Miami Beach - Part 1

Breakwater Hotel, Ocean Drive

The purpose of this trip to Miami Beach was to dog and cat sit for my good friends George and Armando while they were off on an eight day cruise with family. It was fairly easy to talk me in to the trip since their lovely home is only a five block walk to the beach and in the Heart of South Beach. I had a couple of days with them before the cruise, and a week with them after the cruise.

I've spent a fair amount of time in Miami so the trip was more about relaxing and working on details for my next trip. That included taking the time necessary to learn the basics of putting together a blog. So here are some of the highlights of my time in Miami Beach.

Great city for Walking
Miami Beach is fairly compact and my walks ranged From South Point (1st St.) up to about 18th St. Much of the area is the Art Deco historical district. The most famous and easily visible buildings are on the three streets closest to the ocean including a great Art Deco/moderne post office, but there are some fine examples scattered about. I usually try to vary my route to see more of the city.

It is also interesting to see the new buildings and the buildings being renovated. Nice to see that they are trying to preserve the character of the historic district so high rise construction is mostly at South Point or along the bay.

Museums

Wolfsonian Wrestler,
1932 L.A. Olympics

One of my favorite museums is the Wolfsonian which is housed in an old moving and storage warehouse. The museum has a really great way of presenting shows that focus on design or periods of history and then does a great job of explaining and putting things in context. The per ant collection features objects that are as every day as a vintage toaster or as big as an architectural features rescued from demolition. It also has a wonderful gift shop the relates well to the museums mission.

The show this time was Promising Paridise, Cuban Allure/American Seduction, focusing on the growth of Cuban tourism from the early 20th century thru the 1950's and how that tourism was reflected in American music and dance. It was an exhibit that relied on a lot of period photographs and printed materials. It did show a few clips of American musical movies including one clip with Carmen Miranda. In the display about the glitzy, large resort hotels, there was mention of how President Batista hanged some of them over to the mob and American corporations.


The other museum that I usually visit when I am there is the Bass Museum, but unfortunately it is currently closed for renovation. I am looking forward to seeing the changes when it reopens. I have seen a number of good shows there.

The third museum that comes to mind is the WEAM, the World Erotic Art Museum. I went several years ago and it was interesting, but not worth a repeat visit.

Food

It wouldn't be a trip to South Florida without sampling some Cuban food. I enjoyed a nice meal with my hosts and Armando's brother's family at Havana 1957 on Lincoln Road which is a bit of a tourist spot and then a solo lunch at Puerto Sagua, a long time standard. Tried the vaca frita at both and thought it was better (more crispy) at Havana, though the Cuban black beans at Puerto Sagua were much better.

Coquitos acaramelados

I made a couple of trips across the causeway to the mainland from for some other Cuban specialties. I wanted to visit la Rosa bakery for the coquitos since it seems to be the only place that carries them. Coquitos are similar to coconut macaroons, except they are round balls that are then glazed with a caramel coating that adds some crunch, and more than a few calories.

The other stop on the mainland was El Mago de las Fritas. I arrived there just after closing and was about to leave when someone arrived to pickup a phoned in order who suggested that I ask if I could get served. Not only were they happy to serve me, there was no sense of rush to get me out the door. I had a nice chat with the owners daughter while the rest of the family were eating their fritas at the other end of the counter.

Cuban Frita

A frita is a Cuban hamburger that adds chorizo and spices to the meat, then tops the burger with fries shoestring potatoes. Of the Fritas I have tried, I think el Mago (the magician) makes the best.


Better than the frita is the batido de trigo, which translates as a wheat milkshake. Doesn't sound that good, but trust me, you should try one, especially if you enjoyed puffed wheat cereal as a child. They are made with sugar, a few scoops of puffed wheat, and blended with milk and ice. Yummy.