LoAnn Loves…Innovative Bar Food

Story by LoAnn Halden

You can take the girl out of Missouri, but you can't take the Midwest out of the girl. Where I come from, fried is a food group; as much as I love champagne and caviar, there's also something to be said for a heapin' helping of comfort food. So, when I find a place that allows Highbrow and Lowbrow to collide on a plate, well that's my idea of heaven.

At Karu & Y (71 N.W. 14th St.; 305-403-7850), the recently re-opened Miami megaclub, Chihuly's Blue Icicle chandelier greets guests of the on-site restaurant, a Murano glass wall provides a photographer's dream backdrop in the private dining room, a waterfall spills over the bar in the Y Garden, and the back courtyard would be at home in any upscale South Pacific resort.

All told, it's 55,000-square-feet of nightlife bacchanalia that draws a well-heeled, age-spanning group -- including LGBT types who prefer scene to strength in numbers. And when those late-leaning downtown denizens get the munchies, divine intervention comes via the lounge menu: smoked mac & cheese "lollipops," lobster corn dogs with Creole remoulade, buffalo chicken with Maytag blue cheese, Kobe beef sliders.

Let's pause and reflect a moment on those first two items: macaroni and cheese, quite possibly the perfect comfort food, served fried on a stick, and lobster, tucked into a cozy battered coat. High meets low, opposites attract, and the result -- though eyebrow raising in description -- is sublime.

When after-cocktail cravings strike, what restaurants best satisfy your urges? Post here or share at loann@outtraveler.com.

LoAnn Halden is a contributing editor to OutTraveler.com. Check back often for more dispatches on her travel "loves."

Story by LoAnn Halden

You can take the girl out of Missouri, but you can't take the Midwest out of the girl. Where I come from, fried is a food group; as much as I love champagne and caviar, there's also something to be said for a heapin' helping of comfort food. So, when I find a place that allows Highbrow and Lowbrow to collide on a plate, well that's my idea of heaven.

At Karu & Y (71 N.W. 14th St.; 305-403-7850), the recently re-opened Miami megaclub, Chihuly's Blue Icicle chandelier greets guests of the on-site restaurant, a Murano glass wall provides a photographer's dream backdrop in the private dining room, a waterfall spills over the bar in the Y Garden, and the back courtyard would be at home in any upscale South Pacific resort.

All told, it's 55,000-square-feet of nightlife bacchanalia that draws a well-heeled, age-spanning group -- including LGBT types who prefer scene to strength in numbers. And when those late-leaning downtown denizens get the munchies, divine intervention comes via the lounge menu: smoked mac & cheese "lollipops," lobster corn dogs with Creole remoulade, buffalo chicken with Maytag blue cheese, Kobe beef sliders.

Let's pause and reflect a moment on those first two items: macaroni and cheese, quite possibly the perfect comfort food, served fried on a stick, and lobster, tucked into a cozy battered coat. High meets low, opposites attract, and the result -- though eyebrow raising in description -- is sublime.

When after-cocktail cravings strike, what restaurants best satisfy your urges? Post here or share at loann@outtraveler.com.

LoAnn Halden is a contributing editor to OutTraveler.com. Check back often for more dispatches on her travel "loves."