Brosia Beautiful

If you want to escape to the Meditteranean without the flight, hotel stay, or travel expenses, Brosia Restaurant will do the trick. Situated in the Design District, Brosia transports you to a different world. The wall-covering Mosaic, the 4,000-square foot outdoor terrace, and the tremendously tall white colunms make-up a beautiful design.

Artistic decor is not all Brosia has to offer. The food is also worthy of praise. Everything from the starter hummus, served with pita chips, to the seared ahi tuna, accented with a tuscan white bean puree, to the pomegranate cosmopolitan tasted fresh and authentic. If you like plenty of options, beware because their menu is limited, but the choices are well thought out. Sometimes contemporary restaurants serve too little food for too much money; however, in Brosia, as shown in thier Parpadelle Pasta below, expect just the right portion.

Although the restaurant seemed to be full, it was amazingly quiet. Enjoying your friends' company is quite easy here. We sat along a huge back wall on a bench covered in brown, orange, and light blue pillows. I loved it because the outdoor setting is home-y, but still upscale. Once the Design District has fully undergone its transformation, Brosia will be one of THE places to dine.

As for now, I would suggest heading to Brosia to start your weekend off. The restaurant will make unwinding a little easier, and make you feel like your on vacation.

Address:
Neighborhood: Design District
163 NE 39th Street
Miami, FL 33137
(*Hint: Look for the huge 150-year old white oak trees)

Price Range: $19-28/plate
Some Menu Favorites: Meditteranean Salad . Parpadelle Pasta . Seared Ahi Tuna . Panna Cotta Cappucino
*Picture credits: Lauren Doval :)

A Grand Cafe

Nestled in the heart of Pinecrest, sits The Falls, a shopping mall filled with the latest and greatest of stores and dining options. Nestled on the outer rim of The Falls, sits Bice Grand Cafe.

The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor patio seating. The inside dining room is decorated with warm oranges and reds, while the oustide offers a more airy decor with large blue umbrellas that keep you amazingly cool along with chic orange and brown lounge chairs. I chose outside since Springtime in Miami is the only time in Miami to enjoy the outside and since my boyfriend brought his dog, Brewsky ( yes, dogs are welcome :] ).

The food here is perfection. Bice has taken classic recipes like Bruschetta and Burgers and added thier own twist like balsamic vinegarette and French dressing. For lunch, I decided to try their Chicken Avocado Sandwich, which is grilled chicken breast served on brioche bread (oh so soft!), topped with avocado slices, tomato, lettuce, cheddar cheese, bacon, and aioli sauce. This sandwich was extremely refreshing, suprisingly light, and perfectly balanced!

What sets this Cafe apart from the rest is their attentative service. I never had to ask my server for a refill and our table was always being cleared off. Another great perk about eating here is that right after a meal, you can enjoy some outdoor shopping in the mall. Personally, I couldn't ask for more.

Whether it's for lunch, dinner, or even brunch (served Saturday and Sunday until 3 PM), Bice Grand Cafe is a great place to get a great meal.

Address:
Neighborhood: Pinecrest
8888 SW 136TH ST
Miami, FL 33176

Price Range: $13-20/plate
Some Menu Favorites: Bruschetta . Artichoke and Spinach Cheese Dip . Herb Crusted Salmon Salad . Chicken Avocado Sandwich . Gnocchi with Chicken and Pesto . Creme Brulee

Orange you happy??

I'll tell you what makes me happy: vibrant citrus colors, lively samba music, and trendy local South Beachers; in other words, Sushi Samba Dromo makes me happy.

Literally glowing in the heart of Lincoln Road Mall, Sushi Samba hosts their weekly COSPLAY (a combo of Costume & Play) party every Tuesday night. Here, chic and fun meet. Whether its the music, the moving activity, or the upscale crowd, it's hard to walk by and not want to go in.

The cuisine is a mixture of Brazilian, Peruvian, and Japanese dishes. The combination may sound a little odd, but your taste buds and eyes will have no objections. The dishes are infused with exotic ingredients, and each dish seems to match the restaurant with orange, yellow, red, and lime always taking part. Lucky for me, I got a taste of thier appetizer Chicharron de Calamar, which is cornmeal-crusted calamari with tomato and tamarid sauce. I also enjoyed their Shrimp & Chimichuri skewer served over peruvian corn (this dish was so pretty, I didn't want to eat it!). For drinks, I suggest the traditional Brazilian Caipirinha or what I had, the Nina Fresa which consists of Stoli Strasberi vodka, muddled strawberry, orange liqueur, fresh lime & guava juices. Do not skip dessert and try their Três Leite, everyone at your table will be happy you did!

Since parking is usually the worst part of going to South Beach, I would suggest parking in the City of Miami Beach garage on 17th Street right before Washington Ave., because it is right next to the restaurant and there's always space. No dining spot on Lincoln Road is cheap and Sushi Samba is no exception, so go when you're in the mood to splurge.

To experience South Beach at its best, bring your friends, get ready to eat, drink, and live happy, then make your way on over to Sushi Samba Dromo.

Address:
Neighborhood: South Beach
600 Lincoln Road
Miami Beach, FL 33139
http://www.sushisamba.com/

Price Range: $18-30/plate
Some Menu Favorites: Chicharron de Calamar . Butter Lettuce Wraps . Samba dromo Roll . Miso-Marinated Chilean Sea Bass . Três Leite .

Welcome to...The Crab House

How can a restaurant be casual yet upscale? How can attentative service be acheived in a buffet restaurant? Ask The Crab House. Nestled in Miami's own North Bay Village, The Crab House seems to keep the perfect balance.


Visiting for my first time, I needed a lesson from the hostess. She informed my party that we had two options: 1.Spend $28.99 and enjoy their hot and cold buffet line of unlimited fresh crab, a variety of shrimp and sides to accompany, and an extensive salad bar; 2. Choose from their a la carte menu options ranging from $19-27. We chose to go a la carte (I saw the menu and had my eye on the clam chowder and crab dip not offered at the line.)

The choices don't stop there, with indoor and outdoor seating options available, too. For the nighttime, I suggest the patio--the view of the Bay is a great way to relax at the end of a long day.

Now, if you love seafood, this is the place to be. For my entree, I enjoyed their Mahi Mahi Bienville, which is Dolphin, topped with a crab and shrimp cream sauce, and accompanied by their crab orzo pasta; I wasn't too fond of the crab orzo just because I would have preferred the pasta alone, but overall it was a good meal. What made this place really shine was its service. Our server, Chris, not only gave us a Key Lime Pie on the house, he also threw in some free appetizer cards for our next visit (talk about a sales pitch!).

Keeping in line with the calm of Biscayne Bay, The Crab House is not an overly busy restaurant. It's really a great place to sit and enjoy your company, so bring someone you enjoy talking to like your best friend or significant other or you can follow in my steps and bring both! If you're looking for trendy, keep going on the Causeway, but if you want quality time and quality food, stop at The Crab House.

Address:
Neighborhood: North Bay Village
79th St Causeway
Miami, FL 33141
http://www.crabhouseseafood.com/

Price Range: $28.99/per person (buffet); $19-27/plate (a la carte)
Some Menu Favorites: Crab Dip . New Englad Clam Chowder . Cedar Plank Salmon . Mahi Mahi Bienville . Shrimp Scampi . Alaskan Crab Legs . Key Lime Pie

Amici's Forever

Amicis in Italian means "friends", and that's kind of the relationship I have with Amici's Trattoria Italian Restaurant. I've been visiting this place since middle school, when I would save my lunch money and use it to by a $1.25 delicious, over-sized slice of pizza on the way home. Honestly, it was just as good then as it is now. Amici's grew over the years, while I was doing the same just blocks away, from a tiny, 5-table restaurant to what it is now - a slightly larger, 15-table restaurant.

I've never been to Italy, but I imagine this is how the neighborhood restaurants really are. With Italian herb and cheese aroma filling the air, warm colored decor, framed black and white photos, I feel like I'm in the heart of Venice. The food here is fresh, hearty, and very affordable. I recommend coming in for the lunch specials, when you can order pretty much any dish for $6.95 and it comes with salad and garlic rolls (bring mints because these bad boys are covered in minced garlic, but are to die for!). Aside from the dishes, Amici's offers a large selection of brick oven pizza, cooked right in the front of the restarant.

For the family, this is the perfect place to eat well, save money, and come together.

Address:
10201 Hammocks Blvd # 140
Miami, FL 33196
http://www.amicismiami.com/

Price Range: $6-8/plate (lunch); $10-12/plate (dinner)
Some Menu Favorites: Pasta Fagioli . Garlic Rolls . Baked Ziti . Stuffed Shells . Calamari Marinara . Hawaiian Pizza . Amici's Homemade Tiramisu