Meet Your Neighbors Tonight in Brickell!

Brick Gals in Mary Brickell Village on St. Patrick's Day 2011

Guess what’s tonight BrickGals?!?  The 17th Meet Your Neighbors event put on by Downtown Miami Partnership and Miami Downtown Development Authority. Just like American Idol (almost), Survivor, and Jersey Shore (well we expect another 14 seasons), anything that’s going down for the 17th time has got to be good.

Head over to Mary Brickell Village tonight from 5:30-8:00pm for gratis apps from Brick’s restaurants & vodka cocktails from Grey Goose. Live music ensues. RSVP to Josie at (305) 379-7070 or Info@downtownmiami.net.

Want to meet up? Find me on Foursquare or Twitter before I head to kickball!

Brickell Networking Event at El Gran Inka Restaurant – March 31st

The last time I shimmied on down to El Gran Inka Restaurant it was for a Dine Magazine event.  Loved it then so tomorrow so shall you!  Bring plenty of business cards and meet other pros in our hood!  RSVP by EOD today (March 30th) to RSVP@FabulousMiami.com.

Crazy About You Restaurant

Yesterday, after a long day at the pool, I had the extreme pleasure of trying out a new restaurant in Brickell.  Located at The Mark (separate entrance to the right) and sister restaurant to Dolores They Call Me Lolita, Crazy About You Restaurant did exactly what its name implied – I am now officially crazy about this spot.  Not only did I run into a past crush (aka local bartender), the food, atmosphere and drank did not disappoint.

Let’s start with the culinary delights…  Every entree comes with an app, so I had to get the Serrano Ham Croquettes (which I first sampled at Taste of Brickell on Saturday and the main reason I had to visit the actual restaurant).  Delish. Again.  I also tasted my counterparts’ Chihuahua Cheese Casserole with Chorizo and Mediterranean Antipasti (French Brie, Italian Mortadella and Spanish Tortilla) which were both insane good.  For my entree, I had the Fish Duo Sliders – a plate that consisted of a Key West Dolphin and Seared Ahi Tuna.  Taste domination.

Now to the beverages… $13 bottle of house wine (chardonnay, merlot or cab sav). Enough said.

It wouldn’t be a great time without the atmosphere.  Set right on the water, the outside tables are perfect for a romantic retreat with your man or an all day sunday funday.  Inside = pretty chic too.

Overall consensus – Just do it.  Don’t even wait until the next time you feel like going out for dinner.  Do it immediately.  Service was great.  Food repeat = delish.  Cheap vino, done.  So for a Brickell restaurant experience sure not to disappoint, hit up Crazy About You!  What else could a Brick Gal ask for?

Taste of Brickell

What’s Hot This Weekend? Taste of Brickell, that’s what!

Today from noon – 10 pm, take to the streets of Brickell (and by streets I mean the field between Jade and The Mark) for some sick wine selections and culinary delights from our ‘hood’s top restaurants.  Featuring groovy tunes (think opposite of Ultra), the inaugural Taste of Brickell brings together over 50 different restaurants, sponsors and non-profits for us awesome Brickellites.  With food from Brick Gals favorites Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant and Area 31 and drinks from our neighborhood liquor store Cigar Aficionados, Taste of Brickell promises to be a Brick Gal Awesome Time.  General Admission tickets put South Beach Food & Wine Festival’s Grand Tasting to shame at just $5.  VIP tickets which include open bar in the Engel & Volkers’ VIP Lounge and a gift bag are just $25.  The VIP tickets are no longer available online, but if you get there early you may be able to still snag one with cash at the door.

Now for the good stuff…  Sponsored by Dolores, the 40X40 International Wine Garden (which I am foreseeing as my hangout for the event) in the center of the festival will feature select wines from California, France, Chile, Argentina and Italy.   Participating Brickell restaurants have booths and tables around the perimeter of the event offering samples of their cuisine.

You will have to purchase $1 food/drink tickets to use throughout the event – think Coral Gables St. Patrick’s Day outside of John Martin’s Pub – so bring cash!

Hasta luego!

…

** UPDATE:  Last Saturday, I hit up the inaugural Taste of Brickelll and it definitely did not disappoint.

 

 

I LOVED the Yellowfin Tuna Ceviche at the Oceanaire table, but find out what else is hot at this Brickell seafood restaurant…

 

 

I can honestly say I die for everything I’ve ever eaten at Fado’s Irish Pub & Restaurant Miami.  Check out what else is going down from those behind the scenes at this authentic Irish pub in Brickell?

 

 

See you next year!

 

Friday Brickell Happy Hour

 

It’s Friday, so duh it’s time for happy hour.  Just because half  of Miami is at Ultra or a MMC pool party (and I’m secretly jealous), it does not mean the other half of Miami has to retreat into their chic Brickell apartments for the weekend.   So Brick gals, get dressed and hit the streets (not in a turning tricks sort of way).  I suggest hitting up Tobacco Road now through 7:38 pm to get your pretty little manicured digits on some 98 cent dranks!

See ya there!

 

America’s Favorite Pastime – Kickball!

What involves a round ball, drinking and hot boys? Kickball, that’s what!  Brick Gals, it’s time to take it back to the school yard, take to the field and shower the world with your athletic prowess.

WAKA is the league, and kickball is their game.  Although there are several league locations, obviously the one to be in is the one closest to our hood – FL Coastal.  We play in Midtown on Thursday nights at 7 or 8 pm (drinking all the while) and then head to Tobacco Road for some $2 Bud Lights and flip cup.  You will meet plenty of hottie boys on your team as well as the others, so you are bound to make some bad decisions.  Lucky for you, signups for the summer season are now through May 1st.  The coolest team is obviously my team, Kick in the Balls.  Sign up now. Just Do It.

Play Like A Champion Today!

Brick Gal Becky at the WAKA end of season tournament

Brickell Ladies Night Fav: Perricone’s

A Brick Gals favorite (especially on Wednesday Ladies Night – see Ladies Night tab for details), Perricone’s Marketplace & Cafe offers Brickell’s finest Italian is a ridic setting.  Although my preference is to sit out on the front porch to people watch, for a more intimate setting, couples should sneak away to the very back of the restaurant where Christmas lights adorn the trees (aka large potted plants) and a harpist plays some light tunes.  Now to la cuisine… fab. fact.  From the Cashew-Encrusted Salmon Spinach Salad with a  Chipotle Key Lime Vinaigrette to the classic Chicken Parm to the delectable Chocolate House Cake, I DIE (as Rachel Zoe says).  To make matters even better, they bring unlimited kick ass bruschetta to the table before your meal.  Loves It, Loves It, Loves IT.  See you Brick Gals there tonight!

 

UPDATE: Perricone’s has discontinued their Wednesday Ladies Night. GASP. Please post on the Perricone’s Facebook page to bring it back!!!

Brickell Cocktails – Espresso Martini (Blue Martini)

Espresso Martini
Grey Goose Vodka, Borghetti Espresso Liqueur and Irish Cream

 

It’s Tuesday so obs (“obviously” for those not in tune) you know everyone will be at Fado’s Irish Pub & Restaurant tonight for trivia.  What you may not know, is that the Espresso Martini from one of Fado’s neighbor’s Blue Martini is the most fantastic cocktail known to (wo)man and a guaranteed leg up at trivia competitions.  On top of it being huge (double the size of a regular martini), the chocolate sauce, top shelf vodka, espresso liqueur and a little bit of cream from the old country make this drink an immaculate compilation of perfectly portioned ingredients.  Setting one back $16, members of the Ladies VIP Card* can get it fo’ free if they get there before 9pm.   So ladies, join me tonight at Blue Martini before Fado’s Brickell trivia to start out our night with a little jump, thus ensuring we all bring our “A” game!

*Ladies VIP Card – In order to obtain such a prestigious membership card, take note of the following steps: 1) Find Handsome Bouncer, 2) Smile, 3) Retrieve Card from Said Bouncer’s Hand.

Cheesy Guys? Not Good. Cheesy Sandwiches? Delish!

Ms. Cheezious, the self-proclaimed “sexiest food truck in Miami”, has been hittin’ up our ‘hood a lot recently thanks to the St. Patrick’s Day holiday and the new #SundayFunday food fest at Tobacco Road.  I first got a glimpse of this kick ass food truck back during Art Basel in the Design District, just days after it launched.  The Goat Cheese & Proscuitto Grilled Cheese was the most deliciouso concoction on bread I’ve had in a while, even now I make my own grilled cheeses at home with the same ingredients.  The first time I hit up Ms. Cheezious it didn’t take more than 10 minutes to get my sand, a mere miracle considering the new lines out the wazoo.  These days it takes a tad longer to sink your teeth into the melted goodness, and I guarantee you that you won’t be the “sexiest” in Brickell if you dine with the Ms. here more than once every couple of weeks.  But alas, get your butt to the gym and then walk to the truck, and it’s all majorly worth it.

** Note to all, the Grilled Harvest Grilled Cheese with Havarti and apples is da bomb for a sweet sand!

Updates from Brickell St. Patrick’s Day 2011 – 4 pm

Brickell Irish Pub has got the stage and beer truck set up, but the people have yet to arrive…

 

 

 

Green people, Irish showgirls and more are outside Fado’s getting the party started…

 

 

 

 

Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant has got the giant Guinness and the music going already in Mary Brickell Village.  People are starting to arrive so it looks like this will be the place to be tonight!