SNIP Salon, Miami Beach

Brit-born Riley McLachlan's petite salon SNIP at Base boutique always attracted a fab following but the 250 square foot space was a wee bit...wee. So it's quite exciting that SNIP has expanded to brand new, robust digs on 41st street. With a sleek industrial-chic layout courtesy of designer Tui Pranich (also a SNIP client) and added amenities like a mini-day spa and unique treatments like eyelash extensions the new spot is uber-comfortable and swank. Beauty Secret: The salon still offers gratis student cuts twice a week at 9am – call ahead.

Spinello Gallery Jan. 12

The former digs of the Spinello Gallery used to be owner Anthony Spinello's one-bedroom two-floor walk-up Wynwood. The young gallerist has since graduated to a less hidden, though still intimate storefront space in Wynwood's Arts District and has continued to stage impressive shows featuring local artists that have drawn everyone from tony art collectors to scruffy nightlife denizens. On Saturday's gallery walk catch Miami-based Christina Pettersson's first solo show entitled “This may be the last time, I don't know,” featuring graphite drawings of brick on paper. 7PM-10PM, January 12.

Upper East Side Green Market

City of Miami residents will soon be able to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the Upper Eastside Green Market at Legion Park, starting Saturday, January 12th, 2008, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Admission is free..

Residents will have the opportunity to visit the various booths of vendors selling fresh fruits, vegetables, orchids, cut flowers, plants, local honey, tropical jams, fresh farm eggs, fresh bread, dog treats, Italian gourmet products and more. The Green Market will be open every Saturday thru March 15th, 2008. Legion Park is located at 6447 NE 7th Avenue. The market will be set up on the park’s grounds in front of the Upper Eastside NET Office facing Biscayne Blvd.

The Upper Eastside Green Market at Legion Park is brought to District 2 is being made possible due to support from City of Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, City of Miami Parks and Recreation, the Market Company, MiMo Historic District, the Biscayne Times, 55th Street Station, Soyka Miami and Andiamo.

Individuals interested in obtaining information about the Upper Eastside Green Market at Legion Park, please call 305-775-2166.

WHAT: Upper Eastside Green Market Comes to Legion Park

WHEN: Every Saturday, January 12 thru March 15th, 2008 from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

WHERE: Legion Park, 6447 NE 7th Avenue
(On the grounds of Legion Park in front of the Upper Eastside NET Office facing Biscayne Blvd.)

COST: Free admission

The Nori Trend

The NYTimes explores the new practice of using nori in dishes other than sushi. There a couple of nice recipes in there as well. I've seen this trend make its way down here in a few rare cases, most notably at Timon Balloo's Domo Japones where he pairs toasted nori-flecked bread with foie gras. The saltiness of the seaweed tempers the richness of the dish nicely. Looking forward to seeing how other chefs will employ this fun new ingredient.

Breakfast

Belgian waffles with sweet cream butter and apricots. Accompanied by fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Can't think of a better way to start the day. Shot (and enjoyed) at the Regent Palms, Turks and Caicos.

Art and Design this Saturday

Bits and Pieces

• Twelve reasons to walk out on a job interview. Most of it is right on, especially the part where they talk about how "fun" and "crazy" it is to work there.
• Unofficial compilation of Chowhound Florida's "Best"/ "Top" Lists.
• Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Spice Market may be coming to Miami.
• The New Times catches up with Harold Golen in the aftermath of his gallery's fire.
• Menupages has a first look at the menu of Casamir Bistro in Boca. The grilled chicken breast in horseradish tarragon sauce sounds deelish.
  

Leblon Cachaca Cocktail Recipe

This is one is both refreshing and creamy. Almost like a pina colada but with sophistication.

COCONUT CHILLER
2 oz. leblon cachaça
2 oz. pineapple juice
1 oz. coconut cream
1 slice orange
1 dash coconut flakes
shake all ingredients with ice and
serve on the rocks. garnish with
orange wedge and coconut flakes.

New Prix Fixe Lunch at River Oyster Bar

The River Oyster Bar just announced a year-round offering of a three-course, prix fixe lunch menu priced at $20 per person (tax and gratuity are additional). Choices include Chef David Bracha’s Caldeirada fisherman’s soup; Fresh Shucked Gold Creek Oysters or Caicos Conch Salad served with veggies, scotch bonnet and sour orange. Main course options include Linguini and Little Neck Clams; House Smoked Organic Salmon Nicoise Salad with beets, string beans, potato, hard-boiled egg and cucumber tossed in a sherry vinaigrette or the West Indies Spiced Mahi prepared with coconut spinach and mango-apple chutney. Desserts options are Apple-Cider Sorbet; Handmade Chocolate Truffles or Apple-Blackberry Crisp with cinnamon ice cream.
Lunch is from 11:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Half-price oysters are available during Happy Hour from 4:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., six days a week.

ArTalks at Books and Books Tonight

Nomad stops at Books & Books: The second of a new series of free ArTalks, co-sponsored by Miami Art Museum and Books & Books, features Cuban-born artist Enrique Martínez Celaya and noted Miami art critic Alfredo Triff. They will discuss Nomad, which documents Martínez Celaya’s creative process during preparations for his current show at MAM and Views from a Tuft of Grass by Harry Martinson, the book of poetry which inspired the work. This ArTalk, part of a new series of occasional conversations pairing artists, authors and scholars in conversations centered on recently published books, will take place January 9, 8-9pm, at Books & Books in Coral Gables, located at 265 Aragon Avenue. Public parking garage is located across the street. Tickets validated at Books & Books will be charged a reduced rate.

youngARTS Party Saturday Night

The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA- www.nfaa.org) is a Miami-based national organization that has supported young artists for over 25 years through programs, grants, awards & much more.

To celebrate their youngARTS program (showcased this week throughout Miami), the NFAA's youngPATRONS are hosting what promises to be an amazing party at the incredible Soho Studios this Saturday, January 12th.

Contact Rebecca Interian for more info on this Saturday's party and future events: 305-377-1140, x. 218; rebecca@nfaa.org.

Morningstar Freezer Jenga

Morningstar products are half off at Publix this week. That's like a lunar eclipse in the grocery world. So I went a little overboard. I couldn't help myself. Have you had their veggie corn dogs? They are off the hook. I'll be the first to admit I'm a bit obsessed. I even banished the ice box to make room for my precious fake meats. Talk about letting the market dictate the menu...

Sobe Food Fest Tickets!

Recent Articles

I am a busy bee today - lots of deadlines, lots of laundry to do and a visiting mom in town to entertain. So, in the vein of shameless self-promotion and out of sheer laziness, I offer you some of my recent articles to enjoy.

• An article in Hadassah magazine about the impact of trips to Israel on young Jews.
• Beauty picks for December and the opening of a new Guerlain spa at the Regent Bal Harbour.
• An intro to CasaDecor'07 and the Doug and Gene Meyer suite in the December issue of HOME.

Turks and Caicos Adventure

Miami is a fabulous place to live, but sometimes it's nice (nay, necessary) to get away. And for a travel bug like meself, having nearby Caribbean treasures a quick jaunt away is one of the bonuses of living in South Florida. The Turks and Caicos, only an hour and a half from MIA, provided the perfect escape. The country is a series of 40 islands (only eight are inhabited) in the British West Indies. Tourism development is a sleeping beast that has just recently been awakened by a slew of new projects aimed at an upscale clientèle. But despite the new development the island is tranquil, life moves at a leisurely pace, and there's plenty of natural beauty still preserved. I stayed at the Regent Palms Resort, a classy property with tasteful Old Caribbean decor, a gracious staff, and a spa that I wish I could bring back home. My massive suite rivaled most one-bedroom apartments I've lived in and even had its own washer/dryer and stainless steel kitchen with - be still my Epicurean heart - a Viking range. I could have held a dinner party in the bathroom itself (which, considering the presence of a spacious jacuzzi would not have been a bad idea). The photo above is from the palatial balcony. The view of the sparkling ocean is probably something everyone should wake up to at least once in their lives. The nice thing about the ocean in Turks is that an offshore reef breaks the waves so the beaches are blessedly placid with glassy surfaces and clear views to the depths below.

The almighty conch is king in Turks and Caicos. The discarded shells lay in haphazard formations along the beachside restaurants.

A view of "Da Conch Shack," an island institution. More on that experience in an upcoming post.

Schoolgirls walking home. You got to love a place that insists on kids wearing school uniforms where eating barefoot at a Tikki hut is the norm.

A view of the entrance lobby at the hotel. Love how it straddles the indoor/outdoor divide. Basically it is both.

A sunset cruise complete with "island punch" proffered by the easy going captain. I opted for a can of Turks Head lager, the local brew. It was pretty good.

Astrix January 5

Put away the stilettos and get ready to dance Saturday night when Pawn Shop Lounge hosts Israeli turntable titan DJ Astrix and his fellow Holy Land spinners Shay 360 and Moti Maymon. Known for popularizing psychedelic trance music, the Russian-born Tel Aviv-raised Astrix once kept a crowd moving through sunrise–good thing this show goes until 6AM! Jan. 5, 10PM; $25. The Pawn Shop Lounge, 1222 NE 2nd Ave., Downtown; 305.373.3511.

Kobe Club Miami: Luxe Steak Parlor

Was privy to a preview of restaurant guru Jeffrey Chodorow's new Kobe Club Miami last night. The restaurant officially opens today but they were in full swing last night. The posh eatery is half the size of New York location (52 seats as opposed to 110) so it's a bit more intimate and has more of a private club feel to it. They've also recreated the noir bordello decor with 2,000 Samurai swords dangling above black banquettes and a swanky bar outfitted in stingray leather. The vibe is seductively dark and sexy and there are a few secluded booths where you can dine clandestinely behind strappy leather curtains.

The menu is basically the same as the New York outpost though they may start incorporating some local seafood into the mix. Not all menu items were available last night but our table sampled the "Samurai Flight" of three types of wagyu-Japanese, Australian and American. The consensus at the table was the meat was expertly cooked, and the Japanese won out from its less marbleized peers. The restaurant has gotten flak for using the kitschy flags to differentiate the meats but it's actually quite helpful if you're in the mood for doing taste comparisons (and why not have a little kitsch here and there?). We also tried the Dover Sole meuniere and the Atlantic Salmon which comes with delectable little lobster dumplings. Both fish dishes were tasty which is good news for non-carnivorous diners.

Appetizers include the usual steakhouse fare with a few creative selections that stand out. We tried the iced hamachi which was refreshing and lightly seasoned with lemon, sea salt and topped with diced pineapples and scallions. The iceberg wedge was a hefty portion doused with blue cheese dressing and the tomato and red onion salad was straightforward tomatoes and red onions, sliced, elevated by a 50 year-old balsamico. Sides were gluttonously good - we tried the creamed spinach, the parmesan truffle fries which come in a basket big enough for four, sake white truffle creamed corn which was quite delicate and the hash brown topped with lobster and chorizo which comes in a rustic square cast iron pan. The menu is extensive so it takes a while to figure out exactly how to plot your beef feast but that's part of the experience. Even the dessert list comes with an impressive and highly detailed selection of digestifs including rare and aged whiskeys.

If you're not up for spending big you can also get a respectable steak for under $40 which is comparable in price to a lot of restaurants in Miami that have less to offer in terms of atmosphere and design. Service was professional, cordial and well-orchestrated which, for a restaurant that is new (and in South Beach) is a testament to fine management. Chodorow's restaurants are well-staffed and well-funded so you always feel like you are in good hands. I can only speak for his properties in Miami but I haven't had a bad meal at Blue Door or Tuscan Steak and that's been echoed by most people I know. He smartly kept this Kobe Club small and it hits just the right notes of being sceney but also appealing to an epicurean crowd.

Kung Fu Chu's @ The Catalina

There's a new sushi and sake lounge at the Catalina Hotel and it is Tokyo-tastic! Decor is anime-chic with whimsical Japanese comicbook artwork adorning the lobby lounge area and waitresses dressed in plaid miniskirts and knee socks for that Harajuku girl look. The cocktail menu features a nice list of sake selections and the outdoor tables are the perfect people-watching spot on Collins Avenue.

And the food? With an exec chef who used to cater to the emperor of Japan the Izakaya-style menu did not disappoint. Specialty sushi rolls ($9-$13) are creatively composed (and named) with surprising flavor combinations like the Kung Fu Crunch made with crab, tempura flakes, avocado and spicy tuna. I couldn't resist the Kung Fu Jew roll made with cream cheese, avocado, crab and cucumber wrapped in soybean sheets and topped with salmon. My only issue with tempura flakes is that they come on top of the roll instead of inside.

There's also a great dim sum menu ($6-$8) with half a dozen varieties of dumplings and noodle dishes, though the portions are a bit wee - the veggie dumpling portion produced 4 petite pockets. We also tried the okono miyaki (Japanese cabbage pancake) as there are not many places in Miami where you can get this coveted Japanese street food staple. For dessert we had the green tea and red bean ice cream, both sweet, fragrant and refreshing after a sushi feast.

Kung Fu Chu's is at the former Dorset Hotel, 1720 Collins Ave.
South Beach
305.534.7905

The Best Falafel in Paris

Mark Bittman brings us the best falafel in Paris.

2007 Restaurant Trends

1. Bite-size desserts
2. Locally grown produce
3. Organic produce
4. Small plates/tapas/mezze
5. Specialty sandwiches
6. Craft/artisan/microbrew beer
7. Sustainable seafood
8. Grass-fed items
9. Energy drink cocktails
10. Salts (e.g. sea, smoked, colored, kosher)
[Via Grub Street]