Restaurant Happenings – SouthFlorida July 28, 2008

July 29, 2008

RESTAURANT HAPPENINGS – 7.28.08

 

 

THE VIEW BAR LAUNCHES FRIDAY NIGHT COCKTAIL HOUR

 

The View Bar, The Regent Bal Harbour, 10295 Collins Avenue, 305-455-5400.

 

 

An elegant way to ease into the weekend, The View Bar’s new Friday night cocktail party, 6:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m., offers visitors the opportunity to sip champagne while enjoying stunning vistas and Miami’s surreal sunsets. Effective immediately every Friday evening, The View Bar’s cocktail hour features a DJ, as well as complimentary hors d’oeuvres and champagne until 8:00 p.m.  Revelers also can enjoy specially priced featured cocktails until 11:00 p.m., with each week bringing a new spirits special, such as the RBH Martini, The View Bar’s signature cocktail which blends Grey Goose Poire, pear nectar and Ruby Porto.

 

 

Cita’s Italian Chophouse to Thrill Locals and Impress Critics

 

Cita’s Italian Chophouse, 3176 Commodore Plaza, 305-446-2207

 

 

Nestled among a captivating row of boutique shops, art galleries and salons at in the historic neighborhood of Coconut Grove, Cita’s Italian Chophouse is positioned to become a neighborhood gem when it opens it doors on July 22.  

At the core is Italian born executive chef Carlo Macaluso who has taken Benitez’s vision of serving simple, fresh, high quality, steak and fish house items, alongside authentic Italian pastas and sauces, and created a delicious menu sure to woo the most discerning of palates. Starters include antipasti meats and cheeses, lobster cakes, and ten-ounce meatballs with whipped ricotta. After a primi of pasta (truffled Alfredo, spinach ravioli in sage butter), secundis range from short ribs marinated in Barolo to Sardinian risotto.

 

 

FAT MAN’S BAR-B-QUE IS HERE

 

Fat Man’s Bar-B-Que, outside Take One Cocktail Lounge, 333 Northeast 79th Street, 954-536-0465

 

 

If you’re craving a hot piece of meat, you should hit up a strip club in North Miami. That’s where Fat Man’s Bar-B-Que is (parked outside the feisty Take One Cocktail Lounge). From inside his traveling trailer, Benjamin Nelson cooks up burgers, chicken, fried conch, and grilled fish like tilapia and grouper. But the pièce de résistance is his award-winning ribs. Using a professional smoker filled with hickory wood (rigged to the truck’s rear), he smokes and seasons the ribs to melt-in-your-mouth readiness, then smothers them in gooey homemade BBQ sauce. The elusive Fat Man works on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from 7:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. But if you don’t want to venture past your local Publix, he’ll drive his flashy ride to your party.

 

THE PALM CLOSES
Merrick Park
Very sadly the 6-year old Palm Restaurant in Merrick Park, Coral Gables has closed its doors.  The Palm Restaurant at 9650 E. Bay Harvor Drive, Bay Harbor Island remains open.