Art Basel wouldn't be complete without a trip around the galleries in Wynwood. To tackle all of these spaces, jammed into every nook and alleyway, you're going to need comfortable shoes (that means screw the Jimmy Choos, wear some Keds and call yourself a real artist) and some food and drink to keep your strength and your spirits up.
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From bourbon and ribs to the perfect cup of Joe, Wynwood's got it going on. Here are some of our favorites:
With all the parties come free plastic cups of complimentary champagne and vodka. That equates to a killer headache when the morning rears its ugly head. That's why you need to head over to Panther Coffee for a cup of their select beans roasted on-premises in small batches. Snacks, including Blue Collar bread pudding and Feverish pops keep your blood sugar up for that next round of galleries.
4. Bloom
There are few places in Wynwood where you can chill out under a tree while a volcano erupts in the distance. Well, the volcano is a mural, but the tree on Bloom's patio is real. Asian and Latin street food gets translated into small plate dining, and the restaurant makes it easy to get your daily vegetable intake with their Tequila Beets cocktail, garnished with Rosemary, by mixologist Chris Hudnall. Treat yourself to a little something-something at the winter happy hour from 5 - 8 p.m. featuring $4 bites and libations, and fuel up mid-day with the special Art Basel lunch menu from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. (lunch through December 9).
You've been interpreting art for four hours now and your brain hurts. If you hear another artist discuss the merits of bodily fluids as a substitute for a Sharpie you'll scream. You need a break to enjoy the holy trinity: beer, bourbon, and barbeque. Master barbeque chef Myron Mixon opened this honky tonk/meat palace a month ago
and it's already the place to go for a heaping plate of meat and a stiff drink. Look, we know you gallerinas like to stay as skinny as possible, but consider Basel a marathon -- you've got to fuel the body to survive. There's plenty of time to live on vodka, clove cigarettes, and Activia the rest of the year.
If you want to literally drink in your art, start with one of Wynwood Kitchen & bar's artist-inspired cocktails. Inspired by the artists that created the Wynwood Walls, you can sip on a Shepherd Fairy ($12) or a Kenny Scharf ($13) before enjoying some baby octopus or skirt steak on skewers.
1. Cafeina
No restaurant in Wynwood embraces art more fully than this combination restaurant/gallery. Daily Art Basel events include happy hour on Dec 6 & 7 from 5 - 8 p.m., the Fountain Art Fair after-party on December 7, Miguel Parades mural unveiling on December 8, curators brunch from noon - 4 p.m. on December 8. Celebrate surviving another year of Art Basel with the closing brunch on December 9 from noon - 4 p.m. and pay $25 for unlimited mimosas.
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