Sunday Jazz Brunch at The Setai - Miami Beach

When our Uber driver dropped us off at the entrance to The Setai, the first thing we noticed was the "Leading Hotels of the World" plaque. From that moment, we knew we were in for a special experience.

The Courtyard at The Setai

Although we are not staying at The Setai on this trip to South Beach, we were invited to enjoy the famed Sunday Jazz Brunch. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the Maitre 'd who showed us to a beautiful table at one end of The Courtyard. The Courtyard is an outdoor space protected from the elements by a semi-opaque retractable awning. Jazz music is already playing when we arrive, transforming the otherwise peaceful garden atmosphere into an entertaining venue perfect for Sunday Brunch.

Soon after we are seated, a waiter arrives with a bottle of Roederer Champagne and two glasses are poured. Mimosas and Bloody Marys are also available. Our waiter then invited us to accompany him on a quick tour of what has to be one of the most comprehensive brunch buffets in the country. The Jaya Restaurant has been completely transformed into a series of serving stations with an international flair. For those interested in a late breakfast, a pan of Eggs Benedict stands at the ready along with every other breakfast item you can imagine, including blueberry pancakes. Of course, eggs are prepared to order, if you wish.

Eggs Benedict

Nobody can walk by the "raw tower" without trying the oysters, shrimp or clams.

Being more of a lunch-person than a breakfast-person, I was more interested in the Dim Sum station featuring beautiful, delicate shrimp dumplings. But, I soon learned that the ethnic cuisine does not end with Chinese. An array of Thai and Indian dishes are presented in exotic copper braziers. Selections included a Thai coconut soup, Thai chicken wings, fish curry, pork and fried rice, among others.

Thai serving station

From India, there were just as many, if not more choices. I was stunned to see they actually had two Tandoor ovens where fresh Naan bread is baked!

Those with more American tastes are not forgotten. Offerings included a carving station featuring a beautiful roast beef, leg of lamb, baked chicken, and much, much more.

It is safe to say that there is something for everyone on the buffet. This description does not even cover half of the items offered. We begin filling our plates, or should I say, our first plates. While Rickee goes for the Eggs Benedict and pancakes, I head directly for the Thai and Indian selections. As we begin to enjoy our meal, photographers are preparing to shoot an upcoming fashion show that will take place at the other end of the Courtyard.

Return visits to the buffet found me trying a wide variety of Thai, Chinese, and Indian specialties. All were delicious, but the Butter Chicken was my favorite. Each time we returned from the buffet line, we found that our previous plates had been removed and clean utensils placed on the table. The linen napkins were even replaced. Our champagne glasses were refilled whenever they got below half full.

The dessert table was something to behold, with a few items adorned with gold accents. The cinnamon sugar doughnut holes fit in nicely with the peach cobbler. They even had Thai sticky rice with mango! But my favorite was the liquid-nitrogen ice cream station.

The fresh ice cream mix is poured into a mixer along with liquid nitrogen and voilá, instant ice cream! It was creamy and delicious and the perfect ending to a delicious brunch.

Whether you are in South Beach for a weekend trip, or as part of a pre-/post-cruise stay, the Sunday Brunch at The Setai is a culinary experience you will not soon forget. At $80 per person, it is not cheap, but with free-flowing champagne, seemingly limitless choices, and one of the most beautiful venues in Miami, it is well worth the splurge. Just don't eat breakfast before you show up!

For more information, or to make reservations, visit www.thesetaihotel.com/culinary-offers-events.php

South Beach Food Tour - Miami Beach

South Beach is one of the premier pre-/post-cruise destinations in the world. Known for its beautiful beaches and energetic nightlife, South Beach is surprisingly diverse when it comes to culinary offerings. On a recent media assignment for Carnival Cruise Line, we spent some time exploring South Beach and had the opportunity to sample some of South Beach's cuisine thanks to Miami Culinary Tours (www.miamiculinarytours.com).

Miami Culinary Tours offers a South Beach Food Tour twice each day (noon and 5pm). We booked a tour for 5pm on a Sunday. We arrived at Bolivar where we met Ashley, our tour guide for the day. Ashley informed us that a group of seven had just cancelled their tour, so what was supposed to be a group of nine is now a private tour for just Rickee and me.

While we were getting to know Ashley a bit, a waiter brought us our drinks: Refajo Colombiano, a combination of Aguila, a Colombian beer and Colombiana, a Colombian soda pop.

Colombiana is similar in taste to creme soda and, when mixed with beer, creates a mildly sweet, smooth drink that has the flavor of beer without the bitterness.

Refajo Colombiano

An empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry baked or fried in many countries of Latin America and in Spain.

I am not much of a beer drinker, so I really liked the smoothness created when the Columbiana was added. In fact, I would definitely order this drink again. Before long, a plate arrived with an empanada and ceviche. The empanada was made up of a corn-based pastry, similar in texture to a corn tortilla, but formed into a pocket, stuffed with minced beef and onion and deep fried. A ramekin of very hot habanero salsa was served for dipping. Ashley cautioned us about the heat of the salsa, and she was not exaggerating. It was very spicy and I loved it!

The ceviche was a delicate white fish "cooked" by marinating it in a citrus mixture of lime and other flavors tossed with mango, red onion and cilantro. It was very fresh and very good.

After we finished our tasting at Bolivar, Ashley began the walking part of the tour. As we walked to Ocean Drive, Ashley began telling us about the history and culture of South Beach and pointing out the historical buildings and describing their architectural style. Our next stop was Larios on the Beach, an upscale Cuban restaurant owned by Gloria Estefan.

The interior of the restaurant has undergone a recent renovation and is beautiful.

At Larios on the Beach, we were served a bowl of Picadillo with a side of fried Malanga chips and Mojo sauce. Picadillo a traditional Spanish dish that is common in Latin American countries. At first glance, the Picadillo looks very similar to American chili, but a taste reveals a much milder, less spicy flavor profile. The picadillo is made with ground beef and Cuban sofrito (a mixture of onions, garlic and bell peppers). The melanga chips are a crispy, healthier alternative to corn or potato chips. By themselves, they don't have a lot of flavor, but that's where the mojo sauce comes into play. The mojo is a mixture of olive oil, garlic and vinegar and is very garlicky. Dip the melanga into the mojo, then scoop up some Picadillo and you have a delicious mouthful of Cuban flavors.

Picadillo served with Melanga and Mojo

After our visit to Larios on the Beach, we began walking up Ocean Drive a few blocks to our next culinary stop, The Tides hotel.

Here we were treated to a Haitian-style empanada filled with chicken and spices. The Haitian empanada was much spicier than the Colombian-style we tried at Bolivar. This empanada was served with a mild chimichurri. Instead of a corn-based shell, this had a light, flour-based shell, almost the consistency of a puff-pastry. We found it to be very delicious.

From The Tides, the walk up Ocean Drive continues with periodic stops for Ashley to enlighten us on South Beach history and architecture. It was all very interesting.

Rickee and Ashley waking up Ocean Drive

Next, we alter course to Washington Street where we find Blocks Pizza, a local pizza joint dubbed "Home of the Mother Dough". The place is famous because the yeast used in their dough has been kept alive for 300 years!

At Blocks Pizza we were treated to the Sun Dried Hippie pocket sandwich. The veggie sandwich had sun dried tomatos, feta cheese, basil, spinach, pesto and kalamata olives. Everything at Block's is made fresh daily.

The Sun Dried Hippie at Blocks Pizza

By the time we finished our sandwich, we were getting pretty full and ready for dessert. Fortunately, Milani Gelateria was our next stop on the tour, and just a few blocks away in the Española Way district located in a beautiful pedestrian-only area of South Beach.

Here we are treated to a sample of the delicious, made-fresh-daily, gelato. We get to choose from 12 flavors, all of which looked wonderful, but we had to go with our favorite, Creme Caramel.

The choice of gelato at Milani

Gelato has less fat than ice cream, but because of the way it is made, it is smoother and "creamier" than ice cream. It was delicious! This was our final stop on the tour which, in total, lasted about two hours. We were very impressed with Ashley and the overall experience. In our opinion, Miami Culinary Tours' South Beach Food Tour is one of the "must-do" activities when you visit South Beach. It is a good blend of eating and walking with an added bonus of history and culture.

Miami Culinary Tours also offers a Little Havana Food Tour (the next one we would like to try), Wynwood Food and Art Tour, and a Miami City Food Tour. For details, pricing and more information, visit their website at www.miamiculinarytours.com.