Five Days of Art and Food in Miami Beach

By Billa

We (my husband Martin and I) recently came back from a five-day trip to Miami Beach. The weather was close to perfect - 5 days of sunshine with a high of 77 degrees. So we did a lot of walking and everywhere we went we came upon outdoor sculptures. And all that walking made us hungry, so we ate at some pretty good restaurants. Here are the highlights:

Day 1

The sculpture:

Miami Mountain - by Ugo Rondinone - This sculpture sits in front of the Bass Museum. 
It is a 42-foot tall stack of 5 neon-colored boulders. Supposedly inspired by natural rock formations, it also gives homage to stacks of rocks put together by various cultures in ancient times.

The food:

After walking a couple of blocks North of the Bass Museum, we arrived at the luxurious 1 Hotel. We took the elevator eighteen floors up to the roof where Watr, a Japanese restaurant, is located. We’ve dined here before (see: https://www.dazzlingdinners.com/post/six-days-in-miami-beach-six-ethnic-cuisines) and liked it enough to make a return visit. 

I had two memorable dishes. The first was the chef's signature dish: Angry Noodles. The ramen noodles were accompanied by Florida shrimp, bok choy, chili sauce, and scallions. They were a little spicy, hence the “angry” designation, but mostly they were full of savory flavors.



The second dish that I liked was the chocolate miso cake. It came with caramelized bananas, dark chocolate ganache, caramelized white chocolate, candied peanuts, and toasted marshmallow. It sounds like a hodge hodge of ingredients, but they all came together to produce a rich, decadent dessert.

Day 2

The sculpture: 

The Wild Couch Party by Gillie and Marc, on Lincoln Road - a famous Miami destination, is a giant bronze “couch” filled with endangered animals. The artists invite you to “…take a seat right next to endangered species so you can hug them, talk to them, and feel a bond.” The sculpture is meant to promote conservation.

The food:

Abballe, which means “daddy” in Hebrew, is a new Mediterranean restaurant. When we got there, we were very thirsty having done a lot of walking around Lincoln Road. I had a really fresh, just-made orange juice and Martin had a yalla verde - a zingy, refreshing mocktail made from cucumber, lemon, and mint.

For dessert, we shared a labneh cheesecake with a roasted strawberry sauce. It was lusciously sweet but with a bit of a sour tang from the labneh. It looked gorgeous, thanks to the crunchy phyllo pastry shaped like a rose on top.

Day 3

The sculpture:

When we took a walk in the Miami Beach botanical garden, a lush three-acre landscape filled with 100 palm species, orchids and native plants, we came across the sculpture of Spirit, their unicorn-in-residence. 

The food:

From the botanical garden we took an Uber to Macchialina, a rustic Italian restaurant. There we enjoyed two excellent pastas. Martin had aglio e olio (garlic and oil). It was a little spicy from the addition of hot chili peppers. Toasted breadcrumbs provided crunch. 

Mine was gnochetti alla Norma - mini gnocchi with eggplant, tomato, and ricotta salata cheese. I loved the juxtaposition of tastes and textures.

Day 4

The sculpture:

When we took a walk in Flamingo Lummus, an urban neighborhood of South Beach in Miami Beach. We came across this giant sculpted head. It looked as if it was put together from giant jigsaw puzzle pieces. It is called Herencia Viva (The Living Heritage) - by Oscar Estaban Martinez, a Colombian artist. It explores the themes of identity and belonging. 

The food:

At Motek (Sweetheart in Hebrew), another Mediterranean restaurant, we ordered three small plates instead of our usual two entrees. The salmon skewers came with pickled onions, labneh, and masabacha - chickpea-filled hummus. I thought it was perfectly cooked and very tasty. Next, there was cauliflower with a spicy harissa and honey glaze. That left my mouth on fire, but in a good way. The third dish was a pita roasted with artichoke hearts, goat cheese, parmesan, and kale, all topped with caramelized onions. Again, we loved all the flavors.

Dessert was likewise a standout. The halvah and date syrup sundae was a perfect combination of savory and sweet. 

Day 5

The sculpture:

While walking through a narrow park along a stream, we came across some whimsical sculptures. They were somewhat reminiscent of Jeff Koons’ Balloon Dog, but, made only of steel orbs, were more abstract in nature. They made us smile.

The food:

Our dinner reservation that evening was at a place that was out of many things on the menu, so much so that we walked out. We were lucky enough to stumble on Positano, an Italian restaurant in the same neighborhood. Martin ordered the salmon ravioli, which he found to be rich and savory and nicely balanced by a creamy sauce. My entree was a wild salmon risotto, an earthy, luxurious dish that I loved.

All in all, those five days were a wonderful feast for all our senses.