Ana is Here | CHIC Eats | Blogger Lunch

24 July, 2015


This is Midtown Oyster Bar, a hidden gem tucked in what I consider the second heart and soul of Miami (Little Havana being the first), Midtown/Wynwood. An area that in the last 4 to 5 years has seen a boom like no other, if you are from Miami, then you know what I mean. Celebrities, Foodies, Bloggers, Artists and such have been drawn to this little magical oasis of creativity and free for all sort of vibe. 

Lets get back to this gem known to the locals as MOB Miami, a place where all foodie dreams come true, and that is no overstatement, I truly, truly mean it. A few weeks ago, I partnered with Graspa Group and Mob Miami to host an Ana is Here blogger lunch, to allow me to reconnect with my blogger girls, while I was back in Miami for a visit. Their warm and charismatic welcome to their adorable restaurant, made us feel instantly happy and the decor and vibe made us feel relaxed. Now Allow me to show you why MOB Miami is a place that should be in the minds and hearts of locals and visitors alike. 


The girls settling in as they arrived, the Graspa Group team created these adorable place cards to welcome my guests. 


Oh the oyster, they are brought from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Canada, and Washington State almost daily, because of that they have a variety of them, like the Maple Point (WA), Blue Point (CT), Island Creek (MA), and Nautilus to name a few. We got a taste of their famous oysters, which I was a bit nervous about because the last time I had oysters I was a child and I was not a fan, mostly for the texture, but palettes change as you grown up and I was not going to shy away from trying them as an adult. So glad I tried them at MOB Miami, because they were the freshest and tastiest. I can now say proudly that I have become an oyster fan.


You know us bloggers always doing our thang, food photo ops are one of our favorite things to do, especially when the food is amazing and the presentation to pretty to not capture. Here is Netty of The Fashionable Esq snapping away for the perfect IG photo.


That's me, tasting oysters for the first time in years, of course, my photographer friend had to document this moment, I think she wanted to capture a funny face but I was very gracious (stinks tongue out).


| ABOVE | After we finished our oysters, they started us off with the Smoked Key Largo Amberjack Pate (Amberjack is an Atlantic and Pacific fish), and was a hit at the table for its rich flavor. | BELOW |    then came out the Crab Cakes, if your a fan of crab cakes like I am, you need to have these, hands down one of the best crab cakes I have ever had. I would have been happy just eating these little cuties all day. 


| ABOVE | We finished off the appetizers session with the Farro, a freshly made salad of kale, roasted vegetables, goat cheese and poached egg. | BELOW | Chef Angelo Masarin took time out of the kitchen every time to give us a bit of a background as to why they chose to have a certain plate on the menu, where it was sourced from and how they prepared it. We all thought it was a nice touch to the whole experience, we really felt passion that is given to every plate.


| ABOVE x BELOW | Oh, Oh, Oh boy I could have died happy after this piece of heaven was brought to the table, say hello to the Mac + Lob, in other words Lobster Mac and Cheese. A sensual experience I never wanted to end, yes you know by now I am a true foodie, one that gives almost orgasmic sounds when eating, and this was worthy of such sounds. I know I say this a lot, but this would have been enough for me to walk out happy out of MOB Miami.


| ABOVE | If you are looking for a vegetarian option, they have that in a form of a flatbread with mixed garden vegetables and fresh buffalo; Equally as good as the rest of our plates.


| ABOVE | The Shrimp Po'Boy, this one was also divine, you see Po'Boys have a special place in my heart because a few years back I fell in love with the city that they were born in...New Orleans, so I am always very excited when a restaurant has them on the menu. When I saw it come out of the kitchen, I was giddy as a kid, because I knew they would get it right, since thus far they had not failed me. Po'Boys to me are one of those comfort food supreme, they just make you feel all good and fuzzy inside.


| ABOVE x BELOW | I can not go by this post without featuring, Ariana Uguccioni, the true gem of these day, she truly made the day so much more incredible. Ariana took her time to explain, to delight and make us as comfortable as possible. Her smile and overall positive energy was a refreshing take on the dining experience.  Ariana is holding a delicious fizzy wine that comes from a region known as the Basque Country, and where my birth name hails from. The Basque Country is an autonomous community tucked in the northern part of pain, and where the Getariako Txakolina wine from Aidura is produced. Txakolina, has a sweet, yet subtle taste making it perfect for any occasion and pairing. 


| ABOVE | Enjoying Chef Angelo's passion for his cuisine, his kind-face and joy was a real nice treat. He explained to us that his wife told him that they needed to move somewhere sunny or else she would leave him (jokingly of course, but that only shows you how warm he is with his customers), so once they came to Miami, he wanted to bring a piece of New England to this bustling city. Funny enough, he never really was a fan of oysters, that all changed when he lived in Fisher Island in New York City, where he was selling oysters to clients and said that "I needed to figure out how to like these, if I am going to be serving them." He learned to eat them when he met with fishermen and producers, who taught him how to eat them right out of the water, from that point forward he was hooked.


| ABOVE | Non-seafood lovers, rejoice because there is something for you on the menu as well, and don't be fooled by the name of the restaurant, because boy do they  know how to cook a steak. Soft and buttery is what you can use to describe the skirt steak with tasted.  | BELOW | Taking a small breather from all the food-stuffing we did.


| ABOVE x BELOW | To finish off the day we ended with dessert of course. We tried the Key Lime Pie and Chocolate Molten Cake, but where good to our stomachs but I think the star for most of the girls was the key lime pie. I, of course was happily to finish off the chocolate molten cake for them.


| ABOVE x BELOW | Having a moment to chat some more with these beauties after one of the best meals I have ever had outside of the restaurant. | PICTURED | Vannia Enriquez, Daniela Ramirez, Myself and Erika Thomas. | NOT PICTURED | Netty D

| WEARING | Brixton Ally Hat (similar, similar, similar), Zara Embroidered Dress (on sale), Leather Crossbody Bag x Knee-High Gladiator Sandals (similar, similar)


It was such a fun day to be able to catch up with my Miami blogger babes, I can't thank Mob Miami and Graspa Group enough for hosting such an amazing lunch for us. We were blown away truly by every bit of our experience, even more for the fresh and carefully crafted plates we were able to get a taste of. If you are a Miami local or are visiting, I invite you to get a taste for yourself, because this beautiful and charming spot in Midtown will not disappoint. I also want to thank Netty, Vannia, Daniela and Erika who took time out of their schedule to come and hang out with me, I loved seeing you ladies, and my amazing friend and photographer Sasha for being willing to document this day.

This post is sponsored by Midtown Oyster Bar x Graspa Group


| PHOTOS by | Sasha de Almagro 

2 comments:

Thanks for the love!