Giralda Under the Stars

Miami is the envy  of many during the winter months.. The weather is golden and there's no better way to spend it than outside. That is one of the main reasons I think Giralda Under The Stars in Coral Gables is genial!. Produced by the Business Improvement District of Coral Gables and presented this year by Zacapa Rum, it happens on the first Friday of every month from November to April. Just imagine music, art and over a dozen restaurants and bars bringing Giralda Avenue alive between Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Galiano Street.

Giralda Under The Stars in January

Otherwise known as "Restaurant Row", the street becomes one giant party, as participating restaurants bring out their tables and chairs from 7 pm to midnight and serve their culinary delights to the beat of some live music.  I love how you can choose food from all the over the world in just one block and there are opportunities for all tastes and budgets.

Let the feast begin!

Taking advantage of  the starry night, I came out for this past month's Giralda Under the Stars and had a marvelous time. The weather was cool, the ambiance was festive and the food was delicious. I munched away at Spritz Pizzeria, Divino Ceviche and The Local Craft Food & Drink. Oh what a night!

Live Music keeps things lively.

The next Giralda Under The Stars will take place on Friday, February 7th. For more information or to see a directory of participating restaurants, click here.

In the meantime, walk down Giralda Avenue with me through my photo gallery:

Loved sitting outside Spritz Pizzeria

The pizza was finger licking good! Did you know you can
make your own pizza here? This one had a crispy thin crust,
and a decadent combination of mushrooms, black olives,
goat cheese and tomatoes. Can I get a "yum" please?

Divino Ceviche, one of my top Peruvian food spots, has opened
its second location.  Now you can satisfy the craving both
in Doral and in Coral Gables.

Divino Ceviche- a taste of Peruvian Nirvana. The chunks
of mango give it a Miami flair.

Chicken Causa - Always order one of these treats when I'm here.

The place was packed and the street is lit up so nicely.

My first time at The Local Craft Food & Drink. I liked!

Duck Pate Croquettes served with Olives and Cuban Crackers

Roasted Bone Marrow with Asian Chimichurri and Toast Points

Glazed Doughnut Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel and
Crème Anglaise. The place was packed and we had to wait
a while for it, but I'll tell you, it was worth the wait.

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Batch Gastropub

Right before we bade farewell to 2013, a promising new place said hello in the Brickell area. Batch Miami, located just blocks from the Mary Brickell Village at 30 S.W. 12 Street, is a new concept that provides top-of-the-line cocktails without the usual wait from the bar. Say what, you ask? Well, as the name implies, instead of a bartender mixing your drink at the time you order it, master mixologists actually prepare them ahead of time in pre-batched 5-gallon, nitrogen enriched kegs. Then they're served, "draft" style, in a much more efficient way, without comprising taste or quality. I thought the whole concept was cool and couldn't wait to check it out.

Along with these signature cocktails, Batch offers "American Tavern" cuisine, featuring a combination of small plates with big tastes, innovative entrees and brick oven pizzas. I had the opportunity to come sample some of the items on their menu prior to their opening in late December. I found the ambiance to be inviting and fun, mixing antique furnishings with contemporary elements. Adding to the eclectic feel, they incorporated a garage-door style facade, which brings the outdoors in and allows for a more relaxed experience.

Naked Zombie

Batch Miami Chili Glazed Wings

Black and Stormy

I'll start with the drinks, since I know you're all curious to read how the whole "batch" concept turned out. We tried two cocktails during our visit: the Naked Zombie (On Tap) and the Black and Stormy (Old School). Of the two, my favorite was the Naked Zombie. It was sweet (just how I like it) and packed an impressive punch with its blend of three different rums: Bacardi Select, Gold and Anejo. The tropical fruit, island spices and cinnamon rock candy syrup definitely won me over, and I was sipping it up like a madwoman. The Black & Stormy was prepared with Blackstrap infused Santa Teresa Anejo Rum, ginger beer and apple-cinnamon essence. I found it to be more fragrant but not as sweet. My dining partner was quite wooed with it.  Our friendly server brought out the first small plate, which was the Batch Chili Glazed Wings. They were flash fried and glazed with cinnamon, then sprinkled with, get this, Dorito dust, and served with an emulsified blue cheese foam on the side.

Mac Attack

Next up on the tasting was my all-time winning bite of the night: the Mac Attack. This is one dish you must try when you visit Batch Gastropub. It's their own original version of Mac & Cheese except it's made with Gnocchi and Aged Gruyere. It was creamy and flavorful, and honestly took my taste buds for a ride. This baby was followed by the Tomato and Mozzarella Salad prepared with fresh heirloom tomatoes and a light smoked mozzarella. It was interesting to learn that in order to keep ingredients as local as possible, the team at Batch has created an on-site agroponic system to grow their own fresh herbs, vegetables and spices.

Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Toasted Quinoa

Wynwood Stout Aged
New York Strip

Our next sampling was the Toasted Quinoa, sitting on a pool of arugula pesto and topped with shaved baby carrots, asparagus, avocado, and radish. I'm normally not a fan of quinoa so this dish wouldn't be on my list of top picks but as far as quinoa goes, it was good. The toasting gave it a subtle, nutty flavor and the presentation was nice. The entree we tried was the Wynwood Stout Aged New York Strip, served with a sundried tomato chimichurri and a side of french fries. The steak was juicy, tender and bursting with flavor. They had us try their homemade, secret B1 Steakhouse and I liked it so much, I was dipping my fries in it. Needless to say, I tried to bribe our server into divulging the recipe, but he just wouldn't budge.

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

To finalize the meal, we shared a Pumpkin Creme Brulee. Creamy and silky, it had just the right amount of pumpkin flavor to add an interesting element to the dessert without overpowering the sweetness.

We were pleased with Batch, and I feel it's going to be a great place to hang out, and enjoy some outstanding cocktails over tasty bites. Something else you'll love about Batch Gastropub is that unlike other restaurants in Brickell, it has very convenient parking. There is a parking garage adjacent to it, and you get a discount when eating there. For more information, visit their website here.

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Miami Culinary Tours - Eat Your Way Through Wynwood

Wynwood is one of those neighborhoods that has quickly become a hot spot in the city. In the last couple of years, it has gone through an unbelievable transformation, evolving from a place you wouldn't want to wander into at night to a colorful artistic haven full of galleries, night life, street art and great restaurants.

Grace Della, owner of Miami Culinary Tours kicking off the tour

Federico Uribe Gallery

Miami Culinary Tours recently launched a new tour in the Wynwood Area and I was looking forward to checking it out. Having already been on their South Beach and Little Havana tours, I was curious as to how this one would compare. By the end of the afternoon, I was looking forward to the monthly Wynwood Art Walk to return to some of the galleries we were introduced to by Grace Della, the tour company's owner. Even though I'm a local, and have walked these Wynwood Streets more than once, I wasn't familiar with some of the interesting galleries that were there. For example, Grace took us to the Federico Uribe Gallery, featuring original moving installations, and we were blown away.

Wynwood Walls

Inside Wynwood Kitchen & Bar

Ropa Vieja Empanadas and
Queso Fresco Maduros

Let me start by telling you, there is a lot of food involved. We started off at Wynwood Kitchen & Bar, a visually stimulating spot founded by the late Tony Goldman. This place combines beautiful art with Latin-infused cuisine prepared by Venezuelan Chef Miguel Aguilar. Throughout both its indoor and outdoor areas, WKB is the home to the artwork of famed graffiti artist and Godfather of street art Shepard Fairey, German artist Christian Awe, and sculptor David Benjamin Sherry. It is also where you'll find the iconic Wynwood Walls; an art park created by Goldman that allows local street artists to showcase their talents. While here, we sampled a Ropa Vieja Empanada and Queso Fresco Maduros. The sherry vinegar on the empanadas gave them a distinct flavor and the queso fresco added a nice salty profile to the sweet, tender maduros. We enjoyed the bites with a La Rubia beer from a local Wynwood brewery.

Take some meat home

The Butcher Shop

Next we went to another trendy spot in Wynwood; a relatively new restaurant called The Butcher Shop Beer Garden & Grill. Serving up grass fed, organic cuts of meat and an impressive selection of brewskys, there was quite a lot of excitement among the group to taste whatever awaited us here.

Pierogis

Polish Kielbasa

Belgian Ale

Turns out we started with a cold Belgian Ale and some potato and cheese Pierogis (Polish dumplings), topped with sour cream sauce. While we munched on those, they brought out a plate of Smoked Polish Kielbasa served with a German Pretzel. The sausage was flavorful and quite addicting, and I loved alternating between taking a bite of meat and then a bite of salty pretzel bread.

For our next stop, we headed to a different part of the world, sort of speak, and visited popular Puerto Rican eatery Jimmy'z Kitchen, for one of their world famous Chicken Mofongos. If you haven't tried Mofongo, the signature fried plantain dish originally from la Isla del Encanto, this is the place to have it. The portion was generous, and as always, totally tasty with its bits of chicharrones (pork cracklings), and shredded chicken in a creole sauce.  Jimmy'z Kitchen welcomed us with a nice sign as we walked into the private area reserved for the group.

Chicken Mofongo

Bar at Pride and Joy

At this point, I'd say we were only about halfway through the tour which meant more good eating on the agenda. Grace brought us back to the U.S.A. with a taste of the south. We stopped at Pride and Joy for a down-home mouthful of Deviled Egg with Pulled Pork. From the moment we walked in to the artfully decorated hotspot, we could smell the smoky aroma of BBQ that instinctively made my mouth water.

Deviled Egg with Pulled Pork

SuViche

Causas

True to Miami's diverse cultures, our next stop featured two of my favorite types of cuisines. We walked over to SuViche; a Japanese-Peruvian restaurant (thus the name), that serves a culinary fusion of both of these countries. Here we tried their Tuna Causas, pillars of mashed potatoes infused with lime and aji amarillo, then topped with tuna and their decadent sauce. I was in heaven. Causas happen to be one of my vices and these were amazing. It was my first time at SuViche and I'm looking forward to returning to see what else they got that can make me swoon.

Fireman Derek's Key Lime Pie

Quite stuffed but extremely happy, Grace took us to a small, inconspicuous place where our sweet finale awaited. It was the location where Fireman Derek bakes his renowned pies. That's right. I said Fireman Derek. He is a real City of Miami firefighter who bakes the best damn desserts on his spare time and has grown quite a following. I had tried his Crack Pie over at Brother Jimmy's BBQ a while back, and fallen in love immediately, but on this sunny afternoon, we were treated to his Key Lime Pie. It was a combination of tart, sweet and creamy all at once.

I highly recommend booking a Miami Culinary Tour to Wynwood and getting to know the neighborhood that is causing so much buzz in Miami. You'll be glad you did. The experience is fun, delicious and a must-do for tourists and Miami foodies alike.  For more information, visit their website at Miami Culinary Tours.

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Chef Lorena Garcia Shares Her Passion For Healthy Eating

Let's play a game of Jeopardy. The category is "Top Latina Chefs". Here's the question: She is a Venezuelan celebrity chef, restaurateur, T.V. personality and cookbook author; famous for creating the Cantina Bell menu at Taco Bell. Did I hear a buzzer? If your answer is "Who is Chef Lorena Garcia" you're moving on to the Double Jeopardy round.

With Chef Lorena Garcia

San Joaquin Sangria

California Grapes

Right before the holidays, I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Lorena Garcia at a culinary demonstration hosted by the California Table Grape Commission (Grapes from California). Lorena dazzled us with some of her favorite recipes for the holidays using California grapes. We got to indulge in a variety of sweet and savory bites, along with some refreshing cocktails including a delicious San Joaquin Sangria made with, you guessed it: grapes.

Delicious Sweet and Savory Bites Featuring Grapes

Shrimp Ceviche

Flatbread was Amazing

The moment I sat down and started talking with Lorena, I felt as if we had known each other for a long time. She has a golden personality and a winning smile. We talked about her Latin roots and the pivotal point that began her focus on advocating a healthier approach to cooking. "My mother and I started talking about how much childhood obesity has grown. It is impacting the overall health of children, particularly in our Latin culture, and we knew we had to do something. That is where my passion began."

Lobster Rolls

Chocolate Dipped Grapes

Skewered Shrimp and Grapes

Lorena explained that there isn't a need to completely change what we eat or sacrifice flavor, but rather we should be more conscious of our eating habits, use healthier ingredients in the kitchen and practice portion control. For example, keeping nutritious snacks in the freezer, such as grapes dipped in chocolate, and making small substitutions in the ingredients we use, can go a long way to satisfying those ravenous hunger pangs that often lead to no good. 

Chef Lorena Garcia preparing the Brie

Putting the grapes in the Brie

Anxiously awaiting...

As the spokesperson for the California Table Grape Commission, Lorena showcased the difference that this one ingredient can make in everyday cooking. From color, to flavor, to texture, using grapes adds a subtle sweetness and harmony to dishes that the whole family can enjoy. She also shared how these green, black and red delights are extremely versatile and can make meal times colorful and fun. "It's all about creating the perfect bite; a little bit of everything in moderation," she said.

Almost ready

Voila! Baked Brie with Herbed
Grapes from California

Wonderful time with a great
group of foodies

As the highlight of the evening, Lorena showed us how to prepare a Baked Brie with Herbed Grapes from California - one of her favorite holiday dishes. It was easy, quick and totally delicious. I'll let you in on a little secret. I served it this year on Christmas and everyone was impressed. You can learn how to make it in my Recipes Section.  For more information on Grapes from California, visit their website.

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