The Arc of South Florida held their Summer Spree Auction on Friday May 18th, 2018 at the Marriott Miami Airport.
Auctioneer Michael Guyer, was in charge of the live auction. There were also hundreds of silent auction items.
The auction featured a wealth of vacation packages and short getaways, great restaurants, passes for cultural and sporting activities and events, wonderful goods and pampering services and much more.
Every dollar raised at the event (tickets sales, auction proceeds) will go directly to The Arc of South Florida programs for Adults and Children with Intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Arc of South Florida is a local chapter of The Arc, one of the largest volunteer organizations in the U.S. Founded in 1953 by a group of concerned parents, The Arc of South Florida serves the over 60,000 Miami-Dade County citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Arc of South Florida two-fold purpose is to ensure the rights of all persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities through ongoing advocacy, and to provide specialized programs and services to help individuals lead meaningful and fulfilling lives. The Arc of South Florida has programs in ten locations throughout Miami-Dade County, employs over one hundred seventy individuals, and serves hundreds of participants and their families on a daily basis.
The Rotary Club of Key Biscayne Foundation recently completed its XIII Annual Wine and Food fund raiser on Friday, January 26th. The event sold out quickly and turned into another resounding success with the help and support from the Rotary Club of Key Biscayne, The Nobis Foundation, The ARC of South Florida, our long standing partner Manos del Sur and community members at large.
Thirteen participating restaurants from our community prepared food delicacies to match the wines. Twenty four wineries competed for the recognition of Best in Show White and Red.
According to five independent judges, the winning white wine was B de Chanzy, a Rose from Provence, France, a delightful blend of Grenache and Syrah.
The winning red wine was a Merlot from Deerfield Ranch in Sonoma Valley, CA.
The 5th Annual South Beach Seafood Week is back to kick off Miami’s globally-recognized stone crab season October 17-21, 2017 in the best way South Beach knows how!
This is not your typical Seafood Festival, but a high-end experience that showcases the talents of South Florida’s leading chefs and culinary masterminds via a diverse group of events, benefiting a great cause: CI Foundation’s EAT SMART program.
Saturday’s beachfront event, South Beach Seafood Festival, brought to you by Kendall Jackson and presented by Coca-Cola and Jack Daniel’s, spans four blocks and welcomes over 13,000 seafoodies to enjoy a day of fun in the sun in the Sobe Chic way. And this year, it’s all about the UPGRADE!
This is not your typical Seafood Festival – come prepared to indulge at pop up cafes featuring Miami’s leading restaurateurs serving the freshest seafood. Choose your dishes as you please and pair them with complimentary all day open bars for 21 and over!
This year’s event site entrance will be at 14th and Ocean Drive. Guests will enjoy a day with their toes in the sand at #sobeseafood fest which spans all the way from 10th and Ocean to 14th and Ocean!
So much more than just food, Saturday’s festival includes:
Jackson Family Wine pairing experiences,
Live music at the Main Stage,
iHeart Radio DJs at the Jack Daniel’s Beach Club,
Life-size beach games,
Chef demonstrations in the Whole Foods Market Culinary Showcase,
VIP Experiences in the Land Rover N&S Dade Hospitality Village featuring the GOYA Culinary Pavilion,
The Coca-Cola Dance Club,
Casa Herradura,
Celebrity Cruises “The Edge” showcase,
Jackson Family Wines sensory garden experience, and so much more – right on the sand!
And for the VIPs, the hospitality village will stay open for a VIP-only After Party from 7-9 PM where you can dance the night away.
The 12th Annual Rotary Key Biscayne Wine and Food Fest was held this past Friday at Fairways on the Key.
Thirteen different wines from the New World competed against the same varietals from the Old World to earn the recognition of “Best of Show†in each class. A lovely Italian Prosecco greeted all the patrons upon their arrival in order to “season the palate†for the wonderful wines to follow.
Shari Gherman, president of the American Fine Wine Competition & Charity Wine Gala, served as wine director. Four other noted wine professionals, Patrick Sullivan, wine educator; Wendy Rosano, Sommelier and wine director at Terra Fiamma in Delray Beach; Roberto Colombi, Sommelier and GM of The Blue in the Boca Raton Resort, and Henry Barrow, Wine Educator, completed the professional Judging panel.
The evening’s proceeds went to benefit the Rotary Club of Key Biscayne Foundation (RCKBF) and affiliated charities for adults and children.
The Rotary Club continues to collaborate with the Arc of South Florida, a Miami-based non-profit helping adults and children with mental disabilities. Their members organized the details of the evening and received part of the proceeds to fund its programming.
Additionally, the Rotary Club of Key Biscayne Foundation has designated proceeds to benefit Fundacion Manos del Sur’s educational work with programs to promote healthcare and disease prevention offered through Fundación Stamboulian and the Rotary Club in Argentina.
Rather than each organization holding an independent fund raising event, The Arc of South Florida and Fundación Manos Del Sur worked together with Rotary to offer attendees not only a wonderful evening, but an opportunity to support different efforts in our community. The Rotary Club is pursuing matching grants from the local Rotary District and Rotary International to further leverage the charitable impact of this event.
And the winners of the “Best of Show†title are:
In the Red Category: “Unmask†a red blend from Vineyard 36, Napa
In the White Category: “Champagne Laculle†Blanc de Noir, France.
Among Tacos and Tequila the competing Chefs battles for the 2016 Chef Showdown were announced this past Monday.
The media gathered in the rooftop of the Dream Hotel where hosted by legendary Chef Ralph Pagano, the Chefs posed for the cameras and challenged each other in a fun and jovial atmosphere. Everyone had a great time!
Here is how the competition stacks up this year between the defending champions and their challengers:
The Chef Showdown assembles Miami’s top executive chefs for an evening of competitive cook-offs where the public is the judge. In a perfect combination of competition level cuisine, tropically fresh cocktails, and live entertainment, the Chef Showdown tours guests through the best of Miami’s culinary scene, featuring 12 of Miami’s most progressive and recognized Executive Chefs. This is a can NOT miss experience for all.
For more information and to get your tickets click here.
This past Tuesday, hundreds of Foodies stormed the Southern tip of South Beach looking to experience the ultimate gastronomic crawl…and my oh my!!!… did they ever!!!
La crème de la crème of the world-class restaurants in the South of Fifth neighborhood rolled out their red carpets and proceeded to showcase their greatest hits to welcome the participants of South of Spice.
Only in its second year, South of Spice is quickly becoming the “must do†event for all foodies in the South Florida area. Its popularity can be attributed to three factors: affordability, quality and execution. Where else can you experience eight Top-Tier restaurants for $45.00?
Now, this is not a one meal, one dish type of set-up. We are talking about an unending parade of samples of the best each restaurant has to offer. You can eat as much as you want. Each restaurant also included complimentary beverages to accompany the samples. We are talking from a wonderful Sterling Vineyards Merlot at Red, The Steakhouse to Caipirinhas at Fogo de Chão.
As if the price and the quality weren’t enough, there are motor coaches, provided by miRide, on constant rotation to effortlessly chauffeur you from doorstep to doorstep. You don’t have to walk if you don’t want to but after several waves of delicious samples, a little walking helps.
Another good thing about the event is that South of Spice benefits the CI Foundation and their community initiative Eat Smart, which finds a balance between battling childhood hunger and providing healthy meals to promote youth nutrition.
One of the coziest events held during Miami Swim Week turned out to be the Style Suite put on by the W South Beach.
One of the townhouse style bungalows served as the setting for this event, which featured a Bikini Beer Garden, a Beauty Bar by Botox Cosmetic Labb and PopUp shopping by RAC.
The 6 Shore Road collection by designer Pooja Kharbanda, who is an industry leader in swimwear & women’s apparel, was inspired by lazy beach days. 6 Shore Road captures the spirit of carefree days amongst friends. Intended for sipping champagne at the bar and dancing as the sun goes down, the effortlessly sexy styles easily transition from day to night.
The authentic Cuervo Margaritas, made exclusively with Cuervo Gold, are the world’s number one ready-to-serve margaritas and come in six flavors: classic lime, strawberry lime, mango, watermelon, grapefruit-tangerine, and coconut-pineapple.
For those of us who count calories, the Authentic Cuervo Light Margaritas offer the same great taste as the original, but they have fewer than 95 calories per serving. These no-guilt margaritas come in three flavors: classic lime, wild berry, and white peach.
We sipped as many flavors as we could (responsibly, of course) and they all tasted great!
Hundreds of people gathered under the palm trees at the W South Beach’s Wet Deck to enjoy the official opening night party of SWIMMIAMI, kicking the Miami Swim Week into overdrive.
The show featured swimwear by Kay & Elle, OMG Miami and a special presentation by Roberto Cavalli.
Musical entertainment was provided by reggaeton singer Vikina Lopez and a special performance by Kent Jones who brought down the house with his #1 hit “Don’t Mindâ€.
This weekend, the South Beach Wine and Food Festival iconic tents on the beach stretched between 10th & 13th Streets off Ocean Drive to house the Goya Foods Grand Tasting Village featuring MasterCard Grand Tasting Tents & KitchenAid® Culinary Demonstrations, which continued to capitalize on the revamped setting and programming structure successfully introduced during last year’s Festival. This gourmet sampling featured the finest pours from the Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida portfolio, and a tri-county array of restaurants, led by Culinary Captains representing neighborhoods across South Florida.
Video and images of The Seed Food and Wine Festival Tasting Village.Held in MANA Wynwood and showcasing whole and organic foods, the Seed Food and Wine Festival Tasting Village in Miami welcomed thousands of Foodies who were able to enjoy free samplings at the ultimate day of plant-based health, wellness conscious and sustainable living.
Hundreds of foodies, wine aficionados and just plain good times seekers braved the elements this past Saturday to enjoy The 6th Edition of the Coral Gables Food Wine & Spirits Festival. The downpour did not dampen the spirit (no pun intended) of festival patrons, who came prepared with umbrellas, ponchos or anything that could shelter them from the rain.
Once under the tents, the attendees were able to enjoy from a variety of more than three hundred different brands of libations; there was Rum, Wine, Tequila, Beer and even water, organized into five separate pavilions.
There were ten different food stations. Each station offered two to three different types of food. For example: Station #1 offered Japanese, Station #2 was Greek and so on.
On Sunday at The Lincoln Motor Company display, attendees took part in a unique test drive experience of its new line of vehicles, including the all-new Lincoln MKX. Participating guests received a luxury gift.
The MKX has one of the smoothest ride of any vehicle I have ever driven. You have to try it!
If it is the first Friday in November it means two things: One is the temperatures are getting cooler (ok…maybe a degree or two) and the other one is: Giralda Under the Stars, that gastronomic celebration of all the excellent cuisine available in that one magic block of picturesque Giralda Avenue known as “Restaurant Rowâ€.
The Coral Gables Business Improvement District organizes the event which this year includes thirteen restaurants. Giralda Under the Stars runs on the first Friday of every month until April. So if you missed it this time you’ll be able to catch it in December.
Miami’s globally-recognized annual Stone Crab season kicked off at the 3rd annual South Beach Seafood Festival. Thousands flocked to 7th & Ocean Drive to experience the seasonal selections of Miami’s top chefs and restaurants during the all-day festival. The South Beach Seafood Festival also featured live music, culinary and mixology demonstrations, a kid’s zone, health village, and VIP hospitality benefits. There was fun for all ages with countless interactive zones, retail villages, and a sports bar showing the day’s college football match-ups right on the sand.
A portion of proceeds from the South Beach Seafood Festival benefit the Community Initiatives Foundation, who’s program EAT SMART fulfills the perfect balance between youth nutrition and childhood development by providing healthy weekend meals and frequent outdoor activity to children in Miami Beach.
Hundreds of Foodies gathered in South Beach to experience one of the most important events of the 2015 gastronomic season: The South Beach Seafood Festival Chef Showdown Competition.
Twelve top chefs representing some of the best-known restaurants in the world went plate to plate at the Goya Foods Culinary Pavilion competing in six categories. The evening was presented by Land Rover of North and South Dade with Warren Henry Auto.
South Florida celebrated seafood, waterfront living and the start of the stone crab season by way of The Coconut Grove Seafood Festival at Peacock Park. For the third year in a row, event organizers brought together an array of seafood vendors offering bushels of shrimp, oysters, crawfish, lobster, stone crab, fish and clams prepared in a variety of ways.
The well known Casablanca Fish Market overflowed with fish from around the world that folks were able to select, purchase and take home after they had their fill at the festival. The Kitchen Lab featured cooking demos by popular South Florida restaurants.
The event was very family oriented. Children played inside the inflatable pirate village in the Family Fun Zone. There was also VIP Island for those who preferred a more exclusive experience.
As if all this wasn’t enough, the afternoon had a constant stream of live music including calypso, steel drum, island escapism and reggae. The Festival also featured several nautically themed exhibitors showcasing art, jewelry and home decor.
The folks at SWARM have definitely put together another winner!…We can’t wait to be back next year!
Peacock Park in Coconut Grove was the setting for Grovetoberfest which served over 300 unlimited beer samplings from around the country and around the world. Beer lovers gathered to try new releases, tap into old favorites and take part in Timed Tappings, which offered unprecedented access to specialty brews.
The Milam’s Kitchen Lab showcased award-winning, South Florida chefs who shared their fusion cuisine, beer pairing and cooking tips.
The Bougainvillea’s Live Music Stage featured South Florida favorite bands and food vendors were on hand selling everything from burgers to beer cupcakes.
Kudos to the crew at SWARM for putting together another awesome event!
One of the most interesting, refreshing and informative ways to spend an afternoon in Miami Beach is to take an Art Deco Cocktail Tour. As the name implies, you will be walking around the Art Deco gems of South Beach while stopping at a few of them to enjoy a libation.
Recently, Christine Michaels of Art Deco Tours invited a group of bloggers to participate in the experience. We all gathered at the Z Ocean Hotel where Christine immediately made us feel welcomed, she introduced us to James Cubby who would serve as our guide along with Christine.
It was an amazing experience!
Even if you’ve been in Miami most of your life (such as myself) the Art Deco Cocktail Tour is a wonderful way to get re-acquainted with Miami Beach’s wonderful history and architecture, not to mention the depth of information that can only be acquired from seeing and walking through these magnificent masterpieces. Just take the tour…you won’t regret it.
More than twelve world-renowned chefs will take place in the competition. The Showdown competitions include:
Coyo versus Bodega in Battle Taco
Red, the Steakhouse versus Smith & Wollensky in Battle Surf & Turf
Poseidon versus Alter in Battle Octopus
CIBO versus Mondrian Hotel in Battle Shrimp
Oceanaire versus Drunken Dragon in Battle Tuna
The evening’s main event will be: Lobster, where Chef Ralph Pagano, owner of Naked Taco and also the event’s Master of Ceremonies, is paired against Miami Beach seafood master, Joe’s Stone Crab and Chef Andre Bienvenu.
The South Beach Seafood Festival has quickly become the premier seafood event of the year! …and this year is promising to be better than ever with four days of non-stop gastronomic pleasure…trust me…you don’t want to miss it! The festival runs from October 21st through the 24th visit their web page for more information.
It is five minutes before noon on a on a hot and humid Saturday and while storm clouds are looming to the west, Gace Della is standing at the entrance of the Wynnwood Walls talking to a tourist-looking gentleman. She is easy to spot, she is dressed all in black and wearing a Miami Culinary Tours sign. I tell her who I am and she tells me to wait by the elephant mural “…we will start exactly at 12:00…almost everyone is hereâ€.
“Everyone†is an eclectic group of South Florida bloggers (from foodies to lifestyle, fashion, beauty and everything in between) gathered by Paola Mendez, creator of the South Florida Bloggers Meetup Group and invited to experience the WynwwodTour edition of Miami Culinary Tours.
At 12:00:49 P.M. Grace Della begins the tour. Her passion and depth of knowledge immediately come to the forefront. Her delivery is fast, articulate and enthusiastic. She prepares us for our first stop on the tour: Wynwood Kitchen & Bar.
Wynwood Kitchen & Bar has outdoor seating but it is 92 degrees outside with like 90% humidity and on top of that it looks like a storm is coming. We opt to sit indoors. Wise choice, it is cool and comfortable, they have a large table set up for us and a great IPA beer at each spot waiting to be sampled. They read my mind.
Grace explains about Executive Chef Miguel Aguilar’s Nuevo Cuisine philosophy and goes on to describe what’s in our plate: Chicken Empanada, Cheese Tequeño and Sweet Plantains with Queso Fresco. Very well prepared and exquisitely interpreted Latin street food. An excellent appetizer, it gets me in the right mood. By this time I was ready to keep on eating but there is an art component to the Wynwood Tour and since the menacing storm has not fully materialized we head to the Walls.
I did mention Grace’s knowledge about the art on the Wynwood Walls but it is her passionate delivery that makes it so exciting to hear about the artists and creators behind the art. I must confess that until that moment I had taken the art on the walls for granted. No more.
After a brief visit through the O. Asciano Art Gallery we are in route to our next stop: The R House.
The R House is either a cool restaurant with great art hanging on the walls or an art gallery with a restaurant inside, either way they serve an excellent red wine and Chef Rocco Carulli’s Short Rib Slider and Tuna Tartare are simply off the charts.
The Tuna Tartare is lightly fried in sesame oil with black and white sesame seeds, a sweet chilli glaze and wasabi cream go on top and it all goes atop a fried wonton crisp. Each dish is great by itself but to taste them together is simply sublime. I could stay here but the tour must go on.
Two very long, humid and hot city blocks later we arrive at Pride and Joy, a barbecue joint.
Pulled Pork Texas Toast with Cole Slaw is served on a simple cardboard tray but as simple as it sounds, it is every bit as good as good can get, they have a variety of sauces to enhance the flavor and the pork is moist and soft. If you are on the mood for barbecue, this is the place.
From Pride and Joy we go across the street to SuViche a sushi, ceviche and pisco bar/restaurant.
At SuViche they serve us ceviche (of course), the traditional Peruvian dish. Each dish at SuViche is prepared individually so some patience is required but the freshness and awesome taste is evident on the plate. If you haven’t had ceviche before this is a good place to try it.
I would advise to take the Wynwood Tour during the cooler months of November through April. If you consider yourself a foodie, the Wynwood Tour is a must but even if you don’t, it is definitely worth it.
The New Times Broward/Palm Beach held its 8th annual Pairings event this past Thursday, once again the Broward Center for the Performing Arts served as host for this magnificent gastronomic event.
Select restaurants from the Broward and Palm Beach areas presented unique signature culinary creations which in turn were paired with local and international wines.
In addition to the flavorful cuisine from South Florida’s best restaurants, hundreds of foodies got to enjoy live entertainment, craft beers and signature cocktails.
Life Is Art & Soul Of Miami presented the River Of Art Pop-Up Art-in-Public-Places Exhibition and Social Mixer at Bahama Breeze on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.  River Of Art was an exciting evening of business networking featuring a beautiful painting show, music, light bites and cocktails hosted at Bahama Breeze in West Kendall. The River Of Art is a gathering place of Miami’s good people, executives, industrialists, innovators, creators, entrepreneurs, changemakers, activists, and artists.
On July 2nd, RAW Artist Miami presented their summer showcase at LMNT.
RAW is an indie arts organization for artists, by artists. It focuses on spotlighting indie underground talent to the public. Every other month, their 60+ locations worldwide hand-select 40 emerging artists in film, fashion, music, visual art, photography, accessories, performing art, hair, and makeup. The artists are able to sell their work, showcase their work, and network with the local community.
The third Thursdays Poplife Social have received a very positive response from the community and to meet the growing demand for the series, they have added pre-ticketing and more food and bar stations.
The menu items included Miso Glazed Chicken Skewers, Pork Belly Bao Buns, Grilled Mushroom Bao Buns, Shrimp Chips and Kimchee pickles.
This was the perfect way to enjoy a Thursday evening: Art galleries, live music and great food!
It was a standing room only for the more than one hundred and fifty people who attended the opening of OBBA Sushi in Coral Gables this past Friday.
The Honorable Jim Cason, Mayor of Coral Gables presided over the cutting of the ribbon together with OBBA Sushi owners Walter Zapata and Tufic Akil. The Mayor also awarded Zapata and Akil with a Seal to City of Coral Gables based on their entrepreneurial achievements.
Once the ribbon was cut the sound of Taiko welcomed guests into the serene and well appointed dining rooms. The sushi creations coming out of the sushi bar were being consumed as soon as they were being put into the trays and the Sapporo kept flowing to the satisfaction of everyone. Definitely a great opening night!
OBBA Sushi is open and ready to make gastronomic history.
This year, the bloggers started the crawl by getting together at BULLA GASTROBARÂ , winner of the 2015 Taste of the Gables Award.
Bulla Gastrobar welcomed us with a choice of white or red Sangrias both of which were full of fruit flavor, talk about the perfect refreshment on a hot Florida June afternoon.
Then the tasting began…
Our sampling menu consisted of:
Salpicón de Mariscos: Grilled octopus, jumbo lump crab meat, shrimp, bell peppers, fresh lemon, oregano and olive oil. This combination of seafood flavors was simply amazing!
Huevos Bulla: Homemade potato chips, Serrano ham and potato foam drizzled with truffle oil. These eggs were just the perfect appetizer.
Bulla Sliders: Homemade garlic herb bread, beef, pork, veal, oyster mushroom patties, piquillo peppers, caramelized onions, crimini port reduction, tetilla cheese, and Portobello fries. This is actually a James Beard Foundation Burger and winner of The Taste of the Gables Award…need we say more?
By this time we were all excited and ready to continue.
Next stop on the list: BRICKTOPS right across the street.
Field Greens Salad: Mixed baby greens, tomatoes, carrots, onions, mushrooms and focaccia croutons with a homemade house vinaigrette.
Hearts of Romaine Caesar: Hearts of Romaine lettuce with grated parmesan and focaccia croutons with homemade Caesar dressing.
The Wedge Salad: Bib lettuce, thick cut bacon, red onion and blue cheese.
Scottish Salmon: Salmon lightly seasoned and simply grilled. So simple and yet so good!
Prime Sirloin Meat Loaf : Meat loaf made from prime sirloin and topped with a chili sauce glaze. Quite possibly the best meat loaf we’ve ever tasted.
Baby Back Ribs: Danish Baby Back Ribs topped with chipotle barbecue sauce. The ten hour slow cooked process is evident in the meat fall off the bone/melt in your mouth texture.
Obba Sandwich: Shrimp tempura, spicy crab salad, avocado and chives with spicy katzu mayo.
Banana Tempura: Batter fried banana.
Then it was on to BOOKS & BOOKS CAFE where they treated us to a delicious
Shrimp Avocado Tartine: Fresh shrimp, avocado, tomato, basil pesto, garlic aioli on grilled Ciabatta. We washed down with a great-bodied Uintaite BaBa Black Lager.
Our last stop was LA TABERNA GIRALDA, a quaint Spanish style tavern. The offerings:
Croquetas Cabrales: Cabrales cheese croquettes.
Chips de Berenjenas y Miel: Eggplant Chips sprinkled with honey.
Perfecto de Solomillo de Cerdo: Roasted pork tenderloin with caramelized onion and aroma of rosemary.
It was a perfect ending to a perfect evening.
Don’t forget that Coral Gables Restaurant Week ends June 28th so you better hurry and try to capitalize on all the wonderful tastes that the City Beautiful has to offer.
It was an eventful evening full of distinguished people/food lovers at the Westin Colonnade Coral Gables. The standing room only crowd could not wait to sample the best that the restaurants in the Gables have to offer. Each restaurant competing for the distinction of being declared winner of the 2015 Taste of the Gables.
From Ceviche to Oxtail, there was a dish for every palate; each dish meticulously and impeccably prepared but there could only be one winner…
Taste of the Gables kicks off Restaurant Week. For three weeks, restaurants will offer special three-course lunch and dinner prix-fixe menus at a discounted price.
Definitely the best way to enjoy some of the best gastronomical delights in the world!
The Rotary Club of Key Biscayne Foundation hosted the 10th Annual Rotary Club Key Biscayne Wine and Food Fest.
The primary beneficiaries included the ARC of South Florida and the Fundacion Manos del Sur. Founded in 1953 by a group of concerned parents, the ARC, South Florida serves the over 60,000 Miami-Dade County citizens with developmental disabilities. Fundacion Manos del Sur is a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to underprivileged children in Latin America in the areas of education, health and nutrition.
This year’s event was again themed after “New World vs. Old World. Wines from some of the top wine producing regions in the world competed to earn coveted awards for “Best Varietal”, “Best in Show-White Wine” and “Best in Show-Red Wine”. Please scroll to the last image to see the winner’s board.Â
Guess also savored delicacies prepared by 14 participating restaurants from the Key Biscayne and general Miami area.
In collaboration with the ARC of South Florida a silent auction took place during the tasting. Auction lots consisted of more than 100 items, which included travel, restaurant, sports memorabilia and other goods and services, with an estimated market value of more than $40,000.
We had to move on…our next stop was Talavera Cocina Mexicana where they extended out the red carpet for us in typical Mexican hospitality fashion.
At Talavera Mexican Cuisine, the welcome cocktail was Pueblito Viejo: Corzo Reposado tequila, lemon juice, simple syrup, sugar, crushed mint served over ice. It is refreshingly sweet and goes down so easy!. The menu featured an appetizer consisting of Gordita Conchinita Pibil: (pulled pork) in a corn masa tortilla with a dry rub of chiles and spices. The taste of toasted corn of the tortillas combined with the flavor of the tender piglet was so pleasing to the taste buds, add to that the hint of chiles and you have the perfect appetizer.
Next were Enchilada Suizas: pulled white meat chicken inside a corn tortilla with poblano cream sauce and tomatillo salsa, topped with Oaxaca cheese and baked, served with crema Mexicana and cilantro. Hot, chewy, soft and delcious!
For dessert it was Crepas de Cajeta: crepes covered in Cajeta served with walnuts and vanilla ice cream. If you haven’t had this dessert I urge to go to Talavera and try it. You’ll thank me later.
The portions at Talavera were very generous and we were beginning to exhibit signs of food exhaustion but we marched on…
The next one up was Divino Ceviche where they welcomed us with a that typical Peruvian drink known as the Pisco Sour: Pisco, lemon juice, sugar and  angostura bitters topped with a frothy egg white meringue sprinkled with cinnamon…ooh so good…! there were Camote (Sweet Potato) Chips ready to be dipped in Aji Amarillo or Salsa de Huacatay accompanied by Canchas (Roasted Corn).
The hot appetizer consisted of Pulpo (Octopus) in Salsa Anticuchera. The octopus was lightly crunchy with a very pleasing smoky flavor. Â For entree we were served the Trio de Ceviches consisting of Ceviche Tradicional, Â Ceviche Divino (the Chef’s specialty) and Ceviche al Olivo. These Ceviches are made with slices of fresh fish and or whole shrimp marinated lightly in lime juice and seasoned with Peruvian limo chili, fresh cilantro and onion; garnished with sweet potato and choclo (Peruvian giant corn), the Ceviche Divino also has mango and avocado. The ceviche is so good that one of the bloggers proclaimed “the best ceviche she had ever had”, I concur.
For dessert, Mousse de Maracuyá (Passion Fruit) and Mousse de Chirimoya (Custard Apple). These are delicate mousses with a refreshing tropical flavor.
From Divino Ceviche we were on to Tarpon Bend for a glass of prosecco and to sample their Braised Short Rib. These ribs are braised for four hours and they are all flavor.
Finally we ended the crawl at Cibo Wine Bar where they started with a wonderfully soft and fresh Burrata and robust yet light Prosciutto di Parma, followed by Arancini: Rice balls stuffed with ragu and melted mozzarella.
The Grilled Whole Octopus with mixed greens, diced tomatoes drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice was amazing!
The Pappardelle with slow cooked lamb ragu covered with pecorino shavings was so delicate and yet robust that it didn’t matter how full I was, I still wanted more.
As if all that wasn’t enough they brought out a Black Tiger Shrimp in a wine garlic tomato sauce that was simply out of this world.
After an incredible twelve different courses, three dessert and five different drinks we were all exhausted, happy and ready to go home. It was an incredible experience!
You are still in time to try out the Gables Restaurant Week Menu but you better hurry because it ends June 29th.
Taste of the Gables was back in a big way this past Thursday to kick off “Coral Gables Restaurant Week†at the Westin Colonnade. More than 20 Coral Gables Restaurant Week newcomers and veterans (among them previously reviewed in this column: Ikura Sushi Lounge, La Talavera and Divino Ceviche) prepared their best dishes and battled to be voted “Best Taste of the Gablesâ€, the winning vote went to Uvaggio, 70 Miracle Mile. The event was presented by Bacardi USA Inc., there was plenty of food, drinks and activities, absolutely no one left with an empty stomach!
La Tagiatella…by the time you finish reading the name, as you enter through the glass doors, you have already stepped a few centuries back in time into a beautiful northern Italian castle.
The decor is simply breathtaking. Nothing has been overlooked in La Tagliatella’s rococo inspired interior. There is so much to see here that you could spend several days just discovering new details…
and then…there’s the food…
But before we get to that, keep in mind that La Tagliatella is part of a worldwide chain of more than one hundred and fifty restaurants. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that they must be doing something right…and that…of course…is the food…
The Handcrafted Meatballs, made with their own home-made sausage and beef, seasoned with garlic, oregano, parsley and Parmesan cheese were juicy and cooked to perfection. They came with spicy Napoletano and pesto rosse panna sauce.
The Arancini, which are risotto balls, filled with mozzarella cheese, breaded and deep fried to resemble small oranges (hence the name) were crisp with a light crunchy exterior. They were complemented with a spicy tomato sauce.
Mozzarella Carpaccio, consisted of imported Italian buffalo mozzarella sliced on top of crushed tomato with fresh anchovies, olive paste and fresh basil. Now for those of you who are staunch anti-anchovies militants, I would strongly advise to try this Carpaccio, the buffalo mozzarella’s soft, moist, somewhat granular, semi-elastic texture and its mild yet slightly sour taste combine to give the fresh anchovies a delicate, natural flavor which will take your eating experience into the fifth taste (beyond salty, sweet, sour and bitter), the one called “umami”. Try it, you won’t regret it.
Branzino alla Mugnaia is Mediterranean sea bass, cooked with a lemon butter asparagus sauce. Served with roasted potatoes, grilled asparagus and arugula salad. This sea bass had a perfect flaky, buttery texture and a delicate well seasoned taste.
To finish an incredible meal, the Bocconcino, a fresh cheese cake with custard and the Tre Bombe al Cioccolato, a trio of chocolate and hazelnut semifreddo with chocolate sauce, were the perfect sonata.
Hostess station. The sign reads: “Where eating is a pleasure”.
The bar area.
The top of the bar is engraved with Coat of Arms
The bar top.
The decor is top to bottom.
The management team L to R: Luca Lanzilotti, Julio Aguilar, Abdel Alfonso and Eduardo Fornós.
Sangria.
Handcrafted Meatballs.
Mozzarella Carpaccio.
You can watch the pizza being made.
Quattro Stagioni.
Arancini.
Pappardelle with Parmigiano and Truffle.
Salume
Tomato, mozzarella and chorizo dressed with a fresh cracked egg and oregano.
Tagliatelle Calabrese.
Fresh tagliatelle pasta with sole de puglia, tomatoes, balsamic onions garlic sun-dried tomatoes pine nuts, basil and Grana Padano cheese.
It was another magnificent evening in Coral Gables during Giralda Under the Stars, that is the seasonal/monthly event put together by Downtown Coral Gables.
Ikura Sushi Lounge debuted new menu items which ranged from crunchy Giralda Rolls to a deliciously baked Tom-Atu Heat.
There’s nothing like a cool Miami night to enjoy a stroll around the Bird Road Art District. No matter what style of art you enjoy the Bird Road Art District has it all. Add to that wine, hors d’oeuvres, Capoeira demonstrations, Cuban Rap music (raw, uncensored protest songs at their best; sung with the pain that only living under oppression can project)…and did I mention the coolest rolling art gallery you ever saw…
To paraphrase Susan Sontag -Art is a form of consciousness, which means that it is an understanding that is constantly in one form or another of evolution. Wynwood fits that definition and much more. Here are some images:
I started my walk at Joey’s. It is smack in the middle of the action.
The Dolce Picante pizza is a must.
This Fiocchi farcito con Pere e Gorgonzola was Outstanding!
If you are looking for real authentic Mexican food made from the freshest ingredients then Talavera Cocina Mexicana is the place for you.
Located in the corner of Ponce de Leon Blvd. and Giralda Avenue, a visit to Talavera will take you on a culinary trip of the best that Aztec cuisine has to offer. As soon as you are in the proximity of the restaurant the distinctive and unique sound of Mariachis will get you in just the right mood; add to that one of their signature Margaritas and you’ll be on your way to taste bud heaven, all the while singing along: Allá en el Rancho Grande!
Recently, we had the opportunity to visit Talavera during Giralda Under The Stars, the event produced by the Business Improvement District of Coral Gables and sponsored by Zacapa Rum. Giralda Under The Stars takes place on the first Friday of every month from November to April, all the restaurants on Giralda Avenue bring their tables outside for a true and unique alfresco dining experience.
If you haven’t been to Talavera, put it in your “must do†list. It is true Mexican cuisine at its best!
CARNE ASADA A LA TALAVERA.
Thin beef tenderloin strip served w/guacamole, roasted Poblano peppers & onions, refried black beans & enchilada w/mole.
MOLE COLORADITO FROM OAXACA.
Prepared with short rib, string beans & house rice.this mole is made w/dried chiles, herbs, spices, raisins & assorted nuts.
PAPADZULES.
Mini chicken enchilada, pumpkin seed sauce & pico de gallo verde
TLACOYO AZULES.
Blue corn masa stuffed with beans, topped with guajillo sauce, cream, cheese, cilantro and onions. Topped with Cochinita Pibil.
BEEF TENDORLOIN DON GUILLERMO.
With huitlacoche (corn truffle), melted manchego cheese and chile poblano cream sauce, served with the house white rice.
EMPAPELADO.
Fish of the day ( in this case it was Mahi Mahi), potato, tomato, corn, zucchini and cilantro pesto cooked in parchment paper.
You can get some art along with your dining.
Great music goes great with great dining at Giralda Under The Stars.
Giralda Under the Stars presented by Zacapa Rum brings dining, music and art outside to the street at over a dozen restaurants and bars. The event takes place on Giralda Avenue’s Restaurant Row (between Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Galiano Street), bringing culinary excellence and popular libations outdoors, under the stars. Restaurant Row is closed to vehicular traffic so that Giralda Under the Stars’ participating restaurants and bars may fill the street with tables and chairs as well as live music and entertainment from 7pm to midnight on the first Fridays of the month from November 2013 to April 2014.
The featured restaurants on this shoot were: Talavera Cocina Mexicana, Spritz, Divino Ceviche and Spizzigo.
Zacapa Rum was serving the award-winning blend of their ultra-premium rums.
“This event allows Restaurant Row to shine, coming together to offer a wide array of food from all over the world with choices to satisfy any and all palates and budgets,” said Mari Gallet, Executive Director of the Business Improvement District of Coral Gables, which produces the event.
Spritz – Linguini alla Bucaniera: Mixed seafood linguini in lightly spiced tomato sauce with mussels, shrimp, calamari, and our catch of the day.
Divino Ceviche – Risotto de Lomo: Risotto with peruvian yellow pepper sauces; topped with lomo saltado.
Divino Ceviche – Arroz con mariscos: Shrimp,squid,and scallops all mixed with rice, peas, red pepper, cilantro, and peruvian panca pepper dressing.
Divino Ceviche – Lomo Saltado: Peruvian stir fry, made with beef, onions,tomatoes,cilantro,soy sauce, and garlic, all this,flambeed with pisco on a wok to very high tempatures, served with crispy, fried potatoes, and white rice.
Divino Ceviche – Ceviche Divino.
Divino Ceviche – Pescado a lo macho Fish accompanied with shrimps, mussels, scallops, and squid; wrapped in delicious, sauce made with garlic, panca chili sauce, white wine, and a special seafood house sauce; served with white rice yucca.
Patrons enjoy al fresco dining outside Spizzigo.
Spizzigo РTiramis̼
Spizzigo – Pizza
Tartare di Tonno. Hand chopped ahi tuna tossed with lemon avocado and truffle oil.
Risotto alla pescatora: Risotto with black mussels, calamari, bay scallops, clams in a light spicy red sauce.
Spizzigo – Pollo al Funghi: Chicken Scaloppini sauteed with mushrooms, parsley and white wine.
Spizzigo – Carpaccio Classico: Thinly sliced beef topped with arugula, shaved parmesan and mushrooms.
Spizzigo – Bruschette: Assorted of toast italian bread with marinated tomatoes.
Don Pasquale carefully pouring the wine.
Spizzigo – Risotto Funghi Porcini: Risotto with porcini mushrooms.
Spizzigo – Spaghetti alla Carbonara: Spaghetti sauteed with pancetta, onion, beaten eggs and parmesan cheese.
Spizzigo – Pappardelle della Nonna: Homenade pasta sauteed with bolognese sauce and mushrooms.
Spizzigo – Burrata: Burrata cheese over prosciutto di parma, dried tomatoes and pesto.
“THE KEY BISCAYNE WINE CHALLENGE†Proceeds went to benefit The Rotary Club of Key Biscayne Foundation’s charitable work in the Miami area and beyond 9th Annual Rotary Key Biscayne Wine & Food Fest. Thirteen varietal wines from the New World competed against wines from the Old World to earn recognition as “Best of Show†in each class. The categories were: Whites 1.        Champagne vs. California Sparkling 2.        Loire Sauvignon Blanc vs. Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 3.        French Burgundy vs. California Chardonnay 4.        Austrian Riesling vs. Ohio Riesling Reds 5.        Bordeaux vs. Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 6.        Italian vs. California Merlot 7.        French vs. Argentinean Malbec 8.        Bordeaux vs. California Cab Franc 9.        Italian Primitivo vs. California Zinfandel 10.      Spanish vs. California Tempranillo 11.      Rhone vs. Washington State Syrah 12.      Italian vs. California Sangiovese 13.      Burgundy vs. Oregon Pinot Noir  Shari Gherman, president of the American Fine Wine Competition, was the wine director again this year. Completing the professional judging panel were Roberto Colombi from Cielo at the Boca Raton Resort, Henry Barrow, Wine Educator, Chip Cassidy, Wine Professor at FIU, & Wendy Rosano from Terra Fiamma in Delray Beach. All presented wines were graciously supplied by Strategic Imports and were available for sale at the event through Stefano’s Wine and Liquors, the official Key Biscayne wine retailer. Stefano’s will donate 10 percent of sale proceeds to the Rotary Club of Key Biscayne Foundation. The wine-tasting event featured a UNIQUE experience for the wine aficionado: The Rotary Challenge. Eight guests were invited as “consumer judges†to taste both wines in each category. The participants got to decide which wines were the best from each varietal. The best of show winners were: In the White category: Rex Deerfield Sonoma. In the Red category: Chateau Pierrail.
On Saturday, October 12th, Blue Martini Kendall hosted a Happy Hour to benefit the D Amor Foundation. The D Amor Foundation’s mission is to provide hope, and to help children with autism achieve a better quality of life by providing families with resources, educational tools and access to therapies such as speech, occupational, art, music and sensory integration, all of which are integral to managing the disorder. Several companies donated services for a raffle and silent auction. Donations go directly to fund programs for children with autism, including Tae Kwon Do, soccer, music, art and other activities for families affected by the neurodevelopment disorder. The D Amor Foundation was founded by Maria and Jose Montalvo in honor of their son, Diego, who was diagnosed with autism at age 2. The goal is to help families affected by autism in South Florida and Puerto Rico find resources and access to therapies, which can be costly. Damor FoundationMr Q 305 on fb  Mr Q 305 on Twitter Â
Microsoft opened its second full line retail store in Florida. The store is located in the first phase of the brand new expansion of the Dadeland Mall.
More than five hundred people gathered for the chance to win giveaways which ranged from free tickets to a Lupe Fiasco and Gym Class heroes concert to a “Surface†tablet.
The first person in line had been camping in the mall since 10:30 P.M. the night before the opening. He was awarded several prices including a “Surfaceâ€. Other lucky winners participated via Twitter and had their names called out from the crowd.
John Case, corporate vice president, Office Division presented more than $1 million in grants to different organizations.
True to form, in what now has become the norm in computer store openings, the employees started screaming from inside the store, exciting the crowd. As soon as the ribbon was cut, the curtain which had been covering the front of the store came down. The pandemonium reached an electrifying pitch.
Overall, Microsoft now has of 66 full-line and specialty retail stores.
The Arc of South Florida held their Summer Spree Auction which is the hottest travel and leisure auction in town, sponsored by American Airlines on Friday May 10th, 2013 at the Marriott Miami Airport.
Auctioneer Michael Guyer in action.Dwayne Wade autographed photo. Among the may items in the silent auction.
Auctioneer Michael Guyer, was in charge of the live auction. There were also hundreds of silent auction items.
The auction featured a wealth of vacation packages and short getaways, great restaurants, passes for cultural and sporting activities and events, wonderful goods and pampering services.
There was a spectacular trip to Argentina with stays at Lois Suites in Buenos Aires and at Iguassu Falls and Design Suites in Bariloche, there were trips to the colorful Caribbean hosted by Point Grace Resort & Spa in the lush Turks and Caicos island, all including round-trip air on American Airlines. Ten nights around California, also with air on American Airlines, featuring stays at the Marriott San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, Marriott Anaheim, Marriott Santa Ynez Valley, San Francisco Marriott Marquis and Courtyard by Marriott Vallejo Napa Valley. Other land-only offers included “A Week in La Belle France with stays at several Marriott hotels,†“Savor the Flavor of Brazil†with stays at the JW Marriott Rio and the Renaissance Sao Paulo, a Portugal one-Week Escape at the Four Seasons Fairways in Algarve,†and an African Safari among others. Shorter stay trips included the Marriott Athens Ledra, Marriott Copenhagen, The Stones Hotel Legion Bali and many more international and national trips.
Closer to home there were a large number of restaurants offering gourmet dinners, cultural affairs and concerts and much more.
Every dollar raised at the event (tickets sales, auction proceeds) will go directly to The Arc of South Florida’s programs for Adults and Children with Intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Arc of South Florida is a local chapter of The Arc, one of the largest volunteer organizations in the U.S. Founded in 1953 by a group of concerned parents, The Arc of South Florida serves the over 60,000 Miami-Dade County citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Arc of South Florida’s two-fold purpose is to ensure the rights of all persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities through ongoing advocacy, and to provide specialized programs and services to help individuals lead meaningful and fulfilling lives. The Arc of South Florida has programs in ten locations throughout Miami-Dade County, employs over one hundred seventy individuals, and serves hundreds of participants and their families on a daily basis. For more information visit their website www.arcsofla.org
On Saturday, May 4thmore thantwo hundred parents, community leaders and supporters participated in a ZUMBATHON at the Jorge Mas Canosa Youth Center, the event was organized by the D Amor Foundation to help raise awareness, and funds, for autism. The money raised from the event will go directly to local families in Miami, to fund activities such as taekwondo, soccer, music, art and also speech and occupational therapies for children or others.
The dancing was led by Zumba Jammer Meli Kirkwood who came from California for this event.
The D Amor Foundation was founded by Maria and Jose Montalvo in honor of their son, Diego, who was diagnosed with autism at age 2. The goal is to help families affected by autism in South Florida and Puerto Rico find resources and access to therapies, which can be costly. Here are some images of the event:
This is probably one of the coolest tables in the Gables.
If you enjoy dining out, you always dream about discovering a restaurant that no one else knows about. In Japan there is a long standing tradition where tiny hard-to-spot restaurant names are whispered only to very good friends and respected business associates.
Ikura Sushi Lounge, an eleven table gem on Giralda’s restaurant row where sushi becomes just a point of departure on a journey that aims to combine tastes and textures that you never dreamed were possible, is such a place.
Chef Chris Rojas is your guide of this culinary adventure which can begin with Kanikama Crunch, a house favorite. This crunchy salad has crab, tempura flakes, yuzu tobiko, scallions, sesame seeds all held together with spicy mayo and finished with drops of honey on top. Now think for a moment, there is the unmistakable taste of seafood which is made crunchy by the the tempura flakes then the salty, smoky, citrus flavor of the yuzu tobiko (flying fish roe), the mildly pungent fresh taste of the scallions, the nutty flavor of the sesame seeds, the spicy touch of the mayo and if all that wasn’t enough the sweetness of honey; your taste buds are saying: “It’s party time!â€
Chef Chris Rojas uses his classical Cordon Bleu training to create incredible dishes.
Another favorite, the Green Apple Roll is a combination of shrimp tempura with eel sauce on the bottom, coated with green masago, roasted jalapeño, garlic and cilantro sauce, red tobiko, avocado and cream cheese all with a little bit of yuzu on top.This combination’s taste was unique and had a finish as lingering as that of any fine single malt Scotch.
Chef Rojas’ classical Cordon Bleu training is evident in his selection of sauces, textures and presentation. Any of these rolls conveys the taste of an entire meal. Chef Rojas manages to pack quite a punch in a very small bite.
Manager/owner Jesus Diaz’s love for sushi drove him to open Ikura about four months ago. Ikura is quaint and intimate but it also boasts one coolest tables in the Gables, you actually get to seat at the viewing window, on display for all the world to see. For those of you whose Instagram feed contains more than 50% selfies this table must be hedonistic bliss.
Ikura is one of those places that will become a must for anybody wanting to experience what is possible when a team of young individuals embark on a mission of gastronomic discovery and while your taste buds are enjoying the party, your brain is trying to register and make sense of it all… then you realize that sometimes you can’t make sense out of pleasure…you just have to enjoy the ride.
Judging is not easy… I was invited to participate in the judging of the “Design your own Big Oneâ„¢ Competition†at the Grand Opening Block Party of the newly enhanced Sgt. Peppers Subs in Palmetto Bay. The food was great but picking a winner was tough.
The panel consisted of four judges: The honorable Shelly Stanczyk, Mayor of the City of Palmetto Bay, Sef Gonzalez from the Burger Beast, Alex Peña, owner of Steve’s Pizza and myself.
Three sandwiches made the final elimination round: Havana Pork, Beef Asiago and Fresa Strawberry. All were excellent sandwiches. The Asiago Beef won the top honors although Sef and I both agreed that the Fresa Strawberry had tremendous potential (I would’ve never dreamed of putting strawberries and avocados in a sandwich format, adding goat cheese to the mix gave it that extra notch which was totally unexpected…outstanding!).
As part of the winning entry prize the Beef Asiago sub will be added to the Sgt. Peppers Subs menu and will remain in it for a year.
This party was the perfect way to spend a beautiful Miami afternoon in a great family friendly event which had entertainment for everyone.
The old business school model puts it very simple: “The big fish swallows the small fishâ€.
X-POSE Fashion has turned that Business 101 adage on its head. The quaint boutique has been able to prove that smaller businesses cannot only survive but they can actually thrive even when surrounded by formidable competitors. Just go five miles East or West on Kendall Drive and you will find the giant retailers: lurking, ready to coupon, special-rack or clearance discount their way into retailing battle; Thermopylae got nothing on this.
By now you must be wondering: “Ok…so what’s the secret?â€â€¦ It is really simple: Social Media… yep … X-POSE Fashion maintains an aggressive campaign harnessing the power of social media to keep their customers engaged and coming back for more. Couple that with one-on-one customer service and they have been able to build a loyal clientele extending all over the U.S. and reaching as far as India. Social media has provided X-POSE Fashion with the ability to transcend physical location, they are on the world stage.
Recently, X-POSE Fashion held their Annual Valentine Bazaar. They invited other vendors to participate:
Nothing Bundt Cakes: “From the first bite, sweet memories of your Mom’s cake, fresh from the oven, gently tug at your heartâ€.
Lore Accessories: “Mixing foreign and local materials of different textures allows me to create accessories with an international twist. I feel that makes them extra unique!â€
Soy Candela Candles: “Are all natural, biodegradable, hypoallergenic and eco-friendly. Simply light, dip in and enjoy!â€.
A view from the front door through an etched glass panel which lists menu items.
To say that Xixón is just a Spanish Restaurant would be akin to saying that Lebron and Dwayne are a couple of Americans who just happen to play basketball.
Xixón, the modest sized restaurant started by the husband and wife team of Carlos Mattos and Begonia Tuya in 2001 has moved and grown into a world class, tri-leveled, gastronomic powerhouse with a menu that combines the best traditions of Spanish Cuisine interpreted with a modern and unique European touch.
The deli stocks a large variety of hams and cheeses.
The restaurant’s wine list boasts more than 700 different wine labels (yes…you read that right… that’s 700) with more than 5,000 bottles on hand in the temperature controlled cellar which is kept at a constant 64°.
A few weeks ago, Xixón’s Client Relations Manager, Lidia Hernandez, suggested to chefs Jon Gonzalez and Jose Ruiz that they should create a lunch menu which would allow the lunch patrons to sample a variety of the many dishes the restaurant had to offer in smaller “lunch sized†portions. The chefs responded by creating a unique menu which relies on locally available fresh ingredients to enhance the flavor of authentic Spanish dishes.
The wine cellar…5,000 bottles kept at a constant 64°.
From a refreshing Gazpacho (chilled tomato soup) which goes so well with our Miami weather to Salpicón de Mariscos (seafood salad) brimming with shrimp, calamari, mussels, octopus with the just right touch of vinegar and olive oil and Pescado Fresco (fresh fish) which is… very fresh. I happened to sample Lubina (European sea bass) baked to a golden light crunch with a delicate white wine sauce, it was spectacular.
Salpicón de Mariscos
The Guisado de Carrilleras de Buey con Verduritas Estofadas (beef cheek stew with vegetables) is simply delicious with a rich and velvety red wine sauce which has that homemade taste that only slow cooking and careful attention to detail can bring forward.
The portions for the lunch menu which includes: soup, appetizer, main course and dessert, are just the right size to allow for thoroughly enjoying the meal, feeling satisfied rather than feeling overstuffed, after all…not all of us can take a “siesta†after lunch…but if we did…we’d probably dream about what to eat the next time we visit Xixón.
The wine cellar dining area below.The main floor level.Part of the tapas bar.The bar.Chefs Jon Gonzalez and Jose Ruiz.Crema Catalana.Arroz con Leche.Guisado de Carrilleras de Buey con Verduritas EstofadasPescado Fresco.
Crema de Langosta, Gazpacho and Crema de Calabaza.Large variety of cheeses.Great variety of hams.
Wine bar at the entrance.
Self service wine bar.The daily specials.Upstairs.Upstairs can fit large parties.
The layers are revealing themselves… caressing my taste buds… the stock, the wine, the “soffrittoâ€, the tomatoes, the meat is so tender that it falls off of the bone and melts in my mouth, the flavors lingering behind, bringing back a certain nostalgia as if there was a “nonna†in the kitchen … I am sampling “Ossobuco alla Milanese†at Spizzigo on Giralda Avenue in Coral Gables. Ossobuco, a Lombardian specialty sometimes referred to as the “King of Meats†is a warm and succulent dish whose complexity never ceases to delight and satisfy; at Spizzigo they have turned it into the “Meat of Kingsâ€.
Opened just eleven months ago, Spizzigo has managed to position itself as a must visit Italian food destination in the Gables. That is not an easy feat considering how many Italian restaurants are in the area.
The secret of this rise in popularity lies in keeping all the dishes authentic and paying attention to the most minute detail, as owner Eduardo Quesada (no relation) says: “…our veal comes from a specific farm in Australia, we buy only the best natural ingredients, we buy only the best cheese, our wines are unique to this restaurant and we make everything in house… even our own wood oven baked focaccia †which is served at every table; the fact that his wife and daughters also work here is a testament to the family’s dedication. With so many eyes on the business, nothing escapes notice.
Spizzigo is a restaurant with several specialties one of which is “Fettuccine alla Ruota†the fettuccine is laced with seasoned cream and brought piping hot tableside, tossed into a partially empty cheese wheel where cheese shavings have been scraped from the inside. The pasta finishes its cooking process inside the cheese wheel where it absorbs the essence of the cheese. This is a must have, the flavor is just incredible. Another must have is the “Fiocchi†which are little pasta purses filled with pear and gorgonzola cheese, this is another one of those dishes which will titillate your taste buds as layers upon layers of different flavors caress your palate.
No great meal would be complete without a great dessert. Spizzigo doesn’t disappoint, among the incredible line up of homemade desserts, the “Nutella Gelato†stands out, it is Eduardo’s own creation and only available here. It is a marriage of mousse and gelato which produces a unique creaminess with a hazelnut flavor that stays in the palate and dissipates gradually. It is awesome.
Giralda Under the Stars hosted by Downtown Coral Gables offers an incredible al-fresco dining experience and gives restaurant-goers the chance to enjoy some of their favorite restaurants, along with live music, art and beautiful Miami weather every first Friday of the month from November to April 2013.
Xixón  at 2101 Coral Way in Miami, was the place to be this past Wednesday as a few hundred people gathered to celebrate the Holidays by participating in a wine tasting incorporating live music,social media, raffles, contests and giveaways.
If it is any indication of just how good this party was, let’s just say that twitter is still buzzing 24 hours after the event.
As I was enjoying the evening festivities, sampling an awesome Ribera del Duero Reserva, Lidia Hernandez who does the PR for the restaurant came by smiled and said in Spanish: â€â€¦well…you can’t complaint… great wine, great cheese and great ham…†to which I answered: “ You are right…from here to heaven…†then I remembered the rumor: the world ends this Friday… hmmm I better eat some more and get some more wine… just in case.
For a list of the wines please scroll past the photos.
If you cannot see the images please click on post title.
Marques de legarda Cza.2008Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Marques de Legarda Rva.2007Â Â Marques de Legarda Gran Rva.
D.O. BIERZO
Tres Racimos 2007                                       Viña de Canes Crianza 2003
D.O. RIBERA DEL DUERO
PAGO DE LOS CAPELLANES
Joven Roble                    Crianza 2009        Reserva 2008      Nogal 2005          Picon 2005           Magnum
D.O. CAVA
Torello Brut Rva.             Torello Rose Rva.
D.O. RIBERA DEL DUERO
CONDE DE SIRUELA
Riberal Joven 2011Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Barrica 2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Crianza 2007Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Reserva 2006Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Magnum
D.O. TORO
Muruve Joven 2010       Muruve Crza. 2009       Muruve Rva.  2008
D.O. COSTERS DEL SEGRE
Ekam 2011 Riesling                     Taleia 2011 Sou.Blnc     Quest 2010 Cabrnt
D.O. MONTSANT
Faunus 2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Nuvol Blanco 2011
D.O. PRIORAT
Flors del Priorat 2011     Gotes 2010          Negre de Negres        Somni 2009      Tros de Clos 2010
Tros Negre 2010Â Â Â Â Â Â Trossos Sants 2010Â Â Â Tros Blanc 2009
The hundreds of people who attended the reception were treated to an incredible variety of works by more than thirty artists from all corners of the globe. From sculpture to painting to photography and mixed media, there was something for everyone.
Art Fusion Galleries, which boasts over 8,000 Sq. feet of pristine contemporary gallery space is a wonderfully designed venue. The Chelsea-style design affords the feeling of being intimate with the art. This is the way art was meant to be appreciated.
The family of the late Martin Schreiber, an artist whose work was on display, was holding their own celebration in his memory. His son, Dr. Andrew Schreiber, had produced and bottled his own private label wines just for the occasion. The labels on the bottles were printed with art work from the artist. The wine was simply outstanding.
Art Fusion Galleries is located at 3550 North Miami Avenue Miami FL .The exhibition runs until Friday, December 21st, 2012.
Studio 1156 was born out of the need of five people wanting to experience the world of painting.
Twelve years ago five people individually came to Jaime Ferrer asking for advice on different art projects they had in mind. They wanted to learn about painting and they were willing to cover the expenses of renting a place to be used as the studio in order for Ferrer to share his experience with them.
Ferrer and his wife Ximena took the challenge to be the guides, this was also an opportunity to prove his thoughts about learning, – “I believe that in the USA, schools became a crude business about money and not the right of people to learn†– and somehow the idea of trying an ancient Greek model was not so crazy.
This Studio is not open to the public and the only way to be part of it is by a referral of one of its members and the studio space available. Once you are in, you are treated as an individual and creative person, exposed to a professional artist with the intention of growing and learning about Fine Arts.
The exhibition “LETTERS†is part of a yearly tradition. A theme is chosen and all the participants of the group are invited to reflect and create a piece, which is shown to the open public at the end of the year. In 2012 the theme was “Lettersâ€.
The 8th Annual Key Biscayne Wine, Food Fest & Silent Auction at The Links at Key Biscayne featured an array of tables brimming with food delicacies created at 15 prominent South Florida restaurants.
Chefs paired their specialties with 13 varietal wines from the Old World and 13 wines from the New World supplied by Strategic Imports.
“The food tastings are diverse and designed to fit every palate. It includes taquitos al pastor, paella, roasted pig, Chinese cuisine, seafood, beef roast, bistro delicacies and an array of Spanish, Italian and Continental dishes to name a few,†Ruben Weisson, event chairman, said.
“In 1976 the wine world was turned upside down… it took place at the ‘Judgment of Paris,’ where, in a nutshell, Napa wines beat both Burgundy and Bordeaux in this unprecedented competition judged by French wine experts. Our wine tasting will be ever-so-slightly different in that we will be challenging Old World versus New World, just one varietal each. This means we will be leveling the plane field in this competition. It is a little unfair for a Pinot Noir to compete against a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon,†Weisson said.
Eight guests were invited as “consumer judges†to taste both wines in each category. The participants will decide which wines are the best from each varietal. Their results will be compared to those of the professional judges. Consumer judges provided a charitable donation of $50 towards the event’s fundraising goals. Charities benefiting from the event are ARC of South Florida and Fundacion Manos del Sur.
The “Best in Show†was the 2008 CAW Pinot Noir. Available at Stefano’s Wine and Liquor, Key Biscayne.
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The sound is flawless. The melody emanating from the twelve musicians known as: Charanga Tipica Tropical is as good as good will ever get. This is a cohesiveness which can only be achieved after nearly forty years of playing together. It is the fusion that we know as “salsaâ€, being played the way it was meant to be played; with violins, flute, piano, trombones, bass, and of course: percussion, plenty of percussion.
On the dance floor some of the best dancers anywhere are going all out. Now, this is not the watered down stuff that you see on some tv shows, nobody here is dancing for ratings, they are dancing for the sheer enjoyment of moving their bodies to the rhythm of the music, and the moves are simply amazing. The dance floor is big enough to accommodate pros and amateurs alike, everybody has a smile on their face.
“Havana Fusion Underground†is the brainchild of Rene Gueits, a salsa dancing master himself and owner of “Salsa Loversâ€, Miami’s premier salsa dancing school (98,000 students so far…and counting). Gueits has brought together the band, cigar rollers, a dance art exhibit, a dance showcase by the salsa lovers student team and even a latin food truck to make this an unforgettable event in what could easily be described as the most eclectic place to party.
We are at the Performing Arts Exchange or “PAXâ€, a venue preferred by some of the best known international artists such as Ricardo Arjona, Chino y Nacho and Gaby Moreno just to name a few. There’s reason for these artists to want to perform here. Roxanne Scalia, one of the founders explains it this way: “PAX is about finding the authenticity in art…everything we book at PAX is very scrutinized…we are an independent performing arts center…we focus on latin and world music …we have over 740 yards of acoustic sound†she adds: “My whole intention of opening this place is I want every customer to walk out with something more… when you give good art, you walk out that much smarterâ€.
To find out about Salsa Lovers:Â www.salsalovers.com
They are dancing everywhere, in the hotel lobby, in the courtyard, in the restaurant bar, in the halls and of course on the dance floor which is “cheek to cheek†room only. The party, which is known as “The Alcazaba Pre-Thanksgiving Reunion†packs about two thousand people in the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables Hotel on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving.
The crowd is enjoying disco, freestyle and latin music, DJ Alex Gutierrez is in control, every flawlessly matched mix brings a roar of approval from the forty to fifty something crowd which has waited a whole year for this. With the number of year round clubs that litter the landscape, one wonders: Why wait? Why this place?. As Gutierrez puts it: “…they get the sound of Miami here…Alcazaba has never changed…these people met the people they married here…they divorced because they would escape here on happy hour…this is built into the fabric of their life…â€
Alcazaba opened in 1988 it stayed open for twenty one years. That longevity is almost unheard of for a club. The biggest night of the year for the club was always the night before Thanksgiving.
After closing in 2009 a funny thing happened… the patrons refused to let go. Slowly… via word of mouth and of course… social media, they demanded to have a party just like they had had every year for the past twenty one years, on the Wednesday night… before Thanksgiving. Hotel management complied and the rest, as they say, is history.
The party has now become a tradition, “This is the Cuban St. Patrick’s†says Gutierrez laughing, and to judge by the heavy hitters he’s got on the dj roster: Frank Banderas, Kiwi Mario and Mike in the Night, he is determined to make this the hottest spot south of Dublin. Even Billboard songwriter of the year Lewis Martinee drops by and mixes a couple of tunes to the crowd’s delight.
As the night progresses, Mike in the Night’s unique voice announces: “Ladies and gentlemen…we are going to be doing this once a monthâ€â€¦the crowd goes wild…the wait’s been reduced…from 364 to 29 days…
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It is 7:00 PM and we are on the “Outer Edge”; that is the bar space across from the “Edge” restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel on Brickell… and yes… when they say: “…one of the most spectacular venues in South Florida”; they are not exaggerating…it is!
Wine educator Barry Alberts is about to take our palates on a tour of the west coast wine regions: Californa, Oregon and Washington. All of the selected wines happen to be perfect for pairing with Thanksgiving dinner (Turkey and Ham) and all are highly rated. Barry, a west coast native who has been in the wine business for thirty five years, is an affable, articulate and down to earth individual who’s passion and knowledge for what he does becomes apparent the minute you meet him.
The setting is casual and the people that have gathered around the bar are talkative and friendly. We begin with a light Sauvignon Blanc and proceed to a Chardonnay followed by a Pinot Grigio, as we continue to move through the eleven varieties chosen for the evening, Barry makes comments and asks for feedback. The experience is enjoyable for both: the novice as well as the seasoned connoisseur.
After eleven different wines, talk about the harmony of fruits, acids and tannins and trying to determine the finish we come away with a deeper knowledge of wine and a renewed enthusiasm for what is poetry in a bottle.
All the wines tasted were moderately priced between $14.99 to $22.99 per bottle at full retail, the special tasting price is about 20% off.
If you are looking for which wine to serve with your holiday meals or if you just love wine, this is the place you need to visit. You will have the opportunity to taste a great selection of wines before you make your decision, this could be the best $20.00 you ever spent on wine.
When: Â First and Third Fridays of each month
Where: Edge Restaurant on the Four Seasons hotel’s 7th floor (1435 Brickell Ave.)
After receiving his certification from the National Press Photographers Association, Bob Quesada worked as a news photographer covering South Florida. His assignments ranged from Presidential visits to civil disturbances, Shuttle launches to Miss Universe pageants and of course, a good dose of local politics and drug busts.
After a few years he realized that the initial excitement of the job had worn off and started looking for something that would be more rewarding. Then, a friend asked him to photograph his wedding and as they say, the rest is history.
He has been photographing weddings and social events for the past fifteen years. During this time he has received numerous awards for his work. He has taught photography and digital media courses at Miami-Dade College and Miami Dade County Public Schools. He also hosted a broadcast network photography segment sponsored by Kodak. His images have been televised on CBS, CNN and PBS.
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