Miami Chef Sean Brasel: Balancing Active Energy and Mellow Vibes

It's the South Beach Wine and Food Festival this weekend, an annual beachfront extravaganza that brings the best chefs in the country and the eaters who want to hang out with them together for a raucous event. We can't think of a better excuse to check in with noteworthy local chefs to learn about their Miami. Sean Brasel of Meat Market fame was born in Colorado but never lost his love of the adrenaline-rich outdoor pursuits. And you thought Miami was all beaches.

MIAMI – Being the only "real" day off I have, Sunday is my one day to do what I want. Certain Sundays are for relaxing; others are for sports.

MY PERFECT RELAXED SUNDAY

In the morning, I take my dog and my girlfriend out someplace outside to enjoy the great weather and grab a bite for brunch. Since I work most nights, Sunday brunch is the only real time I get to dine out. We usually go to Lincoln Road, walk around, have brunch (where depends on our mood), then work our way to Nespresso for a mid-day café. After that, we head to South Pointe Park or Flamingo Park to chill and play with the dog.

By this point, the pup is exhausted, so we bring him home and head out, just the two of us. Believe it or not, I really like bowling on Sundays at Lucky Strike. We grab a few drinks, bowl for a while, and build our nighttime plan. If we don't go bowling, then a mid-day movie on Lincoln Road with a few sake martinis from Doraku is always a great relaxing alternative. Sometimes, I actually love sitting outside of Meat Market, being the customer. It really changes your perception, enjoying your own business with a few friends, just chilling out.

After bowling or a movie, we either head out to a new restaurant I want to check out or I take my scooter (and the dog, of course) to Whole Foods, pick up what looks fresh and new (I love their swordfish), grab a nice bottle of wine, and go home and cook for my girlfriend. It's always fun to cook at home and try out new ideas that I've never thought of. Cooking at home, sitting on my balcony, and enjoying the amazing view of Downtown Miami is always so refreshing and takes me back to why I have the passion to cook. 

MY PERFECT ACTIVE SUNDAY

I love motorcycle racing, but since this year has been so busy opening our restaurant in Cartagena, Colombia, I haven't had as much time to race. When I can get out, I do, but a good alternative is mountain biking the several parks around Miami, Oleta, and Key Biscayne. It's only a few hours of the day, but it's still a great adrenaline rush. 

I also love to take the motorcycle down to the Keys with my girlfriend and jump on one of the several snorkeling trips that leave from Key Largo. We are so lucky to have amazing reefs and islands only a hop, skip, and jump from Miami, so I take advantage of that whenever I can. 

After snorkeling, we'll jump back on the motorcycle and stop at a local fish joint or dive bar for fresh seafood and the scenery. 

We'll head back to Miami and, if we want to dress up and hit the town, I like to leave the beach. We'll head into town and hit Zuma or Michael's Genuine. MC Kitchen is also very cool.

FIND SEAN AT HIS RESTAURANT

Meat Market 
915 Lincoln Rd.
Miami Beach, FL 33139
+1-305-532-0088

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Photos, from top: Courtesy of Lucky Strike; Sean biking at Oleta, courtesy of Sean Brasel.