Another South Beach Night
Written By: Tracy Block on Tue, Aug 28th 2007
Since a lot of my friends are spread out around the country, I always take advantage when I hear one is coming back home for the weekend. One of my best friends from high school, Lauren, decided to make the trip home from New York a few weeks ago with her roommates, who have never been to the Sunshine State. In an effort to give them the full dose, Lauren took the girls, Anika and Kerstin, all over, from the beach to the infamous Aventura Mall. She even treated them to the South Beach experience.
Ashley and I accompanied the girls to South Beach for an awesome dinner at The Sagamore’s Social. Serving signature Social cocktails and tapas-themed plates, we ordered a round of drinks and chose a great assortment of dishes to share. The drinks were great, from Millionaire’s Mojitos (topped off with a splash of champagne – an appropriate libation to toast the night) to Lychee Martinis. We noshed on savory crab cakes, lobster nachos, crab and garlic pizza, Kobe sliders and tuna ceviche, just to name a few. The restaurant was done up in white with an Ikea-inspired decor and Jackson Pollock-esque art. The DJ spun while another guy banged on his bongos as guests got up to dance mid-bite. The scene was perfect for twenty-something hipsters, and comes with my personal stamp of approval.
After dinner, we walked over to The Delano, another decadent hotel in the heart of South Beach, where we had drinks by the pool—an intimate setting surrounded by comfy couches. There are other hotels that have similar settings, but we went with The Delano since it’s Lauren’s favorite.
Following The Delano, we took a stroll over to Mokai, one of SoBe’s recent hotspots. Usually jam-packed with lines out the door, last night was a bit sluggish and unimpressive. We got in and out in less than five minutes and decided to pass on the third round of drinks.
We cabbed it a few blocks up the street to Mynt, a club on Collins and a guaranteed homerun. I grabbed a rum & diet (my choice drink) and we made our way over to a table with three guys who had ordered their booze by the bottle. The out-of-towners were lawyers from Mexico, definitely NOT the most social group, but were glad to share their libations, which makes up for all sorts of social sins.
Bubbly was the perfect way to go—the lawyers had buckets of Moet and Gray Goose—and we clinked glasses in honor of our reunion. Symbolic of our transition into young adulthood, the Champagne was refreshing and inviting. And though we know we aren’t supposed to mix up alcohol with bubbly—it practically invites a next-morning headache—that night, we had no cares. We played mixologists and had an awesome night full of carefree fun and freedom.
The drinks kept coming, one after the other, and as soon as we knew it, we had killed multiple bottles and were ready to get up and dance. I had a great buzz from the bubbly! We toasted to the night, took a bunch of pictures and grooved to the house beats. Normally, we go for hip-hop and popular tunes, but tonight, the trance techno hit the spot—just like the Champagne.
Soon after, Rory and a bunch of other familiar faces entered Mynt, and before we knew it, our girls night out had transformed into a SoBe party. Around 3:30 a.m., we cashed in our flutes and took a cab home. We were all spent, but with smiles, of course.
Although we were exhausted, Lauren, Ashley, and I were pretty confident that we’d showed Anika and Kerstin the ropes of a typical SoBe night. When I got home and hopped into bed, I was so happy I made the trip out. Sometimes, my heavy eyes get the best of me, but last night was definitely one of those great nights we’ll be recalling for weeks... Until the next adventure, of course...
