BEAT THE HEAT WITH A COOL SUMMER TREAT
WE ALL SUMMER ISSUE 2018
Vacay Where You Stay
Scream for Ice Cream
California Dreaming
At Seasons 52, we’re on a mission to provide a better way to eat. Handcrafted from seasonal ingredients, we create full-flavored dishes that are naturally good. Because when we say better, we mean it.
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Today’s Menu
SUMMER 2018
Morsels, from the Editor-in-Chief Food 4 Thought with Alain Torres Quintas & Sabrina Mancin, Owners, Nanndi Frozen Cream & Pastry Shop California Dreaming, by Jacqueline Coleman, Sommelier Sizzling Summer Staycations, by Georgeana Pacheco
Take a bite out of Coral Gables Culinary Month, June 4th - 24th
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MORSELS
FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
SAVORY, SWEET & SIZZLING SUMMER SELECTIONS
“I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.” As a kid growing up in a traditional Midwest household in the 70’s, ice cream was a staple in our daily diet…especially during the summer months. We did not have a pool to cool our jets in, so we depended heavily upon the cooling properties of good, old, friendly ice cream. And let me tell you, I was a born aficionado. I loved just about every single flavor I could get my hands (and mouth) on…from vanilla to chocolate to the deliciously diverse Neopolitan or the confusingly named Moose Tracks. I craved it all, even subjecting myself to the occasional brain freeze. There was not the array of flavors one can find now at a place like Nanndi Frozen Cream & Pastry Shop, but we augmented our plain vanilla with chocolate sauce, maraschino cherries and colorful sprinkles. Now, that was big time. Today, walk into any local ice cream shop and you will spend more time deciding what flavor to order than actually consuming the ice cream (mostly because of the consumption to melt ratio – it is a thing – look it up). Trust me, I am a living witness…and no place is more committed to tickling your taste buds than Nanndi, whose ownership and creative team are featured in this month’s Food 4 Thought. Of course, when we think of ice cream, we also think about summer vacation planning and our own Geo will take us on a visit to our own town. The concept of a stay-cation is not new to most of us – especially those that recall the harsh reality of the Great Recession just about a decade ago - but it is always worth a gentle reminder of the power of loving where you live and exploring it more deeply. We start with the grand dame of the Gables, the historic Biltmore Hotel, and work our way around the community with some hidden gems, old favorites and new finds. I actually spent my 50th birthday at The Biltmore Hotel this past month, poolside in a cabana, and it could not have been more lovely. Our good friend Jacqueline Coleman returns once again this issue with an amazing trip to the Golden State and her very own version of California Dreaming – wine style. If you think we have some amazing places to explore here in South Florida, wait until our resident sommelier tickles your palate with some pink pedals – a rose as refreshing as summer itself. We wrap-up this issue with a grateful nod to our partners at the Coral Gables Business Improvement District (BID). They once again present their Coral Gables Culinary Month, featuring more than 30 Gables-based restaurants with incredible tasting menus that are available to you for lunch and dinner through June 24th. Formerly known as Restaurant Week, this expanded offering of culinary delights is augmented by a number of special events and collaborations. So, loosen that top button on your pants, and start your pre-gaming for the upcoming month of marvelous meals. And, just to be sure you were satisfied, next issue we return with a feature on Miami Spice, a program that takes our local culinary month and expands it county-wide. No time like the present to begin training for a summer of sophisticated dining, right? I am thrilled that a number of new restaurant concepts are now open or will be coming soon to the City Beautiful, as well as along the newly refurbished Miracle Mile and Giralda Plaza. It is even more exciting that quite a few of our old favorites have expanded their dining rooms to include al fresco options. It may be warm outside this time of year, but there is nothing more exciting than a great meal under the twinkling stars of our beloved city. Thank you to our advertisers and readers for your continued support of our amazing hometown culinary magazine, now entering its fourth year of publication this very month. Who would have thought that when we launched this tasty morsel in 2015, we would only continue to see it grow and innovate and satiate under the careful curation of Jessica Wilcox and our Chamber team! Now, Let’s Eat!
MARK A. TROWBRIDGE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PRESIDENT & CEO, CORAL GABLES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
JESSICA WILCOX, OWNER J. WILCOX CONSULTING & PUBLISHER, LETʼS EAT MAGAZINE | sales@letseatmiami.com | (305) 962.9313
Great New Tarpon Bend!
Exciting things are happening at Tarpon Bend! We’re re-imagining everything from the menu to the decor so you will have an even more amazing dining and entertainment experience. Our chef will feature cuisines from around the world for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Tarpon’s famous weekly cocktail offerings with top shelf liquors, lively Happy Hours, music and DJ’s will keep the new vibe going. I l o o k f o r w a r d t o h a v i n g y o u s e e t h e N E W T a r p o n ! - WAYNE ELDRED, OWNER
65 MIRACLE MILE | CORAL GABLES | 305-444-3210 | TARPONBENDCORALGABLES.COM
Summertime Staycation By Georgeana Pacheco OntheGowithGeo GeorgeanaPacheco@gmail.com
Most Miamians favorite hashtag is #welivewhereyouvacation, so how about vacationing here, too? “Staycation” anyone? Coral Gables, Florida is rated as one of the Top 100 Places to Live for a reason; not a season. Since we all want to partake in some summertime fun, we’re going to provide you with the best hotels where you can get the most out of your #staycation in the City Beautiful- Coral Gables.
This sophisticated hotel provides all the perks for or a short or long-term stay. Located in the heart of downtown Coral Gables, there are many shops and restaurant options within a short walking distance, including Crema Gourmet and House - A Town Kitchen & Bar just steps away. Enjoy Miami skyline views while working on your laptop at the rooftop pool and courtyard. On your off-time,visit the adult game room to sit back, relax and unwind. www.hotelcolonnade.com
The centerpiece of old Coral Gables is the historic and majestic Biltmore Hotel. This ultimate staycation experience includes one of the largest pools in the US (once frequented by Esther Williams), a world-class golf course, tennis, yoga, spa services, cabanas... and an array of endless ooh’s and aah’s. Take a tour of the property and get sneak peek at the Everglades Suite – once Al Capone’s personal 13th floor refuge. With stunning views and excellent cuisine at our City’s only Zagat-rated restaurant (Palm d’Or) there is no need to leave for dining. The hotel has six restaurants and bars, even offering Afternoon Tea in the grand lobby that was recently restored. www.biltmorehotel.com
Summer always brings its perks and with the Suite specials that are offered at the Hyatt…you can beat the heat right here! The Mediterranean style resort offers a pool area, along with a sauna, steam room & jacuzzi (at your choice). Follow that with some bites and fruity adult beverages with your family. The elegant lobby offers a serene atmosphere where you can upload your Instapics. Then you can have a little lite fare at the Bar 50 Lounge or Two Sisters Restaurant. At night, take a stroll to any of the many events happening around downtown…and don’t leave your furry friends behind as the Hyatt Regency is pet-friendly. www.hyatt.com
If romance had its own hotel in the Gables, it would be named Hotel St. Michel. This 19-room gem exudes allure before you even step inside. Start off by indulging in an authentic Italian meal at Zucca. Its extensive wine list is sure to satisfy your innermost sommelier. Get into the groove with some live music onWednesday, Friday and Saturday nights in the lounge. Then, let the historic 92 year old brass elevator take you to your boutique boudoir. Leave dessert to room service and don’t forget to hang the Do Not Disturb sign. www.hotelstmichel.com
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Food 4 Thought
NANNDI FROZEN CREAM & PASTRY SHOP
T
he arrival of the delectable Nanndi Frozen Cream & Pastry Shop this past year has been making us all “scream for ice cream” since they first opened for business just south of The City Beautiful. Known by their uniquely “sweet” name and a rich heritage born out of an enduring passion for frozen desserts and a trip to Angola, the Nanndi partnership is rooted in the entrepreneurial spirit and visionary acumen of Sabrina Mancin and Alain Torres. Their synergy has led to one of the hottest frozen cream brands in Miami. No longer just a summer dessert, Nanndi is a year-round, customer focused explosion of flavors that appeals to all ages of frozen cream lovers. Our Editor Mark A. Trowbridge of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce recently sat down with both Sabrina and Alain and asked them to share their Food 4 Thought with us as the summer begins to heat up in the 305!
When dreaming up new recipes and flavor profiles, what are the FOUR essential supporting ingredients that go into making the very best frozen dessert possible?
What FOUR flavors of your delicious frozen cream are most popular with your youngest customers? Why do you think the kiddies love ice cream so much? Nutella is one of the most popular frozen creams, both for our little and not so little customers. We even have kids that will refuse to try anything else because they love it so much and they always come back for that one! Strawberry is also popular because it is a very creamy texture and tastes a lot like fresh sweet strawberries. Double Oreo is very popular among kids - and adults love it in milkshakes. Finally and surprisingly, kids love our Dragon Fruit sorbet, first because of the bright beautiful pink color and also because it has a simple and refreshing flavor.
Any recipe and any product will only be as good as the ingredients used for making it. The quality of all ingredients are important and this is something we take very seriously at Nanndi. However if we had to pick, two of them would be the quality milk and cream. Our Chef Sabrina has a little obsession with the flavor of milk in general; she tastes different brands and tests the fat content of milk and even the milk from different countries to try to understand what flavors make the best frozen cream ever. The main flavor of the frozen cream is the third important ingredient. For example, when we make our famous Salted Pistachio flavor, we pick excellent quality pistachios so that it truly tastes like pistachio! The best compliment we can get is when a client tastes our flavors and their eyes open wide and they say that the frozen cream tastes exactly like k the flavor it says it is made of! We don’t play around with the intensity of our flavors. Finally, I would say that the fruits we use are very important for making our frozen cream, especially our sorbets, as well as our marmalades. The percentage of fruit we use is very high in both products and therefore they have to be seasonal, sweet, mature and delicious. We try to source them locally as much as we can and when it is not possible, we get them from excellent sources. When we visit your store, we are blown away by the immense variety and incredible creativity - what are your FOUR favorite flavors to showcase and offer year-round to Miamians with a sweet tooth?
Nanndi Ice Cream & Pastry Shop Cont. Miamians love their cream cheese and guava! Together, they are our most popular frozen cream flavors, and we also showcase both flavors in our custom made birthday cakes and scones. Dulce de Leche is a close third. Our coconut and Dulce de Leche tart is one of our best-selling pastries. The dulce de leche frozen cream is a special flavor we have once a week and we also use it as a filling for birthday cakes. Finally, chocolate is of course a universally loved flavor, but our locals love our deep rich fudge chocolate brownie and the chocolate we use in our cookies and tart fillings.
of being more productive, and to be there at the store talking to our clients and our staff. 4) Finally, we respect our community and try to give our customers what they love and would love to eat. They are the reason why Nanndi exists and will continue to exist for many years to come.
There are many ice cream shops around town that compete for attention - but you all have been able to rise to the top, just like the cream in your frozen cream. What FOUR secret “ingredients” make the Nanndi experience unique and special, both edible and non-edible?
We are sure you are always experimenting with flavors and new offerings - share with us what FOUR flavor profiles you are currently playing around with in the kitchen that we might see in your frozen cream dessert case this summer?
Our four “secret” ingredients are quite simple even if they require a lot of work. 1) We must always provide excellent quality products. We are constantly trying to be better and give our customers a treat to remember. 2) Our team is just as important as our products. Without a good team, Nanndi would not be successful. One of our priorities is that the people that work with us feel like they are part of our dream and of a company that wants to grow with them. They need to feel respected, trusted and part of a common goal, but most importantly they have to feel happy at Nanndi, otherwise they will never give our customers the experience we want them to have. 3) The third secret ingredient is love for our work! We put a lot of hours into what we do, both in the front and the back of the house as well as in our minds! We are constantly striving to be better, to find ways
Nanndi is currently working on an exiting and challenging project! Even though we have always offered two or three sorbets - either water based or with alternative milk products - we are developing a line of creamy Vegan Frozen Creams! The Vegan community has been growing quite a bit around Nanndi and in an effort to offer products for all tastes and dietary restrictions, we are working on a few flavors that we know will be loved by our vegan and non-vegan friends alike! Come to Nanndi this summer and try our super creamy vegan options and let us know what you think. We know you will be surprised! In addition, hopefully in the next two months, Nanndi will begin offering homemade croissants and similar products with homemade fillings, perfect for a delicious breakfast or afternoon treat with our coffee or teas!
If I am a Nanndi first-timer and don’t regularly indulge in ice cream, what FOUR flavors would you recommend the most for me to try, including one or two that just might surprise us! Definitely our Salted Pistachio is a flavor that surprises our customers time and time again; it is like nothing you have ever tasted before. Summer is upon us which means that Mango season is starting, so you can’t come to Nanndi and not taste our insanely good mango sorbet. It is completely seasonal, locally sourced and 100% Miami. The flavor is super intense and if you feel like eating a smooth, refreshingly cold mango, you’ll love it! Our Coconut Sorbet is another flavor that our customers love for its creaminess and natural flavor. It transports you to the beach as soon as you taste it! It is perfectly delicious paired with another sorbet, and very good with our chocolate or almond frozen creams. Finally, a very surprising flavor that has been growing on our customers’ palate is our Lavender with White Chocolate. It is very well balanced in flavor and also beautiful to look at.
Nanndi is a Frozen Cream and Pastry Shop located in Downtown Dadeland, Miami. For more information, please visit our website www.nanndi.com
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California Dreaming 48 Hours in Paso Robles Wine Country
If you’re a wine lover like me, you’re always thinking about a plan for the next tasting adventure. Though it’s hard to argue with a trip to Napa being top on any wine travel list, I want to introduce you to another California winemaking region to consider for your next journey out West. Paso Robles sits exactly halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, about 30 minutes east of the iconic Pacific Coast Highway. From a quaint downtown square, surrounded by boutiques and farm-to-table restaurants, to the vineyard-lined Highway 46 that cuts from west to east right through this Central California AVA, Paso Robles has all the traits of a quality wine destination that you won’t want to miss. For a quick visit, cut your drive time down by dedicating a day to the wineries on the eastern side of Highway 46, and the next day, head to the vineyards further west.
East Day
Start your day off at Pomar Junction Vineyard and Winery. At this beautiful vineyard property, you can reserve a tasting and winery tour for a nominal charge. All throughout the summer, the winery hosts “Trainwreck Fridays,” featuring free music on the lawn, wine specials, and occasionally a BBQ--keep that in mind in case you decide to stay a little longer, or even end your day here. Next, take some time to visit Cass Winery. This winery is a great lunch stop that specializes in some fantastic Rhône-style blends, showcasing a perfect expression of Paso’s finest. Cass also offers a “shabby chic” three-bedroom guest house on the property, making this winery an option for a boutique place to crash, if you book in advance. Every eastside wine tour should include a stop at Tobin James Cellars. Known for its generous pours and friendly hospitality, Tobin James is the “good time Charlie” of Paso wineries. Inside the Wild West saloon tasting room, you’ll enjoy a wide range of wines, from Chardonnay to Reserve Cabernet and even some Port-style dessert wines. The property also features a historic guest house with a few themed bedrooms for tired wine club members and VIPs.
West Day
Consider starting your “46 West” tour at Tablas Creek Vineyard, the pioneer of the Paso Robles Rhône movement. Founded in 1989, Tablas Creek is a certified organic vineyard that has been practicing biodynamic farming since 2010, making it a perfect destination for those who want a true taste of the land. Some of the Rhône varietals you’ll find here are grapes you’ve never heard of before, but once you try a tasting at Tablas Creek, you won’t ever forget them. Make sure you have lunch at the lovely vine-side restaurant at JUSTIN Vineyards and Winery. Enjoy their famous Cabernets as you lounge humidity-free under the perfect Central California sunshine. End your day at the funky Chronic Cellars on Nacimiento Lake Drive, where the wines are chronically good. Play some cornhole in the tasting room backyard and sip a rosé called, “Pink Pedals,” featuring a pink bicycle-riding blonde skeleton. Bring home a case and shock your wine snob friends with how wonderful wine tastes out of a bottle named, “Sofa King Bueno.” Cheers to new destinations and planning your next wine trip to Paso Robles!
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Jacqueline Coleman is a certified Sommelier and 4th generation Miamian, born and raised in Coral Gables. You can find her musings about the “wine lifestyle” on her blog, History & Wine (historyandwine.com), or follow her on Twitter @HistoryandWine.
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taste your way through the gables This June we’ll be dishing out a forkful of flavor with our CORAL GABLES CULINARY MONTH. Wine and dine at a variety of tastefully crafted events that celebrate the culinary culture of Downtown. CHEF’S DINNER SERIES Enjoy intimate, tableside Chef’s Dinner experiences with carefully crafted menus prepared by Coral Gables’ finest chefs
CORAL GABLES RESTAURANT WEEK Indulge at the 11th Annual Coral Gables Restaurant Week, served from June 4 - 24th, featuring three course prix-fixe menus at discounted prices
WINE WALK Explore the wine regions of the world without leaving Downtown Coral Gables as you sip and stroll your way through a lively Wine Walk Event
Visit CoralGablesRestaurantWeek.com for a complete calendar of events and all participating restaurants. @ShopCoralGables
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Whether you are seeking the warmth of a traditional restaurant interior, the bliss of dining al fresco, either formal or casual, or an educational challenge, The Biltmore Hotel takes you on an exceptional culinary journey in a stunning historic setting offering a myriad of award-winning options.
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