Ginger "lover of discontinued food and products" H.'s Profile

I do yoga. Lots of yoga. At one point, I went to Target and bought a ton of Champion workout gear to wear to yoga, as I was wearing my yoga clothes around the clock. Then, I met Lululemon and I literally tossed out all my Champion stuff. The fabric, the colors, the patterns ... I don't know what is it exactly about Lululemon, but I do know now that I've worn it, I can never go back. And this store is my secret shopping splurge destination. It has everything. In all the sizes. And it's HUGE. The staff is super friendly. And you can even find stuff on sale. The sales staff is more than willing to help you find a top to go with those bottoms. Or a bottom to go with that top. Need a matching water bottle? They have that, too. Yes, you can Lululemon yourself from head to toe, but trust me, it's worth it. I know the price tag is, well, pricey, but the amount of wear you will get out of one pair of leggings lasts longer than two pairs of crappy Champion pants you'll get it Target. It's all about the quality. And this place packs it in.

I stopped in Blue Piano on a Wednesday night. The space is small and intimate. And packed. But what it lacks in square footage, it makes up for in sound. A piano in the corner bangs out the mood of its player. And I have to say, everyone who took a seat at the bench did an A+ job of making good background music. Blue Piano reminds me of Room. Both have a wide variety of drinks (beers, wine, non-alcoholic stuff). And the space gives off the same feel with corner-lined seating. Plus, there's seating outside in case you want to take in some fresh air with your music and libation. All in all, I give Blue Piano two thumbs up. Its def a cool little spot I'll be checking into again.

What an awesome venue for the arts. I had been meaning to checkout Bakehouse, but didn't actually make it over until the Sketchy Miami Party #2. That party, by the way, was awesome. Bakehouse itself is a maze of the arts. Each studio, as you would expect, brings its own cool vibe, making it a melting pot of sculptures, photographers, painters, sketchers and more. The floor is completely worn in and covered in plywood. The stairs look like the kind you climbed at your public school up north back in the day. And the white walls have seen their share of recovers, but this all lends to Bakehouse's vibe. There's so much to see, it's almost overwhelming. Candy wrapper-covered Barbies, life-size pencil sketches of fashion gowns, ceramic flowers, breathtaking watercolor nudes, paintings of flowers and beetles ... It's a lot to take in. But it's amazing. From what I hear, the studio spaces are affordable, giving Miami's many talented artists a home for their creative endeavors. I can't wait to go back and see what's sprung since my last visit.

I checked into Lester's for Gallery Walk. The space was brimming over with people. (It's always great to see people celebrating the arts.) Lester's caters to the artsy crowd with coffee, tea, beer and wine. The space itself is eclectic with big tables meant for sharing and mismatched chairs. Electrical outlets hang from the ceiling so you can plug in and get some work done. Mid-Modern chairs flank the corners of the space so you can sit and chat or curl up with a good book or cool mag. An array of quirky pics line the walls. Tonight, a dj took over the right wall of the space. The music was set at a deafening level, but aside from that, the vibe at Lester's is a cool one. I'll def check it out again the next time I'm in the area and need to get a coffee house break in.

Love Green Monkey Midtown. I have a membership to Green Monkey, which lets me try out classes at all three locations. As a hug fan of Amy R. and Paul T. I will travel for their classes. And that's how I ended up trying out Green Monkey Midtown (I usually get my yoga on at the Miami Beach Treehouse). The space is very modern and cool. Paul teaches downstairs in the larger studio on Sundays. Amy teaches in the small room upstairs. It may look like it only fits five people, but the space actually holds 20, and on Tuesday and Thursday nights, it gets very close to hitting that number. Green Monkey's mat crawl starts Sept. 1. The goal is to try out 30 teachers in 30 days, so I'm positive I'll be spending even more time at the Midtown locale soon.

I checked into Area 31 for an event. I thought there would be average food, like you find at these large event-type things. I, however, was pleasantly surprised when my meal turned out to be something out of the ordinary. Salad and crispy oversized breadsticks started off the meal. Both were equally tasty. And I went back to the bakset time and time again for seconds (thirds and fourths) of the breadsticks. Up next, flatbread pizza, which was apparently new to the menu and absolutely perfect for lunch. The dough was soft. The ratio of sauce to cheese was perfect. All in all, it was a good dish. Rounding off the meal, oversized chocolate chip cookies. Who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies? Me, actually, but they looked so good, I had a quarter of one anyway, and despite my distaste for the dessert, I have to say these were pretty good. Also for the dessert, amazing sky-high views of Miami. The surroundings at Area 31 are perfect for a large gathering. If I had a big event of my own to plan, I would def. look into this spot to get the party started. I would also hit it up again for lunch or dinner, event or not.

It all started with the truffle butter. You know if the butter for your pre-meal bread is this good, the rest of the experience is going to be top-notch. And it was. I absolutely fell in love with the sweet potato gnocchi. Letting the gnocchi linger just a bit too long on the fire gave it a crunchy shell bursting with flavor. The roasted potato mash was equally delish with a smoked flavor that kept me coming back for more and more and more. And just when I thought my carb card was full, a little something called Baked Patagonia made its debut at the table. Think of it as basked Alaska, but better. It's sweet, savory and completely sinful. But the food isn't the only standout at The Dining Room. The place is also just as cute as it can be. Not a large space, instead it's an intimate, cozy dining experience, not unlike your own dining room. If only the chef from Ola designed your home-cooked meals, too. A beautiful chandelier hangs above, while family photos adorn the walls. The staff is friendly and attentive, making it a come-back-for-sure spot.

Kilwin's landed on our rotation after we spotted carmel apples as big as my head in the windows. Let me tell you, it takes two grown adults to eat one of those suckers. And be prepared to feel stuffed to the max when you are done. While the apples are a once and a lifetime thing, we spent most of our trips getting chocolate and sprinkle-covered marshmallows on a stick for my kiddo. She loves them. The caramels at the counter at divine, too. And now let's get to the fudge. Oh, the fudge. I get all weak in the knees for the peanut butter chocolate fudge. The straight-up chocolate isn't bad either. And the peanut butter sans chocolate does the trick as well. My only desire: divinity sans nuts. I can just feel my teeth rotting out of my head now as I type these words. But oh, how good it tastes. Kilwins makes its own stuff, and you can watch them do so in its narrow windows. The staff is very friendly and the owner is more than happy to share knowledge of sweets with you if you ask. While you're at it, ask for a sample. He's willing to share those, too.

Do I go into Ghiradelli a lot? Yup, I sure do. The free chocolate has a lot to do with that. In the beginning, I pretended to be interested in what the store had to sell after getting my freebie. Now, I just walk up to the person dispensing, take my free chocolate and go. Yeah, I have no shame. Even worse, my daughter refers to it exclusively as the "free chocolate" store. While I may consume my fair share of gratis chocolate, I actually do pay to snack there, too. Favorites include a chocolate shake (made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup), the Knob Hill Chill (dear god, this is the most chocolate-y delish thing I have EVER consumed) and the carmel bars. I love the look and feel of the old-time soda shop. I really hate faux re-creations, but Ghiradelli did a great job. And the free chocolate doesn't hurt either.

Best Friends. I saw the big yellow-y B and F letters of the sign and was surprised to see the words pizza and burgers after it. Best Friends doesn't seem like a typical name for a food spot. But I was still willing to give it a try. Parked in the old Luna spot, Best Friends is a pretty sizable space. I was shocked to see it on the empty side on an early Thursday evening. Read, try this place out so it doesn't disappear! The interior is well-done, with a chalkboard that goes around the space. Feel free to leave your mark. It's encouraged. We chose to sit outside, where a vintage Michael Jackson track was playing. I was a little put off by the crumb-covered placemat in front of me, but swapped it for the one next to me that appeared untouched. The menu said Best Friends had natural juices. I quickly ordered a tangerine. What arrived, however, was a frozen glass of what appeared to be canned juice. It wasn't what I had in mind, so I sent it back. And then, I started to worry. With the placemat and the drink, was  it possible this meal was not off to such a great start? Oh, please don't let this be a case of diner's remorse. But alas, the food came, and it was affirmed that Best Friends knows their way around a pie. We kicked things off with burrata, which is one of my MOST favorite things to eat. And it was stellar. Up next, pizza! Made in a wood-burning oven, this pie was just right. Just enough cheese, just enough sauce, just enough crunch. The portions were large and the bill seemed accurate for the amount of food we gorged on. I still don't know about the name, but I've got a good feeling about the food. Clean placemats, and I would have given it all five stars.