Getting the flavor of... South Beach’s sweet spot

South Beach’s sweet spot

Walk beyond the “busloads of tourists” on Ocean Drive, and you’ll get a taste of Miami’s sweet life, said Mary Billard in The New York Times. A triangular district at the very tip of South Beach has emerged as a “laid-back and effortlessly chic” alternative to the madness nearby. Once a “dangerous no-man’s land,” SoFi—which stands for South of Fifth Street—now feels as safe as a “gated resort.” The family-friendly scene is worlds apart from the club kids nursing their hangovers north of Fifth Street. Yogis meet for classes at the pink lifeguard stand to teach their “downward dogs in the ocean breezes.” Patrons in poolside cabanas sip chilled rosé and dine on goose liver pâté at La Piaggia Beach, which “could be mistaken for St. Barts.” Bikers and dog walkers watch the sunset at South Pointe Park, a grassy 17.5-acre esplanade with “waves lapping on the shore.”

Contact: Visitsouthbeachonline.com

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Kansas City’s barbecue

To say that Kansas City takes barbecue seriously would be an understatement, said Scott Vogel in The Washington Post. Fights have been known to break out over differences of opinion regarding the city’s 90-some barbecue joints. In this “barbecue-mad metropolis,” you would be safer talking politics or religion than shooting your mouth off about the local art form. From the technique (smoking, griddling, or braising) down to the rub, residents revel in “eating high on the hogs.” Operating in an old Shamrock gas station, Oklahoma Joe’s dishes out a heaping pile of brisket, provolone, and onion rings known as the Z-man Sandwich. Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque dates to 1927. Though the Formica tabletops and linoleum floors aren’t inviting, the joint serves up one “heavenly” brisket sandwich on Wonder Bread. One bite and you’ll forget about the fluorescent lighting.

Contact: Kcbs.us