Not only did we find ourselves at Cafeteria twice in one week,
but in two different locations: both the Lincoln Road location
in Miami Beach and the original in Chelsea in New York. Such is
the allure of a consistently good restaurant with a stylish
clientele and an energized vibe. You can’t go wrong sitting
outside at Cafeteria’s Lincoln Road locale where the
never-ending passeggiata
of the bronzed and beautiful continues long after midnight – and
fortunately, Cafeteria is there to serve you around the clock,
long after the margaritas have worn off and the hangover has
commenced. Housed in what was once the Cadillac showroom for
Miami Beach, Cafeteria’s interior dining room is streamlined and
moderne with a ceiling open to the sky, thereby insuring that
even inside, you’re a part of the Beach’s fabled balmy nights.
An elevator whisks you upstairs to the stylish bathrooms (and
also the rooftop lounge, Air), while downstairs the spacious bar
with its flattering lighting proves to be a perfect perch to
linger over a cocktail while munching on fries and a salad. The
menu on the Beach is more or less the same as that served in New
York, and you can’t really go wrong with the iceberg wedge or
the mac-and-cheese or any of the sides. It’s comfort food
thoughtfully prepared in proportions designed to keep your
profile as attractive as those seated around you. The scene in
New York is a little more intense, perhaps given to Cafeteria’s
cameo in Sex and the City, and the din can sometimes accost the
ears. Similarly, eating outside along
Seventh Avenue with the endless traffic
spewing fumes, doesn’t quite enable the same
feeling of chic that can occur while
lounging on Lincoln Road. Nonetheless,
the staff at both locations is incredibly
flirtatious, and with good reason – and as a
rule, eating at Cafeteria can make you feel
equally sexy.
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