The Ritz-Carlton South Beach was once again host to the ultimate culinary pork cooking competition last Sunday! Cochon555 is a celebration of Heritage Breed Pigs in a nose-to tail cooking competition which supports safe, honest food in support of family farms and the Piggy Bank charity. This year’s Princess of Porc was Chef Paula DaSilva. Check out some photos of the awesome food, bourbon, rum, tattooing, wines, and hotties!
This year’s Sprung! Spring Beer Festival had a new home: and old RC Cola Plant in Wynwood (Miami)! Sounds sexy, right? But it makes perfect sense with the craft beer boom in Wynwood. Wynwood Brewing is across the street and Concrete Beach and J. Wakefield Brewing are just a few blocks away. And after a super soggy and muddy Grovetoberfest a few months ago, it’s cool that this one changed venues to a concrete base!
My wife and I arrived promptly on time, one of my best virtues! First stops, J. Wakefield and Concrete Beach, right next to each other. And we hit Wynwood Brewing shortly after, duh, locals first! I was actually sporting about a month of unkempt beard and an unruly head of hair so I could fit in with the Wynwood brewers (along with MANY others). My wife hated that, so call it a sacrifice!
Along with the Wynwood favorites, lots of other local and Florida breweries were representing: MIA, Big Storm, Barrel of Monks, Hatuey, Coppertail to name a few. There were also dozens of awesome must stops at every beer festival. Founders, Green Flash (including that awesome Alpine Brewing), Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas (thanks to the girl there that helped me kill the Apple update out of nowhere), Saint Arnold and Sweetwater to name just a few.
Cooking and beer demos, a really nice lineup of food trucks (yum, roasted corn on the cob), fun games including one that reminded me of the sweeper arm in that show WipeOut, homebrewers, a fun band, and of course the VIP Area. For me, the VIP area compared to prior years was a little different. We thought (and overheard many similar remarks) that the food part was a bit of a letdown while the VIP beer offerings were a major upgrade. Think Black Ops and some rare sours and other specialty options, was great. And the VIP area also offered some shady relief on a super angry hot day!
We saw some old friends and made new ones. I also took pictures of some really cool t-shirts the attendees were wearing! Check those out and the photo album below. I’m definitely a fan of the new location too! A must drink Miami event! See you next year!
Friday night, a friend and I had the chance to attend the SOBEWFF Amstel Light Burger Bash. Of course, being allergic to sub-par beer, we decided to check out the newest brewery in Wynwood, J Wakefield Brewing for some pre-gaming. Seriously, check that place out!
And while J Wakefield had what looked to be a pretty awesome food truck outside, what it didn’t have was a Ritz-Carlton beach full of awesome chefs preparing gourmet burgers! Oh, or the hot chicks, spectacular band, celebrities (yeah, I got my picture taken with Al Roker and Morimoto!), and thousands of people.
Honestly, you can see who won here. I was a little disappointed with the star power that I and other people love to meet (though not burger quality) compared to when I went in 2013. That year, Morimoto was there but was joined by Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, Scott Conant, Michael Symon, Geoffrey Zakarian, Andrew, Zimmern, Anne Burrell, The Sandwich King, and more.
My favorite and the one I cast my vote for was Prime One Twelve (Prime 112). That burger was so juicy and cheesy and delicious! I also enjoyed Red Robin’s burger and Shake Shack too among a handful of others.
Anyway, here are some pictures! I hope to go again next year!
After an unplanned tour of Little Haiti in Miami last night, my wife and I gave in to technology and plugged in the address of The Moore Building in Miami’s Design District into the phone. After all, we didn’t want to be late to the second annual Eats & Beats culinary and musical event taking place from 7:30 until midnight!
Whew! Just made it on time, and someone was nice enough to leave a parking space right in front of the building for us. We met the organizers on the way in and then got started tasting some great dishes, sampling some terrific spirits and cocktails, and being entertained with some great music and ambiance.
The pink lights flashing on the very unique architecture of The Moore Building made me feel like I was back at a club in Paris I visited a few times in the 90’s. Eats & Beats took place on all 4 floors, which each have a 360 degree balcony overlooking the center of the building. Pretty cool!
We met some very nice people, both vendors and other guests alike. If I were forced to pick some favorites, I’d have to choose Chef Adrianne Calvo (who also made a spectacular dessert at the Five Cubed event a few days ago), the food from Segundo Muelle Peruvian Restaurant, Red The Steakhouse, Brother Jimmy’s, and Havana 1957. Oh, and the cupcakes from Ana Paz Cakes and Slice of Art!
And on the spirits side of things, I loved the Zafra rum, both on the rocks and as a cocktail. Not to be outdone were the terrific mojitos that the folks from Nikki Beach were making. Not only did both of those vendors make a great tasting drink, but they went all out with their presentation and overall experience.
IT Espresso Lounge also made a very nice prosecco based drink, quite refreshing. And as the “beer guy,” I have to give a shout out to the only beer vendor there–Modelo! I personally would have like to have seen a few more strong brands, especially considering the emergence of craft beer on the Miami scene. But hey, that’s probably just me.
All the vendors were friendly, knowledgeable, and wanted to share their products with you. And to the army of people that made the event happen, congratulations! Can’t wait for Eats & Beats 2016!
Saturday night, my wife and I attended Love & Wine, a Rooftop Wine & Spirits, Gastronomic Affair on the roof of The Collection Building in Coral Gables. The event paired awesome local chefs and restaurants with some premium wines and spirits. Live music, cigars, awesome cars, models and a beautiful view also made for a nice night. Not even the mega wind could put a damper on the fun.
Today my wife and I did the Wynwood Food and Art Tour in Miami. This is a weekly event done by Miami Culinary Tours and is one of many versions around Miami set up to help you appreciate what the city has to offer. You can read a detailed review over at my DailyBeerReview.com website, but I decided to post an extensive gallery of photos here for you to see. Check out this and some of the other tours available! Enjoy!
Yesterday evening, the ProChile Trade Commission in Miami hosted a Chilean Wine Seminar and tasting at the Conrad Hotel in Brickell. Chilean Winemaker Santiago Margozzini from Montgras Estates and Master Sommelier Fred Dexheimer conducted an educational presentation titled Chile: Land of Diversity and a Paradise for Viticulture. My wife and I arrived (on time) to a beautifully presented room set up to accommodate 60 or more guests interested in this stop in ProChile’s Chilean Wine Tour.
Santiago went through a slide presentation that highlighted just how diverse a country Chile really is, from the temperature to the rainfall to the geographic landscape to the soil. All of those factors have an extremely important impact on the country’s 16 wine-growing regions. And though diverse, the climate and isolation of the country is ideal for growing grapes. In addition to gentle winters and moderate summers, the lack of phylloxera, hail and bird attacks also contributes to the success of Chile’s growth in wine making over the past several decades. Twenty years ago, there were seven wine regions; today there are 16. Santiago explained that though it took some convincing, the regions are now classified in three groups based on the characteristics of the wines. That was done so wine makers could easily speak about their wines in such a way that would help promote their vineyards in a meaningful way. Those classifications are Costa, Entre Cordilleras, and Andes.
That’s when we began tasting the eight different wines in front of us, each chosen to represent the different viticulture regions of Chile. Santiago and Fred both led the tasting, speaking about the wineries and characteristics of each wine and how it was made. We started with a Sauvignon Blanc from Siegel made in the coastal area of Leyda. It was explained that the cold temperatures from the Pacific Ocean were key to growing this grape to perfection. Sauvignon Blanc is the #1 exported grape variety from Chile.
We were then asked to compare two different coastal Pinot Noirs from Valdivieso and Tabali. While I’m not exactly a wine expert, it was not difficult to see and taste the differences. Fred explained that one of the areas had more variations in temperature and wind than the other. In addition, the soils in the two regions are very different and impart different characteristics to the wines. So same grape but different outcomes.  Pretty cool!
Fred continued “geeking out” on soil as we tried a Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Morande, grown in the “alluvial” soil of Maipo, representative of the foothills of the Andes. We were then given a Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec blend from Viu Manent which sparked a little comparison to the Malbecs of Argentina. We were told that some of the best Malbecs in the world come from this Chilean region called the Colchagua Valley. However, these wines are very different than what you would find in neighboring Argentina as the climate and soil and age of their vines are not the same.
Finally we arrived to a wine made by Santiago, MontGras Antu Syrah. “This is the best wine of the night, hahaha,” quipped Santiago. He explained this was grown on a famous hill in the volcanic soil of Colchagua and would be classified as an Entre Cordilleras wine. My wife and I actually agreed that the sweet fruity aroma and delicious flavors made this our favorite of the evening. Also from Colchagua, we tasted a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend from Montes. Fred said this is a very well-known wine in the United States.
Our final wine of the seminar was another from MontGras, their Reserva Carmenere. We were told that Carmenere grapes are unique to Chile, though originally a French grape variety that was killed by phylloxera. Apparently, Chilean wine makers thought they were making Merlots though it was discovered that in fact it was a Merlot/Carmenere blend. Today, the best Carmenere wines are grown in sandy soil in a warm and sunny climate that allows the grapes to grow to a very ripe stage. This ensures a wine with round tannins and uniquely spicy characteristics. We liked this wine a lot too.
The evening then shifted to a tasting with many Chilean wineries. We tasted some additional wines and learned about some of the goals that each winery was pursuing. For some, it was just to get their name out in front of importers. We ate some cheese and fruits and hors d’oeuvres and mingled. It was an educational evening and fun to learn about one of Chile’s most important products!
Yesterday, April 26, 2014, I attended the first day of the Miami Rum Renaissance Grand Tasting (Check out my recap). Except for all of the vendors simultaneously running out of rum a bit early, I had a terrific time. And I definitely had enough rum for any one individual. Here are some photos of the event.
I recently went to an event in Wynwood thrown by Goose Island Beer Company. After it was over, Ed Roberts and I walked over to Wynwood Brewing for a beer (and back). I took a lot of pictures of the graffiti since I had never been in the area before. I know, I’m probably the first person to post a bunch of these pictures, right?
This past weekend was the Sprung! Beer Festival in Coconut Grove. Next year make sure you are there too! Here is a little more detailed recap on DailyBeerReview.com.
Goose Island Beer Company welcomed hundreds of guests to The Four Seasons Hotel and Cochon 555 this past Sunday afternoon. Cochon 555 is a tour that celebrates the sustainable farming of heritage breed pigs. Five chefs, Five pig breeds, Five wineries. A cooking competition between five local chefs was the centerpiece of the event, but there were plenty of other activities and stations to check out.
My wife and I started with the Goose Island “Goose Nest” where the brewery paired two of its vintage ales with Foie Gras and other Duck items. But the rest of the event was focused on the pigs. Chefs Aaron Brooks, Conor Hanlon, Bradley Herron, Dena Marino and Jose Mendin each made five or six dishes for the guests to try. They were scattered throughout the banquet hall with other areas of interest to visit in between.
One of my personal favorites was “The Perfect Manhattan” station which was serving up terrific cocktails made with Templeton Rye and a few other terrific bourbons. There was a “Pop-Up Butcher Shop” where one of the pigs was butchered in a demonstration benefiting Johnson & Wales University. The butchered pig was sold on the spot. Oh yeah, and before the pig was cut up, the dudes from Miami Ink tattooed it with a Cochon 555 themed piece of art!
A cocktail competition called Punch Kings was another very popular spot. Five drinks using Breckenridge Bourbon were created for everyone to try. There were cheese stations, oysters, killer Prosciutto by Prosciutto di Parma, and several wineries. I did not miss the opportunity to sip on some Four Roses Bourbon either.
In the end, Chef Jose Mendin from Pub Belly prevailed as the winning “Prince of Porc!”
Great event! Can’t wait for next year.
Just cracked open a beer and poured it into my Goose Island beer glass. I know you think that’s just me lying for a good segue into this article, which is precisely why I took a picture to prove it to you!
OK, so seriously, I’ll be going to the Cochon 555 event on Sunday. And it’s going to kick ass! Read about the event, the chefs, the bourbon below. After the event, I’ll be posting pictures, entertaining commentary (duh), and whatever else I can think of. Since Goose Island is going out of their way to show you how to pair their vintage line of beers (which I adore) with all the pork, I’ll be talking about that part of the evening on my DailyBeerReview.com site. Tickets are still available. Click the link above to go to the event page if you’d like to purchase them. And heck, you see what I look like, so say hello! I’ll be the guy with the hot 40 something chick!
This year’s competing chefs include Jose Mendin of The Pubbelly Group, Conor Hanlon of The Dutch, Bradley Herron of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, Aaron Brooks of EDGE Steak & Bar and Dena Marino of MC Kitchen. The five chefs, champions to the pig, will battle it out in a friendly competition by preparing a maximum of six dishes each created from one whole heritage breed pig to win votes from a crowd of hungry gourmands and celebrated judges. Jason Pringle of db Bistro Moderne will also prepare a feature sixth pig.
Host Chef Aaron Brooks, Executive Chef at Four Seasons Hotel Miami, will lead the pack of judges in selecting Miami’s “Prince of Porc.†Other notable judges include David Thomas from The Bazaar by Jose Andres, Timon Balloo of Bocce Bar and Chef Norman Van Aken following the release of his new book, No Experience Necessary. The winner will go on to compete in the Grand Cochon at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen in June for bragging rights as the “King or Queen of Porc†and a four-day wine experience to Rioja, Spain’s most prominent wine region.
“Heritage Breed Pigs celebrate the history of the animal and this humane treatment is something all chefs should be behind,†states Jose Mendin. “I grew up on an island where this practice is normal and eating pig is an essential part of the culture, so it just seems the only way to me. As for the event, I’m so excited to compete, I can barely stand it. Such a great line-up of chefs; I’m eager to see what everyone puts out. Game on.â€
A 1200+ pound showcase of heritage pig carved into 30 chef-prepared dishes will also include: “The Goose Nest,†an area featuring the Vintage Ales of Goose Island Beer Co. paired with Hudson Valley Foie Gras; live butchering demonstration at the Pop-Up Butcher Shop with Thomas Griese of Michael Mina 74, benefitting Johnson & Wales University with the support of Williams-Sonoma; different ages of Prosciutto di Parma ranging between 14 and 30 months, sliced by a roaming Berkel and by hand off a bone-in leg; the “Punch Kings†cocktail competition featuring five local barkeeps presented by Breckenridge Bourbon; a welcome cocktail from Four Roses Bourbon; the Bourbon Bar presented by Breadcrumb by Groupon featuring Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace, Breckenridge Bourbon, Hirsch, Templeton Rye and Luxardo; libations including Crispin Cider, Wines of Rioja, Elk Cove Vineyards, Barlow Vineyards, and a Mezcal Bar with Fidencio and Mezcales de Leyenda; a TarTare Bar featuring Creekstone Farms; an artisan cheese bar with Rogue Creamery and La Brea Bakery; Swine & Sweets signature dessert course featuring Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.
Defending his title from last year, Host Chef Aaron Brooks will kick off the weekend on Friday night with a guest chef dinner at EDGE Steak & Bar at the Four Seasons. Event judges include David Thomas from The Bazaar by Jose Andres, Timon Balloo of Bocce Bar and Chef Norman Van Aken following the release of his new book, No Experience Necessary.
“I’m passionate about promoting food sources that support a more natural, sustainable food system,†explains Brady Lowe, founder of Cochon 555. “For the first time ever, I am very pleased to welcome Goose Island Beer Co. into the family of events as a presenting sponsor of the 2014 U.S. Tour. One event cannot change the system, but together we can celebrate the chefs and farmers who continue to tilt the scales back towards responsibly grown food.â€
The COCHON 555 event is 100% inclusive and always on Sunday.
This epic porc event is over 1200 pounds of heritage pig packed with 100% flavor! Please keep in mind we sell about 60% of tickets before the complete event details are ever released, so if you like what you see, we suggest not waiting so buy a ticket. If you are interested in being a sponsor of Cochon, please contact us.
“I’m passionate about promoting food sources that support a more natural, sustainable food system,†explains Brady Lowe, founder of Cochon 555. “For the first time ever, I am very pleased to welcome Goose Island Beer Co. into the family of events as a presenting sponsor of the 2014 U.S. Tour. One event cannot change the system, but together we can celebrate the chefs and farmers who continue to tilt the scales back towards responsibly grown food.â€
Where: Four Seasons Miami Hotel
1435 Brickell Avenue, Miami, Florida 33131, USA
When: Sunday 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday evening marked the opening of Stache, a bar in Ft. Lauderdale with a 1920’s speakeasy theme. The grand opening featured a visit from the Ardbeg Rocket, currently touring to celebrate the launch of some of its Scotch into space back in 2011. We were given the opportunity to sample four different Ardbeg Scotches as well as a few cocktails. The brand’s Consumer Development Manager Trisha Cancilla also made a presentation about the different products.
The bar was full of models dressed like astronauts in addition to all the employees in their 1920’s attire. I got to put on goggles and get a space gun for a studio portrait, too. In the end, my favorite Scotches were the Ardbeg Galileo, finished in Marsala casks, and Ardbeg Uigeadail, finished in Sherry casks.
The bar was beautiful. Two floors with great decorations. Very roomy and comfortable with a big back yard as well. Live music played. Great theme. Bar Stache is located at 109 SW 2nd Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312, just south of Broward Blvd. If you go soon, you may see that the sign hasn’t been updated yet and still reflects the former tenant, Himmie Health Club. That’s the right place though!
Yesterday, the Third Annual Grovetoberfest took place at Peacock Park in Coconut Grove. Grovetoberfest is dubbed “Miami’s Beer Festival” and I must say they nailed it! Lots of beer, and beer from great breweries, local and national. You can read my recap on my DailyBeerReview.com blog, but I wanted to share my collection of beer t-shirt photos with you here.
Mount Gay Rum had a party at the Ritz Carlton in Key Biscayne two nights ago. I was in attendance with one of my friends and bumped into a few notable names. Let’s start with my bosses from Soul of Miami, James and Annette. James only wanted to know if I could be backup with the pics since his camera is on the fritz. I’ve got you covered, James!
No rum event is complete without an appearance by Rob Burr, and this was no exception. Rob let us know that this new Black Barrel Rum was a return to fine Barbados rum from a distiller that has a long history doing just that. Oh, and the rum was really good too.
Hope you like my photos! I love you guys!
Last night I attended a wine tasting and reception designed to highlight and promote the wines of Argentina. Consejo Federal De Inversiones, a federal trade organization from Argentina, along with NewLink Communications, hosted 12 wineries for the event held at the St. Regis Hotel in Bal Harbour. After a tough afternoon shopping at Tifffany’s (not), my wife and I walked over from the cheap public parking lot to the venue.
We were welcomed at the door by Teresa Villarreal, the Tourism VP at NewLink. She let us know what we could expect from each of the wineries at this trade show. And she was totally on spot. Many if not most were looking for Importers or Distributors to start or expand their wine presence within the US, Florida being a potential new market.
My wife and I visited each of the wine exhibitors and learned about their product lines while tasting one or two wines from each of them. We had a few favorites which I will mention below, but each winery was engaging with their story and passionate about their wines. And really, there wasn’t a wine I tasted all night that wasn’t really good.
There was plenty of light food as well to balance all the wine. Ham, prosciutto, salami, cheese, risotto, ceviche, veggies and desserts, all very nicely prepared. We stopped by at least a few times in between the tastings. There was also a live band, violinist and all, though they didn’t really play very long. They just seemed to disappear after a few songs. And I didn’t even get to dance!
Apogeo was our first stop and their 2010 Malbec remained one of our favorites throughout the evening. Lightly spicy, smooth, rich, well balanced, great start. We were given a handkerchief with the winery name embroidered on it as a souvenir, a nice touch.
Another favorite was from the Bodega Del Desierto winery, their Desierto Pampa 2009 Malbec. Very spicy, smooth, nice tannins. We were told by the representative that you can purchase these wines online at The Country Vintner.
La Riojana Co-Op had two wines that we liked, one a fair-trade Malbec called Ecologica; however, we decided that we enjoyed the Malbec Reserva a lot more. It was quite fruity with excellent cherry flavors.
The representative from Don Cristobal was very nice and had a lot of great information about their winery. We tried their Triana, a blend of Malbec, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The cherry and spicy flavors along with a touch of oak were delicious!
Other wineries represented were Valcosta Estate, Bodegas La Guarda, Gouguenheim Winery, Muñoz de Toros Wines, Bodega Carelli, Rewen Estate, Mauricio Lorca, and Bodegas San Huberto. If you are in the wine business and looking to work with any of these wineries, don’t hesitate to contact them. They are eager to hear from you.
Thank you to NewLink for the invitation and my buddy Ofelia for making sure I’m on the right lists. And thanks to several of the wineries for sending me home with a parting gift to check out at a later time.
I will close this article with one question… Were the baskets of bread on all the exhibitor tables for decoration or consumption? My wife said the bread at the exhibits was a decoration after I said the piece I had just eaten was hard as a rock, but I still told her that was bullshit. Not sure who was right though. Don’t tell her I said that.
Last Friday, Graffiti Artist Futura visited the North Miami Total Wine store. Futura started creating his graffiti art in the New York City subways of the 1970’s. His popularity grew to the point where he was touring with Punk Rockers The Clash, performing live graffiti backdrops as the band played. “So why was he in a liquor store in South Florida?” Excellent question, and the answer might not be what you thought.
Futura recently collaborated with Hennessy Cognacs to design a limited edition bottle for their VS product. I’m not really a graffiti aficionado, but the art is really colorful and interesting. Hennessy arranged a short bottle signing and tasting at Total Wine, and I was given an invitation to attend. You didn’t need an invite, but it was a nice touch.
I arrived early as prompted, with my cousin-in-law. We were first in line, too, typical. Hennessy didn’t just have a table and pen for this guy either. There were at least 4 or 5 models, a DJ, some decorations, some swag, velvet ropes to assist this giant bodyguard in protecting Futura (you know how rowdy Total Wine customers can be).
Anyway, I took a bunch of pictures, had Futura sign my bottle, a gift box and my newly acquired Hennessy cap. He was a soft-spoken guy, appreciative of fans coming down to support him and gracious and patient with the photographers. So I guess I can cross off “meet famous graffiti artist” from my bucket list. How about you?
Last night I went to the Appleton Estate Bartender Challenge at The Blackbird Ordinary in Miami. Five bartenders had to create two drinks each and do so based on the inspiration of a particular song.
I’ve already written a detailed and more personal account of the evening on my blog, but I wanted to do a recap here to show you tons more pictures. Also, you know, because my bosses James and Annette were there and they are very demanding about my performance!
Local bartenders Cricket Nelson, Ben Clemons, Nick Nistico, Richie Petronzi and Rob Ferrara each created two unique cocktails featuring Appleton Reserve. The drinks were very complex and creative, and all of the competitors really went all out with their performances. My favorite drink on the night was Richie Petronzi’s Die Die My Darling, though I enjoyed all of them.
In the end, the judges voted to send Ben Clemons to New York for the US Finals, with that winner going to Jamaica for an international competition. I met a lot of fun people, stumbled into some old friends, and drank rum with Rum Royalty.
I hope you enjoy these photos. They are about 10% of the ones I took. The rest are blurry and/or terrible. If you are giving free photography classes, please contact  me!
New Year’s Eve 2010 I went to see Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza in downtown Miami. A few days later I was trolling around on Twitter and met my friend Ofelia over some of her photos of the event. We have other things in common, but our love of Cirque du Soleil still rides high in the book.
So when we saw that the Circus was coming to Bank Atlantic Center a few months ago, we coordinated to go with our families on the same day, and as it turned out, she and her husband and son were even seated in the same section as my wife and me. Yes, of course we started the afternoon off with an awesome meal at the Grand Lux Cafe at Sawgrass Mills Mall. Guess what? All Hispanics aren’t fashionably late, despite what you might have heard. And the mega rain was truly an excuse this time, not needed.
Anyway, I know this is about the show, but let me give a thumbs up for the restaurant. The reservation for 4 I gave yesterday was an unplanned test when I showed with 5 today. Way to handle it perfectly! My BBQ Baby Back Ribs were spectacular. And that creative slaw, fries and corn bread you baked were fabulous. Everyone else loved their food too! Thank you for not bitching or rolling your eyes when I asked you to split the already un-split check. I will be back! And I digged the dressy gators out front of the restaurant.
Bank Atlantic Center. Premium parking is a rip! For $45 I’d arrive in a limo with a hooker the escort we saw some fat dude with. Well even the $20 basic parking was a rip-off, but it was raining hard. Thank God, NO RED. I’m a Flyers fan. Our friend’s son had to chug his Gatorade or dump it before passing security. Jeez. Oh, now I see why? Gatorades are $5 yet still better priced than the $9 Heineken pounders. I bought nothing inside. My wife decided she needed a $5 coffee, but OK, nothing.
The show started promptly, as usual, with the Clowns joking around with the audience. Pretty standard, comic relief, and lots of laughs. (Do they do that in other cities or just in Miami where inconsiderate people show up to a professional show 20-30 minutes late? This isn’t a little league game). They also of course picked out one unsuspecting dude from the audience to get picked on. Very good sport.
The first half of the show was a little slow to be honest. Obviously the skills were difficult for every event, but Cirque has a very high standard to reach for the guy who’s seen a lot of them. Other audience members agreed. I overheard at least 3 or 4 dudes in the enormous dude restroom line say the same thing. Best part was the trampoline act where two guys and two gals took turns flipping off the roof of a house, running up walls, narrowly missing each other, back and forth drama. All the while, a woman sang in the middle of them on a balcony. Great choreography, no collisions, really cool.
The juggler had a rough day today. He started off with some sweet moves, rolling the balls around his body. He did some kind of ball break-dance with his arms and hands, also very cool. He had an assistant giving balls from a rope high above him. What more could a guy want? But his finale, 8 balls, didn’t go awesomely. His first try was the best but he didn’t complete the routine. Three tries. Honestly, I felt the task was impossible, but then again I drink beer and cognac and don’t juggle. Was a strong routine, regardless!
The first half also sported lots of double-people dragons, which I’m sure took enormous coordination. Big pole balancing guys. There was a guy in an egg that did some rotations around and around, but I think we were expecting fast and not precise muscle moves. And some chick a few rows behind me almost got in deep doo-doo for turning on her cell phone camera toward the end. Jeez, some people.
After intermission, I could feel the people asking for high-energy entries. I felt the second half started slow as well. While I think the lady twirling on the blue curtains was very talented and ballsy, the segment went way too long. But I thought the Yo-yo chicks were absolutely terrific throwing yo-yos into the air, catching them, and a zillion other really cool tricks. High energy, big smiles, and a really amazing performance. My wife and I thought that one was great!
Let’s talk about the clowns. They were entertaining. No doubt, despite their French chatter. And I loved their parody and mocking of all the other performers in one particular skit they did. Was great. Even the “audience member” that we chatted about earlier finally was identified as part of the cast, a clown, yep. And he was so believable at “Average Joe” too! But in the end, the clowns were too much of the show, seriously.
Other favorites from the second half included the “Diving Through Rings” acrobats, very entertaining. And the finale, the Jump Rope dudes, amazing coordination, strength and timing.
Everyone loved the music and the band was introduced during the show as well. Love that they had their “pit” below the house and you could see them and lights from there throughout the show. The singers were great as usual, no doubt about it.
Overall impression: I really enjoyed myself. There is nothing like Cirque du Soleil. There are many other shows I’ve seen that I loved, while this one was just comme ci, comme ça. Happy I went. Merci for reading.
So I’m probably not the first person to write about going to the new Marlins Stadium. You know what? I don’t care. Let me give you the Philly guy version.
I just got home from a game where my Phillies lost, actually being swept by the Marlins this series. Phillies fans are hardened already to that always being a possibility, so whatever. Upon arriving back at my house, I cracked open my first beer of the day since I wasn’t able to locate anything edible at the stadium. Corona Light on tap? What that hell? I didn’t even know they did that!
I was told by a few locals that if I wanted to venture all the way behind home plate, I might find a cart with a Bud umbrella serving Kona Longboard or Firerock Pale Ale or Widmer Drifter Pale Ale. All for the bargain rate of $8 or $10 apiece. Pass! Anyway, I only made you go through that shitty beer tirade because I moonlight for this other website when I’m not raking in the dough at Soul of Miami. LOL.
So let’s make this about the new stadium and my experience. Keeping on theme, I arrived EARLY, at around noon for a 1:10 pm start. I pre-paid for lot parking since I wasn’t sure if I wanted to leave my car triple-parked in the yard of the guy with an iguana on his shoulder. You know, if you arrive a little early, you can park right by the stairs on the second level. Try it!
Unfortunately, playing catch and drinking beer and barbecuing in the garage just seemed a little inappropriate. I’m pretty sure it was also illegal or at least I’d have been eventually asked to stop. Sun Life has a tremendous advantage over this place when it comes to traditional (and fun) tailgating. I didn’t smell one hot dog being grilled. Sucked!
The stadium was impressive from the outside. My kids were in awe even as we approached from the highway. As we walked toward the entrance, all we could see was a sea of red. Yeah, the Phillies may as well have been playing a home game or at least a neutrally-located game. Phils fans are the best. We gave our tickets and walked up about 60 or so stairs. I did see signs for elevators, but I need the extra exercise.
When we walked in, very cool. The presentation AND the temperature. 90+° outside, very comfortable inside. That retractable roof kicks ass! We found our seats in the Home Run Porch, another 40 or 50 steps up into the upper deck of the outfield. Again, there were elevators, but I think on the inside of the building, an escalator there would have been appropriate. There were not bathrooms or concessions or even shitty beer on that level, just A/C ducts. I like going up and down as much as the next guy, but this was ridiculous.
So we chilled and took some photos. They had the Clevelander and a swimming pool beyond the left field wall. Above that was a Budweiser bar. I was hoping they might be serving Goose Island, but it was more of the same crap. In center field, they had an artsy contraption that spins marlins and spits water when a Marlin hits a home run. Unfortunately, I got to see that in action a few times today.
Both of my kids said one thing that I was only thinking. Wowsa was the seating set-up STEEP! They didn’t even want to turn their backs to the field for a picture because they were nervous of falling backwards. By the end of the game though, we all felt we were watching in our living room, like a bunch of actual baseball players were performing for us alone. Was cool. And every seat in the house was solid, though not accounted for today.
Typical baseball game. They opened the roof afterwards which was pretty fun to see. Nice facility. Beats the hell out of sweating at Sun Life or anywhere outdoors in Miami. The roof was the best part and made for a comfortable experience. The Marlins should totally hire at least one additional person per exit to sweep up all the cigarette butts that I had to practically wade through on stairs exiting the stadium, the same ones I was happy to use as exercise on the way up. Was disgusting. Seriously, not just a few, it was deep.
Anyway, enjoyable because of the temperature. But I can’t forget it’s more out of my (and everyone in Broward and Palm Beach) way, the higher priced tickets, by almost double, and the no tailgating/baseball/chilling with people experience that should be part of every game. Probably won’t go back this season.
Yesterday I was headed to Home Depot to buy a new garbage disposal. Yeah, I know. Saturday Fun Day! On the way across Miramar Parkway, I saw some of those digital signs set up by the police, advertising a meet Sheriff Al Lamberti and Chief Keith Dunn event at Super Target. My kids read the sign too and asked if they could go, mainly so they could chat about Pokemon cards inside. And I said OK. I guess the point of an event like this is to showcase the local and county police departments, while being accessible to the community citizens in a fun and easy-going environment.
On the far side of Target’s parking lot was a pretty impressive display of police talents and vehicles. I personally loved the old-fashioned Miramar police car (and its engine). Yes, a cop was stationed next to it supervising. The sports car and souped-up muscle cars revving were also pretty cool. There were also children painting a fire truck right next to it.
Moving on, my children both loved the opportunity to sit in the driver’s seat of a Broward Sheriff’s helicopter! We learned about the bomb squad robot and were able to control the camera on it. Anyone for a chance to stand on and poke your head out of a Swat Team armored vehicle? Damn Straight!
Mounted Police? Yeah, but for some reason my kids didn’t want to rub the horses’ heads. We were on our way inside when we saw that Target had a person dressed like their mascot Bullseye. My little one ran away from it (like he did to Chuck E Cheese today), and when the mascot threw its arms up in disbelief, I gave it a big hug! I think that shocked the dog! Also shocking, my children skipped the free cotton candy. Hmmm. Very fun.
Inside, some informational booths, some chicken by Chick-fil-A, and a bunch of media stuff. You never saw so many police officers in one place. Good thing they were all so friendly. Nice impromptu (for us) event.
Vizcaya Park in Miramar was officially opened this past weekend. I’ve been chronicling the park’s construction over the past few years, as it’s been turned from a desert where we used to fly kites to the awesome park it is today. And these past few years are just the tip of the waiting. For a decade or more, including all the time I’ve lived in the nearby Vizcaya community, Commissioner Troy Samuels has been pushing for the creation of this park.
On Saturday, he got his wish as Mayor Lori Moseley opened the park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Vizcaya Park is located at the end of Honey Hill Road, west of Flamingo, 14200 SW 55th Street, right on the county line. There are several fields for soccer and baseball, playgrounds, basketball courts, and a community center. The Mayor explained that the building and entire facilities were made to be on the cutting edge environmentally. The building, for example, was built with 20% recycled materials, and the fields and drainage systems were designed to maximize water usage.
I personally can’t wait to visit frequently, probably to use the game room and beat my kids in foosball. There are banquet rooms available and a computer room as well. And there will be some clubs and summer camps meeting there. Here is the website for Miramar Parks in general, as I didn’t see that the park has its own website yet. The number to call for more information about Vizcaya Park, according to the resident letter, is (954) 602-3167.
I recently visited Schnebly Redland’s Winery and Brewery in Homestead, Florida. I was there of course to check out their wines, all of which are made with tropical fruits, like guava, mango, carambola and coconut. And no grapes! But Schnebly’s also recently started brewing craft beers, very interesting ones, also with tropical fruits. I was able to try all of their beers and most of their wines, which I wrote about in more detail on my DailyBeerReview.com site. I will say that the creativity and uniqueness of this family business are off the chart.
President Mauricio Mejia took 30 minutes of his time to speak to us (Ed Roberts arranged that). We talked about what the future holds for the brewery now that they have brewed a few batches of each beer and were ready to start distributing. Mauricio said that they would start with Key West, distributing in kegs first, then would consider bottling and canning. You could tell that the brewery has a careful plan to bring their beers to the market. You could also see the pride that Mauricio, Marketing Manager David, and all of the staff had for their products. They all made us feel and home and very welcome.
I’d certainly recommend taking a trip down to check out their facilities. They have a beautiful tasting room, really nice property, areas for weddings and receptions and parties, just a fabulous space. Schnebly’s is family friendly and they encourage picnics and just relaxing while you visit.
They can be found at:
Schnebly Redland’s Winery & Brewery
30205 SW 217th Avenue
Homestead, FL 33030
Toll-Free: (888) 717-WINE
Phone: (305) 242-1224
The long-awaited Grand Opening of Due South Brewing Company took place this past Saturday, 5/12/12. The event took place at the brewery, a massive warehouse in Boynton Beach, Florida. The brewery is not a brewpub, where you would go to have dinner as well. Due South is rather a full-scale production brewery that will be distributing its beers to retailers. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t go to the brewery and check out their beers. There is a tasting room for you to do just that. You can even catch a baseball game on the TV if you are so inclined.
The grand opening had hundreds of visitors sampling five different beers from Due South and a handful from guest breweries Cigar City Brewing, Tequesta Brewing and Swamphead Brewing. The offerings from Due South included Category 3 IPA, Southern Saison, Honey Vanilla Wheat, Caramel Cream Ale and Roasted Cocoa Stout. My personal favorites were the Category 3 IPA and Southern Saison. You can read a little more about my thoughts on each as well as see some other goofing around here if you are interested.
Outside, there were four food trucks to order food from, which is encouraged by the brewery. Several other bar owners and brewers were in attendance, and it’s always great to see the local beer people supporting each other. It was a fun evening for everyone and a great springboard for Due South to get their brewery and beers out to the masses.
The brewery should be found at…
Due South Brewing Company
2900 High Ridge Road #3
Boynton Beach, FL 33426
(561) 463-2337
DueSouthAles.com
American Craft Beer Week is arriving soon, May 14-20, 2012. This is a week-long celebration across the country, promoted by the Brewer’s Association in an effort to highlight independent breweries and their beers.
Guess what? South Florida is an active participant in this event. Though I am often a homebody, I’m going to try to hit up a few events this year. To guide you through some of the best and biggest of these events, I suggest you go visit MikeLovesBeer.com, bookmark the page forever, visit his calendar and follow every word the guy says.
You might want to visit The Local Craft if you’re interested in Belgian-style beers or just love Brewery Ommegang on 5/14. Live up in Palm Beach County? Total Wine is having a beer and cheese pairing the same day. Dade, Broward, Palm Beach will all be very busy. Cervezas, Tap 42, Funky Buddha, Coffee District, Maxi’s, Laser Wolf, World of Beer, Lou’s Beer Garden and dozens of others will have excellent beer, themed pairings, tap takeovers, great food and entertainment.
Oh, and if you think you don’t like beer and prefer wine or scotch or whatever, give these events a chance. I am positive you will be impressed. Let me know what events you hit and send me pictures too.
Yesterday I attended the Miami Rum Renaissance Grand Tasting at the Deauville Beach Resort in Miami Beach. Ed Roberts asked me to tag along, I suppose because of my radiant personality! I gladly accepted. Ed and I arrived right on time, a novelty for typical Miamians, and used most of the 6 hours allotted to work our way through the exhibits of dozens of rum makers.
What a fantastic event it was too! The vendors were enthusiastic, knowledgeable and offered a very engaging environment to spend the day. Most offered both straight rum product as well as some cocktail variations to choose from. It was fun trying many different rums from an extremely diverse group of distillers. There were rums from Colombia, Guatemala, Brazil, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico, Spain, Trinidad, Madagascar, Jamaica, Haiti, Venezuela, French West Indies, United States, and probably a handful of others.
There were vendors selling clothes, hot sauces, books and drink-making gear. There was a live band and dancing. Some of my favorite exhibits were from Dos Maderas, which had ends of the barrels cut off so you could smell the wood. I felt right at home in the Brugal Lounge with the young ladies there to make us feel comfortable. Bacardi had a great display and served some of their rums directly from the barrel. And I will not forget the model who served me some Poesia, dressed as if she was on her way to Carnival. The whole day was very entertaining. I’m still going through hundreds of photos.
Now, I plan on doing a thorough review of the rum products (Update) on my (it used to be a beer blog) DailyBeerReview.com site. Should that be something you might want to check out, be sure to sign up so you don’t miss any posts. I did, however, want to mention some of my favorites from the day here.
Ed and I both loved the Dos Maderas PX 5+5 Rum, noting its awesome vanilla, sherry and richness. The Bohemio Honey offering was spectacular. One Barrel was really unique smelling and tasting. Siesta Key Spiced Rum was superb. Other notables were Zaya, Appleton 12, Centenario 25, Zafra 21, Rum Diplomatico 12 and Vizcaya 21. But honestly, the rums were across the board terrific!
Finally, though I had one eye open looking to see if Belkys might be in attendance, there were a few others I was hoping to meet. I bumped into one of the models that I knew from somewhere. After much discussion, she turned out to be a former employee of Total Wine. Surprise! OMG, I ran into my boss! No, not my real boss, silly. My boss from this site, Soul of Miami. Yep, I got to meet James and Annette, and James actually introduced me to the event host, Robert Burr. Rob is the author of Rob’s Rum Guide, a very handy little booklet about rum with hundreds of tasting notes.
I’ll definitely be back next year and I suggest you do the same!
This Sunday, April 8, 2012, Calvary Fellowship will host Miramar’s Largest Easter Egg Hunt. In fact, they will hold two Easter Egg Hunts, one after each service. An iPod Touch will be given away at both hunts as well, which is pretty cool.
The egg hunts take place following both the 10 am and 1130 am services. Here is the invitation to both the service and the egg hunts.
Calvary Fellowship services take place at Everglades High School, 17100 SW 48 CT, Miramar FL 33027. I’ll be there and promise to post some pictures here afterward.
A friend of mine told me a few days ago that the Whole Foods in Pembroke Pines was finally going to open today. I looked online for details and decided to check it out. After all, free continental breakfast and giveaways are my thing. And the same friend told me that the store was opening with a strong beer selection, so I wanted to see that while it was still in untouched condition.
At around 8:30 am I arrived to a massive traffic jam in the entire strip mall’s parking lot. I considered leaving but ended up parking a quarter mile away from the store. As I approached the store with what seemed to be a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I got my first glance of the atmosphere. The local high school marching band was playing, cheerleaders cheering, and the line of people waiting to get into the store when it opened at 9 am wrapped around the entire parking lot. Massive amounts of people.
I decided to get out my camera and (deservedly) played the journalist card. It was actually pretty easy as the crowd-control staff gave me zero issues for pushing my way up to the front near the speech-makers. At the same time, they were telling dozens of others to get at the end of the aforementioned line. Cameras are powerful, apparently.
I took a bunch of pictures, listened to a bunch of short speeches from store executives, and basically looked cool, LOL. Even Pembroke Pines Mayor Frank Ortis was there give a little speech about economic development for the city. They had a bread breaking ceremony to dedicate the store, after which the three huge loaves were ripped to shreds by the wolves from the line. Speaking of food, I never did find the continental breakfast, but I’m sure that’s my fault.
My media credentials got me into the store promptly. I took some pictures. I looked around. I bought the first beer that the store sold. My 40-year old self got carded! But by 9:05 am I was on my way out the door. I did not try for the gift bag since a ticket was required that I apparently didn’t earn by standing in that massive line.
Who would have thought that thousands of people would show up for a Grocery Store Grand Opening? If it was for the prize alone, I’d say that’s crazy. Anyway, Good Luck Whole Foods!
Whole Foods Market
14956 Pines Blvd.
Pembroke Pines, FL 33027
(954) 392-3500
It’s just West of I-75 on Pines.
Pretty Poetic Title. Am I right?
Everyone in South Florida knows that Total Wine & More is a great place to shop for Beer, Spirits and Wine. I’d have preferred they called it Total Beer and More, but that’s just me. The variety of products, great prices, regular tastings and knowledgeable, friendly staff are just the beginning, too.
Total Wine offers regular educational opportunities for their customers as well. You know, the fun kind of education. Not geometry and grammar, though those are two of my interests. But I’ll save that for another time. Yes, Total Wine offers beer classes, wine tastings with the actual wine makers, whiskey classes with specialists in the business and everything in between. Got a Tequila fetish? This is your store!
For a nominal fee, usually between $15 and $25, consumers can attend one of these events. They are conveniently scheduled, regular events, too, and often they are happening at multiple locations simultaneously so you have your choice. I’ve personally been to a few of their classes. First, Whiskeys Around the World presented by a Senior Master of Whiskey and more recently one called Bourbon Essentials, in addition to a few beer events which I just assumed you knew. I learned a lot. They were very interesting, fun, nice to meet other people, enjoyable experiences. We were able to sample a variety of products, selected for quality and value, and even get some coupons to use afterward.
My wife and a friend just signed up for a Wine Class called Malbec and Other Sexy Wines of South America. And I heard the store manager just yesterday talking about Single Malt Scotch and Tequila classes coming up soon. With 9 local South Florida stores, you will surely have no problem finding something that interests you too. Pick a store and check out their calendar.
I recently asked Greg Tuttle, Total Wine’s Product Education Manager, based out of their Corporate office in Potomac, MD, a few questions. If you have your own questions, Greg is on Twitter, and he or his staff will be happy to get you some answers about their educational series. Plus he’s pretty cool. You might even bump into him one day. For real, I did. And don’t think I’m being a dick with my questions. I just wanted to play Devil’s Advocate and get the real scoop.
Me: Why go to the trouble of organizing educational classes for your customers? It seems like a lot of work for not a lot of money. Are you just trying to get a few more customers into your store?
Greg: We believe that knowledgeable customers are the best customers. At Total Wine & More, with our wide selection of wines, beers, and spirits, we have an opportunity to engage with customers in educational environments where we can share some of the breadth of our product portfolio. Customers can taste and learn in a relaxed atmosphere, and expose their palates to products and flavors they may never have otherwise tried.
Me: How do you make sure your presenters are ready for an enthusiastic and well-versed audience? What type of training do you make sure your employees or guest presenters have beforehand? How do you ensure they are qualified?
Greg: Indeed our audiences are enthusiastic, but their level of knowledge spans the spectrum from beginner to expert. Thus, we tailor the classes down the middle, so there is something for everybody including tasting a new product they’ve never tasted before, and/or learning something new about wine, beer or spirits that they did not previously know. Our area vice presidents and district managers select the class presenters for each store based on the presenters’ exhibiting core subject matter knowledge and presentation skills.
This is where I tried to zing him, LOL: How do you select the products that will be tasted? Do you just pick a handful of beers that are average and not selling well?
Greg: For beer classes, we first determine a set of class themes for the year, aiming to cover a wide spectrum of customers interests and previous beer knowledge, and then within each theme certain beer styles are selected to match that theme. Beer selections are challenging because availability of beer differs from one state to the next and from one market to another within the state. Typically, class presenters are given a list of beers for each beer style covered from which they can chose what to feature in their class based on availability in their store. They are also allowed to feature locally produced beers that may not be on the list.
Me: Is there anything else about Total Wine’s educational series that you think is very important or interesting?
Greg: Our product education series is constantly expanding and evolving. New classes are introduced each year, while prior favorites are updated and included in the roster. A person who attends each class offered, be it wine, beer, or spirits, will in a year’s time be exposed to an incredibly wide sampling of the varietals and styles available to him/her.
Me (trying for the Krabby Patty Formula): Are there any secret surprises we can look forward to in S. Florida in the coming months?
Greg: No “secrets†up our sleeves right now, but I suggest your readers follow our Twitter accounts (@TWMBeer and @Totalwine) and on Facebook for updates.
You guys already watch and listen to the By The Glass Radio Show every Thursday at 6 pm right? Hold on. You didn’t just ask me, “What’s the By The Glass Show,” did you? It’s only the best live internet radio and web show out there! The show’s focus is on the world of adult beverages. For an hour each week, Host Brett Hubbard and Co-Hosts Jason and Jorge talk about specific topics related to Beer, Wine and Spirits. They regularly have studio guests as well as industry leaders calling in for interviews.
I’ve had the good fortune of being invited on the show not once, but twice. My first time, we chatted about Barrel Aged Beers, with the highlight being a taste of Sam Adams Utopias while speaking with Boston Beer Brewmaster Bob Cannon (yes, the bald bearded guy from the commercials). A month or so later, Breweries With Micro Distilleries was the topic. David King, President of Anchor Distilling called in as we tasted his Junipero Gin. Mmmm.
I guess you’re wondering how the show manages to continually cover great topics and get such awesome guests, right? Research Manager and Alcohol Expert Ed Roberts makes sure that each show has a specific theme as well as appropriate studio and call-in guests. According to Ed, “It’s easy to plan great shows. We are really undergoing an artisanal revolution in our country right now. As people’s tastes and palettes are developing and they are looking for and appreciating fine craft products, an explosive growth of wineries, distilleries and breweries is stepping in to fill that need. I see it as our show’s mission to bring their wonderful stories and products to the general public. These small businesses don’t have the marketing budgets of their big competitors. Outlets such as By The Glass Show are so important to them.”
To give you an idea, for their next show this Thursday (3/8/12), Ed designed a show around the return of Cuban-style Ale Hatuey. In a special turn of events, Ed will actually be debuting as a guest host when he invites two members from Bacardi’s Cerveza Hatuey beer brand into the studio. Tune in to see the show and what beverage culture is all about!
That leads us to the Anniversary Party. The little introductions I just offered are only a tiny sample of what the show has accomplished so far. By The Glass is Turning One next week and will be celebrating by holding a special live two-hour show at Total Wine in North Miami next Thursday, March 15, 2012, from 5-7 pm. The show will actually double as a free live tasting and chance to meet the show staff. Be sure to ask for autographs, too. Holy Mackerel, Hatuey, Florida Beer and other alcohol brands will be available, and I hear there will be a few beer surprises and prizes as well. Why don’t you let Ed know right now you’ll be attending!
After the party dust settles and the Chief leaves, what’s next for By The Glass Show? What can we expect as they begin their second year? “I’d like to continue to organically grow the show each week,” Ed told me. “There are so many potential listeners out there for the By The Glass Show. We are based in South Florida but really our content is relevant to any beverage culture enthusiast anywhere in the world. You can listen live or on demand at your convenience. All of our shows are archived so we continue to amass an impressive archive of shows that are highly informative and stand the test of time.” Well said, Ed. Best of luck! Congratulations and have fun at your party!
Oh, and I won’t be able to make it. (Family vacations are always getting in the way.) So I’d appreciate it if you guys take some pictures that I can upload here! Let me know.
I’ve lived in Miami for 10 years. This was finally the year I was able to attend the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. My wife and I attended the Swine & Wine event at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables this past Sunday, hosted by Cooking Channel stars Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar.
What an amazing event! There were approximately 15 pigs, each one roasted in La Caja China by an amazing chef. Think Ingrid Hoffmann, Marc Murphy, Marcela Valladolid, and Jonathan Waxman to name just a few. Even Mayor Carlos Gimenez had a dish to offer. Attendees were given wooden tokens to vote for their favorite dish, and in the end, Miami local Ingrid Hoffmann walked away with a giant pig trophy. She was so cute and thrilled with her victory.
Bustelo, Zafra Rum, and Padron Cigars were among the sponsors. I became a huge fan of that rum. So delicious I may drop the beer gig! Besides chefs with their own TV shows and the Mayor, the Real Housewives made an appearance and the Chirino Sisters sang and danced Salsa and Merengue for an hour or two.
If drinks are your thing, how about some awesome wines, mojitos, tropical drinks, Zafra rum on the rocks or a shot of espresso? Desserts? OMG, you have no idea what the Biltmore created to go with all of the pork dinners. The sides were terrific, and I will not lie that I stuffed my face with pastries afterward.
You all know the Biltmore is awesome. Well the weather, the people, the food, the atmosphere, the drinks, they all doubled up on that reputation. I will totally repeat this next year given the chance. For the record, I also write for host Gabriele’s site, UnderTheTuscanGun.com, and was able to obtain tickets at no charge because of that relationship. I hope you see my delight with this event despite that fact. It was freakin’ awesome!
If you were there, let me know what you thought. Heck, let me know what you think even if you were not there. Here are a few dozen photos to help you out
Until next time… Rob. (If you can’t wait until next time, find me on Twitter or my DailyBeerReview.com blog).
There’s a World Class Brewery right in our back yard! Considering my involvement in the beer community of South Florida, it’s about damn time I went to visit The Funky Buddha Lounge and Brewery in Boca Raton, Florida. I’ve met the owners and brewers of “The Buddha” before, but not on their turf. In fact, last time I saw them, they were still experimenting home brewers with no license to sell their beers. They were still tying up the loose ends required to add “Brewery” to their name.
Last night I met up with some friends for a few beers and conversation. The Funky Buddha is the kind of place you might walk past and never even know what exactly it is. Located at the end of a strip mall, the only eye-catching part about the place from the outside is its name in Blue Neon. The charm, however, starts when you walk through the door.
From the entrance, you can see the entire place. Comfortable nooks with couches surround the outside while tables fill the center area. The bar area spans the entire back wall. The lighting is dim but not dark and provides a nice atmosphere to relax for a few hours. Several groups besides my own were doing just that, including one that was celebrating a birthday.
The bar offers traditional drinks and wine and tea, but The Funky Buddha is mostly well-known for its beer and hookahs. I don’t really know much about that latter, but they had a bunch of people smoking flavored tobacco from some crazy bong-like machines. As for the beer, two chalk boards show you what’s on tap. One board has Funky Buddha’s own beers, which have become famous for their quality and creativity. The other board has the guest taps which include half a dozen or so other craft beer selections. In addition, there are dozens of other bottled beers available. If you’ve never been there, I would recommend ordering a flight of beers, five sample-sized portions of their offerings.
The decorations and art are fun and unique. Funky Buddha has live music and open mic night other days of the week. If you’re hungry, they offer light bar fare. The service was excellent and the staff were knowledgeable about the beers they were serving.
Watch for these guys to continue with their success. If you’re a beer lover, this is a must stop for locals and visitors alike. They are located at 2621 N Federal Highway, Boca Raton, FL 33431. When you do stop, feel free to take better photos and send them to me. I was frankly disappointed with the pictures I took and see the glaring limitations of my iPhone with less than adequate lighting.
Beer Drinker Rob lives in South Florida with his wife and children. Besides family, he never shuts up about two other topics: Philadelphia sports teams and drinking beer. Off the clock, he writes the DailyBeerReview.com blog, combining sarcasm, storytelling and beer knowledge into a daily dose of entertainment.
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