I have a dirty secret. I have had a lot of fun in Miami. Were it not for the constant heat and humidity, I could easily live in South Beach. I have many memories of great nights, brilliant days, and even a flashpaper romance.
I dated a lovely young lawyer in Florida years ago and spent many weekends on JetBlue heading to Miami from Washington. It was a whirlwind romance with memories of Coconut Grove and South Beach and Little Havana. Aside from Anastasia’s startling beauty and intelligence, I remember South Beach’s Ocean Drive’s Deco craziness rife with thongs and Rollerblades and topless beaches and chic Latinos and New Yorkers and their associated coolness, hipness, hotness, and unattributable wealth.
Even with the cutting edge fashion and sex, South Beach still feels like it is from another time. My mom used to live in Fort Lauderdale and I almost took a job in South Beach in video production, so I have spent some time in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. I was clubbing in South Beach back in the early 90s, red velvet ropes and all.
I realized that I am not nearly hot enough to actually live in South Beach, but I always love visiting. On one of my last visits before we broke up, Anastasia introduced me to one of my favorite restaurants, Versailles. I know that it is not the magic hole in the wall, but it felt authentic to me, based on the theory that if locals are eating there — and there were loads of old Cuban men and large Cuban families, eating all sorts of foodstuff I couldn’t recognize and wouldn’t know how to order — it is pretty legit.
And, as a Scuba and freediver, I wonder how long I can avoid moving to Florida. I want to visit Florida ASAP and get some time underwater.
Versailles review from Frommers:
“Versailles is the meeting place of Miami’s Cuban power brokers, who meet daily over café con leche to discuss the future of the exiles’ fate. A glorified diner, the place sparkles with glass, chandeliers, murals, and mirrors meant to evoke the French palace. There’s nothing fancy here — nothing French, either — just straightforward food from the home country. The menu is a veritable survey of Cuban cooking and includes specialties such as Moors and Christians (flavorful black beans with white rice), ropa vieja (shredded beef stew), and fried whole fish. Versailles is the place to come for mucho helpings of Cuban kitsch. With its late hours, it’s also the perfect place to come after spending your night in Little Havana.”
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I have had the absolute opposite experience in South Beach / Miami Beach, but it might be my lack of connections there.