February Eats

Yellow Jack fish is plated during a dinner at Paradise Farms in Homestead. Photo: Ronna Gradus. 

 

Valerie Nahmad2/3/2010

Eat & drink yourself into a frenzy this month as restaurants line up to wine & dine…

• Got $360 to spare? Indulge in the ultimate dining treat at the Grill at the Setai’s seven-course truffle dinner. The menu includes truffled scrambled eggs with toasted brioche, Maine scallops with black truffles, black truffle risotto, white truffle ice cream and apple tart tatin. Available through the end of truffle season (likely the end of February). Extra bonus –add black truffle to any dish on the regular menu for $6.50 per gram for black truffles and $21 per gram for white truffles. Call 305-520-6400 for reservations.
• Beginning this week, Philippe is watching your waistline with the launch of a new healthy steamed menu. Start with a cocktail then choose between six steamed dishes – a dumpling sampler, chicken & broccoli, Chilean sea bass with black bean and garlic sauces, steamed whoel fish, live Maine lobster and seasonal vegetable platter.
• Come Feb 10, Scarpetta at the Fontainebleau beckons with a wine and canapé tasting. From 7-9pm, drop $25 a person or $40 a couple and sample Italian wines paired with canapés. Call 877-326-7412 for reservations.
• Also on Feb 10, Fratelli Lyon resumes its weekly “Passport through Italy” Italian wine & food exploration. Arrive at 7:30 and dig into a flight of 6-8 Italian wines and small nibbles under the guidance of general manager/sommelier Aniece Meinhold.
• Friday, Feb 12 between 6:30-8:30pm head to Whole Foods Coral Gables for wine sampling, mingling and live music by Patrick Lopez. Free.
• Come Feb 16, SushiSamba dromo brings Brazilian fun stateside courtesy oif it’s Carvnaval at 9pm. Expect a DJ, samba dancers, batucada drummers, cash prizes for the sexiest costumes (of course), drink specials and special dishes like Abacaxi com Lagosta Capim Santo (roasted baby pineapple, lobster salad & mango sorbet) and tile baked bass with mango rice and cashew puree.
• Friday, Feb 19 join Whole Foods Coral Gables for a Caymus Wine Dinner at 6:30pm. Invest (a reasonable ) $25 and enjoy a meet and greet with Caymus owner Chuck Wagner and a four-course wine-paired dinner. Pre-registration required, call 305-421-9421.
• Saturday, Feb 20 rib lovers and the people who love them will want to steer directly to Coral Reef Sr High for its annual Rib Fest. Invest a $1 in admission (proceeds benefit the school’s athletic dept) and feast on ribs from 10am-4pm.
• Thursday, Feb 25, Area 31 kicks off Wine & Food Festival weekend by hosting a four-course Fish + Wine dinner featuring sustainable seafood paired with boutique wines. Each course features a duet of dishes, including seared Key West yellowtail snapper, house smoked local kingfish croquettes. $175 per person, a portion of proceeds benefits Maine Mammal Conservancy; call 305-424-5234 for info & reservations.
• Close out the weekend (and the month) Sunday, Feb 28 with dinner al fresco at Paradise Farms’ Dinner in Paradise. Chefs Mark Militello & Larry LaValley (One Bal Harbour), John Suley (Gotham Steak), Irina Korneeva & Jeff Beauchamps (Tantra) are preparing this month’s feast. $165.50 per person, proceeds benefit Barry University’s Plant a Thousand Gardens program.

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