Miami is a city full of tricks and traps. Only the most cunning get out of here alive; of those, a small few escape well-fed.
It’s that time again in the Magic City; the weather is beautiful- cool and dry. Some of Miami’s best restaurants have joined together in a two month-long campaign to get locals out and eating at restaurants most commonly filled by tourists. Certain restaurants are serving up amazing deals; others are just riding the gravy train. Diners beware!
Here’s how it works: Each restaurant picks a three-course menu; appetizer, entrée, and dessert for $35 per person. The better restaurants will offer 4 options per course, and each option should be something that sounds delicious and exciting.
The Restaurant at The Setai is a perfect example: a three-course dinner on any given night runs about $150 per person. During Miami Spice, with drinks and tip, it’s more like $80. This is still worth it! Peking duck spring rolls and the avocado and papaya squid (call it calamari if it makes you feel better) were so good and kept on getting better. The Mee Goreng (code for chicken and shrimp pad-Thai) was spicy, tangy and sweet. Ramen noodles with pork belly and poached “hen egg” (code for normal, everyday egg) were the best I’ve ever had: perfectly cooked, just slightly al dente. The dessert I chose was a killer creamy jasmine-chocolate-fudge-mousse bar atop of a cocoa shortbread cookie. I was so full by the time dessert came I could hardly eat the sinful little treat. Dinner was superb.
Here’s where it gets tricky. Good thing for CSI: Miami.
While Miami Spice lets you savor some of the city’s best cuisine for a fraction of the usual price, not every participating restaurant is worth it. At Kung Fu Kitchen & Sushi, ordinarily inexpensive à la carte items like the Seaweed Salad ($8), Vegetable Pad-Thai ($10) and dessert $7 (all offered on Miami Spice) aren’t any better a value than their menu for the rest of the year.
So where do you go?
I could give you a great list, but I’d rather help you figure it out on your own. Here are a few clues, gumshoe:
Pick a menu with more than two options from ilovemiamispice.com, then make sure you can’t get the same meal for less off the regular menu.
If the two entrée options are chicken and salmon, don’t go — that’s not creative at all. If the steak is only 5 oz., don’t go — that’s just not cool. And finally, if you can order food off the regular menu for less than $35, go — just please don’t order off the Miami Spice menu.
Remember, there’s nothing spicy about having to pick up a pizza after dropping a hundo on dinner.
For more details on participating venues, please visit www.ilovemiamispice.com
Image Credit: Miami Spice
I’ve never seen csi miami, but from this clip it looks ridiculously awful.
I’m one of the few who got out well feed!!