Fun In the Sun of a South Beach
By Merle Exit
Buying a condo in Miami Beach’s South Beach seems to be the
latest New York trend. Understandably so, the area is packed with New York City
nightlife of clubs, Broadway theatre, fine arts and a heavy gay and lesbian
community.
Traveling by AirTran may be the best way to get there but
the least expensive (25 cents) and easiest way to travel the local area is via
the Miami-Dade Transit’s South Beach Local.
“Always A View, Never A Jew”, was something typical of what
was posted on hotels in Miami Beach several years ago. It wasn’t until an
ordinance had gotten passed regarding discrimination where those of the Jewish
faith were allowed to live further north than 5th Street, the South Beach
extension of the now MacArthur Highway.
Information such as this can be found at the Jewish Museum
of Florida . The Museum: Home of MOSAIC (Jewish life in Florida) is in a former
synagogue that housed Miami Beach's first congregation. Built in 1936 and on the
National Register of Historic Places the museum houses a Collections & Research
Center reflecting Florida Jewish history since 1763; and communicates Jewish
history, values and issues to Jews and non-Jews alike in an informal manner.
 Speaking of Jewish, who knew that some nice Jewish
grandmother would run a museum called World Erotic Art Museum (WEAM). This is
not to be compared to any sex museum or one that centers on pornography.
Owner/curator Naomi Wilzig, needed to house her personal erotic art collection,
which became quite vast in both quantity and size. The fiber-optic lit cubicles
display approximately 4,000 paintings, sculptures, and tapestries, tracing
erotic art from early Roman Empire to the contemporary world of such memorable
art sculptures as the male prop made famous in Stanley Kubrik’s 1971 film,
“Clockwork Orange”.
There are certainly loads of gay bars and clubs to check
out. Just for the heck of it, you might want to try Studio Nightclub, located at
the Shelborne Beach Resort. Although it’s not necessarily a gay hangout, they
are known for its karaoke and will even give you some quick lessons on an
instrument if you so desire. They have over 22,000 songs in 20 languages for you
to sing and over 100 instruments for you to play. Studio is open from 10 p.m.
to 5 a.m. and there is no cover. I’m sure they have Broadway show tunes to
belt.
 Choices for dining in South Beach are so vast it would take
my living there year round to shell out all of the information. There is one
particular restaurant that has to be experienced and well worth saving up for.
Many restaurants can be ostentatious when it comes to décor. Some can even be
praised for food presentation. Barton G., located at 1427 West Avenue is beyond
“presentation” when it comes to the fare.
Let’s first take a glance at the décor. Talk about an
outside garden; how more romantic can you get surrounded by plush trees and
orchids. The indoor atmosphere is just as pleasing to the eye as it is your
taste buds.
Start with their signature martini drink, Sabrinatini, made
with Absolut Mandarin, Watermelon Pucker, adorned with a Nitrogenized Champagne
swizzle stick and a chocolate chimpanzee hanging from the side. This is just
one of their many New Age High Octane drinks. Cool!
Pictures may be worth a thousand words, but descriptions
are worth a million “yummy” noises. One appetizer, Sashimi Snow Cones would be
especially great on a hot day. Two cups of shaved ice arrive, one draped with
thin slices of tuna, the other with thin slices of salmon. The salmon is topped
with caviar; the tuna with wasabi. It is accompanied by two sorbets, one of
wasabi-lime, the other blood orange-ginger.
Order the skewered swordfish entrée called Swordfish Epee
and the huge chunks of swordfish, along with some whole vegetables is presented
on a real sword and accompanied with three sauces.
Barton G. is not a restaurant to go it alone. Not because
you’ll feel out of place, but due to the size of the portions. Is the cuisine
just ostentatious or does the quality match the presentation? Executive Chef
Ted Mendez and Barton G made sure that you’d want to return even for the fare
alone. All that I ate was not only appealing to my eyes but had my taste buds
willing to try out for Dancing With The Stars.
Ocean Avenue at 12th seems to be the gay beach hangout.
Another easy access to the beach and a less noisy art deco area is the locale of
Ocean Five (305-532-7093), a boutique hotel, restaurant and condo hotel complex.
The hotel’s accommodations of both rooms and suites sport a less “fabricated”
abode. You’ll find wooden shutters vs. blinds, shades or drapes and marble
floors vs. carpeting.
Rooms feature a CD player, mini-bar, cable tv and
iron/ironing board. Daily continental breakfast at Fifty Restaurant and free use
of internet kiosk are amenity features. On site parking is available at $25 per
day with in and out access.
The Miami Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (GoGayMiami) is
located at 3510 Biscayne Blvd. 305-573-4000. When you go to their website you
can download the gay and lesbian guide.
www.airtran.com
www.miamidade.gov/transit
www.jewishmuseum.com
www.weam.com
www.bartong.com
www.fiftyonline.com
www.miamigaytravel.com
www.gogaymiami.com
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