Wine and Spirits Travel: South Florida Dining and Art

I was picked up at The National Hotel after the end of the
festival by my mom and cousin Gayle. We were off to check out one of the most
talked about restaurants to hit South Beach in a long time. Juvia had it all ?
location, d?cor, food and drinks.



The location may have looked a bit strange from the outside
(a private elevator taking you to the roof of the garage), but once upstairs
there was no doubt this place was special. I have never seen such beautiful
views of Miami and I loved the combination of elegance and comfort.


Juvia is a great place for cocktails and I was smitten with
the Pear Sangria, while Gayle enjoyed a Purple Rain we started with. I have to
admit I was a bit concerned with the menu when I first saw it as it was mostly
filled with seafood, but I found plenty to safely eat. In the meantime, mom and
cousin feasted on the Ceviche, Rock Shrimp (in a spicy curry sauce), Lobster
Salad and Sea Bass, which Gayle called ?outrageous.?



I had an excellent Foie Gras that was rather sweet, followed
by the Iceberg, Pancetta, Fig & Gorgonzola Salad, a nice mixture of
flavors. The Pork Confit made a wonderful main course, with a complex mix of
flavors. Side dishes, such as Vegetable Casolet and Couscous are great, but
leave some room for dessert. The Chocolate Croissolant and the Candy Bar were
worth the calories!



Mom and I continued the fun as we headed a bit north the
next day for an afternoon at the Boca Raton Museum of Art. I make trips to this
area a few times a year and I can?t believe I had never been there before. I
was really impressed and we really enjoyed walking through the Contemporary Art
Varied Collection, the American Modernist Masters and the Camera Work
Photography Exhibit.



My favorite stop at the art museum was Martin Schoeller:
Close Up, a collection of portraits of famous politicians and entertainers that
were brutally honest. I also loved the placement (Sarah Palin next to Bill
Clinton?).? Though that exhibition is no
longer showing at the Boca Raton Museum of Art, there is something similar
through May ? Portraits from the Permanent Collection ? which includes famous
portraits by Georgia O?Keefe.



We had a few hours to do some shopping before another
special dinner. I had heard nothing but good things about Max?s Harvest in
Delray Beach and they turned out to all be true. This ?farm to fork? restaurant
takes sustainability seriously. Local, organic ingredients are used and the
only freezer here is a small one for the ice cream. I was highly impressed with
what Executive Chef Chris Miracolo could do on a moment?s notice, all depending
on what was available in the market that day.



We started off with a refreshing Heritage Mojito (Bacardi,
fresh mint and soda water) and the Smoked Gouda & Pancetta Mac N Cheese
with spinach and onion straws. It was excellent and I remarked that the
macaroni and cheese movement in restaurants is one I hope continues. We then
had a light and tomato salad with watermelon (great idea), arugula and feta
cheese, as well as Goat Cheese Croquettes that were melt in your mouth.



I had missed Chef Miracolo?s dish at SOBEWFF, but he made
some of the Gnocchi with Hedgehog Mushrooms for me and it was spectacular. I
love gnocchi, but I?ve never had any quite this good. That?s pretty much what my mom said about the Salmon with Stir Fry. The ultimate salmon eater, she said this was the best she has ever had anywhere. For dessert we satisfied all cravings with a Chocolate Flourless Cake, which was dense and dark, filled with the best cocoa, and an Apple Torte with homemade Maple Ice Cream.? The only downside to the ?farm to fork? is that menu items change according to the market, but I can?t imagine you could go wrong with anything on the Max?s Harvest menu. As for me, I?ve already put in a request for some of that gnocchi on my birthday in July.

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