Morning Sunrise

Woke up this morning, looked out the window, and Monday didn't feel so bad. Maybe it was all the rain yesterday, not exactly sure, but the sun looked brighter and bigger than most mornings. Grabbed my iPhone and managed to get this shot. Try waking up a little earlier tomorrow, like around 6:45am and see it for yourself. Will probably make your day a tidbit happier.

Out & About

Feel like a slacker for neglecting my blog but the truth is that I have been out and about, just keep forgetting to bring my camera along. Still, I've been able to snap some decent pics with my iPhone, especially with the Pano app (my favorite photography app of them all). Here's a collection of my whereabouts.

View from my balcony during a Brickell sunset. Really can't beat this. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else in Miami.

Paid my first visit to The Filling Station, a local joint downtown that just started to stay open on the weekends. Guess they realized people actually live, not just work, in this part of town. Well, I'm glad they did because their spicy jerk chicken wings set my mouth on fire and the ice cold Milk Stout was just what I needed to keep my lips from not burning off. I'll definitely be back to this place, and perhaps on karaoke night. 

Miami Circle Park (behind the Icon) is now finally open after 12 years in the making. Taxpayers bought this ancient site for $27 million to save it from becoming a plot for another high-rise condo. This Miami Herald article does a great job detailing the park's history, dating back 2,000 years ago when Miami’s first settlers, the Tequesta tribe, were believed to have engaged in reverential ceremony. It's so nice to have this little slice of green to enjoy. Situated in the heart of the city, and just a few steps from my front door, I like to come here after work with Rusty. 

Now this is pretty. I took this picture right before we sailed off on our cruise to Cozumel, Mexico. Now, I'm not much of a cruise person (overwhelming buffets, cheesy entertainment, touristy destinations) but truly enjoyed getting away for a few days to celebrate my birthday. When we docked back at the Port of Miami, we looked at each other and decided we have to do this more often. Good book + sunny lounge chair + fruity drink + ocean view = happy place. 

St. Patty's Brickell Takeover

St. Patrick's Day completely took over Brickell last night. Waking up for working this morning was not in the least enjoyable...guess that's part of the holiday. We started at Tobacco Road which lucky for me is just steps away from my apartment. There was no way I was missing 20 food trucks in one place. The crowd slowly trickled in and by 10pm the place was slammed. We went from truck to truck ordering odds and ends from Dim Saam a Go Go's mouthwatering brussel sprouts to Jefe's flavorful fish tacos. One of my girlfriend's tried the Grilled Harvest from Ms Cheezious. When I asked her what she thought her response was "Is it an apple pie, is it a grilled cheese or is it both?" Translation: incredible.

Must say though, the truck that got the most rave reviews was CheeseMe. You'll see some pics below of my friends chowing down...that was in front of CheeseMe.  I did not try them but I heard the short rib sliders were out of this world.

After a good three hours of gorging on greasy food and filling up on green beer (which by the way Tobacco Road, $5 a pop is a little hefty, don't ya think) we rallied by Mary Brickell Village where the crowd was jamming to a fun U2 cover band.

All in all, great time! Good job Brickell. You definitely gave the Gables a run for its money.

Locally Grown

We've kept our balcony door wide open the past few days - the weather has been too beautiful not to. Unlike some Miamians (who actually complain about 50 degree weather), I really look forward to these bursts of cold.

This morning I went out to water our three herb plants and decided to snap a few quick photos. Left to right you have oregano, spicy basil and regular basil/tomato/lettuce in one. Talk about a hybrid! The first two came from The Ramble and the third from the South Miami Arts Festival last month.

I especially love the grassy planters which were a recent purchase from Brickell's Sunday Market. Only $6 bucks a pop! I also bought some gourmet dog cookies which Rusty was a big fan of.

Brickell Blooms

If you're looking for a place to buy fresh flowers in Miami, I highly recommend the street vendor off of Brickell Avenue (US1) and SW 26th Road - under the bridge at the entrance to Key Biscayne. You can create a nice big bouquet, of if you're like me, spend just a couple bucks on a few statement blooms. Since I'm a sucker for big pretty vases, I tend to keep my arrangements simple and effortless. These red daisies in particular were waiting for me last week when I got home. It's the little things :)

I'm on a boat

I decided to take Rusty on a walk tonight with my girlfriend Eleni and her pup Ernie. While strolling along the water behind the Icon we spotted this unbelievable yacht. Seriously, I wonder how much this baby must cost! Silly money.

I'm actually surprised how good this photo came out considering I didn't have my handy dandy tripod with me. I'll definitely be going back to this spot to give HDR photography another chance. Would also love to try some panorama shots because as you can see, this monster yacht doesn't even fit in the frame.

Window Shopping

Just a few blocks from my apartment is the one of most unique, interesting shops in all of Miami. It's called Frida Kahlo after the famous Mexican painter. The store carries an eclectic mix of apparel, jewelry, art, body lotions and random nick nacks. I stepped in the other day while doing some window shopping and the sales woman was nice enough to let me snap a few quick photos.

Morning View

On my run around Brickell Key this morning, I bumped into my colleague Chad (from Brickell Life) who was snapping a panorama shot with his iPhone of the beautiful sunrise over the bay. Chad sent me the photo when we got into the office today and I love it so much, I had to post.

The water looked particularly blue and glossy this morning. Have to admit, this view makes waking up at 6:00 a.m. not all that bad. Be on the look out for more amazing sunrise pics from Chad at http://brickell-life.blogspot.com/.

Photo by Chad Cohen

Red Hot Bistro

There's a little Asian bistro in Brickell called Indochine which lights up the whole street with its red bulbs and bright neon signs. It's hard to resist Indochine's funky atmosphere, tasty cuisine and exotic martinis. The Lychee Martini is a personal fav and I highly recommend.

I've been sick the last few days which means no happy hour for me. However, I was able to get out for a nice walk around the neighborhood tonight. I took this picture with a 10 second shutter speed while standing across the street. One of the waiters was definitely staring at me through the front door wondering what the hell I was doing taking pictures in the pitch black. Oh well.