Your Weekend Getaway Guide: Miami

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Not feelin’ Miami? Check out our Weekend Getaway Guides for Tampa, Tallahassee, Boca Raton, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville and St. Augustine.

 

Contrary to popular belief, Miami is a culturally diverse and multidimensional city that offers more than just sandy beaches populated by thong-clad women and the pounding untz untz of nightclubs. It certainly does offer those things, if that’s what you’re after, but there is a whole world beyond the neon-lit streets of South Beach.

Miami has grown and developed considerably these last few years. It seems as though there’s a new restaurant/hotel/club/bar/museum opening its doors every other day, giving both Miami locals and visitors a seriously wide array of options when looking for a good meal, a good time or just a fun place to relax with friends.

With the spring semester upon us and football season in our rearview mirrors (amen), weekends leave a lot to be desired. What better way to substitute game day debauchery than with a quick and relaxing getaway to South Florida? Whether you drive, fly or take a bus, the few hours you’ll spend getting there and back are insignificant in the big-picture sense.

The destination is, without a doubt, worth every minute of the journey.

Expected time of arrival: Friday, 6 p.m.

Dinner

Whether you’re in town with a significant other or a group of friends, either of these two Design District gems will hit the spot.

Mandolin Aegean Bistro

Price range: $11-$30
Mandolin’s combination of Greek and Turkish dishes and dimly lit patio work together to suspend diners from their current realities and make them feel as though they’ve stepped through a door to the Mediterranean.
The service at this restaurant is never short of pleasant and the food never less than perfect.
Step out of the box and try their grilled octopus appetizer, or stay snug in your comfort zone and order their village pasta, both of which are delicious.

Reservations recommended.

Harry’s Pizzeria

Price range: $11-$30
Harry’s, owned by the beyond-gifted Michael Schwartz, will make you fall in love with pizza all over again, and then again with each additional bite you take.
This restaurant is in no way misleading with its claim that it brings “more fresh, simple, pure food and drink to the Miami Design District.” It’s plain to see, or, rather, taste, that each and every ingredient you consume is at its peak quality.
Their menu consists of main-stays, like the polenta fries, and signature pizzas but their daily specials keep patrons guessing and, of course, coming back for more.

Post-dinner fun

Hop in a cab because DUIs are no good. (But Bardot is.)

Bardot

Bardot is an intimate lounge and live music venue that, thanks to its talent buyer and UF alumnus David Sinopoli, has offered its patrons top-notch audible chocolate. It’s DJ booth has been graced by the likes of Q-Tip and its “carpet” has been the stage for an eclectic range of bands, such as Toro y Moi, the Brazilian Girls and Twin Sister.
The walls are adorned by eye-catching art and their full bar serves up great specialty drinks, like the honey mule, a blend of ginger beer, honey vodka and lime garnished with a mint leaf.
For those who confident with their hand-eye coordination after a few trips to the bar, there is a billiards table in the back. Proceed with caution.

Late-night Yum

Because the night isn’t truly complete without a fourth meal.

Gigi

Price range: $10-$25
Literally next door to Bardot is Gigi, an innovative noodles and barbecue restaurant that’s open till 3 a.m. Their menu is constantly changing up but you can always expect the buns. Buns are pretty much what their name suggests but taste exponentially better than they sound: mushrooms, roasted pork or beef enveloped by impossibly fluffy dough. Thank me later.

Hair of the Dog

‘Cause, obviously.

OTC

Price Range: $10-30
Solid breakfast staples and bottomless mimosas. ‘Nuff said.

Fun in da Sun

The weather is too nice for you to succumb to a hangover, so suck it up.

South Beach Kayak

(Peruse Groupon for discounts/deals.)
Engaging in mild “physical activity” is a good way to fool yourself into thinking you lead a healthy, active lifestyle. Rent a kayak or paddleboard and try to escape from your sins while getting a tan.
If that proves too physically strenous, miles of sand and ocean are within close reach.

Saturday Night

Doraku

Happy hour price range: $10-$20
Doraku offers a 5 to 7 p.m. happy hour menu that can’t be beat. Its Lincoln Road location is a plus — great stores, like Taschen and Scotch & Soda. within walking distance and prime people watching.

The Broken Shaker

The Broken Shaker is a James Beard Award-nominated cocktail bar that serves up handcrafted cocktails in a welcoming, outdoor atmosphere. Located in the back patio of the Freehand Hostel, formerly the Indian Creek Hotel, the Broken Shaker’s the perfect place if you’re looking for good drinks and good vibes.

Sunday Brunch

Yardbird Southern Table & Bar

Price range: $30-60
If you’re feeling at all homesick of Gainesville, brunch at Yardbird will appease you. Miami being situated in the southern region of Florida is little reminder that you’re in the South, but Yardbird’s menu of Southern staples like chicken biscuits and shrimp and grits will bring you right back. Portion sizes are sharing-appropriate.

Reservation recommended.

AND last but certainly not least…

Culture Shock

Pérez Art Museum

Student (with ID) admission fee: $8
The Pérez Art Museum of Miami is a modern and contemporary museum that opened to its doors to the public in December 2013. PAMM surrounds visitors with art and beauty before they even enter the building; hanging gardens and bronze statues of various animals heads decorate the front courtyard.
The 200,000-square foot museum offers a rich rotation of photographs, painting and installation exhibits. It is currently home to a Hew Locke installation titled “For Those in Peril on the Sea,” which consists of replicas of different types of ships hanging from the ceiling. PAMM’s calendar of exhibits consistently boasts renowned artists from all parts of the world and never ceases to amaze.

 

Not feelin’ Miami? Check out our Weekend Getaway Guides for Tampa, Tallahassee, Boca Raton, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville and St. Augustine. 

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