Lots to tell this month  including handy consumer shopping tips, sip and social happy hours, calligraphy class with your dinner at a popular Asian hot spot, German baked goods online,  Shahs of Kabob, and of course new restaurant openings including Sant Ambroeus,  and closings in this month’s Eating News.

Consumer tips:

Thanks to Consumer Reports I discovered that when an adult goes to a Publix with a child, the can request a free cookie at the bakery. CR also wrote that some Trader Joe’s let you sample anything in the store if you ask for a taste! I also discovered if you don’t like something at Trader Joe’s you can return it. No need to bring the item, either, just bring a photo.

Looking for a fast casual, super tasty weekday meal that’s  unusual and reasonably priced? Check out one of the four locations of Shahs of Kabob. I went there for the kabobs which come in chicken, beef tenderloin, shrimp, filet mignon and mixed beef and lamb varieties .Three of us went for lunch and shared the family platter with  3 mixed beef and lamb skewers, l marinated chicken skewer, 1 tenderloin chunk skewer, rice, grilled tomatoes, pita bread and mast khlar (yogurt with chopped cucumbers and diced mint) ($55). We added on to that the kashk bademjan – fried eggplant with mint, onion and whey dressing ($8) and had a delicious meal for $63  plus beverage, tax and tip. But Shahs of Kabob is more than kabobs. They have salads, wraps, appetizers and stews including one I’m dying to try next time – a typical Persian delicacy, Fesenjoon, made from Halal braised chicken, sweet and tart walnut puree and pomegranate sauce ($17).

They’ve partnered with Sweet Manifesto who makes over the top desserts – cakes, cookies, parfaits, and a baklava cheesecake (stay tuned for an upcoming post on that). They also do catering, and have some different add ons at each location like a hookah setup at the location in Wynwood. For more information, click here. They’re in Coral Gables, Wynwood, Kendall,, South Miami  and Fort Lauderdale.

New Restaurant Openings and Closings:

Walking on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables I came upon a new patisserie, Lien Bruno, with a large line of pastries and an interesting provenance — Vietnam. Owner and chef Lien went from owning and managing ice cream parlors in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to training at the patisserie Ducasse School in France, to opening two patisseries in Colmars Les Alpes and La Foux d’Allos before coming to Miami and opening  up her shop several months ago.You can expect everything from classic French pastries and custom made cake to freshly baked viennoiseries, handmade chocolates, sandwiches, quiches, tarts and salads.

This Fall, 1 Hotel South Beach is set to welcome Aviv, a new restaurant by  Chef Michael Solomonov and Restaurateur Steve Cook, of their five-time James Beard Award-winning hospitality group, CookNSolo, and best known for Zahav in Philadelphia.  The restaurant will offer “a refined culinary adventure that embraces ancient cooking methods paired with the modern energy of Miami and Tel Aviv”.  Guests will enjoy  cuisine steeped in the rich flavors of Israel.Aviv will be located on the ground floor of 1 Hotel South Beach at 2341 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL. For more information and up-to-date news on Aviv, visit on social media @aviv.southbeach.

Argentina’s famous Italian spot, Piegari Ristorante, beloved by celebrities, debuted its first U.S. outpost  in Wynwood.

The restaurant’s expansion to the United States marks a major milestone for the company, as it has been a fixture in Buenos Aires for 30 years. Menu highlights include dishes like Corde di Chitarra alla Carrettiera, guitar string pasta with pomodoro sauce; Ravioli alla Piegari, spinach and ricotta ravioli baked in cream pomodoro; and Fettucini al Nero di Seppia, squid ink fettuccine with shrimp in a creamy lemon garlic sauce topped with red caviar. An array of risotto can be found on the menu, including the seafood-focused Risotto Frutti di Mare, vegetable Risotto alla Primavera, and sirloin or lamb Risotto alla Ragú. Main course offerings include Branzino al Sale, sea salt-encrusted sea bass; Soglioloa, Dover sole with magnolia sauce; Milanese alla Napoletana, breaded sirloin with tomato and mozzarella; and Costoletta alla Salvia, veal chop with sage and roasted potatoes.

The 160-seat dining room features natural tones with splashes of color, including tables, intimate booths, and spacious banquettes.  The bar seats 16 and features white polished marble, dark blue wainscoting, backlit gold shelves, and stacked brick.

Piegari Ristorante Miami,137 NE 26th Street in Wynwood for dinner daily with lunch to follow. 

Eataly will be opening its famous Italian food destination in Aventura next year, according to the Miami Herald. It will be joining the over 50 Eatalys around the world. Expect more than 30,00o square feet sith several floors. The main floor will feature quick service counter with grab and go. Then there’s a market with Italian gourmet items and products  along with produce, meat and fish and of course wine. Also expect two sit down restaurants with separate menus and indoor and outdoor seating.

Thanks to a dedicated reader and friend, I got this tip: Sant Ambroeus, the luxe Italian restaurant and people watching favorite, is  finally opening in Miami (I write “finally” as it was inevitable it would come here).  The location? The Fifth Miami Beach. You’ll have to wait awhile, though. Opening is set for late 2025. It will be a spacious one– over 7,000 square feet at the base of the new  office building in the South of Fifth neighborhood.

Closings: Sorry to report on two closings — Villagio in the Village of Merrick Park which I went to and enjoyed for many years as my office was nearby, and a favorite, Tur Kitchen, also in Coral Gables.  Wishing the teams all the best.

 

Komodo restaurant on Brickell Avenue  has launched a monthly calligraphy series in partnership with Soto Sake. Komodo’s resident artist, Kei of Kei’s Smile Factory,  guides participants through an immersive and personalized journey into the art of Chinese Calligraphy. The calligraphy sessions  go on from 8:00PM – 12:00AM, with each lasting around 10-15 minutes. Each session creates art for one person. There is no reservation/sign up process; guests can approach the calligraphy station at their leisure. The calligraphy sessions are free with the purchase of dinner or drinks. Upcoming dates are:

• Saturday, August 10th
• Saturday, September 14

Here’s a new twist on happy hours: Sip & Social on Wednesdays at Esplanade at Aventura

Esplanade at Aventura, South Florida’s new dining, entertainment and retail center, can add excitement to  your mid-week schedules with Sip and Social Wednesdays, a center-wide happy hour featuring $15 mix-and-match cocktail and food pairings. Locals and visitors can crawl throughout Esplanade’s favorite restaurants to sip, socialize and save from 5-8 p.m. For $15, guests can choose one drink and one food item from restaurants including The Amalfi Llama, JARANA, Pinstripes and JOEY Aventura.

 

The German breads from The Brot reminded me of my time living in New York near the German bakeries that sadly no longer exist in Yorkville. There’s something special about the crisp outside, dense inside, and rich flavor of the seed breads, light and dark, so I was happy to find out about The Brot. Made of German rye flour in Germany, the breads are all about the good stuff and none of the bad – 5 ingredients, little or no sugar, and no additives versus 12-33 for others. They come pre-baked ,so all you do is defrost them and bake for about 10 minutes and you have warm, crusty bread. The Brot sells 11 different baked items,  everything from loaves and rolls to pretzels. There’s even a low carb choice.  My picks are the low carb power rolls, Swiss farmers sourdough loaf  and the premium seed sourdough bread.  They also have boxes with their best sellers (74.99),, Germans’ favorites small  (49.99) and large boxes (98.99). Prices start at $8.99 with most at $9.99 for a loaf or package of 5 rolls. For more information, click here.

Here’s a fun way to beat the heat! Snow cones. But these aren’t the ones from your childhood — they’re boozy snow cones.

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