Pueblito Viejo Colombian restaurant is pure fun, from the campy eye popping décor and Latin dancing to the two  comedians ,the “Paisa boys”. The menu is traditional comfort food, so it’s like traveling to Colombia. It all makes for a great time!       Owner and Operator, Gonzalo Rodriguez, with Yours Truly The restaurant is the passion of  the Pereira born Gonzalo Rodriguez who,  along with his wife Gloria, son Jeffrey and daughter Kathy, are hands on owners and operators. They recreated a colorful and fantasy like home in the countryside and decorated ce ..read more

Coffee journey   Many high end restaurants  are touting their dining experiences but, in the end, most are not that special except for the price. Not so El Cielo restaurant in Miami helmed by two star Colombian chef Juan Manuel Barrientos (“Juanma”) whose sensorial prix fixe dinner and beverage journey are seductive, both visually and to the palette. It’s almost theatrical, but not in a flashy way, but rather, in the sense of being a culinary narrative where every dish tells a story. It’s pricey, but a lot less so than other top restaurants, and worth every penny. Chef Juan Manuel Ba ..read more

New Latin late night, Coco Loco, at Delilah supper club and speakeasy   New lunch specials at Swan in the Design District , Adrift Mare in the Brickell area and Il Mulino in Sunny Isles; first look at Red Farm; Delilah 20’s supper club adds a Latin twist to late nights;  a brunch for pets and their owners;  plant based burger bar; Bolivian liquor now in the US; the return of Fooq’s and “surge pricing” trend, all in Eating News for March 2024, Part 2. If you missed Part 1 click here.   Swan, the Miami Design District restaurant from hospitality mavens David Grutman and Pharr ..read more

The Art of the Brick: An Exhibition of LEGO Art     We’re talking about very different things to do next month like, get this — the Elvis Presley theater experience with the president of the Miami Elvis fan club, meet someone new at the Meet Up at the Miami Film Festival, equestrian show jumping on the beach, the annual family Seafood Festival, Taylor Swift in concert here, 150 works of art made with Legos in a traveling exhibit, jazz, and more Miami events April 2024. Check them out. By Jan Engoren and Yours Truly We Met at The Miami Film Festival   Tired of watching Netflix a ..read more

On assignment, checking out the tapas brunch at the lovely riverfront Seaspice   New appealing brunch offering in a top waterfront restaurant,  “Nomad” dining experience, Purim dinner, JARANA Miami new Peruvian restaurant, and fall harvest tour to Tuscany,  all in Eating News in Miami March 2024, Part 1. Seaspice new tapas brunch Looking for a new twist on a brunch that not is OTT in price and one of the best locations in town? The Riverfront buzzy Seaspice has launched a Mediterranean tapas brunch with not your usual menu selections. The concept is a selection of tapas from cou ..read more

Bar and high top tables for drinking and enjoying a meal; great option for solos     Salty Flame is a playful take on a traditional American steakhouse, together with a contemporary favorite, Asian influenced dishes . Plus it ticks off all the other right categories: very good food, friendly and attentive service, an attractive ambiance, loungey music but easy conversation, and value. It’s on Brickell Avenue, a neighborhood where value isn’t easy to find.   The owner and operator, V & E Hospitality Group has owned and operated more than 20 restaurants in Miami and Las Vegas ..read more

          Delilah took me to my dream of spending a retro evening in the 1920’s at a glamorous Miami speakeasy complete with the jazz band and singer, dancers,and an art nouveau décor, and with a locally inspired menu. From what I’ve seen, it has to be unique in Miami. Mr. W called it  “big city 20’s elegant”.       We walked up a staircase to get to the restaurant and bar, through intimate spaces with their velvet or brocade banquettes and chairs in mauve and light violet, adorned with tufted round pillows, windows draped with fancy scalloped cu ..read more

  Crispy rice Planta Queen   by: Ellen Kanner www.soulfulvegan.com https://ellenkanner.substack.com/     Miami is sunshine, swelter, beaches, body-con locals, and bedazzled tourists, but there’s more to this city, too. Miami is always busy reinventing itself. The vegan scene alone has gone from huh? to happening in just 20 years, even earning Miami a spot among PETA’s Top Ten Vegan Destinations.  We do award-winning vegan burgers and bowls, but what’s really exciting is the way the local vegan scene has been showing its true colors — and flavors. The Magic City is jus ..read more

40 day dry aged braised Angus short rib served with mashed potatoes topped with guanciale   The “Messi of Wines”, Alejandro Vigil, has opened an outpost of his Michelin Star Mendoza restaurant in Upper Buena Vista and it, too, is a winner. Also named Casa Vigil, the winery restaurant features a Mediterranean and Modern Argentinian influenced menu and a very good deal made for a celebration in its five course tasting menu with unlimited wines.   In the space formerly occupied by Vista restaurant, the 150 seats are divided into three spaces – La Cava main dining room with a wine cella ..read more

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