What I ATE: Best dishes from MIAbites Contributors

As the holiday season shifts into high gear, our MiamiBites/MIAbites contributors report on some of their favorite dishes from a busy Fall of food, events and dinners at home.

If you follow any of our MIAbites Contributors on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, you are constantly bombarded with some pretty amazing pictures of food and drink that has been consumed, it seems almost endlessly. 

How can anyone eat and drink ALL that food and go to ALL those places?  

Well Our Contributors do, from evenings out with friends, to lunches at favorite classic spots, to events hosted by restaurants, fellow bloggers and spirit purveyors.  It is hard to keep up and so as a special MIAbites feature we bring you.... 

What i ATE...

Allison Riley- @YallTasteThis

Mignonette and Chef Danny Serfer and Luther Campbell ( Uncle Luke ) hosted a down home dinner on November 11th.   Great dinner and fun times and best dish was Olive Oil Poached Halibut, Crispy fingerlings, mountain rose apple, Romesco.

Maria Acevedo- @Foodlvr

Lechon(roast pork) Vaca Frita, Congri, boiled yucawith a garlic mojito at Casavana's Cuban Restaurant. Usually vaca frita has been made only with pork, but now they are making it with pork and chicken. Yum!

Andrew Giambarba- @AndyMiami

Every time we post “What I Ate” this week there’s a chance to write about some really great meal. This week, however, I get to write about one of the best bites I’ve ever had in my entire life. In the first week of November, my son and I both celebrated birthdays. He had the great idea that our gifts to each other should be dinner at NAOE. During that mind-blowing experience, I had the best bite of sushi I’ve ever had in my life: a slice of nodogoru (Blackthroat Seaperch) with just the tiniest bit of freshly grated ginger on top. Chef Kevin Cory and the entire staff make the dining experience absolutely unforgettable. Don’t take my word for it! Ferran Adria calls NAOE “…one of the very best in the world outside of Japan.”

Deanna Dominguez- MIAbites Contributor

On a visit to the Miami International Book Fair, I stopped in the "swamp" to see a performance p the Moth, live stories with the theme of experiences of Miami at the Porch.  The swamp is a fun place to hang out, relax, and enjoy some salads from Verde Community Gardens. I had hummus salad freshly made with chickpeas, tahini, cucumbers, pickled radishes and carrots seved on Verde Farm greens  with a house vinaigrette dressing. 

Jennifer Massolo @TheLiquidProjects

November was a crazy food month and in one weekend choices included, Lucky Rice event on the beach and Chef Jeremiah’s P.I.G.6 event in Wynwood.  Lots of best dishes all around but I especially liked Alter Chef, Brad Kilgore’s dishes at both!  Brad's dish at Lucky Rice was sashimi of wahoo with hibiscus ponzu, key lime curd, fish sauce vinaigrette, and puffed tapioca.  It was stunning to look at; guests were asked to wear something red and Brad took this all the way to the plate.  The acid, crunch, cream, salt and fruit were married so well together.  Brad's PIG6 dish was glazed pork belly with banana creme and crumbled, oil-cured, Moroccan olives.  Special dishes from a very talented chef.

Melissa Ginsberg- @The foodieteach

My meals these days have been pretty boring since I began the 22 Day Revolution and went vegan! There has been no eating out, no meat, and no alcohol! I will say that the effort to be healthier and lose some weight has been successful but man, I can't wait for December when I can have all the cheese boards and charcuterie.  Being vegan may be for some, but what this has taught me is that I really like cheese. A lot. Oh, and wine! In the meantime, here is one of my meals that I prepared at home last week. These are Raw Walnut Tacos, which consist of walnuts pulsed in the food processor with spices like cumin and coriander and placed on romaine lettuce "shells" and topped with onions, avocado, and tomato. These were surprisingly filling and very delicious! I'm still thinking about cheese, though... 

Ellen Bowen- Managing Director/ Editor- MIAbites.com

I was up in Connecticut the last two weeks of November and got to celebrate the holiday season early with the CTbites.com team at new hot spot, Fortina.  The Stamford location is the third restaurant opened by three young high school friends and offers both great home-cooked italian food, and a party atmosphere!  The Luigi Bianco pizza is the signature pizza. Prepared in a wood burning oven, it includes ricotta and robiola cheese topped with a black truffle pesto and it very addictive!  Trying to talk the Fortina guys in to coming to Miami!

Watch for What I ATE as an ongoing feature only on MIAbites.  And make sure your follow Our Contributors and @MIAbites1 on Twitter and Instagram for even more mouthwatering pictures.