3 days in Miami!

Bianca: Our last stop on our 3-week Honeymoon extravaganza was Miami. This was kind of another case of CBF, where we really weren’t too fussed about sightseeing. South Beach Miami, instantly gave me Surfers Paradise vibes, possibly one of my least favourite places in Australia… Everything is fake, injected and very very perky!

Our hotel Dreams South Beach on Collins Avenue (running parallel to Ocean Drive) sits in good company alongside the older art deco hotels. It was pretty kitsch but I don’t know how I feel about the glass doors in the bathroom, a lady needs some damn privacy!

After an afternoon flight from Cancun, we arrived in the evening. Arriving at Dreams just before 8pm. Our first stop after checking in was Five Guys. Still my favourite US burger joint. I tend to go for the Bacon Cheeseburger -w/ all toppings which will set you back about 1000 calories for the burger alone (worth it).

Breakfast was a 20-minute walk to The Big Pink, a Miami institution. The menu spans four giant pages but you know I was getting the pancakes! Pineapple Juice $5.95 for the sugar hit and a Pina Colada Smoothie $7.50 for the other half (we all knew that was going to bite him in the bum (literally) later that day).

A Bagel & Lox $13.95 & Homemade Granola w/ yoghurt $9.95 for Jules, all combinations that were never going to end well for him!

And for me, the mother of all pancakes. The Giant Big Pink Pancakes w/ whipped butter & maple syrup $12.95. Two GIANT thick fluffy pancakes with a generous portion of the whipped button and a pot of maple syrup. I don’t think you can find a better combination.

We pottered along to Best Buy and South Point Beach. 

We soaked up some of the Miami Sunshine at Ocean Drive Beach.

Made ourselves presentable and walked the 20 minutes through Espanola Way to our 9pm booking at Yardbird Miami. Everything is wonderfully decadent and rich. It’s probably more geared towards groups so you can share and taste more of the offerings. Two people would hardly make a dent in the menu, especially with the more carb heavy options.

The Classic Buttermilk Biscuits -w/ honey butter & house jam $7 were light and airy, a Southern version of the classic scone but with WAY more butter. The house jam a good contrast to the savoury biscuit & butter.

We couldn’t look past the famous Lewellyn’s Fried Chicken – 1/2 serve with honey hot sauce $26. A well seasoned crispy outer coating, giving way to the juicy chicken meat within. Jules insisted on the Grits -w/ Cheddar $9 but I’d probably skip these for something a little more exciting.

I was instantly drawn to the Swine Burger -w/ short rib, brisket, and chuck blend, house-smoked pork belly, American cheese, house pickles, special sauce and fries $18. This double patty behemoth was dripping with juices from the beef & tender pork belly. Despite appearances, it was actually a fairly petite burger. But the combination of ingredients made for a rich experience. Not surprisingly, we had no room for dessert!

Our final day, still dedicated to ‘the food’ of course. Brunch was at Morgans serving hearty American fare. With an impending 20 hour flight to come later that afternoon, I was a little unsure how my delicate stomach would handle pancakes. I should have trusted my gut because I totally misordered! Opting for the Chicken & Waffle Sandwich -w/ Fried Chicken, cheddar cheese & maple syrup $18. Sounded good in theory but was mostly pretty dry and uneventful, everything was texturally very one note. Should have gotten those pancakes…

Jules on the other hand really enjoyed his Breakfast Burrito -w/ pork, cheddar cheese, black beans, rice, avocado, pickled onion, salsa & fried eggs $16. If I ate this it would literally be a disaster waiting to happen! Tasty though! The husband also stopped me from ordering a basket of Cornbread $6 so boring…

Clocking up those steps to work off all the food, we made our way over to Wynwood Walls.  A unique outdoor space of permanent graffiti murals. The area is within the  Wynwood Art District and draws busloads of tourists.

And our last stop before we headed back to the land of OZ. The Salty Donut a short 5-minute walk from Wynwood Walls. Really your hardest job is settling on what to order. For our journey later that day, three treaties. The Original Glazed, Brown Butter & Salt and Hazelnut & Chocolate. I think all up the donuts cost around $11. Not quite Grumpy Donuts level but pretty damn good.

I can’t say I’d be in a hurry to return to Miami but happy to tick that one off the list.

Bianca