Around Miami

When I think of golf, I think of my dad. As bizarre as it may sound, one of my earliest memories is of getting thumped in the chest by one of dad’s stray shots and having the wind knocked out of me. I was only four, and I was very lucky it wasn’t my head or my eye that took the hit.

Like most traumatic events, everything happened in slow motion. My dad and my uncle waving frantically for me to get out of the way. Tiny, four-year-old me looking up and trying to see the where the ball was. Getting a sudden, hard whack on my ribcage and crying my eyes out till the pain went away. Being rushed home in the car and hearing my mother give dad the what-for on the wisdom of having your child out on a golf course in the first place.

This may or may not be the reason why I never took up golf. But then again, it was the Seventies – and Chris Evert was every young girl’s sports hero, with her perky white skirts and celebrity line of tennis rackets. And yes, for all you Gen Xers out there, those tennis rackets were made out of wood. So tennis – not golf – became my sport of choice.

When dad retired, he played golf about four days a week at a private club on Miami Beach. One night at dinner, he told us that Dolphins Coach Don Shula had given him a pat on the butt (macho, football-guy style) after he’d made a particularly nice shot. Of course, dad was star-struck and joked about how he might not wash that particular “cheek” ever again.

Dad shared a locker at the golf club with the famous jockey Eddie Arcaro, who was the only jockey to ride two Triple Crown champions (Whirlaway and Citation), and who was, according to my father, “One heck of a nice guy.” Both my dad and Mr. Arcaro were from Ohio, and had a lot to talk about between rounds.

Flash forward to 2008 and Miami is still a golfer’s paradise. Still the reason so many folks schedule “important business trips” in the middle of winter. The allure of playing a few rounds while the rest of the country is knee-deep in snow will keep Miami forever on the golf map. There are more than 50 private and public courses in Greater Miami, including Doral’s famed Blue Monster, Crandon Park with its stunning skyline view, and the elegant Biltmore course. These courses are what golf dreams are made of.

One of the loveliest public courses in the country is Miami Beach Golf Club, which uses an environmentally friendly grass strain – Seashore Paspalum - that can be nourished by seawater or reclaimed water. Jackie Gleason and Arnold Palmer played here, along with present day celebs like Matt Damon, former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino and President Bill Clinton.

Glitzy golf resorts are one of Miami’s biggest attractions. You wake up in a room with a view and head right out to the greens. At these resorts, non-duffers like myself definitely don’t suffer. We can pamper ourselves with spa treatments, laze on the beach, dine at gourmet restaurants and generally have a fabulous time being a golf widow or widower. If miniature golf is your thing - or you need a place to wear out the kids - check out Glow Golf at Dolphin Mall. This indoor, glow-in-the-dark 18-hole miniature golf course welcomes all ages -- and you don’t have to worry about the weather. Miami also offers several good golf camps during the summer months. Miami Dade Parks Summer Camps runs a Golf Camp for kids ages ages 7 to17, with one-week sessions (full- or half-day) available from June 5 to August 4.

Tip: If you have an unexpected layover in Miami, you can get in a quick round of golf by staying at the Wyndham Miami Airport, which is just a quarter mile from the airport terminal. If you’re planning a trip here, Tee Times USA (1-800-374-8633) offers advanced golf times as well as assistance with golf package vacations.

Whatever your handicap, there are plenty of places where you can get out on the links with friends, enjoy a cool breeze and a cool drink -- and come up with a good excuse why you can’t make it to the office on Monday.


UPCOMING GOLF EVENTS:

17th Annual H.O.T. Challenge Golf Tournament
May 9, 2008
Doral Golf Resort & Spa
4400 NW 87th Ave.
Miami, FL 33178
This annual tournament raises money for the Visitor Industry Council, which provides scholarships to students of African descent committed to working in the local visitor industry upon graduation.

Zo’s Summer Groove
July 9 - 13, 2008
Doral Golf Resort & Spa
4400 NW 87th Ave.
Miami, FL 33178
Join Miami HEAT star Alonzo Mourning and friends for a day of golfing fun. Highlights include a buffet breakfast, food and drinks throughout the course, contests, goodie bags and a post-event awards ceremony. Visit http://www.zsg.com for exact dates of golf event.

Miccosukee Championship
October 2008
This tournament is part of the PGA Tour. For ticket information, call (888) 939-GOLF.

World Golf Championships - CA Championship at Doral
March 18 - 23, 2008
Annual PGA tournament brings the best golfers in the world to Miami for a star-studded competition.

 

 

Every year during March, I like to head south. No, not South America (though Buenos Aires is certainly tempting) or even South of the Border. I simply drive a little ways south of my home to a lovely, rural part of Miami called the Redland. While it’s true that the words ‘rural’ and ‘Miami’ are usually not found in the same sentence, in this case they definitely belong together.

The Redland was discovered by pioneers in the late 1800s. They guessed (correctly) that this area would be excellent for growing fruits and vegetables, since this southern corner of the state is rarely prone to frost. With a lot of hard work, the farmers who settled here soon produced beans, tomatoes, corn, mangos, avocados and other tropical fruits like lychee and longan. Driving down the long country roads of the Redland, you can spot historic homesteads built from coral rock, as well as newer ranches where city slickers have escaped the urban craziness and started their own orchid farms.

This weekend, I plan to make a southerly jaunt to the Redland to check out the Asian Culture Festival at the Fruit & Spice Park. If you’re a plant lover, this is one cool park. If you’re not into plants, I guarantee you will find something to love about this place. Fruit & Spice Park grows more than 500 varieties of fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, nuts, and other commercially important plant specimens from around the world. You can see 125 varieties of mango, 75 varieties of bananas, 70 bamboo varieties, and numerous other exotic edibles here. You can also munch on exotic tropical fruit like longans and lychees at the Tasting Counter inside the gift shop. Or buy unusual jams and jellies to impress the folks back home. Habañero pepper jelly, anyone?

Among many eye-catching attractions at the Asian Culture Festival is the food. This festival is a spectacle of delicious eats, from savory Thai satay with peanut dipping sauce to spicy hot Korean barbecue. I shamelessly gorge myself on enough Pad Thai, egg rolls, spring rolls and fried rice to last me until the following year. Everything is fresh and delicious, and there are plenty of shady spots to lay back and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. Of course there’s also culture at the Asian Culture Festival. It’s not just about the food.

In between bites, my family and I love to watch the dancing. Traditional dances from Japan, China, Thailand, Bangladesh and India are performed beneath a large white tent. Talented young dancers thrill the crowd with their elastic movements. Pounding drum beats and colorful, elaborate costumes add to the excitement. The dancing continues throughout the day, so there is plenty of time to check out the numerous booths selling Asian crafts and, of course, grab another egg roll.

Fun stuff sold at the festival includes baskets, saris, kimonos, wind chimes, musical instruments, bamboo crafts, jewelry and perfumes – as well as an assortment of gorgeous orchids and other tropical plants and trees. This festival reminds me of why I choose to live in Miami. The weather is almost always picture-perfect, and you can buy orchids and beautiful tropical fruits amidst the beauty of an exotic tropical garden. I remember what March was like when I lived in Boston, and it can be summed up like this: cold mud, wet mud, and dried mud.

There are many other attractions in the Redland which are well worth a stop. Driving and finding places in this rural area can be tricky. The best way to get oriented is with a good map of Miami Dade County, and by visiting the Historic Redland Tropical Trail web site, which pinpoints area attractions like Schnebly’s Redlands Winery, Everglades Alligator Farm, Robert Is Here Fruit Stand and R.F. Orchids with easy-to-follow driving directions. The Tropical Everglades Visitor Center, located at 160 U.S. 1 in Florida City, also provides maps and other information about the Redland.

So go check out Miami's wild side. The one that's approximately 30 miles from South Beach!

I’m making dinner reservations for August. Sound strange? Not really.

August kicks off Miami Spice Restaurant Month, and folks who are familiar with this annual citywide dining promotion like to plan ahead. This is the time to check out Miami’s hottest restaurants – and still have money left over to pay the babysitter.

During August and September, the Miami Spice promotion lets you savor fantastic three-course meals for just $22 for lunch and $35 for dinner. Think about it – three courses for just $22! These are some of the best chefs in the country. Are you hungry yet?

The Miami Spice restaurants are an all-star roster of top chefs and Zagat-rated dining establishments. Some new, some old – all dishing out tantalizing cuisine at prices that won’t scare your date – whether it’s a Man Date, First Date, Blind Date or plain ol’ Dinner Date.

Old favorites include Chef Allen’s, Mark’s South Beach, Azul, China Grill, Blue Door at Delano and Christy’s. Spice newcomers include Table 8, South Beach; David Bouley Evolution; Food Gang; Michael's Genuine Food & Drink; The Oceanaire Seafood Room; GNU Restaurant & Lounge and several more places that I simply can’t wait to try.

Every year at this time, my office pals and I start chatting about our favorite restaurants. We plot, we plan, we compare notes.

“I want to go back to Azul. Remember how good it was when we went last summer?”

“Oooh, the Caesar salad at Christy’s… It’s as delicious as their steaks!”

“We ate and Chef Allen’s and the dessert was to-die-for!”

“Who has a birthday coming up? We need an excuse to take a long lunch during Miami Spice Month.”

And so on.

For lunch, we venture to places close to the office. For dinner, we make plans with friends and significant others who really appreciate fine dining. Don’t waste a Miami Spice meal on your Aunt Mabel who’s back on Pritikin. It’s much too special for her.

This year’s presenting sponsor is American Express. If you’re a cardholder, you can get advance reservations at the participating restaurants. Another cool thing: several of the Miami Spice restaurants offer special food and wine events, including themed dinners, wine tastings and cooking classes. At Talula’s Forks & Corks Fridays, you can sample four-course wine dinners with catchy themes like Tuscan Nights, Vino Latino and Tour d’France. On Tuesday nights, Chef Allen’s offers cooking demonstrations using exotic spices from Southeast Asia, North Africa, the Caribbean and elsewhere.

Like my cubicle-mates, you should appreciate Miami Spice Restaurant Month for the culinary gift that it is. Many of us (myself included) get too busy at certain times of the year to make time for the finer things in life. In Miami, summer brings a more relaxed pace – and eating out offers a few distinct advantages over busier seasons. On South Beach, nobody’s barreling at you 90 mph trying to steal a parking space. On the mainland, there’s no snooty Maitre d’ telling you how impossibly booked they are for the next 12 weeks. Valet lines? Nothing like Boat Show weekend, that's for sure.

So now’s the time to get gussied up and get out on the town. Browse the Miami Spice menus, pick a few favorites and get ready indulge yourself.

Remember to tip well.

 

For information, visit www.ilovemiamispice.com

 

 

At least four of my closest friends are vacationing in France this summer. And with a list of home improvements as big as the Eiffel Tower, you can guess where I’ll be. Right in my own backyard, that’s where.

So today’s blog is devoted to all things French. The only catch is that they are all right here in Miami. No expensive plane flights or feeling Euro-poor for me. I plan to savor the flavor of France without even packing a bag.

Let’s start with cuisine. Miami’s French restaurants may not compete in number with say, Italian, Cuban or Argentine parrillada joints, but they do exist. And they will make you happy. When I’m craving a big ol’ plate of steak and frites, I head for Brasserie Les Halles in Coral Gables. The waiters are unfailingly pleasant and the ambience makes you feel as if you’re at a bistro along Boulevard St. Germain. Menu items include brasserie standards like coq au vin, poulet roti (roast chicken), cassoulet and a decent crème brulee. Another plus: they are nice to children. This is something that always elicits a generous tip from moi.

My favorite French hang is pricey, but still cheaper than a night in Paris. La Goulue is an upscale new bistro located in the equally upscale Bal Harbour Shops. Need a fromage fix? This is your place. The bread is crusty, the house rosé rocks, and the waiters are only slightly less haughty than the mall’s shopkeepers. The food here, quite simply, has captured my stomach in a big way. I pine for La Goulue’s lobster and cheese croque monsieur, their heavenly pesto-smothered escargot, seductive salads and sinful lemon tarte. La Goulue means “the glutton” – and it is easy to turn into one here. I don’t mind forking over the big bucks for food like this. You may even spot a celeb or two. I saw Shaq stroll by on Valentine’s Day. He was carrying a jewelry bag (perhaps with some nice ice?) for lucky Mrs. Shaq.

If it’s French culture you crave, then it’s Alliance Francaise to the rescue. This French cultural center offers language courses, films, concerts, wine tastings and other special events throughout the year. Alliance Francaise is located close to downtown Miami, and is great place to meet other Francophiles.

Fête de la Musique, a worldwide celebration of summer held each year on June 21st, originated in France. This year, Miami’s Fête de la Musique will take place at Gusman Center for the Performing Arts and will feature a world music concert and other fun activities. Fête de la Musique is sponsored by the French Consulate, which is an excellent local resource for information about France, including visas, passports, studying and working abroad and more.

If creating a delightfully French home environment is your goal, I can recommend two places. Country French, on Red Road in South Miami, is a beautiful home decor store offering French table linens, candles, soaps, fragrances, antique furniture and knick-knacks. A new store just opened on MacFarlane Road in Coconut Grove called the French Way (or something similar). From my drive-by peeks in their window, I've seen candles, lavender sachets, jacquard linens, olive oil and other cool stuff for Francophiles. You can’t miss the store – it’s catty-corner from CocoWalk, the Grove’s big outdoor mall. Now try saying “catty-corner from CocoWalk” ten times fast…

Some final French tips before I sign off: check out the newly opened Cefalo’s Wine Cellar & Spirits to sample flights of French wine; try getting a table at Café Pastis in South Miami (I have never been able to – the place is packed around the clock and friends rave about it); stop in for a bite at Le Bouchon du Grove (another extremely popular bistro in the heart of Coconut Grove); engage in multi-course haute cuisine heaven at La Palme d’Or, the Biltmore Hotel’s très élégante (and expensive) French restaurant. And for Bastille Day fun this July 14th, head over to Les Halles or Hotel Sofitel and hoist a glass of Champagne.

One final thing, if you decide to go to La Goulue, please take me with you!

Everyone’s heard the phrase Moon Over Miami. The song was written in 1935, followed by a rag-tag 1941 musical comedy starring Betty Grable and Don Ameche. The moon is still rising over Miami on a regular basis, and women are still coming to town trying to snag rich husbands (the movie’s plot and the source of much general wackiness on the part of its characters).

Nowadays, however, the full moon inspires more than silly cat-and-mouse games of romance. Outdoor concerts, moonlight garden tours, bike rides and kayak and canoe trips are just a few of the ongoing events that happen when the moon is over Miami. Now that I’ve been to one, I can’t wait to go check out the others.

I spent a truly enjoyable evening under the stars at The Barnacle in Coconut Grove. The Barnacle holds the distinction of being the oldest Miami home still standing in the same location. Built in 1891, this lovely wooden house constructed by Commodore Ralph Munroe has withstood the test of time and is one of the city’s hidden gems. Thanks to a patch of native hammock buffering it from the hustle and bustle of downtown Coconut Grove, The Barnacle really feels like a place frozen in time. A gently sloping lawn stretches down toward the bay. The original boat house sits a few feet from the water’s edge. Nearby, a large pole barn gets used for old-fashioned square dances, which take place several times a year in an effort to re-create some of the Victorian-era fun of the Barnacle’s heyday.

This was my first Barnacle Under Moonlight concert. I watched crowds of locals toting beach chairs and picnic baskets to grassy spots on the lawn. The smart ones got there early and secured seats with decent views of the stage. I spread out my blanket, stretched my legs and got ready for the concert to start. A nice lady next to me offered a taste of her spiced pecans. I’d had no time to prepare my own picnic, so I gladly accepted. Officially, there is a no-alcohol rule in the park, but let’s just say I saw more than a few folks discreetly breaking the rules on this gorgeous starry night.

I sat back and enjoyed the breeze off the bay while the Alhambra Orchestra entertained the crowd with a lively selection of American show tunes and classical favorites. Back behind the stage, groups of kids ran around with glow sticks and chased each other on the grass. As night came on, everyone oohed and aahhed when they saw the rust-colored moon popping up through the banyan trees. This was the night of a lunar eclipse, so everyone made sure to watch the moon as it rose over Biscayne Bay, slowly losing the earth’s shadow and then glowing brightly over the water.

The crowd was happy, enjoying the perfect night and singing along to ‘My Favorite Things’ and ‘Edelweiss’ from the Sound of Music. Parents periodically vacated their lawn chairs to check on the kids playing on the back lawn. I made a mental note to bring some gourmet picnic food with me the next time around. The spiced pecans tided me over for a while, but I was craving a nice glass of Pinot Noir and some more substantial nibble food than the Snickers bar I grabbed on my way out the door.

The entire time I was at the concert, I had this giddy sort of vacation feeling. It was obvious – not for the first time – how truly magical Miami can be. This perfect moonlit night was mine to enjoy – the live music, a comfy blanket under the stars, a soft bay breeze and the pleasure of being in a big international city but sensing how it must have felt to have lived here a century ago.