Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Wagyu Dinner, Chef Brana 3/26/11


Saturday March 26th, 2011
The Wagyu Dinner


Beef Nuta (Ribeye Cap)


Filet cured in the style of Bresaola, charred eggplant, and cucumber


“Curry Oxtail” terrine, carrot flowers, spicy vinegar


Picanha (Sirloin Cap Steak), blistered tomato, salsa criolla


Consomme, turnip, onion, paccheri


Rib steak, potatoes cooked in beef fat, breakfast radish, braised lettuce, bordelaise


Cheddar, backyard mulberries, pea tendrils (the mulberry bush), shortbread soil


Flan


Rosewater merengue



The bar for meal of the year was set very high this past Saturday night by Chef Jeffrey Brana and his Wagyu themed dinner (although I suspect Chef Mickey will put up a fight...)  Big thanks to Ryan @ Miami's Restaurant Power Rankings for the 411 on the great food Chef Brana is serving at his "underground" dinners.


300px Wagyu Sneaky, Seedy Restaurant Tricks

For those unfamiliar with Chef Brana, he was recognized as a "rising star chef" by Star Chefs in 2004.  In 2005 he was executive chef at Norman Van Aken’s original Norman's when they received a James Beard nomination  for best restaurant in America.  In 2006 he opened the short lived Restaurant Brana (closed for personal/family reasons) with his wife Anna who was marketing manager at Norman's for several years.

 

The Brana dinners are usually held on Saturday's at an initially undisclosed location in the Coral Gables/South Miami area. Seating is limited to eight to ten people.  Dinners costs $85 with a portion of the proceeds benefiting  Cancer Connections a non-profit the Brana's recently founded that focuses on the overall well being of cancer patients. An additional $15 donation is suggested but not required.  This is a cause near and dear to the Brana's as evidenced by a quote of Anna's on their website “This project is a promise. A promise I made to my sister Gaby, who succumbed to cancer at a young age”.

ChowP a/k/a The Chowprincess and I were very excited to attend the Wagyu dinner despite not knowing anyone attending besides Ryan.  We were fortunate to be surrounded by a fun group of food lovers who shared great conversation although it did degenerate at one point to a funny Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian discussion.(and surprisingly it wasn't ChowP's doing)

Okay, enough of my banter, on to the main event, the food.

For my vegetarian followers, all two of you, Kobe beef is made from Wagyu cows specially bred and raised in the Kobe region of Japan.  "Wagyu beef" refers only to the breed of cow.

Our dinner featured beef from the side of a single Wagyu sourced from a family farm in central Florida.  The Wagyu was a purebred from traceable breed stock and 100% grass fed.  According to sources  most Wagyu in the United States is cross bred with Angus and thus only 50% Wagyu.  

All vegetables, fruits, greens and herbs served by Chef Brana are regionally local. Chef Brana provided a great quote "don't want to preach about this, it should be assumed".   
Kobe Bryant (left)  and  teammate  Lamar Odom (right)   of  the   Los Angeles  Lakers.  It  remains to  be  seen as  to  whether  or  not  Odom  will  remain  a  Laker  for  the   forseeable   future.   As it'd  appear that   contract   negotiations  have  stalled.   The  player  is  also   said a  desired  target  of the  Miami Heat.     picture appears  courtesy  of   ap/photo/  Elvis   Takahida ...................
Kobe & a Kardashian















I loathe taking pictures of my meals and rarely do but I must admit that I wish I had some to share with you from this truly outstanding meal.

ROUND ONE
Chef Brana started with a perfect jab to the palate. He hit us with one of my favorite cuts of beef, the ribeye cap. His "Beef Nuta" featured meat from in between the fat on the ribeye cap.  It was cooked sous-vide and mixed with nuta sauce comprised of saikyo miso, sake, rice wine vinegar and Japanese hot mustard.  I enjoyed the soft texture of the dish as well as the balance of flavors provided by the cap and the nuta sauce. There was a subtle sweetness to the dish that I assume was produced by the Saikyo miso.  It was a combination Sugar Ray would be proud of and a nice introduction to the outstanding product. 

ROUND TWO
Chef Brana connected again in round two with his filet cured in the style of bresaola.  The tenderloin was cured for three days and served with young local eggplant charred on a plancha and pureed with sliced cucumbers and chive flowers.  After seeing the plating of the dish and taking my first bite,  I blurted "Wolfie's!!!"  I doubt that Chef Brana was shooting for a riff on a Jewish Deli but that is the sweet spot this dish tapped into.  The sliced beef, cucumbers and charred eggplant really reminded me of a deli sandwich  minus the bread.(think mustard/pickles) Regardless, the beef and combined flavors were perfect.  

ROUND THREE
Chef Brana came out swinging and connected with a right hook to the jaw via his "Curry Oxtail" Terrine. Chef Brana's version was braised with Caribbean curry and served as a chilled terrine with carrot flowers, mustard and arugula greens, spicy vinegar and dijon mustard. I'm a terrine fan and Chef Brana's version was a tasty vehicle for the tail.

ROUND FOUR
A severe body blow was delivered next via the picanha.  The picanha is a small muscle from the cap of the sirloin. Chef Brana's really tender and flavorful picanha was accompanied by a blistered Teena'a Pride tomato, salsa criolla and thyme flowers.  This dish was so good that it sent me to the canvass for an eight count.    

ROUND FIVE
I was dazed at this point and trying hard to recover. I knew that the planned Chowfather rope a dope wasn't  going to work. That said, Chef Brana decided to be kind this round and kept the Wagyu in his corner, sort of...  He danced around the ring to the tune of a beef consomme. It featured a butter poached turnip cooked (sous-vide), a local spring onion that was cooked in the same pan as the picanha (great call) and pasta cut into rings.  The pasta was probably my least favorite item of the night (due to the tough competition) but  was served perfectly al dente.  The consomme was obviously packed with enjoyably rich flavors. This dish was a nice change of pace.

ROUND SIX
Let the record be clear, Chef Brana doesn't fight fair.  Just as the bell rang for round six, he pummeled us with a huge upper cut to the jaw.  "Down goes Chowfather!!" "Down goes Chowfather!!"  I didn't see the knockout punch coming.  Rib steak, potatoes cooked in beef fat, breakfast radish, braised lettuce and bordelaise.  What more can I say besides Delicioso!!  Chef Brana used a whole ribeye roast which was cooked slowly and served with small potatoes cooked in beef tallow, butter poached breakfast radish and lettuce.  The tender steak melted in your mouth.  I tried to eat this dish slowly in order to savor every bite but that was impossible. KO

Once the fight was called, Chef Brana tossed in a cheese course featuring cheddar from Neal's Yard in England served with mulberries.  There was also some "Blis" bourbon barrel aged maple syrup on the plate. This was a very enjoyable cheese course.

Although the gloves were off, Chef Brana didn't mind sucker punching us with a haymaker for dessert.  I'm not a flan lover but his simple version was all about showcasing the smooth custard which was perfectly sweet.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a piece of Wagyu in the middle of the custard.  I kid, I kid.  Flan de Wagyu anyone??

As we finished dessert I glanced across the room and saw a bunch of happy faces on guests who were in no rush to leave.

Before leaving, there was one more surprise which was a tasty rosewater merengue.

Chef Brana clearly has modern and technically precise cooking skills.  He also has a much appreciated light hand and really knows how to treat and respect quality ingredients.   

I HIGHLY recommend paying a visit to one of Chef Brana's dinners.  Chef Brana is a heavyweight whose food should not be missed.

 Brana Food Group

http://twitter.com/#!/branafoodgroup

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Great Chefs, Great Food, Great Cause 4/7/11

Food fans,
This sounds like a great event for a great cause.  See you there.

An Evening to Benefit Common Threads Featuring Chef Jeffrey Brana and GastroPod at Chow Down Grill

Two Seatings: 6:00pm & 8:30pm
26 seats available per seating
Multi-Course Menu
(Wine is BYOB or available for purchase)
Chow Down Grill
9517 Harding Avenue, Surfside 33154

Cost: $125 per person (Inclusive of tax, gratuity and donation to Common Threads)
Also, Chef Jeremiah and the Gastropod will be out front serving walk-up guests and helping us raise money for Common Threads Pod style. No reservations required for outside seating.
Tickets available at: http://ctdinner.eventbrite.com

Friday, March 25, 2011

Excited - Sad/15 Minutes = Bullshit

The following was a very frustrating and disappointing turn of events that occurred last Sunday. I was ready to go at noon and hit the buy button the instant it came up.  As you can see, I was initially successful but it was stripped from me 15 minutes later via another email.  I can appreciate that glitches occur but I still dispute that I was not in the top 5.  No worries, I've been practicing all week...

EXCITED

Dear xxx,
Thank you so much for shopping with Gilt City. Please find your order information below. A detailed summary of your order is also available at http://www.giltcity.com/account.
Your 1500° at Eden Roc certificate with redemption instructions will be emailed to the email address on file shortly.

1500° at Eden Roc
$25 for $150 Worth of Cuisine -
$150 of credit to be used at 1500° at Eden Roc.

100% of proceeds will be donated to Share Our Strength. 

There are only 5 units available for this sale. Limit one per member. Offer must be redeemed by June 20, 2011.

SAD
We Apologize 
Due to an inventory error we were unable to fulfill the following order.

Please note we have not charged your credit card for this item.
You have been credited an additional $25 to use towards your next purchase on our site. 
We apologize for this inconvenience and aim to serve you better next time you shop.
 
BULLSHIT

Hi xxx,

Thank you for contacting Gilt City.

We can totally understand your frustration - your order was actually in the first 10 orders placed, and there were only milliseconds between each of those orders. Unfortunately, as thousands of members were all on purchasing at the same time, it was not a matter of who got to the sale first, but just luck-of-the-draw as to whose system accepted the order.

Best,
Gilt City Support


 















Monday, March 21, 2011

The Chowfather turns 3!!!

Wow, its been exactly three years since I unexpectedly gave birth to The Chowfather (blog).  The name, actually goes back farther than that via my numerous posts over the years on Chowhound.   Well, three years later and I'm still not sure what possessed the very private me to start a blog.  That said, I am very passionate about food and enjoy supporting the many great restaurants and chefs in the area. The restaurants and chefs that are working hard and turning out solid food deserve credit and recognition.  Hopefully, The Chowfather has been able to spread the word and steer people to the worthy spots in the community.  I also hope that I have been able to save you from spending your hard earned money on subpar places. Again, I'm not looking to be a critic. I'm just a food fan-atic who really enjoys searching for and eating great food and passing my finds on to you.

I set out to remain anonymous for various reasons including privacy.  I've tried to remain undercover but that became increasingly difficult following the start of Cobaya | Gourmet Guinea Pigs

Anyway, since I am a big sports fan my intention was to post my weekly rankings of restaurants and mix in dishes that I liked and would recommend from each spot.  I didn't stick to the format but did post updated rankings along the way as well as my "Tiers of Burgers" and "Tiers of Excellence" which were essentially rankings grouped in tiers since it was easier than trying to differentiate between the number 4 and 5 restaurant  on the list.  I think the Tiers work better and I will post an updated Tier after the Eater/Chowfather March Madness Madness is over. You can vote for that over at Eater Miami.  Link is below.

THE FOLLOWING IS MY FIRST POST

Friday, March 21, 2008


Top Restaurants

Current Rankings

1. Michael's Genuine Food & Drink
favorites- crispy hominey, crispy beef cheek, Pork Shoulder, crispy sweet and spicy pork belly, chargrilled octopus, pulled pork sandwich (lunch menu), potato chips and French onion dip.

2. Michy's
favorites- bibb lettuce salad, truffled polenta, any gnocchi.

3. Sardinia
favorites-fregola con polipo (Sardinian couscous with baby octopus), broccoli rabe, brussel sprouts, roasted beets, Salumi plate, various pastas..

4. Yakko-San
favorites- crispy bok choy, hamachi kama (sooo good), yellowtail sashimi, grilled pork belly, kimchee buta, Udon noodles w/chicken/veggies, it's all good!!!









The Food Bitch
Conception of a Guinea Pig Met Frodesor and SteveBM shortly after that post and the rest is history.
3.  Chowfather Medium Rare getting grilled by South Florida Food & Wine
4.  Boyston Oyster Party  just an insane eating display of outstanding food





Friday, March 18, 2011

Eater Miami/Chowfather March Madness Madness

We've partnered with our friends over at Eater Miami to bring you the Eater Miami/Chowfather March Madness Madness.  The first round matchups are up so go vote and check back today to see who will move on to the sweet sixteen. 

Link to vote is below
Eater Miami/Chowfather March Madness Madness

*Couple of notes.  Area 31 and Azul were not considered because of the brand new chefs/menus.  Same with Route 9.  I also did not include any food trucks. They may have a bracket of their own soon.  Same with burger joints. 












Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Shamrock Fest 3/17/11 @ Tobacco Road



PLUS YOU CAN WATCH THE NCAA TOURNEY!!!

Chowfather Madness Round one

Now that you've had time to digest the selection committee's final qualifiers, it's time to reveal the seeds and bracket.  *I'm still not sure how I'm going to conduct the voting since I have no clue how to add a Poll to the page.  Stay tuned or go ahead and leave your first round picks for any of the match ups in the comments section or shoot me an email @ thechowfather@gmail.com.

 ******* UPDATE
We've partnered with our friends over at Eater Miami to bring you the Eater Miami/Chowfather March Madness Madness.  The first round matchups are up so go vote and check back to see who will move on to the sweet sixteen.

March Madness Madness Round One






Chowfather Madness

Since I am a huge sports and food fan, I felt it was perfect timing to combine my love of food and sports and create a Miami Food Tourney.

We will be fielding a 32 restaurant field led by two #1 seeds.  You my loyal followers of the blog and via twitter will vote on each match up via email, tweets and the comment section.   

It was not easy narrowing the list of restaurants to 32.  Thus, there will be some disappointed restaurants at the end of the selection show.   

At this time I will not reveal the rankings but I will reveal the restaurants who have qualified for Chowfather Madness 2011.

In no particular order, MGFD, Michy's, NAOE, Bourbon Steak,Sugarcane, db bistro Moderne, Zuma, Nobu, Joe's, Yakko San , Sushi Deli,  Altamare,  Scarpetta,  Sra. Martinez,  BLT,  Prime112,  Hakkasan, Blue door, Bond St,  Red Light, Osteria del Teatro, Sardinia, Macaluso. Sakaya Kitchen, gastropod, chowdown grill, American Noodle, Gigi , Sustain, Pubbelly, Timo, and  Area 31.

Up next are the rankings and bracket matchups

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Evening with Clovis Taittinger @ Setai 3/16/11

An Evening with Clovis Taittinger.

March 16, 2011 (Wed) from 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Miami Beach, Florida

Cost: Free flowing Champagne to all guests that dinner in the Grill
 
Please joins us for dinner in the Grill with our special guests Clovis Taittinger.  Free flowing Taittinger Brut and Rose will be served as you enjoy contemporary tapas-style cuisine from Chef David Werly.  Dine at your leisure and meet one of most important figures in Champagne.  Come early or stay late to enjoy a special live jazz performance.

Visit Website: setai.com

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Long Standing Restaurants in South Beach

This came to my attention after realizing that Grillfish on Collins Ave and Tantra were both still open and places I haven't been to in 10 + years.

1. Joe's - 1913
2. Puerta Sagua-1962
3. Kim's Chinese-1964
4. David's Cafe-1977
5. Bella Napoli - 1980
6. Osteria Del Teatro- 1987 (Never Been)
7. Toni's Sushi -1987
8. Tiramesu- 1988 (shocker.  Not sure when it moved to Lincoln Road from Ocean) 
9. News Cafe-1988
10. La Sandwicherie- 1988 (including b/c it's a favorite of mine)
11. A Fish Called Avalon-1989
12. Front Porch Cafe-1990
13. Maiko Japanese- 1992
14. 11th Street Diner- 1992 (dining car dates back to 1948)
15. Larios on the Beach-1992
16. Da Leo Trattoria-1993  
17. Sushi Rock-1993  
18. Escopazzo - 1993
19. El Rancho Grande- 1993
20. Grillfish -1994   (surprising longevity.  haven't been since '98) 
21. Tap Tap-1994  (Never been)
22. Van Dyke-1994
23. Thai House- 1994
24. Caffe Milano- 1995
25. Yuca- 1995
26. Spiga-1995 
27. Monty's- 1996
28. Pizza Rustica -1996
29. China Grill - 1996 
30. Big Pink- 1996
31. El Chalan- 1997
32. Rosinella -1997  
33. Blue Door -1997
34. Balans-1997  
35. Smith & Wollensky- 1997
36. Tantra -1997   
37. Nexxt Cafe-1998 (surprising)
38. Sushi Siam- 1998
39.Joe Allen-1998 
40. Spris- 1998
41. Wish-1998  
42. World Resource Cafe- 1999 (thought it was older than that)
43. Macaluso's-1999

I left Mango's off the list.  Clevelander too.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Twitter Killed the Blog Star... the Buggles 2011

I'd love to blame the fact that I've been too busy with my day job and family for the lack of reviews recently.  Unfortunately, they are not entirely the blame.  You see, Twitter has killed the blog.  Why sit down and spend time blogging when you can say what you need to say (great, that John Mayer song is going to be stuck in my head all day now) in a succinct and instantaneous manner.  

The irony is that I'm antisocial, refuse to go anywhere near Facebook yet LOVE Twitter.  Go figure...

To make up for the lack of recent reviews I've decided to post my unedited food and wine related tweets thus far for 2011.

In case you only read the blog and don't follow on Twitter or just missed em....

 TWEETS

12/31- Wait, buzzer beater.., here comes the UNI @.

1/1- bar set very high when your first bite of 2011 just past midnight is uni @. will be hard to beat

1/4- I'd rec @ RT @ Ok Miami foodies where to take the wife for fabulous B-Day Dinner with great wine list? Suggestions

1/4- @ blog The Office "Delray spot hyped for their burger. Tasted sour, pass" Kelly's Landing (downhill alert) Flip Burger (ehh, skip it)

1/4- @ check out Goyo el Pollo & Petit Prince (Hollywood) and El Tamarindo (Hallandale)

1/6- Winner winner Crispy pig head special @

1/7- @ any tickets left for the best of the best stale diet bash?

1/8- @ @ I'd love to see someone in Miami do a molecular/cutting edge dim sum brunch with a latin twist.

1/8- On a solo NY style pizza crawl. @ original Mario the Baker on Dixie. Just Ok. Looks right but has no taste next stop steve's

1/8- Slice @ Steve's (north Miami) still very good for Miami pizza but not as good as Mauro's in Hollywood

1/8- Slice @ Pizza Roma (Aventura) almost gets it right but not enough sauce to rise above mediocrity. taste too much of the dough for me

1/10- mmmm Sysco to table

1/12- Cobaya Chow Down was a winner. Great meal and great time. Big thanks to Josh and team @ & @ 2.

1/13- Carmelo Anthony is going to be a Knick when it is all said and done. Watch (OK not food related BUT I called it early)

1/15- Circus w/ chowtwins, then stocking up on food from @ for two great NFL playoff games

1/15- The Naughty Wok Star could be a hit show on Food Network or Cinemax.. we can sell "scantily-clad woks" too @

1/18- Truck Fest @ Scum Bags trial RT @ Short_Order: Miami's Gourmet Food Truck Ass Staffed Accused Child Molester

1/18- @ Chapultepec in Hallandale serves authentic Mexican too. Interesting looking place

1/20- Just made reservation @ Chef Mickey's. Oyyyyyyyyyy

1/23- Awesome @ cameo by chef @ with crab dip & crawfish bread

1/25- who the heck thought they were actually eating 100% beef at Taco Bell???

1/26- Great burger @ Rok Brgr

1/26- Must be the swimsuit issue RT @ I forgot to mention, thanks for asking me to be a part of the March issue @

1/26- I wish you were packing for Dallas.. GREAT season RT@ Man I really wish I was in Hawaii right now....

1/26- Breaking News- the @ Pizza Bagel Truck featuring Snookie lox pie, Dr. Brown's soda & Negroni's is almost ready for launch

1/29- "Classic Brooklyn" pizza @ Racks (NMB) good but almost entire menu is overpriced pizza included

1/30- How can water club be out of Mahi fingers & the seafood salad on Sun at 2? Prob lucky for us...

1/30- Wow took over hour to get any food and half groups food didn't arrive. Waiter asks US what was missing @ water club.

1/30- Caribbean seafood chowder with no seafood and lobster spring rolls with no lobster YUM!! @

1/30- I just looked in kitchen to see if Gordon Ramsey was here filming an episode of kitchen nightmares @

2/1- @ mentiond a food truck & ate a burgerThe end RT @ Busy day some1 summrze evrythng intrstng tht happnd onTwitter 2day?

2/3- Good opp 4 Miami Brgr fans RT @ @ Menu for 2night @ 81st & Biscyne is a good rep of their food

2/4- Rok Brgr is slammed right now

2/5- A pork bun crawl would be easy to do with @ @ & @

2/5- Getting ready for new Sat. workout- walking from truck #1 to #20 @ Whistle Stop Food Truck Rodeo

2/6- Eat your heart out @ great burgers from @

2/7- @ @ I didnt try the tacos but really liked the shrimp remoulade & crispy capers roll @

2/8- To BTTR or not to BTTR that is the question

2/9- @ check out Rok Brgr in Ft. Lauderdale. Better burger than Heavy Burger

2/9- Expected to hate @ burgerFi after taking 30mins 2 order &15 to get burger & was knowingly short changed But the burger was good

2/10- Winner winner- Thin cut beef short ribs @

2/12- Surprisingly tasty sauce & cheese on the pizza off the kids menu @ nordstrom cafe (aventura)

2/13- A+ dinner @ db Bistro Moderne escargots persillade & tasting of lamb also tasted ChowP's lobster salad & duck confit both winners too

2/14- Yep, Sysco to booth RT @ Is there another way to say farm-to-table? I feel that phrase is over used.

2/14- Nice takeout @ not a fan of busy rolls but enjoyed white dragon-spicy tuna, shrimp tempura & avocado topped w/spicy scallops

2/14- Rainbow cookies from Lorenzo's (NMB) still the best

2/15- Taste of @

2/15- @ you're close to @ for a burger for dinner

2/15- I ate a salad & liked it!!! @ enjoyed beets/cheese in 50 mile salad & the Italian sausage

2/15- I wish food trucks were really mobile and drove around your neighborhood like old school ice cream trucks

2/16 Very good fresh pasta from Casa Mia in North Miami (near Bagel Bar)

2/16- First visit to a cool/hidden wine shop/cave in FLL, Wine Watch. Drinking a fantastic 2008 Evening Land 7 Springs Pinot Noir (Oregon)

2/16- @ yes I was pleasantly surprised. Can only vouch for the housemade garganelli & tagliatelle,think owner was from Da Vinci

2/17- @ @ @ i rank em 1 Sage. 2 bagel cove 3 bagel company/ bagel bar. 4 moe's

2/17- Tripe fans, head to @ for the special

2/17- Great meal w/@ @ Loved the tripe, habenero pickled Cauliflower & szechuan Brussel sprouts,clams in bkbean sauce good too

2/20- Josh, any razors today? @ RT @ Anywhere I can eat razor clams in Miami?

2/20- @ any tripe left?

2/22- couldn't resist RT @ gadgets on the brain just found one we didn't even know we needed. Meet the Clam Ram:

2/23- decent+ first slice @ (near courthouse in Fll) cheese and sauce were legit dough was too thin &crispy for traditional

2/23- that's a loss for us RT @ Shutterwire:Pizza Volante

2/23- Captain tuna roll @ Sushi Deli

2/23- who the hell is paula dean and why is she on my tv screen??

2/24- disappointed w/ 1st roast beef w/ mutz & gravy hero @ John's Hero King (hdale) anyone been 2 the orig in Bensonhurst?

2/25- good luck to locals in Best of the Best & @ @ @ @ @ @

2/25- Battera and Marie roll + sweet shrimp & uni @ sushi deli

2/25- you're kidding, right? RT @ Guy Fieri is at Bubble Q. What a fun guy.

2/25- RT @ Discovered a wonderful amuse douche upon my arrival at Bubbleq

2/26- Good breakfast at Jet Runway Cafe (FLL) & kids loved seeing all the planes but the service was awful

2/26- Bar area at Cecconi's very cool and cocktails great

2/26- ChowP's burrata very good. My tagliatelle with lamb ok @ Cecconi's

2/26-My veal cheek @ Cecconi's was inedible.

2/26- Art Smith just walked in to Cecconi's feel like telling him to RUN

2/27- For the non night owls- my veal cheek @ Cecconi's last night was 1 of the worst things I've ever tried 2eat More like Jackass w nasty

2/27-But the food/sushi served by @ at the @ after party @ was solid

2/27- Great brunch @ green eggs and ham pizza & wet fries

2/27- champagne fans, just popped a winner, 2002 Guy Charlemagne Mesnillesime Grand Cru, Les Mesnil

2/28- Mcinnis leaving? RT @ A new brunch menu and the rumor of other changes at Gigi.

3/2- SLS Hotel Miami Expansion Plans Include Iconic sbe Brands via @

3/3- Q&A with the owner of an underground dining group. They're way fun.


3/3- @ @ pork trotters!!!!!!!

3/4- Great show, can't wait RT @ Anthony Bourdain Joins Writing Team on HBO's Treme

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

MiMo Madness 3/5/11



Mimo Madness Festival photo

Mimo Madness, the fourth annual celebration of Historic Biscayne Boulevard, will take place between 66tth and 72nd streets  on March 5, 2011 from 9AM to 6PM.  The Boulevard will become the open stage for audiences to connect with extraordinary street performers strolling the east and west side of Biscayne.  It is a fusion of public performance, outdoor market and neighborhood street party. 
The theme for 2011 Madness is neo vaudeville starring acts and music from the past.  Live stage performances and children’s activities will take place in Legion Park at 66thand Biscayne.   Antique vendors, artists and culinary tastes will capture the imagination of visitors to the City of Miami’s only commercial historic district.  Walking tours will begin at 10:30AM from 73rd and Biscayne.  
The festival is free and open to the public.  Lots of public parking is available. 
Interested Vendors are invited to contact the Association.
Please visit the website
www.mimomadness.com

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Family Day in the Design District 3/5/11




Family Day: Saturday March 5th
February 15th 2011 - The Miami Design District has already made a name for itself as the hot design and fashion hub of Miami, home of inspirational interiors, home and fashion retailers as well as great restaurants and cutting edge art galleries.  It is growing in popularity as a destination for families too, thanks to its Family Days which take place on a quarterly basis.  These are swiftly becoming must-visit events thanks to an exciting and original program of activities and events to suit every age from toddlers to teenagers – and their parents.
Now in its second year, the first Miami Design District Family Day of 2011 takes place on Saturday March 5th when retailers, restaurants and galleries in the District throw open their doors to welcome families and children alike.  From midday onwards, there will be free activities and art & craft workshops.
Children can learn to make kites good enough to fly in the Miami spring breezes, or create a sculpture using only recycled materials, thanks to the Rethink and Reuse centre.  Older kids and teens will relish the chance to try their hand at DJing, courtesy of the Scratch Academy where they can learn to master the art of mixing and scratching.  The de la Cruz Contemporary Art Space and Bass Museum of Art are also getting involved, offering families a chance to experience culture and art tailored specifically for them with a caricature artist and photography workshops.  As well as the ever popular face-painting and craft stations throughout the district, there will also be a host of tempting treats on offer which children can make themselves at restaurants throughout the district.  MaiTardi Restaurant will host a Make Your Own Pizza station while the Orange Café Art will help children decorate their own cupcakes and cookies. 
And parents haven’t been forgotten either.  In the Palm Lot, the Design District is hosting the LAUNCH Miami Market offering a range of goods from local organic produce to clothing, jewelry and handbags (contemporary and vintage) and more.  Miami’s best gourmet food trucks are also on site at the Palm Lot for lunch or a quick bite.  Anyone in search of an entertaining afternoon for the whole family involving art, craft, food and fun will find that the Miami Design District on Saturday 5th March is definitely the place to go.

Location:    MIAMI DESIGN DISTRICT FAMILY DAY
NE 39TH & 40TH STREETS FROM NE 2ND AVENUE
TO NORTH MIAMI AVENUE

Date:          SATURDAY 5TH MARCH
Time:          12.00 – 4.00PM