Finding January a bit tricky? Get on a plane and thaw out in Florida. It’s not just art basel and theme parks. Here’s i-D’s guide to what’s hot in the Sunshine state!
Text and Photography: Aaron Francis Walker
Pussila (a tranny)
When I think of South Beach I always think of the opening helicopter shot from the 90s movie The Bird Cage. The camera swoops across the Atlantic and straight into a pumping tranny bar on the neon lit ocean drive. Trannies are 10 a penny in South Beach, but no one is more eye-poppingly colourful and inventive than Pussila. She hosts a regular night at the legendary Twist and can be seen attending parties (for a fee) all over town!
Casa Larios (a Cuban restaurant)
Located in the trendy South Miami area – this family run business is a Miami staple and the original Larios establishment. The traditional Cuban cuisine has all the earthiness of home cooked food in a beautifully decorated environment. You’ll find the restaurant’s glamorous owner and namesake Jorge Larios sipping Martinis after-hours, happy to talk you through the menu and the restaurant’s celeb spiked history.
Orlando (a road trip)
Aside from all the usual Universal/Disney World stuff – Orlando actually has a bunch of fun things to do that don’t involve hoards of kids.
• It’s good to think off-road when you’re booking a hotel in Orlando – especially when you’re visiting out-of-season. Coco Key Hotel (pictured) on International Drive is also (wait for it) a water resort. It has 14 water slides and a 6,500 sq ft arcade! If you like your parrots plastic and your service with a smile this is your ticket!
• Americans are really good entertainers. This was never more apparent than at Treasure Tavern – an incredible dinner/cabaret show where your food is prepared on stage to music, your waitresses are also all-singing/all-dancing showgirls and the dessert is sent to the table down a series of slides while the land lady belts out a torch song!
• Bar-B-Q in downtown Orlando is where all the local trendies seem to congregate – it plays loud hiphop and only serves drinks. We met a guy called Konrad in there who was carrying his self-published sci-fi book under his arm (and was dressed as the post-apocalyptic protagonist complete with space-age armour and Jem-and-the-holograms hair).
GMG for Nike (a designer)
Miami resident and Central Saint Martin’s graduate, Gabriella Marina Gonzales, is four seasons in with her label GMG. Her work has been seen in some of the industry’s most notable fashion journals and on some of the globe’s most recognisable popstrels. Her latest collaboration is with mega-brand Nike – for whom she is customising a pair of boots in her own inimitable style.
Fox’s (a bar)
We all know that Miami is known for super cool dance music and bass – and that as a rule – all the best nights out are during the week. Both of these points were underlined when we visited Fox’s bar on a Tuesday. The party that we stumbled across was called Steam and attracts some of the area’s finest up and coming DJs including the supremely talented Adrianna Gooddroid (pictured). For some lols pictures/gifs of the night check out bleedingpalm.com. Definitely worth a visit if you like your punters trendy and your bass down low.
Eden Roc (a hotel)
Yes Eden Roc is one of Miami’s most iconic Hotels. Yes it has historical siginificance because it was built in 1956 by architect Morris Lapidus. Yes its restaurant, 1500 degrees, serves some of the most delicious food you’re ever likely to taste. Yes it has the Elle Spa. But, despite the grandure of its two white towers, 4 pools, mahogany pillared lobby, ocean views and white sands – it somehow feels like a boutique experience. Although service in America tends to be streets ahead of Europe, the boundless enthusiasm can sometimes take a while to acclimatise to – not so at Eden Roc. The team were pitch perfect. There was Dorina, our accommodating, Romanian accented breakfast waitress to whom we recommended popstar and fellow-Romanian Alexandra Stan. There was Tony Velazquez a gifted sous chef who prepared our insanely tasty evening meal and who came out of the kitchen (urged by Misti our amazing server) and answered questions about the witty winter menu. We invited Misti to sit with us while she waxed lyrical about the food, the hotel and the fact that she was allowed to wear jeans to work. We were sad to leave. and urge you to visit!
This trip is dedicated to our third wheel Joel Dever who is loved.
