QUICK HITS:
♦ The South Beach Wine and Food Festival is nearly upon us, and with that a bunch of Food Network stars board the Food Network plane and fly it south for the winter. In anticipation of the festivities, GQ magazine met up with chef Michael Schwartz for a tour of some off-the-beaten path spots. If you see Guy Fieri at El Palacio de los Jugos, blame chef Schwartz.
♦ If you’re one of those people who thinks there is no good Indian food in Miami (for the record: just go to a cooking class at Ayesha’s Kitchen and enjoy the family style meal afterwards. Problem solved.), Michelin-starred chef Suvir Saran (of Devi in NYC) is visiting town for a guest chef stint at Cafe Sambal from March 7th through the 11th. On March 5th, chef Saran will be cooking at an event for Slow Food Miami hosted by chef Norman Van Aken and his restaurant, Tuyo, at the Miami Culinary Institute in downtown Miami. Tickets can be found here.
♦ Pubbelly is pregnant again (yes, another pork bun in the oven). Eater Miami reports that the newest addition to the family is Macchialina Taverna Rustica. The restaurant will be helmed by former Scarpetta exec chef Michael Pirolo and will feature “clean flavors, fresh ingredients and rustic accents.” Fortunately, this still leaves room for MRPR’s restaurant concept featuring dirty flavors, stale ingredients, and rusty nails. We call it: Machiavellian Taverna Opa. Anyways, Pubbelly’s latest offspring is taking over the space last inhabited by Silvano at 8th Street and Alton Road on South Beach.
♦ Monty’s on South Beach has hired former Top Cheffer Josie Smith Malave. Wait–what?
