It was another beautiful, February day here in Miami. The sun was out, clear blue sky, lower eighties temperatures, refreshingly cool South Florida winter breeze – it was way too perfect to stay in the house all day. So my wife and I decided to go and visit one of our favorite spots here in South Florida – Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. I mean, on a day like this, Las Olas is the place to be with your whole family. It has everything – beautiful scenery, awesome family friendly restaurants, great shopping. On top of that, it has this relaxing vibe about it that makes one feel at ease.
So we grabbed our kids, tossed some cameras into the back of our ride and jetted to our destination. In 30 minutes, which is approximately the time it takes to get to Fort Lauderdale from Miami, we have arrived. At first we decided to stop by Riverwalk; the kids wanted to see some nice boats. Effortlessly, we were able to find parking at the crossing of E. Las Olas Blvd and N. New River Drive E. Few minutes later we were on New River Drive taking photos of these beautiful yachts and boats sailing by what seemed to be only an arm’s reach away from us. There were so many different vessels there, from tiny motor boats to huge mega yachts literally the size of a house.
One of the exciting things about Riverwalk area is that it has various places to eat right on the water. So if you are on a boat and you get hungry you can always park your boat at one of these places and enjoy a nice meal with the equally nice view. Also, another good thing to mention is the water taxes, which can take you from place to place on the river in no-time.
Well, after spending about 20 minutes gazing at the boats, we were now back at the corner of Las Olas Blvd and SE 6th Ave – the “beginning” of the legendary Las Olas Boulevard. Right at the start you are greeted by two awesome restaurants – Big City Tavern on the left and Cheesecake Factory on the right. A panorama of all sorts of fashion boutiques, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, ice-cream shops, jewelry stores, antique stores, art galleries, and whatnot opens up in front of you – all on one street. At that moment I knew my wife was in a shopaholic’s paradise - she could go window shopping now, kids and I could tag along munching on some ice cream.
Few hours later we all were hungry and tired from strolling down Las Olas Boulevard. It was time for the family to sit down, relax and eat. The boulevard offers some of the best restaurants not only in Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach combined, but in the entire South Florida. Just a few restaurants to mention: Chima Brazilian Steakhouse, Johnny V's, YOLO, Big City Tavern, The Royal Pig, Mangos, Asia Bay Sushi Bar & Thai, The Chimney House - Grill and Café, and The Floridian.
We ended up at one of our favorite places here on the boulevard called Big City Tavern. This place has inside and outside sittings. It has a huge bar where you can sit, have a drink, and watch a game. The interior design is awesome. It presents a theme of a New York 50th or 60th restaurant style. And beside the beautiful décor, Big City Tavern restaurant serves A+++ food.
By the time we were done with our meal it was starting to get dark outside. The kids were exhausted, and falling asleep which meant that it was time for us to call it a night.