The 11th Street Diner, aptly named for its location in the
heart of South Beach seems right at home amist the largest
concentration of art deco architecture in the United
States. The 1946 Paramount, a double unit with a stainless
steel facade decorated with burnished circles ads to the
beauty of the infamous resort. While the area is thriving
today, the southern end of Miami Beach has a less than
perfect history. When the first buildings were completed
in the 1920's during prohibition, South Beach soon became
associated with liquor and gambling and attracted the likes
of Al Capone. By the early 1980's, much of the Art Deco
district had become a slum and a center for drug traffic.
South Beach began its revival in the late 80's which some
partially attribute to the success of the TV show "Miami
Vice." Today, almost all fo the original buildings have
been meticulously restored and painted in a colorful array
of pastels. The most well know architecture in the area is
along Ocean Drive between 5th and 15th street. There you
will find a long strip of neon-clad hotels including "The
Colony" which has been in the background of many a photo
shoot. You can imagine this is a spectacular place to be
at dusk when all the neon lights up, but the early morning
light really reveals the district in all its glory. After
a morning walk on Ocean Drive, it would be a shame not to
head west on 11th Street a few blocks to Washington Ave
where you will find the city's only vintage diner, which is
quite impressive against a backdrop of palm trees. The
interior of the long section is outstandingly preserved and
while there is no grill out front, the long counter affords
you a great view of most of the action. Plan to stay a
while, though, because the waitresses like to chat with the
regulars and this slows things down a bit. As in most of
Florida, you have the choice of homefries or grits with
your eggs. I could never understand why grits are so
poplular in Florida as the vast majority of the state's
residents are transplanted Northeners and there is really
nothing Southern about the state except its location. I
have nothing against the porridge of hominy, however, and I
usually make a point of ordering it when I happen to be
"down South." Nonwithstanding, the home fries here are
first rate, large chunks of fresh, unpeeled potatoes with
just the right amount of grease and an orange paprika
tinge. The omletts are huge. Try the B.B.C., so named for
its ingredients: Brocolli, Bacon, and Cheddar.
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