Basque in da Grove–

Time for some Basque goodness…bring it, Chef Xabi!

Jamon Iberico…the essence of great Basque/Spanish food…gobble!

Grilled octopus…lots going on here, and it works…absolutely delicious!

Xabi calls this ‘matrimonio’…pan tomate with anchovies–WONDERFUL!

Merluza with salsa verde and clams. . .FABULOUS!…totally gobble-worthy.

Squid ink risotto with fried small octopi…super-savory and delectable.

Super-duper fried potatoes in a fun Basque style. . .eat these babies all day and all night.

All washed down with a tasty Txakoli. . .mmm, aaaaahh!

The gringo is happy here. . .salud, Chef Xabi!

So much good grub here in the Coconut Grove section of Miami…now we want some Basque food…for this we hit Casa Xabi. . .let’s check it out.

Chef Xabi is a Basque dude who used to cook at Sapore di Mare…now he has his own joint: Casa Xabi…we are happy to support him because this guy can cook.

We roll in and start with glasses of white sangria…Xabi serves excellent sangria…totally refreshing and delicious…we have never had better anywhere.

Time to dive into the food…we start with Jamon Iberico–very good….and pintxos of grilled octopus and a thing Xabi calls ‘matrimonio’. . .the octopus is wonderful. . .and the matrimonio is amazing–simple pan tomate topped with anchovies–both dishes extremely tasty and satisfying. . .mmm, aaaahh!

For mains we do the fish of the day: merluza with salsa verde topped with clams. . .this is fabulous, Spain’s favorite fish supposedly…cod-like, flaky, delicate and soothing…love this!

And our other main is the squid ink risotto with small crispy fried octopi. . .a total delight.

We wash down everything with a tasty Txakoli–the national wine of Basque country…always scintillating and uplifting.

For dessert we do Basque cheesecake and a chocolate cake with mango sorbet…wonderful.

Chef Xabi is always present here at Casa Xabi…he is checking everything, chatting with customers and generally making sure that all is magical for everyone. . .we love this guy, AND we love his restaurant. Definitely consider eating here the next time you find yourself hangin’ in da Grove. . .you will love it–I gar-ron-taaaayy!

On to our next meal…

…it’s lovely out there.

Lunch in da Grove–

We finally made it here…let’s get busy!

The lady peruses the menu during spritz time…so much loveliness–jaaaa!

Our favorite frutto misto of all time. . .totally delectable…mmm, aaaahh!

Vongole with sea urchin. . .absolutely gobble-worthy!

Seafood risotto…a playground of deliciousness…saluti!

Chocolate gelato…stupendo!

We wanna lunch in Coconut Grove…we hear that Sapore di Mare is a superstar joint out here…let’s check it out.

‘The Grove’ is located on the south side of Miami right on Biscayne Bay…it is chill out here, soothing, low-key. . .but the dining joints are loaded with flavor and packed with people looking to relax away from the shiny Miami scene while jamming good grub into their gullets.

Sapore di Mare is a great option for doing this…it is owned and operated by an Italian couple, Giorgia Calabrese and Matteo Paderni, who have a long history of running restaurants around Miami…all of their experience comes together very nicely in this superb gobble spot.

We are greeted by Giorgia, she sees our reservation and whisks us to a cozy table for two against a wall…we love it…the wall protects us from unnecessary server/customer traffic so we can settle in, sip beverages and get busy selecting our food items.

We start with spritzes since they have no liquor for Negronis…the spritzes are delightful…not too sweet, nice bite to them.

With our spritzes we decide to try their frutto misto…it arrives…it is large…it full of clams, calamari, shrimp, octopus, small fishes and dried lemons. . .this thing is DELICIOUS! We love it. . .great charred flavor on every element with a tasty tangy dipping sauce and fresh lemon wedges for us to add citrusy goodness to each bite. . .we can’t think of a better frutto misto that we have had anywhere…none better…we are happy!

For primi we do spaghetti vongole with sea urchin and the seafood risotto. . .both are magnificent…we gobble them with gusto. . .we love this joint!

For our secondi we do the whole roasted branzino with potatoes and veggies. . .we get two plates of nicely filleted fish with appropriately crispy potatoes and garlicky veggies. . .we love it and continue to ingest everything with enthusiastic satisfaction.

All of the above goodness is washed down with a tasty bottle of Etna Bianco…saluti.

To finish we do one scoop of chocolate gelato and a very good double espresso…stupendo!

WOW! We got nothing to complain about here: soothing yet crisp atmosphere, welcoming and helpful staff, tasty beverages and outstanding food. . .a real winner.

The next time you find yourself lookin’ for somethin’ good to eat in the Coconut Grove section of Miami we recommend that you consider doing Sapore di Mare…this place is spot-on. . .you will love it–I gar-ron-taaaayy!

Time to find our next fabulous grub joint…

…it’s lovely out there.

March…Magic City…mmmm–

A little NYC in Magic City…jaaaa!

Onion soup, wine AND martini…you gotta do it all NOW!

All just as tasty as up northeast-way…GOBBLE!

Eclairs?…uhm, okeedokee…mmm, aaaaahh!

Sorbet…raspberry, blackberry, allberryallday. . .lovely.

March is roaring in like a little pussycat, and we are hungry…time to check out Pastis in Wynwood…let’s see what’s what.

Keith McNally has teamed up with Stephen Starr to bring Pastis to Miami…this is making lots of people very happy.

This hotspot is located right across the street from Morimoto. . .amazing! Fabulous ramen and other cooked Japanese goodies on one side of the street…and wonderful bistro fare on the other side. . .our cups and bowls and glasses and plates definitely runneth over when we hit this neighborhood.

In short, this Pastis is nearly a carbon copy of the one up in NYC…same decor, same crisp vibe, same delicious beverages, same tasty grub and, most importantly, same wonderful welcoming service. We love it here, but I must admit it is a little strange to feel all the NYC stuff with the Magic City environment all around us–ah well, I’ll get over it. . .

. . .nevertheless, all is good, and we will be happy to come back any time.

The martinis, the wine, the onion soup, the burger, the fries, etc. are all cooked wonderfully and delivered to us with a smile…

…we are even lucky to score a corner table with the leather bench seats, the rail above our heads for bag storage and all of the ‘faded’ mirrors here, there and everywhere. . .makes us feel right at home.

So, the next time you find yourself hankerin’ for a little NYC love tinged with Wynwood vibes make your way over to Pastis Miami. . .they will treat you right–I gar-ron-taaaayy!

On to our next lunch…

…it’s lovely out there.

Doya…Wynwood…delectable–

The gringo is ready for tasty Aegean/Mediterranean grub…let’s GOBBLE!

Meze martini to get things started…delightful.

Slurrrrrp…yum! We’re settling in here very nicely.

Tomato salad…lively and scintillating.

Grilled prawns…nice char…can we have a dozen more, pleeeeezzzzzzz?!

Time for the whole grilled branzino. . .another nice char and full of flavor–wonderful!

And lamb chops with rice pilaf-type thing. . .totally gobble-worthy.

All washed down with a bottle of Bandol…yamas!

Can’t leave without a little baklava in our bellies, can we?…no, we can’t.

BAM! We head over to Wynwood for lunch at a joint called Doya. . .it’s got a bib-gourmand designation in the Miami Michelin guidebook…niiiiice…we gotta check this out. . .let’s do it!

We are excited by the bib-gourmand thing…and even more excited because this place is owned and run by a chef who used to cook at a place called Mandolin, another mediterranean establishment that is beloved by many, including us. . .it appears that this dude is doing a Mandolin-thing-on-steriods with Doya. . .mmm, aaaahh. . .we’re ready for it all.

Being in Wynwood we gotta navigate through lots of bustle to get here…but once inside it’s like an oasis of chill and calm.

We are here for late lunch…not a lot of patrons around just now–the ‘noon crowd’ is on their way out, lovely. We settle into a large corner table in the back…we get cocktails going: martini and some house Aegean spritz…both are delightful.

We start gobbling with a tomato salad and some grilled prawns…both full of flavor and wonderful.

For mains we do a the whole grilled branzino and the grilled lamb chops. . .again, both full of flavor, moist and uplifting…we gobble every last morsel…really good.

All of this goodness is washed down with a bottle of Bandol…nice to be reminded exactly how delicious Bandol is, we make a note to stock up on this back at home.

And then we do some baklava and a pistachio puree thing and a good dose of Turkish coffee…mmm, aaaahh–fabulous ending to an outstanding lunch.

This ex-Mandolin guy is rockin’ it with Doya. . .you can’t go wrong here: the atmosphere is soothing, the beverages are uplifting, the grub is rejuvenating and the entire staff is welcoming and helpful. We love it here.

Pop into Doya the next time you find yourself in Wynwood with a grumbly belly…you will love it, too–I gar-ron-taaaaaayy!

On to our next meal…

…it’s lovely out there.

Prime Italian…South Beach–

Oh yeah, this joint’s gonna be good…let’s get busy NOW!

Calamari and martinis…delicious start.

Orecchiette with broccoli rabe and crispy Kobe meatballs…delightful!

Bone-in veal parm…delectable and totally gobble-worthy…jaaaa!

The gringo wants that veal parm in his belly…”get in there!”…mmmm, aaaahh!!

Vanilla gelato with caramel drizzle on top of a cinnamon apple tart thing…magical!

Myles Chefetz is the creator and owner of the Myles Restaurant Group…included in this Group are the famous ‘Prime’ restaurants of South Beach. . .Prime Italian is one of the superstars. . .with so many fine Italian restaurants scattered all around Miami it has taken us a while to pop in here. . .but now is time…we pop in…we are ready for soothing service and uplifting grub…let’s check it out.

Prime Italian is located down on lower Ocean Drive right across the street from Prime 112…easy to find, easy to linger in forever and ever if they would allow us…but we are on a mission to eat and drink…onward.

We arrive for a late lunch around 2:30 or so…a few people are gobbling outside, the inside is empty–we LOVE big empty delicious restaurants…so we choose a big cozy booth where we can spread out and fully enjoy ourselves. Eat here during the day to avoid crowds…eat here at night to be a part of the madness and ‘the scene’–your choice.

We start with martinis…they arrive icy, crisp and delectable…made exactly the way we requested. . .no one does better martinis than Myles and the whole Prime universe. . .excelente!

Then we get some fried calamari…they are wonderful, not over-fried, tender, tasty…we are rockin’ now.

Next we do a lovely bowl of orecchiette with broccoli rabe and Kobe meatballs…and a full-on bone-in veal parmesan. . .both of these dishes make us go “WOWEEWOWOW!”…we gobble them both while sipping on Miraval rose. . .my wife and I are happy, very happy indeed–saluti!

And I have room for dessert…we do a cinnamon apple tart thing topped with vanilla gelato and a caramel sauce drizzle. . .damn good.

So, it’s official: we love all of the ‘Prime’ restaurants…Prime 112, Prime Fish and Prime Italian. . .all 3 are absolutely topnotch dining experiences. . .great atmosphere, great beverages, great grub and, most importantly, great people–all staff are welcoming, efficient and switched-on. . .most wonderful!

If you ever find yourself lookin’ for solid Italian grub while wandering around in South Beach, then hit Prime Italian. . .you will love it–I gar-ron-taaaaayy!

On to our next meal…

…it’s lovely out there.

Maty’s…Miami…marvelous!

The gringo is excited to gobble grub here…let’s get to it!

The space is airy, bright and soothing…we love too much!

These crunchy well-seasoned corn bits are addictive…can we get a bag to-go, pleeezzzzz?!

Scallops with sliced grapes and citrusy tang. . .delicious!

Seafood mixto…shrimp, octopus, squid, veggies, etc….DELECTABLE!!

Oxtail saltado…braised for 48 hours…gobbled in 30 minutes. . .totally delightful.

Whole dorade butterflied, de-boned and roasted to perfection…GOBBLE-LICIOUS!

The gringo is quite satisfied here…slurrrrrp…salud!

We have heard a lot about this place: Maty’s…located on 1st Avenue in the midtown section of Miami…finally we get to pop in and see what’s what…let’s check it!

Maty’s is owned and operated by the same people who run a joint called Itamae…Itamae is renowned for extremely flavorful tidbits of Peruvian cuisine…low-key, casual, extremely delicious, revered in Miami.

Maty’s is a full-blown restaurant version of Itamae filled with Peruvian cuisine inspired by the owner’s grandmother, Maty, who is in her 90s and living her golden years down in Peru.

The granddaughter of Maty, Val Chang, is using all of her grandmother’s recipes to create a mouth-watering menu of delectable items that we wanna gobble again and again.

Half of Val’s family is Chinese, the other half is Peruvian. . .this mish-mash of amazing peoples and formidable foods leads to flavors that make us go, “mmmm!”, “aaaahh!!” and “WOWEEWOWOW!!!”

During our dinner here we start with cocktails: Pisco sour and a Southern Marigold…both Pisco-based and wonderful. . .then we get into a scallop appetizer with sliced grapes–fabulous…and a seafood mixto filled with magically-seasoned shrimp, octopus, squid, veggies, corn kernel, etc.–MUY BIEN!…

…then we do the heavy hitters of the menu: an oxtail dish called Oxtail Saltado…48-hour-braised oxtail in an extremely tasty sauce filled with onions, herbs, etc.–soothing and satisfying–WE LOVE. . .and we do the whole roasted dorade Maty-style: butterflied, de-boned, perfectly roasted and served on a buttery citrusy herb sauce that makes us extremely happy–MOST WONDERFUL!

All of this is washed down with a dry white wine of a fine vintage. . .perfecto.

Maty’s is a great restaurant…from the moment we arrived to the moment we left the people here are welcoming, easy-going and switched on. . .the atmosphere is chill and uplifting. . .the beverages are soothing. . .and the food is excellent. . .not one thing to complain about.

Consider eating here the next time you find yourself in Miami. . .you will love it…I gar-ron-taaaaayy!

Now, on to our next meal…

It’s lovely out there.

Lock it down and EAT IT–

KAZOOMY!  Things are slowly reopening…tables are widely spread…masks are worn when moving about…hands are washed often…faces are not touched…and the grub is as delicious as ever…mmmm, aaaaaahh!

We got grilled octopus, grilled spiny lobster with orzo, fried whole branzino, fried whole red snapper, sorbets of chocolate and cinnamon, and ice cream of pistachio. . .

. . .wash all of this goodness down with glasses of sangria, margaritas and bottles of whites from Greece and Italy, and we are good-to-go…very-good-to-go indeed!

It’s important to keep your energy up and your nutrition flowing as societal events continue to churn and froth.

The chaotic universe has been chaotic for some 14 billion years…it is chaotic now…it will continue to be chaotic some 14 billion more. . .so enjoy the ride as much as you can during your short and puny time here.

I send you peaceful and tasty vibes from some dining spots in coastal North America…feel them…they can help you stay fit and focused.

It’s lovely out there.

Magical lockdown sustenance–

YUH-MEE!  Hutong has reopened, and we could not be happier…this joint ROCKS!

The whole staff in any Hutong restaurant that you visit are totally switched-on, inviting and helpful…we love these folks.

The decor is uplifting, and the vibes are magical and satisfying.

And the food and drink are as good as any that can be had in other fine dining establishments…during this visit we are gobbling spicy squid, lobster dumplings with the signature Hutong crust, red lantern soft-shell crab, special fish with noodles and red peppers and soy bao for dessert. . .everything is washed down with cocktails called Szechuan Dragon and Master Qin and a nice bottle of Chenin Blanc–mmmm, aaaaahh–hao-hao!

Things are slowly coming back to life…keep wearing your masks, keep washing your hands, keep social distancing and keep eating and drinking well.

Enjoy whatever you can NOW…this thing is goin’ here, there and everywhere, and where it will stop nobody knows.

I send you soothing vibes from one of the many Hutong restaurants that can be found all over the planet…feel them…they will help you sleep well tonight and every night.

It’s lovely out there.

Full moon, baby–

MMM!  The moon is full, the sea is calm and the breezes are soothing. . .there is magic in the air tonight.

As time ticks on and on we continue to feel gratitude for simply existing…simply being.

Things feel a bit kooky at the moment, but as we continually study history we see that things have been much worse during many past decades and centuries…and humans have continued to thrive while moving upward and onward through it all.  And it will be same now and beyond as well.

Humans are resilient little buggers…humans continually survey the landscape and adapt to ever-changing events and surroundings.  We have no choice…we adapt or whither away.

So, keep knowing that all kooky things, too, shall pass…humans will weather all that is thrown at them, and while doing so we will continue to gaze at the sea and the moon and the clouds and the stars and go, “aaaaaahh.”

I send all of you forward-looking vibes. . .feel them. . .they will help you sleep well tonight and every night.

It’s lovely out there.

Let’s lunch!

BAM!  The lunch hour arrives…we are hungry…so we head out for some tasty Aegean/Greek/Turkish victuals, and all is right again in the universe.

This joint starts us off with delicious white sangria that is soothing and uplifting…then a plate of delectable calamari…then grilled giant prawns…then whole grilled sea bass…then baklava with potent Turkish coffee. . .mmmm, aaaaahh. . .

. . .then home for a nap…YAMAS!

Outdoor lunching is the way to go during a pandemic lockdown. . .secure a corner table nicely distanced from all other patrons, and we are good-to-go.

By the way, the above grub is washed down with a nice Peloponnese white called ‘Zoe’…crisp, delightful and satisfying.

Hang in there wherever you are…keep eating and drinking well…and some time in 2021 we will look back and laugh about all of the ridiculousness–we hope.

I send you nutritious vibes from Mandolin Aegean Bistro…feel them…they are good for your spirit.

It’s lovely and tenuous out there.