Archive for 2009
Don’t forget: Fairchild mango festival this weekend
Fairchild Tropical Garden’s 17th Annual International Mango Festival kicks off tomorrow. As in past years, you’ll be able to buy mango trees, learn about mango cultivars and taste some of the garden’s best mangoes.
The last time I went to the festival two years ago I found the cooking demos to be the best part, in [...]
Running with the bulls
You’ve probably seen it on TV or in pictures. The bull runners dressed in all white, red scarves around their necks, running away from with the bulls. It happens every summer during Las Fiestas de San Fermin in Pamplona. And starting tomorrow Por Fin is celebrating with two-for-one drinks, flamenco and $5 tapas. The celebration will [...]
Miami Pizza Crawl Part III
Sosta pizza
Heavy pizza eating kicked off my holiday weekend last Thursday during the third installment of the Miami pizza crawl. This time around the group visited three Lincoln Road restaurants: Sosta, Piola and Spris. Overall, this crawl was the weakest of the three crawls but there were some good pies in the mix as well [...]
Cafe Hellas update
Only two days ago I noticed the ‘coming soon’ sign on the door of Cafe Hellas in the Gables. Today, driving home from work I noticed a little something different when I passed by (no, I’m not stalking them; it’s on my evening commute route). Some of the paper on the windows was gone and hours [...]
Los sabores del mercado Venza in pictures
Lately I’ve found myself caught in the South Florida rains quite a bit. It happened yet again yesterday at Toyota’s Los Sabores del Mercado Venza. The rain surely deterred many from coming, which in a way made it better for those who attended because we were able to watch the chefs and taste the food [...]
Greek coming to the Gables?
Walking to Ben & Jerry’s yesterday afternoon, I noticed an interesting sign in the space that 1909 Cafe used to occupy at 70 Aragon Avenue.
Coming Soon
Cafe Hellas
Fine Greek Cuisine
A few online searches yielded little information about Cafe Hellas and who’s behind it. A filing for Cafe Hellas with the Florida Department of Corporations show Ni.Ka [...]
Gusto Fino serves up good sandwiches in Coral Gables
Driving South on Le Jeune toward Miracle Mile, shortly after you pass the Courtyard Marriott on the right side of the road, you may miss the sign on the window that reads Gusto Fino Italian Deli Market. I know I did for months after I moved to the Gables. And even after I took notice, [...]
This weekend: Los sabores del mercado Venza
What do Toyota and farmers markets have to do with each other? I don’t know. But this weekend Toyota is sponsoring los sabores del mercado Venza, a bilingual event that pairs local chefs with vendors at the Lincoln Road farmers market. Each chef will prepare Latin American-influenced dishes showcasing their assigned vendor’s products. Visitors will be able [...]
Savory Mini Cheesecakes with Red Pepper and Green Tomatillo Chutney
When I read food writer Monica Bhide’s (@mbhide) tweet calling for participants for a virtual potluck, I was curious. I had never heard of Monica or her work before but I wanted to find out what this virtual potluck entailed. She was calling on bloggers to each cook a dish from her latest cookbook release, [...]
A hot afternoon in the Redlands
The sun was beating down hard today at the Redlands Summer Fruit Festival. D and I arrived at the Fruit & Spice Park in Homestead a little after noon to check it out. There were more people than I expected and lychee everywhere.
This weekend: Redland Summer Fruit Festival
The Fruit & Spice Park will showcase local agriculture and tropical fruit at the Redland Summer Fruit Festival on Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Eating our way to change? Food, Inc. opens in Miami this week
I realize it’s a bit early to be thinking about the weekend but I’ve been anticipating the opening of Food, Inc. this coming Friday at the Regal South Beach Cinemas. The documentary takes a hard look at the U.S. food industry, following the foods we eat and seemingly exposing some shocking truths about corporate food [...]
Next Italian Cooking Show: Lazio vs. Trentino Alto Adige
The next round of the 3rd Italian Cooking Show will take place on Thursday, June 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Mia Cucina in Coral Gables. The event is organized by the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce, and this time around will feature the cuisines Lazio and Trentino Alto Adige.
Representing Lazio: Chef Riccardo Tognozzi of Blu Restaurant
Menu
Gnocchi di [...]
Miami Pizza Crawl Part II (Updated)
For round two of the pizza showdown, 28 diners met up at Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza in Aventura at 6 p.m. to begin the tasting. We then made our way to Pizza Fusion in North Miami Beach and ended at Racks Italian Bistro and Market .
It worked the same as last time, except with more [...]
Chu’s opening in the Gables
Went to the first night of Chu’s grand opening in Coral Gables last night. This is the new establishment of chef O.A. Chu, formerly of Mr. Chu’s in South Beach. They had no menu for me to see yet but the chef’s wife, Norika, said the restaurant will not be doing dim sum as in the old location; [...]
Por Fin at last
I have a confession to make. I live about four blocks away from Por Fin and last night was the first time I ever set foot in the restaurant. A little embarrassing, I know, but sometimes I’m a late adopter like that. Maybe it’s not so bad that I waited, as I hear the Spanish/Mediterranean [...]
A summer bounty (Updated)
Gloomy skies and intermittent downpours didn’t stop 50 or so people from turning up at the Slow Food Miami picnic Saturday at the Barnacle. It was pretty ugly out there but we managed to make it to the park’s pavilion completely dry, as did the nine pies entered into the pie baking contest. With names [...]
Coral Gables Restaurant Week
The second Coral Gables Restaurant Week starts this coming Monday, June 1 and runs for two weeks through June 14. Menus at most participating restaurants are between $18-$27 for lunch and hover around the $35-$36 area for dinner with the exception of Morton’s ($49.99) and Ruth’s Chris ($39.95).
I hope to use this as a push [...]
Pizza crawl part I (Updated)
All that buzz about pizza in Miami led Frodnesor of Food for Thought to organize a pizza crawl around various (many relatively new) pizza joints in the city. Last night D and I went to the first crawl, where in the company of 13 other diners we tasted the pizzas of Joey’s in Wynwood, Jonathan Eismann’s Pizza [...]
First visit to Yard House
After a productive day of cleaning Sunday, I decided to reward myself with late-night happy hour in the company of friends at Yard House in Merrick Park. Between 10 and 12:30 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday and 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, their selection of 130 beers on tap range from $3.50 to $4.25.
