Miami Shoot

Midtown

LIFESTYLE, Living, MSM Online

Auberge Residences & Spa Brings Resort-Style Class to Downtown Miami

By Gisel Habibnejad The 60-story Auberge Residences and Spa is located in Downtown Miami displaying the best views of Biscayne Bay with style. The property contains features designed by Arquitectonica, a lobby by Piero Lissoni, and outdoor spaces by Enzo Enea. The beautiful property includes a state-of-the-art fitness center, a Napa Valley style organic restaurant and wine bar, 290 luxury condominiums featuring private elevator access and up to 11-ft ceiling heights, a limited collection of sky penthouses, four duplex penthouses, 90 fully furnished designer suites, “Smart Building” technology, and much more. The 12th floor deck includes resort style amenities, such as a heated pool, private cabanas, smartly appointed clubroom, media room, children’s playroom, business center, professionally staffed full service spa, golf simulation room, cigar lounge, wine room, luxury restaurant, Zen pool terrace along with a sky pool and observatory on the 60th floor rooftop. The Auberge Residences and Spa is also just minutes away from Miami’s current hot spots: Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), AmericanAirlines Arena, the Patricia and Philip Frost Museum of Science, the Miami Design District, Midtown, and Wynwood. For more information, please visit www.aubergemiamiresidences.com

Culinary, LIFESTYLE, MSM Online

Top 4 Wine Rooms of Miami

By Gisel Habibnejad Miami is known for its nightlife and beaches, however restaurateurs have been moving in on our city and opening glamorous, delicious, and innovative eateries for all to enjoy. With these magnificent places, often come wine bars that are quickly becoming hits. Here is a list of special spots to help you ‘wine’ down. Lagniappe Outdoor seating with romantic strings of light swinging across from above–a perfect recipe for a casual and romantic night out. Located in the heart of the intersection between Midtown, Design District, and Wynwood, this destination links the three booming neighborhoods of our city. Lagniappe has won several impressive accolades, and even earned a spot on “The 21 Best Wine Bars in the Country.” Atrio Restaurant & Wine Room Atrio Restaurant & Wine Room is the epitome of sophistication with a view. Miami’s skyline can be seen from anywhere in the restaurant; having a glass of wine by the bay never seemed more romantic. With over 200 vintage wines in the wine attic, wine tasting can be all the more exciting with eight to ten guests joining you for the evening. The Forge The 2010 winner of the Miami New Times “Best Wine Selection in a Restaurant” offers a unique experience Miamians can’t resist. The Enomatic segment is made up of 80 wines by the glass, where you can “be your own sommelier” and sample an international collection of your choice. By choosing Type I, The Forge’s executive sommelier will do the work for you–all you have to do is sip away. Type II requires your own expertise by free will. Uvaggio Wine Bar Crowned as one of the “Top 50 Places to Eat in Miami” by Yelp, Uvaggio Wine Bar guarantees good food and fine wine to its guests. While their menu categories are humorous, they offer a mean wine selection with various red and white wines to choose from. They also host events such as the Somm Slam, in which two top sommeliers go head-to-head to win a unique trophy. Guests will wine and dine on three dishes accompanied with wine pairings chosen by each sommelier. In addition, wine tastings are held every Saturday with special wine themes.

Arts, Culture, MSM Online

Zebra Love by Blake Emory

Abstract artist, Blake Emory, used his signature style to debut his Zebra Love collection in this year’s Art Basel Miami. His artwork was showcased in Optic Modernism at this year’s Spectrum Miami. The pieces represent Emory’s discovery of what he refers to as “nature’s grand design” through a combination of fashion and “divine geometry” inspired by the animal kingdom. If you look closely, you can see the silhouette of a female model. Not only is Emory invested in his artwork, but he has also teamed up with Michael Alden, CEO and President of Blue Vase Marketing, to release a limited edition premium vodka in March 2015. The vodka is modeled after his Zebra Love collection is to be named “Emory Vodka.”    

Culinary, The Issue

Bocce Bar’s Newest Acquisition, Chef Daniel Tackett

By Nycole Sariol Change can be stifling. Oftentimes, it can induce a sense of anguish, unavoidable doubt, and a medley of “what ifs.” But on the knife-and-fork scene, as far as Miami is concerned, change is welcomed with open arms – Bocce Bar’s newest addition, Chef Daniel Tackett can certainly attest to that. At its inception late of last year, the Midtown grub-hub, responsible for awakening all six senses by way of traditional Italian cuisine, was first steered by non-other than the 305’s most beloved restaurateur of Sugarcane Raw Bar and Grill, Chef Timon Balloo. And when news came that Balloo would be handing his second “child” over to the then New York-based chef, Daniel Tackett, to helm the kitchen, questions pertaining to the inconclusive outcome of the eight-month old restaurant and its menus were bound to ensue. Though his departure from Bocce to focus full-time on his first love, Sugarcane, came as bit of a surprise, Balloo, alongside partners, Samba Brands Management, chose the right man with the same size foot to fill his shoes. And while Tackett may be the new-kid-on-the-block with only eight weeks of being apart of Miami’s food scene underneath his belt, by no means is he a novice to the art of Italian cuisine. The now executive chef has sizable bragging rights, as former sous chef under the guidance of James Beard Award Winner Michael White at places like Alto and seafood haven, Marea, amid the unruly streets of New York City. Tackett also has the liberty to humbly boast about adding Scarpetta New York to his dense repertoire. But contrary to popular belief, Chef Tackett is no stranger to cooking up Italian signatures in South Florida. In fact, Tackett spent one whole summer lending a deft hand in the kitchen of Giovanni Rocchio at Valentino’s Cucina Italiana in Fort Lauderdale, earning him South Florida street cred amongst Miami’s best. And since being dubbed big-man-in-charge at Bocce, Tackett now has free range to integrate his past to coincide seamlessly with his present, tweaking-up Bocce’s menu – namely, towards more “seafood-centric” offerings. Change was inevitable upon Tackett’s arrival, yet he still wanted to embrace Balloo’s ideology of simplicity, keeping true to authentic Italian culture and tradition. However, just because simplicity is the inferred style of cooking under Tackett’s reign, his dishes are nowhere near meager. The first area he sought to jump start on the menu was dinner with flavor- laden dishes like the Gnocchetti Sardi Al Negro, a plate ingratiated by black squid-ink, durum-wheat pasta, enriched with tomato-grazed baby octopus and calamari, and bedashed with bread crumbs and basil, which may have been imbued by his time spent at Marea. Chef Tackett says, “It’s kind of that answer to Fra Diavolo – a good depth of flavor from cooking the octopus in the tomato, which also helps tenderizes.” His next area of transformation: “We’re gearing up for the lunch menu changes.” A rally of tasting and testing has been undergoing in order to summon exceptional newcomers to his menu. And though no specifics have been disclosed thus far, experimentation guarantees a menu of candidates beyond reproach. The lunch and dinner menus maybe receiving ongoing facelifts, but there is one particular attribute at Bocce Bar Tackett thinks is perfect just the way it is: the establishment’s design. “Right when you walk up to it, the olive tree in front makes a statement,” Chef Daniel speaks of Bocce’s most unique import hailing all the way from Italy. “I love how the tiles are broken up with the concrete in the flooring, the tall ceilings, giving the space a little bit of an industrial look,” he continues on with enamored words. “Character is definitely there, naturally.”   Artisanal nuances awash the restaurant like exposed wooden beams, mismatched chairs, and polished wooden pews. But perhaps the trait that sets the tone at Bocce the most is, of course, the bocce-ball court, where sober and befuddled patrons alike find their only source of authentic, Italian entertainment in Miami, paying homage to the Ancient Roman predecessor of modern-day bowling. But Chef Daniel is being kept entertained with a new game of his own: the wood oven. “I’m learning to play with it; that’s new for me,” he admits, while charred-smoke from the oven in the back now wafts in front of his face. Uncharted machinery can be daunting to crack, but Chef Daniel fears not of the fiery cave – in fact, he embraces it. “We’re actually cooking with beets and the ash that’s left over,” he says. “We let the beet cook through those hot embers of the ash, so it gives it a very subtle, smoky flavor.” Mastering how to tame and play nice with a scorching wood oven is one thing, but composing a thriving restaurant within Midtown’s epicenter and keeping it that way, is a whole different bocce- ball game. “With restaurants, we grow, we change, we evolve, and we progress. It’s like a living breathing thing – like a child,” Tackett emphasizes on nursing his pride and joy from infancy to adulthood. “We have to constantly educate ourselves, educate our staff, learn through trial and error, and listen to what the public wants.” Located at 3252 Northeast 1st Avenue Miami, Fl 33137 Tel: (786) 245-6211 Click here to view post on the Sept/Oct 2014 issue.

Culinary

Design District neighborhood hotspot, Oak Tavern Now Delivers!

Design District neighborhood hotspot, Oak Tavern, has added a delivery option for customers to enjoy. Craving one of Oak Tavern’s wood-grilled shrimp salads or prosciutto pizzas but don’t have the time to get there for lunch? No worries! Owner/Executive of Oak Tavern, David Bracha, has launched the restaurant’s delivery service in response to a number of requests from its faithful regular customers. The restaurant’s delivery service, which was launched on June 17, is available Monday through Friday between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Deliveries can be made to customers in Downtown, Midtown and the Design District between 15th and 50th streets and Biscayne Boulevard. Oak Tavern, known for its daily menu changes based on the freshness and availability of ingredients, has added a “To Go” menu to its main website to inform diners of available items for the day. The “To Go” menu includes a great selection of staple menu items including bacalao croquettes, salads, wood-oven pizzas, sandwiches, fish of the day and sweet desserts. Orders must be placed by telephone at 786-391-1818 at a minimum of $15. Orders will be delivered in one hour or less and include a $3 delivery charge. When you’re not tied down, feel free to visit Oak Tavern located at 35 NE 40th St. for weekday lunch and dinner and on Sundays for brunch. For more information visit oaktavernmiami.com. By Carissa Davis, MSM Editorial Division

Scroll to Top