What could be a better combination than food, art, and a beautiful sunny day?

We ventured on a Miami Culinary Tour of Wynwood and played tourist with a mostly local group of new friends. Wynwood is a rapidly transitioning area of central Miami that is home to the now-famous Wynwood Walls, galleries and amazing restaurants. During this walking tour, our exceptional guide Mirka did a great job of keeping the group together while explaining the story behind the iconic art and artists as well as details about the food we tasted.  It was a foodie dream.

Although food options may change depending on the tour, even those of us who had been to Wynwood many times, came away with some new info and experiences.

A quick rundown of our tastings:

• GKB for Peruvian ceviche and pork taquito slice
• The Taco Stand (a California-based enterprise) for an exceptional handcrafted chicken taco
• Wynwood Kitchen & Bar, where it all began, for a ropa vieja empanada, maduros & tequeno
• Nationally renown Zac the Baker for a potato knish and babka tasting
• Recently opened, Flavian for uniquely flavored gelato (think walnut & fig or pear & ginger)

Servings were ample, and trust me, you are not hungry after this 2 ½ hour tour. Somehow, I was too busy eating to take any pictures of the food.

Artist Peter Tunney was on-site when we visited his gallery and “Excerpts from the Taj Mahal” work, all created with salvaged remnants from the bankrupt Atlantic City casino. It was an unexpected treat to hear him explain his thought process and experiences in putting together the collection, just in time for last December’s Art Basel.

Bon appétit!

For info on this tour or other Miami-area culinary tours, check out: https://www.miamiculinarytours.com/

786-942-8856

For more about the international artists and their work showcased on the Wynwood Walls, visit: http://www.thewynwoodwalls.com/

A section of one of the Walls.

This sculpture is made from re-purposed trash. Look closely – that’s an endangered Florida panther on top.