Dad Dines @ Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink

Happy Friday.  I am so happy the weekend is here.  The sun is shining and I read the temperature is expected to climb to 20 degrees by the end of the weekend.  Prague’s good weather is nothing to compare to sunny and 27 degrees in Miami of course but what can you do?

Next up on the Dad Dine’s series, I received a recommendation for Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink, a restaurant located in Miami’s design district.  Since arriving in December, my dad has returned to this place several times to eat as it focuses on fresh, local ingredients, has a nice ambiance with indoor and outdoor seating (good for people watching), zero pretentiousness (his words) and the desserts are “a masterpiece.”

It is a given that morning, noon and night, Michaels’ is a popular spot to dine (see how many people have reviewed it on Yelp) but what really stood out to me is the talent behind the restaurant’s well crafted desserts.  It turns out, Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink pastry chef, Hedy Goldsmith, is a going concern in the pastry world.  She was recently nominated as a semi-finalist for outstanding pastry chef for the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award and is releasing her first book titled “Baking Out Loud” in October of this year (you can pre-order it now on Amazon).  This book is definitely going on my wish list for later in 2012.  I know the French toast below looks out of this world. 🙂

Photo Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

On a separate food note, has anyone heard of the website: New York Mouth? If you are into artisanal food and supporting small food producers, this might be your new favourite site.  It’s a neat concept; one that I may need to devote some more writing space to on this blog.

Have a great weekend.

Wine by the Bay

Do you want to know what happens when an art gallery owner co-owns a wine store?  The answer is Wine by the Bay in Miami.  It is a fine wine store and an art boutique whose contemporary gallery aesthetic presents the perfect backdrop to sample and purchase new and old world wine.

Why is it the case that people in Miami get to buy their wine from a store that looks like this and I am relegated to buying wine at a grocery store or corner store?  I love it when art and business intersects.  Don’t you?  The end product is always fabulous design and smart execution.

via downtown miami news

via downtown miami news

via refinery 29

via miami herald

Dad Dines @ Yardbird Miami

My dad has been down in Miami for a couple months testing out the new snowbird lifestyle in his attempt to wear shorts (or no winter jacket) for most of the year.  Since he has been down there, he has had the opportunity to sample food from Miami’s eclectic food scene and dine at some pretty interesting places.

My father, a fellow foodie (I know where half my passion for food comes from, the other half is my mother) boasts that Miami, is a diverse place.  It has a very international feel as people from all over the world come to live, vacation, work and play.  The dining scene is now a reflection of the energy and the people.  I am not in Miami but I trust my dad’s opinion when it comes to food, so I will be profiling some of his picks over the next couple of weeks.  If you are headed to Miami, at least you’ll have a couple ideas of where to dine.

Yardbird Southern Table & Bar is a restaurant and bar with a focus on southern food. The food is served in smaller portions so you can sample several items (as per my dad’s recommendations below) and the decor is farmhouse chic.  The interior is really stunning filled with lots of interesting items hanging on the walls, high ceilings, and exposed brick.  Chef Jeff McInnis has done a fabulous job with this place.

My dad personally recommends Yardbird’s fried chicken (their specialty), shrimp and grits, homemade biscuits with honey butter and jam and blueberry pie.