Tour of Lincoln Rd. ends with stop at Time Out Market Miami
Lincoln Road is seeing a return to it's first days as a hotbed of independent stores with a few of them opening up alongside the chains like Banana Republic, American Eagle, Anthropologie, Express and H&M.
Returning to Lincoln Road so far are Fritz's Skate, Bike & Surf Shop, the Dog Bar and Lulu Laboratorium. More are set to be announced so know that more Mom & Pop stores are on the way. It will be nice to have a blend of both back on the pedestrian-friendly street.
The arts have always had a presence on Lincoln Road and that continues with the Live on Lincoln series and the recent Make Music Day where pop-up musical performances happened throughout the Road.
Taking a tour of Lincoln Road would not have been complete without a stop at Time Out Market Miami. The newest of Miami's food halls has gained quick notoriety for attracting Miami's top-name chefs. Michael Beltran, Giorgio Rapicavoli, Norman Van Aken, Jeremy Ford, Cesar Zapata, Matt Kushner and plenty more. There are 18 spots to choose from here.
If you're a foodie in Miami, you recognize all these names. I sampled a few items and of course, a cocktail.
From the beautiful sphere-shaped ice cube to the elegant glass, the High Noon's blend of Bombay Original, Pimm's, blood orange, lemon, thyme syrup and soda was a delectable concoction.
My lunch parnter went for the Smoke Show cocktail, a blend of Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, dry Curacao, guava, grapefruit, lime and agave. It's pictured with the frita pastelito, a heavenly invention by Chef Michael Beltran from Time Out's Leña who took these from his menu at Chug's Diner in Coconut Grove. The frita, Cuba's answer to the hamburger made with chorizo, elevates the pastelito to new heights. The crunchy potatoes (same as used on a frita burger) are a fantastic touch. Traditional ground beef pastelito, you've been relegated to the back of the line buddy.
We also tried Giorgio Rapicavoli's pasta carbonara at his outpost here where he's serving up a "greastest hits" from his popular Eating House restaurant in Coral Gables. The pasta dish is an ode to his Mom's with a few special twists, made with black truffle, applewood bacon and grana padano. Creamy perfection in every bite. I'll admit, I took some home, as it was a nice portion and because we also tried the...
Veggie burger from Love Life Cafe, maybe in an attempt to eat something healthy. It's their original made with a superfood patty, topped with homemade guacamole, pickles, marinated kale, cilantro aioli and plant-based cheddar on a pretzel bun. Served with a side of their herb golden potato fries. Promise, you won't miss the meat.
I loved walking along Lincoln Road, reminiscing back to the days when it all started and hearing about it's renaissance that's paying tribute to that time. Can't wait to see what other places are making a comeback and to return to Time Out Market. After all, I've got 16 other places to try.
Time Out Market Miami is at 1601 Drexel Ave., Miami Beach
