{"id":3252,"date":"2015-09-29T11:30:29","date_gmt":"2015-09-29T16:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/~travelwriting\/?page_id=3252"},"modified":"2015-09-29T12:01:18","modified_gmt":"2015-09-29T17:01:18","slug":"saturdays-in-miamis-coconut-grove-offer-laid-back-bohemian-experiences","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/?page_id=3252","title":{"rendered":"Saturdays in Miami’s Coconut Grove offer laid back, Bohemian experiences"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted September 29, 2015<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By DIANA RODON<\/p>\n

The neighborhood of Coconut Grove has become synonymous with late-night partying and drinking. During the day, however, the area offers a uniquely laid back and Bohemian atmosphere.<\/p>\n

Downtown Coconut Grove goes largely unexplored despite alternative stores and restaurants being walking distance from each other. Devote an entire Saturday to exploring and you will be surprised what you may find.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to the Grove.<\/p>\n

10 a.m. Panther Coffee<\/strong><\/p>\n

Panther Coffee, a hipster coffee shop made popular in Wynwood, recently opened a location in the heart of Coconut Grove. The interior is industrial chic while being a relaxed environment for sipping a strong cup of coffee to jolt you awake in the morning.<\/p>\n

The coffees are priced similarly to Starbucks yet offer specialty drinks that are exclusive to their brand. Customers can read detailed descriptions of the coffee bean they choose and pick the method by which the coffee is hand brewed. Panther Coffee is best known for their Cold Brew, which is an iced coffee brewed for nine hours. Also available are teas and an assortment of pastries, ideal for a good morning\u2019s start.<\/p>\n

11 a.m. Glasser Farms Organic Market<\/strong><\/p>\n

After a refreshing Cold Brew and sweet almond croissant take a walk through the Farmer\u2019s Market; you never know what delicacies you might find. The market is predominately operated by Glasser Farms with a few other smaller retailers.<\/p>\n

Glasser Farms offers almost anything you can imagine under the organic foods umbrella. Prepared foods and drinks are available for purchase in addition to the raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, teas, and more. The prices on these items can vary drastically, prepared foods generally being more expensive and great deals being had on unique teas and spices.<\/p>\n

Sold on site, in pints to take home or individual cups, is Glasser Farms\u2019s unique 100 percent raw and vegan ice cream. Try mixing the Maple Pecan and Cinnamon Vanilla ice creams together. The artificial flavor typical of ice cream is absent in place of strong, natural flavors.<\/p>\n

1 p.m. The Last Carrot<\/strong><\/p>\n

With your shopping bag filled with organic foods and goods, walk down Grand Avenue for a nutritious lunch at The Last Carrot. Once you enter the caf\u00e9, the smell of healthy food lingers in the air, the first indication of the kinds of food and juice available at The Last Carrot. The smell is joined by sounds of vegetables being juiced.<\/p>\n

The Last Carrot is a small, independent caf\u00e9 filled mostly with regulars getting shots of wheatgrass or an a\u00e7ai smoothie. For the first timer, the servers are very knowledgeable and can customize anything, as long as they have the ingredients.<\/p>\n

Most of the items are vegan or vegetarian but there are options for everyone, even those who do not find healthy eating appealing. One option is the Grasshopper Juice, although green in appearance, is made from pineapple juice and wheatgrass. It tastes merely of pineapple juice, while maintaining the good nutrients of wheatgrass.<\/p>\n

3 p.m. Shopping<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are so many options for shopping in Coconut Grove. At least one consignment or thrift store can be found on every street. Explore Commodore Plaza, Main Highway, and Fuller Street for your best options. Sifting through the piles of clothes, thrifters are usually able to find a few good pieces.<\/p>\n

Prices can vary depending on which consignment shop you browse, but it\u2019s worth digging through. Alongside those thrift stores can be found many high-end boutiques, stocking trending yet one of a kind items for steep prices.<\/p>\n

Within CocoWalk, Coconut Grove\u2019s mall, are a few chain stores such as Gap and Victoria\u2019s Secret. Beyond the stores, the mall is designed in an interesting shape, encouraging passersby to explore every nook and cranny. Perhaps the most interesting shop in Coconut Grove is The Olfactory Company. It\u2019s one of those all stop shops that sells everything from weird toys to teas and soaps. You could spend hours looking at every product and being amazed by the novelties.<\/p>\n

6 p.m. Lokal<\/strong><\/p>\n

Head to Lokal for a burger with beer before the Saturday night crowd arrives. The small restaurant is always buzzing and a waiting list usually forms to accommodate everyone. The wait is worth it. This restaurant is all about being local, specializing in burgers made from Florida grass-fed beef and beers that are sourced locally from breweries such as Funky Buddha and Wynwood Brewing.<\/p>\n

The restaurant itself has an urban vibe, with graffiti littering the walls and a bar decorated in cassette tapes. Their image is then sustained by the burgers they sell such as the \u201cRoyale with Cheese,\u201d a \u201cPulp Fiction\u201d reference, and \u201cMy Childhood Dream,\u201d which is a burger patty in between two halves of a doughnut.<\/p>\n

9 p.m. Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive In<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Blue Starlite Drive In Movie Theater recently reopened in Kennedy Park. Come here for a taste of nostalgia at one of the classic or cult film screenings. The Blue Starlite offers some double features and remixed films, such as \u201cAlice in Wonderland\u201d with an alternative soundtrack of Pink Floyd\u2019s \u201cThe Wall.\u201d<\/p>\n

The films are projected onto a large screen as moviegoers watch in pedestrian seating outside or in their car by tuning into the appropriate radio station. Be advised, the Blue Starlite Drive In is not open every night and times may vary.<\/p>\n

If You Go<\/strong><\/p>\n