must have a reservation, and we do…we are whisked to our table, the place is packed and hoppin’ with good vibes. . .we feel good here.

Our server is a switched-on chick from the Czech Republic…we can tell that we are in good hands, she is gonna take real good care of us.

We order: Prosecco to sip…then a meat board with sausages, prosciutto and bresaola–good but I wish there was more…next up we have burrata ravioli covered in white truffles and a fruitti de mare pasta–both of these are delicious and totally gobble-worthy. . .all of this is washed down with a La Stoppa from Emilia-Romagna–niiiiice.

This place is well worth a visit whenever you find yourself hanging out in Miami Beach…the staff are welcoming and helpful, the food is tasty, the drink is soothing, and the vibe is fabulous…we love it here and hope to visit again and again.

I send you comforting vibes from Macchialina in Miami Beach…feel them…they will make you go, “bellissimo!”

It’s lovely out there.

Cubano…cars…Miami Beach–

MMM!  A Cubano and a Hatuey on Lincoln Road here in Miami Beach can’t be beat…we love Cubanos, we love cold beer, we love warm weather, and we love fun cars…

…look at these babies–’57 Chevys…’85 Porsches…and plenty of 21st century jalopies. . .man-o-manischevitz!–we can walk around here eating and drinking and gazing at all of this good stuff all day long. . .mm-hhmmm!

The famous Art Basel Festival has just wrapped up, but no worries, there is still plenty of other stuff for you to see and do down here. . .Miami Beach will welcome you any time of year–check it out!

I send you warm vibes from south Florida…feel them…remind me, why don’t we all live here?

It’s lovely out there.

Miami Beach…art…magic–

KABOOMY!  Art Basel is happening down here in Miami Beach at the moment, and we are honored by the opportunity to check it out.

Dinners, sunsets, sunrises, ocean breezes, blue skies, and topnotch Brooklyn pizza over in Sunset Harbor–Lucali, we love you!–all add up to make it magic time down here. . .mmmm, aaaaahh!

Miami Beach ain’t sinking below sea level just yet…so we gotta enjoy everything this town has to offer RIGHT NOW.

Please consider popping down here whenever you can.  All of the people of Miami Beach are ready to help you enjoy the passage of time.

We send you soothing vibes from the streets and beaches of Miami Beach. . .feel them. . .they will make you go, “yabba-dabba-doo!”

It’s lovely out there.

Peche…fish…GREAT–

We can’t quit this place…this is Peche…they do fish–really well…it’s run by Donald Link–we love him!…still possibly our favorite joint in all of NOLA. . .let’s check it.

Peche is located on Magazine Street just a few blocks from Canal Street.  The space is warm, cozy and inviting.  We grab a sazerac and a martini at the bar…hang outside a bit sipping our cocktails…soak up the vibes of the warehouse district before heading in to announce our arrival.

Gotta have a reservation here…we have one…we wait about 5 minutes and BOOM we are seated.  Our server is a chill dude…he senses that we have been here before and is ready to roll with whatever we want to do…so we order: gulf shrimp, seafood gumbo, shrimp toast, spicy ground shrimp and noodles, a whole redfish with salsa verde, and spicy crispy Brussels sprouts. . .all of this stuff is tasty and wonderful and mouth-wateringly-gobble-worthy–mmmm, aaaaahh!

We wash all this grub down with a chablis…lovely.

Dessert is a citrus sorbet, and we are good-to-go.

The food here is as good as ever. . .please consider eating at Peche the next time you are NOLA…you will love it, I gar-ron-taaaaayy!

It’s lovely and tasty out there.

Glorious Galatoire’s–

MMM!  Finally, lunch at Galatoire’s…been visiting New Orleans for 30 years, and NOW we are popping in here. . .what the heck have I been waiting for?  This place is great…let’s check it out.

Galatoire’s is located on Bourbon Street just a hundred feet or so from Iberville Street…we are dressed, we have a reservation, we are ready to gobble. . .and they appear to be ready for us, too–a host opens the door for us, and we are whisked to a cozy corner table in no time at all.

A dude called Jean Galatoire opened this joint back in 1905.  He missed dishes from his native France and started serving them here.  This being New Orleans, Creole elements slowly crept into the menu giving us amazing combinations of Cajun and French approaches to cooking with the occasional Caribbean and African vibes that pervade everything that happens down here with food, drink, music, dance, speaking, thinking, behaving, etc. and so on. . .this place welcomes it all.

Men-wear a jacket, ladies-wear whatever makes you feel beautiful, and the staff in Galatoire’s will show you a real good time.

So, we get busy with glasses of champagne…next, we order: shrimp remoulade, crab maison, duck/andouille gumbo, seafood gumbo, sautéed redfish with crawfish étouffée, and sautéed drum with crawfish étouffée…all of this stuff is DELICIOUS!…really good.  Reviews keep saying that this place is a dinosaur…a museum…over-the-hill. . .DON’T BELIEVE THEM…Galatoire’s ROCKS!

All of this food is tasty and GOOD…especially the gumbos which are chunky, hearty, and absolutely delightful.

We wash everything down with a Macon Verze–very nice!

For dessert we do the bread pudding with a glass of cognac. . .WOW, what a nice way to end a leisurely and wonderful lunch.

You step back in time when you enter Galatoire’s…the room is pretty much the same as it was when they opened back in 1905. . .walk in, breathe gently, and let the staff here show you how lunch is done, Creole-style!

I send you magical vibes from Galatoire’s here in New Orleans…feel them…they will take you away if you allow them to.

It’s lovely out there.

Herbsaint still makes us happy–

POW!  Chef Donald Link is still rockin’ it at Herbsaint down here in New Orleans. . .let’s have a look-see.

Herbsaint is located on St. Charles Ave. just a few blocks away from the French Quarter…it is calm and quiet over here…very nice respite from the hustle and bustle of the Quarter.

The menu still has all of our favorites: duck and andouille gumbo, fried poached egg over creamy pasta, duck confit–totally delicious, lovely broiled salmon, and lots of tasty white wine to wash everything down with–jaaaa!  We gobble all of this stuff with great delight.

For dessert, a simple pear/citrus sorbet…wonderful.

The staff here are switched-on and efficient, the vibe is lively, the grub is tasty, and the end result is us walking out with big smiles on our faces. . .mmm, aaaah!

Please consider a meal at Herbsaint during your next adventure in New Orleans…everyone here is ready to put smiles on your faces as well.

It’s lovely out there.