The Five ( Six ) S’s of Wine Tasting: SEE. SWIRL. SMELL. SIP. SAVOR. AND...SETAI.

Not many things can top the Zen-like ambiance offered at The Setai Hotel. That is, until you’re greeted with a glass of the playfully effervescent and universally beloved, Yellow Label Veuve Clicquot. On May 29, 2014, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin hosted a wine dinner at the Setai, the second of such wine series dinners hosted at this chic Miami Beach hotel. Each month a different winery teams up with The Restaurant to put on this inventive wine dinner.

Don’t worry my friends, this was not another one of those “all too familiar” overpriced wine dinners with uninspired dishes off the menu. The wine dinner series assembled by The Restaurant at The Setai in conjunction with the talents of Executive Chef Mathias Gervais and Chef Sommelier Dwayne Savoie is much more. Preparations begin at least a week prior to the dinner, when the two chefs sit down to taste the featured wines and collaborate on the menu. Chef Gervais strives to stay hyper-local and seasonal in creating the menu, while not taking away from the wines of each course. “It is important to have something that highlights the wine and staying local to obtain that.” says Gervais.

Dinner begins with hand-passed hors d’oeuvres around the beautiful Asian-inspired patio and then diners make their way into the restaurant for the multi-course meal. On this occasion, Chef Gervais expertly paired each course with different champagnes from Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin’s eponymous Champagne House.

RecipesEllen BowenJune 20, 2014Miami Beach Comments

Ocean-to-Ocean Gin Crawl

Gin is a spirit, which derives its predominant flavor from juniper berries. From its earliest origins in the Middle Ages, gin has evolved over the course of a millennium from an herbal medicine to an object of commerce in the spirits industry. Gin is nothing but flavored Vodka, usually with added botanicals, spices and herbal extracts.

Gin lovers of the world rejoice as World Gin Day returns for its sixth year on Saturday June 14, 2014!!

The Gagit’s went on a recent visit to London and visited and joined the London Gin Club at The Star at Night , the preeminent Gin Club in London. On our return to Miami, we visited the newly reopened Traymore Restaurant and Bar at The Metropolitan by COMO, the preeminent new Gin Bar in Miami.

We started our trip in London at The Star at Night Bar where we picked our Gin Club membership card (as shown). The bar itself had over 130 Gins (shown above) and we were seated immediately at the fully booked club.

Our server, Emily, so knowledgeable and with the right colored hair to match our drinks, goes over the menu with us.

RecipesMIAbites TeamJune 13, 2014Miami BeachComment

Aragon 101- Shopping and Cooking in Coral Gables

Editors Note: The world of food and the world of fashion have become forever entwined, as the topic at most parties and even many business meetings today features “where you ate” or “what you ate”. Dining out has become the top form of entertainment for the stylish set and lunch has replaced shopping as the weekend activity for young and old alike. Celebrity status has been given to chefs, and cooking shows are the newly popular reality shows. Food photography and then posting to social media is a favorite pastime as we have all become willing food “paparazzi”!

In local Miami author, Mandy Baca’s article below, she covers just such a destination…Aragon 101, a blending of owner, Erica Guzman’s, love of retail and food.

Stepping into a world of culinary beauty and homey enchantment amidst the hustle and bustle of Coral Gables’ Aragon Avenue, Aragon 101 is located one block from the famed Miracle Mile. Set up as the extension of the owner’s home, the store is plucked straight out of the covers of the top home design magazines. The ample sleek kitchen is the centerpiece of the room, which opens up to the rest of the store’s carefully placed departments, all clad with inviting seating for lingering. The store is the stuff of dreams and after entering, you may never want to leave- you have been warned. These are the best kinds of stores; the ones that lure you in and whisk you away to happiness. For those that work in Coral Gables, a visit to the store offers a welcome respite from the stresses of the office, whether visiting during lunchtime or the grueling midday slump.

RecipesMIAbites TeamMay 2, 2014Coral GablesComment

The Vegetable...It's What's For Dinner!

Allison Riley is Southern born. Farmer's daughter. Food adventurer... And writes as Y'all Taste This!

Tonight, I thought I had dinner plans. I rushed home from work, ran three miles, jumped in the shower, and just as I was about to dry my hair, I received an all too familiar text...flight delayed. leaving now. eat dinner without me. text you when I land. love you.

Hmmm. What to do? Go out alone or eat at home? Might as well just stay home.

I opened the refrigerator only to find three carrots and a bag of Brussels sprouts among my ever growing collection of mustards, preserves, and pickles. For many, this refrigerator inventory means a follow-up call for pizza or Chinese delivery. Not me though. Within thirty minutes, I sat down to a dinner of curried carrots, roasted Brussels sprouts and garlic in ginger sauce, and couscous with toasted almonds. A comforting dinner complete with sweet, savory, and spicy flavors, a little crunch, and beautiful colors. A dinner of vegetables.

As the daughter of a beef cattle farmer, I grew up with the understanding that a meal had two basic components: meat and whatever mom made to go with it. Other than the occasional peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, I don’t recall any meatless meals on mom’s rotation. The concept of a dinner revolving around vegetables was foreign, even taboo. I’m not sure when it occurred to me that a meal doesn’t need to follow a “meat and three” formula to be satisfying, but I do recall a conversation at Eating House with Giorgio Rapicavoli a few months after he’d opened the pop-up. We were talking about his evolving menu, and I mentioned that I found myself always looking forward to his new vegetable dishes, because he approaches vegetables with complete ideas, not as side dishes.

That’s still somewhat novel in Miami. Ask someone on the street where you can find the best burgers, Cuban sandwiches, pizzas, or seafood, and most people immediately have thoughtful responses with multiple options. Ask someone on the street where to get the best vegetables, and you will likely find yourself face to face with a blank stare.

RecipesMIAbites TeamMay 1, 2014 Comment