Standard suburban extras unwittingly nailed their roles one recent Friday night at a West Kendall strip mall. Teens sporting thick chains and black tank tops loitered around an IHOP. The clerk of a patronless liquor store smoked a cigarette outside and watched burger mongers line up at the McDonald’s across…
How Vegetarians Fare Not well: Regarding “Chew the Right Thing” (May 10) by Lee Klein: Thank you for your recent attention to vegetarian fare in South Beach. I was a little bummed your review of Michael’s didn’t mention what options they have for vegetarians. I went there for drinks and…
Most people would agree that drinking and driving is a bad idea, and that guzzling a Budweiser before racing in the Daytona 500 amounts to a death wish. But there is a place where such rules of the road dont matter, and being inebriated just makes it that much more…
Camilo’s a Coward Ask those who served: Regarding “Camilo’s Retreat” by Francisco Alvarado (May 3): I served with Camilo Mejía and he had no problem being a soldier and training for war when he was collecting educational benefits. He was asked three times before leaving for overseas whether or not…
Churchill’s Pub (5501 NE 2nd Ave, Miami; 305-757-1807) is an oasis for punks in Miami’s lacking rock scene. It may seem ironic to find a British dive in Little Haiti, but with regulars who romanticize poverty and shun capitalism, its actually the ideal location for aspiring anarchists — complete with…
He’s No Hero Give him his just desserts: I just read your article on the deserter (“Is He a Coward or a Hero?” by Frank Alvarado, May 3) … what a pussy that guy is. I mean seriously, who joins the army and doesn’t know there is a possibility of…
How many martinis and half-forgotten hookups must we indulge before tiring of debauchery? The road of excess can be exciting, but for some of us, clubland adventures often turn into reruns of a boring soap opera. And it is right about this time, according to William Blake, that you find…
Back Yard Baghdad Steering clear of Opa-locka: I gotta say dude, I loved your story (“Baghdad West” by Calvin Godfrey, April 26). Everything about it was so on point. I’d love it if your next story was about the city officials who just show up to collect government checks and…
Revelry can turn up in the unlikeliest of places. The streets around the rundown Crystal Plaza may be quiet, but in a dark room inside the shopping center, flashing lights and booming bass assail the senses. People dance. They elbow each other. Strangely no fights break out. That is probably…
A Hero Among Chickens Give that bird a hand: Thanks for running the article on Mr. Clucky (Riptide, “Chicken to Ride,” April 12), South Beach’s luckiest resident. Most of Mr. Clucky’s kind are either ground up alive at birth, incarcerated in battery cages that allow each bird less space than…
Every day people stroll past Casa Casuarina (1116 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach; 305-672-6604), the former home of slain designer Gianni Versace, and wonder what lies beyond the iron gates and white facade of what is now an exclusive club, spa, and hotel. On a recent weekend night, a hoard of…
He’s No Engelbert Jonesing for a fix: I was absolutely in awe of the article on Tom Jones by Greg Baker, “The Devil in Mr. Jones” (April 12). Some of it is correct, but to say that he is “Engelbert Humperdinck with talent” is sickening and totally wrong. I have…
“What the hell is that?” asked Nadia Mir, looking at her younger, drunker sister with amused disgust. “Coochie popping,” replied Noreen Mir, as her gay male friend danced with his face in her lap and his bottom in the air. This was the scene on a recent Friday night at…
‘Tude and Fro Put away the race card: Regarding Emily Witt’s “Frotesters” (April 5): This is not a racial issue as Barney suggests. Maybe readers should go to each affected employee’s personnel file and see the photo attached from their date of hire. Barney is a liar! They were not…
Every Thursday, in a hidden corner of Aventura, freaky fans of poetry venture to Area 61 (504 NE 190th St, Aventura; 305-652-6480), a converted warehouse decked out as a venue and studio with couches, a stage, a small bar, surround sound, and air conditioning. On a recent Thursday, sharply dressed…
Taking the Bait A reader on the hook: Regarding “Catch of the Year” (March 22) by Lee Klein: Damn, Lee, you did it to me again. I now have to go to that place! By the way, you don’t like The Rusty Pelican? Glenn Suarez South Miami Solid Gold Whitney’s…
Tuesday is no longer the most boring day of the week at Amadeus Bar, in the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove (3300 SW 27th Ave, Coconut Grove; 305-644-4680). Starting at 9:00 p.m. Monica Llobet gives dance lessons ($10 for an hour), then hosts a milonga (tango party) till the wee hours. The…
Kudos to the Critic He likes you, he really likes you: Brandon K. Thorp is not only the best theater critic in South Florida, but I challenge anyone to find such insightful, truthful, and imaginative writing from any American theater critic. Finally someone who is not afraid to tell people…
The bars and streets of Coconut Grove looked like a poor man’s Abercrombie & Fitch ad one recent Saturday night. Hoards of fresh-faced college students in backward baseball caps and Birkenstocks posed with beer bottles in their hands and an inebriated glaze in their eyes. The revelers, the majority of…
For most people, an exciting Friday night does not involve toting around dirty socks and waiting for your clothes to dry. But the proprietors of Laundry Bar (721 N Lincoln Ln, Miami Beach, 305-531-7700, www.laundrybarmiami.com) have added a new twist to a dull chore by throwing in a splash of…
Offensive Justice These guys have nothing to lose: Regarding Isaiah Thompson’s “Swept Under the Bridge” (March 8): This is nothing short of horrifying from humanitarian, correctional, and public safety perspectives. These are not people who easily garner our sympathy; they have sexually abused children and deserved their jail time. Many…
Things Aren’t What They Seem Follow the law: I am writing this as a rebuttal to your outrageous, prejudicial, and negatively spun article “South Beach Menace” by Francisco Alvarado (March 8). It is unfortunate that you have such a skewed perception of the criminal justice system. Yes, I would agree…
