First Course
The month of March brings New Yorkers the Second Annual Sagrantino Month at Eataly, brought to you by the Montefalco Consortium. The association is responsible for coordinating with local producers and guiding them in both constant quality research and the promotion of the quintessential wines of their territory. Sagrantino Month is part of a year-long Sagrantino campaign. The Sagrantino promotion at Eataly will include a trade seminar, consumer classes, wine tasting, and wine by the glass at all of Eataly's restaurants. The promotion will continue across the country with virtual tastings, trade tastings, meetings, and a consumer awareness and education program. Sagrantino is the regional Umbrian wine and has quickly become a favorite in Italy. Now Sagrantino producers are attempting to expand its success to the United States. There are five participating wineries in the Sagrantino Month promotion, including Antonelli San Marco, Arnaldo Caprai, Perticaia, Scacciadiavoli, and Tenuta Castelbuono.
'Tis the time of year when the we dust of our green attire, drink green beer, and party 'til we all think we're actually Irish. St. Patrick's Day is upon us and it's one of the most infamous drinking holidays. In honor of our favorite excuse to booze, we've rounded up some of the most delicious (and lucky) libations for you to celebrate with. Enjoy!
Broken Basil (Courtesy of Broken Shed Vodka)
National Meatball Day is March 9th and in honor of this spectacular meaty occasion, Daniel Mancini will be offering a special buy one, get one free meatball deal on Friday and Saturday at his restaurant walk-up, Meatball Obsession, in Manhattan.
Daniel and his partners launched MamaMancini's, a retail meatball company, in 2007 using his grandma's delicious recipe. One of the great thing about these meatballs is that you can select what kind of meat you'd like, whether it be beef, turkey, chicken, or pork sausage. The savory meatballs are slathered in authentic Italian red sauce and are reminiscent of a traditional, home cooked Sunday dinner. Whether you eat them as is or with pasta, they are a treat in themselves. Can't make it to take advantage of this awesome deal? MamaMancini's are offered at numerous local grocery stores throughout the city and country.
Recently, Sauce launched weekly Monday night beer dinners that feature a five course tasting menu paired with beers from different breweries around the country. The menus will change each week through the spring. You can book your reservation by calling the restaurant. The beer dinners are $50/person with a two person minimum.
The Royalton Hotel's sophisticated lounge Forty Four has introduced a music series on Thursday evenings beginning at 8pm. There will be a different performance each week, ranging from jazz, R&B to opera and '60s classics. Enjoy cocktails and light bites as you enjoy the music.
Allen Susser is one of Miami’s most celebrated chefs who helped put the 305 on the culinary map before anyone ever thought of calling Miami by its area code. Part of the original “Mango Gang” that included Chef Michelle Bernstein and Chef Norman Van Aken, the James Beard Award-winning Chef Susser was known for pioneering the use of tropical and Caribbean ingredientsthings that grew plentifully in South Florida—into fine dining, creating a cuisine that was known for a while as “Floribbean”. His namesake restaurant in Aventura was a favorite for years until it finally closed its doors, and fans have been wondering what this local gastronomic icon will be doing next. Well, it seems as if Chef Allen Susser is taking a departure from the mango-centric cuisine he has been known for to bring us a more casual, more comforting, and less tropical concept: grilled cheese sandwiches. Tomorrow, March 8th, sees the opening of Chef Susser’s Midtown Miami eatery, Daily Melt. If you’re skeptical about Chef Allen’s new approach, then Daily Melt is willing to win you over with a free sandwich tomorrow!
With this in mind, Meenan and Ghaw created a rustic, warm inviting space to cater to their idea of 'the best meals are those shared with loved ones.' The menu is comprised of two different types of feast menus. The first, the Union Square Market Feast will change throughout the year as various fruits and vegetables come into season. The Nose to Tail Feast menu will focus on a specific type of animal protein. On occasion, a third feast menu will also be available to diners during special traditions (We’re betting that Thanksgiving will be amazing at Feast) and based off of regional American cuisine. For those who just wish to “dabble” and sample some of the dishes that would be incorporated into a Feast course, an al a carte menu will also be available. The 12 plates featured will include select feast dishes in addition to signature menu dishes found throughout the year.
If you’re a gin drinker and love tennis, then there is little reason for you not to attend tomorrow’s Bombay Sapphire Happy Hour at perhaps Miami’s best and most elegant restaurant, db Bistro Moderne. Celebrating the start of this year’s Sony Open Tennis Tournament, Chef Daniel Boulud’s outpost of his famed NYC restaurant will be offering half priced cocktails and exquisite bar bites. Gin lovers will also sample and learn how to make perfect gin cocktails from Bombay Sapphire’s mixologists, and DJ Michael Sarysz will be present to add a little rhythm to the ambience. Tennis fans will also get the chance to win a pair of tickets to the Sony Open as they are raffled out every half hour.
There is that moment in every gourmand’s life when he or she has that first great meal - that meal that demonstrates not only just how good food can be but how cuisine truly is art. For me, that happened on my first trip to New York City when I was in high school with a dinner at Chef Daniel Boulud’s db Bistro Moderne. For a Miami boy, that meal was far better than anything I’d had in my hometown, and the experience raised my standards when it came to fine dining. Miami’s food scene has grown up considerably in the last 10 years, and while we have yet to see any local chefs receive a Michelin star, it is comforting to know that Michelin-starred chefs consider Miami a fitting locale to open a restaurant as they expand their empires. Ten years after that first taste of haute cuisine in NYC, I was ready to revisit db Bistro Moderne, but this time it would be on my own turf.
The saying goes that on Saint Patrick’s Day everyone is Irish but that doesn’t require drinking pint after pint of Irish stout, doing Irish Car Bombs with every potential Irish cousin you meet at the bar, and that weird green beer. If you’re looking for a drink to make you feel extra lucky on St. Pat’s check out these delicious and simple cocktails made with ingredients that will be easy to find in any Irish pub you may find yourself in.
Sparkling Clover Charm (Courtesy of Findlandia)
Most serious foodies have most likely heard about the Slow Food Movement...if not already members in good standing. The movement, which started in Italy, came about as a response to the ubiquitous fast food culture of our era and the threat it continues to pose towards good food, good health, and eating well. Slow Food continues to be one of the most prominent organizations in supporting good, natural food that is environmentally and socially responsible with chapters throughout the world, including one in Miami. On Friday, March 15th, South Florida locals can take part in Slow Food Miami’s 2nd Annual Snail of Approval Tasting Party, which will be hosted by Chef Norman Van Aken and Deco Drive’s Louis Aguirre and honors chefs, restaurants, mixologists, and others in the food industry who consistently support local, seasonal, organic, and fair agriculture in the food and drinks that they serve.