While my hotel in Miami Beach was beautiful and had some fantastic food and beverage options, it’s important to branch out and experience some local gems. So, I entrusted in some locals to take me in the right direction, straight to The District Miami.

They serve contemporary Pan-American cuisine, with the best dishes of North, South, Central America and the Caribbean, in a really warm environment with exposed brick and wooden clad walls. You’re brought out some little rolls to start, or as I’ll refer to them as, little butter bombs of deliciousness. They’re warm, with a slight crispness on the outside, but pillowy on the inside, a little sweet, and melt in your mouth.

To drink, I had their El Limo (Don Julio Tequila, grapefruit puree, lime, spice). I can always have my drink a little spicier, so I think this one could have gone a little boost further, but it was a really nice drink, a bit of sweetness and tartness with a very smooth tequila. 

To start, we had to get their Sweet Yellow Grilled Corn (chipotle mayo, crumbled feta cheese, ancho). Man, I love corn, especially when it’s served like this. Each little cob comes skewered, so you can save yourself from some of it getting all over your fingers. The corn was sweet, crisp, and coated with a creamy chipotle mayo, and a touch of salt and texture from the feta cheese. 

I can never pass up octopus, if it’s on the menu. So, I ordered the Cast-Iron Octopus (quinoa, sweet peppers, cilantro, roasted eggplant puree, olive vinaigrette). We’ll get the minor issue out of the way, which was, I wish there was a bit more flavor to the quinoa, a touch of salt, a little pepper, just to enhance the sweet peppers and creaminess of the grain. But, there are little dots of olive vinaigrette, which, if combined with the quinoa, add for that perfect saltiness. Don’t even bother using that for the Octopus, because it’s perfection and doesn’t need anything added to it. It had the perfect amount of char on the outside and totally tender on the inside, with excellent flavor and pretty much melts in your mouth, just like those little butter bomb rolls. 

Then, I had the Tuna Tacos (tartare, guacamole, Togarashi peppers, scallions, yuzu mayo, toasted sesame seeds). These were so delicious. What I immediately noticed, and loved, was that these were served in root-chips instead of the regular tortilla (think Terra chips, the white one with red flecks…yeah, you know which one I’m talking about). The tuna was fresh, generously portioned in the mini tacos, and the other components went so nicely, complimenting each other’s flavors.

The Shorts:
Name: The District Miami
Location: 190 NE 46th Street, Miami, FL
The Long and Short: Would I go back? Absolutely. The aesthetic is great, the service is wonderful, and the food is on point. 
Would I recommend it? Definitely. Everything on the menu sounded delicious, so, you might have a tough time deciding, but I’m sure you’ll love whatever you choose. Insider tip from my fellow diner, “the best burger I’ve ever eaten”. So, there’s that.