Category: Food

Miami food festivals and events,  Fairchild Tropical Gardens' popular mango festival with a special brunch and guest chefs, Sip & Savor Festival in Coral Gables, and new happy hours for your list, all in Eating News for July, 2022.
Popular restaurant Mandolin Aegean Bistro has a “younger brother” as they call Mr. Mandolin. It’s very casual, has solid quality, a lower price point, just about everything made in house, and a standout, The Feast.
New dining destinations from Brickell and Lincoln Road to Coral Gables, a look at the "new" Zuma, a top lunch special in Coconut Grove,  plus a special outdoor party "accessory" and a store to find the largest collection of sake in Florida, all in Eating News .
Looking for unique things to do over Memorial Day weekend and early June? How about an authentic Italian wine and food festival, rooftop cinema club, world class art exhibit and more? They're all in my monthly roundup.
“The United Nations of food halls”, that’s the way one of the vendors described the new Alton Food Hall. And so it is, with the variety of eating choices, 18 in all, from around the world. And then there’s the quality I experienced on a recent tasting, and the commitment expressed to me by the vendors, many of whom have this as their first outpost and are intent on making it a success.Unlike the other food halls in the Lincoln Road area, this is focused on a local crowd, not surprising since it’s in the more residential area of Miami Beach and across from the local Whole Foods.
You’re invited to join me at a dinner party at Books and Books in Coral Gables featuring a menu of traditional Cuban cuisine with a contemporary twist. Recipes are from the just-published book by Patty Morrell Ruiz, The Essential Cuban Cookbook. Patty is the founder of the Mad Table, and is a  chef instructor, food stylist, and recipe developer.  Culinary society, Les Dames d’Escoffier's South Florida chapter, is the host of the event, which is open to guests. The dinner will feature a four course menu of recipes from the book, a book reading and signing on May 22 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Fiola Miami could be a power lunch (or dinner) spot in Washington, New York or Chicago. Its casually elegant décor is at once a little clubby yet refined, its waiters well dressed in their dark suits and ties and professional to boot, its 900 bottle wine cellar serious. It’s in Coral Gables ,but it’s not a coincidence that its chef-owner is Fabio Trabocchi of Fiola D.C. who was awarded a Michelin star. I’ve gone there for lunch with girlfriends on many occasions, enjoying the food and the lunch specials, but decided to check it out for dinner as well as the menu of the new chef Miami-native Dany Ganem.  Verdict? We thoroughly enjoyed a fine dining experience, stellar cocktails and fine wines, and are plotting a return visit.
I’d be surprised if the new two story Fogo de Chao Coral Gables  is less than a big success. Joining the one in South Beach, and as the brand's flagship, it promises to be a favorite neighborhood power spot, but also a dining destination worth the drive. The internationally known restaurant from Brazil specializes in delicious churrasco – high quality cuts of meat (14 no less) cooked over an open flame in full view, and then carved tableside by gaucho chefs. Meats of all kinds are the main event, eat as much as you want, and there’s also one of the best deals in town with their market table and feijoada bar that can be purchased separately for lunch or dinner. Then there are welcome new “firsts” for the brand in Miami , and seafood as well.
Chevre Miami could be a gourmet shop plucked from a village in France or Italy. Its cheese and charcuterie selections are seldom found in Miami, along with gourmet products from leading purveyors in the US and Europe. And then there are the original, unique offerings and experiences to come created by its owner Mario Naar, AKA “The Cheese Don". His pedigree includes a namesake shop and restaurant in Panama and formerly, a founder of the successful  Salvaje restaurants which he started in Panama.
Here's our expanded list of Miami happy hours, even more places to go all (and we mean all) around town! Find some really great values, delicious light bites that can even replace dinner, sunset views, and people watching to boot. Here are our picks for the 40 best Miami happy hours: