“There are two great days in a person’s life – the day we are born and the day we discover why.” – William Barclay.
I can’t believe that Jovan is twenty-seven. I don’t want to sound like a mushy parent, but it does feel like he was nineteen years old just yesterday- excited about his first job at McDonald’s. Now he’s employed by a great company and expanding his musical brand. It’s crazy to see just how much people can evolve and grow over time.
I am a huge fan of making birthdays special, especially for the ones I love the most. Unlike Valentine’s Day and Christmas, this day is specifically intended for them. So aside from getting Jovan a gift, I wanted to take him somewhere that he’s never been – somewhere special. On my birthday, Jovan is always going the extra mile to ensure that my day is memorable from beginning to end, so I wanted to do the same for him.
A couple of months ago, my friend Tiffany told me about a restaurant in Miami that was famous for its elaborate food presentation. Every meal you order comes with a whimsical display. For example, if you order popcorn chicken, they bring you to bite-size chicken served in a popcorn machine (I know, how creative!) I knew that I had to try out this restaurant, but I never got around to going. When thinking of a place I wanted to take Jovan for his birthday, I thought back to Tiffany about the “fancy themed restaurant.” However, I couldn’t remember the name. Like everything else in life, when all else fails, turn to google. After running a quick google search, I had the place I knew I had to try – Barton G.
Barton G.: 1427 West Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Ambiance: 4.9 out of 5
Barton G is a posh upscale venue with a whimsical garden feel located in South Beach. However, if you’re not in the mood to deal with the craziness, don’t worry because Barton G is tucked away from all the hustle and bustle. I’ve driven past this restaurant on multiple occasions without even knowing it was there; it’s like a hidden gem. When you arrive, the restaurant will offer valet parking for $20, or you can spend half the price, yet double the time searching for street parking (pick your poison, lol). Walking into Barton G, it is evident that this is an elegant venue. The restaurant was beautifully decorated with vibrant colors that offered a warm Miami feel. If you’re a visual person like me and prefer to see it rather than hear about it, the picture above is an exact view from the restaurant’s front door. The restaurant offers inside or outside dining (which is fully covered). I opted to sit inside because they were showing the game on the flat-screen TV near the bar..it’s NBA Playoff Season #sorrynotsorry, lol. Although this is an upscale restaurant, there was reasonably loud music playing in the background. As I said before, the restaurant specializes in exotic food presentations, so it’s not uncommon to see people standing up to take pictures or hear many conversations regarding the food. The overall ambiance was excellent. I don’t have any significant complaints; however, I found the tables to be a little too close for comfort, which is why I will give them a 4.9.
Menu: 4 out of 5 ($$$$..average entrée is about $32-$72)
I don’t even know where to begin. The menu selection at Barton G is enticing. Firstly, let me say this: if you’re trying to dine on a budget, this restaurant is NOT for you. The menu is pricey, but trust me – it’s worth the experience. I will give you a breakdown of the price range per meal course below:
- Drinks: $18-$35.
- Appetizers: $24-$39
- Entrée $32-72
- Dessert: $36-49
As you can see, each course is the price of an entrée at your typical restaurant; so dinner for two will reflect the price of a dinner for approximately five at Olive Garden lol. Nevertheless, you’re paying for the presentation.
To drink, I had the BG Breeze, which didn’t come with any fancy presentation. On the other hand, Jovan had the BUDDHALICIOUS, which is one of their most popular drinks. It’s martini served with a fancy buddha presentation:
We were pretty hungry, so we decided to get an appetizer to start us off. Jovan and I love seafood, so we decided to go with the lobster pop tarts. To our surprise, the pop tarts came in a legit toaster oven. I love puns, so I thought it was the cutest idea ever. The waiters are trained to leave everything as a surprise, so you have no clue how your meal will be presented until it is brought out to your table. Aside from the presentation, the food was just as good! I’m a little disappointed that it only came with two pop tarts. I could have eaten two…three…maybe four more.
I had the Miss-Thai-Gone for dinner, which is a golden fried snapper and tempura vegetables severed with Pad Thai noodle. I love snapper, but I was a little disappointed with my meal. It was just a fried fish filet. Most times, when I order a snapper, it’s an actual fish. However, I didn’t let my expectations ruin my experience. The food was still great and the presentation even better. My meal was an Oriental theme, so the fish came served in a woven basket with HUGE chopsticks, so big that I couldn’t get it into the photo. Jovan ordered the filet mignon (of course). He was done with his meal in 10 minutes, which lets me know he enjoyed it. His steak came served with a HUGE knife and fork, with a bit of cow figurine in the middle of the plate (because we should all visualize the animal your eating as you eat it, lol).
By the time we were done with dinner, our stomachs were full, and my wallet was empty, lol! We weren’t feeling for dessert, but it was highly tempting seeing everyone else chow down on their elaborate treats. Baron G has many crazy meals; it was hard not to ask strangers to take a picture of their meals. By far, my favorite meal of the night was ordered by the table next to me. It was a dessert called “Dolla Dolla Bills Y’all!!”. The dessert came served with a huge hundred-dollar bill along with a cake decorated as a golden brick. The waiter then came out dressed in a welding helmet and a torch and began to torch the brick, which melted to form chocolate lava cascaded down unto the cake…I’m hungry just thinking about it! I have included a few pictures from online, so you can get a glimpse of what I experienced.
Attire:
Barton G has a very classy vibe and is considered an upscale venue; therefore, I wouldn’t suggest anyone go dressed too casually. Jovan wore a blazer with jeans and dress shoes. I chose to wear a leather skirt with a ruffle blouse, purchased at shoptiffanyrenee.com. I noticed that most of the women had on a nice dress with heels. The vibe that I got from the venue was semi-formal. However, if you want to go more dressy casual, then that’s totally up to you. However, I would go more formal than relaxed, of course…but that’s just me! ☺️
Overall Rating: 4.9 out of 5
Barton G is a unique dining experience. If you are in the Miami area, I recommend you give it a try. It’s pretty pricey, but it’s worth the experience. I would advise you to go at least once so that you can say you did it. The only critique I would give is that the tables are a little too close for comfort. Seeing that the menu items are so large, it’s a little hard to maneuver with a small table, and it also makes it hard to know the person you’re dining with. However, the good outweighed the bad, which is why they get a 4.9 out of 5 in my book. I plan to go again; this time will a group of people to experience all the exquisite meals up close and personal.
If you’ve gone to Barton G or decide to give it a try, let me know about your experience!
As always, enjoy! ☺️
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