Miami: Beaches, Cuban Cuisine, and Art Deco

Miami provides travelers with an excellent mix of unique activities, an active nightlife, and plenty of fun in the sun. Whether it’s strolling through Little Havana for some of the country’s top Cuban cuisine or riding a jet ski through the harbor; past multi-million-dollar mansions; you can find a plethora of options within this southern Florida city to fill any vacation with endless travel activities. I had recently spent a week in this vibrant city and set up my base camp in one of the historic hotels within the Art Deco district of Miami Beach. This neighborhood is located at the southern portion of Miami beach and is a stretch of the city that has preserved the signature Art Deco architecture that was popular from the 1950s through the 1970s, during the time Miami was growing as a city. The stucco covering, distinct shapes, vintage neon lights, and vibrant colors of the buildings within this district allow it to stand out and provide a unique slice of preserved architectural history that makes it unique within the United States. Most of the buildings within this neighborhood have had their appearance preserved while the buildings themselves have been repurposed into a series of hotels, shops, clubs, and restaurants for visitors to enjoy. One specific street that has gained the most attention is Ocean Drive. This street is located within the Art Deco district of Miami Beach, right on the edge of the beach itself. The street stands out for its miles of well-preserved Art Deco architecture that show cases the unique style and neon lights that were popular during the time that Miami was expanding. The buildings along Ocean Drive have been repurposed into an assortment of restaurants and clubs that provide a good place to enjoy a great meal or have a fun night with a few drinks and some dancing. Ocean Drive is a great spot to stay during any trip to Miami due to its central location in walking distance of many of the city's most popular attractions. Another option for an evening stroll along Miami Beach is Espanola Way, a pedestrian walkway within the neighborhood that is lined with a variety of restaurants and lighting that makes it a great setting for a romantic evening stroll that is inspired by the café lined streets found in several cities in Europe.

Miami has many great culinary options to try, both in Miami Beach as well as the city of Miami itself. There are even several restaurants within the city that have earned Michelin stars. One such restaurant that we made sure to visit on our trip was an iconic restaurant that also happened to be a staple of the Miami culinary scene since its founding in 1913, Joe’s Stone Crabs. Known for their stone crab claws, this restaurant delivered the full experience; amazing food that lived up to the hype along with amazing service. This restaurant has been prominently featured on travel shows for decades due to their famous stone crabs as well as the ethical way in which these crabs are harvested. Each crab caught has one claw taken before the crab itself is returned to the wild. The crab can survive with one claw which regrows and can be harvested again indefinitely.

Miami is also known for its Cuban cuisine as a result of the large Cuban immigrant population that calls Miami home. Two of the Cuban restaurants that we were able to try during our trip within the Art Deco District were La Mulata and Esquina Cubana. La Mulata, located right across the street from Espanola Way in South Beach offered us a traditional breakfast including lechon asado, chorizo, eggs, and homemade potatoes. This breakfast was washed down with some Cuban style coffee and allowed us to be fueled up to start exploring Miami. The following day, we tried Esquina Cubana for lunch where I decided I had to get at least one Cubano sandwich while in Miami. Both restaurants offered us great Cuban cuisine while being a short walk from our hotel.

However, the best Cuban food within Miami can be found in the Little Havana neighborhood, a bit outside of Miami’s downtown section. We spent an afternoon in the Little Havana neighborhood during our trip and made sure to visit some of the areas attractions such as Domino Park and the Azucar ice cream shop. This is an extremely fun neighborhood filled with Cuban inspired art, architecture, and cuisine. Many of the buildings and walls are filled with vibrant murals made by local artists and most restaurants provide live music throughout the day. We made sure to get both a Cubano and a Cuban coffee while we were exploring this neighborhood. Little Havana is a must-see area for anyone visiting Miami where you can easily spend the entire day in. While we were in Little Havana, we made a stopover at the Azucar ice cream shop to try out their famous La Abuela Maria ice cream, an extremely unique flavor that combines cream cheese, guava, and their Maria cookie into a culinary treat that has gained attention on many travels shows and podcasts.

Another neighborhood within the city of Miami that we spent wandering through was the art district of Miami to check out the Wynwood Walls exhibit within the Art District of Miami. This section of walls has been secured and protected to showcase the street art murals of the community. Strolling through this exhibit is an excellent opportunity to see unique artwork that showcases a variety of subjects ranging from social issues to pop culture. The stores and buildings outside of the exhibit are also filled with street murals for several blocks and the neighborhood offers visitors many restaurants and boutiques to explore as well. This makes this section of Miami an excellent place to explore for an afternoon within the city. Seeing this tapestry of colors and paintings covering nearly all the buildings of the area really allows this neighborhood to stand apart and a great place to spend the afternoon for any art lover.

For those more interested in a day on the way, Miami is happy to oblige. Taking a cruise tour around Miami Beach allows visitors to see several additional landmarks of the city such as Fisher Island and Millionaire Row. Both islands showcase condos and homes owned by several prominent figures and have been used in movies such Scarface. On top of seeing the beautiful houses and buildings at these locations, touring the area on the water also provides some of the best views of the skylines for both downtown Miami and Miami Beach. For those who want to see the city skyline from a dryer setting, watching the sunset at South Point Park on the edge of South Beach in Miami provides an excellent viewpoint for that purpose. For those who want a different aquatic experience, then hop on a bus and drive over to Everglades National Park, about an hour from the city. While in the everglades, visitors can tour around the park in an airboat ride through the swamp. This type of adventure provides a thrilling experience for nature lovers that can get up and close and personal with the unique ecosystem of the park as well as its many inhabitants, such as many species of birds as well as alligators. During my brief hour-long ride through the Everglades, I was able to see a handful of alligators.

A final facet of the Miami culinary scene that provided a surprise was the vibrant café culture in the city, offering many cafe and bakery options that are inspired by the cafes of France, Italy, and Spain. I could see the inspiration for these cafes from my travels through Europe in the past and these cafes do an admirable job bringing some of that experience over to the US. One café that caught my attention within the Art Deco district was Bennet Bakery. This cafe on Miami Beach provided a great cup of coffee, pistachio croissant, and babka to fuel up for my day of exploring the city. Another one of the spots in Miami that we visited several times for a quick bite to eat while in the area was the Rosetta Italian Bakery in the Art Deco District. They offered great coffee as well as pizza, pastries, and sandwiches for a quick refuel while exploring the area or enjoying the beach.

The combination of art, cuisine, beaches, and unique architecture makes Miami a great vacation spot for anyone traveling through the United States. Whether it’s lying on the beach for the afternoon and people watching or strolling through the street murals of the art district; Miami will keep you entertained for days. Seeing cities such as Miami that have chosen to preserve a portion of its past, is a thrill to see as it feels like you are stepping back in time. Whether it’s the Art Deco district of New Orleans, Historic Philadelphia, the French Quarter of New Orleans, or the Freedom Trail in Boston; neighborhoods such as these allow them to stand apart from other cities within the US which can often become difficult to differentiate as they are often filled with similar styled buildings and national brand stores. But that is a story for another day…