What’s in Season for October…and a BIG Surprise!

Before I talk about what seasonal goodies Floridians should be eating in the month of October, I have a surprise to share!

WE ARE PREGNANT!!!

It has been a roller coaster of excitement, joy, disbelief, shock, fear…..you name it. And although this little news (BIG NEWS!) took us by surprise, we are super happy about it.

As you can imagine, our minds our spinning with questions about everything from how to fit a nursery into our small condo to if my constant morning sickness will ever end. If you’ve ever had a surprise bundle of joy…I’m sure you can relate!

This book is on the way….because everyone I know who has ever had a baby is recommending it:

So…any tips, advice, or thoughts from you experienced Moms and Dads out there would be greatly appreciated!

And I’m warning you in advance that this blog might take a slight detour into “All Things Baby” for the next months…:-)

Now that you know what’s been occupying our thoughts lately….here’s what’s in season for October:

As always, you can find this information on the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website here.

Do a little investigation to see what you should be eating now in your area. Your body and wallet will thank you!

What’s in Season for September

Here’s what Floridians should eat now:

As always, you can find this information on the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website here.

Do a little investigation to see what you should be eating now in your area. Your body and wallet will thank you!

Restaurant Review – Atelier Monnier (Brickell)

Atelier Monnier is a French Bakery and wine boutique that offers coffees, desserts, sandwiches, salads, chocolates, artisanal breads, and a varied selection of fine French and Italian wines.This is the best place ever! Everything we’ve had here is delicious and the customer service is great too….tough to find places that do both equally well.

Recently, we came for the wine tasting that they do on Thursdays and Sundays. We came on a Thursday night. This is a must-try! Get the Groupon which gives you a cheaper deal. I love the fact that we were told about the Groupon deal from the sommelier herself…now that’s what I call putting the customer first! It’s $45 for 2 people (wine tasting and pairing). This is not a wimpy pairing either…we were actually full from the food. Each bite was more delicious than the last and our sommelier, Victoria Zerolo was fantastic. She contacted us before to ask about any food allergies or dietary restrictions, which I appreciated. She also kept in contact to confirm our date and time, so we felt very taken care of before we even arrived for the tasting.

I went with my husband and 2 other couples…the perfect date night:-) Victoria explained everything so clearly, made learning about wine and how to taste it properly so fun, and was entertaining with her jokes and stories. We just had such a lovely time and can’t wait to go again. We finished off the night by purchasing several of the bottles that we tasted.

Have you ever gone to a wine tasting/pairing where they give you tiny small bites that are uninspiring and are stingy with the wine? Well, not here. You really get your money’s worth and more! It also opened us up to trying new delicious things at Atelier Monnier that we would have never picked from the menu. This place is a gem in Brickell!

Here are some highlights in pictures…

The wines…

The couples are all smiles…a great date night!

The delicious food that complemented each wine.

Front counter at Atelier Monnier.

We loved this wine!

And this wine too!

Victoria Zerolo…Sommelier extraordinaire!

Me and my baby!

305Bites Restaurant Scoring:

5 – As good as it gets!

4 – Very good choice.

3 – Ok choice, but nothing outstanding.

2 – Bad choice, don’t waste your $

1 – Terrible choice…a total skip

Atelier Monnier (Brickell) scores a 5!

Atelier Monnier is located at 848 Brickell Ave., Suite 120, Miami, FL 33131.

Phone: (305) 456-5015.

What’s in Season for August

Here’s what Floridians should eat now:

Do a little investigation to see what you should be eating now in your area. Your body and wallet will thank you!

What’s in Season for July

Here’s what Floridians should eat now:

Do a little investigation to see what you should be eating now in your area. Your body and wallet will thank you!

Restaurant Review – Local Boy Poke

Do you love Hawaiian food? If so, repeat after me: Local Boy Poke. We went to the Wynwood Farmer’s Market last Saturday for the first time! Needless to say, we love all farmer’s markets, but this one had us digging in our wallets more times than we’d like to count. But now, we were on the hunt for something to eat. There were so many choices, and we had no idea what to try! We kept walking by Local Boy Poke because it looked and sounded so interesting.

Local Boy Poke Menu

Inside the food truck…cooking it up right!

We decided to give it a go, thanks to the lady in the food truck who kindly showed us what a bowl looked like. Sometimes the descriptions just don’t do it. We’ve never had Hawaiian food before, but boy were we extremely pleased! I had the Pipi Kaula, which is crispy beef, edamame, and spicy udon noodles. I can’t take things that are too hot, so I was hesitant to try it, but again, thanks to the lady in the truck, I went for it. She let me have a taste of the spicy sauce, and it wasn’t too spicy at all for me…just right and super flavorful.

Pipa Kaula Bowl

My husband had the Shoyu, which is ahi tuna, ogo kukui nuts, sushi rice, and avocado. Again, it was a hit! So fresh and flavorful.

Shoyu Bowl

We had such a good experience at Local Boy Poke, not only because the food was out of this world good, but also because of their great customer service which opened the door for us to try something new and different that we normally wouldn’t go for. The bowls are $12 at the time of this review and were a good value for the amount of food you get. They also have the option to “build your own bowl. Next time we’ll try the homemade pineapple soda, which is $2. Pineapple would be a great flavor match to the bowls we had. We can’t wait for the brick and mortar restaurant to open in the fall. But until then, we will happily support their food truck!

Are you familiar with Hawaiian food? What do you think of Local Boy Poke?

305Bites Restaurant Scores:

5 – As good as it gets!

4 – Very good choice.

3 – Ok choice, but nothing outstanding.

2 – Bad choice, don’t waste your $

1 – Terrible choice…a total skip

Local Boy Poke scores a 5!

Taste of the Gables – Kickoff to Coral Gables Restaurant Week!

Last Thursday, my husband and I attended Taste of the Gables, the kickoff to Coral Gables Restaurant Week. We were happy to attend and even more so because we won tickets through Yelp! Since moving to Miami, this was our first restaurant week experience, so let me share with you some of the highlights through pictures…

Our DJ keeping things lively! She played a nice mix throughout the night.

Around The Globe Baking Co.

Around The Globe Baking Co.

Swine Southern Table & Bar

Red Koi Thai & Sushi Lounge

Bellmont

My Ceviche

JohnMartin’s

Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar

Bricktop’s

Cibo Wine Bar

Our overall impression as we walked around was good. They had a great DJ and a diverse crowd (always a plus!). It was in the Westin Colonnade, which was the perfect spot, right in the middle of all the action. Many of the restaurants told us that they were located all in the immediate surrounding area. We love food that has full flavor…you know, the kind that just excites your taste buds with different sensations. So we sampled and sampled until we stumbled upon some real gems that shined that night:

The Local Craft Food & Drink

The Local Craft Food & Drink

You’ve got to love a family affair: Mom, daughter, and boyfriend cooking it up right! Their plate was absolutely delicious. Check them out at The Local Craft Food & Drink.

SushiSamba

SushiSamba

SushiSamba

This was my husband’s pick for the best sushi of the night! Their beautiful presentation matched the wonderful taste. Check them out at Sushi Samba.

Bulla Gastrobar

Bulla Gastrobar

Bulla Gastrobar

And the winner is….Bulla Gastrobar!!!

The Best Taste of Coral Gables Winner–2nd year in a row!!!

These little balls of goodness were fabulous. I mean seriously, we had at least 10….each….no joke! And that sauce was all rightness too! So delicious and yummy. I just couldn’t believe when we talked to their GM that this was not on the Coral Gables menu….what?!?!? Whoever made that decision needs to reconsider. These would be great to pop in your mouth during happy hour! Be sure and check out Bulla Gastrobar for their other tasty dishes.

So to sum it up, we loved our first experience at a restaurant week here in Miami. We can’t wait to sample more dishes throughout The Gables!

Coral Gables Restaurant Week is actually 3 weeks and runs from June 6th – 26th. So that gives you plenty of time to get out and try old and new favorites all offering amazing prix-fixe menus at a discounted price!

Which restaurants are your favorite in The Gables? Comment below!

 

What’s in Season for June

Here’s what Floridians should eat now:

Do a little investigation to see what you should be eating now in your area. Your body and wallet will thank you!

 

Why Eating Seasonally Makes Sense (and Cents!)

I’m sure this isn’t the first time you’re hearing that you should “eat seasonally”. But what does that really mean?

 

What Is It?

It means eating food that’s grown locally and picked at the peak of its season.

Why Should I Do It?

There are at least 4 important reasons why you should eat seasonally and locally:

It’s About The Money, Honey

Food that’s in season is at the peak of its supply, so it costs less for farmers to harvest and get to you. That is reflected in the price you pay. Cha-ching!

It’s About The Taste

Have you ever had sour grapes? Or what about eating an orange that was so sour, you thought it was a lemon? Well my friend, you’ve just experienced eating fruit out of season. It tastes terrible! Eating food in its season means you get it after it has ripened and had time to fully develop its flavor, but before it has had the chance to spoil.

It’s About Giving Support

Buying local, in season produce supports our farmers who work hard to nourish us. Shopping at your local farmer’s market is ideal, because after they pick it, they bring it directly to you (no middle-man = cheaper for you and them). Many local farmers also use organic farming practices, even if they are not Certified USDA Organic. Just ask them!

It’s About Variety, Baby

Variety is the spice of life! Why eat the same thing week after week? Expanding your horizons a little more can open the door to a large variety of foods that you otherwise would be missing out on. If you’re unsure how to prepare something new, that local farmer that you bought from would be an excellent resource to ask….or just Google it!

For my Florida friends, check out the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website for recipes and helpful info. Each month they provide a chart of what you should be eating. I’ll be posting a new chart each month.

Here’s what Floridians should eat now:

Do a little investigation to see what you should be eating now in your area. Your body and wallet will thank you!

KC Healthy Cooking

My husband and I had a chance to eat at a really great little restaurant in North Miami called KC Healthy Cooking. Chef Jerry Dominique uses his impressive skills to create wonderfully healthy meals that are not only good for you, but taste delicious!

On the restaurant website, he mentions that “eating healthy doesn’t mean having bland, tasteless crumbs”. I totally agree!  His food was deliciously fresh and our palates were surprised with new flavors. From the service to the food, you’ll feel all the love from someone who truly enjoys what they do. Chef Dominique is very friendly and came out to speak with us and recommend dishes. We ended up trying the Soba Noodles, which are made from Buckwheat flour and are very good. We also received a complimentary appetizer called Soup Joumou, which is a famous, mildly spicy soup native to Haitian cuisine. It too was delicious…and who doesn’t like a freebie…Lol!

KC Healthy Cooking – North Miami

I loved our experience here because we ended up ordering and trying new foods that we normally wouldn’t have…and we left very pleased.

Don’t let the fact that this is a “healthy” or “vegan friendly” restaurant scare you. This is a hidden gem in North Miami. Step out of your comfort zone and give it a try. Your body will thank you!

You can also check out their glowing reviews on Yelp.

305Bites Restaurant Scores:

5 – As good as it gets!

4 – Very good choice.

3 – Ok choice, but nothing outstanding.

2 – Bad choice, don’t waste your $

1 – Terrible choice…a total skip

KC Healthy Cooking scores a 5!

KC Healthy Cooking is located at 11900 Biscayne Blvd #103, North Miami, FL 33181. Phone: (786) 502-4193.