Great Italian cuisine deserves delicious Italian wine. Tonight, Monday, October 8, enjoy both with an indulgent feast at Miami Beach’s cozy, authentic Italian restaurant, Macchialina {820 Alton Road, Miami Beach; 305.534.2124}, which will host a collaborative dinner with bespoke Italian winery, Frattoria dei Barbi.
Helmed by talented Chef/Owner Michael Pirolo, Macchialina is a must-try destination for Italian food and wine lovers. Thanks to Director of Operations and Co-Owner Jacqueline Pirolo, who oversees the wine list at Macchialina, the restaurant serves a menu of unique, obscure, and amazing Italian vintages. Tonight’s dinner, where Frattoria dei Barbi export manager Raphaella Guidi Ferderzoni will be available to chat with guests about his product, celebrates Macchialina’s dedication to bringing Italian wines to Miami Beach.  
Starting at 7:30 p.m., the evening will begin with a welcome pour of one of the winery’s most popular vintages and move on to a four-course feast from Chef Pirolo, with each course paired with a different Frattoria dei Barbi wine. Reserve vintages of the winery’s celebrated Brunellos will be poured and all of the wines from the dinner, some of which are on allocation, will be available to pre-order tonight only. For all who attend, it will be a night of fun, food, and (Italian) fervor that your taste buds won’t be able to forget.
This dinner is priced at $85 per person, including tax and gratuity. Seats are limited and should be reserved in advance. Reservations could be made by calling the restaurant at (305) 534-2124. 
Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor

All throughout the month of October, Mandarin Oriental hotels around the world will honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a series of promotions and charitable events. Joining in the fun, the Mandarin Oriental, Miami {500 Brickell Key Drive, Brickell Key; 305.913.8288} has partnered with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to offer some initiatives of its own!
In addition to lighting up pink every night during the month of October, serving as a constant beacon of hope and inspiration for breast cancer survivors, Brickell Key’s five-star luxury hotel has curated two promotions, all to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research:
Saturday, October 20: #MOGoesPink Event
From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., the Mandarin Oriental, Miami will partner with SoulCycle and Lululemon and host three wellness classes: a singing bowl session, an “Off the Mat” class, and a yoga class. These classes are free and open to the public, and at all, refreshments will be offered by Juicera. Attendees must register for the free event here. A donation of $10 to benefit Susan G. Komen Foundation is suggested. 
All Month Long: Drink Pink at MO Bar + Lounge
Craving a tasty cocktail? Throughout the month of October, order The Pink Lady at MO Bar + Lounge, and 50% of your drink will benefit breast cancer research.
Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor

Miami Spice might be over, but at restaurant mogul Arkady Novikov’s NOVIKOV Miami {300 South Biscayne Boulevard, Downtown Miami; 305.489.1000}, the deals don’t have to end. To kick-off the fall season, Miami’s hot new Chinese-Japanese spot has launched a three-course, prix-fixe lunch menu with the city’s business crowd in mind. An added bonus? Every dish comes with the dazzling restaurant’s iconic views of sparkling Biscayne Bay.
Perfectly poised in Downtown Miami, sophisticated NOVIKOV Miami is the perfect place for a business lunch in the Magic City. Offered Monday through Friday, from Noon to 3 p.m., this $23 lunch will start with plates like Miso Soup or Seaweed Salad, and move on to appetizers like Saffron Sweet Corn Dumplings, Broccolini Yuzi Goma Salad, or the Salmon Avocado Roll, to name a few. Entrée options include Szechuan Salmon, Tofu with Seasonal Vegetables, Mango Cashew Chicken, and Chirashi Donburi, a bowl of sushi rice topped with a selection of fresh fish, salmon roe, myoga, shiso, gari, and wasabi. For a sweet ending, diners can choose to indulge in decadent desserts (like its Silk Road Pistachio with Five Spice Ice Cream!) for just $6 more.
Got an extra long workday ahead of you? Those who take advantage of NOVIKOV’s business lunch menu will also get specialty pricing on cocktails. You know, just in case the day calls for it… 
Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor

Pao by Paul Qui {3201 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; 786.655.5600} is gearing up for the next installment of its Chef Collective Series—a gastronomic event that brings together chefs from around the world to create an innovative menu of unpredictable flavors right here on Miami Beach. Taking place on Wednesday, October 10, this edition will welcome celebrated chefs Michael Lewis and Raheem Sealy, of Wynwood’s KYU, to Miami’s hottest scene for haute modern-Asian cuisine, resulting in a collaborative dinner that will blow you mind… and your taste buds.
More than a meal, for the culinary geniuses at KYU and Pao by Paul Qui, this event doubles as a reunion. As Executive Chef and Co-Founder of Wynwood’s KYU, a James Beard nominee for “Best New Restaurant,” Michael Lewis has forged an impressive career across some of the world’s most celebrated restaurants: like Jean-George’s Market in Paris, Matador Room in Miami Beach, and Zuma, where he met and mentored rising chef Raheem Sealy. Prior to becoming the Head Chef at KYU, Sealy climbed the ranks in prestigious resorts and popular eateries like Sugarcane and Zuma, and even joined the opening team of Pao by Paul Qui. While there, he worked alongside chefs Paul Qui and Benjamin Murray before reuniting with his mentor to develop KYU’s inventive menu and lead the restaurant’s team of up-and-coming chefs.
During this dinner, both pairs will join forces to present a collection of Asian-inspired dishes fusing KYU’s signature wood-fire cooking with Pao’s inventive ingredient pairings. Making it extra special, the evening’s tasty menu will also include “sneak previews” of new menu offerings at both KYU and Pao by Paul Qui, before they’re debuted to the public. 
Seatings for this dinner are available between 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The prix-fixe menu is priced at $95 per person, excluding tax and gratuity, and includes one welcome cocktail per guest. For more information about this event, or to buy tickets, click here.
Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor

If the sea of pink around you didn’t give it away already, it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month! And here in South Florida, our most popular hotels, restaurants, bars, hangouts, and more are all gearing up for the cause.
Now in its 10th year, the “Bleau Goes Pink” campaign at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach {4441 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; 800.548.8886} has once again partnered with the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Health System to launch a series of month-long dining, spa, and room deals that benefit breast cancer research, treatment, and care. As South Florida’s leader in breast cancer diagnosis, the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center delivers leading-edge patient care by the region’s best doctors, powered by the groundbreaking research and medical education of the University of Miami, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.
But these charitable deals aren’t the first thing guests will notice at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. To launch Bleau Goes Pink 2018, the Fontainebleau will once again illuminate its iconic Chateau building in pink to honor those who have battled and been affected by breast cancer, as well as those dedicated to discovering its cure. The lighting, which requires over 100 high-powered lighting fixtures, will kick-off on Monday, October 1 and will continue to light up the Miami Beach sky every night through the month of October, from dusk to 10 p.m.
Running through the last day of this month, here are the deals guests can get excited about this October:
Stay for the Cure: Throughout the month of October, the “Stay for the Cure” Room Package will donate 10% of every room booked to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. This package will start at $579 per night and include: an overnight stay for two in a Deluxe room or higher, a bottle of rosé for the room, one 50-minute spa treatment, and a three-course pre-fixe dinner for two at StripSteak by Michael Mina, Scarpetta by Scott Conant, or Hakkasan.
Dine for the Cure: Head to Fontainebleau’s signature restaurants—StripSteak by Michael Mina, Scarpetta by Scott Conant, or Hakkasan—and get a three-course, prix-fixe menu for just  $55 per person. Each menu will include an appetizer, entrée, dessert, and in honor of the month, a glass of rosé. On top of that, $5 from each menu will be donated to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Spa for the Cure: Throughout the month of October, guests of Lapis Spa at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach can book select treatments to benefit the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Specifically, those who indulge in a Swedish Massage, a Deep Tissue Massage, or a Triple Cleanse Facial will automatically donate $2 per treatment to breast cancer research.
Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor

October is always a fun month in Miami. It’s fall. It’s the South Beach Seafood Festival. It’s Halloween. And now at The Standard Spa, Miami Beach {40 Island Avenue, Miami Beach; 305.673.1717}, it’s the start of a new Hot Chicken! series.
Kicking off October 1, from 7 p.m. to Midnight, this recurring event will take place on the first Monday of every month. On these nights, both Miami locals and hotel guests alike can indulge in a Southern-fried feast, with Hot Chicken priced at $12 per half a bird, and sides like Pimento Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw, Baked Beans, Skillet Corn Bread, Potato Chips, Salad, and Braised Greens—all priced at $6 each or $15 per three sides.

Keeping it casual, guests don’t have to worry about buying a ticket ahead of time. Instead, they can RSVP here, head to Lido Bar & Lounge, make an order ticket at the counter, and grab a seat where they can. The wait won’t be long, but you won’t be bored while your food is being made, either. Rumor has it Jesse DeVille will be setting up a DJ booth, and he’ll keep the good vibes going until the very end.
Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor

Eggplant Curry from Jaya at The Setai

serves four    
Ingredients
16 oz tomatoes, canned
1 cinnamon stick
2 cardamon, whole
1 clove
1 bay leaf
1 star anise
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp Fenugreek leaves, dried
1 tsp sugar
2 oz heavy cream
100 g eggplant
50 g okra
25 g onion
25 g tomatoes, fresh
20 g potatoes, boiled
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp garlic paste
Oil, for sauté pan
Salt, to taste
Cilantro, fresh, for garnish
Method
Blend the canned tomatoes. Put them in a saucepot and add the cinnamon stick, cardamon, clove, bay leaf, and star anise. Bring it all to a boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat. Let it simmer for 15 minutes, or until the raw flavor of the tomato disappears. (You should be able to smell the spices at this point.)
Add the ginger, garlic paste, and all the powdered spices to the same saucepot. Let it all simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the heavy cream and stir well. After two minutes, add the dried Fenugreek leaves; giving the sauce mixture a nice orange-red color. Once it thickens a little, the sauce should be ready.
Cut the boiled potatoes, eggplant, okra, onion, and fresh tomatoes in any shape you desire. Sauté with a little oil in a sauté pan. Add the sautéed vegetables to the sauce mixture. Let the vegetables cook in the sauce itself.
To serve: Garnish the mixture with fresh cilantro. Serve with Basmati rice or naan.
Jaya at The Setai is located at 2001 Collins Avenue. 

Here is this week’s Miami food news:

Tuesday, September 25: Taco Tuesdays at Tacology
Brickell City Centre’s gourmet taco spot, Tacology {701 South Miami Avenue, Brickell; 786.347.5368}, has everything you need for a solid Taco Tuesday—from good food and good drinks, to fun vibes and big-screen TVs playing whatever football game is on. Get two tacos for just $5 all day long, and if you go during happy hour, you’ll also get half-priced beer, wine, and classic margaritas from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Wednesday, September 26: Live Music at BarMeli69
This and every Wednesday, pair your wine and tapas with live Flamenco rumba tunes from musical duo Anabel & Mounny at BarMeli69 {6927 Biscayne Boulevard, MIMO; 305.754.5558}. Live music begins at 8 p.m.
Thursday, September 27: Tapas Thursday at Palat
Head to Palat {4702 NE 2 Avenue, Miami; 786.953.7577} every Thursday, and you can get small dinner plates like Manchego, Shishito Peppers, Fried Zucchini, Hummus, Meatballs, and Eggplant Caponata Crostini for just $6 all day long.
Saturday – Sunday, September 29 – 30: Brunch at Joe’s Take Away
Every Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., head to Joe’s Take Away {11 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach; 305.673.0365} for a casual Joe’s brunch! All dishes are priced reasonably and a la carte, and include plates like the Crispy Corn Flake French Toast, Bagel and Lox, Joe’s Morning Wrap, Power Bowl, and a classic: Joe’s Morning Rush with two eggs any-style, toast or a biscuit, and your choice of smoked applewood bacon, turkey bacon, or pork sausage.
Sunday, September 30: Bottomless Brunch at Café Roval
Every Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., grab a table at Café Roval {5808 NE 4 Court, Miami, Morningside; 786.953.7850} (we recommend sitting outside!) and indulge in a Mediterranean-inspired brunch. For an additional $29 per person, you can even make it bottomless.
All Week Long: Miami Spice
It’s the last week of Miami Spice! Where are you eating? Read here to find out which restaurants are participating.
Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor