Reviews of new neighborhood restaurant gems Descorche Miami and Mimi’s, produce delivery, flaming Peking duck, another outpost for B Bistro + Bakery, gin making classes, and news at COTE, and more exciting foodie news in Eating News in November.

No Spanish restaurant has been up there in my “to go” list until now and Descorche Miami. In Coral Gables, it’s a neighborhood gem that  attracts  everyone from business people and couples to groups of friends, coming for the solid traditional Spanish food, pleasant atmosphere and friendly service. The extensive menu has a very large selection of cold and hot tapas (29!) with all of the favorites, along with tablas (charcuterie), soups, 7 paellas, meats, fish, grilled platters and sides. Not surprising since the Spanish know their seafood, the fish is a star.

I go there for one dish in particular which my friends agree is tops – the hake (merluza) in garlic sauce, with or without shrimp. It comes with a choice of sides including rice, different kinds of potatoes, a good size salad and would you believe – grilled vegetables (Latin restaurants are usually short on vegetables) ($38).  The fish, teamed up with a glass of wine, finishing off with a cortadito and I’m all set. Friends have had the bean stew– the fabada Asturiana (bean stew with pork shoulder, bacon and black pudding), and croquettes, both of which got high marks. I’d venture to say there are a lot of tasty dishes which I plan to try when I go there to do a full review. Descorche Miami, 1673 SW 27th Ave, Miami, Florida 33145

I’m still dreaming about the chicken and eggs at the new Mimi’s in Edgewater. I gained two pounds that night, but it was worth every calorie. We’re talking crispy fried chicken paillards with crème fraiche, sour cream, scallions, farro miso toast, and topped with an ounce of Osetra caviar. OMG. Mimi’s Executive chef and founder Benjamin Murray was previously chef de cuisine at Pao at the Faena Miami Beach.

Here the emphasis is on classic Amerian fare with a twist in a café/bistro setting. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served seven days a week. We went for dinner. The menu has fewer than two dozen dishes, but all are crowd favorites at restaurants. Think a delicious tuna tartare with aguachile and green apple sauce, a top rated burger, and a perfectly crispy skin branzino with Romanesco, farro miso, garlic, tomato confit, farm greens, and Gratitude garden mushrooms.

Also special was the roast beet  salad of salt roasted beets with goat milk feta, greens, pistachios, and a grilled onion vinaigrette.  Some of the same dishes are offered at lunch (not the chicken & eggs though) along with ones I’d like to try next time such as BLT and short rib reuben sandwich. Thinking of going for breakfast?  Some of the breakfast dishes include the Drippy Egg sandwich with organic sunny-side-up eggs, bacon, sharp cheddar, and chipotle mayo, on Zach the Baker buttery brioche bread or the Herb Cured Salmon Lox with heirloom tomatoes,capers, onion and chive cream cheese on an everything bagel.

Service is attentive and friendly. Note that while the restaurant awaits its liquor license, it’s BYOB. There’s also a grocery store across the street that sells wine and liquor. Mimi’s is located at 2501 Biscayne Boulevard. Free adjacent parking lot.  It’s an ideal spot to go before or after a Arsht or Knight Center performance or from the Arena. The opening comes on the heels of the recent opening of the Chef’s first concept, Benh Mi, a Vietnamese-inspired eatery on Miami Beach’s Española Way. Mimi’s, 2501 Biscayne Boulevard ,Miami, FL 33137

Brightline is back and with it, the new food hall opens in the station downtown. Formerly called Central Fare, it’s now called Citizens Miamicentral. Sixteen stalls include Umami Burger, El Pollo Verde, Sa’moto from star chef Morimoto and Cindy Lou’s cookies, a top cookie in town. There’s garage parking. Masks are mandatory at stations and on trains.

Korean steakhouse, COTE in the Miami Design Distict is now open for lunch, with a special menu featuring sandwiches, salads and bowls.For lovers of COTE Miami’s dinner, several menu selects will provide a familiar experience including notable favorites such as Steak & Eggs, Korean “Bacon,” Tuna Tartare and the Grand Plateau; as well as the Butcher’s Lunch ($38), a lunch-sized version of the Butcher’s Feast®. Guests will choose from a Dry Aged Rib Eye, American Wagyu Flatiron and COTE Galbi steak; complemented by an array of pickled seasonal vegetables and salads, fresh red leaf lettuce with Ssaam-jang, and a fluffy savory egg soufflé.  Lunch is served Monday through Friday 12 to 3 p.m.Valet parking is available throughout the Miami Design District for $5+. Self-parking is $3+ at parking garage locations in the Miami Design District. Metered street parking is also available, COTE Miami, 3900 N.E. 2nd Avenue, T.305-434-4668.

To find out more, check out my review: Cote, Miami: Exceptional in Every Way

Good news! Harvest time for local produce is starting now which means it’s time to sign up for subscriptions to produce through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA’s). There are now 16 farms participating ranging from the better known Teena’s Pride/Nana’s Greene and Paradise Farms Organic to the lesser known French Familiy Farms and Grown Next Door. For a complete list, click here. https://ediblesouthflorida.ediblecommunities.com/shop/csas-buying-guides-south-florida

Cool present for the gin lover – Gin making classes. South Florida Distillers offers gin making classes using their own vodas made from American corn as a base. Choose your botanical blend of dried herbs and spices like chamomile, clove, licorice root, rose buds and more. Then mix your flavors, distill your gin and bottle it, label it to take home. Classes start at $150 per person.For more information, click here.

Flaming peking duck? Can’t wait for that at one of my favorite restaurants, Hutong on Brickell Avenue. According to the New York Times, at their locations in Hong Kong and Dubai they are serving flaming Peking duck. The duck is seasoned with a chile forward marinade. Flaming is said to impart extra crispness to the skin. Stay tuned.

Manjay Restaurant which I’ve always liked at The Citadel food hall with its Caribbean food, now has a food truck along the waterfront area behind the First Miami Presbyterian Church off of Brickell Avenue.  They’re serving their conch fritters, jerk chicken wings and plantain fries and mofongo my way with crushed sweet plantains, garlic and creole sauce. Find the truck weekdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends soon to come. For updates, follow @manjayrestaurnt on Instagram.

Chef Henry Hane of B Bistro and Bakery in the Brickell Area has opened his second high end bistro in Coconut Grove. On the menu are morning favorites served all day, as well as soups, salads, tartines, sandwiches and more. Look for a well-stocked bakery filled with handmade goods from traditional to signature croissants, small cakes and macaroons. 2895 McFarlane Road.

The annual Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival (PBFWF) has announced  its four-day lineup of star-studded celebrity chef events, with the most events ever to celebrate its return for the fourteenth year of the festival, held December 9-12, 2021. Festival tickets are now on sale at PBFoodWineFest.com, and comprise a collection of both intimate gatherings where guests will get to know some of America’s most-spotlighted culinary talent, and lively events filled with fun in a food-centric, convivial atmosphere. Wine tastings, cocktail events and cooking demonstrations are also on the schedule for this year’s Festival.

 This year’s PBFWF lineup includes more than 20 events and begins Thursday, December 9, with events held throughout the area at some of the Palm Beaches’ best venues, and concludes on Sunday, December 12 with a refreshed take on the Festival’s grand tasting taking place outdoors at Rosemary Square.