La Moon

Photo Credit: Brickell Info.

La Moon can be considered one of Miami's landmarks--at 3 a.m. It took me a while to try out the restaurant, mostly because it's the type of place you head to after a good night of partying, and by then I'm thinking more about my bed than food (unbelievable, I know). However, over the summer I was able to finally attest the iconic image many of my friends and family had given it. The place in itself feels welcoming, with its wooden tables and metallic chairs, friendly waiters/waitresses--and by 1 a.m. even the customers are friendly. As a Colombian restaurant, La Moon prides itself in its burgers and hot dogs topped with crunchy little french fries and several sauces. I usually like to go for the Moon burger, which comes with onions, lettuce, tomato, cheese and the six sauces. However, I also enjoy the bandeja paisa, served with rice, red beans, several meats, sweet plantains, fried egg, cornmeal pancake and avocado.

Photo Credit: Food Spotting.

Nonetheless, the best part of the experience is having the refajo! My Colombian "familia de cariño" introduced me to the concept. Refajo is a combination of Aguila beer and Colombiana, which is a type of soda/soft drink from Colombia. Mixed in equal parts--or however, you prefer--the taste is definitely something interesting. It's sweet at first and leaves the beer's aftertaste, but without the bitterness. Overall, I enjoy eating at La Moon, however, I have yet to go at a reasonable hour. I definitely prefer to leave this restaurant as my guilty pleasure in the late hours of the night.

Cinquecento

Photo Credit: My Inner Shakti.

Today's review goes Italian with Cinquecento in Brickell. It all started with me craving of ice cream. I was almost desperately searching for an ice cream shop when I realized Cinquecento offered gelato. When I got there and saw the menu, I really wanted to order a bit of everything. They had a good variety, and I was hungry. So we set to a quick dinner--since we had tickets to Lookingglass Alice in the Arsht Center (loved it!!)--and then gelato. I ordered a peperoni pizza and my partner in crime had a Churrasco panini. The service was slow, given that there was only one waiter. However, the restaurant is rather small on the inside, so it doesn't need much as long as no one sits in the spacious terrace! I enjoyed my pizza even though I had to practically swallow it to make it in time for the show. The cheese, sauce and peperoni all tasted of good quality, but I wasn't entirely convinced with the dough. Pizza crusts are a make it or break it kind of thing for me, so the fact that the dough wasn't entirely satisfactory was a let down.

Photo Credit: ZIM Instagram.

The panini, however, was quite enjoyable and it came with long, thick french fries which I ended up stealing (yay!). By the time we finished we were already late for the show (we were going to regret this...), but we still decided to have gelato!!! That was what we were there for, right? They had a great number of flavors and combinations, of which I managed to try at least five different ones. They were all great, but they can't really shake the bond with my vanilla gelato (yes, yes, I know I'm boring). Even if you're not entirely enticed to try Cinquecento, do go for the gelato. At least six other people came in right after us just for a scoop of creamy goodness. As for the show, let me tell you what happened. I ended up almost getting brain freeze for eating the gelato fast enough before we arrived at the Arsht, only to have us wait because the show had obviously already started. I wasn't aware that this was an "interactive" show, so when we were at last allowed to enter, they were in the middle of a Red Queen and Alice scene. The actors blatantly made fun of all those that were entering late, to the delight of the entire audience. I must admit, it was hilarious.

Perricone's

Photo Credit: Local Eats.

The day started with the idea of going to brunch, but the desire of staying in bed after a late night out yesterday was a serious contender. However, by two in the afternoon, it was hunger that drove us out in search of food. We chose Perricone's; we'd been wanting to try it and were hoping we might make it in time for brunch. It included omelets, pancakes and many different salads and baked goods. Unfortunately, the brunch ended at 3 p.m., so we were better off just ordering something from menu. As an appetizer, we ordered today's special: Mediterranean mussels in white wine with diced tomatoes and garlic. I enjoyed the flavor the white wine gave it, but it also had a tomato sauce undertone. While we waited for it to come out, the server brought baguette bread and diced tomatoes on the house. As main dishes, we ordered pasta: capellini with shrimp and seafood linguini. The capellini is practically angel hair pasta, and it comes with their "signature" pomodoro sauce. I enjoyed the dish greatly. The sauce was flavorful, but light; it tasted original, not the just-out-of-the-bottle type. The seafood linguini was served with mussels, shrimp, calamari and scallops in a white wine based sauce. Surprisingly, the sauce was also very light, so you don't fill up halfway through the dish as has happened to me in other restaurants. While I would like to return to Perricone's to try more dishes, what really captivated me about the restaurant was the way it's set up.

Photo Credit: Zoom Into Miami.

When you go through the front door, the whole locale seems set up as a marketplace. On showcase, there's a variety of baked goods, salads, and pastries for customers to choose from. But as you go through another doorway at the end of the "marketplace," it opens up to a small room that looks much like a typical restaurant. However, it's the outdoor dining that captivates most clients' attention. You feel as if in a patio, but with the perfect weather (because it's air-conditioned)! So if you're looking forward to Sunday brunch at Perricone's in the patio, be sure to arrive early to get a table.

Nahuen Patagonia

Photo Credit: Yelp!

Known as either Nahuen or Patagonia, this restaurant has locations in Doral and Key Biscayne. I was introduced to this restaurant almost two years ago through a delicious little pastry. For several weeks I thought it was a bakery and pastries shop, and I've found out many people do as well. They're most famous for their great empanadas--whether it is cheese, meat, you name it!--but they are actually a restaurant based on a "store" structure. In the 103rd and 41st shop, you walk through an assortment of high chairs and tables until you reach the counter, where countless goodies lay in display. On one side, you have the side dishes, with numerous types of salads as the caprese and "ensalada rusa," an variety of vegetables, and other healthy options. On another corner are the warm empanadas that most people cannot leave without. And finally, on the far side are the many, many different kinds of pastries. You name it, they have it. In addition to all of this, the Doral Patagonia even offers fresh meat cuts in case you're planning on having a good ol' BBQ. Now, the food on their restaurant-side menu is also pretty good.

Photo Credit: Nahuen.

My favorite dish is the Milanesa de carne. It's a big piece of breaded steak that comes with the side of you're choice. I usually go for either the mashed potatoes or french fries (for the diet, obviously!). What's best about this plate is that I can put loads of chimichurri on top. This "green sauce" varies per recipe, but is usually made of parsley, chiles, cilantro, olive oil, and vinegar and Patagonia's is really good. They have little bowls of it throughout the shop on small counters along with ketchup, salt, pepper, etc. Other dishes I like to order include the skirt steak (or entraña)--which tends to be very juicy--and the steak sandwich, that is also quite good! All these come accompanied by a side of your choice. Another great plate is the parrillada, but I only tend to order it when I go with another person, because it's definitely made to share! It's served with several different meat cuts, including pork and the famous Argentinian morcilla, also known as blood sausage (yes, literally). Overall, I really love this place because it's a great stop at any time of the day, whether you're looking for a snack, something sweet or a full meal.