{"id":1955,"date":"2014-09-22T13:33:21","date_gmt":"2014-09-22T18:33:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/?p=1955"},"modified":"2014-09-22T13:44:49","modified_gmt":"2014-09-22T18:44:49","slug":"miami","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2014\/09\/22\/miami\/","title":{"rendered":"MIAMI"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

I just came back from a trip to South Beach Miami and Coconut Grove in Florida. We were in town for our friends Dave and Jessica\u2019s surprise engagement party, and I and Chelsea took the opportunity to check out some of Miami\u2019s amazing culinary scene.<\/p>\n

\"M1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The first night we were in town, we went to a local Coconut Grove eatery called Jaguar\u2019s Ceviche Spoon Bar, and Latam Grill, which specializes in Latin American cuisine. First, we ordered the Ceviche Spoon Sampler, which consisted of six different styles of ceviche:<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ceviche Los Cabos, with pacific swordfish, red onion, serranos, cilantro, lime and olive oil,<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ceviche Oriental, with tuna, ginger, soy, jalape\u00f1os, shallots, cilantro, lime, grape seed oil, avocado, cucumber and sesame seeds,<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ceviche Nuevo, with aji amarillo, with ginger, soy, lime and grape seed oil and calamari,<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ceviche Peruano, with white fish, lime, red onion, rocoto chile and corn,<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ceviche Vuelve a la Vida, with swordfish, shrimp, calamari, tomato, lime, orange, onion, cilantro, habanero chili and avocado, and<\/p>\n

\u2014 Black Market, with white fish, shrimp, calamari, aji amarillo, red onion and corn.<\/p>\n

\"M3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always enjoyed ceviche, but these combinations left me speechless. The use of ingredients made each spoonful more spectacular than the one before.<\/p>\n

For dinner, Chelsea ordered the Crispy Blue Corn Chicken Tacos, which were served with roasted salsa verde, sour cream and guacamole. The tacos were rolled up nice and neat and topped with cheese. The way the cooks rolled the tacos made them easier and less messy to eat than the customary tacos. Since it was such a nice place, that was a plus.<\/p>\n

I chose to have the Jaguar\u2019s Famous Angus Cheeseburger with chorizo and chipotle ketchup, home-fried potato chips and fried onion rings.<\/p>\n

Well, I\u2019ve always loved chorizo, and eat it any time I can. Since I had never had it on a burger, I had to give it a shot.<\/p>\n

First, let me say that this burger was huge, and I had to really open my mouth wide to get a good bite. When I was done, my mouth was covered in ketchup and mayonnaise.<\/p>\n

\"M5\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I really had no problem with that at all because I was so consumed with how well the burger was prepared. The meat was cooked to a medium temperature; with the chorizo on top, my taste buds were in overdrive.<\/p>\n

The potato chips were cooked to perfection. A lot of places either under- or overcook the chips, but these cooks clearly had it figured out. I loved dipping the chips in the chipotle ketchup, which was, surprisingly, not hot, but which was very flavorful.<\/p>\n

Jaguar\u2019s is a must-eat experience if you make it to the Coconut Grove area of Miami. I found out while we were there that the eatery is located in the first real neighborhood of Miami. You can see and feel the history there.<\/p>\n

The night of the engagement party, we were at a spot on the water called Monty\u2019s Raw Bar, and we got to try a local favorite called \u201cConch Fritters.\u201d A conch is a medium to large sea snail; it\u2019s what lives in those large shells we put to our ears and pretend to hear the ocean in.<\/p>\n

The meat is taken from the shell; chopped up; and combined with ingredients and fried. The finished product looks like a hush puppy.<\/p>\n

It came with a dipping sauce that was a little spicy \u2014 a perfect pairing.<\/p>\n

Our last day in Miami, we decided to have brunch at another local favorite called the Peacock Garden Caf\u00e9. The restaurant was amazing looking on the inside and out. Palm trees covered the courtyard seating area, and the inside had a simple classy feel about it that made you feel right at home.<\/p>\n

We started with fresh berry mimosas that were delicious. To be honest, they were rather large, but I didn\u2019t have to force myself to finish one.<\/p>\n

\"M6\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I had met Dave through The Fat Cat Caf\u00e9 while he was stationed in Lake Charles in the Coast Guard. We had a small Fat Cat reunion, because two of my other waitresses besides Chelsea \u2014 Courtney and Brittney Fruge \u2014 had came down for the party. It was nice for us all to get to hang out and be waited on.<\/p>\n

I and Brittney both had the Crab Cakes Benedict with classic Hollandaise sauce and asparagus. The Hollandaise was the perfect consistency. The crab cakes tasted so fresh it was as if they had just come out of the ocean.<\/p>\n

Chelsea had the Spicy Egg Casserole with breakfast potatoes, chorizo, goat cheese and chipotle. The dish was served in a little cast iron pot. The chorizo and potatoes, mixed with the egg yolk, had a unique flavor. The chipotle gave it just enough kick to bring the entire dish together.<\/p>\n

The menu was designed to look like a magazine, with the pages resembling those of the old Time Life magazines. There were black and white photos of scenes from the area, and old historical Miami and Coconut Grove scenery.<\/p>\n

This will certainly be a place I return to when we go back for the wedding.<\/p>\n

I know this review covers venues that are a little outside my readers\u2019 normal dining area. But plenty of people go on vacation. I hope that if you go to Miami, my suggestions will be helpful.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jaguar\u2019s Ceviche Spoon Bar\u00a0And Latam Grill<\/p>\n

3067 Grand Ave.,<\/p>\n

Coconut Grove, 305-444-0216<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Peacock Garden Caf\u00e9<\/p>\n

2889 McFarlane Road,<\/p>\n

Coconut Grove, 305-774-3332<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Monty\u2019s Raw Bar<\/p>\n

2550 S. Bayshore Drive,<\/p>\n

Coconut Grove, 305-856-3992<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  I just came back from a trip to South Beach Miami and Coconut Grove in Florida. We were in town for our friends Dave and Jessica\u2019s surprise engagement party, and I and Chelsea took the opportunity to check out some of Miami\u2019s amazing culinary scene. 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