Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill - Midtown - Miami, FL

Hibiscus Blossom

Rating: Amazing

Spice of Love

Rating: Amazing

Rum 'n' Bramble

Rating: Amazing

 

Louisiana Purchase

Rating: Amazing

American Wagyu Slider

Rating: Amazing

East & West Coast Oysters

Rating: Amazing (Some of the best I've had)

Spicy Tuna

Rating: Amazing

Octopus

Rating: Amazing

 

Fun that includes crafty cocktails and tasty tapas on a beautiful outdoor patio, need I say more!

Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill
3252 NE 1st Ave, Miami, FL 33137
(786) 369-0353
www.sugarcanerawbargrill.com

Joey's Italian Cafe - Wynwood/Edgewater - Miami, FL

Oh, how I love Wnywood! The art, the hipsters, the hidden gems! Which translate to, not the friendliest service but a very cool looking restaurant while dining in Wynwood.

Boasting to have the best pizza in Miami, Joey's was a definite to check out. The Diavola crust was crispy, and it was pretty good, but self-proclaiming yourself as the best sets yourself up to scrutiny and for that I wasn't very impressed.

At the servers recommendation, I decided to try their one of their special dishes which was a combination of two pastas. I found the pasta to be way more impressive than the pizza was. It was the best of two dishes rolled into one amazing meal.

Finishing off I had a Pear Tart for dessert. I don't  even like pears and I found it to be pretty good.

The gelato was decent but I would come here for that. The Pistachio gelato was flavored rather than being made with actual pistachios.

Don't think I didn't leave without a cocktail. I ordered a Juanito (Vodka, Malibu Rum, Mango Pure Cranberry Juice topped with Chambord) and while it was refreshing, it tasted almost virgin.

I would definitely go back to Joey's for that pasta but not much else!

Joey's Italian Cafe
2506 NW 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33127
(305) 438-0488
www.joeyswynwood.com

Machiya - Midtown - Miami, FL

Based on Machiya's decision to change from including Ramen in their name to what it is now likely means the Ramen craze has not caught on in Miami, but regardless, you can still enjoy Ramen at the restaurant, as well as a fusion of traditional and contemporary Japanese dishes.

With only three Ramen options, I settle on the Tokyo Ramen. It is made from the traditional pork based broth and absolutely delicious but the highlight was the gyoza. Three pieces just weren't enough and they were so amazing, I wish I could have had more.

I couldn't go to a Japanese restaurant and not order sushi so we ordered the Spicy Salmon and the Yellowtail sushi rolls. Each roll that I popped into my mouth was pure goodness. The way the rice is prepared in a major factor in what make good or bad maki rolls (at least to me) and Machiya's rice was on point.

The Baked Crab Roll (snow crab/kani/mayo/sesame soy paper) was small and not what I was expecting, but despite its small size it was packed with yumminess. It was soft and very delicate but not mushy.

With a social network check-in we got a free Tuna Hand Roll. They didn't skimp even though it was free and I couldn't be happier with my unexpected extra.

The food does take some time to come out, and that may be a problem to some but when it comes out steaming hot and fresh, that makes the wait worth it. Aside from that aspect and the order in which the dishes were presented, I have no complaints. Our server did lack personality but he did do a descent job of taking care of us.

I don't consider myself to be a Ramen aficionado, but what I had was quite good and the sushi was tasty and slightly different than the usual so I will definitely return.

Machiya

3252 NE 1st Ave #116, Miami, FL 33137 (786) 507-5025 www.machiyamidtown.com

Cafeina Wynwood Lounge - Miami, FL

Cafeina Lounge, at its core, is a venue known for its private events and nightly live performances. My question was as amazing as it is at night, would lunch be as amazing as well? To test my theory, I headed there for lunch. I didn't expect the restaurant to be packed but I didn't expect it to be empty either. There was only one other party and they were seated in the outdoor garden, so we choose to dine indoors, especially considering, this is Florida, in the middle of the day and the temperature wasn't cool enough for me to dine outside.

It was a very unique experience dining inside the restaurant, since it also doubles as an art gallery and we had it all to ourselves. It was nice to dine and look around at all the various artworks on the wall. Concept wise, it was really cool.

Our server was nice but not friendly. He was however a pleasure to have, since he was very attentive and offered assistance in our menu selections and making sure we had everything we needed. I'm not sure if he smiled, but he was good at his job. 

For lunch, they offer a few drink specials, so I ended up getting a glass of Tinto de Verano. It was light and refreshing!

We started off the meal with the Ahi Tuna Mini Tacos. I would describe it as a cold ginger soy ceviche on top of a crispy tostada. It wasn't what I would call a taco or what I was expecting it to be, but it was fresh and nice light starter to our meal.

My friend ordered the Cafeina 8oz Burger. Despite everything on the menu being tapas size, it was a fairly big burger. It was very good and the beef was nicely cooked. Based on the menu, I had thought the meal came with a choice of fries or mixed greens but we recieved neither. I had forgotten to ask and didn't want to make a fuss, so I left it alone.

I ordered the Jibarito Sliders. This was a somewhat unique dish, at least to me. Instead of the typical bun, it was sandwiched between two tostones (fried green plantains). That added so much to the taste of the dish that a piece of bread counldn't. The pork in the middle was tender and well seasoned. I really enjoyed this dish, it was truly amazing.

Since we had assumed the meals came with a side, we had only ordered the Goat Cheese Croquettes so I could try them. I know the are suppose to be tapas size, but it was only 3 little miniature ball. I was expecting to get a little more than. In any case, they were hot and tasted very good.

For desert, we had the Fried Ice Cream. It was crusted with flakes and sat in melted chocolate, mmm mmm good! It was delicious, it was just also an extremely small portion.

The food here was exquisite, the gallery was beautiful, and the service was respectable. it was a unique dining experience I enjoyed. 

Also while your in the area, be sure to walk around and check out some of the amazing street art.

Cafeina Wynwood Lounge

297 NW 23rd St Miami, FL 33127

(305) 438-0792

www.cafeinamiami.com

The Lost & Found Saloon Restaurant - Midtown/Wynwood Miami, FL

 

The Lost & Found Saloon truly has something for everyone. Not only is the restaurant vegan and vegetarian friendly, but also suitable for meat lovers too. Anything you ever hoped a saloon to be, this place is. The staff is very friendly, the atmosphere is very laid back, they have horses everywhere and they even have western movies playing on the TVs. If you ever wanted to meet a real life cowboy or cowgirl, you may find them here having a drink at the bar. The food is fresh, they're open late, they deliver and it’s fun. What more could you ask for?

 
On my recent visit, I stopped by with my friend to fuel up before a night of drinking. We started off the meal with the Crab Stuffed Endives, made of fresh Belgian endives stuffed with lump crab meat, corn, cilantro, and chipotle aioli. I don't like cocktail shrimp and I drink my water room temperature which basically means I don't really like cold food, but despite that, I actually liked this. Instead of just saturating the crab with mayonnaise like so many do, they did it right and along with the corn and the chipotle it created a nice tasting dish. It was surprisingly spicier than I was expecting it to be, but that’s a good thing.

 
For my entree, I decided to get the Half-rack of Barbecue Baby Back Pork Rib Treat. They also have a dinner portion that comes with rice or spinach as a low carb substitute but I wanted to make sure I had room for dessert so I got the app instead. The ribs came with coleslaw which was very good. I tend to not be a fan of coleslaw since most people douse the cabbage in mayo and sugar but this was not like that and tasted very fresh. My complaint is that the portion size is so small. The ribs were less than stellar. They were cooked well and tender but the flavor left something to be desire. I was expecting more than that and have had way better so I wouldn’t choose to order that again.

 
The friend that came with me had the Posse Club Burrito. If you ever wanted to know about good burritos, this one right here fits that description! The burrito was filled with steak, bacon, avocado, shredded manchego, cheddar, and Monterrey Jack cheese blend, lettuce, tomato, and chipotle aioli. If you were going to choose any one dish here, it would have to be the burrito; it's really that amazing!

 

I am so glad that I did not skip out on dessert. The Chocolate Chip Jumbo Cookie a la Mode is by far one of the best I have ever had! I know I said the burrito would the one dish to eat but if you were willing to forego food and just eat a dessert instead, this is the only thing you will ever have to eat here to keep coming back. I am drooling thinking about it now! I don't know how to describe it other than its soft, chewy, chocolaty and so mouthwatering good that you forget about life eating it. I felt like I was competing with my friend to see who can eat the most, the fastest.

 
As Benjamin Franklin put it, "lost time is never found again", so don't waste your time searching for someplace to eat, find yourself at the The Lost & Found Saloon.


The Lost & Found Saloon Restaurant
185 Northwest 36th Street Miami, FL 33127
(305) 576-1008
www.thelostandfoundsaloon-miami.com

Miami Spice at Mercadito Midtown - Midtown Miami, FL

 

I actually didn’t participate in Miami Spice this year since I felt like what they offer for the price paid oftentimes really isn't a deal. You end up with a smaller size sampling and I much rather pick anything off the menu and pay just a little bit more to have it. The one restaurant I did go to was Mercadito Midtown. In addition to their awesome multi-course Miami Spice menu, they ran a deal with DealSaver for 2 for 1, so I had to get in on.
 
Despite being Mexican, the decor of the restaurant, on the most part, did not reflect that. I’m so glad that they decided to go the other route and not focus on cheesy decorations like sombreros or like a fiesta threw up in the place. It was instead warm, chic and whimsical. Mercadito, which is Spanish for "little market", is modeled after the markets chef Patricio Sandoval shopped at while growing up in his native Mexico. It does have that market feel but to compare to our markets it is more Whole Foods and less Sedanos.

 

The service was at times a bit speedy and rushed. I don't know if this is how it is all the time or if it is a result of Miami Spice and the deal that was being offered, I just wished that dinner had moved at a slower pace. I understand trying to accommodate as much people as possible, but for me, the tables were a little too close together and I wish the seating was a little more spaced out. Our server was friendly, eager and very helpful in selecting from the menu. Front the front to back, everyone was very pleasant. Our water was constantly being refilled and the table was clear immediately. We were well taking care of.

By now, my mouth was ready to go in on the food. We started off with our drinks, the margarita tradicional and the el pirata which is made up of beer, tequila, pineapple and spices. The margarita, although traditional was a very well made and presented drink. At full price I would come back to have this. It was very well worth it and probably one of the best margaritas I have ever had, if I can remember correctly. I originally wanted the pepino el pyu but was told that they ran out, even though later on in the meal, I was told it was now available if I still wanted it. I still don’t know if he meant I could just switch or that I could order and pay for a second drink if I wanted to? In any case, I got the el pirata. Being Jamaican, ginger beer is a popular drink, but I am not too fond of it because of the spiciness. Although spicy, the el pirata was not so overpowering so I actually really liked it. It was smooth with a nice kick!

As a part of Miami Spice, we got to select two guacamoles. The first choice was the toreado (sauteéd chile serrano, garlic, oregano, tomatillo pico de gallo) and the second was the pina (grilled serrano, pineapple, mint, tomatillo pico de gallo). I actually preferred and loved the toreado, but my boyfriend, who came to dinner with me, decided to just go in on it and I barely got to eat any of it. Both were good and had nice flavors, but okay isn't good enough for me so I probably wouldn’t order the pina again. That’s the thing with ordering two of something is that if I had not gotten the toreado, the pina might have been better, but toreado just blew pina out of the water. The guacamole was served with tortilla chips. They were very basic and as chips themselves they were alright; I just have had better.

The other starter and to compliment the chips was the mixto ceviche. I meant order a different one and didn't realize what I had done until the food came. The thing is, my boyfriend is one of the people that if he didn't grow up eating something, he is not going to eat it and since it had octopus in it, I already knew what it was. Surprisingly, he tasted it but only picked out the shrimp and ultimately said he didn't like it. Overall it was fine but while eating I kept craving that kick and all I was getting was the sweet from the passion fruit-serrano broth. I need my kick and it was not happening, I just was not wowed on this one.

TACOS!!! I wanted a mix so I got the estilo baja (crispy beer battered mahi mahi, mexican style coleslaw, chipotle aioli), carne (rosemary marinated skirt steak, grilled pear, shaved brussel sprouts, chile de árbol vinaigrette, crispy leeks) and pancita (mole-q pork belly, orange pico de gallo, salsa verde). Being a fish person, I thought the estilo baja was going to be my favorite, but it lacked something for my taste buds. The fish was nicely light and fried but needed a bit of seasoning or if it did, I didn’t taste it. The carne was so good and my favorite. It was sweet and spicy with a taste that made your mouth water. The meat itself was so good, that I could eat it by itself; so tender and perfectly cooked. The pancita was good and had a nice flavor, but I have a taste for crispy pork belly and this did not have that. The carne was so good, that after having that, the pancita didn't compare and I was left unimpressed.

 

The side we selected for the table was the plátanos machos. It is just fried plantain but came with a jalapeño‐ginger sauce. The plantains were nicely fried, fresh and not overly ripe. I also liked that they were cut at an appropriate size since I hate when they are too thick. At home, I usually cut it a little thinner and it leaves a nice crunch on the edges but these were nice considering I hate them at most places. The sauce added a nice touch.
 

Even after all of that food, I was still ready for some desert. I selected the morenita de chocolate. Chocolate cake is a bit hard to mess up and the creme and peanuts were a nice touch, but I was left craving ice cream to go with it. It was good, but without the ice cream, it just was not that good.
 

I enjoyed the food, the ambiance and had a great time. I will definitely come back, but this would be a happy hour, drink and snacks place for me.



Mercadito Midtown
3252 NE 1st Ave Miami, FL 33137
(786) 369-0430
www.mercaditorestaurants.com/midtown