restaurant month: i l♥ve miami spice.

i love to eat (uh.. who doesn't?!) and it shows.  next week, i will be miami-bound for 5 days to visit christina, and it is incredibly perfect timing.  why?  besides spending some quality time with my bff and the dancefloor, it's MIAMI SPICE, a 2-month summer restaurant promotion that is quite similar to restaurant week, and i CANNOT wait!  *nomnomnom*

miami spice runs from august 1 - september 30 this year and offers a 3-course lunch and dinner meal for $22 and $35, respectively, at the many participating restaurants.  it is the perfect way to sample some of miami's best world-class cuisines without emptying your wallet as you normally would without these fantastic specials.  (heck, i probably wouldn't even go to some of these restaurants because they are so darn expensive - thank goodness for these types of promotions.)  miami has delectable food, and with a wide variety (cuban, asian, american, mediterranean, caribbean, etc..  you name it, they've got it!) i'm sure you'll find something to arouse your tastebuds and satisfy those different cravings.  and i must personally say, it tastes even better when it's cheaper.

two summers ago, i was in miami during miami spice and took advantage of the amazing deals.  i had dinner at emeril's south beach and engorged myself with all the indescribable savors of the steak, duck, and salad that we ordered.  and the dessert was quite scrumptious, as well.  another night, i had a latin craving and decided to try out yuca, located on lincoln road, and it was absolutely orgasmic.  the flavors of the argentinean steak skirt, seasoned rice, grounded potatoes, and fried plantains mingled together so wonderously, i swear they were destined to be together (my mouth is watering just thinking about it!).

for this upcoming miami trip, i have composited a "to-eat" list (yes, really), with my top 5 places (in no particular order) i'd like to go for miami spice this year:

1) the forge restaurant and wine bar (dinner)

2) yuca - yes, again.. mmmmm (dinner)

3) vida at fontainebleau (dinner)

4) tamara at national hotel (lunch)

5) la marea (lunch)

i am absolutely excited for next wednesday to come, not only for miami spice (nomnomnom! i might possibly come back fatter than i already am), but to spend some good quality time with excellent company! ♥ better start making some reservations to these places since it's going to be for a party of 8!