Weekender: Miami
Photograph courtesy of The Miami Beach EDITION
STAY
Midcentury Marvel
Kick off your glamorous beach getaway at the recently opened Edition, launched by the king of glitz himself, hotelier and Studio 54 cofounder Ian Schrager. Built in 1955 by architect Melvin Grossman, the 294-room oceanfront hotel oozes midcentury style, with original mosaic columns framed by a veritable jungle of breezy palm trees. Guests can lounge in the white-and-gold lobby, shoot pool on a marble billiards table, or put on their dancing shoes and head down to Basement, a ground-level club that recreates the glory of Schrager’s disco days.
The Miami Beach Edition, editionhotels.com.
Photograph courtesy of R House
EAT
Feast Your Eyes
Culinary and visual arts align at R House, a restaurant/gallery in Miami’s creative Wynwood neighborhood. Opened in 2014, the cavernous eatery is colorful inside and out, with a mural featuring the likeness of Salvador Dali and a rainbow of pieces by local and international artists. Helmed by former Provincetown chef Rocco Carulli, the kitchen serves up an equally vibrant mix of Asian, Latin, and Mediterranean-inspired fare (Brazilian seafood moqueca made with local mahi-mahi and tiger shrimp; braised coriander-cinnamon lamb shank accompanied by Israeli couscous). Leave with a full stomach and that painting you’ve been eyeing all night.
R House, rhousewynwood.com.
Counterpoint and Tongue Twister by Ali Smith / courtesy of the Mindy Solomon Gallery
SEE
True Colors
Inspired by Matisse, California-based artist Ali Smith’s lively, fractured, oil-on-canvas compositions evoke a feeling of celebration. For her latest series of abstract paintings—on display at the Mindy Solomon Gallery in the Miami Arts District this fall—Smith used layered images and bold colors to create what she describes as “a sense of drama and frenetic energy.”
“Ali Smith: Fever Pitch,” 9/11–10/16, Mindy Solomon Gallery, mindysolomon.com.
More Hotels:
Thompson Miami Beach
Built inside a beautifully restored 1940s art deco skyscraper, this 380-room boutique hotel showcases funky bohemian interiors by designer Martin Brudnizki and offers two on-site pools with live music, plus direct access to the Atlantic.
4041 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 786-605-4041, thompsonhotels.com.
More Restaurants:
Coya
Arjun Waney’s Peruvian restaurant in London was such a hit that he imported it to Miami last spring. In the Latin American–inspired dining room, decked out by British design firm Sagrada, authentic Peruvian antiques are set among stone-accented walls and luxe velvet banquettes. The contemporary yet authentic food includes ox-heart skewers with aji panca—and, of course, plenty of fresh ceviche.
999 Brickell Ave., Miami, 305-415-9990, coyarestaurant.com.
Orange Blossom
Named for the deluxe passenger train that shuttled snowbirds from New York to Miami from the 1920s to 1950s, this South Beach eatery has a warm, rustic vibe, with vintage-print wallpaper, reclaimed wood, and tungsten lights evocative of an early 20th-century railcar. Kick back with a classic cocktail and an order of seared scallops, and you’ll feel like you’ve taken the journey yourself.
2000 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-763-8983, orangeblossommiami.com.
More Exhibitions:
“You Have Not Been Replaced,” By Elizabeth Withstandley
Mixed-media artist Elizabeth Withstandley, a Cape Cod native, spent the past two years tracking down members of the Polyphonic Spree, a Dallas choral symphonic rock band that performs in signature long white robes. On view at Dimensions Variable this fall is a two-channel video installation featuring her photographs of the 82 current and former members.
9/11–10/15, 100 NE 11TH St., Miami, 305-607-5527, dimensionsvariable.net.
