Sweet Liberty's a gem in quiet SoBe area
Away from the craziness that can be South Beach (even though c'mon we all know we still love it, I mean what's not to love?), quietly doling out masterful cocktails and food is Sweet Liberty.Walk inside and you're immediately enveloped in an environment of exposed silver ducts overhead, a huge fully stocked bar, old school red leather booths, funky mismatched chairs and a neon sign that reads "Pursue Happiness." That's easy to do in this spot where you'll want to linger, hang and lounge.Lounging's easy, especially with a cocktail menu that's cleverly divided into "Fancy Cocktails" and "Classy Classics" (my favorites).The bartenders have some competition here though because the food coming out of the kitchen is stellar too.
Mushroom toast is a hearty appetizer consisting of a confit of meaty wild mushrooms, mushroom puree, light fresh ricotta and a hearty aged balsamic atop rustic toast. Crispy, crunchy and satisfying.
The beet and farro risotto is a vegetarian option that's certainly worth trying. The creamy farro takes the place of arborio rice and is a perfect replacement. That's nestled on a bed of rich, bright red beet jus, topped with fresh asparagus and surrounded by dots of creamy goat cheese.
Another great light option are the swordfish tacos. Bite into a warm corn tortilla filled with hearty grilled swordfish, mango pico de gallo and creamy avocado then take a forkful of the peach frisee salad that's served alongside.These are just some of the menu offerings. Definitely their burger, shrimp 'n grits and tuna poke are other great choices.Looking forward to getting back there and trying some of those, and maybe someday even working my way through the menu. Certainly there are plenty of other cocktails to try too. Brunch there suddenly sounds like a great idea.Sweet Liberty, 237-B 20 St., Miami Beach, 305-763-8217 https://mysweetliberty.com
