My last three birthdays have been spent out of the country.  This year I wanted to go somewhere warm with a beach, but not that far away.  Miami seemed to fit the bill, so I booked a trip using my Delta air miles.

Getting there was a bit arduous.  It involved a midnight flight out of SFO, plus a 3 1/2 (or was that 4 1/2?) layover in Minneapolis.  Even so, I arrived in Miami around 2:30 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon.  Rather than taking a taxi or booking a shuttle, I followed the advice on TripAdvisor and took the Airport Flyer Bus into South Beach.  It DID involve rolling my suitcase quite a ways, but the fare was only $2.65 one-way and the bus didn’t take long at all.  The bus dropped me at 13th and Washington, then I rolled my suitcase over to Collins Avenue, down a few blocks and began searching.  Unfortunately, the doorway to the condos that I was staying in was somewhat narrow and set back a little bit, so I rolled past it 2 or 3 times.  The code for the gate worked fine.  The code for the building also worked fine.  The code for the apartment door, however, not so much.  I ended up calling the owner who sent someone over to let me in.  There was a problem with the top lock and code, so I simply used the key for the bottom lock from that point on.

After showering up and resting briefly, I donned some shorts, a summery top and some slippers and went in search of La Sandwicherie in the 84 degree weather.  I wasn’t positive about the safety of the neighborhood, but didn’t feel threatened or uncomfortable anywhere.  Luckily, La Sandwicherie was very close to my condo.  I found a stool at the counter and ordered a chicken salad and Swiss cheese sandwich on a croissant.  My sandwich was made very quickly and was HUGE!  I only managed to finish half of that deliciousness.  They packed up my other half with some extra napkins and their famous vinaigrette.

As I walked back to my condo, a guy who worked at the hotel next door convinced me to give their bar a try for Happy Hour.  The nice bar was small, intimate and nicely decorated, which was my preference instead of those loud, flashy bars on Ocean Drive filled with frat boys and glitzy tourists.  The two gregarious bartenders, A. and J., introduced themselves to me and kept me entertained for a couple of hours.  Since I’m not a fan of regular margaritas or mojitos, A. whipped up a tasty pineapple-coconut mojito for me.  In fact, I had two!  Somewhere along the line, I also ended up doing a Sex on the Beach shot, along with two tequila shots.  By then, you can imagine that I was a little loopy.  When I informed the boys that I needed to go, due to jet lag, they made another pineapple-coconut mojito and put it in a to-go cup for me.  Now that’s service!  They made me promise to return the following evening.

My Wednesday night was nothing exciting; went to bed relatively early to be ready for the following day.

On Thursday morning I went directly to the beach, but not in my bathing suit – a sundress.  Lummus Park Beach Walk was beautiful.  I walked all the way down to South Pointe, happened upon Joe’s Stone Crab take-away/take-out (they had sock monkeys!) and also walked all the way down to the Lincoln Road Mall.  The outdoor mall is pretty big, with plenty of restaurants with outdoor seating.  I browsed, picked up some macarons from Laduree and went in search of real food.  I ended up near my condo at a place called Ferli Gelateria.  It’s gotten high marks on TripAdvisor, so figured it must be good.  The girl manning the counter was extra friendly and pleasant.  I ordered a Cubano, then some strawberry and pistachio gelato.  The Cubano was edible, but not very good at all.  The strawberry seemed to be gelato, but the pistachio seemed to be ice cream.  Anyway, I wasn’t impressed.

Later that evening, I had dinner at Taquiza, an informal little taqueria that’s kind of hidden on Collins Avenue.  I ordered a barbacoa taco for $3.50, plus a Negra Modelo.  The barbacoa was slightly fatty, but had good flavor.  Optional toppings included radishes, onions, cilantro and salsa verde.  The guys who worked there were friendly and happy.  The house music was chill, too.

I then window shopped my way down Collins Avenue and somehow ended up back at Joe’s Stone Crab.  The place was buzzing, but I found a seat at the bar.  The young bartender, B., took care of me all evening.  I had a glass of Benziger merlot, followed by a Key Lime Martini with a graham cracker crust rim.  B. told me that Joe’s Stone Crab is a seasonal restaurant that closes 5 months of the year.  They’d only reopened about 3 weeks earlier, so were going gangbusters.  When the bar died down a little bit, he offered to give me a brief tour of the restaurant.  He even introduced me to one of his bosses.  Back at the bar, we found that we both love travel and photography.  He even gave me his Instagram account information.  I confessed that I’d probably return the following evening for my birthday dinner.  His advice was to arrive relatively early to avoid a long wait, as they don’t take reservations.  He also told me that he doesn’t work on Fridays or Saturdays, but would be there on Sunday at the server bar.  He told me to feel free to stop by and say “Hello.”

I finally made it to the beach – in my bathing suit – late Friday morning.  Wouldn’t you know it?  It began to sprinkle about 40 minutes after my arrival.  I packed my things, went back to the apartment and rinsed off.  It was time to do more exploration of the neighborhood, with a trusty umbrella in hand.  Though I was thinking of trying a Cubano at Las Olas, I went to Otentic Fresh Food Restaurant instead because it was my birthday and I deserved it!  The French waiter, A., started my meal off with a complimentary tasting of chardonnay, as well as mini toasts with a wonderful olive tapenade.  I ordered the scallops special, then inquired about the 2-for-1 Mimosas.  Although they normally serve the Mimosas on the weekend for brunch, he was willing to make some for me.  Unfortunately, they were out of orange juice.  He remedied my disappointment with a glass of Prosecco and a glass of champagne!  The scallops came with both ratatouille and couscous.  The portion was a little large for me, but, taste-wise, everything was very good.

Following B.’s advice, I was at Joe’s Stone Crab around 5:30 p.m. for my birthday dinner.  From the gentleman who seated me to my waiter, Thomas, everyone was incredibly nice and welcoming.  B.’s boss recognized me from the previous night and welcomed me back.  For dinner, I went with the crab cakes, the potatoes Lyonnaise and a glass of Chablis.  The two crab cakes were big and meaty.  The potatoes Lyonnaise were ample enough to serve two.  The food is good, but the service was excellent.

Back at the apt., I freshened up a bit, then decided to go out and wander.  As I walked out the gate, A. was sitting on the wall with a girl smoking a cigarette.  He asked where I’d been the previous evening; said that both J. and he had been disappointed, as they’d been bored without me.  I informed A. that I was going to the bar straight-away.  He said that he’d be there in a few minutes.  I sat there a bit before J. showed up.  He also asked where I’d been the previous evening and DID say that they’d been waiting for me.  I apologized for disappointing them, then ordered a rum and Coke.  Soon after, A. and the girl returned to the bar and sat on either side of me.  When J. was making a drink for her, he made one for me as well.  She asked if I was traveling alone and I asked the same of her.  That’s when A. stepped in and said something to her like “We’re not going to talk about that again; I just got you to quit crying.”  I felt bad then.  When she found out that it was my birthday, she told A. in Spanish that she wanted to buy a tequila shot for me.  He told her that I don’t like tequila shots.  I opted for a kamikaze instead.  A. wasn’t familiar with how to make one, so looked it up on his phone.  He asked if I wanted Sprite in mine.  I said “Sprite?  I’ve never had a kamikaze with Sprite in it!”  There were various versions that he found on-line, but I told him that mine didn’t need the Sprite.  The girl and I were drinking them, but she thought hers was too strong.  A. poured some grenadine in hers to make her happy.

Once again, I didn’t stay out late after those drinks.  Besides, I was attempting to budget my money a LITTLE bit!

On Saturday, it sprinkled off and on, as well as a few moments of hard rain, too.  I walked over to Las Olas, saw the long line, then proceeded to go next door to Under the Mango Tree.  I ordered their basic acai bowl to go.  It was a 20 minute wait because they’re so popular.  My acai bowl had the normal bananas and strawberries on top with the granola, but had the addition of cocoa nibs and coconut shavings.  The actual acai mixture was more chocolate-y in taste than any that I’ve had before.  It was also more brown and less sweet than the ones I’ve had in Hawaii.

I went back to the apt. and waited to hear from J., my college ex-boyfriend’s ex-roommate. His wife and he returned from a cruise that morning.  After driving his wife and sister-in-law to Fort Lauderdale to do some shopping at some huge mall, he returned to Miami to have lunch with me.  J. wanted bandeja paisa and guanabana (soursop) juice.  A. had actually suggested La Ventana to me, so that’s where we went.  We both ordered empanadas and guanabana juice, then shared patacones, papas and yucca.  Not having seen each other for 30+ years, we had lots of catching up to do.

The remainder of my afternoon was spent doing more window shopping since the weather wasn’t cooperating with me as far as sunbathing.

That evening I marched directly to the bar before the guys had a chance to track me down!  A. informed me that it was his last night working there as another corporation had bought the hotel, but wasn’t keeping any of the original employees.  I was sad to hear that.  J. said that he’d be around a “bit longer.”  I assumed he meant through the end of the following week.  I didn’t want to say goodbye to either one of them, but they eased my goodbye with another pineapple-coconut mojito in a to-go cup!

For dinner, it was back to Otentic.  The same waiter, A., recognized me when I walked in and said “Welcome back!”  This time the complimentary taste was of sauvignon blanc, with the same mini toasts and olive tapenade.  I was debating between the Steak Maurice and the Filet Mignon.  A. said that they’d be happy to make the Steak Maurice for me with filet mignon rather than ribeye, for a mere $2 more.  That was perfect.  I then asked A. whether the Malbec or the Cotes du Rhone would be a better accompaniment.  He suggested Nero d’Avola, which actually wasn’t on their wine list by the glass.  He brought some for me to taste, however, just to confirm.  It worked very well with the wonderful Steak Maurice – filet mignon in a mushroom and Brie sauce served over delicious gratin Dauphinoise.  I savored every bite.

My plan was to then return to the apartment, nap until midnight, then go out for more drinks.  I passed out on the couch.  When I woke up at midnight, I had a slight headache.  Plan scrapped!

On Sunday I was up a little earlier than usual to hit up the Lincoln Road Antiques Market.  There were several really nice booths.  I, personally, was in cuff links Heaven!  I escaped after purchasing 2 pairs of cuff links (a silver pair with what appears to be an Aztec design and a more vintage pair that the seller said was “demisheen” or something akin) and a cameo.  By then, my stomach was growling.  I’d heard someone mention that a Shake Shack was in the area.  I found it, ordered a cheeseburger, fries and a soda, then waited with great anticipation.  It was good, but I slightly prefer In N Out.  I’d eat it again, though; maybe in Vegas.

Since there didn’t appear to be a single gray cloud in the sky, I FINALLY made it to the beach for a couple of hours.  The temperature was absolutely perfect with a light, cool breeze.  Laying in my bikini, catching some rays and people watching made me so, so happy.

Before dinner that evening, I stopped in for the 3rd time at a shop on Washington Avenue called Hector Riccione.  They make handmade leather boots, belts and bags in every color imaginable.  While they’re certainly not cheap, they are definitely a fair price for what they are.  I’d already been there twice to try on various boots and belts.  The belts didn’t have sizes, however, and were a little large for me, although they said that they could just make extra holes to make them tighter.  I settled on a pair of light pink knee-high boots and the saleswoman was sweet enough to offer me a 15% discount.  That was my birthday present to myself – not the best one of this year, but a very good one.

Cara Mia Trattoria over on Alton Road had rated highly on TripAdvisor, so I walked all the way over there, although there were several Italian restaurants closer to my apartment.  The place was quiet on a Sunday evening.  Most of the patrons were eating outside, but I opted for indoor seating.  With apparently only 2 staff working on the inside, it took a moment for them to seat me.  All I wanted was pasta!  When I inquired whether the waiter suggested the lasagna or carbonara or something else, he recommended the Fettuccine alla Calabro – egg pasta with shrimp, young asparagus and parsley.  I also had a glass of Sangiovese.  Because I didn’t have an appetizer, I was able to finish all of the pasta, though it was a decent-sized serving.  As a testament to how good it was, I even ate all of the asparagus, which I’ve never been a fan of!

Since B. had said that he’d be working at the server bar at Joe’s Stone Crab on Sunday, I then walked over there.  The place was a madhouse, though.  People were three deep at the main bar and I didn’t feel like dealing with it.  Beings B. and I had exchanged Instagram info, I knew that I can always contact him, anyway, and will be back in the future.

Still in the mood for a drink, I continued down (or was it up?) the street in the direction of my apartment.  Thankfully, I noticed a nice and inviting bar space inside Tiramesu restaurant.  The friendly hostess greeted me at the door, as I asked if it was ok just to have drinks at the bar, which it was.  The bartender, C., was suggesting the cocktail menu to me, although I told him that I normally drink wine or champagne.  He admitted that he’d created the ten cocktails on the menu himself and would really like for me to try one or two of them.  I acquiesced.  He started me off with the Caribbean Lust (a winner), then the Kingdom  Come (another winner), the Fighting for the Flag (yet another winner) and finally the Claudio’s Sour (not a fan).  He didn’t charge me for the Claudio’s Sour, but concocted a few more cocktails for me that weren’t even on the menu.  One had jalapeno with blood orange-infused vodka.  Another was a “dessert” cocktail with chocolate and blood orange.  In fact, between those last two cocktails, I’d intended to leave and had asked for the bill.  C., however, said that the next drink was on him because he didn’t want to miss my company.  How sweet!  We’d had an all-encompassing conversation already about Italy, how he’d ended up in Miami, his travels, his cocktails and various other things.  Another waiter, A., stopped by and had a nice chat with me as well about language, France, Italy, Morocco, etc.  In fact, he invited me for a drink when he finished work, but I didn’t take him up on that.  Yet another waiter teased me that C. was going to get me drunk, in a nice way, with all of his cocktails.  Yet C. told him that I was completely fine after 5 or 6 of them!  Finally, two women were at the bar celebrating the birthday of one, whose actual birthday was the following day.  Since mine had been on Friday and C.’s had been on Wednesday, C. gave we 3 ladies complimentary tequila shots.  I will definitely return to Tiramesu in the future and plan to have a full-on dinner there, followed by more of C.’s delicious cocktail creations.

Monday morning I took my cameras and traipsed up and down Ocean Drive and the beach taking my final photos.  I stopped in at La Sandwicherie for another chicken salad and Swiss cheese croissant sandwich, but also had a Bora Bora smoothie.  All too soon, it was time to head to the airport.

In retrospect, I had an amazing, relaxing, fun time in Miami.  I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did.  The beach was beautiful, the food was good, it was safe, and more importantly, the people were incredibly nice and friendly.  I can’t wait to go back; I just hope that I’m able to locate all of my favorite bartenders again!