Plan Your Own Miami Food & Wine Fest

Planning your own Miami Food & Wine Fest isn't expensive. Ask your miami.com Hotel Channel editor--Dinkinish O'Connor to show you how.

2/19/2010

Broke? I understand. You really wanted to meet Anthony Bourdain or at least see him. And you really wanted to go to Burger Bash, but you were laid off or just can’t afford it right now. Let me help you plan an amazing food and wine tour of Miami. At the end of the day, Miami is a rice-n-beans town that belongs to the green card-challenged chefs who have defined Miami’s culinary identity. So camp out at one of those Biscayne Boulevard motels, then travel to Cuba, Haiti, Peru, Colombia, Jamaica, and Honduras all in one weekend. Save your bigger bucks for wine havens like W Wine Bistro (where the French guys treat you like fam), Eno (where you can try a Châteauneuf du Pape shot for $5) and Imperial Wines (where you may get to taste Amarone for FREE). So don’t hate. Don’t sulk. Plan your own damn food and wine festival!

Motel Guide:

Miami Sun Hotel

This place is located right in the heart of downtown Miami—yummy Garcia and arepa carts everywhere. And you can travel to Miami Beach via scooter. Rates start at $60 a night.

Miami Sun Hotel, 226 N.E. 1st Ave., Downtown Miami, 305-375-0786.

Hacienda Motel

Single rooms are $60, and double rooms (two beds) are between $65 to $75. Note: This hotel is located further north on Biscayne Boulevard in a more posh community.

Hacienda Motel, 9101 Biscayne Blvd., Miami Shores, 305-754-9575.

Royal Motel/ Royal Budget Inn

Rooms are $65 a night, and you can’t stay longer than seven days.

Royal Motel/ Royal Budget Inn, 7411 Biscayne Blvd., 305-754-7901.

King Motel

A single room is $60, and a double room is $75.

King Motel, 7150 Biscayne Blvd., 305-757-2674.

Saturn Motel

A single room with queen size bed is $55 ($60 for a king size bed).

Saturn Motel, 6995 Biscayne Blvd., 305-757-8891.

Biscayne Inn

The Modern Room which includes a fridge is $55 per night, $65 for a double room. If you pay up front, you get 7 nights for the price of 6 nights.

Biscayne Inn, 6730 Biscayne, Blvd., 786-235-2300.

Note To My Venturesome Gourmands: Antibacterial wipes are highly recommended.

Cool Wine Joints:

W Wine Bistro, 3622 NE 2nd Ave., Miami, 305-576-7775.
Eno’s Winebar Cafe and Restaurant, 920 Lincoln Rd., South Beach, 305-695-1119.
Impérial Wines, 7235 Biscayne Blvd., 305-754-5142.