New food and entertainment offerings, an over the top dinner, a new beach club and a popular rooftop restaurant reimagined, tickets on sale for a major food and wine festival and more in Eating News for September 2023.

Here’s a great mid-week pick me up, a comedy night. Miami Comedy is presenting Laughing Sessions Comedy Night at The Lounge at SLS Brickell – Wednesday. Doors open at 8pm and the show starts at 9 p.m.Enjoy 50% off the full wine & spirits bottle list for table service. The cost is  $50++ food and beverage minimum per person for all Lounge seating. For show tickets, visit Eventbrite.

Martini Mondays at Fi’Lia – Mondays, all day –Sip, savor & repeat during Martini Mondays every week at Fi’Lia Brickell. Select from a variety of classic and specialty martinis priced at $10 all day! Mondays never tasted so good!

The Gramercy in Coral Gables Introduces “Chopsticks Optional” Pop-Up – A Flavorful New Asian-Fusion Pop-Up with some novel dishes (including a Gables Roll), available until the end of this month. 

On Saturdays, The Gramercy presents “Tokyo Nights,” featuring the Asian-Fusion menu alongside inspired entertainment and a dragon show

Some of the Chopsticks Optional  dishes include Peanut Butter Dumplings, silky pork dumplings served in a sauce of peanut butter, garlic, sesame oil, and scallions and Blistered Shishito Peppers, Emperor Bao Buns, Bang Bang Shrimp, Hamachi Butterfly Tiradito, and Truffle Kissed Salmon. Innovative sushi menu highlights include The Gram Sensation roll made with salmon and avocado with pineapple marmalade, lime zest, chives, and raspberry pearl.

There’s also a Robata menu, referring to the method of cooking over hot charcoal, and a Wok menu with favorites like General Tso’s Chicken, Duck Fried Rice, and Sesame Garlic Noodles paired with sides like Crispy Brussel Sprouts,and Crispy Fries with Truffle.The Gramercy is at 65 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, FL 33134. It’s open Wednesday and Thursday from 5 p.m. and Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Noon.

It’s not too early to book tickets to the annual Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival in partnership with Wine Spectator. This year the festival will feature seven new events, more than 60 wine tables with all wines rated 90+ by the Wine Spectator at the grand tasting event and, in a first, is expanding into Boca Raton with a kick off party. Other events include live cooking demonstrations, chef led workshops and private dinners. The four day lineup of food related happenings will take place December 7-10.

Some of the new events include:

• A DINNER AT COOLINARY — Guests will join celebrated chefs Ben Ford, Jonathon Sawyer and Alex Seidel with host chef Tim Lipman for a dinner that celebrates great food and excellent wines. $275 per person.
• THE FOUNDER’S DINNER — Marcello’s La Sirena’s Wine Spectator Grand Award is front and center as host chef Marcello Fiorentino welcomes long-time friend and chef Daniel Boulud for an intimate dining experience featuring exceptional wines. $350 per person.
• FESTIVAL KICK-OFF PARTY presented by Cheney Brothers — For the first time, the festival expands to the Boca Raton area in partnership with The Boca Raton, where ticket holders can expect a beautiful display of food, wine and spirits, prepared by executive chef Andrew Roenbeck and his team, along with an array of culinary options by guest chefs Lindsay Autry, Valerie Chang, Clay Conley, Duff Goldman, Sarah Grueneberg and Beau MacMillan. $275 per person.
• AN EVENING AT THE BREAKERS —Back after a four-year hiatus, this dazzling event hosted along the Beach Club’s poolside terrace features an exciting collection of food and beverages from the resort’s exclusive dining outlets while The Breakers’ executive chef Anthony Sicignano alongside Master Sommelier Virginia Philip welcome guests to sip on delicious wines from their celebrated Wine Spectator Grand Award collection. $275 per person.

Festival tickets are now available at PBFoodWineFest.com, where an updated schedule of events is available. Highlighting a new charitable component, the festival will donate a portion of proceeds to benefit the Els for Autism Foundation, a non-profit organization serving individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families around the world.

Everyone just loves tacos so no surprise Bodega Taqueria y Tequila will be opening a new outpost in Coral Gables as the eighth location for the brand, marking the sixth in South Florida. The new Bodega Miracle Mile location is set to open next month , combining the brand’s  fast-casual taqueria with a vibrant bar, complemented by both indoor and outdoor patio seating. In addition, the venue will encompass the brand’s  Mezcaleria, which was originally unveiled in Coconut Grove, known for its extensive selection of  tequilas and mezcals. It will also have  a private space,  designed to accommodate 26 guests. 315-317 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, FL

This isn’t so much about the food, as the design but I couldn’t resist including it – Get this, a Lilly Pulitzer Cabana debuts at The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne. In the heart of Key Biscayne, The Ritz-Carlton recently debuted a collaboration with legendary women’s fashion brand Lilly Pulitzer to offer guests and the public an instagrammable poolside experience with a Lilly Pulitzer branded cabana. The cabana includes ​​one bottle rose champagne, 2-tier fruit plate, gourmet snacks & candy, non-alcoholic beverages, fruit popsicles (inside Lilly freezer), dedicated butler, TV, safe, sunscreen, after sun. To book your Lilly cabana, visit the family pool section at Lilly Cabana. The cabana is available for $750.00. Max 6 people. Additional persons will be charged $100.00 to total. Ritz Calrton Key Biscayne, 455 Grand Bay Drive Key Biscayne, Miami

In the back of one of my “go to” ramen spots, Hachidori Ramen Bar in the Little River neighborhood, Omakase by Kazu has opened. It joins the fast growing list of omakase restaurants in Miami. The six-seat sushi bar with the tasting menu is low key and comfortable, focusing on the food and drink.According to the Miami Herald, Hachidori owner Guillermo Paniza, who opened the ramen bar with his wife Jessica Daez in 2020, said eating at omakase restaurants in Japan inspired him to dedicate the restaurant’s back room to the concept.

Always coming up with new experiences, COTE Miami has launched its newest can you top this –The Legend of the Seven Jades. Due to its success at COTE NYC, this culinary adventure curated by Executive Chef David Shim allows you to curate your perfect bite from seven luxury ingredients from around the world.  Each of the seven dishes is served on finely crafted jade and accompanied with crème fraîche, chives, pickled shallots.  The price is $555. per person.  Dishes  include:

• Bluefin Tuna caught off the coast of Spain (the same tuna that’s served at all the best sushi bars in Japan)
• Hamachi from Kyushu, Japan
• Golden Kaluga Caviar from Thousand Islands, China
• Hokkaido Uni from Hokkaido, Japan
• Rainbow Trout Roe from France
• Prime Beef Tenderloin topped with black truffle
• Périgord Truffle from France (available while in season)

COTE Miami,  3900 NE 2nd Ave. Miami, FL 33137 For my review on COTE MIAMI, click here.

1 Hotel South Beach announces plans for a new beach club and a reimagined rooftop restaurant. Next month the tropical beachfront venue formerly known as 1 Beach Club, will debut as Tala Beach Club, a 50,000-square-foot outdoor oasis focusing on Mediterranean-inspired shared plates, precisely crafted cocktails and curated entertainment. Later this month, the popular WATR at 1Rooftop will reopen giving guests an “elevated nightlife experience” featuring new Japanese-inspired lunch and dinner menus.