A new successful Asian food entry from Spain now in Wynwood, baguette making kit, Amal’s rooftop terrace, Katz’s special meals for the Jewish holidays, Fairchild Tropical Garden’s first annual Bacon & BBQ classic, a top restaurant opens for Brickell lunch and more, in Eating News, Part 3 for September.
Here’s a great gift idea for friends who like to bake (or to self gift) that I read about in the New York Times. Avery Ruzicka, cofounder and partner of Manresa bread, sister bakeries to Michelin three star restaurant Manresa, in Los Gatos, California has assembled a kit for baking baguettes at home. In addition to mixed and measured flours, yeast and salt, the kit contains a baking stone, a heavy linen couche, a board for moving the loaves and a razor and holder for slashing,. The printed directions take you through the basics and you can tune into the video for details like how to handle the dough. Also you’ll have measurements to obtain your own ingredients and replenish your breadbasket. Manresa baguette kit $149 plus shipping manresabread.com
The wildly successful chain of UDON Asian Food restaurants from Spain with 20 locations in Barcelona alone, has opened its first US outpost in Wynwood.The restaurant is a clean, minimal design using natural materials and service is attentive and friendly. The menu features Udon, Ramen, and Soba types of noodles, along with Asian-inspired tapas, assorted rice dishes, and some vegan and vegetarian options. Our favorites were the pork bao buns, coral chicken yakisoba, and the gyoza dumplings. The best I’ve ever had, the dumplings had a thin dough, the pork filling was very tender, and they were especially flavorful. To learn more about UDON Asian Food, visit https://www.udon.com/us-en Udon, 265 NW24th Street. Wynwood.
Want to order out a special holiday meal for Rosh Hashanah and/or Yom Kippur? New York’s famous Katz’s deli is offering a special dinner for out of state delivery. The Rosh Hashanah dinner is packed with favorites like housemade noodle kugel, potato latkes, homemade matzoh ball soup and their hand carved brisket and pastrami. Dessert features seasonal honeycake. Also offered as an option is housemade gefilte fish. The special dinner for Yom Kippur includes soup, knishes, brisket, bagels & lox, and more. Each is $150 including nationwide shipping. Click here for more information. And right here in Miami, So Heavenly which I wrote about earlier (click here), has special holiday meals as well.
You read it was coming and now it’s open, Level 6, Amal’s 4,000-square-foot rooftop lounge and restaurant. Perched on the sixth floor above the Coconut Grove restaurant, it features 360 degree views of Biscayne Bay, canopies of trees lining Bayshore Drive, and the Miami skyline. Unlike the restaurant downstairs which features Lebanese cuisine (read my review here), Level 6’s menu offers tapas with a “modern and urban twist” on Spanish cuisine. Highlighted dishes include the tuna tartare that is served with avocado and lavosh crackers and garnished with truffle and crème fraiche and the paella de mariscos that is served with Argentinian shrimp, langoustine, clams and garnished with lemon. The beverage menus have been carefully crafted by Level 6’s mixologists, featuring a diverse list of vibrant cocktails infused with flavors from local herbs and fruits, and a wide selection of rosé and sparkling options.
Amal and Level 6 are located at 3480 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, FL 33133. For reservations at Level 6 please call 786-800-2080 or visit level6miami.com
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is hosting its first annual Bacon & BBQ Classic on Saturday, October 8, from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Guests will be able to indulge themselves in a variety of finger-licking good pitmasters and South Florida’s best BBQers. Visitors can enjoy flights of bourbon or beer to pair with their BBQ while rocking out to the live music band performing, Yacht Rock, and some tunes from the DJ. The kids are welcome to join in on the fun by participating in scavenger hunts, Gunny Sack races, watermelon eating contests, and much more.
BBQ and bacon lovers can treat themselves to multiple options of food from vendors such as Bodega Taqueria with their mouth watering BBQ tacos, Pig Floyd’s juicy BBQ brisket and pulled pork, and top off with a dessert from Key West Sweets’ scrumptious Mini Bacon Cupcake. Meat N’ Bone, in collaboration with The Barrel, the signature product of ChefSmoke, will demonstrate the best of grilling, roasting, and smoking.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL
Tickets are required for members and non-members.
Admission is $25 for adults, $18 for seniors 65 and up, $12 for children 6-17
Link to purchase tickets for non-members
Free for Fairchild members and children 5 and under
Bacon and BBQ Classic Tasting Tickets
For more information, visit www.fairchildgarden.org or call 305 667 1651
Like cigars and mezcal? Marion in the Brickell area now has an Outdoor Cigar & Mezcal Pairing, taking place every week from Thursday – Saturday from 7p.m to late. Besides the pairing there’s a selection of hookah offerings. On the Cocktail & Flights menu: guests will find signature mezcal cocktails, like the Barrel Aged Mezcal Manhattan, and a unique selection of mezcal flight offerings (ranging from $30-60), highlighting Chichicapa, Codigo Artesanal, and Nosotros Mezcal. Spotlighting the new Cigar Menu, the Marion team has rolled out some of the finest offerings with cigars from the Dominican Republic, Cuban-seed Nicaraguan-grown, and Honduras. Guests with a sweet and smokey appetite can also indulge in a variety of delicious hookah offerings. visit https://www.marionmiami.com/reservations/ Marion | 1111 SW 1st Ave, Miami, FL 33130
Been wanting to try Dirty French Steakhouse but concerned about the price tag? Looking for a top spot for a Brickell lunch? DF is offering a prix fixe lunch with some yummy dishes for $42 per person. The restaurant’s new lunch menu features an array of Sandwiches and Plat Principals to choose from, along with a Lunch Prix Fixe menu. The Prixe Fixe menu ($42 pp) includes offerings such as the Roasted Chicken, Scottish Salmon, Blackened Pork Chop, 6 oz. Petit Filet, and Roasted Cauliflower Steak, served with choice of one (1) side. Sides include the Salad Maison, Sesame Spinach, Broccoli, Dirty Rice or Frites. On the other hand, Sandwich offerings include the Shaved Prime Rib, Chicken Club Maison, or the brand’s iconic DF Burger, accompanied by a side of either Salad Maison or House Made Frites. Lastly, Plat Principal choices include the grilled chicken Paillard, served with house chopped salad with mustard vinaigrette; or the Nicoise salad, featuring grilled tuna, heirloom tomatoes, and red wine vinaigrette. Dirty French Steakhouse’s new lunch prix-fixe and special offerings are also be made available alongside the restaurant’s full menu Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m..
Here’s an uber Tequila dinner at Eclectico restaurant at the Village of Merrick Park, one night only on October 26. Sponsored by Komos Tequila ($150 per person tax and gratuity included) it features a 3-course menu with tequila pairings and a welcome cocktail along with a discussion of the spirits (note: the menu is not yet announced so check back on that). A vegan 3 course menu is also offered.
