May 24, 2010

Miami Beach - The Standard version

I recently spent 10 days in Miami Beach at The Standard Hotel.  The hotel is amazing.  The rooms are very simple, but the communal areas could not be better.  Their spa is gorgeous with a Hammam, steam room, sauna, the works.  And the best part...they have at least 6 yoga classes a day. 

I spent a lot of time at the hotel, and eating there was never a disappointment.  

For breakfast, the granola with bananas, strawberries + soymilk is very filling and a perfect way to start your day.

Sitting by the pool, the flatbread is a perfect snack to share.  Crispy flatbread topped with sprouts, tomatoes, mushrooms, hummus and feta cheese (you can easily skip the feta to make it vegan).

And for lunch...Greek salad with tofu (again, skip the feta to make it vegan).  They marinate the tofu and then grill it to perfection.  You can taste that wonderful charred flavor that vegetarians don't always get to experience.

The living lasagna is also a great option for lunch.  It's completely raw and full of flavor.  The layers consist of zucchini, squash and carrots with cashew nut cheese and raw vegan sausage.  The fresh tomato sauce throughout and on the side had to be the best part...so ripe and fresh. 

For dinner, they have a customizable option...grilled tofu + a vegetable side + sauce.  Here I picked chickpea fries with pepper puree.  The vegetable options include broccoli rabe, grilled asparagus, and shaved brussel sprouts.  The sauces include salsa verde, sundried tomato citrus + raw coconut chutney just to name a few.

And you simply cannot miss the vegan Ding Dong.  It's such a pleasant way to end your day - chocolate cake, chocolate fondant and vanilla cream.