{"id":3754,"date":"2015-11-10T17:05:09","date_gmt":"2015-11-10T22:05:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/~travelwriting\/?page_id=3754"},"modified":"2015-11-10T17:05:09","modified_gmt":"2015-11-10T22:05:09","slug":"madrids-historic-food-market-opens-branch-in-miamis-bayfront-park","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/?page_id=3754","title":{"rendered":"Madrid’s historic food market opens branch in Miami’s Bayfront Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted November 9, 2015<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By VIVIAN BRAGA<\/p>\n

Restaurants, bars and events open and happen everyday in Miami. Testing new concepts, introducing a new culture and celebrating a new beginning, here\u2019s something you don\u2019t see everyday in South Florida\u2019s big city: a historical food market from Madrid, inaugurating its first branch in Miami\u2019s Bayfront Park.<\/p>\n

\"View<\/p>\n

\u201cNo other American city would be a better location for our market than Miami,\u201d said Monteserrat Valle, owner of Mercado de San Miguel. \u201cThe Spanish-American cross culture is huge here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Upon\u00a0arrival, guests can encounter food and drink kiosks selling all kinds of traditional Spanish tapas and delicacies: from the famous jamon<\/em> to paella<\/em>, montaditos<\/em> and gin and tonics there\u2019s more than 20 different varieties of Spanish culinary to be enjoyed, as well as live music and dancing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve come to the market at least three times ever since it opened a few weeks ago,\u201d said Angelo Sobraz, an entrepreneur from Spain residing in Miami. \u201cIt gives me a sense of home away from home, everything is 100 percent Spanish.\u201d<\/p>\n

The space itself was carefully designed to resemble the atmosphere of the original Mercado as closely as possible. With a mix of tented interior areas as well as an outdoor seating, there are four main food stations and a circular bar known as \u201cLa Feria\u2019s focal points\u201d as well as smaller stands and carts spaced throughout the venue.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want people to visit the market in Miami and almost feel like they\u2019re in Madrid\u2019s one,\u201d said Valle. \u201cI want to make the experience as true as possible to the\u00a0real one, so I kept the Mercado\u2019s ambiance and design pretty much the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

Valle also carefully selected the Spanish chefs and sellers who run La Feria. He also chose to bring local producers such as Zak the Baker, Miami Smokers and Mimmo\u2019s Mozzarella to help bring a little bit of a \u201cMiami-feeling\u201d to the market.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am honored to work and be part of the market here in Miami,\u201d said Eliseo Teto Gil, chef of the jamon kiosk at Mercado de San Miguel. \u201cMy family is from Spain but I grew up in Miami so it\u2019s an immense pride to represent my country in such an event.\u201d<\/p>\n

The market\u2019s gourmet selection was carefully selected and consists of both traditional and contemporary cuisine. The original Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid, is visited by more than 75,000 people a week and is considered to be an Asset of Cultural Interest in the Monuments category. Such importance pressured the Mercados\u2019 standards in Miami to be kept high while costs still kept at an affordable price.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy favorite thing about the market is that you get that fancy and edgy European vibe, but you\u2019re spending less than $15 on your meal.\u201d said Cristina Lopez, local tourist from Puerto Rico who visited the Market.<\/p>\n

Entrance and admission are free and food prices range from $2 for small tapas to $10 and up for the larger plates like grilled meats and paella. La Feria\u2019s hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday and 10 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.<\/p>\n

Public parking lots are available along Biscayne Boulevard. For $7 an hour and parking meters for $1.25 per hour. Another option is the Metro Mover, which is not only free but offers the Bayfront Park station, located just a couple of steps from the market.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a little piece of Spain at the center of Miami,\u201d said Valle. \u201cLa Feria is very accessible whether your driving, walking or taking public transportation, we just want people to have a good time since their way here up until their way home.\u201d<\/p>\n

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