Tag Archives: Coconut Grove

Strada in the Grove

Posted in Food & Recipes by

My favorite type of food is Italian, always has been. I am always trying out new Italian places everywhere I visit. Thankfully, living in Miami allows me many options. My husband is not big on dishes with creamy sauces or cheese (don’t ask), however he loves seafood so he always finds a nice fish dish to enjoy. Miami has many amazingly delicious Italian eateries, however, Strada is one of my favorites, from the marvelous food to the side entryway, which reminds me of many restaurants in Italy, to the friendly wait staff. Its sister restaurant/pizzeria, Farinelli 1937, located directly across the street, is another great eatery in Coconut Grove, also not to be missed.

Outside

Side entryway of Strada

inside2

Interior of Strada

outside nighttime

Sitting outside in the evenings. Photo courtesy of Strada.

At first glance it’s hard to choose from so many amazing dishes, but here is what we started with:

IMG_3554

Ricotta cheese and prosciutto appetizer, delicious!

calamari

Fried calamari

Then on to the main dishes.  I ordered the pumpkin agnolotti which I always order here, it is amazing (I am a creature of habit), and my husband ordered the salmon.

IMG_3558

Agnolotti di Zucca al Burro e Salvia
Homemade roasted pumpkin and amaretti agnolotti in butter sage sauce.

salmon

Salmone al Ginger
Grilled marinated fresh Atlantic salmon, crunchy ginger and carrot salad.
Served with green beans and potato gratin.

For dessert we ordered the panna cotta, one of my all time favorite Italian desserts, and it was delicious.  Just the right texture too.  And it came in a cute tiny mason jar to boot:

panna cota

Panna Cotta served with fruit.

You basically cannot go wrong with this place.  All of the dishes we have tried have been excellently prepared and the ambiance is fantastic, located in Coconut Grove, with outdoor seating available as well. Makes for an enticing evening out.

Have you dined at Strada?  I would love to hear what you enjoyed most…

Strada in the Grove
3176 Commodore Plaza
Miami, Florida 33133
(305)444-1312
http://www.stradainthegrove.com

My Signature

Peacocks Everywhere

Posted in Lifestyle by

While thinking of a topic for my first blog post, I came across some unexpected visitors, and then the idea came to me…

Imagine driving up to your house and finding four peacocks hanging out on your driveway? Well, these types of things happen, when living in Miami. On my drive every morning to my daughter’s school, we encounter plenty of peacocks, they just love hanging around in the neighborhood of Coconut Grove.  My daughter also sees them on her school campus at times. Every day we secretly wish that they would stroll down to our block, they are such beautiful birds!

During a mating session…

Having said this, when I mentioned our latest visitors to my neighbor across the street, she didn’t exactly share my opinion. She mentioned that peacocks can get very loud during the evenings, making ear-piercing sounds and keeping you from a good night’s sleep (this would definitely be a problem for me). I have actually been a witness to these sounds as I regularly take morning walks through Coconut Grove, and have been quite startled at times! They can also be very “messy”. As a matter of fact, there have been many complaints about these gorgeous birds from Coconut Grove residents. Some residents love having them around, as they are a living embodiment of Coconut Grove’s identity as a bohemian neighborhood. It’s completely natural to be driving down one of the neighborhood streets and find them smack in the middle of the road, with no intentions of moving. In my opinion, this actually helps slow down traffic, and I think it’s a benefit to the safety of pedestrians and kids, in a city that already has too many drivers speeding. However, many other residents complain that aside from the noise, they peck their cars, and poop all over their pools, driveways and porches.

On a nearby neighbor’s roof…

Well, as with all debates, some residents love them and some want them gone. My daughter and I love them, and we are so glad that our wish was finally granted and that we can expect to see them from time to time…of course, no poop in our pool please…

Do you like peacocks, would you like seeing them around your neighborhood?