Where Brittany Brave Grabs Drinks In West Kendall

“I went on a first date here, which is hilarious. The guy was like, ‘Oh, how do you not know Finka? You're about to discover your new favorite restaurant.’ That didn't materialize romantically, but now I basically live here. I love the kimchi lime mussels and the Cuban fried rice. Finka was also the first place to foster my love of a good martini (espresso or classic). I’ve celebrated major moments here, day drank on days off—it’s become a go-to for my family and the handsome bartenders know my order by heart.”

“This adorable, family-owned wine bar is five-minutes from my parents' home, and my alma mater, Felix Varela Senior High. They have an incredible selection of wine, beer, and delicious bites. I don't really party—I despise a lot of the popular nightclubs—so I was so happy to find a place where I could have a conversation with people and drink wine with a good vibe. I actually ran my first comedy night here. They’re constantly reinventing their menu. I love the garbanzo frito, meatballs, and, of course, the flan flight on hangover days.”

“Every time I drink at Amelia’s, I feel like I’m in a murder mystery game and I have a secret. The first time I tried to take my parents there, we kept missing the entrance, because it's concealed behind a laundromat. Kendall is known for being a scrappy underdog—the suburbs, you know? So to have something as polished and gorgeous as Amelia's is really a treat. And to have live jazz in Kendall on a Thursday night is amazing too. I’ll always order the tuna tataki and coconut cheesecake for dessert.”

“From a distance this place looks like something I would loathe…a dive bar. My high school best friend brought me. From the outside looking in you're like, ‘Am I gonna get murdered here?’ But then you look their cocktails, which have funky names and flavors, and you're like, ‘Oh, there's somebody who's putting thought into a cocktail this deep into West Kendall.’ I love the fact that it's really under the radar. There's only a handful of seats at the bar, too. It almost kind of gave me the vibe of Claremont Lounge in Atlanta, which has a similar round table thing and a similar seediness. I say that with love.”

“This is more Westchester than Kendall, but it's either my hangover bar or my I-just-got-back-from-a-weekend-of-shows-and-I-just-want-to-zone-out-with-an-ice-cream-sandwich-from-Cry-Baby-and-a-couple-martinis bar. It’s attached to Cry Baby Creamery. They make a great martini, have a perfect indoor/outdoor ambiance, and I’m steps away from eating my feelings (a.k.a. a Boxcar ice cream sammie). Plus, the bulgogi fries are perfectly loaded and the reason I have high cholesterol at 33. Whatever, you only live once.”

“I come from a second generation Italian family who’s very picky about their pizza, pasta, and Peroni. My mom discovered this local joint and I immediately loved it for the distant memories of the Dandy Bear across the street. This is damn good pizza and every Thursday you get a free bottle of house red wine to go with your meal, which explains the line outside the door. Their calamari is some of the best in town, and the insides of this place feel like one big wedding.”

“South Miami gets a bad rep for thinking its shit doesnt stink and that it’s better than the other boroughs. It literally goes by the ‘City of Pleasant Living.’  But I’ve had enough formative memories at Sunset Place to know it can get real not-pleasant fast. Then I pop into a place like Fox’s Lounge and I realize…we’re not in West Kendall anymore. They make a really, really good Manhattan, [a drink] I thought I hated. I can’t believe I had to leave NYC to actually order a Manhattan that I liked, but here we are.”

“I actually met the owners at the first Miami EEEEEATSCON. They were so gracious and kind and they invited me to go check out their bar and the rest is history. I believe they are Miami’s first sake brewery. It's a favorite spot of a lot of my Westchester and Kendall friends. It’s got this secret lair vibe and it commits to its theme.”

“I love Hispanic food—across all the denominations. But I’m not always in the mood for something like that, and Whisk is far on the other end of the spectrum—a touch of Southern in South Miami. Everything's always so good. The fried green tomatoes are perfect and they make a mean old fashioned and bloody mary as well. No way you can do Sunday brunch without the biscuits. This is savory Southern American cooking, and the front seating area is layered with astroturf, which makes it feel like a neighborhood cookout.”

“Most hotel restaurants lack any sort of character or pizazz but this one inside the Hilton Dadeland is the exception. Farm fresh food and a super expansive cocktail menu with a number of unique selections broken down by liquor type. Their brunch and breakfast is the highlight but the ambiance is so peaceful that you’ll forget you’re a mere feet away from the chaos that is Dadeland Mall.”