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The American Institute of Wine & Food is launching "Recessionista Wine Dinners," a monthly series of reasonably priced meals paired with wines that benefit the institute's culinary scholarship program. The first one is set for Wednesday, May 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Wish and is priced at $65 per person or $55 for AIWF members. That includes tax and gratuity. The dinners will be held at a different restaurant each month through September. Check after the jump for the first dinner's menu.

Continue reading "Budget-Friendly Wine Dinners Coming Our Way" »

First, we have to talk about this name. Rum Renaissance Festival? Is anyone else imagining ladies in large, corseted gowns swilling flasks of rum? Just us? Of course, this isn't a dress-up-in-period-costume Renaissance festival; it's a let's-make-rum-cool-again festival. To which we say: let's start drinking.

The festival begins tomorrow with a two-day rum tasting competition at the Delano, where judges will blind taste over 100 rums from around the world and award gold, silver and bronze medals to the best of the bunch. The main event is on Saturday, when the public will be allowed to sample rums from all over the Carribbean and beyond. Or you can check out one of the seminars like "Puerto Rico: Rum Capital of the World" and "Rum's Cocktail Revival." Tickets to the grand tasting — which include admission to the seminars — are $45 each. VIP tickets, which will get you into several parties in which the rum will be flowing freely, cost $150. The grand tasting will be held on Saturday from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the Shore Club Sky Bar and Red Room at 1901 Collins Ave in Miami Beach. For more information, check out the festival's website.

Cafe Prima Pasta is opening up its kitchen to the public for the first time in its 16-year history to teach the secrets behind making excellent fresh pastas. Guests will learn how to make fresh dough by hand and filled pastas like cannelloni and ravioli. Stick around for a three-course dinner (appetizer, the various types of pastas made in the class, and dessert), accompanied by Champagne and Italian wines, for $39 per person. The event is Friday, May 29 at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit the restaurant's website or call to make a reservation.

Photo: tvol/flickr

Free Fro-Yo! Before there was the fro-yo craze, there was TCBY. And if you stop by this Sunday at any one of the four South Florida locations (one in Miami, one in Fort Lauderdale, another in Pembroke Pines and one more in Boca Raton), mom gets a free cup or cone of frozen yogurt. [Miami Herald]

Mother's Day is this Sunday, and rather than run down a list of ho-hum brunches, we thought we'd present a few where both you and mom can leave much happier, thanks to copious quantities of alcohol. Here are a few ideas:

• Chef Allen's is offering a three-course prix fixe menu for $39 per person; add the $25 wine supplement, which will pair a different wine with each course, and you'll have enough booze for a buzz.

• DeVito South Beach is offering each mom a bottomless glass of prosecco all weekend long with brunch or dinner.

• Palm Beach's The Breakers will have two brunches going: one expensive meal in The Circle ocean-view dining room ($115 adults, $45 kids) and a slightly less expensive ($100 adults, $40 children) one in the Ponce de Leon ballroom. At those prices, you expect unlimited champagne, and you'll get it. Each mom gets a rose too.

• The champagne flutes are also bottomless at Palm Beach's Ritz-Carlton. The Mother's Day brunch is $80 per adult and $25 per child.

• So Texas de Brazil isn't exactly offering a boozy brunch, but moms eat free there with the purchase of another dinner (up to two complimentary meals per table). Which means that there should be plenty of cash left over to buy a bottle (or two) of wine.

• Smith & Jones is offering its regular brunch menu from 10:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. with lots of drink specials — think $6 bloody marys.

Photo: hawleyjr/flickr

Books & Books is hosting Michael Pollan, who just won a Beard Award for In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. Pollan will be in South Florida on Monday, May 11 at Temple Judea (5500 Granada Boulevard) in Coral Gables at 7:30 p.m. to talk about his book and probably expound on his mantra: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

29/29/29: Here's another good dining deal on the island. Cafe L'Europe is celebrating its 29th anniversary by taking 29 percent off the (food) tab through May 29, except Saturdays and Mother's Day. [SUP]

Ritzy Deals: Palm Beach is jumping on the restaurant month bandwagon: the deals begin June 1. Three-course lunches will be $20.09, and dinners are $35. Eleven restaurants on the island are signed on so far. Among them: Cafe Boulud, Temple Orange, Cafe L'Europe and Coco Palm Beach. [Clean Plate Charlie]

Well, that was a bit of a disappointment. Not the event itself, of course, just the fact that all three South Florida chefs got shut out in the "Best Chef: South" category. John Currence of City Grocery in Oxford, Miss. beat out locals Michael Schwartz, Zach Bell and Douglas Rodriguez, as well as John Harris of Lilette in New Orleans. We figured with three of the five nominees in the category that there was a good chance one of the South Florida locals would take home the award, but we failed to note that this was Currence's fourth nomination. He was due.

The theme for this year's event was "Women in Food," and there was plenty of pink all over Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall to remind everyone that the ladies were in charge here. Unfortunately, they weren't so in charge in the awards department — only two female chefs took home medals — but the gala reception belonged to female chefs, several of whom were former JBF Award winners. Among them: Miami favorite Michelle Bernstein, who handed out pressed sea urchin sandwiches on Cuban bread with a small cup of coffee served with what looked like a dollop of cream but turned out to be a creamy seafood soup. We certainly would never have thought to put soup in our coffee, but it worked somehow.

While weaving from table to table sampling food, we tried to keep an eye out for any of the three South Florida nominees, but it was impossible to find anyone among the crowd. As luck would have it, we ended up being pushed by the crowd right past Michael Schwartz and had approximately 30 seconds with him. In that time we gleaned that he a) was enjoying himself, b) was OK with the fact that he had not won, and c) was trying to get a taste of the goat tongue tacos at Loretta Keller's table.

For more notes from last night, check out our twitter or the recaps at MP: Chicago, MP: Boston, MP: Philadelphia and Grub Street. A full list of winners is after the jump.

Continue reading "South Florida Chefs Shut Out At The Beard Awards" »

Spicy! Frodnesor gives a great rundown of the Spring Miami Spice menus and lists which restaurants he'll likely visit this month. Among the recommendations: Neomi's Grill, Pacific Time, Pascal's on Ponce, and Talula. [Food for Thought]

Las Olas Boulevard will be shut down tomorrow for the Las Olas Wine & Food Festival, which begins at 3 p.m. with a demonstration by Chef Eleanor Hoh of Wok Star. Festival goers can sample wines and food from over 60 restaurants from 7:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. Participating restaurants include 3030 Ocean, da Campo Osteria, Lola's on Harrison and YOLO, among others. Tickets are $75, and VIP tickets, which allow early entrance at 6 p.m. and include a gift bag with an Eisch wine glass, a bottle of wine and other goodies, are $225.

Free ice cream!: Carvel is handing out free 8-ounce samples of Icebergs today to celebrate the ice cream chain's 75th anniversary. The Iceberg (anyone else automatically think of lettuce upon hearing that?) is a new Carvel specialty with orange soda, root beer or Coke, ice, and vanilla soft serve. Get your free iceberg at any Carvel today between 3 and 7 p.m. [SUP]

Eat at a participating Dine Out For Life restaurant tomorrow and a portion of your dinner check will go to Care Resource, an HIV/AIDS organization that serves Dade and Broward counties. At each of the participating restaurants, 25 percent of the day's (or in some cases, just one meal's) revenue will be donated to Care. On the list: Bulldog BBQ, Piola, Shooters, and Tap Tap, among others. Check out the whole list at Dining Out For Life's site.

Is it just us, or has Miami Spice become a year-round thing now? The next round of discounts — $23 for lunch, $36 for dinner — begins May 1 and runs through the end of the month. The list of participating restaurants should keep diners busy throughout the month. Particularly good values (i.e. places where you'd normally pay three or four times as much for your meal) include DeVito, The Restaurant At The Setai and Bourbon Steak.

Miami Spice [Official Site]

Sunday Supper: Beginning this Sunday, da Campo Osteria is offering a family-style Sunday Supper from 3 to 9 p.m. The menu will change each week, but expect dishes like butternut squash agnolotti and seafood frittata. It's $37 for adults and $17 for children under 12 for four courses plus one carafe of wine or sangria per table. [SUP]

Head to Ben & Jerry's today for a free ice cream cone between noon and 8 p.m. Or head to Dunkin' Donuts for a small 50-cent iced coffee; five cents of each coffee goes towards the Homes for Our Troops charity. [Grub Street]

Photo: Collin Anderson/flickr

In case you were wondering about the results of Heart of a Chef's cookoff, Chad Galiano of Neomi's Grill has the scoop: Top Chef's Sandee Birdsong beat Oceanaire's Sean Bernal (who apparently now goes as the "Puerto Rican Prince of Pescado") in a 30-minute pork cookoff.

Heart of a Chef 2009 [Chadzilla]

We wrote about Driven to Dine earlier this week, but there's more to the Heart of a Chef festival, which benefits the Florida Heart Research Institute.

The marquee event is a celebrity chef cookoff, where two male chefs (Jeff McInnis, of Top Chef season five and DiLido Beach Club, and Sean Bernal of The Oceanaire Seafood Room) and two female chefs (Sandee Birdsong of Top Chef season three and Kira Volz of Creek 28) will pair up against each other in a cookoff judged by, among several other chefs, yet another Top Chef alumnus: Howie Kleinberg. The two victors in the single-sex preliminary round will then battle each other to determine the overall winner.

But that's not the only thing going on — other local chefs will be hosting cooking demos. You can learn about Italian salads and how to make fresh mozzarella from Ken Lyon of Fratelli Lyon and Seth High of da Campo Osteria. Or try stepping into the molecular kitchen with Kurtis Jantz and Chad Galiano of Neomi's Grill. There will also be wine seminars and plenty of local foods to sample.

Tickets for the event are $25 per adult, $10 for children 12 and under. Admission to Jungle Island will be discounted to $12 for anyone with a Heart of a Chef ticket. The event begins at noon on Sunday.

You've sent off your tax forms (if you're like us, you mailed them this morning), and are, hopefully, waiting for your tax refund. If you're not waiting on a refund, you can at least take advantage of a few deals that local restaurants are offering for tax day:

• AltaMar, Andú, Area 31, and The Grill on the Alley are offering tax-free food (and drinks!) today. The deal applies to both lunch and dinner at each restaurant except for AltaMar, where the tax-free fun begins at 5 p.m.

• Eat at any P.F. Chang's today (we've got six listed in South Florida) and get 15 percent off your meal.

• McCormick & Schmick's will be handing diners today a $10.40 certificate good towards future meal purchases.

• Maggie Moo's (locations in Davie and Fort Lauderdale) is giving away a free scoop of ice cream to anyone who stops in today.

Food for FREE on Tax Day! [WPTV]
Tax Day Dining Deals [SUP]

Photo: RogueSun Media/flickr

Talk about cheap: Taverna Opa in Fort Lauderdale is offering $10 dinners between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. every Tuesday. It includes a bowl of avgolemono (Greek lemon, chicken and rice soup); moussaka, pastitsio, gyro platter or souvlaki platter; and a dessert of baklava. Wash it down with two-for-one drinks at the bar.

In other Taverna Opa news, there's a new one opening sometime early next year at Dolphin Mall.

Photo: BarnyardBBS/flickr

For those of you who have an extra $625 — and seven other friends who do as well — here's a fun idea: Driven to Dine, an extravagant event benefiting the Florida Heart Research Institute on April 25. It's $5,000 per limo, eight people to a limo, and it starts with a cocktail reception at Don and Mary Anne Shula's Indian Creek house. There, you pick an envelope that will tell you to which of the 11 participating restaurants (listed below) the limousine will be taking you for a multi-course meal. It's all included in the cost, except for a way to get to the reception and home from the restaurant. You can get the limo to pick you up and drop you off for an extra fee. Interested? Go here for more details.

Check out the participating chefs and restaurants:
Acqua at the Four Seasons - Chef Patrick Boucher
Casa Casuarina - Chef Dale Ray
Escopazzo - Chef Giancarla Bodoni
Gaia Ristorante - Chef Gaetano Ascione
Gia- Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar at the Eden Roc - Chef Virgil Brandel
Meat Market - Chef Sean Brasel
Neomi's Grill at the Trump International - Chef Kurtis Jantz
The Oceanaire Seafood Room - Chef Sean Bernal
Red the Steakhouse - Chef Peter Vauthy
The Capital Grille - Chef Odel Arencibia
The Restaurant At The Setai - Chef Jonathan Wright

To those of us who don't have that kind of money, Escopazzo has a back room menu available from 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. with a selection of wine by the glass, a number of antipasti for $9, and some pastas for $12.

Tickets are on sale now for the Legacy Place Food & Wine Experience, which will feature food from a number of Palm Beach Gardens restaurants like Entre Nous, Ironwood Grille, Leila Restaurant, Ouzo Blue, Petit Marmite, and The Capital Grille. In addition to food, there will of course be wine, music, and entertainment. And all proceeds go to the American Lung Association's Florida chapter — it's always fun when we're given a good excuse to eat and drink. The fun happens on Thursday, April 23 from 7 to 9 p.m.; tickets are $40 in advance or $50 at the gate.

Legacy Place Food & Wine Experience [Official Site]

Beginning with tax day, Chef Allen's is bringing back Wine Down Wednesdays, when every bottle on the regular wine list will be half off. And on the last Wednesday of each month, the restaurant will feature a complimentary wine tasting with finger foods from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Last Friday, we gave you Passover suggestions. This time, it's Easter, which happens to be this Sunday. If you're looking for a place to eat out, here are a few ideas:

• Shooters: Chances are that this buffet will have something you'll like. There's an omelet station, a waffle station, sausage, bacon, muffins, bagels, ham, prime rib, fish, pasta, salads, a raw bar, and assorted desserts. The buffet starts at 10am and ends at 2:30pm. and is $28.99 for adults and $14.99 for children under 12.

• Henry's will be serving its regular menu along with some Easter specials on Sunday night: roast turkey dinner, roast leg of lamb, lasagna bolognese, pistachio-crusted local black grouper, and crab-crusted lemon sole.

• The Fontainebleau Miami Beach is hosting a lavish Easter brunch in its Fleur de Lis ballroom. On the menu: Champagne, charcuterie, sushi, Alaskan king crab, and white chocolate mousse cakes, among many other things. There's a special kids menu of mini pizzas, roasted chicken and veggies, and they'll be kept busy by decorating and hunting for Easter eggs. The price is $75 per adult, $37.50 per child age 4 to 12, and free for any kid under 4.

• Le Bistro is offering an Easter dinner with choices of a beet and goat cheese salad or tomato soup, and lamb chops or filet mignon. The three-course menu is $29 per person.

• Area 31 is offering unlimited mimosas, bloody Marys, prosecco and juice at its Easter Brunch. Buffet options include ceviche, caviar, charcuterie, waffles, pancakes, steak frites, a meat carving station and an omelet station. There will be live music too. The party begins at noon and lasts until 3 p.m. It's $60 for adults and $20 for kids 6-15.

• Blue Door at the Delano is offering a $75 Easter brunch from 11:30am until 3:30 p.m. The price includes a glass of Champagne or a bloody Mary and complimentary valet parking.

• Cafe Protege at the Florida Culinary Institute has a kid-friendly brunch planned with egg decorating and hunting planned. The restaurant will be offering a cold buffet, a hot buffet, and an omelet station plus a few desserts. Adults pay $32.95, senior citizens $22.95, kids 7-12 $16.95, and kids 6 and under eat for free.

• Bogart's Bar & Grill is offering Easter brunch from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Brunch items include apple pancakes, banana and cream cheese stuffed waffles, lobster and asparagus quiche, and cinnamon raisin challah French toast.

Looking for more ideas? Check out OpenTable's list of restaurants with Easter specials.

Visiting family for the holidays? Use our network to get Passover food options in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York and Boston.

Photo: ButterflySha/flickr

Edgar Leal, head chef and owner of Cacao Restaurant in Coral Gables, is teaching a cooking class at La Cuisine Gourmet on Saturday. Cost is $80 per person, and you'll have to make a reservation.

On the menu: pumpkin foam, ceviche, risotto and chocolate souffle. Assuming that pumpkin foam is the same as the one that's on the menu, then that recipe alone is worth the $80 class fee. It is that good.

Foodies are in luck this weekend, what with the plethora of food festivals going on around here. Here are the details on food events for Saturday and Sunday:

Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show
The South Florida Fairground's Americraft Expo Center hosts the first-ever Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show in West Palm Beach, with cooking demonstrations, workshops, food samples and celebrity appearances. Bobby Flay, Paula Deen and the Neelys will be around to sign cookbooks, entertain the crowds, etc. The event runs Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., respectively. Tickets are $20/$10 adults/children in advance and $25/$12 on site, but if you want to see the big celebrities, you'll have to pay $80 ($30 for kids) for that ticket.

Taste of MiMo
This Miami Modern food festival is back this Saturday. From noon to 5 p.m., walk up and down Biscayne Boulevard between 67th and 78th Streets for food samples from 11 different restaurants, like Che Sopranos Pizza & Pasta, Moshi Moshi, Moonchine Asian Bistro and Red Light, among others. The event is free, but the food samples will cost between $2 and $5 each.

Deering Seafood Festival
Head over to the Deering Estate on Sunday for lots of local seafood: lobster, blue crabs, crawfish, conch, shrimp and dolphin. Chefs from Ortanique on the Mile, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, Bizcaya Grill and 3030 Ocean will be on hand for cooking demonstrations and to offer samples of seafood dishes. And when you're done eating, there's a rock climbing wall and a pontoon boat tour. (Come to think of it, those activities are probably best done before lunch.) Entrance to the festival is $15 for adults and $5 for kids ages 4-14, although keep in mind that it doesn't include food, drink, pontoon boat or rock climbing wall. All that will cost you extra.

Backstage secrets of the cooking show celebs [Palm Beach Post]
Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show [Official Site]
A Taste of Mimo [Official Site]
Deering Seafood Festival [Official Site]

Florida Table magazine and the Delray Downtown Marketing Cooperative are joining forces for Savor the Avenue, an event that will feature 13 restaurants along Atlantic Avenue tomorrow evening. Each restaurant will be offering a four-course prix fixe meal — prices and menus vary by restaurant — and serve diners in a row of tables set up in the middle of Atlantic Avenue. Want to be a part of it? Just make a reservation at one of the participating restaurants, like Boston's on the Beach, Caffe Luna Rosa, or City Oyster. For a full list of restaurants and a pdf of the prix fixe menus, check out Florida Table's event site.

Table Talk: 13 Delray restaurants serve up 'one loooooooong table' [Palm Beach Post]
Savor the Avenue [Florida Table]

Top Chef: The Tour 2 [Official Site]
Photo: courtesy of Bravo

Couldn't cough up the money for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival? Check out the smaller, much more affordable Coral Gables version organized by Crown Wine & Spirits. The one-day affair on March 26 takes place on Giralda between Ponce de Leon and Galiano; the street is closed off and crowded with tables offering food, wine and other spirits.

A ticket to this street festival is $50; for $100 more, you can get VIP tickets, which allow early access to this street fair, a gift bag, and a VIP lounge experience, where extra-special wines will be poured and served with hors d'oeuvres. Most of the area restaurants are participating — check out the full list here.

Coral Gables Wine & Food Festival [Official Site]

TooJay's chocolate cake coupon [Official Site]
Coupon for free chocolate cake slice at Toojay's [Sun-Sentinel]
TooJay's [Official Site]

Cacao Restaurant is offering a four-course wine dinner this Monday featuring the wines of Coturri Winery, a California vineyard that uses organic grapes for its wine. Here's the menu:

• Yellow potato and blue potato chicken causa / 2007 Chardonnay Sonoma Mountain
• Seared Pacific tuna with a mango guacamole and arugula / 2007 Carignane Testa Vineyards Mendocino County
• “Like Water for Chocolate” spicy stuffed quail / 2007 Primitivo Testa Vineyards Mendocino County and a 2007 Zinfandel Testa Vineyards Mendocino County
• “Dark Chocolate Tower” with blueberries and coffee creme anglaise / 2005 Syrah Crane Vineyards Sonoma Valley

At $59, excluding tax and tip, it's not a bad deal, considering the regular tasting menu (seven courses, but still) with a wine pairing at Cacao will set you back $124. The wine dinner begins at 8 p.m. Call the restaurant at 305-445-1001 for a reservation.

Cacao Restaurant [MenuPages]
Cacao Restaurant [Official Site]
Coturri Winery [Official Site]

It's National Pancake Day, so head over to IHOP today before 10 p.m. to get a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes. Since you won't be paying for your pancakes, consider making a donation; the restaurants will be giving the money to local charities like the Children's Miracle Network hospitals.

Free pancakes offered at IHOP today for fundraiser [Sun-Sentinel]

The Perrier-Jouet BubbleQ starts tonight, but prep for the event began on Monday, when students from FIU's School of Hospitality started doing the behind-the-scenes chopping, slicing, and marinating. Over 800 students volunteer during the festival, doing the little things that help to make all of the events run smoothly.

We met up with the students in the kitchen of the Miami Beach Convention Center on Thursday afternoon, where several were busy crumbling an obscene amount of bacon. A student told us it was for Chris Lilly’s potato salad; if that much bacon is going into one potato salad, then we are definitely making a beeline for it tonight.

The students worked from a master book that lists the dishes, ingredients and instructions for each chef participating in the BubbleQ. In the day or two before the event, chefs will drop in to see how everything is going; Adam Perry Lang of Daisy May's BBQ in New York was there Thursday afternoon directing the students who were injecting large chunks of pork with Cuban mojo. “We’re doing a pulled pork Cuban style,” he said. “We always try to do something different each year.”

Continue reading "Lots Of Pork At BubbleQ Prep" »

Head on over to sister site Grub Street for our recap of last night's Burger Bash at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, complete with a slide show of the burgers on offer. Spike Mendelsohn of Good Stuff Eatery emerged victorious with his slider doused in chipotle barbecue sauce.

The two best local offerings came from Michelle Bernstein, who topped her steak burger with bacon, grilled onions, blue cheese and balsamic, and Michael Schwartz, who won our vote for the evening. With a well-seasoned thick patty, Vermont cheddar, bacon, lettuce and heirloom tomato, it was the most satisfying and balanced flavor-wise of the many burgers we tried.

As for that sweet and spicy red pepper relish ice cream from Jaxson's, well, it was interesting and certainly very creative. We kept having to remind ourselves that it was a dessert.

Top Chef's Spike Wins SoBe Burger Bash [Grub Street]

Photo: Michael's Genuine Bacon Cheeseburger

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival kicks off tonight with its most popular event: The Amstel Light Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray.

On the menu this year: a wagyu burger from Morimoto, a vegetarian version from Ubuntu, a lamb burger with a Greek twist from Michael Psilakis, a barbecue empanada burger with manchego from Bistro One LR, and a queso fundido burger from Frontera Grill, among many others.

Quite a few local representatives will be there, although we're most excited about Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlor, which is immensely popular locally but virtually unknown outside of South Florida. According to general manager Jerry Smith, the restaurant isn't entering its burger into the competition, but will be providing the ice cream instead. "We developed a new flavor just for the event: sweet and spicy red pepper relish ice cream," Smith said. "It tastes a lot better than it sounds."

Katie Lee Joel will be there to defend her title, which she won at last fall's Burger Bash in New York City with what many called a patty melt. Radius in Boston took the title at last year's South Beach festival away from the Shake Shack, the winners at the first Burger Bash in 2007.

This year there's a new twist: a side dish competition sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission. Ten of the contestants — including Masaharu Morimoto, Katie Lee Joel, and Randy Garutti of the Shake Shack — will vie for the best potato side dish.

Who will win? There will be lots of fancy burgers, but the voters have clearly sided with more classic, comforting burgers in the past.

South Beach Wine & Food Festival [Official Site]

If you didn't heed our advice and get your two-for-one tickets to the South Beach Wine & Food Festival already, you may be out of luck. The deal expired this past Sunday night, according to this Herald article. Sure enough, a quick check of a few events revealed that prices are back up to normal, although tickets to a number of events are still available.

If you're willing to wait until the last minute, you might be able to get good deals through other means:

The discounts are nice, but Erinn Corrigan is hoping to do even better. Last year, she scored last-minute, half-price tickets for the Grand Tasting Village and Paula Deen's Casino Night, one outside the venue and the other online.

''I'm a clearance girl,'' said Corrigan, 28, who lives on South Beach. ``I want them half off. I got them last year. I'm positive I can do it again.''

Here's an unorthodox Valentine's Day idea: head to the Delray Beach Garlic Festival, which starts today and runs through Sunday. Just make sure to bring the breath mints. Check out the list of foods available on "Gourmet Alley:" blackened garlic mahi mahi, flaming garlic shrimp scampi, garlic curry chicken kebabs, garlic roast pork sandwich, roasted garlic pizza, roasted garlic bruschetta, and many more creations featuring the stinking rose.

There's also music, a children's education area, and Garlic Chef Stadium, where chefs will demonstrate garlic recipes and compete in a two-day garlic cook-off.

Delray Beach Garlic Festival [Official Site]

Photo: Iburiedpaul/flickr

We wondered how the tanking economy — coupled with steep ticket prices — would affect this year's South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Well, it appears the purchase page has provided the answer; just one week out, there are still plenty of tickets available for wine seminars and even a handful of big-ticket items. The best part: most of the wine seminars are half off.

Here's what's available in terms of big-ticket items. These aren't half-off, but the fact that there are tickets available a week out is pretty amazing:

• ¡Viva España! The Wines and Food of Spain
This is a surprising one, given the star quality of the chefs involved — José Andrés is heading a crew of some of Spain's best chefs — and the fact that the king and queen of Spain will be attending. Perhaps it's the $1,000 per head price tag that's putting people off.

• Perrier-Jouët BubbleQ hosted by Tom Colicchio & Friends and Wine Spectator’s “Best of the Best"
These are the kinds of really big-ticket items that should be sold out but aren't. There are no VIP spots left for the BubbleQ, but you can still get general admission tickets. Check out the list of chefs participating in the "Best of the Best" event — it's pretty impressive.

• Oscar Night® America Sobe Style hosted by Bobby Flay and Stephanie March
Half off! Seriously! At $200 per couple, this is actually looking reasonable.As Paula pointed out in the comments, this one is not half off; the price is still $200 per person for the event. And proceeds benefit the Miami Beach Film Society and Cinematheque.

• Barilla Interactive Cooking Lunch hosted by Ilan Hall & Hung Huynh and Cocktail Time with Sandra Lee!
We are shocked to see that events hosted by two of the most unpopular Top Chef contestants and the woman who makes the worst food on television are not sold out. What are you waiting for? Get your tickets already!

South Beach Wine and Food Festival [Official Site]

If you're willing to eat a bit later than your fellow Palm Beach residents, you can save a bit of cash at Taboo: make a reservation for a seating between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. and get 25 percent off the food portion of the bill with this coupon. It's good until the end of the month, so start making those reservations. The promotion is valid on Valentine's Day, and there's still limited availability at 9:30 p.m. for dinner that night.

Taboo [MenuPages]
Taboo [Official Site]

Need ideas for Valentine's Day? We're here to help. Check out these prix fixe deals offered by local Miami restaurants on that special night. Reservations are required for all of them, so make sure you call beforehand. On Monday we'll list dining specials for Broward and Palm Beach.

• Chef Allen's is offering a five-course $75 dinner that features stone crab; tomato bisque or lobster mac and cheese; caesar or hearts of palm salad; oxtail, grouper or roasted duck breast; and a dark chocolate trio for dessert.

• Nikki Beach Club's four-course prix fixe menu is filled with the usual aphrodisiac suspects: oysters, asparagus, figs, chili peppers and chocolate. Prices are $80 per person or $65 for Nikki Beach Club VIP cardholders.

• Vita Restaurant & Lounge is hosting a fashion show and offering a five-course dinner for $150, including a bottle of champagne. And 10 percent of all proceeds from the restaurant that night go to Care Resource, a local HIV/AIDS charity.

Continue reading "Valentine's Day Guide: Miami" »

Still need some tickets to the South Beach Wine & Food Festival? Miami.com is giving away a pair of tickets to the Grand Tasting Village on February 21. Value of two tickets: $425. Yes, you should enter this contest. Go do that here.

Win SoBe Food Fest Tix! [All Purpose Dark]
South Beach Wine & Food Festival [Official Site]

Daniel Vazquez over at the Sun-Sentinel's Consumer Talk blog writes that nine South Florida Chick-fil-A restaurants are giving away free breakfast for the entire month of February. The promotion is for weekdays only (6:30 am-10:30 am), and you can't get more than one free item per day. Here is the list of participating restaurants in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, according to Vazquez:

• 1341 North University Drive, Coral Springs
• 9409 West Atlantic Boulevard, Coral Springs
• 3211 Southwest 160th Avenue, Miramar
• 8190 West Commercial Boulevard, Lauderhill
• 11401 Pines Boulevard, Pembroke Pines
• 12600 West Sunrise Boulevard, Sunrise
• 8000 West Broward Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale
• 7501 North Kendall Drive, Miami
• 3995 Northwest 107th Avenue, Doral

I tried calling a few Palm Beach county Chick-fil-As, but it seems that they ran a similar promotion this month and are not continuing in February. Still trying to find out some more information; I'll keep you posted.

South Florida Chick-fil-A restaurants to give away free breakfast items [Consumer Talk]
Chick-fil-A [Official Site]

Ringing in a new year is fun, so we're always up for doing it twice. Today marks the first day of the Year of the Ox in the Chinese calendar, and a few South Florida restaurants are celebrating in style. (Although, surprisingly, many aren't doing anything.) Head to one of these spots to ring in the new year with some lucky foods:

• China Grill is having a party this evening at 6 pm with Chinese cocktails and passed hors d'oeuvres. It's $25 in advance (call now!) or $35 at the door for two hours of eating and drinking. Make sure you go to the Fort Lauderdale location though — the South Beach branch isn't doing anything special for the holiday.

• Rainbow Palace is celebrating later this week with a martial arts presentation and dragon dancing on Friday evening. The menu is the same, and there's no cover charge.

• Tony Chan's Water Club has a special menu for tonight with things like golden shrimp, baby spare ribs and "lucky" rice cakes. Everything is a la carte, and the regular menu will be available too.

• Miss Yip Chinese Cafe is offering a special $28 three-course meal. There are two seatings: one at 7 pm with dragon dancing included (which is booked solid) and another at 9 pm, although there will be no dragons at the later time.

• China Dumpling is celebrating this coming Wednesday with dragon dancing at 6:30 pm. The regular menu will be available.

Photo: Anni Sams/flickr

Winter Spice starts today and runs for the next month, so start making reservations! It seems that this time around, few restaurants have put their Spice menus on the website, so I'm having a hard time making up a comprehensive guide like last time. But I'll do my best. Keep in mind that the [lunch] and [dinner] links below go to a .pdf file.

• Chef Allen is offering a $25 wine pairing to go with your $36 dinner, which includes Maine lobster (not bad!), seared diver scallops, or grilled hanger steak. [dinner]

• Ago's lunch menu is pretty lackluster, but the dinner menu sounds pleasant enough: gnocchi a la Sorrentina or half free-range chicken with rosemary potatoes. [dinner]

• The Forge is offering a seafood-heavy menu, with escargot, crab cakes and Scottish salmon. Most intriguing dish: a filet topped with crab meat, asparagus and a black truffle hollandaise. [dinner]

• China Grill Sobe is doing the family-style thing again, which works great for large parties. Take a big group and try everything on the menu! [lunch] [dinner]

• Blue Door's Spice lunch menu? Meh. Dinner, however, sounds more interesting. That red snapper — with fennel and tomato confit, kalamata olives, and lemon preserve vinaigrette — certainly sounds tasty. [dinner]

• Kobe Club is usually a good bet with these prix-fixe deals; even if you add the pricey supplements, it's still a pretty good value when you consider the restaurant's regular prices. [dinner]

• This is all obviously very subjective, and your tastes may differ from mine, but everything on La Marea's lunch and dinner menus sound appetizing. [lunch] [dinner]

• The same can be said of Table 8's Winter Spice dinner menu. Yum. [dinner]

• Oh! Four courses alert! You get a salad, pasta, entree and dessert at Tuscan Steak. There's also an appealing option to upgrade to a grilled Florentine t-bone steak for an extra $8. [dinner]

• There's nothing particularly groundbreaking about the menus at Two Sisters, but it could make for a pretty great lunch. [lunch]

• I'd put Acqua on my list of "must-visit" for this month. The menu is appropriately wintery without being heavy, and it looks like a very good value. Interestingly, two of the starters are marked as vegetarian, but no vegetarian entrees are offered, although I'm assuming they'd accommodate a diner and make a meat-free one. [dinner]

• Andu Restaurant & Lounge's lunch menu doesn't offer many options and seems pretty lackluster, but the dinner menu looks like a good value. [dinner]

• You get lots of choices for both lunch and dinner at Prime Blue Grille, and each meal comes with a glass of wine! [lunch] [dinner]

If you still haven't gotten tickets to this year's South Beach Wine & Food Festival, you've got one more chance; this Monday a second block of tickets will go on sale to the general public. You can even get tickets to some of the sold-out events. But there aren't too many of those — there are still quite a few tickets available for most events.

South Beach Wine & Food Festival [Official Site]

Things are not looking good for restaurants. For diners, on the other hand, we've got good news: the Miami Spice deals will be offered throughout the winter high season. This according to The Miami Herald:

As the economy batters South Florida's tourism industry, Miami-Dade restaurants will offer the ''Miami Spice'' discounts they've always reserved for the slow summer season. Dubbed ''Winter Miami Spice,'' the promotion will involve more than 30 restaurants offering fixed menus for lunch and dinner. Lunch costs $23 and dinner $36 -- the same as during the summer -- and the promotion runs from Jan. 12 to Feb. 12.

'Miami Spice' discounts to be offered at restaurants [Miami Herald]
Miami Spice [Official Site]

For the first time ever, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival directors are offering a 10 percent discount for just one week starting next Friday. The discount, which applies to all events, can also be used for "SoBe Bucks," essentially gift certificates that can be used to redeem tickets for events, apparently even sold-out ones. But it seems that the combination of economic recession and ridiculous jump in event prices has hurt the festival a bit — only a handful of events are sold out. The Grand Tasting on Saturday, February 21 is full, but you can still get a ticket — now at a reduced price of $191.25! — for Sunday.

We'll see what this discount does to sales. Lots of the events look very interesting; I've got my eye on "Passage to India" with Madhur Jaffrey in particular, but it's difficult to justify spending $250 on a class that likely won't really be that hands-on.

What do you think? Are you planning to attend any events at the festival in February?

South Beach Wine & Food Festival [Official Site]

Michelle Bernstein is at Books & Books in Bal Harbour tonight signing copies of her new cookbook, Cuisine a Latina and offering samples of some of the dishes featured in the book. The fun starts at 7:30 p.m., so don't be late!

Books & Books [Official Site]

At Hops Grillhouse & Brewery, kids eat free all day every Tuesday with a paying adult. The kids have to order from the kids' menu, and the adult must order an entree. At two kids for every paying adult, that's not a bad deal.

Hops Grillhouse & Brewery [MenuPages]

The Original Pancake House [MenuPages]
The Original Pancake House [Official Site]

Photo: Debora Ayoub

Get ready for sticker shock. Prices have skyrocketed for February's South Beach Wine and Food Festival. That Grand Tasting for which you paid $187 last year? (And $137 in 2007?) It's $212.50 now. And that's pretty standard for the big ticket events, most of which went up by about $50. Still, Lee Brian Schrager, the man in charge of it all, expects sellouts.

''I don't know if even I would be spending that kind of money right now,'' says Schrager. ``But we feel our audience will pay it. It's good value for the money.''

Food fest tickets: cough up the dough [Miami Herald]
South Beach Wine and Food Festival [Official Site]

As of yesterday, Bourbon Steak introduced a new cocktail menu. While sipping on signature drinks like the Bramble and Key Lime Pie Martini, guests can enjoy the new “Ice-Cold Shellfish” selection that includes daily oysters, middle-neck clams and spiced-poached prawns ($3-4); “Small Bites” like the crab ‘Louie’ lettuce cups, ahi tartare with Asian pear and ancho chile, cumin-dusted tempura gulf shrimp, American kobe beef sliders and mini-BBQ pulled-pork sandwich ($4-7 per piece); the larger “Shared Bites," like Serrano ham or foie gras mousse ($12-13); and the world’s most prized “Caviar by the Ounce” — Iranian golden osetra and Russian osetra ($250-395).

Over in the Gables, Christy's is celebrating its milestone 30th birthday this month with a 30/30 Anniversary Menu, in which a $30 "Christy’s Classics Menu" is paired it with a list of $30 Cellar Finds. Menu and wine list after the jump.

Continue reading "October Offerings" »

After posting the Review Digest, I went back and read Charles Passy's article about Flavor Palm Beach more closely. He mentions Forte Di Asprinio's awesome wine flight that can accompany the Flavor menu:

Drink options: Forte has taken the Flavor concept to the next level with its addition of a wine pairing for a modest $20. In our case, that meant we got to sample five unusual wines, from a sparkler from New Mexico to an after-dinner sweet wine from Greece, all accompanied by thoughtful commentary from the extraordinarily knowledgeable sommelier.

Savor the Flavor at a slice of the price [Palm Beach Post]
Flavor Palm Beach [Official Site]
Forte Di Asprinio [MenuPages]
Forte Di Asprinio [Official Site]

Remember how we said you should eat more lobster? Here's one way to do it: the Bistro Lobster Menu at Chef Allen's. For $36 you get three courses: Caesar salad; steamed Maine lobster with corn on the cob, littleneck clams and chorizo, and roasted fingerling potatoes and other root vegetables; and a dessert of brown sugar and spiced fruit cobbler with rum raisin ice cream. Sounds like a deal to me! One catch — the special menu is only available on Tuesdays.

Why Is Lobster So Cheap? Why Do You Care? [MP:South Florida]
Chef Allen's [MenuPages]
Chef Allen's [Official Site]

Yes, you read that right. Tobacco Road is still celebrating its 96th year, this time around with 96-cent drinks. But you have only 96 minutes to get them. Today. Starting at 6 p.m. Live music, free giveaways and free wings are also promised.

Burgers For Under A Buck [MP: South Florida]
Tobacco Road [MenuPages]
Tobacco Road [Official Site]

Chocolate chocolate chocolate. That's the theme this month at Rosa Mexicano, which is offering a special chocolate menu additions until October 5. Here's what's cooking this month:

• Empanaditas de mole (appetizer): mini chicken empanadas with mole
• Camarones empapelado con salsa del diablo (appetizer): baked shrimp with fall veggies in a chocolate sauce
• Ensalada de hojas verdes (appetizer): mixed greens with kohlrabi, apples and almonds and a vanilla, chocolate and orange dressing
• Filete con salsa de chocolate y vino tinto (entree): beef filet sauteed with porcinis, chocolate and cabernet sauvignon
• Guisado de pato (entree): roasted duck breast with an achiote chocolate sauce
• Estallido del sol chocolate (dessert): chocolate hazelnut bombe over a chocolate sunburst cookie on a warm chocolate chipotle brownie

You can go all out and order the special chocolate tasting menu for $65, which comes with the shrimp and salad appetizers, a choice of one of the entrees, and the dessert. Or order a la carte. And if you want to learn how to make some of this stuff, check out the chocolate cooking class on Saturday, September 20 at 10 a.m. in the Miami location. Reservations for the class are required, so e-mail comments@rosamexicano.com to request a spot.

6th Annual Chocolate Festival [Official Site]
Rosa Mexicano (Palm Beach Gardens) [MenuPages]
Rosa Mexicano (Miami) [MenuPages]
Rosa Mexicano [Official Site]

There will, of course, be sushi and cocktails for those who aren't quite so flexible, and all of the bar proceeds will benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. The party starts at 7 p.m. and is RSVP only; today's your last chance to call 305-864-3434 x105 to reserve a spot.

RA Sushi Grand Opening [All Purpose Dark]
RA Sushi [MenuPages]
RA Sushi [Official Site]

Photo, of the Viva Las Vegas roll at RA Sushi: jellybeanjill13/flickr

Michael's Genuine Food & Drink isn't participating in Miami Spice, but that doesn't mean the restaurant isn't joining in the prix-fixe fun. From Sunday, August 3 until Tuesday, September 30, the restaurant will offer prix-fixe lunch and dinner specials of $22 and $35, respectively. The catch — it's not available on Fridays and Saturdays. We've included the menu after the jump.

Michael's Genuine Food & Drink [MenuPages]
Michael's Genuine Food & Drink [Official Site]

Continue reading "Michael's Genuine Joins In the Prix-Fixe Fun" »

Tobacco Road is celebrating 96 years on Monday, and in honor of the birthday, the restaurant is offering 96-cent burgers. Stop by on Monday between 11:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. for your cheap burger. You can't just show up empty-handed though; print out this page and show it to them when you get there. Keep in mind that you also have to eat it there; no cheap burger take-outs.

Tobacco Road [MenuPages]
Tobacco Road [Official Site]

Photo: RetoTo/flickr

Palm Beach County will now be hosting its own restaurant month in September called
Flavor Palm Beach. You know the routine: an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert for one low fixed price: $20 for lunch and $30 for dinner. The list of participating restaurants won't be released until August 15, but in the meantime, you can get on the mailing list and register to win a Flavor meal for two.

Flavor Palm Beach [Official Site]

You all know that the Mango Festival at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is happening this weekend, right? We went last year and had a lovely time, although unfortunately this year we won't be able to make it. It's worth the entrance fee just to see the vast collection of mangos on display, despite the fact that it was difficult fighting the temptation to grab one, peel it and dig right in.

This year's festival theme is "Mangos of Africa," and among the curator's choice selections are two cultivars from South Africa and one from Egypt. There will be different varieties of mango to sample, mango trees to buy for your own backyard, and all sorts of dishes made with mangos by local chefs.

And in honor of the mango festival, we present Chef Allen Susser demonstrating how to best cut a mango:

Mango Festival at Fairchild [Official Site]
Mangos Mangos Everywhere! [MP: South Florida]
Chef Allen's [MenuPages]
Chef Allen's [Official Site]

Deborah Hartz-Seeley over at the Sun-Sentinel's food blog Chew on This let us know about an interesting deal at Coal Mine Pizza in Boca Raton: spend $25 or more per table and get a free gallon of gas. Or rather, a reimbursement in the amount of the day's average cost of a regular gallon of gas. The program continues until the end of August. It's an interesting idea, and one that might actually bring in crowds during the slow summer months.

Will eat pizza for gas/ Coal Mine Pizza pay you for a gallon of gas [Chew on This]
Coal Mine Pizza [Official Site]

Gigi and Liza Meoli, the owners of Ouzo's Mediterranean Bistro, likely need a shot of the Greek liqueur after which their Mediterranean dining spot is named. Last September, the couple traded a locale on 71st Street on Miami Beach for a new space in Sunset Harbour—a piece of prime real estate that came with a hefty $30,000 lease. But this spring, Florida Power & Light erected construction fences that virtually block access to the restaurant, as the company works on the electrical transmission lines between Overtown and West Avenue.

Liza Meoli told the Miami SunPost that restaurant activity dropped from an average Friday-night revenue of $8,000 from 150 customers, to a meager $2,000 from 40 customers. Meoli also told the paper that they had to borrow money from friends to make rent one month, and that they were late on their lease payment the following month.

But who better than restaurateurs to make lemonade (or rather, a lemonade stand) out of lemons? In order to boost business, the Meolis created Mystery Mondays: an undisclosed five-course menu served on that day and which will change every week. With executive chef Pablo Cittadini at the helm and signature dishes that range from grilled octopus to a whole Mediterranean dorada, we can’t wait to be surprised.

Collateral Damage [Miami SunPost]
Ouzo's Mediterranean Bistro [MenuPages]
Ouzo's Mediterranean Bistro [Official Site]

We've failed to mention the Miami Spice preview until now, mainly because we've been poring over the menus, comparing them to regular menus, trying to find the best deals. We did find lots of variations on pan-seared red snapper and grilled mahi-mahi, in addition to a number of versions of panna cotta. We were also pleased to note quite a few chilled dessert fruit soups, of which we're fond. Also common: an entree of organic/free-range roasted chicken. We'd probably steer away from it, since we've found it's very easy and inexpensive to roast a chicken at home.

For highlights from this year's Spice preview, click on the jump. Keep in mind that the [lunch] and [dinner] links at the end of each item are .pdf files of the restaurant's Miami Spice tasting menu.

Continue reading "Your Unofficial Guide To The Miami Spice Preview" »

The Coral Gables Restaurant Week is almost upon us, so now is a good time to peruse menus and start making dinner reservations. There are quite a few restaurants participating, so in order to save you a little time, we went through each and every one of the menus and picked out the ones we found most interesting and provided the best bang for your buck. (Note: The menu links following each entry are .pdf files.)

• Caramelo: This, in our opinion, is one of the better deals. The $20 lunch menu only offers one option for each of the three courses, but it's $20 and it comes with a glass of wine. That's especially good considering the entree includes Florida grouper. Dinner, which is $35, also comes with wine included. [menu]

• California Pizza Kitchen: Lots of choices here. For $25, you get a half-portion of your choice of three salads, plus any of the pizzas on the menu and any of the desserts. [menu]

• Caffe Abbracci: The restaurant week menus don't give you too many choices, but at $24 (lunch) and $35 (dinner), they're good deals, considering the prices on the regular menu. Still, we weren't terribly excited about the offerings. [menu]

• Fleming's Prime Steakhouse: Three courses, $33.95. The first and third courses don't sound all that exciting, but those mains look good: tempura shrimp in chile aioli and pineapple mango salsa; bleu cheese-glazed filet mignon with cabernet butter sauce; and beef short ribs with herbs, spices and pan juices. [menu]

• Fritz & Franz Bierhaus is offering the same options for lunch and dinner, both for $25. Our choices would be goulash for appetizer, sausage sampler for the main, and definitely the sacher torte for dessert. [menu]

• Le Provencal definitely wins in the "most choices for entree" category. Eight entrees for lunch, ranging from the traditional Caesar salad ($9.50) to the couscous with lamb shank, lamb sausage and vegetables ($15.95). No competition there — we'll have the lamb. Appetizer options are soup of the day, salad with homemade dressing, or salmon terrine, and the dessert is whatever the kitchen has decided to make that day. [menu]

• Given the regular prices at Ortanique on the Mile, the $35 restaurant week dinner menu is a steal. Appetizer options are soup, mango salad (yes please!), or curried crab cake. For entrees, choose from jerked chicken penne pasta, butterflied spiced pork chop, or curried shrimp and diver scallops. As for dessert, there's rum cake, mango sorbet or guava cheese cake. [menu]

• When it came to the Por Fin menu, all we wanted to know was whether or not the "eggs at Por Fin" were on it. They are: only on Mondays on the lunch menu, but always on the dinner menu. That short ribs entree sounds good too. The dinner menu is $38. [menu]

• You can get mango risotto (arroz con mango!) at Two Sisters as a lunch appetizer. Entree options are skirt steak, with chimichurri of course, seared mahi mahi and roast chicken, all for $24. [menu]

Coral Gables Restaurant Week [Official Site]

It's Cinco de Mayo. We hear it's not a huge holiday in Mexico, but on this side of the border, you're pretty much obligated to consume Mexican fare and drink as much beer as possible on this day. It's a Monday this year, so it's probably best to not overdo it on the beer front, since the office is not the best place to nurse a hangover. Here, we offer a few good places to get your fill of Mexican food tonight:

• Don Burrito in Kendall serves up some great taquitos and fajitas, and tonight they've got mariachis after 8:30 p.m. and a special on the Coronas: six for $15.

• Rosa Mexicano in Palm Beach Gardens is doing a special Cinco de Mayo menu that will have eight choices of appetizers, 10 entrees and a handful of desserts, all a la carte. The regular margaritas will be available, but tonight you can get them prepared tableside, just like the guacamole.

• The party starts at 5 p.m. at Cantina Laredo in Plantation. There will be a tent, a deejay, lots of food and plenty of drinks: $7 margaritas and $2 beers.

• Cheen Huaye is also hosting a party outside with a mariachi band after 8 p.m. and plenty of beer. They're also featuring a special menu with tuna shrimp ceviche, homemade chicken tamales and carne asada, among other things.

Photo, of the pomegranate margarita at Rosa Mexicano: yummyinthetummyblog [Flickr]

That's pretty much all of you, no? Does anyone really dislike olive oil? Perhaps not everyone is so fanatic about it that they'd go to the International Olive Oil Fest this weekend in Fort Lauderdale. We're not sure how large the event is, but we imagine that it's a good opportunity to sample some interesting olive oils from small producers around the world. The website also promises wine tastings and food samples.

In terms of entertainment, it sounds like there will be plenty, from flamenco guitars to belly dancers to opera singers. If you prefer dancing, the Havana Soul Orchestra will be there also to play some mambo, salsa and big band. Several movies will also be shown as part of the event inside Cinema Paradiso. We're intrigued by the olive pit spitting contest, in which Italian rules apply. If anyone can shed light on what exactly these Italian rules are, we'd very much appreciate it.

Tickets are $15 per day in advance or $20 on the day of the event. Children under 12 are free; teenagers will cost you $5.

International Olive Oil Fest [Official Site]

Photo: sweaty photos [Flickr]

Eat out on Thursday, May 1 and without spending an extra penny, help raise money for those in the local community affected by HIV/AIDS through Dining Out for Life. Almost 50 restaurants in Miami-Dade and Broward counties are participating in the event; each is donating either a set amount of money or a percentage of the revenue from that night — for most, it'll be 25 percent. So check out the list of participating restaurants and make reservations!

Dining Out For Life South Florida [Official Site]

The Business Improvement District of Coral Gables is launching a restaurant week beginning Monday, June 2. We don't have too many details yet, but we do know that the following restaurants are participating: Cacao Restaurant, Caffe Abbracci, California Pizza Kitchen, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse, La Cofradia, La Dorada, Ortanique on the Mile, Caramelo, Tarpon Bend, Sushi Maki, Benihana, Artfish on the Mile, Two Sisters, Fritz & Franz Bierhaus, Hoja Nueva, John Martin's and Por Fin Restaurant.

We also learned that the Morton's that's coming to Miracle Mile will be opening sometime during restaurant week, although the restaurant won't be participating.

Business Improvement District of Coral Gables [Official Site]
Morton's [Official Site]

Adding wine to your meal is the easiest way to run up the tab quickly. So these Monday and Tuesday deals at Cacao are sure to please the penny-pinchers. On Mondays, or "Loco Lunes," the restaurant offers a list of wines by the bottle that are 50 percent off. On "Tuesdays Uncorked," you can bring your own wine — up to two bottles per tables — and there's no corkage fee.

Cacao Restaurant [MenuPages]
Cacao Restaurant [Official Site]

Photo: c00lmarie [Flickr]

Jerry Greenfield, one of the founders of Ben & Jerry's, will be at the Coral Gables ice cream shop (80 Aragon Ave, 305-442-1800) for just one hour on Sunday, April 13, from 3 to 4 p.m., for photos with fans. Kids get free toppings on their ice cream.

Also, don't forget free cone day is coming up! Stop by from noon to 8 p.m. on April 29 for a free cup or cone of ice cream. The chain will also be unveiling its new flavors on that day.

Ben & Jerry's [Official Site]

Photo: Dodger Chick [Flickr]

We were perusing the daily drink specials over at Hooligan's Pub & Oyster Bar in South Miami when our eyes caught "$1 pitchers." Initial reaction: WOW. Then we saw: 12 a.m. to 2 a.m. Unfortunately, that's a little past our bedtime, especially on a Tuesday night. But hey, if you're up at that hour, that's a pretty awesome deal. There's also a beer pong tournament at midnight. Makes sense, of course, since it's college night.

If you're like us (i.e. not a night owl), Hooligan's has happy hour every day from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m., when 20-ounce drafts are $4.75-$6.75. Show up after 5 p.m. and the oysters are $4.95 per dozen.

Hooligan's Pub & Oyster Bar [MenuPages]
Hooligan's Pub & Oyster Bar [Official Site]

Photo: minntyfresh [Flickr]

It's World Water Week, when participating restaurants will ask diners to donate $1 for the tap water they drink with their meal to UNICEF's Tap Project, which works to get clean water to children around the globe.

Quite a few South Florida restaurants are participating in the program this week, so many in fact that we gave up trying to list all of them. So if you want to know which nearby restaurants are participating, just type in your zip code and find out. A few restaurants of note that are involved in the project: Tap Tap Haitian Restaurant (with a name like that, how could they not participate?), Sushi Samba Dromo, Spris Pizzeria, Jaguar, and Touch.

Drink water in Miami Beach, save lives [Miami Herald]
Tap Project [Official Site]

Who doesn't love free pizza? Even bad pizza is still pizza, which is inherently awesome. We've never tried the pizza at Grotto in Palm Beach, but it does have something going for it: it's free during happy hour. The chef makes thin-crust pizzas with different toppings, and the slices are then handed out to those enjoying the drink specials: $2.50 draught beer (Moretti and Peroni), $5 house wines (a cabernet, a chianti, a pinot grigio and a chardonnay), and half-priced well drinks. And this happens every day between 3 and 7 p.m.

Grotto [MenuPages]
Grotto [Official Site]

Photo: Grotto Restaurants

Oh my goodness, how awesome is this?! We love this idea, and if we had kids, we'd totally be up for this.

Tuscan Steak [MenuPages]

If you have a valid voter registration card, Hurricane Grill & Wings has some free wings for you. Five free wings, in fact. The restaurant's Florida locations are serving registered voters a free appetizer portion of wings in support of re-holding the Democratic presidential primary in this state.

"We just want to do our part to show our fellow Floridians that their vote counts with us," Lori Cuonze, a spokesperson for the company, told the Jacksonville Business Journal. Which is a noble idea, really, but ... this isn't the general election, right? If the Democratic Party wants to re-hold the Florida primary, that's the party's prerogative; there is, unfortunately, no inalienable right to vote for a party's nominee. The whole idea behind this promotion strikes us as odd.

Anyway, hooray for free wings!

Hurricane Grill offers free wings to voters [Jacksonville Business Journal]
Hurricane Grill & Wings [Official Site]

Photo: Flickr

In case you didn't drink enough at last weekend's South Beach Wine & Food Festival, there are two more wine events this weekend. Ready?

• The Boca Bacchanal begins today and continues until Sunday. It's like the South Beach festival but without the celebrities: wine seminars, a grand tasting, vintner dinners and a cooking demonstration. And like the other more well-known festival, these tickets won't come cheap; the grand tasting is $85 at the door, the cooking demonstration is $125, and everything else starts at $250.

• The second annual Dan Marino Weston Wine and Food Festival is a much smaller event. It's only on Sunday, from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m., and while they'll take your money ($40 general admission/$50 at the door/$1,000 for VIP access), at least it's going to a good cause; 100 percent of the proceeds go directly to the Dan Marino Foundation.

Photo: Flickr

There were spit cups everywhere. Did we use them? Of course not. Why waste perfectly good wine, right? We also made the mistake of not availing ourselves of enough food samples. Sure, we had a few good bites, but it was so hot, and we felt sticky and the last thing we wanted to do was eat. So let's review: lots of wine + not enough food + hot sun = one very drunk blogger. Our only consolation is that almost everyone else at the festival was in a similarly tipsy state.

OK, we'll start from the beginning. We had a ticket to "He Says, She Says: The Sexes on Wine" at 11 a.m. So yes, we got an early start on the drinking. When we first got the ticket, we hadn't really paid attention to the name on it: Andrea Robinson. Only when we got there did we realize that it was Andrea Immer; Robinson is her married name. That's when we got all excited -- we were going to a class given by a Master Sommelier!

We initially thought the class would discuss any differences in how men and women taste wine. That definitely wasn't the case, although we did learn that women, on average, tend to be better tasters than men. There was a reason given, although that's one of the many details that we cannot remember. (Did we mention we drank a lot?) The seminar was actually a competition between Andrea and her husband John. We loved both of them. They were fun, witty and incredibly down to earth. And she's not the only wine expert in the family -- he can hold his own pretty well.

Continue reading "Sunday At The South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Part 1" »

Looks like Dunkin' Donuts is taking advantage of the fact that the competition is closing down for a few hours today. From 1 p.m. until 10 p.m., Dunkin' Donuts stores will be offering 99-cent lattes. It could save you a couple bucks on that regular 4 o'clock pick-me-up.

Starbucks Closing For Three Hours On Feb. 26 [MP: South Florida]
Get Dunkin Donuts latte for 99 cents on Tuesday February 26 [Slashfood]

LaBelle is a world away from the Florida with which we're familiar, which is perhaps why we were so intrigued by the Swamp Cabbage Festival. We've also got a soft spot for country festivals replete with interesting foods, and this certainly fit the bill.

Never heard of swamp cabbage? Neither had we. It's the heart of the sabal palm, which also happens to be the state tree of Florida. This designation means that you can't just cut down a sabal palm to cut out the heart; there are all sorts of permissions to get and administrative hoops to go through. It's nice that the festival organizers took care of all of that stuff for us.

A full account, with photos, is after the jump.

Continue reading "Saturday At The Swamp Cabbage Festival" »

It was a long, fun weekend for us. We spent Saturday at the Swamp Cabbage Festival in LaBelle, and Sunday at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. We regret not buying more mangrove honey at the former, and we regret drinking all of the wine, instead of just tasting it, at the latter festival.

We're working on posts with lots of details and photos; expect them over the next two days or so. In the meantime, check out some other posts about the South Beach festival:

• Sara at All Purpose Dark got to go on trade day. We've got to figure out how to get in on that.
• A chowhound was not happy with Tyler Florence and his Kidz Kitchen event.
• Danny at Daily Cocaine reports that Anthony Bourdain appeared very tanned and rested at the festival. He provides video evidence as well.

• The South Beach Wine & Food Festival. But you already knew about that.

• If you're up for a drive, there's the annual Swamp Cabbage Festival over in LaBelle on Saturday and Sunday. There will be fried gator tails, swamp cabbage salsa (swamp cabbage is the heart of the sabal palmetto), arts and crafts and armadillo races. For those of us who can't afford the Food Network-sponsored bash on the beach.

• And on Saturday, if you happen to have $90 burning a hole in your pocket, you might want to use it towards the Wish Culinary Night of Magic, a rooftop pool party with dinner prepared by Wish chef Michael Bloise. There will be sausage, Thai basil crostini, paella and beer-barbecue chicken.

You're probably sick of hearing/reading constantly about the South Beach Wine & Food Festival already. (Did we mention it's on? This weekend?) It's especially difficult to read about all of this when prices for the different events start at around $150. That's a lot of money, and it won't even get you into the big parties.

We managed to get tickets to two events on Sunday, so we'll be sure to give you all a detailed account. In the meantime, check out Paula's take on the 2004 and 2006 festivals over at mango&lime. And the Miami Herald has a pretty good guide to the festival.

South Beach Wine & Food Festival [Official Site]
Should I stay or should I go? [mango&lime]
Insiders' guide to the South Beach Wine & Food Festival [Miami Herald]

We're assuming Padma Lakshmi is really in town for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, but she cleared enough time in her schedule to stop by Books & Books in Bal Harbour on Friday for a bit of champagne and some signing of her latest cookbook, Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet. The event starts at 1 p.m. and is at 9700 Collins Avenue.

Books & Books [Official Site]
Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet [Amazon]
Padma Lakshmi [Official Site]

If you've got the day off today, you can still catch the last of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, which ends today at 6 p.m. There will be works from artists who use all sorts of different media: clay, sculpture, paint, wood, metal and jewelry. There's also a Culinary Pavilion, which, of course, is what we're most interested in. Today there are presentations from Oscar del Rivero from Jaguar and Eleanor Hoh of The Wok Star. We also hear that there are chicken chili and wine tastings.

Coconut Grove Arts Festival [Official Site]
Greetings from Coconut Grove Arts Festival [Miami Herald]

Photo, of last year's festival food offerings: Flickr

We prefer to stay home on Valentine's Day and cook a lovely meal for our sweetie (on the menu this year: coffee-marinated bison short ribs). But if you prefer to head out on the town, here are a few good options for treating your valentine:

• Blue Door at Delano is having a four-course dinner for $95 per person between 7 and 11 p.m.

• If you're going the vegan route, there's Sublime of course. Their dinner is $59 per person and includes three courses; for the entree, you can choose between artichoke tofu quiche or seitan steak wellington. There's also a champagne and sea caviar supplement for an extra $20.

• At Kavanagh & Morrissey's, they'll be serving fresh oysters, three special entrees, and a special dessert of a frozen heart-shaped mousse topped with cherries and white chocolate truffle. YUM.

• If you're in the mood for steak, Morton's has a $69 per person menu that includes a salad and an entree of filet mignon and Alaskan king crab or filet mignon and Australian lobster tail.

• The price is a little higher, $150 per person, at 3030 Ocean, but the menu looks really good. Oh, and that includes one glass of champagne. You get oysters or shrimp, bison tenderloin carpaccio or Maryland crab, Tasmanian salmon or Hawaiian mero, grilled beef tenderloin or roasted rack of lamb, and if you're still not full, you can choose a cheese plate, a winter lemon tart or chocolate fondue.

• If you'd rather stay at home but not cook, L & L Market Bistro will do the cooking for you for $50 per person. You get beef, lamb chops or Chilean sea bass with polenta 'hearts' (awww) and chocolate-covered strawberries.

• Social Miami at Sagamore is offering a special tasting menu in addition to its regular menu for $75 per person. That gets you three courses; the entree options include pan-seared duck breast with candied pecans and butter poached rock lobster tail with jumbo lump crab gremolata.

• And finally, Andu Restaurant & Lounge, which just opened yesterday, will also be offering a Valentine's Day menu that will include four courses, an amuse and a glass of champagne, all for $80 per person. The goat-cheese crusted lamb loin caught our eye. Sounds good.

If you like pancakes, you'll want to make sure to schedule breakfast at IHOP on Tuesday, when the chain is giving out free short stacks in celebration of National Pancake Day, despite the fact that it's a week late. See National Pancake Day was last Tuesday, aka Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday. But it also happened to be Super Tuesday, so IHOP decided to move its promotion, so that the promotion wouldn't be overshadowed by the democratic process.

The event is part of a fundraising effort for Children's Miracle Network; the idea is that you'll be so happy to have received free pancakes that you'll be motivated to make a donation.

So, let's recap. Free pancakes. Tuesday, February 12 between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Need to find one? Here's a list of IHOPs nationwide.

Restaurant Chain To Stack Up Hotcakes For Free [CBS4]
IHOP [Official Site]

Ready for this weekend's Garlic Fest in Delray Beach? We have never been to a garlic festival (we've always thought it would be fun to visit Gilroy, Calif. during garlic festival time), but we are huge fans of the odiferous bulb, so festivals that celebrate garlic are all right in our book. There will be cooking demonstrations and even a Garlic Chef Competition featuring some local chefs. Add tribute bands, games for the kids and, of course, lots of garlicky dishes. It sounds like fun on paper (or rather, on the computer screen), but the chowhounds didn't seem too enthusiastic about it; there are complaints about underwhelming food, expensive food and a $2 charge per kid per ride in the bounce house. So go, but understand that it might strain the wallet a bit.

Delray Beach Garlic Fest [Official Site]
Garlic Festival, Delray 2/8-10 [Chowhound]

• We have to mention the Moveable Feast fundraiser tonight, as it benefits Best Buddies, an organization that's near and dear to us. (Our mom is very involved in it.) It starts at 7 p.m. at Britto Central on Lincoln Road, where there will be samples from Emeril's, Emeril's Miami Beach, Rosinella and Yuca. Then the party moves to The Courtyard on Lincoln Road for desserts from La Gelateria and Ghirardelli. The cost is $100 at the door.

• Whole Foods in Coral Springs is hosting a "beer-off:" a tasting competition with eight microbrews. The first 50 customers (those who are of age, of course) to sign up get to taste the beer. It's tomorrow at 6 p.m.

• Florida City is hosting its 14th annual Super Chili Bowl Cook Off, which will also feature a jalapeño eating contest, an outhouse race (what is this?!) and a tomato race (also?!). The event is Saturday from noon until 4 p.m. at the Prime Outlets.

• The menu for the Super Bowl Brunch at North One 10 looks awesome. There are so many options, we wouldn't know where to begin. Both New York and New England food choices are represented, but mostly, everything sounds really good. Brunch will be served on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m., and it's $42 per person, including one mango mimosa. Check out the menu at the restaurant's website.

Busy weekend for foodies! Not only is there the International Chocolate Festival, but there's also a stone crab picnic on Saturday at the Coral Gables Farmers Market hosted by Slow Food Miami. Here's what Paula, of mango&lime, wrote about the even in the SunPost:

The picnic starts at noon, but you may want to arrive early to watch Chef Roberto Ferrer, of Cohiba Brasserie in Coral Gables, demonstrate how to prepare a stone crab and avocado dish, from 10 to 11 a.m. And while you await your stone crabs, you can check out booths with organic produce, local honey, French pastries, spices and fragrant tea blends.

At the picnic, you pay for what you eat. Stone crabs will be sold for $10 per pound and provided by Judy the “stone crab lady,” who has been bringing seafood from Everglades City to the market for several years. Pick up some healthy sides from Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering at an adjacent booth. Then head over to the picnic tables and join your neighbors for seafood and wine. Reno recommends a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, but it’s up to you. Oh, and don’t forget your crab tools. The stone crabs will be cracked, but you’ll need some utensils to eat the yummy crustaceans.

International Chocolate Festival Is This Weekend [MP: South Florida]
Slow Food Miami [Official Site]
Come On, Get Crabby! [SunPost]

Did you know that cacao's scientific name, Theobroma cacao, means "food of the gods?" So very apt, don't you think? There's lots more interesting trivia to learn at the second annual International Chocolate Festival at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. There's a screening of Like Water for Chocolate tomorrow evening, and over the weekend there will be tours of Fairchild's rainforest, plant sales, cooking demonstrations, and lectures on the history of chocolate and how to make it. If you're a member of the garden, the event is free. If not, it's $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, and $10 for kids 6-17 (under 5 enter for free).

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden [Official Site]
Chocolate festival program [pdf file]

Photo: Flickr

When we first read that the Conch Tour Train in Key West was giving out free key lime cupcakes to celebrate its 50th anniversary, we thought it was free cupcakes for everyone. Then we read more closely (this is what happens when you monitor dozens of sites each day -- you scan and misinterpret things easily) and learned that the cupcakes are only for the passengers. So if you want that cupcake, you're going to have to pay for the $25 tour, which will take you to all of the usual touristy spots (aquarium, shipwreck museum, Hemingway house, Sloppy Joe's , Truman's Little White House, etc.) in an adorable choo-choo train tram thing. You probably won't, but we just wanted an excuse to post the photo of that tasty key lime cupcake. That can't be too hard to make, right? We might give it a try.

Conch Tour Train Marks 50th Year In Key West [NBC12]
Conch Tour Train [Key West]
Sloppy Joe's [MenuPages]
Sloppy Joe's [Official Site]

Photo: Flickr

• There's the Redland Festival at the Fruit & Spice Park this weekend. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., $6 admission for adults, and children 12 and under are free. There will be a petting zoo, pony rides, a reptile show and lots of food.

• There's a wine tasting tonight at Christabelle's Quarter. It starts at 7 p.m. and costs $15.

• Hungover on Sunday? The Falcon House is bringing back its pajama brunch. Show up in your pajamas and get the first drink free.

• On Saturday and Sunday, feast on a number of dishes from some favorite Grove restaurants at Great Taste of the Grove. There'll be music, face painting, a rock climbing wall and a bounce house. The fun happens at Peacock Park from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.

• Thanks to Paula, we know of two new farmer's markets that are opening this weekend: on Saturday, there's the Upper East Side Green Market in front of Legion Park, and on Sunday, there's the South Florida Farmer's Market from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Gardner's Market in Pinecrest.

We learned today of a food festival in early February sponsored by the government of Navarra, Spain. The image above has most of the pertinent details; each of the participating restaurants will be offering special tasting menus featuring dishes from the region. Think stuffed piquillo peppers, idiazabal cheese and a good rosé.

Navarra, Spain Visits Miami and New York [Earth Times]
Navarra Food Festival [Official Site]

• Lola's on Harrison is hosting a holiday beer dinner on Thursday during regular dinner hours. The special four-course $50 prix fixe menu includes pairings with holiday micro brews. And if you want the regular dinner menu, that will also be available on Thursday.

• Also on Thursday: Casa Toscana is hosting a wine tasting at 7 p.m. This time, they're featuring the wines of Paolo Valle in Friuli. It's $15 per person, which includes appetizers. All featured wines will be discounted 10 percent.

• And on Friday, at Bongo's, the food will be Cuban, but the music will be Colombian at the Parranda Vallenata Navideña (Vallenato Christmas Party) with Juan Jose Meza.

• Head to Vino Miami for a mix of soul, Latin, funk and jazz music tonight at 10 p.m. No cover.

• It's soca night at Piola in Hallandale tomorrow night, from midnight until 4 a.m. There will be a full bar, although it is unclear what, if any, discounts on alcohol will be provided.

• If you're going to be in Key West this weekend, you might want to check out the Bahama Village Cooking Class series. The next installment is this Sunday at noon with chef Nancy Nelson, who will present recipes for holiday entertaining at the Restaurant Store's demonstration kitchen. Cost is $100, and all proceeds benefit kids in the Bahama Village Music Program. For more information, call 305-292-9628.

• We're not sure who Walter Williams is, but he's playing at Cantina Laredo tomorrow night from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. He'll be taking requests too!

• Tequila Sunrise is having a birthday party on Thursday. The restaurant's turning 12, which means that you've got one more year before it morphs into a petulant, whiny, know-it-all teenager. Happy hour will be extended all night, and if you get there early, you may be able to get a free t-shirt.

• On Thursday, at the Books & Books in Bal Harbour, you can meet Fernando Espinosa, photographer who worked on Afrodisiaco. Here's the description: "a celebration of the art of photography, fine food and sensuality that stimulates all the senses." Also we feel we should mention that some of the very attractive women who are photographed in the cookbook will be at the event.

• Also on Thursday: a wine tasting at Casa Toscana called "Not Just Bellinis." They'll show you exactly what you can do with Prosecco and fruit juices. The event starts at 7 p.m. and costs $15 per person, which includes appetizers and a 10 percent discount on featured wines.

• Art Basel.

• There's a temporary restaurant (kind of like the ones on Top Chef!) adjacent to the Art Miami tent that will be open for lunch and dinner this weekend. More info at All Purpose Dark.

• Tomorrow night is jazz night at Vino Miami! Starts at 10:30, ends at 2 a.m. There will be romantic jazz, champagne, wine, fondue and tapas. Given the fare, we suggest you bring a date and not, say, your brother.

What does rush-hour traffic have to do with coffee? Well, we imagine that many commuters have cups o' joe in their car cup holders, but we can't think of too many other connections. At any rate, if you're trying to reach a large number of people, rush hour on the Dolphin Expressway is probably a good bet. So that's what Starbucks is doing tomorrow between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m.; the company will be paying for all cash and SunPass tolls during those two hours at the eastbound tollbooth of the Dolphin Expressway near the Orange Bowl. And there's more!

Also, during the two-hour stretch, the chain will be handing out holiday ''Cheer Passes'' entitling the holder to buy one drink and get the second for free. The ''Cheer Passes'' will only be available for people passing through the cash booths.

''We're not only hoping to surprise and delight some South Florida commuters,'' said Chris Musser, a regional marketing specialist for Starbucks. ``We're hoping people will be inspired to do an act of kindness for others on this day.''

Starbucks covers SR 836 tolls Thursday [Miami Herald]
Starbucks Pays Your Tolls On The 836 [Stuck on the Palmetto]
Starbucks [Official Site]

Plum's got a helpful video up for all of you Art Basel enthusiasts to give you an idea of where to grab a bite to eat between gallery shows in the Design District. Host Maria Ruiz visits the Lost & Found Saloon, Chef Creole and Chez Le Bebe. Our only complaint is that there's not enough food porn included; the chicken tacos from the saloon are adequately represented, but we get almost no shots of food from Chef Creole and only a takeout bag from Chez Le Bebe. But those are, we must say, some pretty good suggestions.

What are your Wynwood favorites?

Art Basel Miami Beach 2007: Wynwood Guide [Plum]
Lost & Found Saloon [MenuPages]
Lost & Found Saloon [Official Site]
Chef Creole [MenuPages]
Chef Creole [Official Site]
Chez le Bebe, 114 NE 54 St, 305-751-7639

Everyone's gearing up for Art Basel, so we thought we'd compile a list of Basel-related events at restaurants this week. Except we're having trouble finding much. Perhaps restaurants don't get in on the whole thing? So we're going to share what we know and direct you to the official site and the Miami Herald's online guide to the event. If you know of any other restaurant events, let us know!

• The Sagamore Hotel, which was the site of Spencer Tunick's photos of lots and lots of naked people a while back, will be unveiling said photos during a brunch on Saturday. We're assuming that it will be at Social Miami.

• All December and well into January you'll be able to see paintings by Haitian artist Rara Kuyu on display at Tap Tap.

• And Casa Toscana will be showcasing the works of Rene Rodriguez on December 6, 7 and 8. Those nights, they'll also serve art-inspired appetizers they're calling 'paintings on a plate.'

• Tonight at North One 10: Barbecue and Beer Blast with sloppy joes, mango and shrimp skewers, lamb spare ribs, kimchi slaw and grilled salmon. Starts at 5:30 p.m., ends at 11 p.m. and costs $50.

• Jam to the music of Before Trees, a mix of jazz and funk, tonight at Vino Miami. Party starts at 10 p.m.

• Dogma Grill is having a party for its fifth birthday tomorrow from noon to 4 p.m., with music, balloons and birthday cake free for everyone. Plus, there will be $1 beers, and specials on hot dog combos.

• Learn to master holiday appetizers at a Tania's Table cooking class on Monday. The two-hour class costs $45 and starts at 11 a.m. Check the website for more information, or call 305-932-9425.

Just a few suggestions for Thanksgiving dinner, if you're planning on eating out. Make your reservation soon, as time is running out!

• Hyatt Regency in Weston: mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, turkey, ham and key lime pie, all available for $28 or $15 for kids 12 and under. The Thanksgiving dinner will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and again between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

• Le Bistro: three courses of pumpkin soup, turkey with stuffing, and pumpkin pie for $30 ($12 for kids 12 and under). Reservations available between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

• Shula's on the Beach: butternut squash soup, turkey, salmon fillet, and your choice of a pie (pumpkin, pecan or apple) for dessert. $38.95 per person between noon and 10 p.m.

• Taverna Opa: A five-course meal will be available after noon for $19-23 depending on the choice of main course. You get hot appetizers, cold appetizers, a Greek salad, a choice of turkey, spit-roasted lamb or pork, and dessert. The regular menu will also be available.

• Giorgios Grill: Here, the seating begins early, at 11 a.m. Again, the prices vary by choice of main course, from $19 (traditional turkey dinner) to $53 (surf 'n' turf), almost most are in the $20s. Lots of options, from pork to lamb to salmon or sunfish. Dinner comes with a Caesar salad or New England clam chowder and a pumpkin pie or tiramisu for dessert.

• Kavanagh & Morrissey's: For $25.95 ($14.95 for kids 12 and under), you get butternut squash soup or Caesar salad; herb-rubbed free-range turkey with andouille cornbread stuffing and cranberry sauce or Colorado rack of lamb; mashed potatoes and baby vegetables; and apple or pumpkin pie. The Thanksgiving dinner starts at 3 p.m.; the regular menu will also be available.

• Tonight at Books & Books, an event in Spanish: Raquel Roque, author of Cocina cubana, a compilation of her family's favorite Cuban recipes, will be speaking tonight. The newest edition of the book has five new chapters on cocktails, smoothies/shakes, sandwiches, baby food, and recipes from other Latin American countries. The event starts at 8 p.m., and there will also be live music in the courtyard from the Carl Ferrari Group.

• It's Champagne night tonight at Wolfe's Wine Shoppe! The tasting runs from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. and costs $20.

• On Monday at Wolfe's, they're featuring zinfandels that pair well with turkey, just in time for Thursday's festivities. Also 7-9 p.m. and $20.

• Are your kids little monsters at the dinner table? Take them to Mimi's Manners Etiquette Lunch on Saturday, where kids ages 6 to 12 can learn how to properly conduct themselves at the table. The event, at the Ritz-Carlton in coconut Grove, starts at noon and costs $58. Call 305-644-4675 for more information.

We're all about the cooking on Thanksgiving. We cannot wait to one day have our own place someday (an apartment with three roommates doesn't count) and invite the whole family for a dinner we cooked ourselves. No potluck -- we're kind of control freaks like that. But we understand that most other people aren't quite as neurotic, and some might even enjoy -- gasp! -- a night out at a restaurant. So we've cobbled together a list of places that will be open, featuring turkey specials, etc. It's pretty long, so long that while our original intentions were to do all in one post, we've decided it'll be best to split them up. This time, Palm Beach County.

• Gigi's Tavern: $26.95 per adult, $10.95 for kids under 12. That includes pumpkin soup or salad, turkey breast with cornbread stuffing, sweet potato casserole, green beans amandine, mashed potatoes, apple cobbler or pumpkin pie and a glass of wine or a non-alcoholic beverage. That sounds like a lot of food for under $30. Perhaps there's a catch? Or perhaps we're just too jaded?

• Bogart's Bar & Grill: soup or salad, roast turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, green beans, pumpkin cheesecake or pecan pie will set you back just $24.95 for those 21 and older. We're not sure if it costs less for young 'uns, or if they eat for free or not at all. And if you're not so much into the turkey, you can order from the regular menu too.

• La Cigale: This one's a little pricier at $32 per person, half that for kids under 12, and there are seatings at 3 p.m., 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. You get butternut squash soup, Caesar salad or smoked salmon salad, roast turkey with chestnut stuffing, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Or for the turkey-phobic (don't laugh -- we have a cousin like this), there's leg of lamb or wild Atlantic salmon. And for dessert, apple tart or cranberry pie or ice cream, and coffee or tea. (Wonder if an ice cream + cranberry tart is an option.)

• Sundy House Restaurant has something going on for Thanksgiving. If only they'd answer the phone. Perhaps try after 6 p.m., when they open for dinner.

• Banana Boat: They'll have the regular menu, but starting at 11 a.m., you'll be able to get a turkey or ham dish for $15.95, with mashed potatoes, stuffing and a vegetable.

• Poppies Restaurant & Deli: they've got two seatings, at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., for which you need reservations. You've got three main course choices: turkey with the trimmings, poached salmon, or sliced beef brisket. With that, you get a salad, fresh green beans, dinner rolls, stuffing, sweet or mashed potatoes, a non-alcoholic drink and a special holiday dessert, all for $21.95 for adults or $16.95 for kids 10 and under.

Palm Beach County restaurant happenings [Sun-Sentinel]

Photo: Lucky Oliver

Take note:

Grass Restaurant & Lounge [MenuPages]
Grass Restaurant & Lounge [Official Site]

• Alice Waters, the most influential person in American cooking after Julia Child, will be at Books & Books in the Gables tonight to discuss her latest book, The Art of Simple Food. The event starts at 8 p.m.

• Hallandale Beach is hosting its second Taste of the Town tomorrow, an event where local restaurants set up booths and visitors get to walk around sampling specialties. If you just want to browse and not taste (yeah, right), entry is free. But if you're up for grazing, it's $10 for adults and $5 for kids. It starts at 5 p.m., ends at 9 p.m. and is located in the parking lot of the Memorial Outpatient Center, 1750 E Hallandale Beach Blvd.

Howie Kleinberg of Top Chef fame will be a guest chef at Grass Restaurant & Lounge this Thursday; it's the first in a series of monthly dinners with a different guest chef each time at the restaurant. It's $50 per person for the meal, or $75 with wine. (The extra sweat dripping from his brow is free.) Call the restaurant at 305-573-3355 for more information.

Grass Restaurant & Lounge [MenuPages]
Grass Restaurant & Lounge [Official Site]

• Kavanagh & Morrissey's is hosting a happy hour tonight sponsored by Dewars 12 whisky. The two-for-one drink specials continue until 7 p.m., so get going now.

• The Falcon House is hosting "Jammin' for Knuckles" tonight and tomorrow night, a musical event to raise money for a chimpanzee with cerebral palsy. The show tonight is at 9:30 p.m. and tomorrow night at 10 p.m.

• Get your fill of barbecue tonight at North One 10's Barbecue and Beer Blast. But not your typical slow-smoked meats barbecue; it's more like mango and shrimp skewers, lamb spare ribs and grilled salmon. It's $50 per person and continues until 11 p.m. tonight.

• And here's the requisite wine event: a wine class on Saturday at Cefalo's in the Grove, which includes meats and cheeses paired with wines. Cost is $60. For more information, call 305-971-2400.

Padma's back everybody! Only for the weekend though. She'll be signing copies of her latest cookbook, Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet: A World of Recipes for Every Day, on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Miami Book Fair. Govind Armstrong will be there at the same time, though in a different building, signing copies of his book, Small Bites, Big Nights: Seductive Little Plates for Intimate Occasions and Lavish Parties. (Note to publishers: shorter titles please!)

Also of culinary interest: A panel called "Why we eat what we eat: The evolution of American tastes" on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. featuring David Kamp (he of United States of Arugula fame), NYT food reporter Molly O'Neill, and Julia Child biographer Laura Shapiro.

There are, of course, many other interesting events going on at the book fair (including a performance by the Rock Bottom Remainders, of which we are intrigued), but over here we're very one-track-minded, and there aren't too many food-related happenings at the fair this year.

Miami Book Fair [Official Site]

• FunKey Nutz claims that some of "South Florida's best singers" show up to karaoke nights on Tuesdays. We've never been to a karaoke event that featured people who could remotely qualify as some of an area's best singers, but we're willing to allow that perhaps the crooners at FunKey Nutz are an exception. Anyone willing to find out for us? Karaoke starts tonight at 8:30.

• Casa Toscana is hosting a tasting of wines from Sicily, Apulia, Tuscany, Veneto and Piedmont this Thursday at 7 p.m. It'll cost you $15 per person, but you get complimentary appetizers with the wines. Call 305-757-4454 to RSVP.

We cannot express enough how much we love the idea of Sleepless Night, despite the fact that we usually are in bed by 10 and up by 5:30. (We have years of swim practice to thank for that.) But have you checked out the staggeringly awesome list of events on Saturday night/Sunday morning? Even with 13 hours, there's no way you could get to see everything. And the best part is that most of it's free, even the shuttle buses that will be running all over Miami Beach from 5 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday.

Here are the restaurants that will be participating in some capacity in this awesome endeavor:

• Tamarind Thai Restaurant, where you can see an exhibition by artist Judy Levinson called "Color Celebration." If you get there 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., you can meet the artist too.

• Tamara will be serving a jazz breakfast from 2 a.m. until 6 a.m.

• Enjoy a poolside barbecue at Pilikia Restaurant from 9 p.m. until midnight.

• Talula will be featuring the art of Rita Klint in the dining room, tapas at the bar, and live music in the patio from 6 p.m. until 4 a.m.

• Nu-jazz and house at the Van Dyke Cafe.

• There will be music and dancing alfresco all night at Da Leo Trattoria.

• Check out the belly dancers and fire dancers at Touch from 9 p.m. until midnight.

• Singers from the Miami Lyric Opera will be performing at Tuscan Steak from 11 p.m. until 2 a.m.

• And, finally, Table 8 is teaming up with LEBO Studios to "blur the line between fine art and fine dining."

The growing season is about to get underway, which means that the Dinner in Paradise series is back. The dinners are held roughly once a month at the farm for no more than 60 people at a time, each of whom pays $150 for a six-course meal with wine pairings. Each meal will showcase the locally grown produce in season. Chefs take turns making the meals; Allen Susser, he of Mango Gang fame, will kick off the series on December 2. For more information about the dinners, and a list of participating chefs, check out the Paradise Farms website or call

Paradise Farms [Official Site]
Time again to dine in Paradise -- top chefs on board [Miami Herald]

Photo: Paradise Farms

Lots of Halloween parties happening tomorrow...

• At the FunKey Nutz, there will be unspecified prizes for the best costumes. Also, dueling pianos (don't they always have that?) from 7:30 p.m. until 1 a.m. No cover charge, and the mojitos will be $6, although it's unclear as to whether that special price is reserved for ladies only.

• Party at The Standard on Miami Beach, where the drinks will be free and the best costumes will be awarded prizes. Party starts at 7 p.m. and ends a mere two hours later. Or maybe that's just when the free booze ends. If that's the case, you should get there early!

• If you're more into dancing on Halloween, head to CocoWalk, where salsa singer Carlos Manuel will be playing with his band. We also heard something about door prizes and giveaways.

Yep, they're holding a casting call in Miami. (And thanks to Tere for letting us know!). Open call is on Tuesday, Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Metropole on South Beach. Good luck everyone!

The Next Food Network Star Search in Miami [FoodTastic!]
Metropole [Official Site]

• It appears that karaoke had once left the FunKey Nutz, but it has now returned. On Tuesdays (that's tonight!) at 8:30 at the dueling piano bar in Boca Raton, you too can sing loudly and poorly into a microphone.

• Costume party! Naturally, as it's getting close to Halloween. The Falcon House in Delray Beach is hosting its sixth annual costume party on Saturday. The best costume wins a $100 gift certificate.

• There will be another costume party at Nicole's Village Tavern in Wellington on Saturday as well, with drinks and dinner specials, dancing and, of course, a costume contest. Prizes are unclear. Oh, and the appetizers are free after midnight!

Something called the American Fine Wine Competition is going on this week at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. This is its first year, and according to this article (scroll down), it's the first juried American wine competition in South Florida. Which sounds like a big deal, except we really don't know much more about it. Perhaps, when the results are announced, it'll get more coverage?

Unfortunately for you, the public, the judging, which we assume is happening today through Thursday, is open only to a select few — namely, the judges. They'll get to taste 350 wines throughout the course of the week; each wine will be judged against other wines of the same varietal.

But there is good news for you: the public is invited to the gala dinner on Thursday, October 25 at 6 p.m. at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. The four-course dinner with wine pairings will set you back just $250 per person or $2,500 per table (which isn't really a deal, as there are 10 to a table). There will also be a silent auction for charity, live entertainment, and a tasting, with wines poured by "wine angels." Here's our question: do wine angels have to wear wings and a halo?

South Florida's First Juried American Wine Competition to Benefit Kids in Distress [Entertainment News & Views]
American Fine Wine Competition 2007 Presented by RRA [South Florida Business Journal]

• So this event isn't exactly in South Florida, but it caught our eye. There's a wine and food festival, with a sunset stroll to raise money for lung disease research, in Siesta Key, near Sarasota. The stroll starts tomorrow at 6 p.m.

• And this doesn't exactly have anything to do with food, but you should still participate in the Herald Hunt, because it's a lot of fun. And if you don't want to participate in it, we suggest you avoid South Beach on Sunday afternoon, lest you get run over by a crazed person with one mission: to be first to solve the final puzzle.

• Oktoberfest is on this weekend in Lantana. The party, sponsored by the local American-German Club, will have lots and lots of food. Delicious-sounding food: sausage, schnitzel, potatoes, pretzels, etc. And beer of course. The party starts tonight and continues through Sunday.

• Dave Lieberman (you know, the guy who made a name for himself with a cooking show at Yale) will be at the Dadeland Macy's Home Store tomorrow at 1 p.m. for a cooking demonstration and a cookbook signing. Not sure whether or not there will be samples for fans to try.

Around here, we're always encouraging you to drink more wine, with all of the wine tastings and pairings that we periodically list. They seem to be pretty popular. This time though, we're going to suggest you pair a different form of alcohol with your meal. Actually, before your meal. Today begins Bon Aperitif! Week at a group of local restaurants: Social Miami at Sagamore, Town Kitchen & Bar, Tuscan Steak, Mark's, 1200 At the Biltmore, and Chispa Restaurant & Bar. From today until Wednesday, October 24, each of these restaurants is offering a glass of sherry and an appetizer for $10.

Not Shaken or Stirred [New Times]

Photo: Flickr

If you're looking for a good street festival this weekend, head down to Key West for the Goombay Festival in Bahama Village. A "goombay," as we've learned recently, can be either a goatskin drum beaten with the hands or the music made by said drum, popular in the Bahamas. A Google search shows us that it's also a common name for Bahamian festivals. There will be music, crafts, dancing, general merry-making, and lots of Caribbean-inspired food. We hear it's the locals' favorite festival; that is high praise indeed.

Goombay Festival [Official Site]

• Vino Miami is hosting a tasting of wines paired with chocolates on Friday at 7 p.m. $30 gets you wine and food. Call 786-207-8466 to RSVP.

• Casa Toscana is having another tasting of South African blends, presented by a South African native. $10 per person, which includes wine and food, plus a 10 percent discount on featured wines. Call 305-757-4454 to RSVP.

• And one more wine and food pairing, this time at Nicole's Village Tavern, where $65 will get you a four-course meal with paired wines. The dinner is Tuesday, October 23 at 7 p.m. Call 561-793-3456 to reserve a spot.

• You have until Sunday to join in the Oktoberfest activities at Fritz & Franz Bierhaus. There will be music, food and, of course, lots of beer.

• If Southern rock is your thing, head over to Mr. G's Rock & Roll Bar & Grill in West Palm Beach tonight for a performance of The Marshall Tucker Band.

• This Saturday at 4 p.m., there's a wine tasting at L & L Market Bistro in Miramar. For $20, you can sample the wines of Luigi Scarani and get $10 off any wine purchase that day.

• Piola in Hallandale Beach begins a weekly Venezuelan music tribute tonight at 11 p.m. Cover charge is $10, and there will be pizzas, tapas and a full bar, plus, of course, lots of music.

This week marks the start of the 12th annual Epcot Food & Wine Festival, for those who like their ethnic food to come with a pair of mouse ears. The event began on Friday and ends on November 11. There will be music (think Little Richard, David Cassidy, and Jon Secada), food, seminars, and themed dinners. For just $210 per person (plus tax, although tip is included), you too can get a seat in one of these five-course dinners, with themes like "A California Landscape," "A Tuscan Renaissance," and "Bordeaux - Inspiration for Anton Ego."

Some other events of note:
• A South African Wine Event on October 12 at 6:30 p.m., which will feature samples from 40 vineyards for $75.
• Odyssey Kitchen Conversations: televised chats with chefs about how they became successful, plus a cooking demonstration and tasting, for $75
• The Cook, The Book, and The Bottle: a demonstration by a noted chef, plus a three-course meal with wine pairings, for $150
• Sweet Sundays: top pastry chefs prepare three sweet treats, served with sparkling wine and a continental breakfast, for $65.

There's no cost (aside from the Epcot admission fee, although that's not required for the themed dinners) to going to the festival, but there is, of course, a charge to eat and taste; appetizer-size portions will be available for $1.50-$4.50 at the restaurants, and each of the seminars costs extra. One could easily drop a lot of cash at this thing. But then, isn't that always the case with Disney World?

The 12th Annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival "Tastefully Inspired" [WDW Info]

We just finished up with Miami Spice, so now it's on to Dine Out Lauderdale! Will these restaurant promotions never cease? We imagine they will, once the tourists arrive for the season. But anyway, Dine Out Lauderdale is a six-week restaurant promotion for Broward County restaurants, from October 1 until November 15, sponsored by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. They're using all sorts of cutesy names (Greater "Fork" Lauderdale, LauderLicious, etc.) to get people's attention. Thirty-five restaurants in Greater "Fork" Lauderdale will be serving up three-course prix fixe dinners for $35.

The lineup: 35 restaurants total, including Mark's Las Olas, Mark's Las Olas, Food Amongst The Flowers, Aizia at the Westin Diplomat, and Himmarshee Bar & Grille. For a complete list, check out the bureau's website.

Ah, but there's fine print. The offer is valid only on Sundays through Thursdays, and it's not valid during the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, October 25-29. We find it a little annoying that the promotion isn't good on Friday and Saturday nights. If you're going to do this big promotion, why not go all the way with it? They seem to be trying to copy the success of Miami Spice, but the whole reason Miami Spice is successful is because it includes a ton of restaurants with both lunch and dinner Spice menus and doesn't place limitations on weekend dinners. We'll see how this turns out. Any Dine Out Lauderdale reviews? Tell us!

Your entree into Greater Fort Lauderdale's gourmet scene [Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau]

• St. Patrick's Episcopal Church in West Palm Beach is hosting its annual International Food Fest tomorrow from 4:30 to 7 p.m. The food should be very Caribbean; think conch fritters, roti, jerk pork, coconut bread and pigeon peas and rice. For $25, you can sample as much food as you like. St. Patrick's is located at 418 N Sapodilla Ave in West Palm Beach. For more information, call 561-833-1903.

• After the festival at St. Patrick's, head over to restaurant row on Mizner Blvd in Boca Raton for the San Gennaro festival, featuring plenty of sausage and peppers and zeppole and a cannoli-eating contest.

• Remember when we wrote about Taste America? Yep, that's this weekend. Check the website for event information.

• The Hollywood Beach Clambake festival is this weekend, featuring fresh seafood and free concerts on the broadwalk. Tonight, there's a classic car show, a chowder contest, and a beach bonfire. For the rest of the weekend's activities, check the festival's website.

• This Thursday at Premier Wine Club: a tasting of seven new wines from California, Chile, France, Argentina and Italy. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and costs $20 per person ($10 of that is credited to the purchase of any wine).

• Also on Thursday: a Spanish wine tasting at Casa Toscana. Wines featured will be from Vierso, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Toro. The event starts at 7 p.m. on Thursday night. For reservations, call 305-757-4454.

• The first wine dinner at La Sirena is tomorrow, Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. Six courses, six wines, all for $79 per person, plus tax and tip. For reservations, call 561-585-3128.

Calling all aspiring chefs! NBC6 has caught the Top Chef fever and is holding a challenge of its own: the aptly named NBC6 Chef Challenge. All you have to do is send in your resume and the recipe for an entree that can be prepared in five minutes (ha!). Four finalists are chosen from the entries to prepare their entrees on the South Florida Today Show live. The winner receives a two-week internship in the Little Palm Island's resort's kitchen. You've got until 11:59 p.m. on September 22, so get to it!

NBC6 Chef Challenge
Become South Florida's top chef [Mango&Lime]

It's Wine Week at Smith & Wollensky restaurants nationwide (including our Miami Beach location), which means you can taste 10 different wines for an extra $10 with lunch beginning today and ending Friday, Sept. 21. The wine selection changes each day, but all come from American vineyards, from California to Long Island. And some of the extra money will be going to a good cause; the last Wine Week, in March, raised $10,000 for The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis.

The event seems to be pretty popular, so reservations for your lunch date during this week might be a good idea. And don't forget, Smith & Wollensky is participating in Miami Spice for lunch too.

National Wine Week [Official Site]
Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis [Official Site]
Miami Spice [Official Site]
Smith & Wollensky [MenuPages]
Smith & Wollensky [Official Site]

• If you're looking for interesting ways to blow $175, here's an idea: head to Azul for a class with chef Clay Conley on how to put together a cocktail party. Class starts at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. Call 305-913-8358 for reservations.

• Your weekly Cooking at the Cellar report: In the Aventura Macy's, Michele Mazza of Il Mulino New York and in Dadeland, Roberto Ferrer of Cohiba Brasserie. You know the drill; both are free, and they start at 1 p.m.

• It's Mexican Independence Day weekend! Head to Santo Restaurant on Saturday night for the party. There will be mariachis, DJs, and lots of tequila. Doors open at 10 p.m.

In case you missed the Miami International Wine Fair, Plum has a three-minute video with man-on-the-street type interviews and some interesting information from the manager of the fair. Also, Miss Miami Beach loves the exact same wines we don't like. (Actually, pinot grigio is useful for making white sangria. Riesling? Well, we're just not fans at all.) Who knew there was even a Miss Miami Beach? We are so out of the pageant loop.

Miami International Wine Fair [Official Site]
Miami International Wine Fair [Plum]
Photo: Plum

• Check out the next stop of the "Coffee is Culinary" tour tomorrow at the Starbucks on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. Marcus Samuelsson will be on hand to give a free cooking demonstration at noon.

• Sample more than 70 wines from around the world tomorrow (make sure you get someone sober to drive you home!) at ABC Fine Wines & Spirits (15051 S Dixie Hwy in Miami, 305-971-2773). For $10, you get entrance to the event from 6 to 8 p.m., when food and wine pairing stations will be set up.

• Chef Dean James Max's next cooking class isn't until Sept. 23, but you should sign up now if you're interested. He'll be making such autumn-themed dishes as skate wing with pumpkin risotto, roast chicken, and fall pear cake. Call 954-765-3129 for reservations.

• There's that wine fair we wrote about earlier this week. Yes, you should go to that.

• Two Cooking at the Cellar events this Saturday, as always. In Aventura, watch Philippe Pinon of Blue Door at the Delano prepare a Miami Spice dish, and at Dadeland, catch Paul LeBlanc of The Cove Restaurant at the Miami Airport Hilton. Both events are free and start at 1 p.m.

• We like the sound of a Cook-Along Champagne Lunch. Yum. You too can join in the fun on Saturday with Chef Gaetano Ascione as he pairs food with Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne at noon at the Courtyard Grill at the Biltmore Hotel. Cost is $60 or $48 for club members. Call 305-913-3203 for more information.

But what does it taste like? Sara of All Purpose Dark has this to say:

In that span of time I managed to suck down two flutes of the sweet liquor, which reminded me of a melted pack of lemon-drops spiked with alcohol.

Continue reading "Danny DeVito Branches Out From Restaurants To Limoncello" »

The 6th Annual Miami International Wine Fair is coming to the Miami Beach Convention Center this weekend, expected to bring in 5,000 visitors. It's basically a big trade show, which we generally tend to find a bit dull if one is just visiting and isn't actually involved in the business. This one, however, features some interesting seminars on Saturday and Sunday on topics like climate change, finding good French wines under $20, and mastering the art of blind tasting. They don't come cheap though; each seminar will cost $15-75, although you can buy a one-day seminar pass for $100 to save money if you plan to sit in on multiple ones. And there's a basic Introduction to Wine Appreciation on Sunday at 4 p.m. that is completely free.

The public won't be allowed on the main floor of the trade show during the morning and early afternoon, but you can purchase tickets for the Grand Tasting on both Saturday and Sunday evenings for $75 or $120 (VIP — you get an extra hour and a few special wines). If you do splurge for the Grand Tasting, we suggest doing it on Sunday, when a bunch of local restaurants will participate in a wine and food pairing competition. It's kind of like a Top Chef Quickfire challenge: chefs get 30 minutes to prepare their signature dishes, while their sommeliers scour the main floor of the trade show to find wines to pair with each course. We'd keep an eye on Cacao, Talula and Johnny V.

Miami International Wine Fair [Official Site]

• You have until tomorrow to sign up for "A Sunday at Sublime " in Fort Lauderdale, which will feature vegan hors d'oeuvres and wine for $10 per person. Call 954-539-9000 for reservations.

• Frankie's Pier 5 is hosting the second annual "Dinner for Fallen Heroes" on Sept. 11. The money will go to the Broward County Council of Professional Firefighters, who will in turn donate it to the IAFF Fallen Firefighter Memorial. All wines will come from Marchiese Antinori in Tuscany and will be paired with southern Italian dishes. Dinner starts at 7 p.m. and costs $125.

• Vino Miami hosts its next Bordeaux class tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. The class is $50, and all six featured wines will be discounted. For reservations, call 786-207-8466.

Everywhere around the nation, pools and beaches are shutting down, and people are mourning the loss of summer. Here, we're...well, we're roasting a little less than in July?

• Head on over to Little Havana tonight for Viernes Culturales (Cultural Fridays), where on 8th street, between 14th and 17th avenues, there will be food, art and music. Best part is that it's free. The event starts at 6:30.

• What would a summer Saturday be without Cooking at the Cellar? This week, check out Tantra's Sandee Birdsong (she of Top Chef fame) prepare Miami Spice dishes at the Aventura Macy's. In Dadeland, Edgar Leal of Cacao will be doing the same. Both events start at 1 p.m.

• Allen Susser of Chef Allen's continues his summer cooking classes on Tuesday with a North African flavors class. On the menu that night: charmoula-spiced mussels and preserved lemon salad. Class starts at 6 p.m. at the restaurant, and it costs $10. Call 305-935-2900 for more information.

• Tomorrow at Mr. G's Rock & Roll Bar & Grill in West Palm Beach catch reggae band Bradley Brown and Rhythmation. The show starts at 10 p.m., and ladies drink free 9-11.

• There will be a large party at Jetsetter Lounge in Lake Worth this weekend; that much is clear. We're trying to parse the rest of the information from this e-mail, but the bright colors (think aqua, purple and lime green) are giving us a headache. There will be drink specials, artwork, music (the above-mentioned Bradley Brown will be there on Sunday), and a Polynesian menu. If you want more information than that, go to the restaurant's website.

• There's a huge sale going on at Premier Wine Club in downtown Miami; the owners are liquidating the entire store's stock. In this process, they've also discovered a few rare and unique wines hidden among the other bottles, and they're inviting people to come have a taste. This Thursday, from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m., for $20 you can taste these wines, some of which never make it to the retail market. For a reservation, call 305-416-5187.

• Social Miami is deemed a good Miami Spice destination. [All Purpose Dark]

• The Restaurant at the Setai continues to be the big hit of this Miami Spice season. [consumable joy]

• The croquettes with parmesan ice cream (and the rest of the Miami Spice menu) are winners at Ola. [Chowhound]

• More raves, this time for Talula . [Chowhound]

• Talula again, except a bit more lukewarm in the praise. [consumable joy]

A friend of ours went to Dada in Delray Beach last night and told us about a storytelling project going on there called VOX. On the last Sunday of each month at 8:30 p.m., anyone can sign up for a 5-7 minute slot and basically just get up there and tell a story. Which sounds terrifying to us, as we're not big on the whole public speaking thing. But we enjoy a good story. And a good story with good food and drink sounds like a great night to us.

At the end of the night, the first- and second-place storytellers get $50 and $25, respectively. The program is run by Florida Atlantic University and often hosts storytelling slams in other venues as well, but the Dada one seems to be the only regularly occurring one. So head over there next month, do your thing, and see if you can win any cash. Check out the South Florida Storytelling site for tips on how best to tell your story.

South Florida Storytelling Project [Florida Atlantic University]
Dada [MenuPages]
Dada [Official Site]

• Plenty of curry and kabobs at the Pakistani Independence Day Festival at Bayfront Park, where some local Indian and Pakistani restaurants will be selling platefuls of food. [Miami Herald]

• Two Cooking at the Cellar events on Saturday: at the Aventura Macy's, you can watch Smith & Wollensky's Robert Mignola prepare a dish from the Miami Spice menu, and at the Dadeland Macy's, you'll find Ginger Grove chef Donna Winter. Both events start at 1 p.m.

• From Pakistan to Argentina: on Monday, Novecento's Brickell location is hosting a five-course dinner featuring the wines of Michel Torino and the cuisine of northern Argentina. This should be interesting, as the food from the northern areas like Salta and Tucumán differs a bit from the Porteño food common in local Argentine restaurants. Northwestern Argentina is arid and Andean, so while there's still a lot of beef, dishes include more corn items, like tamales, and the Italian influence so ever-present in Buenos Aires is absent. Dinner starts at 7 p.m. and costs $80 plus tax and tip. Call 786-515-7007 to make a reservation.

• If wine isn't for you, try the four-course tequila pairing dinner at Cafe Sambal. Dinner starts at 7 p.m. and costs $90 plus tax and tip. Call 305-913-8358 for a reservation.

• Calling all chocoholics! There's a chocolate tasting party at the Romero Britto Gallery (818 Lincoln Rd in Miami Beach). Tickets are $30 at the door, and the money goes to charity. On Thursday, August 23 from 7 pm to 10 pm.

• After the chocolate tasting, head over to Casa Toscana in Miami Shores, where they'll be tasting Tuscan wines on Thursday evening. $10 per person, call 305-757-4454 to RSVP.

A Chowhound thread alerted us to the fact that the South Beach Food & Wine Festival's prices for 2008 are increasing from $150 to $200. We perused the site, but couldn't quite figure out if there will be a corresponding increase in food or activities. We're guessing that's not the case. Chowhound sprmario had this to say about the event:

The grand tasting opens up at 11am in a small area that includes some small tents (probably 15 or so) along w/ 3 large stage tents. The stage tents have live events from various celebrity chefs... Martha Stewart, Paula Dean, Rachel Ray, Tyler Florence, Emiril, etc. along w/ some of the better known local chefs like Norman Van Aiken and Cindy Hudson. There is a reasonable amount of food, drinks and wine at this outer "staging" area.

Then at 1pm they open up the extremely large tents which are full of food, spirits and wine... I expected more food offerings than there actually were. This led to some fairly long lines at places that offered food, in particular, hot food (there was a lot of gazpacho and ceviche). There is almost zero wait for any alchoholic beverages.

The big tents closed at 5pm and then the outer staging area closed at 6pm.

We were there from 11am thru to 6pm to take full advantage of everything. It was definately worth it to my fiance and I last year at $150 per ticket. $200 per is a big increase but i think we'll go back again this year.

Long lines for food and zero wait for alcoholic beverages? That sounds like a recipe for drunken disaster.

2007 Sobe Wine and Food Fest [Chowhound]
South Beach Wine and Food Festival [Official Site]

In the past, Florida Trend has solicited votes for its Golden Spoon awards through its dead-tree magazine form, but this year, they're asking for votes from the unwashed masses on the Internet. And if you vote, you just might win dinner for two at one of the award-winning restaurants. You've got until August 31.

Last year's winners in South Florida included Johnny V, The River House , Sunfish Grill and Cafe Boulud.

Vote for Golden Spoon Awards [Florida Trend]

• Get to the Whole Foods in Palm Beach Gardens for a "Brews 'n' Blues" event tonight from 5 to 8 p.m. A donation of $20, to benefit the Lighthouse Center for the Arts in Tequesta, will get you a mini beer mug and food and drink.

• Chef Allen Susser's Summer of Spice cooking class, held every Tuesday in August and September, is focusing on Mediterranean spice this Tuesday. The menu will include pan spiced mahi-mahi with clams and cava and green lentils with chorizo and almonds. Class starts at 6 p.m. at Chef Allen's and costs $10.

• What would a Saturday be without Cooking at the Cellar events at Macy's? In Aventura, we have Jose Luis Flores, the pastry chef at Ola, and in Dadeland, Chef Alton Forbes of GNU Restaurant & Lounge will be cooking a dish from his Miami Spice menu. Both events start at 1 p.m. and are free.

If you weren't deterred by what Gail Shepherd had to say about the life of a food critic, well then here's your chance at fame, free food and a bigger waistline. Plum is having a contest to find a reader reviewer, who will be given money to feast at Miami Beach restaurants and write about them. Here are the details:

Send us a brief write-up (300 words or less) of your favorite Beach restaurant by next Thursday (Aug 23). We’ll pick a winner Friday morning, run the winning review that day, and pass along two Miami Spice dining certificates (free steak!) by Monday. Send us your review of that meal and we’ll run it as well.

If you win, at the very least, you could take us to dinner, right?

Everyone's a Critic [Plum]

We go giddy at the thought of a food festival. So too, apparently, do the people at the James Beard Foundation, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary with festivals in 20 American cities, all on September 28-29. Miami happens to be one of these cities. Here's a rundown of the events planned for the weekend:

Continue reading "James Beard's Taste America Coming To Miami Next Month" »

• Tonight at La Cofradia: the Peruvian/Mediterranean fare will be paired with Antorini wines from Tuscany. Five courses, $95 per person, not including tax and tip. Dinner starts at 7, so don't be late! [La Cofradia]

• If you're free August 15, 22 or 29, you might want to check out the Bordeaux classes at Vino Miami. For $50, you get to taste six wines and sample French cheeses. The first class (tomorrow) starts at 7:30 p.m. [VINO Miami]

• The Falcon House, a tapas restaurant in Delray Beach, is celebrating its sixth anniversary with party on Friday. There will be passed appetizers 4-6 p.m. and happy hour 4-7 p.m., but that's all we know, and the restaurant's website doesn't offer any details.

• We've got two more Cooking at the Cellar events this weekend. In the Aventura Macy's, Orlando Amaro of Blu Moon will prepare dishes from the restaurant's Miami Spice menu. And at the Dadeland Macy's, Jason Schneider of Bizcaya Grill will be doing the same thing. Both events are tomorrow at 1 p.m.

• Also tomorrow is the Anti-Aging Festival at Wild Oats (11701 S. Dixie Hwy in Pinecrest), which includes an antioxidant cooking class with Marcus Ortiz, chef with the Wellness Community.

• Tuesday is ladies' night at North One 10, where women will get a free glass of wine with their Miami Spice dinners after 6 p.m.

The commercial lobster season is underway, and those crazy conchs down in Key West want to celebrate. So go join them, because we all know nobody throws a better party. Fifteen bars and restaurants are participating in the Key West Lobsterfest, which starts tonight with a concert and a bar crawl and ends Sunday morning with a brunch. Tomorrow, Duval Street will be overrun by a street fair, with arts, crafts, and lots of lobster. Leave now and you can beat the weekend traffic on US1.

Key West Lobsterfest

Have you ever gone to Wish and thought, 'if only I could cook like that'? Well here's your chance to learn. This summer, the restaurant launched Mondays with Michael, a cooking class followed by a multi-course wine dinner. Prices are $175 per person, and each class is capped at 16. The classes start at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception (we're thinking there may be more drinking going on here than actual cooking). The next two classes are "Strange Fruit" on August 27 and "Up in Smoke" (think BBQ) on September 24. To register, call 305-674-9474.

Wish [MenuPages]
Wish [Official Site]

• There's a free wine tasting tonight at Sage French Cafe in Fort Lauderdale from 5 to 7 p.m. Don't worry if you miss this one; there's one on the first Tuesday of every month.

• Yep, more wine: this Thursday, take a "Trip Around Italy" in a wine tasting at Casa Toscana in Miami Shores. They'll be serving wine from Sardinia, Tuscany, Piedmont and Veneto. Cost is $10 per person, and the featured wines will be 10 percent off. The event starts at 7 p.m.; call 305-757-4454 to RSVP.

• If you were planning to attend the Uniquey Boutiquey Wine Dinner at Vino Miami on Thursday, you should know that there's been a change of plans. It's been rescheduled for sometime in mid-September. Looks like they've got 15 spots available, so if you're interested, you can get in touch with them at vino@vinomiami.com.

The first weekend of Miami Spice is done, and so far, we've found just one review, over at Mango&Lime:

Had dinner at Sushi Samba tonight with a friend who was visiting from out of town and wanted to try their Miami Spice menu. Thing is, they weren’t offering it. Not until tomorrow, our waiter told us. My friend pointed out that Miami Spice started August 1. He said yeah, but we’re not starting until tomorrow. He confirmed they would be offering it on Sunday — just not this Sunday. He didn’t really explain why.

Well that's certainly annoying. So at least one restaurant tried to squeeze in one more full-priced weekend before offering its Miami Spice restaurant. Did anyone else have problems getting Miami Spice menus at restaurants? Let us know in the comments!

Miami Spice? Not tonight [Mango&Lime]
Sushi Samba [MenuPages]
Sushi Samba [Official Site]

We're a little late to ballgame here, but we'll post it anyway, for the benefit of anyone heading for a mid-afternoon coffee run. Broward and Palm Beach Dunkin' Donuts are offering free iced tea today as a promotion for their new original, raspberry, and peach-flavored teas.

Dunkin' Donuts to offer free iced tea [Sun-Sentinel]

We're in a philanthropic mood today, and that's a good thing, because Share Our Strength's annual Taste of the Nation is in Miami on Wednesday. The event, at the Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne, will feature food from 40 participating South Florida restaurants. General admission is $125, but for double the money, you get access to the food an hour earlier and admission to a champagne reception. And all that money you're spending goes to support local agencies, like Camillus House and Daily Bread Food Bank, that work to combat hunger in the area.

• Tinta y Cafe and Tobacco Road are sponsoring a 111th birthday bash (that's a lot of candles!) for the City of Miami with art installations, food and booze. The event begins tomorrow at 9 p.m. at the Jose Marti Building, 801 SW 3rd Ave. A $50 VIP pass gets you all the food and drink your stomach desires. [Camposition]

• Two Cooking at the Cellar events this Saturday, one at the Aventura Macy's (19053 Biscayne Blvd) with Kurtis Jantz, the executive chef at Neomi's, and the other at the Dadeland Macy's (7675 N Kendall Dr) with La Cofradia executive chef Jean Paul Desmaison.

• It's Caribbean Carnival this weekend at Jetsetter Lounge in Lake Worth. There'll be a special Islands menu on Saturday and Sunday. [Jetsetter Lounge]

• Spain is taking over Vino Miami in Miami Beach tomorrow night. Sip on Spanish wine and pick at tapas while watching some of Pedro Almodovar's finest films. Actually, we're not sure exactly what you'll be watching (details are sketchy), but it will definitely involve Almodovar. Tickets are $20 per person. [Vino Miami]

• Local poet Howard Camner, who was once nominated to be the state's poet laureate, will be at North One 10 in North Miami for an evening of food, wine, music, and of course poetry. The menu item names are a hoot. "Uncensored wild salmon on the road of wheat, mango chutney" anyone? [North One 10]

So where will you be dining next week? Miami Spice, a two-month-long promotional event organized by the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, starts a week from today. During August and September, three-course lunches and dinners will cost $22 and $35, respectively, at 80 participating restaurants in Miami and Miami Beach. (FYI: That price doesn't include drinks, tax, or tip.) At some places, that's a not-so-great deal, but at others, it's definitely a good value. So peruse the list (most restaurants include their special Miami Spice menus) and start making reservations!

Think you can tackle this guy and win? Here's your chance to try. The two-day lobster mini season starts on Wednesday morning at 12:01 a.m. and ends exactly 48 hours later. We'll run down the rules for those of you who plan to dive in the Keys or elsewhere for lobster:

• You need a saltwater fishing license with a lobster stamp. If you don't have one already, you might want to get one. Now.

• No more than six lobsters per day per licensed harvester in Monroe County, no more than 12 per day elsewhere in Florida.

• No diving at night in Monroe County, and no diving within 300 feet of private property in the Keys.

• And there are a few prohibited zones: Biscayne Bay/Card Sound Spiny Lobster Sanctuary, the Everglades, the Dry Tortugas, and John Pennekamp State Park.

2007 Lobster Mini Season in the Florida Keys [Florida Keys Treasures]
Photo: Flickr

• Learn to cook the Trinidadian dish Chicken Pelau at Macy's in Dadeland on Saturday. [Macys]

• Yes, we've already mentioned this before, but just in case you forgot: the mango festival is on this weekend, at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Indulge in dozens of varieties of mangoes. [Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden]

• Cucina D'Angelo's Chef Angelo Morinelli presents Cigar-B-Que on July 12, where diners will sip on cognacs and smoke cigars in between their three food courses. Tickets cost $100. For more information, or to buy tickets, check the restaurant's website.

• This Thursday at Premier Wine Club the Argentine malbecs will be flowing at an evening tasting. The event starts at 6:30 and costs $20 per person; $10 of the entry fee will go towards a purchase of a featured wine.

• It's still a few days off, but we can't wait until the mango festival at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. The event kicks off this Friday with the Pirate's Ball, at which costumes are encouraged.

• The ninth annual Festival Argentino starts this Sunday at noon at Tamiami Park. There will be plenty of bands playing tango, cumbia and folkloric music, which is all very nice, but really, what we go for is the food: parrilladas, chorizos, empanadas, and all manner of sweets doused in dulce de leche. We recommend going on an empty stomach.

• For just $12, you can get a three-course lunch from FIU students in the hospitality program at the school's North Miami campus. Call 305-919-4500 to reserve for July 10, 17, 19, or 31 at 11:45 a.m.

• Celebrate 7-7-07 with a seven-course meal paired with seven wines from seven countries at Pelican Hotel and Restaurant in Miami Beach. It starts at 7 p.m. (naturally), and will set you back $77.

• Taste of Summer, Broward and Palm Beach's restaurant promotion program, features prix-fixe menus throughout July and August at participating restaurants.

• Crash the South Florida Faces Singles pre-4th dance party at Christopher's Nightclub in Fort Lauderdale tonight. There'll be a DJ and a dinner buffet, all for a cover charge of $13.

• Forget the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. We here in South Florida have our very own July 4th wiener competition at Peacock Park in Coconut Grove. Tomorrow's event—the first of what we hope will become an annual tradition—will consist of two rounds of 10 contestants attempting to eat 20 hot dogs as quickly as possible. Winner gets $500 and a trophy.

• Up for more hot dogs? Check out the corn dogs on the All-American menu at Mama Lila's Bistro's "Star-Spangled ElectroFunk" party in Coral Gables.