A carry on suitcase you ride on , a welcome new New York style deli Miami Beach, shop with bikes to travel the city and impress, Italian high end stationery and gift store, hidden finds in the Design District, and more in Karen’s Kudos for May.
Wait until you hear some of the latest and greatest new technologies for travel and fitness, that were reported in Travel Weekly, one of the leading publications in the industry: Modobag, a carry on suitcase you can ride. You sit on it, there’s a motor and a handle to steer with; Thermal shirt Climb SAS, that can tell your body temperature and turns on and off accordingly; insoles from Zhor-Tech to monitor fitness. Bring them on!
South Beach needed a New York style deli, and thanks to Brooklyn born Buzzy Sklar it now has one in Hank and Harry’s, 1691 Michigan Avenue, next to the new homes of Pottery Barn and William Sonoma. Find classic deli sandwiches, from the Corned Beef Reuben and Pastrami, to bagel and lox. And how could I forget the chicken soup that Sklar says is the big seller here (guess with the cold and flu season bad this yaer, no wonder). And don’t forget the pickle, sour and half sour. Just about everything is made in house – from the pastrami and corned beef to the rugelach and chicken soup made from scratch. There’s also a small breakfast menu – omelets and of course, lox, eggs and onions, and Panther coffee. We tried the lox and bagel and reuben which were both good. We’ll be back. And BTW, they’re opening in South Miami in September.
Bikers rejoice! A serious new bike store is opening next month — Meet The Superior Bike Shop located in the heart of Wynwood at 2105 NW 2nd Avenue. Catering to both serious cyclists and luxury lovers who pedal for pleasure, The Superior Bike Shop will offer Miamians a distinctive new way to travel the city and impress. The shop features an elite collection of contemporary, hand-assembled bikes from Europe picked based on their one-of-a-kind quality, performance and limited availability in the United States. Quality costs. The boutique’s three exclusive brands – Schindelhauer, Fabike and 8bar – run between $2K and $7K. You can even take an experiential test ride within the shop!
Italian retailers have a big presence now in Brickell City Centre with shoe stores (Font and Michele LoPriore), toiletries and accessories (Acqua di Parma and Santa Maria di Novella), and now leading high end stationery and gift store C’Art. Pronounced kart and meaning art stationery store, this is its first U.S. outpost though it has 70 locations throughout Italy. Find small high quality leather goods, men’s and women’s business bags and unique gifts from prominent Italian brands , some with a heritage dating back to the 1800s — Items like Montegrappa pens (Italy’s answer to MontBlanc), Fedon, Moleskine, and Pijama, the brainchild of fashion Designer Monica Battestella and architect Sergio Gobbi, created when they realized the abandoned stacks of fabric in the heart of Milano’s fashion district could be given a new life. Today, the Pijama collection is found in colorful, soft cases for computers, I Pads, I Pods as well backpacks and bags. The brand’s own collection, Nava, includes stationery, watches and many other products which are also sold in museum shops and design foundations. Sunglasses are a big seller too.
Next time you’re in the Design District, check out the interior gallery of design shops whose entrance is between Maxalto and MC Kitchen, 4141 NE 2nd avenue. I hadn’t been there in awhile, and was pleasantly surprised to see additions including Flos, Oggetti furniture, a Haitian Heritage Museum (exhibits, lectures, more), Fine Arts Auction, and even a 1st Dibs.
Food kudo to Kumato brown tomato, now my #1 pick in tomato land, replacing the Campari variety. As I’ve mentioned before, I grew up with the New Jersey beefsteaks — a meal in themselves, and nothing has compared since. Fortunately, recently read that a scientist is working on developing a new strain that duplicates the beefsteaks. Let’s see. In the meantime, check out Kumato sold at Whole Foods. It’s very flavorful, has a skin that is of the right texture, and is attractive besides.
