Looking to escape the wintery weather this year with a visit to South Florida?  Or are you a local looking to spice up your typical routine?

Here you go, a list of top spots in one of the HOT, up and coming US culinary scenes, Bienvenido a Miami….

Must eats:

* Sra Martinez or Michy’s are both excellent culinary destinations with James Beard award winning, Michelle Bernstein as the Executive Chef. Native to Miami, Bernstein blends her Latin and Jewish heritage into “luxurious but approachable food.”  So that you can make your choice, Sra Martinez is a Spanish tapas style restaurant located in the Design District; whereas Michy’s is more of a modern bistro using local farms and seafood on Biscayne Boulevard.

* Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, located in the Design District as well, is the creation of Michael Schwartz.  With a relaxed, bistro feel, you can enjoy an impressive wine list in combination with foods from its wood roasted oven. Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink comes recommended by not only The New York Times, but one of my well traveled peers, @Travelogged.

* Bin 18 is what Chef-Owner Alfredo Patino calls, “Roadside Mediterranean Cuisine.” Located within minutes from the Art Center, the European bistro allows its guests to explore wonderful wines and an ever-changing menu amongst its unusual decor of cement slabs on top of wine barrels.

* The Red Light, once a Chinese restaurant, has quickly turned into a budding sensation by Chef Kris Wessel. I stumbled upon this through a recommendation by another of my travel peers (via @Kcom). The menu changes weekly often featuring regional produce and seafood such as Florida spiny lobster or a wahoo fish dip.

Must see (walk, explore, rest, & perhaps eat/drink some more)

*Art Deco District – walk by the neon, pastel colored signs of the hotels lining Collins Avenue and stop in the Delano Hotel for a MIA cocktail at the Rose Bar. Don’t forget to head outside past the Blue Door Restaurant to take a peak at the pool, cabanas, and the view. (Thanks for seconding my opinion @Travelogged)

*Walk amongst the beautiful people and end at the Southern-most point of South Beach’s strip to spend a pampered, lazy day at Nikki’s beach. The ideal agenda is to grab a cabana and enjoy a pitcher of Mojitos (typical Cuban cocktail made with rum, sugar, mint, and soda water).

* Take a paseo on Lincoln Road while viewing the funky stores & art galleries including Britto and more. For a bite, perhaps stop at Pizza Rustica or Ice Box

Come and visit South Florida, where what’s hot is a combination of the weather, the people, and the culinary scene!!

If you have other favorites that I didn’t mention, please comment and share the must see / must do / must eat in Miami!

For those of you unfamiliar with Art Basel, it is a modern and contemporary art exhibition that is held annually in Switzerland and for the last 7 years has traveled to Miami. Yesterday was my first time experiencing the event in South Florida despite hearing of the fame and celebrity draw. Only now, can I truly attest that Art Basel is a whirlwind of people watching, perplexing art, and lots of shock value. I spent a half day there and left no better than how I felt after running the 2004 Boston Marathon in 80+ degree weather. It was exhausting.

The majority of the pieces involved not only your visual sense to be engaged, but also the inner being…..how do I feel about this piece?. It was clear to me that shock value has much to do with this chapter in Art. You must walk by and then revisit many of the gallery exhibits for you to truly understand…..what did I just see? And, what in the hell was the message behind this?

The PJ champagne was flowing from carts zigzagging the halls and many Ferraris and supped up cars were lining the street; however, the overarching message despite the glitz and glam was that Art is to provoke emotion. Whether you enjoy traditional pieces like a portrait photo or canvas work, those positive emotions are not all that can be addressed. Through daily life, emotions such as fear, disgust, sexual freedom, anger, and prejudice are silenced, but not at Art Basel.

It was inspiring. I left feeling that my senses had taken the test. And now, I feel that I have another creative juice running through my veins. It is evident that if you put yourself in an environment so unlimited that you too become unlimited.

It is with theme of no limits that I leave you with….

Art and Travel have so much in common; they allow deep exploration by crossing boundaries whether physical, mental or emotional.

I have been Basel-ed….