A DIY South Beach Cocktail Crawl

For decades, Chicago, London, and New York have reigned supreme in the cocktail kingdom, with world-class bars such as Dead Rabbit in the Big Apple and American Bar in England turning out exquisite renditions of libations like Blood & Sand and Clover Club. Only recently has Miami Beach taken its…

Grovetoberfest’s #DarkBeersMatter Hashtag Spurs Backlash

Grovetoberfest organizer Tony Albelo is facing backlash for using the name and hashtag #DarkBeersMatter for an upcoming beer sampling event, originally scheduled to be held at Wynwood Brewing Company on Monday, October 5.  The hashtag, posted on the Grovetoberfest Facebook page, seems to be a parody of #BlackLivesMatter, a movement…

September 2015’s Miami Restaurant Openings and Closings

Fall is finally here and with the (relatively) crisper air comes a buzz of activity. Autumn is the busiest time of year, as bistros and bars strive to open their doors in time for the lucrative tourist and event season.  We’ve already seen a surge in opening activity, with major…

Dale Talde’s Miami Pop-Up Gives Us a Taste of Things to Come

Dale Talde’s new book,  Asian-American: Proudly Inauthentic Recipes From the Philippines to Brooklyn, starts with a memory from the chef’s childhood, and possibly the best first line for a cookbook. “There’s a pig’s head in the oven again.” Talde explains that his aunt and mom kept their Filipino cooking traditions…

Phuc Yea, Miami’s First Pop-Up, Is Back

Miami’s first true pop-up restaurant will return mid-October when Cesar Zapata and Aniece Meinhold open their Vietnamese bistro, Phuc Yea, in Miami’s burgeoning MiMo District. Phuc Yea opened downtown in 2011 as a last-resort effort for the partners in business and life to stay in Miami. Zapata explains that after…

Panther Coffee Half-Priced for National Coffee Day

There’s no doubt that since Panther Coffee came onto the scene in 2011, Miami’s perceptions on coffee have changed. The only problem with Panther Coffee’s freshly roasted beans and rich, complex beverages is the wait to get them. It’s possible that you might have experienced a long line for your…

Johnny Rockets Closes in Aventura Mall

Johnny Rockets has closed its Aventura Mall location. The 50’s-themed burger and shake joint shuttered its doors last week, confirms the mall’s business office. The restaurant which featured burgers, fries, and shakes served by happy wait staff who occasionally drop everything to dance and sing to oldies tunes, also featured…

National Coffee Day 2015: Where to Get Free Coffee in Miami

Though there are some tea drinkers and hot cocoa people out there, for most Americans, morning just doesn’t start without a hot cup of coffee. According to a recent Zagat survey, we drink about 2 cups of Joe per day, with women preferring lattes with raw sugar and half and…

Bar Lab to Take Over Operation of Magnum Lounge

In what is astounding news for Miami’s bar scene, Bar Lab is poised to take over the operation of Magnum Lounge on 79th Street. Magnum’s co-owner, developer Avra Jain, confirmed the news yesterday. Specifics, such as timing for the takeover, are still in the planning stages. Jain purchased the property…

Rachael Ray Celebrates a Year of Milestones

For Rachael Ray, 2015 is a remarkable year.  The celebrity chef will release her 22nd book on October 27. The tome, Everyone is Italian on Sunday, features recipes and stories from her family. Ray is also celebrating a serendipitous series of  10-year anniversaries. On September 14, her daytime show will celebrate…

Phuc Yea Pops Up at Mystery Locations

Phuc Yea, the Vietnamese pop-up is on the cusp of opening its permanent location at the former Moonchine space (7100 Biscayne Blvd.).Partners Aniece Meinhold and Cesar Zapata, who also own The Federal Food Drink & Provisions just a few miles down the road, are poised to serve Viet-noms once again…

Chef Bee’s NaiYaRa to Open in October

NaiYaRa finally opens the end of next month at 1854 Bay Rd. in Miami Beach’s Sunset Harbour neighborhood.  One of 2015’s most anticipated restaurants, the eatery by Piyarat Potha Arreeratn, known to most of Miami as Chef Bee, joins Pubbelly, Lucali, Icebox Cafe, La Moderna, Barceloneta, making this the most exciting…

Sweet Liberty Soft-Opens This Week

Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply won’t have an official opening until October, but for those who can’t wait, the bar, located at 237-B 20th St. in Miami Beach, soft opens this Thursday, September 24 at 4 p.m.  Though billed as a neighborhood cocktail bar, Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply is…

Miami’s Culinary World Turns Out for Ferran Adrià

About a decade ago, I somehow managed to snag an invitation to a party thrown by Anthony Hopkins at the Four Seasons in New York City. Trying hard to keep my jaw from dropping, I counted no less than a dozen Academy Award winning stars sipping Champagne and chatting away…

Morimoto South Beach Closing Same Day Morimoto Asia Opens in Disney

It seems the old adage, “when one door closes, another one opens” rings true for Masaharu Morimoto — at least when it comes to Florida restaurants. The Iron Chef is closing Morimoto South Beach on September 30, just about one year after the date of its opening. The restaurant’s publicist…

Pope Francis Enjoyed Empanadas From Miami on His Way to Cuba

Yesterday, Pope Francis met with Fidel and Raul Castro then led a mass where hundreds of thousands of believers in Havana’s Revolution Plaza, stopping in the Island nation as part of his whirlwind 10 day-long visit to the United States. With a non-stop schedule, one wonders when the Holy See has…

Uncle Tom’s Barbecue Opens in Homestead Today

Uncle Tom’s Barbecue is in a growth spurt. The restaurant that has been serving up ribs to Miami denizens since 1948, opens the doors to its latest location in Homestead, today. The barbecue mecca starts serving today at 11 a.m. at 128 N. Krome Ave. in Homestead’s historic downtown district…

David Beckham Launches Haig Club Scotch Whisky at Al Capone’s House

Footballer, model, and actor David Beckham was in Miami for the launch of Haig Club Scotch Whisky, hosting a week’s worth of parties at Al Capone’s former estate on Palm Island.  The whisky company, by the way, tricked out the entire mansion and grounds, sparing no expense in building walls,…

The Ten Best Oktoberfest 2015 Events in Miami

Oktoberfest started in Munich on October 12, 1810, as a five-day celebration of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. During the following years, Oktoberfest became a celebration of Bavarian culture, music, and food.  This year, Oktoberfest in Munich starts tomorrow, September 19 and runs trhough October 4,…