Mixing work and pleasure in Miami

Burgers and booze, anyone?

Hey friends!

I'm still reliving my recent weekend in Miami. What started as a work trip turned into an extremely enjoyable getaway with Justin. First, I had to get everything in order. That included cupping, which is why I looked like a Dr. Seuss character. 😂

Since we were heading out of town, we made sure to soak up a little extra time with the boys—lots of cuddles, lots of laughs. Their latest obsession is a Netflix show called Tiny Creatures, and yes, it’s fully mommy-and-daddy approved. Each episode follows the life of a little animal on a big adventure. It’s wild. I mean, I'm a 37-year-old woman, and I enjoy this show immensely. Once the important prep was taken care of, it was off to the airport. It’s always fun traveling with Justin.

As usual, Miami had it all—good food, strong tequila, and fabulous encounters. And as promised, I’m sharing my behind-the-scenes shenanigans and top-tier recommendations for eating and drinking your way through South Beach.

I was in town for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF) and had the pleasure of attending the annual Burger Bash. The trip started off work-related—my two business partners and I are working on a project that aligns with the food and beverage space, and a lot of our key partners were also planning to be at the event. We decided to head down for some in-person meetings, and well… one thing led to another, and it turned into a really fun weekend.

The Burger Bash is essentially a competition where attendees are given a wooden chip upon entry, which they use to vote for their favorite burger by dropping it into a designated box. The burger with the most chips wins. There’s a guest host (this year’s was the iconic Rachael Ray) and a celebrity panel who participates in the judging—I’ll be adding this to my 2026 bucket list.

The best part about being an attendee was that they pretty much just started handing us burgers the minute we arrived. It was burger heaven, honestly, but my taste buds were on overload. 🍔My chip went into the Burgermeister bin; it really stood out for me. I liked it because it was big, and a little sweet (and you know I have a sweet tooth). I also loved Motek Cafe’s Arayes Burger, which was Middle Eastern-inspired and wrapped in a pita instead of a bun. It won the grand prize!

Friends, have you ever had four burgers in one night? Absurd! I did myself a favor by not eating much before the event. And I didn't finish every burger—it was more like taking big bites—but after the fact, I think Justin probably had five or six. He got so stuffed, he was sweating. 😂