Weekend Getaway: South Florida

Last weekend, I jetted to Florida for a quick getaway to sunbathe and celebrate Justin’s bubbe’s 85th birthday. Justin and I were both overdue for some R&R (doesn’t Christmas feel like it was eons ago?), so the timing was impeccable. I was especially excited because I’d never visited Florida and love any vacation spot that allows me to log some beach time. Here’s a look at the sights and bites of our stay.

{Sunrise from our balcony at the Lago Mar Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale after our red-eye arrival}

{El Brazo Fuerte, a 35 year-old Cuban bakery in Miami that consistently tops “Best Of” lists}

{Guava, Guava and Cream Cheese, and Meat Pastelitos (turnover-like pastries) with an addictive Cafe con Leche. All of this was under $6.00!}

{A rainbow of macarons at the newly opened Laduree on Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road}

{An art deco-inspired macaron box exclusive to the Miami location}

{Rose, “Marie Antoinette,” Lemon Verbena, Raspberry and Pistachio Macarons}

{Lunch at Florida Cookery at the James Royal Palm in Miami}

{Pomegranate Cucumber Mojito}

{Michelada Cubana: Tecate, Lime, Maggi, Clamato, Cholula, Salt}

{Surf and Turf Tostada: Guava Pulled Pork and Lime Jalapeno Shrimp with Papaya Slaw}

{Guava Smoked Pork Sandwich}

{Azucar Ice Cream Company, artisanal ice cream inspired by Cuban and tropical flavors}

{A scoop of tart, refreshing, creamy Guava Ice Cream}

{Mai Kai, a tiki-themed bar and restaurant plus “Polynesian Islander Revue!” It is the only restaurant or bar still serving the original recipes of Don the Beachcomber’s.}

{We had a little bit of trouble narrowing down the drink options from their epic menu}

{Tahitian Breeze: Rum, Passion Fruit, Juice}

{Does it get any more tiki than rum in a whole pineapple?}

{Mai Tai}

{Above: Justin’s bubbe, poised to blow out the candles on her cake after dinner at 3030 Ocean and before her husband yelled, “Give it a blowjob!” Below: After. }

{Sunbathing poolside on the last day of our trip}

{A walk on the beach}

El Brazo Fuerte
www.ebfbakery.com

1697 SW 32nd Ave
Miami, FL 33145
(305) 444-7720

Laduree
www.laduree.com
1118 Lincoln Rd
Miami Beach, FL 33139

Florida Cookery at the James Royal Palm

www.florida-cookery.com
1545 Collins Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(786) 276-0333

Azucar Ice Cream Company

www.azucaricecream.com

1503 SW 8th St
Miami, FL 33135
(305) 381-0369

Mai Kai
www.maikai.com
3599 N Federal Hwy
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
(954) 563-3272

3030 Ocean
www.3030ocean.com
Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa
3030 Holiday Dr
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
(954) 765-3030

A Few of My Favorite Things: Macaron-Inspired Miscellany

I’m hard-pressed to come up with a dessert that’s cuter than the bite-sized, brightly-colored macaron. Not to be confused with your Bubbe’s macaroons, a French macaron consists of flavored filling sandwiched between two meringue-based cookies. Macarons have become rather trendy of late and are making an appearance in adorable non-edible forms, which I’ve been snatching up.

If you’re also a Laduree-lover (or ‘Lette…or Bottega Louie…or Pierre Herme…), here’s how you can get your fix:

These tea towels (set of 3, Paper Source) really brighten up the kitchen. I’m using them for decorative purposes only, of course! I couldn’t stand to dirty them.

This lip gloss (also Paper Source) may be thicker than my powder compact, but its cute factor more than makes up for the space it takes up in my make-up bag. The lip gloss is a sheer, shimmery pink that’s perfect on its own for a natural look or can top another color to add sheen.

The piece de resistance, however, of my recent macaron-related purchases is this dainty box (Urban Outfitters). These macaron boxes have been sold out for months (frustrating me to no end) so, now that they’re back in stock, I ordered a few, and they’re great jewelry holders and a lovely addition to my bedroom tray.

What other food-inspired trinkets do you love?

Paulette Macarons

Few sweet snacks are cheerier than cute, pastel-colored French macarons. I defy anyone with a sweet tooth to look at the little guys and not smile!

Although cupcakes have long held a monopoly on trendy desserts in Los Angeles, macarons (or “macaroons” with English spelling) are getting some well-deserved air time of their own.

Recently on NPR, both “All Things Considered” and Evan Kleiman’s “Good Food” profiled the sweet treats (podcasts linked). Among the macaron spots listed in the “Good Food” segment were Bottega Louie and Jin Patisserie, which I have visited, and Paulette, which I had not heard of. Unacceptable, said I.

Located in Beverly Hills, Paulette–the brainchild of Paulette Kometz and French pastry chef Christophe Michelak–specializes in macarons with flavors ranging from classics like Madagascar vanilla to seasonal flavors like New Orleans praline.

The interior of Paulette is hip, modern and brightly colored–like a technicolor Pinkberry.

As you enter the shop, you are greeted by a sea of macarons in every color imaginable. Some of the macarons’ cookie shells even have beautiful marbled designs on them, which I had not seen before. *Cue Cheshire Cat grin*

My smile quickly faded, however, when I saw Paulette’s prices. $1.60 for one macaron? Oy. Heeding J’s insistence that $10.50 was too much to pay for 6 macarons, I ordered a mini-box of two for $4.00. Wait…did I just pay $0.80 for a box? Sigh.

Then I waited patiently until I got home so that I could take proper pictures of my rose and passion fruit macarons and then eat them…

Who am I kidding? I tore into my mini box as soon I got into the car.

Still bemoaning the price of these puppies (and the fact that we might have been unjustly ticketed by a bitchy parking enforcement officer–but more on that later), I took my first bite of the rose macaron. What happened went something like this:

Me: “I can’t believe I just– *bite* Oh my God. OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod.”

The cookies were incredibly light and airy, and, between the cookies, was not just cream or ganache but both. This was mind-blowingly delicious.

Next up was the passion fruit. This was so good that I begged J to risk that any of its ingredients were non-Kosher for Passover and take a bite. The flavor of the passion fruit ganache was pure, clean and strong. Nommmm.

Be forewarned, though, that with curbs unnecessarily painted red and a busy surrounding area, the parking situation is a bitch–almost as bitchy as the woman who will ticket you. When J pulled up for me to get into the car, a parking enforcement officer yelled that it was a no-stopping zone from 4PM-6PM. As I went to get into the car, she began taking our license plate. Sorry I can’t instantaneously teleport from the curb into the car, lady.

With my first bite, Paulette’s macarons instantly became the standard against which I will compare all others–even though they’re definitely pricy…and may end up costing me a lot more than $4.

Paulette
www.paulettemacarons.com
9466 Charleville Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 275-0023