For my last blog post I thought it needs to be something that scream Miami. Empanadas are everywhere here in southern Florida because of all the Latin cultures here. I love it! I am obsessed with empanadas after living here and trying so many. I never knew each culture had their own way of making empanadas. 

After trying many different empanadas, I have discovered my favorite are Argentinean mainly because they are baked, not fried. Half Moon Empanadas has the best Argentinean empanadas I have yet to try. I’m sure there are more authentic places out there, maybe outside of Miami. I can’t wiat to discover those places but for now Half Moon has my approval.

The ingredients they use are truly fresh, you can taste it. also, there are so many different types of empanadas that I didn’t even know existed. Some of their most popular include the Cheesy Gaucho which has ground beef, three cheese, black beans, corn, diced bacon & chimichurri. Their Spicy Chicken Cordon Bleu includes diced chicken, mozzarella cheese, bell pepper, diced ham & hot sauce. Their last signature empanada, The Half Moon Special, includes ground beef, mozzarella cheese, pinto beans, olives, pepperoni & hot sauce. Of course, they have all the many many traditional styles, but these ones make Half Moon stand out. 

The only problem is this place charges the most for an empanada that I’ve seen. That’s a problem for me because I like to order many… This place is definitely worth it though, I can’t wait to go back! 

Since I couldn’t think of one restaurant in particular for this week, I thought of one area with many restaurants that I miss. All on Ocean Drive, the most popular street in Miami Beach where all the restuants, bars and clubs are, just accross from the ocean.

Ocean Drive is so beautiful at night, every building is lit up in different colors making everything so vibrant and lively. You don’t go to Ocean Drive for quality, fancy restaurants, you go for the “Miami” experience. Every single restuants tells you when you walk by “Happy Hour, free shot and 1/2 price dirnks”. It is fun, but sometimes gets annoying when you know that’s just their trick to get you do come. Don’t be fooled, no matter what time you go there you can always get those specials.

One of my favorite places to eat on Ocean Drive is at The Clevelander. This place is packed from day to night. There is a pool at the restaurant so its a pool party/sports bar all day and all night. there is a dance floor and DJ at all hours, you’ll have a blast here. I drove by it the other day and the whole street was dead silent and completely empty. I hope it reopens soon!

Throughout this quarantine, I have discovered another restaurant I have been missing so much. Sriracha House! This is located in the main area of South Beach, walking distance from me. I go to too many restaurants sometimes I don’t want to go somewhere fancy and spend a lot of money. This place is perfect for that. you can carry-out food or eat in, in the very casual environment.

I love this place because it is Asian inspired food and that is definitely one of my favorites. I was scared of this place for the longest time because I thought because of the name, Sriracha house, it would have spicy food. I’m so glad I finally went. You customize your food here, add whatever you want and can make it as spicy as you want. 

Sriracha House specializes in Asian noodles and fried rice mixtures. You can pick from one of their pre-created options or create your own. Inspired from the streets of Asia – from Thailand and Malaysia to Japan and the Himalayas – each region brings a new flavor. The best part is all the ingredients are fresh and mostly heathy. Also, they are cooked on a wok right in front of you which looks so cool. 

I am huge lover for Crêpes. A La Folie is a French restaurant specializing in Crêpes. Their menu includes much more all with regional French touches, but I still always find myself ordering a crepe. I would always come here after the beach since it is on my walk home. A La Folie is a cute, small, well-decorated restaurant on the famous street in Miami Beach, Espanola Way. The brick road of Espanola Way matches so well with the French decorations in A La Folie, which made me want to eat at such a cute place. Also, everyone who works there is French, and it is so nice to connect with people that are from nearby places as your family. 

Since I haven’t been able to go here recently, I have been making Crêpes at home with my friend. It is kind of a blessing in disguise. Their crepes range in price from $6- $20, which is kind of expensive for one crepe. I would always get Nutella and strawberries, so $10 for one crepe. Now after making them at home, I can have as many as I want for half the price. Although it is nice to eat somewhere aesthetic like this place, it has made me think twice about the process of crepes at restaurants. 

Don’t get me wrong, I will still come here for crepes!! They still taste better than if I make them, and they have so many options that I would struggle recreating. Also, they have so many other delicious items on the menu. Definitely come here if you have the chance! 

I am out of restaurants to write about and when I first picked the restaurant topic for my blog posts, I imagined myself going out to restaurants often, so I can have restaurants to write about. Wrong. Coronavirus changed that plan so now I am changing the plan for this blog post. 

Instead of my love for restaurants I have very few choices of what to replace it with. Yes, drive-thru’s are still open and pick-up and delivery options are available, but I refuse to do it. People in the restaurants are not even wearing masks or gloves and I have no idea where they have been and who they’ve been around. I have no idea if they coughed or sneezed even just once and I don’t want to risk being around that. On top of that, the bag that the food is in still being touched by who knows how many people and my same fear remains. I think this defeats the point of staying safe and touching the least possible. So this mean, restaurants in any way are a no for me ): 

I have start to cook a lot recently because of this situation, and it has made me realize cooking is kind of fun and rewarding when I make something my friends enjoy. But since I don’t do this often I am running out of ideas quickly haha. Here is my inspiration of what to cook next: 

This all being said, I need to be my own chef every day and bring the yummy restaurant food to my own kitchen. Any ideas of what else to cook? please let me know (: 

At first I didn’t know what restaurant to write about since I haven’t been able to go out to eat in a while. But because of this whole quarantine situation, I have been missing one restaurant so much and realize I never wrote a blog post about it. This restaurant is Hosteria Romana, an Italian restaurant in South Beach.

This restaurant attracted me because it is so beautiful. Hosteria Romana is located on Espanola Way in the heart of South Beach. This is a historic road decorated with fairy lights and a brick road, making everything look so unique and beautiful. Every restaurant is decorated differently based on the cultural tradition and this one really made me feel like I was in Italy. 

I didn’t expect much from the food since its located in a “tourist trap” area but I was stunned. The menu is enormous and the price for everything is very affordable. This may sound weird but the thing I liked about this place the most is the quality of their food. I’ve ordered calamari at countless restaurants in Miami and not once has it been cooked how it should be, everywhere serves small, super deep-fried calamari that all you can taste is the fried breading. I hate eating food soaked in oil and that’s all I can ever find since calamari isn’t a traditional food here. Hosteria Romana is the first place and still the only place where they have quality calamari and cook it properly like they would in Mediterranean countries. 

Also, the pasta was perfect. Maybe that’s just because I love pasta, but the portions were large and packed with lots of flavor. They also let you switch out the noodle type for your preference, which I thought was nice. I wish I was still hungry for dessert because they had many options, but I will make sure to save room next time. 

I need to go back 100 times to try everything on the menu. This place will be the first restaurant I go to when quarantine is over. 

Amara is a Latin America restaurant located in Miami, Florida. I love coming to Amara because it’s such a nice and peaceful restaurant at a great location. Amara is located at the Paraiso, a couple luxury apartment buildings, with modern finishes and a private elevator to your floor. 

Amara has so many reviews and awards, everybody thinks highly of this place. Located right on the bay, the view is amazing. There is also couches with tables that makes the vibe of this place so comfortable. Since your right on the water, if you come during sunset hours, you will be amazed with the view. 

Since the chef here has won many awards, you will love everything you eat. Also, the presentation is so unique and makes the experience so much nicer. The food here is all healthy which is nice, because when you go out to eat it’s very easy to eat unhealthy food. 

We all can admit it, we love going to nice places to eat that look pretty in pictures. With a fun atmosphere as well, Barton G is the best restaurant to go to for a funny and creative presentation with every item you order. Drinks, appetizers, main courses, and desserts all will blow you away when they are brought to your table. The only downfall is the prices. You definitely get what you pay for with the presentation and quality, but because of the luxury aspect of this restaurant everything is expensive. Barton G has locations in Miami Beach, Los Angeles and Chicago. 

Here you can enjoy drinks that you never thought of making before. This is the perfect place to try new drink combinations to recreate yourself. The food as well, all items are prepared by all-star chefs. Each item is packed with flavor and cooked to perfection. Combining different flavors isn’t something you would cook on your own but trying them here makes brings your senses to a whole new level. 

The best part is the presentation, funny, classy and dramatic. Every item is served with an over the top presentation. These presentations will take up every inch on your table adding to the fun atmosphere. It’s not worth explain, pictures will explain way better! 

There is no place like the Versace Mansion in Miami Beach. This is a very famous 5-start hotel located on the most popular street in Miami, Ocean Dr, that only the very rich or famous stay at. Now, you can come here too and have a little experience of the Versace Mansion for yourself. In 1992, the Mansion was purchased by the famous Italian fashion designer, Gianni Versace. Today. this famous landmark operates as a luxury boutique hotel, restaurant and event venue. This place is always packed with tourists taking pictures outside, only few are aloud in and reservations fill up quick! You can only enter at certain hours if you have a reservation, to keep the hotel exclusive to the guests staying here. 

If you plan ahead and book a table for lunch you can have a 3 course meal for $29! This is an incredible price for Miami Beach. You need to plan ahead and book early, there is limited spots and they fill up fast! Dinner here is much more expensive, so you have to make sure to get in during lunch hours! 

The menu at the Versace Mansion is so classy, the food is unique and served with a fancy presentation. Best of all, the portions are reasonable and worth every penny! 

More than the food, is the views of this historic mansion. This has been the house of Gianni Versace and the place he died at, all kept with the original layout and artwork. It is designed so unique, because of this it makes is so beautiful and popular. Also, tables surround the famous pool area that you see in every famous person’s Instagram. 

Overall, this place is a phenomenal restaurant, priced perfectly with an extremely unique atmosphere!  

If you’ve had enough of the loud Miami Beach energy and want to go out to a relaxing dinner, Sylvano is the place to go. This is a small Italian restaurant hidden behind all the crazy Miami life. Unlike everywhere else in Miami Beach, this place is quiet, hidden and affordable!! Sylvano is a cute small restaurant with an inside and outside seating area with two different vibes.

Inside it is more sporty, with large TVs always showing the games. Outside is completely different, so peaceful and beautiful. It makes you feel like you aren’t even in Miami and maybe in Bali. Since this restaurant is located in more of a residential neighborhood the outside area is all “inclosed” by bamboo shoots that act as a wall. This makes you feel like you are in a relaxing and tropical place.

The best part about this place is you can order lots of food and not worry about spending so much money! Their food is delicious and portions are generous. My friends always order pizzas and never can finish it all at once. Their pizzas are not typical, there are all prepared like a pizza you would see in Italy, with only Italian ingredients. Sylvano’s has so many different Italian pasta dishes as well. They have truffle pasta and truffle is so hard to find in Miami for a reasonable price.

Buon appetito! (: