If Carbone is old-school glam, Macchialina Miami Beach is the cozy neighborhood Italian spot that people in the know quietly love.
We went for date night, and it immediately felt more intimate. The dining room is small but not cramped. Dim lighting, close tables, but still comfortable. The kind of place where you lean in a little and stay awhile.
It’s dressy, but not over the top. Smart casual works perfectly. You don’t need heels and a blazer unless you want to. It feels elevated, but relaxed.
And the food? Handmade. Thoughtful. Really good.
If you’re planning a full South Beach trip and mapping out restaurants ahead of time, I break down the rest of my favorites in my guide to South Beach dining in my post about Where to Eat in South Beach Miami: A Local Food Guide.
Reservations at Macchialina can sometimes be snagged last minute, but the times tend to be early evening or later in the night, like after 9 PM.
If you want a normal dinner time, book several weeks in advance at least. It’s popular for a reason.
The crowd is a mix of locals and visitors. It doesn’t feel touristy, but it’s not some hidden secret either. You’ll see couples on date night and small groups of friends who clearly know exactly what they’re ordering.
The best part? It’s not loud and chaotic. You can actually sit and talk through dinner without yelling across the table.
Which I appreciate.
This is where Macchialina Miami Beach really stands out. The pasta is handmade, and you can taste it immediately. The texture is perfect — not heavy, not mushy, just done right. You can tell it’s fresh and made in-house.
My favorite dish we’ve had was the butternut squash ravioli, which sadly isn’t always on the menu because they rotate dishes seasonally. And honestly, I kind of love that. The menu changes throughout the year, which keeps things interesting, so you’re not ordering the same “signature dish” forever just because it’s popular.
Pastas typically run around $20–$30 and appetizers usually fall in the $10–$20 range. Portions aren’t huge, but they’re hearty. It’s pasta — you’re not leaving hungry, but you might not be rolling out the door either… unless you order too much like me. Then roll me out, baby.
I don’t drink, so I didn’t try the wine, but this is one of the things they’re known for. A lot of people go specifically for the wine pairings and the thoughtful wine list, and it’s a big part of what makes the experience feel elevated.
What makes Macchialina Miami Beach different is the level of care that goes into the menu. The focus is simply on doing Italian food really well. The pasta is handmade, the menu rotates seasonally, and the flavors feel thoughtful without being overly complicated.
You can tell someone actually cares about what’s coming out of the kitchen. Nothing feels mass-produced. It feels like real cooking, and that’s what keeps people coming back.
If you want the opposite experience — more old-school glam, bigger crowds, and a very see-and-be-seen Italian dinner — check out my full review of Carbone where I break down exactly what to order there.
Both restaurants are excellent. They just deliver completely different nights out.
There’s a small amount of parking nearby the restaurant. If you’re planning to explore beyond South Beach while you’re in Miami, renting a car can help a lot. I find great options using Discover Cars so I can see different pickup locations and prices in one place.
For where to stay nearby, I’ve found some really good hotel deals around South Beach here. Staying within walking distance of the restaurants you want to try makes dinner plans much easier.
Pastas run about $20–$30 and appetizers are usually $10–$20. It’s not inexpensive, but it feels fair for handmade pasta and the level of care that goes into the food.
Portions aren’t huge, but they’re hearty.
And since the menu rotates seasonally, I’d absolutely try dessert. It usually leans into whatever ingredients are in season, which fits the whole philosophy of the restaurant.
If you want a polished, see-and-be-seen Italian dinner, go to Carbone.
If you want a more intimate, thoughtful Italian dinner where the focus is really on the food, go to Macchialina Miami Beach.
Macchialina feels like the kind of place you return to. It’s romantic, relaxed, and consistently good. The level of care that goes into the menu and the pasta is what sets it apart. And that’s why Macchialina Miami Beach is one of the best Italian restaurants in Miami.
If you’re planning a longer trip and figuring out where restaurants fit into your schedule, see my full Miami travel planning guide in my post One Week in South Beach: The Ultimate 7-Day Miami Itinerary.
Sky Ranch Lodge, Sedona. Booked it for the location, stayed for the sunsets.
This is not a five-star resort with ten restaurants and a spa menu the length of a novel. It’s a family-owned boutique hotel on Airport Mesa that knows exactly what it’s good at: red rock views from basically everywhere and one of the best sunset spots in town, private, with maybe four other couples instead of a crowd.
We booked a Premier Rim Room and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Watched the sunset from our own patio one night and it’s still one of my favorite moments of the whole trip.
✨ Six acres of botanical gardens to wander morning and evening
✨ Pool + hot tub that hit exactly right after a day of hiking
✨ On-site food truck for easy breakfasts and lazy room service nights
✨ Complimentary shuttle so you’re not fighting Sedona parking
✨ Robes, slippers, and a staff that felt genuinely happy to help
Two stays in and I’d book it again without a second thought. This is where to stay in Sedona if you want it to actually feel like Sedona.
Thank you to @skyranchlodge for having us, link in bio for the full review 🌵
Four hours on a train through a canyon you can’t reach by car — such a fun experience! We picked the indoor seats with unlimited access to the open-air viewing car, which honestly felt like the only right call. You’re not stuck in an assigned seat the whole time we bounced between the two, snacks in hand, chasing the best light.
The scenery is the whole point. Red rock cliffs, the Verde River, a 734-foot tunnel, historic trestle bridges views most people visiting Sedona never see, because you literally can’t drive to them.
The charcuterie box that comes with your ticket is shockingly filling ✨ so skip lunch at the Copper Spike Café beforehand, save your appetite for dinner back in Sedona.
Four hours with no stops did start to feel long by the end, but the trade-off for scenery like this? Worth it.
Would I ride it again? Yes. Would I buy lunch first again? No.
Link in bio for the full review cost breakdown, what to pack, and exactly how early to arrive 🚂
I ate chilaquiles while a Cessna taxied past the window, and that’s just a normal Tuesday breakfast in Sedona.
@mesa_grill_sedona sits right beside the Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout, so along with your food you get red rock views stretching in every direction and a front-row seat to tiny planes lifting off. Chef Mercer Mohr runs the kitchen, serving up Southwestern comfort food from breakfast through dinner, chilaquiles, elevated diner classics, burgers, steaks, seafood, all of it.
The view is what pulls people in the door, but the food actually holds its own. Good enough that this place stays packed with locals, not just tourists passing through on their way to the lookout. It also picked up the 2025 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice and OpenTable Diners’ Choice awards, so it’s not just me saying it.
Indoor seating if you want the AC, a pet-friendly patio if your dog’s along for the trip. Either way, get there before plane-spotting turns into a wait for a table.
Link in bio for the full Sedona breakfast roundup ✈️🌵
Confession: my newsletter is where the good stuff lives. Not the polished, edited-for-the-grid stuff, the “here’s the hole-in-the-wall I almost skipped” stuff, the packing lists I actually use, the “don’t book this hotel” warnings before you waste your money on them.
The newsletter is basically me texting you before a trip instead of after one. Sign up and you’ll be the first to know where I’m headed next, plus a few things I’ll never post here.
Link in bio if you want in. ✈️
Yes, it’s only July. Start planning anyway. Fall books faster than people expect, and a few of these destinations are worth getting ahead of. Here are five places worth putting on your radar right now.
Ireland: Cooler temps, moody skies, dramatic coastline fall was made for it. Tourist crowds drop, the green stays, and the whole country feels a little more like itself.
Great Smoky Mountains, TN/NC: Fall foliage in the Smokies is the real thing. The color peaks mid-October and the views from the ridgelines are hard to argue with. It’s also one of the most visited national parks in the country, so going on a weekday makes a real difference.
New York City: Fall is NYC at its best comfortable temps, the energy of the city shifting into a new season, and every neighborhood doing something worth showing up for. It’s also just a great walking city when it’s not brutally hot.
Japan: Fall foliage season is as good as spring cherry blossoms and somehow less talked about. The colors are dramatic, the temples and gardens are stunning, and it’s worth planning around peak dates by region.
Mystic, Connecticut: Small, walkable, genuinely charming Mystic in fall feels like exactly what a New England autumn is supposed to look like. Easy to pair with a broader New England road trip if you want to extend it.
Full guides linked in bio 🍂
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
