A Chef's Dinner Party at Seagrape

/ Seagrape/

Photo courtesy of The Thompson Hotel

On Saturday Seagrape Chef de Cuisine Tony Velazquez launches the first of a monthly after-hours dinner party featuring his favorite local chefs aptly named the "Off The Books: Chef's Dinner Series". 

Starting at 10:30 pm Chef Velazquez will be joined by The Matador's Jeremy Ford and Max Santiago of The Salty Donut for a multi-course family-style menu of "Brasserie Classics" with wine pairings from the Design District's Abaco Wine. The decadent meal features dishes such as sunchoke soup with lobster and caviar, a classic roasted veal loin, whole american snapper en croute and seasonal donuts by The Salty Donut for dessert. Flavors include guava and cream cheese, maple and bacon, brown butter and salt, and 'spiked' Nutella holes. 

The wines include a Pino Gris, an Italian red and a tawny port aged for seven years in Portugal's Douro Valley. Chosen by Abaco Wine, a new bespoke wine store that carries select wines from around the world, the pairings span a spectrum of tastes sure to appeal to discerning diners.

The evening starts with a welcome cocktail and snacks served at the 1930s house followed by dinner service at 11:00 pm. A seat costs $95 inclusive and valet with validation is $10. There are six seats open - so reserve your spot now. 

Seagrape
The Thompson Hotel
4041 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach

Miami International Film Festival

/ Olympia Theater/

Film still from The Lobster, Courtesy MIFF

This year marks the 33rd edition of the Miami International Film Festival, which centers around the Olympia Theater in Downtown Miami. The festival highlights films from around the glob, with this year's features including a stunning list of global and Florida premieres, special programs and large-scale events.. While all the films are worth seeing, below a list of our can't-miss films. 

The Lobster - Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos (director of the Oscar-nominated Dogtooth) investigates the future where single people find themselves at a crossroads - couple up or be released into the animal kingdom. 

Queen of Thursdays - This documentary film goes inside the life of Cuban prima ballerina Rosario Juarez who spent years dancing at the Ballet Nacional de Cuba before before a family crisis brought her to Miami. And to exile.

The Little Prince - Staying true to Antoine de Saint-Exupery's classic 1943 tale The Little Prince the animated film voiced by A-LIst actors–Benecio Del Toro, Rachel McAdams, and Jeff Bridges– brings to life one of the most classic childhood tales. 

Beeba Boys - Beeba Boys is an action-packed dandy comic crime thriller inspired by the real-life story of Punjabi gangster wars in Vancouver, Canada. Expect to see the hilarious Waris Ahluwalia, familiar from Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou and The Grand Budapest Hotel. 

Swan Song of the Skunk Ape - This 11 minute film dives into the myth of the Skunk Ape, a bi-pedal mythical creature said to live deep in the Everglades. 

I've Never Not Been From Miami - A series of ten shorts commissioned by WPBT2 South Florida PBS will be shown together for the first time, showcasing the collaborations of ten local filmmakers and ten local artists in a single program.

For an immersive experience, get tickets to one of Lee Brian Schrager's Culinary Cinema events, which pair foodie films with local restaurants serving up a three-course film-inspired meal with wine.  

Miami International Film Festival
Olympia Theater
Downtown Miami

Rosé All the Way

/ Mondrian Hotel Miami/

Photo courtesy La Nuit En Rose

This weekend the world's food and wine festival La Nuit En Rosé dedicated to rosé takes over the Mondrian Hotel pool deck in South Beach for three days from March 4–6.  Events include a VIP dinner with rosé pairings, a Saturday Rosé Sunset Party, and a Sunday Rosé Brunch with unlimited pours of over 50 different rosé wines. As with any good party, there's a dress code: white or pink. 

La Nuit En Rose
Mondrian South Beach
West Avenue, Miami Beach