Tennis, Bacon & Lychee Martinis: A Birthday to be Reckoned With

They say it's my birthday!!!

We rolled out of bed everyday in Florida at around noon, and my birthday was no exception. We rolled out of bed and into tennis clothes and hit the courts in Flamingo Park.

I used to detest playing on clay, but after this trip I have a new found love for clay courts. I think clay frustrated me when I was in the early stages of my tennis career. It is unpredictable and it changes your timing. Now, however, I enjoy the shit out of clay. When the ball hits the clay, it decreases the speed of the ball so a player has more set up time. My strokes are big and loopy, when I have enough time. So, when hitting the slower clay ball I have plenty of time to set up and tee off. Good times!

One of the things I enjoyed most about our visit to Florida were the long walks. We walked home from the courts everyday, usually through the residential district rather than the commercial district. I totally get the appeal of South Beach. Humans walking, jogging, riding scooters, bicycles and even mopeds. So OG. And nearly everyone is fit in their own way, lots of ethnic diversity, and shiny happy faces in the late December 82 degree sunshine.


Prime 112
112 Ocean Dr
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 532-8112

After a long winter's nap (HA!), we emerged ready for a special dinner. 75 degrees at 8 PM. Even from Southern California, this is nirvana. We headed to Prime 112, a much rec'd steakhouse, for my birthday dinner.

I started my birthday dinner with a lychee martini, and a damn good one.

Prime 112 features bar bacon. Bar Bacon! Several water glasses filled with long strips of bacon are lined up running down the bar. Bacon. Bacon for people to eat.


Mmmm. Bacon.

The waiter suggested this wine and we did not love it. It was ok. Meh. Several mediocre wine experiences during the month of December prompted me to buy a new app for my iPhone, WineSnob. You can record provenance, vintage, characteristics and even a pic of wine you experience. It is already coming in handy. But I see it doing so even more a year in when my wine reviews are greater in number.

On my birthday, we share. We shared a filet on the bone. It was wonderful. Mastro's and BLT have nothing on Prime 112. Simply prepared, and we ate it with a creamy horseradish and one of several BBQ sauces offered. Several.BBQ.sauces.offered.


We also shared a simple scallop dish, sea scallops atop mashed potatoes. Unusual, yes? No. But delicious.

And massive grilled asparagus with a sprinkling of parm. A perfect day and a perfect meal.