Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is hosting one of its most anticipated events of the year, the annual Mango Festival on Saturday & Sunday, July 9-10 from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. This large celebration for the King of Fruit has been a Fairchild tradition for nearly 30 years. For one special weekend, families and friends can enjoy all things mango. This year’s juicy lineup is filled with mango fun for the entire family, some of which include:

• ●  Cooking demos and mango tastings
• ●  Specialty mango smoothies and cocktails
• ●  Signature mango brunch
• ●  Wide variety of mangoes and tropical fruit for purchase
• ●  Food vendors with creative mango-inspired menus
• ●  Educational mango lectures
• ●  Mango tree sales
• ●  Live music, lawn games, and more

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• At Fairchild’s Ever-Popular Mango Brunch on Sunday, July 10 from 11:00 AM- 1:30 PM,  guests will have the opportunity to meet some of South Florida’s finest chefs and taste their incredible mango-inspired creations.Award-Winning Star-Studded Chef Lineup:
• Chef Allen Susser’s new book Green Fig & Lionfish which features 70 environmentally-conscious recipes will be available for purchase signed by the culinary expert himself. Other chefs include Lorena Garcia, Michelle Bernstein, Todd Erickson, Hugh Sinclair, Niven Patel, and Cesar Zapata.Admission to the Mango Festival is included with the purchase of tickets to the Mango Brunch.Member Adult: $110
  Member Adult + Chef Allen Susser’s new book Green Fig & Lionfish: $125Non-Member Adult: $125
  Non-Member Adult + Chef Allen Susser’s new book Green Fig & Lionfish: $140
• $140 MANGO BRUNCH TICKET LINK
• Both Members and Non-Members are required to submit tickets. Admission for non-members is $25 for adults, $18 for seniors 65 and up, $12 for children 6-17 Free for Fairchild members and children 5 and under

Members and Non-Members purchase tickets here

A new Miami Food Festival,  ‘Sip & Savor in the Gables’ event, will take place starting July 14 through July 31, 2022. It is sponsored by The Business Improvement District (BID) of Coral Gables for downtown Coral Gables, with its Miracle Mile. The event will celebrate the area’s cuisine and creativity .Participating restaurants will offer diners a cocktail and appetizer special. The menu items will be priced individually ranging from $7-$12 and available daily from 4-7 PM throughout the two weeks. Patrons can expect an impressive culinary journey featuring curated cocktails and bites from top chefs and mixologists in Downtown Coral Gables.

This year’s  lineup boasts more than 20 restaurants including: Bay 13, Calista Greek Seafood Taverna, Calle 23, Cebada Rooftop, Copper 29, Fogo de Chão, Gustave, Luca Osteria, Opera Italian Restaurant, Talavera Cocina Mexicana, Tur Kitchen, Vinya and more.For more information visit www.ExperienceCoralGables.com.

Uchi Miami, the  Wynwood restaurant known for its non-traditional take on Japanese cuisine, is kicking off a summer dinner series — a one-night-only, collaborative multi-course experience — on July 19 with Raheem Sealey of Drinking Pig BBQ, a food truck serving up some of the best barbecue in Miami.

Starting July 5, those interested in attending the kick off dinner at Uchi in partnership with Sealey can reserve 1 of 16 exclusive spots made available on Eventbrite. Both Sealey and Uchi’s experienced chefs will prepare a decadent multi-course meal* at $150 per person consisting of amuse-bouche, smoked tuna, smoked watermelon, various nigiri and sashimi, confit chicken dumplings, scallops, brisket ssam and okashi. Drink pairings will also be offered.

The summer dinner series will be an ongoing event with more special guests to be announced throughout the summer. Sealey will launch the collaborative series, followed by chefs from the modern Vietnamese restaurant Phuc Yea on August 16, with more to come.

For more information and ticket reservations, visit Eventbrite, follow @uchimiami and to sign up for Uchi Miami’s emails for the latest details on this series and other upcoming events.

South Florida’s highly anticipated South Beach Seafood Festival, one of the best known Miami food festivals, is back for its 10th anniversary with special programming, including a $10,000 chef prize and popular live musical guests. From Wednesday, October 19 through Saturday, October 22, the four-day festival is a curated culinary showcase that couples South Florida’s bounty of seafood with the region’s notable chefs and restaurants. Tickets to the 10th annual South Beach Seafood Festival are now available at sobeseafoodfest.com.

Popular Bal Harbour Shops’ Japanese restaurant Makoto has relocated to the third floor, with a new terrace and interior design. A tip: ask for the Omakase Box to get the chef’s best cuts of fish and ask the waiter for a sake recommendation that will complement the selections.

For the first time in Miami Beach, Butler Hospitality and the Boucher Brothers have teamed up to offer beach-goers direct access to order food & beverage, without leaving their chairs. To order, all you do is use a QR code, which can be connected directly to your room bill.

New Happy Hours for Your List

Coral Gables: Vinya Table

At Vinya Table, you don’t have to worry about beating the clock for happy hour, because it’s every day, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The new popular wine bar and bistro boasts Miracle Mile’s longest happy hour with half-off select cocktails, wines by the glass, and tasty bar bites.The social hour menu features a selection of Vinya Table’s favorite small plates, sommelier-approved wine, and handcrafted cocktails, ranging from $4 to $10. Food menu highlights include Manchego croquetas, Medjool dates, grilled shrimp tacos, and oysters on the half-shell. From the bar, cocktails include the crowd favorites, like the strawberry margarita, the summery Chin-Chin tonic, Ceci’s rosé sangria for two, and the whitecap negroni. Vinya’s award-wining sommelier and co-founder, Allegra Angelo offers-up a “Somm’s Choice” Petit Chablis, a classic dry Provence Rosé, and a bold Napa Cabernet-Zinfandel blend to round-out the social hour’s wine options. Well spirits are also discounted at half-off. Vinya Table is located at 266 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, FL, 33134.  For more information or to make reservations, visit www.vinyawine.com/Coral-Gables,

Wynwood: Le Chick Miami

Whether you want to unwind after a long workday or simply want to check out some yummy local restaurants on a budget, head to Le Chick, Wynwood’s rotisserie chicken and  cocktail spot . Sip  on refreshing and fun craft cocktails such as the classic Aperol Spritz, Moscow Mule, Michelada, Bangin’ Sangria, and many more for 50% off.  Guests who want to grab a bite during HH can enjoy delicious and tasty options such Le Chick Street Corn (truffle aioli, cotija cheese, togarashi) $7; Fried Chicken (crispy buttermilk fried chicken thigh, spicy maple syrup, homemade ranch sauce) $9;  Royale with Cheese (dry-aged brisket 3oz double patties, cheddar, tomato, lettuce, house pickles, secret sauce on brioche bun) $10 ; Fried Chicken Bun (crispy buttermilk fried chicken, bibb lettuce, house pickles, homemade ranch, and Swiss cheese on a brioche bun) $10 among others. Happy hour is weekday 3:30 to 6:30 p.m  310 NW 24th St, Miami, FL 33127 http://www.lechickrotisserie.com/

Aventura: Estiatorio Ornos

Escape to Greece at Estiatorio Ornos, A Michael Mina Restaurant in Aventura.Estiatorio Ornos brings the sensory pleasures of a trip to the Greek Isles to life in South Florida – the  fresh fish,  Mediterranean specialties, and  Greek hospitality – in an approachable, friendly environment everyone can enjoy. The restaurant’s Charoumeni Ora (Happy Hour) happens daily from 4:00  p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the bar and includes select $5 beer, $9 wine, $9 cocktails and a bartender’s choice cocktail for $7. Estiatorio Ornos also offers a variety of happy hour dishes including Feta Fries with a lemon-caper aioli; Crispy Halloumi Cheese with honey, pepperoncini and Aleppo pepper; and Niko’s Lamb Sliders with house-ground lamb shoulder, tomato, arugula, tzatziki on a brioche bun. For more information, visit https://estiatorioornos.com/

For my list of 31 happy hours in Miami, click here.