Grace Della wants to take you to dinner. As owner and operator of Miami Culinary Tours, she conducts guided walks through South Beach and Little Havana with stops for a single course at a number of gourmet restaurants along the way. Groups of less than 15 people enjoy the best bites at the area’s popular restaurants and learn about Miami’s history and culture through the people and the food.
Starting out in online marketing, Della created a successful food tour for the city of Calitri in Southern Italy. She went on to help her mother start a similar enterprise in her native Argentina where travelers take a tasting tour of the city’s best restaurants and then learn how to recreate those traditional dishes at two distinctive cooking classes. To help her mother’s business get off the ground, Della spent five years responding to reservation requests and learning what interests people booking culinary tours. Armed with that knowledge, she knew it was time to launch her own operation here in South Florida.
Grace Della
To learn about the rich history of the Cuban people and their unique neighborhood in the heart of Miami, join the Little Havana guided walking tour Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 12:30 - 3pm. For $55 per person, guests experience the intimate charm of small, family-owned restaurants while meeting artists, cigar rollers and the dedicated ex-pats who meet to play dominoes in Maximo Gomez Park each day. During the 2 1/2 hour walk, visitors may taste a strong Cuban coffee, a mixed Cuban sandwich, crisp fried plantain chips, a hearty potato omelette and chunks of fried garlicky pork served with a side of starchy yuca fries. There is a stop at a fresh fruit stand to sample a tropical guarapo juice pressed from the stalks of raw sugar cane before finishing things off with a traditional home-style dessert.
The 4-hour “Cuba Bonita” cultural bus tour is also available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-3pm kicking off on South Beach and traveling through Key Biscayne, Little Havana and historic Coral Gables for $95 per person. Guests visit the cities most influenced by Cuban culture while making seven stops to sample authentic dishes prepared in humble family-style restaurants. Starting off with a shot of sugary-sweet Cuban espresso, the tour proceeds to Key Biscayne for a taste of classic Cuban sandwiches including a “Mixto” of sweet ham, roast pork and Swiss cheese melted on a grill press and a “Medianoche” sandwich served on a sweet brioche bread. Back on the bus the tour moves to Little Havana for a look at the colorful murals, guayabera pleated shirts, and hand-rolled cigar factories. Touching down at Roma Bakery, guests sample Chef Giacomo Roma’s signature pastries, breads and galletas washed down with a freshly squeezed juice at El Palacio de los Jugos. The last stop on the tour after a spin through historic Coral Gables is the legendary Biltmore Hotel where a minty sweet Cuban rum mojito marks the end of a delicious day.
On weekend nights, a 2 1/2 hour walking tour through the gourmet restaurants and small cafes of South Beach gives visitors a chance to taste the best bites in town while learning about the history of the Art Deco District for just $59 per person. Miami’s top chefs take fresh local produce and craft their dishes with Latin, Caribbean, Mediterranean and Asian influences to create truly unique Florida menus. Della points out that only in Miami do the chefs push the envelope using tropical fruit like guava, mango, lychees and logans in both sweet and savory dishes. Kicking off at 6pm, the tour winds through the restaurants of Cuban fusion master Chef Douglas Rodriguez, Mexican gourmet Chef Gonzalo Rivera Jr (La Marea at the Tides), James Beard Award nominee Sam Gorenstein (BLT Steak at the Betsy), Jerry’s Famous Deli and Gelateria Milani for dessert. Throughout the tour, Della and her guides share their passion for contemporary culinary arts and South Beach’s diverse dining scene.
The specific stops on each of the tours may change throughout the season, but the chance to taste the Best of Miami is just a click away at www.miamiculinarytours.com.
