Being of Cuban descent and having eaten varieties of Latin American food throughout my entire life, there isn’t much that can surprise me within this genre of cuisine. My understanding of most Latin American food is greasy, usually fried, comfortable, and predictable. When I was asked to visit Bernie’s LA Café, my expectations were not very high. Boy, was I mistaken! Named after proprietor Bernie Matz, also known for Lincoln Road’s café at Books & Books, Bernie’s LA Café has been considered the Best Organic Latin American Cuisine and the owner of the Best Cuban Sandwich by the Miami New Times. Bernie’s is the kind of restaurant that offers something for everyone with its array of vegan, vegetarian, and straight up meat-loving options.
Salumeria 104
New to Midtown Miami is Salumeria 104 an Italian deli and restaurant crossover. This eatery offers an assortment of Italian charcuterie foods such as cheeses, salamis and other Italian cold cuts. Salumeria 104 is inviting and casual, the perfect place for a snack and drink. Besides deli items, Salumeria 104 serves antipasti/salads, fresh pasta dishes, and regional Italian dishes along with an affordable array of wines.
3451 NE First Avenue #104, Miami
This morning The Squeeze debuted their first bio-diesel food truck made from a repurposed UPS delivery truck. The Squeeze is a wellness and beauty lifestyle company that serves living and organic foods and drinks at catered events throughout New York City. CEO and Chef Karliin Brooks, a former model, lifetime vegan, and animal advocate, wanted to add a healthy and fun alternative to the street food and food truck phenomenon. Starting at 10 a.m., patrons who order a tasty cold-pressed juice, shake, smoothie, or beverage will receive a bonus treat, coconut truffles or a sweet treat.
Beauty addicts have long been known for their wacky at-home treatments. Whether it's mayonnaise, avocados or olive oil, there's no food too strange to test out the benefits of its natural properties on our skin and hair. Usually these trends pass in the blink of an eye - forgotten by all except for the most curious few. There's a hot trend right now breaking this mold as it sweeps across the world of beauty and proves its staying power through the devotion of its followers. The best part is, it's all-natural, organic, and fairly cheap!
The use of coconut oil as a topical remedy began in the South Pacific. Residents of Tahiti have been using coconut oil to treat just about everything for centuries. Combined with their "sacred flower," tiare, to create monoi, islanders use the oil for cooking, as an immunity-booster, as a skin protectant from harsh salt water, for minor cuts or burns, and to improve the elasticity of skin.
While you can venture everywhere from Barney's to Target to the corner store to get yourself some scented wax, there is one brand that blows all competition...well, out. Kobo soy candles come in a multitude of unique scents, making it so there truly is something for everyone (although we were hard pressed to find a single scent we weren't in love with). Because the candles are made of pure soy wax, they burn longer than the same size standard wax candle. Another bonus? The soy wax used by Kobo is 100% domestically made and organic, creating a clean burn and a strong scent. Seriously, one large candle can work for an entire living room!
Starting to remember what the city felt like when supermarket shelves were stocked with bread and bananas? So are we. And despite the rather clever artistic statements that followed “the Hurricane of the Century” we’re ready for the city to get back to normal.
Going organic has become increasingly popular in just these past few years- and, with good reason. There are many benefits of organic food: they contain few or no pesticides/preservatives, they're fresher (and taste better!), and are possibly even more nutrient-rich.
Going organic also benefits our environment! Organic farming practices reduce air, water, and soil pollution, conserve water and soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy.
What it comes down to is organic food tastes better and is better for your body and the environment. And yet, organic food is expensive. While Whole Foods is a dream land for green and health conscious shoppers, it can also be a hassle on your wallet.
If you're looking for some good eats and eye candy all in one place, then don't miss Anthony Anderson as he returns to Organic Avenue to promote The Lifestyle for Beauty. Working as a model, Anthony has had to learn how to keep healthy and fit. This inspired him to create RawModel.com, his website that promotes healthy eating (bye-bye processed foods!) and a healthy lifestyle. At this event, Anthony will be whipping up two custom power smoothies for you to try, in addition to speaking about organic gardening, wild foods, sustainable living, and meditation. Tickets for this event are only $50 and you can register by phoning Organic Avenue at at 212-358-0500 or email love@organicavenue.com.
NYC's first eco-friendly nightclub, Greenhouse, is holding an event on Wednesday, July 27th. Come join the African Rainforest Conservancy (ARC) at the nightclub for an evening of organic cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, music and more! The ARC works to conserve Tanzania's Eastern Arc rainforest, an area that is over 300 times the size of Central Park! So come out to the Concrete Jungle and give back to the green outside the island of Manhattan.
Tickets are $95 and can be purchased here. A group discount is also available.
Date: Wednesday, July 27th
Time: 8:00-11:00 PM
Venue: Greenhouse
Address: 150 Varick Street, New York NY
Yes, it's possible to make your beer drinking more environmentally friendly. So go green bottoms up with these tips!
- Use glass instead of aluminum. Glass is actually easier to recycle and less harsh on the enviroment than aluminum.
- Go organic! Choose beers made with pesticide-free hops, wheat and barley. Check out some organic beers here: list of top organic beers.
- When dining out, opt for tap beer instead of bottled. Fewer bottles, less waste!
- Having a house party? Again, skip bottled/canned beer and buy a keg. Afterall, you can't do keg stands with a can of beer.
- Recycle. If you do go for cans and bottles, don't forget to recycle!