Lhardy Kitchen & Bar in Coral Gables

If you've driven down Miracle Mile lately, you've noticed that there's a brand new spot on the corner of 301 Miracle Mile, where La Tagliatella used to be. It's Lhardy Kitchen & Bar, a restaurant that belongs to a group creator of 88 brands of restaurants, nightclubs and hotels with more than 300 establishments spanning eight countries.

Lhardy Kitchen & Bar kept the opulent and rich decor of its predecessor and is now giving Coral Gables foodies an excellent option for international cuisine. I recently visited Lhardy Kitchen & Bar for both their Happy Hour and their Executive Lunch. I was very pleased with both.

Me sipping a cocktail spontaneously created
by the mixologist at Lhardy's

Crab Salad

Tuna Tartar

Let's start with the one you want me to talk about the most: Happy Hour. Happening Monday through Friday, from 3:30 pm -7:00 pm (in the bar and bar area only), Lhardy features an excellent selection of Draft Beers, Specialty Cocktails (my favorites), Wines and Spumanti and Well Drinks. The creative libations can be paired with their signature Pizzas, as well as a variety of other dishes from their Bar Bites Menu. I absolutely went cuckoo over their Tuna Tartar, prepared with smoked chipotle, capers and leeks, atop crispy wonton chips. Another favorite for me was their light and mild-flavored Crab Salad.

Bufala Pizza

Jerk Wings

Lhardy Pizza

The Jerk Wings were delicious as well, nicely marinated and served with a homemade Gorgonzola Sauce. But I think the pizzas took the cake.. sort of speak. Of the three I tasted, my top contender was the Sweet & Sour, boasting a fun combination of crispy eggplant, honey, balsamic glaze and arugula salad.

I had a moment with this Chocolate Martini

Arancini

Sweet & Sour Pizza

Pair the good food and the refreshing drinks with an upscale, yet relaxing ambiance, and you got the formula for a nice place to gather with friends after a long day at work. Speaking about work, I noticed Lhardy served an Executive Lunch during the week until 4 pm that included an appetizer, entree and dessert for just $13.99. I figured I'd check it out the next day since they were on a roll so far and my boss was out of town.

If you're in the area at lunch time or can make the drive, Lhardy's Executive Lunch is totally worth it in value, taste and time. I was in and out in just 30 minutes, which is awesome because I still had time to play. As soon as I sat down, the waiter brought over a complimentary basket of warm bread with the most amazing sun dried tomato paste. I couldn't stop dipping.

Zucchini Soup

After looking at the menu, I decided to start with the Zucchini Soup. It was an adventure for me because I wasn't sure if I was going to like it but I am happy to report, I did. It was creamy and flavorful, a perfect beginning to my midday meal. Next, I ordered the homemade Cannelloni with Spinach and Ricotta, spread in a tomato and bechamel sauce. Divine! The pasta was perfectly cooked.

Cannelloni with Spinach and Ricotta

For dessert, I went for the Crema Catalana, a Spanish custard topped with a contrasting layer of hard caramel. It wasn't the most spectacular I've had, but it did the trick and I really couldn't believe this lunch, served with great service in a beautiful setting, only cost $13.99. By the way, on the way out, I noticed they make their own Limoncello in house, and I couldn't help but get me a glass. Sssshhh...that's just between me and you.

Being a bad girl with my afternoon  Limoncello

For more information on Lhardy Kitchen & Bar, visit their website or call them at 786-464-0516.

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Michelle Bernstein Brings The Holidays Closer at Macy's in Aventura Mall

It isn't just the cooler weather in Miami that's bringing the holidays closer.  Macy's Culinary Council Chef Michelle Bernstein is pairing up holiday cooking with the ever-popular brunch, by sharing her award-winning holiday brunch recipes at Macy's in Aventura Mall this coming Saturday, October 25th at noon.

Michelle Bernstein

Miami's own Bernstein is well known not only for her incredible talent in the kitchen, and charismatic presence in her show, Check Please,  but also for her popular Design District restaurant Crumb on Parchment. Her latest ventures include an outpost at the Sun Life Stadium that will feature Bernstein's healthy yet flavorful dishes and a new South Beach restaurant slated to open this Fall: Seagrape. The "Floridian Brasserie" will be located at the Thompson Hotel and will offer fresh veggie plates, premium steaks and a raw bar.

Availabilty for this fabulous cooking demo at Macy's is going fast. What better way can you think of for a foodie to spend an afternoon than interacting with a James Beard Award Winning chef, while sampling delicious food and learning some tips to impress the family at home over the holidays? I bet you we both agree on the answer. And as if the good time alone isn't enough, if you purchase $35 or more in the Home Department at Macy's on the day of the event, you will receive a $10 gift card and a copy of Bernstein's cookbook Cuisine A Latina, which she will sign for you.

For more information on Macy's Culinary Council and their chefs, visit their website.




I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere Society has provided me with compensation for the post. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

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Mojito Madness at TK's at the Villa Mayfair

I'm sure many of you feel the same way when Fridays come around; that need to shed the stress and unwind the tightness from at least 40 hours of the usual grind. For me, the process usually starts with alcohol, enticing food and live music. Add good company to the ritual and I start destressing in minutes. 

Pineapple Mojito and Wild Berry Mojito

Well I discovered the perfect place to get rid of the madness. Have you been to TK's at the Villa Mayfair lately? I had heard about the place located at 2901 Florida Avenue in Coconut Grove for a while, even followed them on Twitter, but it wasn't until I heard they were kicking off Mojito Madness on Friday nights that I actually visited the restaurant. It was great.

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Close your eyes and imagine this: It's Friday night, you've been closing some deals and getting some hell all week and you're ready to bring on the weekend. You don your guayabera, grab your date and head over to the Grove where a Cigar Roller hands you a freshly rolled cigar, and then you step into TK's and start drumming your fingers to therapeutic, live Cuban music. Within minutes, you sit and your server brings you not only a food menu that gets you salivating instantly but a selection of over 20 mojitos to soothe your soul. The only problem? Which ones do you choose? The solution? They're only $10 each so why restrict yourself? Taxis are abundant in Miami and there's always Uber.

Beef Carpaccio

I sampled several myself when I was there and I love that there is enough variety to satisfy just about every preference. Personally,  I tend to like my mojitos fruity while my date stuck to the more to traditional kind. The ingredients were fresh and they were quite addicting; the perfect cocktail pairing to the sultry ambiance. Of course, the evening would not have been a complete success for me without equally spectacular food, and TK's hit it on the money there too. We started off with their Beef Carpaccio, made with thinly sliced prime beef, creamy blue cheese, capers, onions and arugula. Next, we ordered their signature TK's Tuna Tartare (are your surprised?). Refreshingly flavorful diced tuna, came together in a spherical delight of avocado, sesame oil and soy lime dressing, and was then crowned with crispy shallots. Oh, I had to have another mojito in celebration of this dish.

TK's Tuna Tartare

Sweet Potato Fries

Scallops Gratin

For entrees, we ordered the Grilled Pork Chops and the Scallops Gratin. The Grilled Pork Chops consisted of a double-cut grilled pork chop served with baby carrots, sweet peas and potatoes, all atop a mushroom demi glace. The Scallops Gratin were tender bites of baked scallops topped with prosciutto pernod gratin in white wine butter sauce, with slices of crispy toasts in between. As side dishes, we tried the Sweet Potato Fries served with homemade ranch that were insane and the Bacon And Brie Tater Tots.

Grilled Pork Chops

Bacon and Brie Tater Tots

Happy and relaxed, after some luscious mojitos, dancing and great food, we ordered the sweet finale: an amazing Guava Cheesecake that sealed the deal for us. That's it...my weekend started right there and I couldn't wait to return for more. For additional information on TK's Villa at the Mayfair and Mojito Madness, visit their website.

Cheesecake

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