South Beach Getaway

Ah vacation... such a wonderful thing. Brady and I returned last week from a long weekend getaway down on South Beach, Miami. The trip was just what we both needed. Relaxing on the beach, sitting on the hotel balcony with cocktails, and dining at fun restaurants was the perfect cure for the February blahs.

I blogged about our first trip to South Beach last April but we tried some new restaurants (and revisited some favorites from last time) so I thought I would share my latest recommendations. We stayed at the Hilton Bently Hotel again which we love. See my review of the Hilton Bentley Hotel here.

Restaurants

OLA Miami
OLA Miami is a fun Latin American restaurant located adjacent to the Sanctuary Hotel. I have always been under the impression that I wasn't a fan of ceviche but OLA Miami made discover my love of ceviche. We ordered the Mixto Ceviche which consisted of shrimp, octopus, and cobia in lime and orange juice, with jalapeno pepper, cilantro and kalamata olives. The ceviche was served with a little side of fried yucca which made for an interesting and incredibly tasty appetizer! I ordered a chicken dish that to be honest I didn't love. I should have known better then to order chicken at a restaurant, especially one in Miami with so many great seafood options, but I ordered the chicken and wasn't wowed. Brady had duck served with crispy rice with edamame, raisins and pine nuts. Brady liked the duck and we both loved the rice side dish. While my chicken was just so-so, I would definitely recommend the restaurant. The ceviche was awesome and there were numerous dishes that I wish I had ordered!

Sardinia Enoteca Ristorante
When you think of South Beach you typically think seafood and Latin food. It turns out you can find really great Italian food as well. Brady and I always love a good Italian restaurant so we decided to try Sardinia which was voted one of the best restaurants in South Beach. We loved our meal at Sardinia. They had a great wine list, they are known for their extensive wine selection, and a charming atmosphere. Brady ordered Orecchiette with wild boar sausage and rapini pesto. I have no idea where I would find wild boar but I'd love to make this at home, I'm going to have to do some research. I ordered Pappardelle with homemade ricotta, tomatoes and black olives which was light and simple but had great flavor. Another perk of Sardinia was it's proximity to Purdy Lounge, a fun lounge we visited for after dinner drinks next door!

Lolita Cocina and Tequila Bar
Lolita is a new restaurant that recently opened near the Hilton Bentley. We walked by the restaurant a few evenings and thought it had a fun atmosphere so we made last minute reservations. Lolita opened within the last couple months so the service wasn't perfect but the food and fun atmosphere made up for it. Since I am now a fan of ceviche, we ordered the Tres Ceviches which included three different types of ceviche and was the perfect way to get my ceviche fix before leaving town. I ordered the Mercado Verde, two wild mushroom, sweet potato and zucchini enchiladas with a green and red sauce. I loved the combo of veggies and will definitely be making my own version of this soon. Brady ordered Carne de Vaca, two short rib enchiladas in a mole sauce that was AMAZING. This will also be a dish that I will be recreating. You can never go wrong with short ribs but then add the rich mole sauce and you have a real winner!

We also went back to Prime One Twelve, definitely one of our South Beach favorites. We had another amazing meal and had a great time people watching. Prime One Twelve is the place to see and be seen and you never know what celebrity might walk through the door. To see my review from last year click here. We also revisited La Sandwicherie, a sandwich spot that it's a must when visiting South Beach. If it's not apparent by this long blog post, we ate and drank very well!