Sure, sure, our friends and family up North are still shoveling themselves out from five feet of snow from Winter Storm Stella, but it's too cold to day-drink at the pool!
To help brave this frightful cold snap, here are five reads about where to soothe your soul with soup, pho, and a warm boozy drink.
Wynwood Diner's mac 'n' cheese.
Courtesy Wynwood Diner
What we need now is a hug, in the form of food. When it feels like the sky is about to fall, a piece of grilled fish and a kale salad just don't feel right. The only thing that will do is a steaming dish of mac 'n' cheese or a big bowl of ice cream — in other words, comfort food.
2. Bourbon Tea Toddy "Crocktail" for a Cold Evening
Last night, Miamians experienced a rare sensation. When walking the dog or making that long trek from the car to Publix to grab a few things for dinner, we were faced with new bodily sensations: goosebumps and shivering. You are not dying. You are just cold, like the rest of the ever-lovin' world.
3. Family-Run Vietnamese Restaurant Basilic Serves Miami's Best Pho
At North Miami Beach's Basilic Vietnamese Grill, the star-anise-laced scent of pho wraps around you like a Burmese python. It seems like everyone in the 96-seater uses a spoon to pierce the coils of steam billowing from porcelain-white bowls. Two women in business attire, all pencil skirts and reading glasses, load theirs with Thai basil and bean sprouts. Three dusty construction workers spice the soup with sriracha. An older gentleman takes a seat by himself and announces he'll have the same as the others.
4. Blackbrick: It's Cold Outside — Go for the Wonton Soup, Stay for the Bourbon Trifle
It's cold, cold, cold today. And though South Florida doesn't have the frost that the rest of the country is getting, there certainly is a nip in the air. This kind of weather calls for soup — wonton soup from Blackbrick, Richard Hales' new midtown Chinese restaurant, to be exact.
5. Miami's Five Best Matzo Ball Soups
If Adam Sandler were to write a song about Passover, he would certainly dedicate a good chunk of it to matzo ball soup. Not only is it delicious, but it's also synonymous with the Jewish holiday. During Passover, no leavened bread can be eaten, and Jews eat matzo — flat, unleavened bread. Matzo balls are made from a mixture of matzo meal, eggs, water, and, often, schmaltz (chicken fat) and are plopped into a bowl of fragrant chicken soup.
