Here is this week’s Miami food news:

The Raleigh Miami Beach Hosts Martini Shake Off
Who’s ready for a martini?! This Friday, March 3, head to Martini Bar at the iconic The Raleigh Miami Beach for its monthly cocktail competition. During this week’s event, skilled mixologists will use Suntory Whisky Toki, a timeless Japanese blend, to make four delicious cocktails: the Green Tea Highball (Suntory Whisky Toki, green tea, club soda), The Wodges Special (Suntory Whisky Toki, orgeat, lemon, ginger syrup, hellfire bitters), The Eastern Bouquet (Suntory Whisky Toki, elderflower, liqueur, lemon), and Sweep the Leg (Suntory Whisky Toki, pear cider, spiced pear liqueur, lemon). From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., guests will get to sip on samples of these cocktails for free, and if they want more, they can buy a full glass for just $10. And as with any competition, the best drink will get a special prize: It will be dubbed the signature cocktail at The Raleigh for the entire month of March. Let the games begin! Martini Bar at The Raleigh Miami Beach is located at 1775 Collins Avenue. This event will take place on Friday, March 3, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Cigars and Spirits Tasting at The Biltmore Hotel
If you love cigars and you love bourbon, then this Friday’s event at The Biltmore Hotel {1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables; 855.311.6903} was made with you in mind. Taking place on The Biltmore golf course, behind Cascade restaurant, this Bulleit Bourbon and Davidoff Cigars event invites cigar and bourbon aficionados to pair the two at the world-famous Bullet Bourbon Woody trailer, which will be onsite. This event will take place on Friday, March 3, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The price is $30 for Biltmore Club members and $35 for non-members. Reservations are required.  
Try Yardbird Southern Table & Bar’s New $25 Lunch Menu
Now at Miami’s best southern-style restaurant, Yardbird Southern Table & Bar {1600 Lenox Avenue, Miami Beach; 305.538.5220}, weekday diners can find a new pre-fixe lunch menu priced at just $25. Designed with locals, tourists, stay-at-home moms, and business professionals in mind, this special menu gives chicken lovers an easy way to feast on the restaurant’s famous Llewellyn’s fried chicken, which takes 27 hours to prepare. This pre-fixe lunch will be available at Yardbird Southern Table & Bar Monday through Friday, and will start as early as 11 a.m.
Coral Gables Welcomes New Italian Restaurant, ZUCCA
There’s a new Italian ristorante and bar in town, and on Monday, March 6, Miami’s finest foodies will get to try it for themselves. Located on the bottom level of the historic Hotel St. Michel, ZUCCA will serve up authentic Italian cuisine. This restaurant is the brainchild of Da Silva Hospitality, a prominent Latin American company that has opened and runs 30+ hotels and restaurants, and marks the company’s first U.S. venture. ZUCCA is located at 162 Alcazar Avenue.
Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor

What’s happening at SOBEWFF 2017? Lots of things. Here are the ones you definitely shouldn’t miss:
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
7 p.m.: Seaside Eats hosted by Anne Burrell
Part of the Taste Fort Lauderdale Series
Kicking off the Taste Fort Lauderdale Series, the vibrant Anne Burrell is bringing her amped-up flair to the historic Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, where she will join 15+ of Broward County’s best eateries serving up their iconic bites.
Find out more about this event here. This event will take place at Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, at 900 Birch Road, Fort Lauderdale.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
7 p.m.: Barilla’s Italian Bites on the Beach hosted by Valerie Bertinelli & Alex Guarnaschelli
Sponsored by HCP Media and the Miami Herald Media Company
Two-time Golden Globe Award-winning Valerie Bertinelli and Michelin-star-trained Alex Guarnaschelli are hosting a tasting event with more than 30 of the nation’s top chefs; all of whom will take you on a culinary tour of Italy. Presented by Magic City Casino, Little River Band, one of Australia’s most popular rock bands (with 10 “top 20” songs on U.S. Billboard charts), will perform.
Find out more about this event here. This event will take place beachside at Delano, the entrance for which is at 1 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach.
Friday, February 24, 2017
7:30 p.m.: Heineken Light Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray
Presented by Schweid & Sons
During this event, the following awards will be announced: Heineken Light People’s Choice Award, Schweid & Sons Very Best Burger Award, and Red Robin’s Best of the Bash Award. Burgers for the Schweid & Sons Very Best Burger Award will be judged by Ayesha Curry, Emilio Estefan, Jill Martin, David Bromstad, Adam Richman, and Rev Run.
Find out more about this event here. This event will take place beachside at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach, the entrance for which is at 1 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach.
10 p.m.: The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown hosted by Robert Irvine

Famed chef and restaurateur Robert Irvine will join an esteemed panel of judges as the nation’s best bartenders and highly-regarded Tiki joints face-off and compete to be crowned “Tiki-King” or “Tiki-Queen.” Every contestant will need to make a cocktail with Rhum Barbancourt, which guests will get to try while they nosh on light Polynesian-inspired bites. The People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice award-winners will be announced at Midnight.
Find out more about this event here. This event will take place at Surfcomber, A Kimpton Hotel, at 1717 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Noon: Goya Foods’ Grand Tasting Village featuring Mastercard Grand Tasting Tents & KitchenAid Culinary Demonstrations
While you nosh on bites from 50 top restaurants and wines and drinks from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, don’t forget to checkout the KitchenAid Culinary Demonstration with Guy Fieri and Tanqueray brand ambassador, Snoop Dogg, at 3:30 p.m.! Immediately following, Snoop Dogg will take to the tables in the courtyard, right on the sand, for a short spin on the ones and twos to close-out the day.
Find out more about this event here. This event will take place at the Grand Tasting Village, which will sit on the sand at 13th Street and Ocean Drive, Miami Beach.
9 p.m.: BACARDÍ On The Beach with Beats by Rev Run & DJ Ruckus
This first-annual night of beats, bites, and your favorite cocktails will have beats by Rev Run and DJ Ruckus, drinks, and late-night bites by some of Miami’s hottest chefs.
Find out more about this event here. This event will take place beachside at Delano, the entrance for which is at 1 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach.
10 p.m.: Food Fight hosted by Guy Fieri
Part Jeopardy, part Family Feud for the culinary world, Guy Fieri will pit two teams of top chefs against each other in a game like you’ve never seen before. The teams? Valerie Bertinelli, Scott Conant, Ayesha Curry, Robert Irvine, and Michael White against Josh Capon, Todd English, Alex Guarnaschelli, Aaron May, and Marc Murphy. May the best chef(s) win.
Find out more about this event here. This event will take place at Monty’s Sunset on South Beach, at 300 Alton Road, Miami Beach.
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Noon: Goya Foods’ Grand Tasting Village featuring Mastercard Grand Tasting Tents & KitchenAid Culinary Demonstrations
While you nosh on bites from 50 top restaurants and wines and drinks from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, head to the courtyard between the Mastercard Grand Tasting Tents to see the brand new David Grutman Experience. Then, at 3 p.m., catch the David Grutman Experience featuring sounds by INGROSSO.
Find out more about this event here. This event will take place at the Grand Tasting Village, which will sit on the sand at 13th Street and Ocean Drive, Miami Beach.
5:30 p.m.: Goya Foods’ Swine & Wine
Presented by The National Pork Board hosted by Cindy Hutson
Reigning Goya Foods’ People’s Choice Award-winner for best whole roasted pig, Cindy Hutson will return to the Biltmore Hotel with some of the best pig-roasters in the country. At 7:45 p.m., the winners of the Goya Foods People’s Choice Award and National Pork Board Critic’s Choice Award will be announced.
Find out more about this event here. This event will take place at the Biltmore Hotel, at 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables.
Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor

Looking for a new brunch? Starting Sunday, March 5, head to NaiYaRa {1854 Bay Road, Miami Beach; 786.275.6005}, Chef Bee’s raved-about restaurant in Sunset Harbor, for Miami’s only Thai-inspired brunch.
Taking place from Noon to 3 p.m. every Sunday, this a la carte brunch will include items like Yam Kai Dao, a traditional Thai fried egg salad; Chiang Rai Fried Chicken and Biscuits; Udon Pad Thai; Korean Steak and Eggs; the Banh Mi Sandwich, a Vietnamese sandwich filled with pork belly and pickled vegetables; and Rottii, a customary Indian-style sweet pancake served with coffee. Created to comfort the weekend soul, any of these dishes pair perfectly with one of NaiYaRa’s specialty cocktails. Try a personal favorite, the Mekhong Mule—it’s a mix of Absolut Elyx, lemongrass, ginger, and MIO Sparkling Sake.
Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor

Here is this week’s Miami food news:

SOBEWFF^® is Back!
Get ready, foodies! The biggest dining event of the year, Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF^®), will kick off today, February 22, for its 16^th year. Buy tickets here while you still can.

La Petite Maison: Bienvenue a Miami
Brought to you by Arjun Waney, the same man behind Zuma and Coya, Nice-born restaurant, La Petite Maison, opened in Brickell on Tuesday, February 21. Helmed by three Michelin-star Chef Duntoye, the restaurant serves up a menu of dishes from the original La Petite Maison, Chef Duntoye’s own recipes, and a few Nicoise specials, like Crevettes Tièdes à l’Huile d’Olive, Carpaccio de Coquilles St Jacques, Salade Niçoise, and much, much more. The opening of its Miami location marks the restaurant’s third under Waney’s ownership—his other two are in London and Dubai—and its first U.S. location ever. La Petite Maison is located at 1300 Brickell Bay Drive. It is open Monday through Friday, from Noon to 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and on Saturdays, from Noon to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Toscana Divino Hosts Wine and Caviar Dinner
Sitting in Mary Brickell Village, Toscana Divino will join forces with two of Italy’s most renowned brands, Ca’ del Bosco Franciacorta wines and Calvisius Caviar, for an exquisite seven-course wine and caviar dinner on Wednesday, February 22. During this dinner, Toscana’s Executive Chef Andrea Marchesin will delight guests with courses of White Sturgeon Caviar, Russian Sturgeon Oscietra Royal Caviar, The Oyster with Siberian royal caviar and dosage zero air, Smoked Rose salmon with white sturgeon tradition caviar and herbs, “Carbonara” with house made fresh tagliolini, Fish and Roe with sturgeon and Russian sturgeon caviar, and a Pearls and Cuvee Prestige Rosé dessert. Each course will be paired with an exquisite vintage from Ca’ del Bosco Franciacorta. Toscana Divino is located at 900 S. Miami Avenue. This pairing dinner will start at  7:30 p.m. and is priced at $160 per person.

1^st-Annual Moonlight Grooves
In the spirit of SOBEWFF 2017, Downtown Miami’s Arts + Entertainment District is throwing a foodie event of its own. Head to Moonlight Grooves this Thursday, February 23, and watch as CANVAS Miami is transformed into a vintage wine cavern. While there, guests can wine and dine to the tunes of local Latin powerhouse, Elastic Bond, and get bites and drinks at area hotspots like ACME Lounge, Vice City Bean, The Lobsta Guy, DoggyStyle Miami Hot Dogs, Box of Chacos, and more. This event will take place at CANVAS Miami, which is located at 90 NE 17^th Street. It will run from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. RSVP to this FREE event here.

Happy dining!

By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor

We all love La Mar by Gastón Acurio at the Mandarin Hotel, Miami, and now, we can love YAKU by La Mar {500 Brickell Key Drive, Brickell; 305.913.8358}: the hotel’s own waterfront bar and lounge. Officially opening to the public today, this swanky hangout, which is named after the word for ‘water’ in Quechua (an ancestral language dating back to the Incan Empire), now sits on the north terrace of La Mar. Both inspired by the panoramic water views La Mar has become famous for and brought to life by the bustling Brickell skyline, this sexy spot is an oasis of teak wood furniture, bronze elements, and sleek high-top communal tables.
Open every Thursday through Saturday, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., YAKU by La Mar blends international ingredients with a Peruvian-inspired cocktail program, light bites, and live DJs. The drink menu has handcrafted punch cocktails, La Mar’s existing cocktail program, and beers, wines, and champagne by the glass. Try the YAKU Punch, a mix of rum, mango puree, lime juice, chicha morada, or the Sexy Bombon Punch with bourbon, orange juice, cinnamon and orange bitters. Pair it all with and Peruvian small plates from La Mar’s Executive Chef Diego Oka–like Cebiche Tostado with tuna tartare and chipotle aioli, KFC Pop Corn with Korean fried chicken with Peruvian Chilies, and Yuccas Estrelladas with hash yuccas and queso fresco–and you’ve got a night that’s as beautiful as it is delicious.


Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor

Forget Valentine’s Day–in 2017, Fontainebleau Miami Beach {4441 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; 877.326.7412} is celebrating love throughout the entire month of February! In honor of National Romance Month, through February 28, this hotel will offer everything from offerings at its signature restaurants, to chocolate and champagne tastings and a bevy of romantic activities that locals and tourists alike can enjoy.
In addition to the hotel’s Valentine’s Day celebrations, here are some of the things you can get excited about at Fontainebleau Miami Beach all month long:
Weekly Chocolate and Champagne Tastings
At Scarpetta by Scott Conant, get a sommelier-led chocolate and champagne tasting every Thursday from 6 p.m.–6:30 p.m. During this weekly event, you can indulge in a trilogy of champagnes paired with three decadent chocolate pralines, all of which are handcrafted in-house by Fontainebleau’s elite team of chocolatiers. This tasting is priced at $30 per person. Space is limited, so call 305.674.4660 to make a reservation. 
Sweets at Chez Bon Bon
All this month, Chez Bon Bon, Fontainebleau’s coffee and patisserie shop, will offer a variety of love-themed sweet treats. On the menu? Dark Chocolate-Strawberry Cake ($37.95) with strawberry mousse, strawberry preserves, and dark chocolate buttercream; “My Heart” petit gateaux ($5.95) with fresh raspberries, Madeleine sponge, and vanilla Bavarian cream; and other sweet treats like cake pops, cupcakes, and pralines, to name a few. 
Private Cabana Dinner for Two
This February, couples can enjoy a private cabana dinner for two under the stars every Saturday and on Valentine’s Day. Hosted by StripSteak by Michael Mina, this romantic, candle-lit dinner will take place in a cabana covered in flowers, and will include a prix fixe menu of Kabocha Pumpkin Soup, a Shellfish Platter, Baby Beet Salad, Chateaubriand, and for dessert, a Milk Chocolate Mousse Bar. Making it even more special, a sommelier-led wine pairing is also available. This dinner is priced at $500 per couple. Space is limited, so call 305.674.4660 to make a reservation.
Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor

Brickell City Centre’s hot, South African haunt, Big Easy Winebar & Grill {701 South Miami Avenue #339a, Brickell; 786.814.5955}, may have opened just before Christmas, but earlier this month, it threw a swanky soirée to celebrate. In honor of the night, esteemed guests and venerable foodies noshed on tasty bites by Big Easy Executive Chef and South African native, Maryna Frederiksen–and to wash it all down, sipped on handcrafted cocktails, African beers, and award-winning wines by the restaurant’s concept partner and Hall of Fame international golfer, Ernie Els.
This lavish party, which was hosted in conjunction with Miami Magazine, attracted 200+ guests, including Els himself, as well as two of his golf pals: Michelle Wie and Branden Grace. Ignacio Garcia-Menocal, Francesco Balli, and Eddie Acevedo, of Grove Bay Hospitality Group (the team behind Big Easy Winebar & Grill and two other popular Miami spots, American Harvest and Glass & Vine), also joined the festivities.
And at an event that celebrated wine and food, it comes as no surprise that it was filled with…. you guessed it, more wine and food. In fact, as a special treat, Big Easy’s private dining room was transformed into a wine cellar experience, complete with charcuterie, cheese, and special tastings of Els’ wines–all of which hail from the Western Cape region of South Africa, otherwise known as “Africa’s Napa Valley”–for guests to taste.
Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor

If you’ve ever been to Lincoln Road, you know about Quattro Gastronomia Italiana {1014 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach; 305.531.4833}. In a sea of outdoor cafés, every type of restaurant, and shade umbrellas in a rainbow of colors, Quattro is that one Italian restaurant that draws you in with the alluring aroma of its authentic Northern Italian dishes.
And now, this longstanding Italian locale has a new chef, straight from Naples, to helm the kitchen. Coming to the restaurant from other Italian staples like Joya, Vita, Murana, and most recently in Miami, Bianca at Delano, Executive Chef Luciano Sautto is the Magic City’s own Italian chef to the stars. But as any hometown boy or girl knows, Italy will always have a special place in his heart. In fact, Chef Sautto’s family owns the oldest pizzeria in Naples, Da Michele, which has been around since 1864 and was even featured in the book Eat, Pray, Love. In recent years, Sautto also spent time traveling through places like Capri, the Amalfi Coast, Rome, and Bologna to learn about the foods of the region, hone his cooking techniques, and familiarize himself with emerging trends in Italian cooking.
And at Quattro, Chef Sautto will bring what he learned to the restaurant’s classic menu. Keeping Quattro’s signature favorites, the new chef will also add a few seasonal dishes, some lighter options for Spring, different seafood plates, and a handful of vegetarian menu items. Get excited, Miami!
Quattro Gastronomia Italiana is open Sunday through Thursday, from Noon to 11 p.m., and on Fridays and Saturdays, from Noon to 11:45 p.m.

By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor