Cooking Up Dreams – Nov. 1st

Chef Douglas Rodriguez

What do BrickGals love more than D4C? E4C, le duh.  Eating for charity could quite possibly be considered one of my top 5 favorite things to do, and one of the only times that the diet can suck it.

So, voila the deets for a must E4C:  Tomorrow night, Miami favs’ Michelle Bernstein and Douglas Rodriguez gather their compadres to create tastings for “Cooking Up Dreams” to help raise money for The Foundation of New Education Initiatives.  Event takes place from 7-9 pm at the Doubletree Grand Hotel downtown.  Tickets for the event are available on Ticketweb.com for $75.  Full roster of culinary geniuses preparing food as follows.

Participating Chefs Include: 
Chef Douglas Rodriguez- De Rodriguez Cuba on Ocean-Ola at the Sanctuary
Chef Michelle Bernstein- Michy’s- Sra. Martinez
Chef Timon Balloo- Sugar Cane
Chef Sarah Paz Claro- The Office Cake
Chef Makoto Okoto Okuwa- Makoto Bal Harbour
Chef Susan Bleemer- Catering the Event
Chef Richard L. Ingraham- Personal Chef to Dwyane Wade
Chef Horacio Rivadero
Chef Steve Calandra- DoubleTree Grand Biscayne Bay
Chef Berni Matz- Books & Books Lincoln Road
Chef Carmen Trigueros
Chef Peter Vauthy- Red Steakhouse
Chef Kris Wessel- Red Light Little River

Saints & Sinners Halloween Bash

St. Patrick's Day at Fado

If you were in the know on St. Patrick’s Day, you made your way to Fado Irish Pub for their Mary Brickell Village takeover.  With easy access to drinks, green wine and a killer U2 cover band, from pictures what I could remember, it was an Irishman’s bonanza.  Well, with Miami being voted the top spot for adults on Halloween by LivingSocial, it looks like this Brickell bar is contributing to that nomination and set to do it up again for another major holiday.

Tomorrow night, Fado is hosting a Saints & Sinners Halloween Ball.  People say Halloween is the one time of year girls can get away with dressing like a slut.  Obs those peeps don’t live in Miami because, for serious, women in Miami push the boarders of “prostitution whore” nightly.  Nevertheless, there will be a “Go To Hell” costume contest for scariest, silliest and sexiest with the ultimate winner taking home a trip to Hell’s Kitchen (no, not Gordan Ramsey’s show, the one in New York, le duh…).  Pretty dope prize… I heard they have a Chipotle there.

If you missed out on Halloween Pub Quiz at Fado, don't miss their Saints & Sinners Ball.

According to my peeps at Fado, this Halloween partay will be scarier than:

– A fat guy in a Spiderman costume (scary, or gross??)

– A mummy MILF two drinks in (more like five… or six)

– The ghost of Steve Jobs at an IBM convention (I was wondering where he got all those good ideas)

– Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin at swingers convention (Sexy Sarah would probably get the most requests… just sayin)

– Gaddafi’s Hair on a good day (BOOM! goes the dynamite)

– Nancy Grace doing the Cha-Cha (nip slips are gross)

– A Greek finance consultant (over my head… jk…)

– Carlos Tevez’s personal PR strategy (some soccer reference…)

 

So if you’re not hitting up Back to Black, or you are until midnight, head to Fado for what promises to be the hood’s hottest Halloween partay.  Cover is $5.

Circus of Rock

 

Who doesn’t love dressing up like a crazy clown? Well, for one, this gal.  The music round at Fado’s Halloween Pub Quiz was enough to give me nightmares for the past two nights, so I’m gonna go ahead and ask anyone dressed up as something spooky (i.e. not a pimp or ho aka sexy angel/slutty devil) to stay away from me for the next couple days.

 

The Halloween weekend starts tonight at Brickell Irish Pub with Circus of Rock.  Live bands and Johnny Black drink specials abound, and there will be costume contests for some “big” prizes (i.e. moohla and Dolphins or Heat tix) on Friday & Saturday.  Party starts tonight at 10 pm.  Remember keep your creepy ass clown face away from me.

Don’t Jump Off – Pier 94 Review

Truth be told, it doesn’t take much to get me to leave work for an extended lunch*.  Especiallyyyy, when it means I’ll be accompanied by BrickGuy George on a Miami day that includes 80 degree weather and blue skies, a stop for FroYo and a stroll along Bayfront.  Can’t be beat.

On a recent such occasion, my Bolivian babe blew me out of the park with a visit to a Downtown newbie.  Living in Miami, I have to think we have some of the best ethnic food.  A cuisine the city does especially well in is Peruvian (i.e. El Gran Inka and Ceviche 105).  From the latter’s old kitchen mate, comes Pier 94.

Red Sunset Ceviche

Lucky for me, my partner in food crime knows everyone in the Downtown restaurant scene so we were able to speak directly to GM Alex Del corral about our menu selections.  We opted to start with the Red Sunset Ceviche ($10.95).  Delish.  A large portion, we both almost filled completely up on.  Almost…  For my compadre’s meal, he chose the Pescado a lo Macho ($13.94).  The fresh fish fillet was cooked in a creamy yellow “aji’ sauce and topped with shrimp, calamari and more of some of the freshest seafood.  Tasted fantast.  Even better, though, was my Pescado a la Chorrillana ($10.94).  My lightly fried fish was covered in sautéed tomatoes and caramelized red onions.  Holy S* bombs.  I legit could not stop eating as every morsel was like an explosion of flavor in my mouth.

Pescado a la Chorrillana

Pier 94 opened just a few weeks ago so the dining area consisted of a fairly bare white walled store front with modern white tables.  Apparently a more jazzier, but still modestly classy, dining section (the kitchen is open format for passerbys) is in the works.  I guess I’ll just have to go back and see… golly gee, pull my arm. 🙂

 

* I’m always looking for lunch buddies so LMK if you want BrickGals to grace your presence.  You won’t be disappointed.

Trick-or-Treat Tuesday Trivia

Holy Headless Horseman!  Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant is doing it up spooky style for Halloween this week, culminating in their big Sinners & Saints party on Saturday.  First up, tonight, Halloween Pub Quiz with JR.  All questions, music round, pic round, etc. will be based on the devilish holiday.  Contests for best male, female and team costumes promise to provide a little extra entertainment.  In addition, Fado is turning it up a notch with Black Eyed Peas tix and a $100 gift card for the winning team, $250 cash for best TEAM costume and gift cards to Mary Brickell Village businesses for shout out prizes. Solid. Party starts at 8.

Make sure to check out the Fado Facebook page for the teaser question!

Thirsty Thursday Events Tonight

I know after not getting your Hump Day Treat yesterday (on purpose, to rev up your engines) you are all super ready to hit the bottle tonight.  Lucky for you (and I), we’ve got some major events around the hood to help us get the holiday weekend started.  Obs, since it’s October, they’re both Oktoberfest-themed.

Our beloved BIP is celebrating two years in the hood.  It seems like just yesterday when Brickell’s first Irish pub came on scene… Weekends were spent oggling my favorite bartender, Lucas.  St. Patrick’s Day parties shut down the streets.  Shots flowed freely.  And hefty bar tabs threatened my rent check on the regs.  Well, lucky for us, they’re attempting to pay us back tonight for some of those late night bad decisions (or are they trying to create more…) with comp well drinks and draft beer from 8-9 pm for those that RSVP to 2@BrickellIrishpub.com or check in on Facebook, 4square & Yelp.  For more details, visit http://tinyurl.com/BIP2Anniversary.

Tonight also marks the preview of the new Brickell Bier Garden at the just as brand spankin new Central Park Miami (corner of S. Miami Ave and 13th St).  Opening for good later this fall, Brickell Bier Garden will be a Bavarian style Biergarten with a wide selection of rare German brews as well as a variety of Microbrews and other unique beverages.  According to their Facebook page, “don’t ask for a Bud. It’s embarrassing.”  Party starts tonight at 6pm with German brewskis, authentic food, games (channel Beerfest’s das boot please), and more.  For more info, visit http://tinyurl.com/BrickellBierGardenPreview.

Brickell Bier Garden

Note to all… the parties are practically across the street, so get wild… just don’t drink the ram’s piss.

 

 

 

BrickGals’ Cessie Takes On CrossFit Vida Brickell 90-Day Paleo Challenge

I started Crossfit back in May- with lots of skepticism, but lots of excitement as well. I had heard so much about it and figured I had to give this latest craze a try and see what it was all about! For a while I had been stuck. My normal workout routine reached a plateau and I wasn’t losing or gaining- I was basically stuck. Desp for a change, I tried Crossfit Vida Brickell. Who the heck knew I’d end up hating in and loving it all at the same time.

And so Brickgal Megan and I embarked on the notorious 90-Day Paleo/Crossfit Challenge, which has turned out to be the hardest damn challenge I have ever taken on in my life. Not just because I was practically married to dairy, but I’ve learned to manage my weight by eating anything I want- as long as I control my portions and get in some cardio. So, losing the cardio, lifting some major weight and eliminating cheese and grains were a major shocker for me- not to mention extremely hard to maintain.

While the truth is I did Paleo half assed – I stuck to it during the week but on weekends I ate whatever I wanted. In the beginning I was attending Crossfit Vida Brickell 4-5 times a week, but with my travels and long work days, on some weeks I was only able to go maybe 3 to 4 times. But, as the weeks went by I started to love Crossfit – and my body totally started to crave it whenever I missed it. And yes, Brickgals, I grew a love for wall balls and burpees- and of course, Double-Unders.

Paleo has been and continues to be a challenge for me, mainly because I love food- all kinds of food too damn much! And I don’t like feeling restricted when it comes to a diet- and that’s what Paleo makes me feel- restricted. But, numbers don’t lie- and when the results where in- well the truth of the matter is this: You want to tone up, get healthy, gain strength, lose inches and get leaner- Crossfit & Paleo work. LEGIT. And that’s the truth.

Even though I know I didn’t follow Paleo the way I should’ve and despite the fact I didn’t attend Crossfit as much as I should’ve- I still lost 1.5% of body fat!  I’ve lost so many inches and gotten so much more leaner- the fact that I actually gained weight in the beginning was frustrating, but fitting into size 4 after being sized for a 6 back in April made it all worth while!

So, Crossfit Vida Brickell is def going to continue to be a part of my life- I can’t imagine going back to a regular gym- ever. It seems like such a waste. Yeah its hard, and yeah you have to be dedicated, and yes- chipping my nails and having to wash my hair every other day sucks- BUT- none of those compare to the amazing feeling of looking and feeling better! So, head over to Crossfit Vida Brickell and don’t forget to mention the Brickgals sent you for $25 off your first month!