Where to go in South Florida
for American Craft Beer Week

It's a big week for beer enthusiasts and beginners alike will come together to toast the seventh annual American Craft Beer Week (ACBW). From May 14-20, celebrations are held across all 50 states as communities come together to show appreciation on a local level for the more than 1,900 small and independent craft brewers responsible for the steadily advancing American craft beer culture.

 Don't forget to sign the Declaration of Beer Independence, an integral part of American Craft Beer Week (ACBW) since 2009. It has been signed and shared by tens of thousands of passionate and thirsty beer lovers, hung on the walls of brewery tap rooms across the country, and even carried through the halls of Congress. 

All Week

• Craft Beer Happy Hour featuring 50% off all drafts 6-8pm at Blue Piano, 4600 NE 2 Ave., Miami.

Monday, May 14

• Craft Beer Mondays at Salt Life Food Shack, Coral Springs, features $3 pints all day. 
• Check out Craft Can Specials at the new Native Florida Tap Room & Music Hall in Hollywood including Oskar Blues Old Chub, Avery’s White Rascal, Magic Hat #9 and Dale’s Pale Ale. 
• The Filling Station in downtown Miami has added bottles of Billy’s Chilies and 16-oz. cans of Deviant Dale’s to their lineup. Blue Point Brewery tasting 6-9.  
• Total Wine Pinecrest is hosting a Beer and Cheese Pairing, 6:30-8:30, $15.  
•  It's Brooklyn Brew Night at World of Beer, Dadeland. 

Tuesday, May 15

• Celebrate American Craft Beer Week with db Bistro and Cigar City. Family-style four course dinner with Cigar City pairing for $55 plus tax and gratuity. Call 305-421-8800 to RSVP.
• At The Filling Station in downtown Miami there’s a Florida Beer tasting from 6-9pm. 
• Total Wine Pembroke Pines hosts a Meet the Brewer Class with Holy Mackerel Beers and the local Shipyard representative 6:30-8:30pm. Try beers and more. $15. 
• All-local tap takeover at the LoKal, Coconut Grove, 6pm-close. 
• It’s Craft in Cans Night at World of Beer Coconut Creek, 7-10pm, featuring Oskar Blues, Avery, Blue Point, Cisco and more. 
• Check out Oskar Blue Brew Night at World of Beer Dadeland.  

Wednesday, May 16

• There's a Stone Tap Takeover at Tap 42, Fort Lauderdale, from 7pm-close.
• Terrapin Hopstravaganza takes place at Sports Grill South Miami, 7-10pm.
• Cerveza's in South Miami is hosting the Ultimate Craft Beer Week Celebration, starting at 7pm. 

Thursday, May 17

• Hooray for IPA at all South Florida Total Wine locations, 6:30-8:30. 
• The Federal brings you the second installation of Brews & Bellies beer tasting event, a dinner pairing including six beers (including Native Lager, Tequesta Brewing, Cigar City, Gravity Brewery, to name a few), four courses plus some extra goodies too! The collaborative tasting will be co-hosted by The Federal and local hop-heads, The Craft Brewjas and the folks from Gravity Brewbar. $45 per person plus tax and gratuity. RSVP 305.758.9559 

Friday, May 18

• Celebrate Dogfish Head/Victory/Stone Night, World of Beer, Coconut Creek, 7pm-close. 
• Cuban dishes are paired with Cigar City beers and ales at the Cigar City Cuban Beer Dinner, Whole Foods Fort Lauderdale, 6:30-8:30. $25 RSVP 954-565-5655. 
• It's a Cigar City and Tequesta Brewing Mashup at Laser Wolf, 7pm-close. 
• Tap 42 hosts a Shipyard Tap Takeover, 7pm-close. 
• Florida Beer Company Brew Night featuring Swamp Ape IPA, Florida Lager and Key West Sunset at World of Beer Dadeland.

Saturday, May 19

• Jump in! Tequesta Pool Party at Lou's Beer Garden, 1-8pm.
• Hooray for IPA, all South Florida Total Wine locations, 3-5pm.
• Have a smokin' time at Cigar City Beer and Cigar Pairing, Cerveza's (South Miami), 5-7pm.

Sustainatopia
It’s been dubbed the Art Basel for sustainability, and it’s coming to South Florida April 19-25. Sustainatopia is a week of events, conferences, tours and social events that attract folks from all over the globe. Founder John Rosser says the mission is clear: “We are obliged to leave the world in better condition for our children – who powerfully represent the future before our very eyes.”
Highlights include:

• Sustainable Haiti Conference, Impact and Our Oceans, the Impact Conference
• Carnivalia on South Beach, a free street carnival
• Full-day program Green U hosted by University of Miami
• Pecha Kucha night at The Wolfsonian
• ECOMB’s GreenRaiser event
• Coffee with visionary and futurist Jacque Fresco
• Tours of the Everglades, organic farms and waterways

Some events are free; others require tickets. For details and a schedule of events, visit sustainatopia.com.

Earth Day 2012 Events

Note: Not all of these events are rain-or-shine, and rain is predicted for the weekend. Check websites first before for cancellations.

Miami-Dade

Earth Harvest Festival is a free, all-day celebration of permaculture April 22 from noon-sundown in the Greater Everglades at The Farm at Verde Gardens at SW 280 St and 127 Ave. Details: www.festival.harvestmarkets.org.

Slow Food Miami's Farm Bike Tour starts at Bee Heaven Farms and takes riders on a tasting tour of local farms April 22 from 8:30am-1pm. For details and to register, click here.

At Party for the Planet at ZooMiami April 21-22, look for green activities, animal enrichment with recycled materials, and the world’s largest flowering tree plant show and sale by the Tropical Flowering Tree Society miamimetrozoo.com

Clean up plastic trash in your neighborhood waterways and beaches. You can start at Baynanza, Miami-Dade’s popular Biscayne Bay Cleanup Day, celebrating its 30th anniversary Sat., April 21, from 8am to noon. Residents and boaters can volunteer and help clean the Bay and its surroundings
www.miamidade.gov/development/baynanza/baynanza-2012.asp

Celebrate Earth Day at the Barnacle in Coconut Grove April 22 with environmental activities and booths floridastateparks.org/thebarnacle.

In Miami Beach, head to Lummus Park for free Earth Day and Arbor Day celebration starting at 2:30pm through 6:30pm. Activities include volunteer beach cleanup, kids' recycled arts and craft booth, showerhead exchange for residents. Visit www.miamibeachfl.gov for details.

Area 31 is celebrating its new sky-deck terrace garden with a special Happy Hour April 20 6-10pm featuring $5 garden cocktails, beer, wine and Prosecco. Part of the proceeds benefit Roots in the City. Look for Earth Day-inspired menu specials, too. Area31restaurant.com

Broward County

This year’s campaign ties into the national drive for “A Billion Acts of Green^®,” the largest environmental service
campaign in the world. Those acts range from tree plantings to individual pledges to make simple changes like washing laundry in cold water and volunteering for community cleanups.

Highlights include: Earth Day Every Day Celebration at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park on Sat., April 21 EarthDayHughBirch.com

Throughout April: “A Billion Acts of Green” displays in the Governmental Center in downtown Fort Lauderdale and Government Center West in Plantation.

Florida Keys

Green Living & Energy Education (GLEE), a local nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable living in the Keys, is teaming up with the City of Key West and other environmental organizations for Earth Day celebrations, which include community garden tours, a sustainable food event and movie. keywestcity.com

Just bag it!

Donna Reno wants to keep plastic bags out of the environment - and more specifically, the Pinecrest Gardens farmers market on Sundays. Over three weeks, she's giving away reusable bags to shoppers and vendors alike in an effort to get people to say no to the sea of plastic so harmful to the environment. 

"I got the idea after spending time in San Francisco and going to the Ferry Building," she says. The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market banned plastic bags in 2009. Here in South Florida, Reno would be happy to see shoppers use their own bags every week. "People don't need plastic bags," she says. South Floridians need to be educated about the need for bringing their own bag, and then make it a habit.

But she understands that many stop by the market on a whim, and that's why she's got a stand at the main entrance to Pinecrest Gardens handing out reusable bags, some she bought herself and others provided by Whole Foods Market. With funding from Les Dames des Escoffier Miami and support from The Market Company's Claire Tomlin, Reno says she'll be distributing bags made from non-GMO corn to vendors to give their customers. The bags readily decompose, unlike plastic bags in landfills. Her goal is to supply all vendors with these bags, which can then be sold to customers with their purchases if they haven't brought their own bag, thus doing away with plastic altogether.

"It's part of launching awareness," says Reno, who's also active in the Edible Community Gardens Project at the Merrick House in Coral Gables.

Stop by and say hello to Donna at Pinecrest next Sunday, and show her your bag!

Malanga!

Last week I harvested Malanga.  In the past I've eaten it only a few
times, but have always found it very tasty and easy to cook.
Considering potatoes are hard to grow in South Florida because of
weather, pest and disease issues, I've been wondering if it makes sense
to substitute them with malanga; should I plant a significant amount for
next season?  My experience growing it this past year has been that the
malanga plant is very resistant to both heavy rain and drought as well
as most bugs and diseases including parasitic nematodes.  In my research
I stumbled upon this very informative paper in the Sarasota IFAS
website, which leads me to think malanga is a good idea in many ways.

How do you use malanga?

Celebrate Chinese New Year

(Lion dance image courtesy of Fontainebleau Miami Beach)

If our cover story on how and where to enjoy dim sum has you hankering for more ways to experience Chinese culture in South Florida, here are some other places to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. Colorful lion dancing, thrilling kung fu performances and – of course – special Chinese dishes are part of the fun in many of these events.

Kid-friendly celebrations
Miami-Dade’s public libraries feature celebrations for kids with crafts, stories and activities. For more details, click here.

Palmetto Bay Branch
Sat., Jan. 21, 11am

Hialeah Gardens Branch
Sat. Jan. 21, 3:30pm

International Mall Branch
10315 NW 12 St.
Tue., Jan. 24, 6:30pm

Miami Children’s Museum hosts a Chinese New Year Dragon Parade.
Mon., Jan. 23, 5:30pm

Miami’s Wok Star Eleanor Hoh is offering a new class for parents and kids featuring special treats only available during Chinese New Year.
Sat., Feb. 4
Book online.

For all ages
Embrace China 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration will be held at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts Sat., Feb. 4.

The 24th annual Chinese New Year Festival at Miami Dade College’s Kendall Campus kicks off Sun., Feb. 12 at 11am

Grown-up fun

The always lively Chow Down Grill in South Beach is presenting lion dancers and other entertainment starting at 8pm Mon., Jan. 23, plus a la carte menu items (and "no price gouging," promises Joshua Marcus.)

The Mandarin Oriental, Miami celebrates its Asian roots with a list of activities, including a Chinese calligraphy exhibition in the lobby, a special Chinese New Year menu at Café Sambal through Feb. 5, and an Al Fresco Beach Party Jan. 28 from 7-10pm. Details here.

Hakkasan at Fontainebleau Miami Beach is celebrating with seven days of menu specials from Jan. 22-29. The celebration kicks off with a dragon dance on Sun., Jan 22 at 9pm. Special a la carte menu items include Four Happiness Special Dim Sum Platter and Chinese Long Life Crispy Noodles.
For reservations, call 1-877-326-7412.

Philippe in South Beach is honoring the New Year with Dragons, Drums & Dumplings on Mon., Jan 23 starting with cocktails at 6pm and including performances and a special prix fixe menu. For reservations call 305-674-0250.

North Miami Farmers Market at MOCA

Thursday, December 8th was the second North Miami Farmers Market at MOCA
Plaza, hosted by the North Miami Parks & Recreation Department.  Little
River Market Garden is happy to be participating in the new market,
which has a great atmosphere, seating in the shade, easy parking, a
fountain, casual live music and a beautiful Christmas tree!

More photos and info right this way...

Tis the Family Season in South Florida

As the temps cool down in South Florida, family events heat up! Here are some food, farm and garden-related highlights coming up:

Sat., Dec. 10
GingerBuild Gingerbread House Contest at Family Day at Coral Gables Museum

 Vote for your favorite house at the fourth Annual Coral Gables Museum's GingerBuild, a Gingerbread House Design and Build Contest 11am-5pm. Museum family activities are included with the price of admission: $10 flat for families, free for members. More here.

Sat., Dec. 10
Latin Spice Food Festival at Pinecrest Gardens

More than 25 local chefs and restaurants will be on hand preparing Latin-flavored treats for the public and a competition at this first-ever celebration Sat., Dec. 10 noon-6pm. Cigar-rolling, domino-playing and children's activities, plus musical and dance performances from Spain, South and Central America and the Caribbean, are all part of the day's activities at the lush gardens, culminating in a holiday tree decoration. Tickets are available for $5 for 12 and older, and parking is free.

Saturday evening, Pinecrest presents In the Spirit of Salsa starting at 6:30pm with an hour of salsa dancing and instruction, followed by a 30-minute mojito intermission, and at 8pm a concert from Grammy winner Chino Nunez and his orchestra. Concert tickets are $25, including festival admission. For ticket information, visit 1-877-496-8499 or look online.

Sun., Dec. 11
Dinner in Paradise

Eat Basel 2011

Picture-perfect weather is in store for this year's Art Basel! We're proud to show off the town. Following are some of the food-related highlights.

For an excellent rundown of the many activities, check out Soul of Miami. Or check the official Art Basel schedule here.

INCUBATION
11th Annual breakfast installation by Jennifer Rubell
Daily through Sunday, December 4 from 9am-noon
95 NW 29th Street

www.rfc.museum

Incubation is an exploration of the creative act, simultaneously addressing the creation of food, the creation of life, and the creation of art. The installation incorporates two essential halves of the creative act: an incubation gallery where yogurt is being made; and an observation gallery where the yogurt is anointed with honey and then consumed.

ART BASIL FARMERS MARKET
Sun noon-5pm
The Awarehouse
550 NW 29th Street

awarehousemiami.com

Miami’s Independent Thinkers presents a co-op farmers market featuring organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, body products, baby products, vegan treats, yoga, sustainable clothes, accessories and activities.

FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS AT THE ARSHT CENTER
Fri 11:30am – 2:30pm
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
Lot C at NE 2nd Ave between 12th & 13th Streets
(South side of Ziff Ballet Opera House)

Rockjazz pianist Elew brought by Steinway’s Pop-Up Piano Miami, pose for Sketchy Miami portraits and watch creation of a 3D Shrek by chalk artist Betty Dominguez. Entertainment is free.

ALELOOP MOBILE ART INSTALLATION
Multiple locations Thur-Sun
Full Schedule

Ten Art MINI Coopers wrapped with Aleloop’s whimsical art will travel through Art Basel locations, including Jimmy’Z Kitchen in Wynwood, the Wynwood Foodtruck Lot at 2100 NW 2 Ave. At each stop, all 40 performers will pop out to create MINI flash mobs.

Fri 4pm-8pm
Art Whino Reception
426 NW 26 St., Wynwood

Aleloopa Palooza
Sat 6pm-midnight
2100 NW 2 Ave. (Wynwood Foodtruck Lot)
Music/Dance/Performance Festival

DOWNTOWN SHUTTLE

A free DWNTWN Shuttle operates every 30 minutes 11AM-11PM through Sunday.

Stops:

• Midtown (Art Miami, Scope, Art Asia, Red Dot)
• Wynwood
• Pulse Art Fair
• CIFO/LegalArt
• Miami Art Fair/Historic Overtown
• Grand Central
• Miami Art Museum
• Mary Brickell Village
• Mandarin Oriental
• JW Marriott Marquis
• Bayfront Park/InterContinental
• Arsht Center/CCE

To download a route map, visit www.dwntwnartdays.com

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