Miami Spice 2016: The Five Best Weekend Brunches

The weekend is here and you and your friends are busy making brunch plans. You peruse the Miami Spice website, hoping to take advantage of a deal and find the impossible: according to Spice, brunch does not exist! Hold on, young grasshopper., Miami Spice brunch does exist — it’s just…

Celebrate National Oyster Day at These Miami Restaurants

Bless the day a brave soul’s tongue discovered the intoxicating, almost erotic, velvet-smooth caress of an oyster. Not before having to work through the rock-hard, nearly-impossible-to-open shell, which is bound to slice through your fingers if you haven’t mastered the art of shucking—yes, one of the oldest culinary crafts in…

The Five Best Miami Spice 2016 Deals in Coral Gables

With only 30 restaurants participating in Miami Spice, Coral Gables seems to claim an outsized share of places doing the two month long special the right way. So maybe they don’t have the novelty or the glitz of South Beach or Brickell. But unlike those unknown quantities, the quality of…

Beyond Fine Dining, Miami Spice 2016 Adds More Variety and Value

Miami Spice, the two-month promotion that runs from August 1 through September 30 and offers value-priced meals at at Miami-area restaurants, is celebrating its 15th anniversary. With that landmark number come some major changes in the program that offers diners a three-course lunch for $23 and dinner for $39.  This…

Coyo Taco’s Scott Linquist to Open Olla in South Beach

Coyo Taco’s Scott Linquist is adding to his resume with the opening of Olla in the former AltaMare space (1233 Lincoln Rd.) in South Beach. Olla, named after a Mexican earthenware vessel used for cooking and water storage, is expected to open  as early as October. According to Linquist, “the…

The Ten Best Healthy Restaurants in Miami

When you were little, you probably spent countless hours sitting in front of a plate of spinach that you refused to eat. But now, as a new health trend makes its way into Miami, there’s no escaping your favorite leafy greens. Luckily, like most things, the Magic City does “clean…

Zika Prompts Wynwood Restaurants to Take Precautions

With 14 reported cases of Zika and an official CDC warning for pregnant women to steer clear of  Wynwood,  businesses are feeling the heat — and taking whatever precautions they can to keep the virus-carrying mosquitoes at bay. CDC and City of Miami officials are visiting commercial and residential properties…

The Six Best Miami Spice 2016 Deals in South Beach

Ahh South Beach. When’s the last time you were there? Probably some years ago, moving out of that dishwasherless, first-floor hovel of an apartment on the final day of your lease. Since then you’ve avoided the MacArthur Causeway like it was the plague, especially during the Venetian’s nearly yearlong closure. …

Taste Buds of India Fills a Gap in Miami’s Culinary Scene

Those who prefer timid flavors and sparingly seasoned food should stop reading now. Taste Buds of India in South Miami is not for you. It’s also not for those searching for progressive Indian cooking like the kind served at Gaggan, the world-renowned Bangkok-based eatery that’s been turning that cuisine upside…

July 2016 Miami Restaurant Openings and Closings

Miami summers are challenging for the local restaurant industry with small eateries typically finding it difficult to stay afloat until the season. Many restaurants survive by the skin of their teeth, relying on themed dinners and the Miami Spice program, which runs from August 1 through September 30 for much…

The Five Best Miami Spice 2016 Deals in Coconut Grove

Miami spice is meant to bring locals the opportunity to dine at high end restaurants for a lower price. With a set price of $23 for lunch and $39 for dinner, diners enjoy a meal they would often pay almost double for. But not all restaurants are worth the hype…

Glass & Vine’s Weekend Brunch Is Like a Sophisticated Picnic

Coconut Grove has always been Miami’s brunch pioneer. Long before every restaurant in  Miami found it de rigueur  to host a brunch, Grovites were enjoying mimosas and omelettes at GreenStreet Cafe for over two decades.   Now comes Glass & Vine, where diners can enjoy an al fresco weekend meal…

Miami Spice 2016: The Misses

Sometimes Miami Spice is like being thrust into a glittering pinball machine that flashes and jitters. Bright, attractive signs grab your attention, but are they worth it? With so many restaurants participating, there are bound to be a few that slap together a lackluster offering. You can often tell because…

“Dynamic Duo” Dustin Ward and Sean Brasel Win Iron Fork 2016

At last evening’s New Times Iron Fork competition at the American Airlines Arena, four chef battled for the coveted skillet of excellence in a battle of fire, knives, and skill. In the end, however, the Dynamic Duo team of Dustin Ward (BLT Prime) and Sean Brasel (Meat Market) claimed victory…

Pinch Kitchen Hosting Vegan Collab Dinner With Chef Pamela Wasabi

On Tuesday, August 2nd, Pinch Kitchen is  flipping the script. The omnivorous eatery is hosting an all-vegan dinner experience with plant-based culinarian Pamela Wasabi. The dinner will be a collaboration between Wasabi and Pinch chefs/partners John Gallo and Rene Reyes. The eatery is known for its eclectic American fare, small…

F27 Brings Nitrogen Ice Cream to Miami Ironside

When Carlouis de Palma began experimenting with ice cream, he froze a bowl to his teacher’s desk. But now, years later, he runs a successful ice cream parlor at Miami Ironside. Having opened in 2013, F27 Nitrogen Ice Cream is an experimental school project that turned into a full-fledged business…

Iron Fork 2016: The Ten Best Things You’ll Eat Tonight

New Times’ Iron Fork/Miami Spice kickoff, presented by the Miami Downtown Development Authority takes over the American Airlines Arena tonight, July 28, at 7 p.m. (6 p.m. if you’re a VIP, baby). Tickets are still available at the door for $70 GA, $110 VIP.  Don’t have a big lunch because…

The Best Miami Spice 2016 Menus

Miami Spice is A Christmas Story in summer. Each year as the heat and humidity grow we allow our minds to wander into the sea of possibilities filled with many of the city’s best restaurant tempting each precious table with affordable, creative meals. But we’ve been through this before, we…