Bites of Life (#13)

 
Oh man. WHAT a week. I've just spent six glorious days in Miami with so many of my foodie friends. If you follow me on Instagram then you were privy to the debauchery. There is no other way to say it except it was indulgent and excessive in every way. I look forward to this conference every year, where food bloggers from all over the country descend on a city and in no certain terms, eat everything it has to offer.

This year happened to be in dreamy South Florida. We were all looking forward to the sunshine...and then a tornado happened. What a mess. But the sunshine state lived up to its name, bestowing its beautiful sunshine without extreme humidity. 

The picture above was taken in South Beach, known for its glittery nightlife and amazing people watching. The umbrellas are all sprawled out, part of the many hotels that line the sand.


However, when you look the other direction, you see the crazy it really is. Regardless, the water was crystal-ice blue, warm and delicious. It was really, really beautiful.


And Miami was full of amazing food. And when I say amazing...I mean amazing. We could not have asked for a better place to eat the town. One of our stops was CVI.CHE 105 for Peruvian food (which is really trendy right now). It was so fresh and over-the-top delicious. Truly a gem and somewhere I would return over and over if I were close. 

Pictured above is one of their Pisco Sours, the classic and national drink of Peru made with
PISCO 100, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, pasteurized egg whites and angostura bitters. I had two, I hope that was okay.


It's fun to eat meals with other bloggers. First we order inordinate amounts of food that couldn't possibly be consumed by the amount of people at the table, take pictures of each course for about 15 minutes (think food paparazzi), then eat off each other's plates until the next round is delivered. We do it for inspiration...really. Maybe for sport too.

Angie, Julianne, Lindsay, Ashley and myself did all those things at Swine (pictured above) in Coral Gables. I will write more about it at a later time. Just know, if you are in Miami, this is a must stop.


Like I mentioned, the food at the Blogher Food conference is endless....ENDLESS. I loved this light pasta salad served at the closing party. There was enough to feed a whole country or the world.


The Miami skyline out my hotel room did not disappoint. Here is the same shot during the day.


I also got to hang out with these pretties, Krista, Jen and Liz. We had so much fun.


The water at South Beach was perfect...perfect...perfect.


And lucky me, I had an extra day in Miami to hang with old friends. I hadn't seen these ladies in two years; Vanessa, Caroline and Alexis. I love, love these girls...they are just such good, genuine people. 

We hit Green Street Cafe in Coconut Grove for Sunday morning brunch. It was the perfect casual spot to catch up. The place was packed, a testimony to the great food served there. 

I will share more about my trip at a later time, this was just a small "Bite" of last week. Thanks for reading along.

Things I've seen around the web this week:

Easy weeknight dinner.
Love me a good quesadilla.
These cupcakes!
It's popsicle season.
It's burger season too!
Entertaining tips to put you at ease.
This will happen for breakfast soon.
Perfect summertime dessert.
Easy, overnight breakfast.
A twist on guacamole.
Dip love.
Caprese genius.
More avocado love.
Easy, breezy appetizer.
Ummm....yes.
Perfect potluck dish.
Love this yummy appetizer.
50 Summer Grilling recipes.
Hot dog bar for Memorial Day!
What to do with leftover taco meat.
It's 5 o'clock somewhere.
Crazy brownie love.
Quinoa love.
Cake I must have.
This will make you cry. Lots of us have been through it.
And more cake love.
A great weekend-summer salad.
5 uses for Coconut Oil.
These cookies are a must.
Alternative to potato salad.
Oh...baked instead of fried.
Truffle bars from my childhood dreams.
Prettiest drink ever.

That is all friends, until next time. See other editions of Bites of Life.

One Year Ago: Old Bay Cauliflower Salad
Three Years Ago: Baby Bell Peppers with Feta & Mint
Four Years Ago: Fast and Easy Raspberry Scones
Five Years Ago: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Six Years Ago: Honeydew Rita-Margaritas