Dishcrawl Miami - Delving Deeper into Brickell

What’s better than getting your gastronomical groove on at a great restaurant? How about getting it on at four? Dishcrawl, the foodie phenomenon that has been taking enthusiasts by storm across the country, held its second Miami event on Tuesday, May 21^st, 2013, delving deeper into Brickell’s culinary scene.

As you may or may not know, Dishcrawl is an event that was launched in San Francisco as a way to give like-minded food lovers the chance to meet, discover neighborhoods and local restaurants, and share an intense portion of delicious fun. Since its inception, Dishcrawl has grown to include dining experiences in New York, Montreal, Ottawa, San Jose, Toronto, Philadelphia, D.C., Baltimore and more.  For $45 (plus a processing fee), crawlers get to sample dishes from four restaurants in the area.  Although drinks are not included in the price, many restaurants offer discounts for participating guests. One of the most exciting things of this adventure is not knowing where you’re going for the night and trying to guess along the way. Two days before the event, I received my email letting me know what the meeting place was going to be. By this point, I had scoured their Facebook page for clues and had pretty much figured it out. “Where do you get the best view in Brickell?” they asked. I knew that one:  Atrio Restaurant and Wine Bar at the Conrad Miami Hotel.

We parked at the Conrad, and took the elevator up to the 25^th floor, to their sky high restaurant, Atrio.  While we waited for everyone to arrive, (there was a great turnout), we sipped on some cocktails at the bar. Atrio has the most breathtaking, panoramic views of the city skyline and if you happen to be there at the right hour, you can enjoy a spectacular sunset from an unbelievable vantage point.  To add some more pizzazz to the fun, the Conrad had an exciting contest going on for Dishcrawlers, giving away spa certificates to two lucky winners for tweeting about their experience that evening. Once the eating got underway, we got to sample three delicious bites: an open-faced lobster sandwich, grilled snapper with a sweet mango salsa and basil aioli, and grilled hanger steak with fingerling potatoes and tasty chorizo. If you follow me on Twitter and/or Instagram, you know my fingers were getting a workout sharing images of the mouthwatering fun. Having said that, guess who won a Brazilian Body Treatment? Woop Woop!

Our next crawling destination was Fado Irish Pub, in the Mary Brickell Village. I happen to have been here before for happy hour and find it to be a lot of fun at a great price. I didn’t know what they were going to showcase, so I was shaking in my boots with anticipation. (I wasn’t really wearing boots) Fado treated us to a sampling of several of their signature dishes including a Harp-battered fish taco, a piece of delectable slow-roasted pork belly, a pulled lamb slider and my all-time favorite, a homemade jalapeno stuffed cheese puff.  I could’ve taken a dozen of those balls into my mouth and been content. As a matter of fact, I actually had to swat a sneaky hand when I noticed it was trying to snatch a piece of mine. You know who you are…

In a single file line, we headed over to our next stop: Bonding, a sushi and thai food restaurant owned by Bond Trisransri, a popular, charismatic Bangkok-born restaurateur also known for his Little Havana spot 2B Asian Bistro, and his larger than life hair.  It was his birthday and he was nice enough to come spend time with us. Is that cool or what? After some friendly bonding, we indulged in a shrimp dumpling, Massaman Chicken Curry with white rice, and a dragon ball sushi roll. There was a moment of silence as we all indulged in the yumminess. I couldn’t walk out of there without trying one of their famous Sake Bombs I had heard so much about (thanks Gio). It’s a must-do or your visit just isn’t complete.

What about dessert you ask? Well, that is what we went to sample on our last stop at Amore Gelato. After all that feasting, it was nice to end our night with a creamy sweet indulgence. There was a variety of sorbets and gelatos to choose from and while I was caught between which one to pick, I finally decided on the chocolate (who would've known?) and shared a combination of lemon and strawberry sorbet with the owner of the aforementioned sneaky hand.

If you didn’t make it out to this Dishcrawl, there’s another one already set up for June. This time around, crawlers will be taking over Midtown Miami (and you know how many awesome dining spots have popped up there.) For more information, or to get in on the fun, visit their website at http://dishcrawl.com/miami/. 

Photo Gallery:

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Casablanca on the Bay

In real estate, the biggest seller is “Location, Location, Location."  For my recent adventure, I have to say the deal sealer is View, View, View." Casablanca on the Bay, which opened just over six months ago and is situated in the Retail Gallery Level of the Doubletree by Hilton Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay, at 1717 North Bayshore Drive, is the seafood sequel to Casablanca Seafood Bar & Grill, located on the Miami River.  

Serving fresh, local seafood caught fresh daily, diners can actually watch television monitors at the bar transmitting footage of the fishermen as they do their deed. Between watching the journey of how the main characters of their meal reach their plates, guests are treated to an impressive view of the bay, not only from its outdoor terrace but from just about any seat in the house. The floor to ceiling glass doors merge the outdoors with the indoors, creating a romantic, awe-inspiring setting.

Tuna Nikkei

Conch Fritters

As we looked through our menus, we indulged in the complimentary Smoked Grouper Dip served with tri-color chips. It was very tasty and reminded me of the fish dip they served guests back in the day in the old East Coast Fisheries. Remember them? This one was just as addicting. We kicked off our dinner with several appetizers. Casablanca offers a variety of ceviches and tiraditos from their raw bar, and being a sucker for this lip-puckering favorite, I had to give one a try.  Instead of going for the more common ceviches (or tuna tartar), I showed restraint and will power and chose the Tuna Nikkei. This plate was a colorful explosion of chunks of tuna marinated in orange citrus cilantro and drizzled with Teriyaki sauce and aji limo, then topped with onion and crispy tortilla strips. It was a nice combination of light and refreshing. We also ordered the Conch Fritters. They were pretty straight forward and were served with a tangy cocktail sauce. 

Grilled Octopus

At this point, we noticed there was Grilled Octopus on the menu. I've been on an intense octopus frenzy lately so we decided to try it. The texture was excellent and it sat on a yellow pepper aioli, with roasted cherry tomatoes. Nice. I should tell you at this point that we came on a Wednesday and Casablanca has an awesome Happy Hour special on Wednesdays where you can have free oysters with any alcoholic drink purchase from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Hazel, our waitress, brought us over some of the slippery suckers and we went to town with them.

Free Oysters on Wednesdays during Happy Hour
 with the purchase of an alcoholic drink.

Whole Fried Hog Snapper

Twin Stuffed Florida Lobster Tails

We had quite a selection of items to begin our meal but moved smoothly into our entrees. After some thought, we decided on the Whole Fried Fish and the Twin Stuffed Florida Lobster Tails. I loved the fun presentation of both of these dishes. The Whole Fried Hog Snapper was very lean, had a delicate texture and a mild taste balanced by slightly sweet undertones. The twin lobster tails looked like they were kissing on the plate. They were stuffed with a crab, shrimp, and scallop mix that added another pleasant flavor profile to the buttery delight.

Wowsie!

Once we were finished, Hazel walked over to our table with a tray of desserts. I guess she didn't know this would be the most difficult decision of the night for me. They all looked so decadent! I knew we wouldn't be able to have two because we were borderline exploding at this point, so we went for the homemade Guava Cheesecake. Creamy, sweet and divine, I closed my eyes and savored every spoonful.

Homemade Guava Cheesecake

One thing I noticed in most of the dishes at Casablanca on the Bay was that the flavors were generally subtle, not bold or daring. However, while the preparation tends to be traditional , the menu offers an ample range of choices and the crisp, freshness of the ingredients undoubtedly stand out. Service was top notch and the ambiance was very relaxing.  For more information, visit their website at http://www.casablancaseafood.com

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Ventanas at The Springs Resort

You know how the word "paradise" means something different to everyone? After taking a trip to Costa Rica, my vision includes green landscapes, whispering rainforests, cooling waterfalls, a mystical volcano and a labyrinth of springs. We visited the area known as La Fortuna, near the famous Arenal Volcano and stayed in a resort called The Springs Resort and Spa.  Although it's about a 3 1/2 hour taxi ride from San Jose Airport, the time flew pretty fast since the private driver showed us some of the sights along the way and took us to eat to a local "Soda" (a small family owned  affordable restaurant).

Enjoying the view from the main pool with the Swim Up Bar.
You could literally sit in the comfortable chairs inside the
pool for hours gazing at the sights and chatting with the
friendly bartenders.

The minute we arrived at The Springs, my jaw dropped. For you ladies that enjoy watching The Bachelor (don't worry - we don't have to admit it publicly), this is the resort that was featured in the sixth episode of the show. Imagine lush, green, exotic gardens and colorful flowers, surrounded by 18 private natural, hot springs and waterfalls. The stimulation to the senses goes beyond the beautiful surroundings and the soothing, therapeutic waters, to relaxing sounds accentuated by the calls of native birds like the toucan and Costa Rica's very own popular little fellow, the hummingbird.

Here little toucan...feeding the handsome dude inside his house.

Besides the paradise found within the hotel, the resort also features an outdoor adventure area called Club Rio, which offers all sorts of activities such as river kayaking, river tubing, hiking, rock climbing and rappelling, hot springs and mountain biking. We had a blast doing the kayaking and the tubing along the Arenal River and besides the thrill, the views were spectacular. Within the area, there is a Wildlife Preserve for rescued animals where guests can actually go inside a cage with toucans and interact with them as well as get up close and personal with pumas, ocelots, margays, jaguarundis, spider monkeys and capuchin monkeys.

Where's Maria?

You're probably wondering about the rooms. Well, this is where things become even more impressive. Each Guest Room and Villa includes a private terrace with its very own astounding view of the Arenal Volcano. There are two relaxing hammocks on either side of the terrace where you can lay and read your 50 Shades of Grey while cooling down between the hot scenes by admiring the breathtaking view. The rooms are beautiful and have luxurious marbled bathrooms, with spacious Jacuzzi tubs (in case you want to continue your reading (or whatever) indoors).

Every balcony has a breathtaking view of Arenal Volcano

Tres Cascadas Restaurant

Las Ventanas Restaurant

On to the food. There are several dining options ranging from the more casual to the upscale experience. Of course we tried all of them: buffet breakfast at Tres Cascadas, fresh sushi in the afternoon at Ginger Sushi, and a hamburger cliff-side at the Treetops Grill. However, the place that blew us away was their fine dining restaurant, Las Ventanas. We tried Las Ventanas for dinner on our last night at The Springs. The amazing views of the twinkling lights of nearby Ciudad de Quesada were spectacular. It was truly phenomenal to be up so high above the river below

We started our adventure with the Seared Ahi Tuna Antipasto, a flavorful dish consisting of marinated ahi tuna, kalamata and manzanilla olive tapenade, arugula and basil tomato confit topped with shaved Grana Padano cheese, served with a toasted Garlic Crostini. It was a perfect balance of flavors and textures beautifully arranged in one plate. 

Seared Ahi Tuna Antipasto

Blackened Mahi Mahi

Springs Salmon

For the next course, we ordered two entrees, the Blackened Mahi Mahi and the Springs Salmon. The Mahi Mahi's otherwise sweet, mildly pronounced taste was emboldened with the blackened seasoning and a jalapeno beurre blanc sauce. It was served with delicious pearl potatoes and a medley of sauteed vegetables grown exclusively for the resort in a local organic farm. The Salmon dish was just as colorful and appealing to the eye as well as to the palate. Cooked to perfection and served with sushi rice, it was prepared with an Asian twist; infusing a harmony of sweet and salty flavors like avocado, fried seaweed and Unagui Sauce. I was absolutely smitten from the first  bite.

Fantasia de Chocolate

As a grand finale to this amazing meal, we ended with the Fantasia de Chocolate, or Chocolate Fantasy. It was a tribute to chocolate lovers featuring a flourless brownie, chocolate mousse, chocolate ice-cream, and a chocolate tube. Did I say chocolate enough times? While simpler in its design than the rest of the meal, we enjoyed our sinful sweet and paired it with a frothy capuccino,

Who wants a milky moustache?

A stay at The Springs Resort & Spa is unforgettable. While it may make a small dent in your pocket, it is well worth the experience. I highly recommend it when you're visiting Costa Rica and want to experience it full force. Service is superb, the cocktails are memorable and you'll want to book your return stay before you even leave the resort. For more information, visit their site at The Springs Resort & Spa. By the way, stay tuned for some more fabulous places to stay and dine in Costa Rica when I take you to eat inside an antique airplane, El Avion; show you the best spot to enjoy a typical Casado, and give you tips on where to meet some friendly monkeys over breakfast, on the Pacific Side of the country right smack in the middle of the Manuel Antonio Rainforest and Beach. Pura Vida!

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