A taste of Miami

After two weeks away from home today we are back on the ‘rock.’ I can’t remember the last time I had two consecutive weeks away from home, and although I was working – 6am starts in Colorado, and 7am in Miami and every night was a late night – it was enjoyable, particularly as I had my family with me.

I’m not going to pull the wall over anyone’s eyes, I am very lucky. Working from 6-10am and then again in the evening but in-between the Colorado mountains calling you to play outside or in a windowless conference room in a Miami hotel from 7am to 6pm with very demanding clients, whilst all the while Miami South Beach’s temptations lie await for later, is nice life, as long as one is prepared to think about little else but work save for the odd bad dream about football!

My Miami week is the highlight of my work calendar, although it does remind me of Christmas – a lot of planning, when it finally arrives the days are a blur of late nights, and then just like that it is over. Finished, with the bags under the eyes to show for it.

The waist line is also rather Santa-esque and I was lucky to have four fantastic meals in Miami, a city that I really have got to love.

Yardbird a southern inspired restaurant was a stones throw from our hotel on Collins Avenue, although 8 or so block walk is perhaps not recommended. To clear my head, I happily avoided a stuffy cab to walk it and got propositioned twice, once from a man and once from a woman, with the man hands down, being better looking.

But inside we were treated to some fantastic food, and the place was rammed on a Monday night. I have tried a few times over the years to get a reservation and the wait was absolutely worth it.

The next night a colleague and I were in said stuffy cab and ended up directing a non-English speaking driver via instructions from a very patient lady in the restaurant to Michael’s Genuine Food in Miami’s burgeoning Design District. We thought we were almost out of state after a $40 dollar cab fare, but later a $14 one in half time back to the hotel proved that our first cabbie was either very stupid or more likely, very clever.

Michael’s was sensational. My taste buds were attacked at every forkful of delicious food. From crispy pigs ears to begin with to spiced leg of lamb and ending with basil panna cotta, and a lot more besides. Great atmosphere and this is a restaurant that I won’t forget in a while.

On Wednesday a combination of clients and colleagues headed to the renowned Hakkasan restaurant in the Fontainebleau Hotel. We travelled by golf cart, courtesy of the hotel and arrived to frowns from valet staff, but we were all in the mood and hit the Chinese food and sake menu pretty hard, so much so, that when we went to the bar after for an after dinner drink, I could have downed a pint of Andrew’s Salts.

A settling glass of pinot noir got me through it though, but the night was prolonged when a client insisted that we go with him to Liv.

Liv is listed as the 5th highest grossing club in the United States, which is not surprising considering the price of drinks. The place was packed, totty everywhere and it was nice to see so many uncles taking their nieces out on a school night!

Finally the next day we went Greek, which was a nice treat, as there aren’t any Greek restaurants in Bermuda. Mandolin (photo) is also in Miami’s Design District, and we sat al fresco and ate meze style. The food was absolutely yummy and a couple of glasses of Retsina rounded off a gastronomic few days in MIA.