Via Luna Grand Opening

The Ritz Ft. Lauderdale kicked off their new Italian restaurant Via Luna last night. I was excited for this because I love me a good Ritz party - plenty of food, drink and Lauderdale dudes.

The food: pasta stations with the chef's signature meatballs - a mixture of beef, veal and pork. Meat carving stations with rib eye, veal, sausage. The chef holding court at the outdoor pizza station facing the ocean. A salad spread with tableside Caesar salads.


The dessert buffet was a secret nook overflowing with mini key lime tarts, martini glasses filled with tiramesu, nutella-stuffed beignets, and cannolis studded with crunchy chocolate bits. I lurve crunchy chocolate bits.

You know the party's good when the publicists are smiling.

Vinyl & Kai Happy Hour

Ice Cream Will Be the End of Me

And we're back. I'll have you know the pricey soft serve shenninigans continued throughout the weekend. $9.64 for a large pomegranate swirl at Pinkberry (it came with unlimited toppings so I had her pack on at least $3 worth of blackberries onto that bad boy) and $8 for a "pint" of the most delicious ice cream I've ever consumed via truck - the Van Leeuwen coffee/ice cream wagon was parked at the Earth Day festivities outside Grand Central Station and it was hard to resist. With flavors like ginger, red currant and giandujia (made with Michel Cluizel chocolate), I was going for value (one scoop was four bucks so I figured why not go whole hog). They were able to indulge me with three different flavors packed into a grande coffee cup - Earl Grey, mint chip (with Cluizel chocolate flakes) and that giandujia with Piedmont hazelnuts. God, I felt like such a yuppy.

Momofuku Soft Serve Adventure

We're in NYC for the weekend, and the weather's amazing, the pasty people of this fair city are finally emerging from their winter hibernation and in honor of Earth Day everyone is feeling green. We're staying in Midtown East so like any loyal food blogger I make a pilgrimage to a David Chang outlet. In this case it was his new midtown outpost Ma Peche and the adjacent sweets counter called Milk Bar. The goal: artisanal soft serve. The result: fancy ice cream. I opted for a swirl of the two flavors - cereal milk (made from the sweet brew you get when soaking a bowl of cornflakes) and pistachio salted caramel. The pistachio flavor was incredibly rich and had a dense texture. I was impressed with how you could taste each element of the mixture with the nutty notes breaking through the salty sweet caramel veil. The milk cereal really tempered all that craziness with a nice, mellow corny bite. But $4.50 for a tiny cup? David Chang is porking all the way to the bank.

Earth Day @ The Standard

Hula hooping and drum circles? Everyone wins!

Wednesday is the New Thursday

Lots of fun stuff happening tonight. One involves wine, the other design.

Free iPhone Guides from Lonely Planet

This just popped into my inbox and sounded like an interesting offer so I figured I'd share:
In response to the widespread chaos caused by the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano, Lonely Planet is offering 13 of its European iPhone guides free.

“Travelers stuck in unfamiliar places need access to practical information as well as suggestions on what to do while stranded”, said Tom Hall, Lonely Planet Travel Editor. “That’s why we’re giving away iPhone city guides to major affected destinations.”

The 13 guides will be free until Thursday, April 22, from the iTunes app store.

The free iPhone apps cities are:

Amsterdam
Barcelona
Berlin
Budapest
Copenhagen
Istanbul
London
Moscow
Munich
Paris
Rome
Stockholm
Vienna

Opening Party @ Angelique

Boozy Brunch @ The Angler's

The Angler's recently launched a weekend brunch with a pretty attractive feature: an unlimited Bloody Mary and Champagne bar where $14 grants you the run of a tableside cart of fixings including Chianti Cured Salami. (And the cart attendant was pretty attractive too.) If you’re in the Mimosa mood, there are fresh juices, peach and strawberry purees and St. Germaine available to spike the bubbly.
The vibe is relaxed, and this past Sunday there was an Argentinean DJ curating the sounds which veered to loungey Euro mixes. The menu covers usuals like Steak and Eggs, Smoked Salmon on bagels and Eggs Bennedict. Prices are reasonable - $8-$14. Everything we tried was fine, not mind-blowing but good enough to soak up all that alchy without making you feel too heavy on a hot day.
Best in show: banana nutella pancakes. It's something I would have come up with in college after a night of too much cheap beer at keg parties. Here the pancakes hit all the right sweet, carby, rich chocolatey notes.

Saturdays and Sundays, 11am-5pm, 660 Washington Ave, 305-534-9600.

$7 Drinks, Valet and Food at the Raleigh

Normally I get my happy hour fix at less swanky dives than the Raleigh’s deco martini bar, but with this $7 pricing bonanza you can’t really go wrong. Occurring every day (including weekends) you get valet, Chopin vodka cocktails and small plates like tuna sashimi tea sandwiches, mini aged cheddar sliders, and lobster sofrito for seven smackers each.

5-8pm, 1775 Collins Avenue, 305-534-6300.

Easter Brunch @ Atrio

Easter Brunch @ JB Kitchen + Bar

NWS Party in a Penthouse

The gang at the New World Symphony sure know how to end a season: with a skyscraper blowout at the 4-story penthouse perched on the 67th floor of the Marquis building (home to South Florida’s highest hot tub and terrace). You’ll be privy to an open bar of Grey Goose cocktails along with beer, wine and live Bossa Nova. Just don’t look down.
April 3, 9p-12a, $40, Marquis 1100 Biscayne Blvd, 305-428-6732.

Easter Brunch @ Eos

The Eos Easter brunch menu looks gooood. See it here. Roasted whole lamb and the famous lobster risotto.

One Bal Harbour Gets Kid-Friendly

The swankiest hotel in Miami's toniest enclave wants you to now they are all about the kiddies these days. And they're having a party this weekend to prove it.

According to the press release the kid-friendly amenities at the hotel include:
"a special children’s menu with healthy organic and all-natural options for both restaurant and in-room dining, special room service presentations, mini bar options, a Playstation system and video game library, movie & book libraries, assortment of toys & board games, beach cruisers, pails, shovels & toys, VIP cards for sodas & ice cream, t-shirts, hats and manicures, pedicures and haircut services at the salon. ONE Bal Harbour also provides parents with a variety of childcare items and services such as car seats, pack-n-play cribs, high chairs, bed rails and babysitting services."

Yes, little people have needs. For things like pedicures. You should see the toe talons on my kid.