This week’s events included tasting our way through the wines of Portugal, a trip to Clematis Street for a taste of Cuba and a visit to a hidden gem in South Beach. You can never have too much of a good thing and during this week, we had some great wines at the top of our list.
Photo from Savannah online
To kick things off, we visited Smith & Wollensky – home to the 1st Annual Fenadegas’ Annual Miami Wine Tasting. Attendees tasted from the 100+ wines from Portugals, mingled with the winemakers and discovered some new favorites.
On Wednesday, we met upstairs at Don Ramon Restaurant on Clematis Street, to satisfy our cravings for Cuban food. We enjoyed some favorite Cuban specialties like plantain chips, rice & beans and chicken croquettes. These paired nicely with one of Don Ramon’s specialty drinks — sangria. This was a nice beginning for another party just moments away at the new waterfront in downtown West Palm Beach where Pucci fashions, body painted models and upbeat energy added a nice vibe to our Wednesday night. We managed to snap a few shots of the group.
On Friday, we braved the wonderful Florida weather to find a hidden gem in Miami Beach. Located at the Angler’s Resort on Washington Avenue, this cozy lounge and restaurant was a welcome escape from the normal bustle of South Beach. Quiet enough to have a conversation, yet still having enough of that South Beach charm, we felt that we discovered a hidden gem in the middle of South Beach. It also helped that we were spoiled with some scrumptious gourmet treats from Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli like the Porcini Mushroom Croquetas, and you can’t forget the Prickly Pear Margaritas. Take a look at some of the pictures of our night out.
(and those Prickly Pear Margaritas) made for some happy Dine Club members.
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We are back to our Tuesday night events and this week we’ll be at Cafe Sci Sci at Brickell. Combining traditional Southern Italian fine dining with a swanky lounge-type atmosphere, you are sure to enjoy the chic setting, the gourmet cuisine and the outdoor patio. Perfect for the after-work business crowd, yet still evoking a trendy feel, we thought it would be a perfect destination for one of our Dine Magazine events.
Where: Cafe Sci Sci, 1053 Brickell Plaza, Miami
When: Tuesday, March 16
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the door – guests will receive 1 glass of wine and a selection of complimentary hors d’oeuvres including Fried Risotto, Meatballs and Fiocci (Pear and Cheese filled purses).
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Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, so come on out and join Dine Magazine for a happy hour St. Patrick’s Day style. Secrets, one of our favorite gathering spots, has created a fantastic buffet of traditional Irish specialties with a modern twist. For this event, we thought we’d kick things up a notch — so it’s green all-around — enjoy a contemporary version of a Blarney Stone cocktail, green decor, and of course, green costumes, if you choose. Prizes will be awarded for best costume, so start planning now and get in that festive spirit.
When: March 17
Time: 5:30-7:30 pm
Where: Secrets Piano Bar at Windsor Gardens Hotel, 11360 US Hwy 1, Palm Beach Gardens
Cost: $10 – includes 1 Blarney Stone cocktail and a selection of complimentary hors d’oeuvres
Menu:
Scottish Quail Eggs
County Cork Smoked Chicken “Corn Dogs”
Sheppard’s Pie Tartlets
Braised Guinness Beef
Traditional Soda Bread
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By Marguerite Gil
Walk into Hakkasan at the Fontainebleau, Miami Beach and instantly feel enveloped in a mysterious Asian environment. As you enter the restaurant you’ll be led through a number of peek-a-boo carved wood paneled-room separators, which gracefully divide the various dining areas. Past royalty in China were treated to similar sensual Feng Shui interiors.
Hakkasan has created an elegant yet warm atmosphere with impeccable service. In less than one short year after opening, they have also received a Zagat rating as Best Newcomer. Expect to taste traditional, authentic Chinese Dim Sum, a la carte lunches and dinners. They recently added brunches on weekends too.
Banquettes are made with luxury leathers and are all hand stitched. Every detail is tailored for comfort. The expertly crafted Nurumi bone china was chosen by perfectionist Alex Conti who is the eatery’s GM. He also chose the rich back comfy cushions that are distributed throughout the restaurant. He even selected the cherry wood chopsticks, which are washed and re-oiled nightly, preferring the elegant eating utensils over cheap splintery common chopsticks. The tables are made of 2-inch thick, blocks of dark wood and the chairs are tapered and relaxing. One central LED light descends from the ceiling onto each table, which gives the restaurant a favorable Zen-like ambience.
Photo by Marguerite Gil
There are a wide range of light dishes served family style that are meant to be shared. Come with a healthy appetite because the menu includes a variety of dumplings, congees, stir-fried rice & noodles, barbeque platters and more. Daily made Dim Sum are creative and in addition they make all of their own syrups.
We started with a tasty hot broth in a large hand-thrown stoneware bowl that had two really big Shrimp Wontons in it, surrounded by light angel hair noodles, bok choy and finely cut herbs. Next we shared the Har Gau ($8) which are bite size dumplings, folded like a spring roll with a perfectly cooked shrimp inside. Our waiter also brought out a serving of Prawn Cheung Fun ($8), wrapped with a rice sheet, containing a large steamed prawn that was enveloped with small strips of bamboo shoots. As well as steamed selections, the menu offers a variety of cooking techniques such as grilled and deep fried. Steamed Char Sui Bun ($6), is similar to Baozi but smaller and is filled with a honey-pork interior. The accompanying sauce is created with fine strips of ginger soaking in Chinese black vinegar. The Soy Sauce Chicken contains sweet and sour strips of chicken, noodles laced with spices, soy and herbs. Yummy.
Photo by Marguerite Gil
Their menu is written in Chinese and includes the English version of the dishes but has very little explanations as to what each dish contains. So unless you can read Chinese, you’ll have to rely on the wait staff to help you choose your meal. Our waiter Chris, chose everything that we ate and everything was exceptional.
There are of course, staples such as Roast Duck with Singapore Vermicelli, Sweet and Sour Pork and Fish platters.
Desserts are beyond decadent. We shared a Chocolate and Banana Fondant that was gently hugged by a rich banana ice cream (be still my heart). All sorts of “adult beverages” are available as well as teas from around the world.
Alex Conti said “We could charge more, like the restaurants in South Beach but we don’t want to deceive our guests. We want our clients to keep coming back over and over again.”
Prices range from $6-$22 for menu choices. Cocktails are pricey but Chris assured us that the bar uses only the best spirits for their drinks.
Hakkasan is located in the Fontainebleau Hotel, 4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. Dim Sum lunch is served every Saturday and Sunday from noon – 3:00 PM. Dinner is served daily starting at 6:00 pm. For reservations, call 877-326-7412.
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Don Julio Margaritas, Sexy Nibbles, Fresh Salsa — all added a spice to our weekly DINE events. On Wednesday evening, we returned to PGA Boulevard for a taste of Mexico at Cantina Laredo. Nothing could compare to the high-quality Don Julio margaritas that we were served. We savored every last sip and paired these tasty beverages with some cheese quesadillas, chips & salsa, and chicken flautas. No more house margaritas, as our group was converted to Don Julio.
The evening brought in a combination of regular attendees and new faces — who all enjoyed in the night of activities. As always, we snapped some photos, and you can see all of the photos here.
We switched things up in Miami a bit this week. Instead of our weekly Tuesday night event, we gathered together on Thursday evening. With the space heaters in full force, we gathered at Grass Restaurant and Lounge to experience the sexy nibbles from Top Chef alum Micah Edelstein and a glass of wine.
Chef Micah Edelstein and daughter
Known for presenting a perfect combination of flavors and textures in every bite, Chef Micah dazzled our taste buds with her delicious offerings like the Caramelized Shallot Focaccia with Hibiscus Rosemary Mascarpone, Black Lava Sea Salt and Truffle Honey & Campari Tomatoes with Ciliegine Mozzarella and Ricotta Salata with Cashew Pesto finished in the finest unfiltered EVOO.
Guests cozied up to each other, sipped some fine wine and enjoyed the beautiful outdoor setting of Grass Restaurant & Lounge in the Design District. You can see some photos from our night out here.
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