#ThankYouMiami How-To: Immersing Yourself in Miami Art Week/Art Basel 2016 Like A Local

Happy first day of Art Basel! Yes, Miami Art Week events have been happening for what seems like days but Art Basel, the raison d'être of the season, didn't kick off until today. Plus, as 9-to-5ers, we haven't even had the chance to start thinking about the parties, art shows, and other events until today. That said, now that Basel opening day is here, its time to buckle down and start solidifying our social calendars because this is late planning, even for Miami standards.

As always, we've got your back. This morning we put together an itinerary of all of our favorite events that are open to the public—not those frou-frou events that you have to pull favors from a friend of a friend to get into—so you have no excuses if you really want to immerse yourself in the hubbub anytime from now until Sunday. We've also included a list of our favorite Basel guides in case you need more inspo from our go-to Miami resources. We hope our day-by-day itinerary of what to do during Miami Art Week 2016 is helpful and, if it is, show us some love by voting us for Best Local Blogger in the 2016 South Florida Blogger Awards. Happy Basel-ing!

Art Basel and Miami Art Week 2016
Tuesday, November 29 through Sunday, December 4
Throughout Miami Beach and Miami

For a Miami-an, nothing kicks off our high season as poignantly as the arrival of Art Basel and the Miami Art Week satellite fairs. The week becomes a blur of art, champagne, celebrities, and a social calendar jam packed with events. While we broke down our favorite "open to the public" events individually below, we wanted to kick things off with the guides we use to put together the puzzle that is our Miami Art Week calendar every year. (Seriously, it's 2016, why can't we be two places at once yet?!) You're welcome, Miami:

• The GMCVB's Ultimate Guide to Art Basel Miami
• Paper Mag's Mega Guide to Art Basel: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• The Miami Herald Talks What's New for 2016 at Art Basel Miami
• Maria Tettamanti's Go-To Shopping Guide for Art Basel 2016 for Miami.com
• New Tropic Miami's Local Guide to Art Basel 2016
• Alpha Current's Where to View Art in Miami Localeur List
• The Fashion Poet's Art Basel Style Event Guide

Wednesday, November 30

• 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.: SWARM presents HIVE Wynwood, a five-day cocktail, art and music pop-up lounge featuring a food truck garden, live art installations, live music performances, an art skate park, cocktail demonstrations, etc. Find more details and RSVP for a free Red Bull cocktail here.
• 4 p.m. to 5 a.m.: New Midtown bar, Bitter Truth (3252 NE 1 Avenue #124, Miami), will play host to five days of free hip hop and live art at Basel House. Come support home grown talent including Miami's top local musicians, artists, mixologists, chefs, and bakers. Be one of the first 100 to RSVP daily to receive a free drink between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.: The Wynwood Yard is hosting a series of We Are Miami-themed series of concerts, exhibits, food events, workshops and other cultural showcases throughout the week, starting with tonight's Basel edition of Taste of the Yard. Find more details on this and other Yard programming here.
• 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.: The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) North Miami is hosting a special artist reception for the opening of its Art Basel season exhibition The Other Dimension by Cuban-born, Miami artist Antuan Rodriguez featuring performances from Spam Allstars and DJ Umber Bandi-Ville. Free admission for MOCA members, North Miami residents, and Art Basel VIP ticket holders. Purchase your $30 General Admission tickets here.
• 11 p.m. to late: The Anderson (709 Northeast 79 Street, North Bay Village) will be hosting an entire weekend's worth of music and dancing events throughout the week. On this night, Grammy-nominated DJ Mayer Hawthorne takes the stage.

Thursday, December 1

• 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.: In advance of Innergy Meditation's new studio opening in Miami Beach late December, the company will host a pop-up studio at the Mondrian South Beach, featuring various teachers and techniques of guided meditation. The 30-minute meditation sit-ins are free and open to the public. Reserve your cushion via email at rsvp [at] innergymeditation [dot] com.
• 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.: Beatriz Esguerra Art will be presenting their Resounding Subtleties exhibition at the Museo Vault Exhibition Space (346 NW 29 Street, Miami) featuring the works of Carlos Alarcon, Mario Arroyave, Teresa Currea, Max Steven Grossman, Pablo Posada, Luis Carlos Tova, Santiago Uribe-Holguin, and Carol Young.
• 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.: LA urban artist KAI, best known for his street art and cement fixtures found in cities like Miami, Paris, New York and London will be displaying his latest collection Modern Relic at Markowicz Fine Art. The exhibition of his iconic pieces depicting social criticisms and phenomena in art is free and open to the public.
• 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.: The Langford Hotel's Sky Lobby (121 SE 1 Street, Miami) will be playing host to the stunning sculptural floral arrangements of Emilio Robba, the world's most recognized name in botanical art, all weekend and are definitely worth a visit!
• 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.: Superfine! The Fairest Fair (56 NE 29 Street, Miami) is back for its second year with new rock by 75+ local and global artist. This is the art fair for those of you looking for accessibly-priced works by established artists or incredible buys on pieces by passionate emerging artists. Purchase your day or all-access pass here.
• 4 p.m. to 3 a.m.: SWARM presents HIVE Wynwood, a five-day cocktail, art and music pop-up lounge featuring a food truck garden, live art installations, live music performances, an art skate park, cocktail demonstrations, etc. Find more details and RSVP for a free Red Bull cocktail here.
• 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.: Super 8 hotels are getting a new look and shedding their old Bob Ross décor in the process. At their Thursday night celebration When The Art Comes Down: Miami Edition they will be giving away for free the eccentric pieces by the beloved The Joy of Painting artist on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• 11 p.m. to late: The Anderson (709 Northeast 79 Street, North Bay Village) will be hosting an entire weekend's worth of music and dancing events throughout the week. On this night, "mysterious, raunchy feminist" Boyfriend and her rap cabaret take the stage.

Friday, December 2

• 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.: In advance of Innergy Meditation's new studio opening in Miami Beach late December, the company will host a pop-up studio at the Mondrian South Beach, featuring various teachers and techniques of guided meditation. The 30-minute meditation sit-ins are free and open to the public. Reserve your cushion via email at rsvp [at] innergymeditation [dot] com.
• 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.: Beatriz Esguerra Art will be presenting their Resounding Subtleties exhibition at the Museo Vault Exhibition Space (346 NW 29 Street, Miami) featuring the works of Carlos Alarcon, Mario Arroyave, Teresa Currea, Max Steven Grossman, Pablo Posada, Luis Carlos Tova, Santiago Uribe-Holguin, and Carol Young.
• 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.: LA urban artist KAI, best known for his street art and cement fixtures found in cities like Miami, Paris, New York and London will be displaying his latest collection Modern Relic at Markowicz Fine Art. The exhibition of his iconic pieces depicting social criticisms and phenomena in art is free and open to the public.
• 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.: The Langford Hotel's Sky Lobby (121 SE 1 Street, Miami) will be playing host to the stunning sculptural floral arrangements of Emilio Robba, the world's most recognized name in botanical art, all weekend and are definitely worth a visit!
• 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.: Superfine! The Fairest Fair (56 NE 29 Street, Miami) is back for its second year with new rock by 75+ local and global artist. This is the art fair for those of you looking for accessibly-priced works by established artists or incredible buys on pieces by passionate emerging artists. Purchase your day or all-access pass here.
• 3 p.m. to 3 a.m.: SWARM presents HIVE Wynwood, a five-day cocktail, art and music pop-up lounge featuring a food truck garden, live art installations, live music performances, an art skate park, cocktail demonstrations, etc. Find more details and RSVP for a free Red Bull cocktail here.
• 10 p.m. to late: The Anderson (709 Northeast 79 Street, North Bay Village) will be hosting an entire weekend's worth of music and dancing events throughout the week. On this night, The Skins takes the stage until 1 a.m. after which Sweat Record's Lolo will be bringing her usual good vibes.

Saturday, December 3

• 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.: In advance of Innergy Meditation's new studio opening in Miami Beach late December, the company will host a pop-up studio at the Mondrian South Beach, featuring various teachers and techniques of guided meditation. The 30-minute meditation sit-ins are free and open to the public. Reserve your cushion via email at rsvp [at] innergymeditation [dot] com.
• 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: This year GILT has partnered with SCOPE Miami Beach and will be hosting a GILT Lounge on the art fair's oceanside digs with a week-long event series. Most events are sold out but tickets to their Art House Talk and Brunch, which includes a panel discussion on art and technology, passed hors d'oeuvres and light bites, and a juice bar by OnJuice are still available for only $10. Purchase your tickets here.
• 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.: Beatriz Esguerra Art will be presenting their Resounding Subtleties exhibition at the Museo Vault Exhibition Space (346 NW 29 Street, Miami) featuring the works of Carlos Alarcon, Mario Arroyave, Teresa Currea, Max Steven Grossman, Pablo Posada, Luis Carlos Tova, Santiago Uribe-Holguin, and Carol Young.
• 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.: LA urban artist KAI, best known for his street art and cement fixtures found in cities like Miami, Paris, New York and London will be displaying his latest collection Modern Relic at Markowicz Fine Art. The exhibition of his iconic pieces depicting social criticisms and phenomena in art is free and open to the public.
• 12 p.m. to 3 a.m.: SWARM presents HIVE Wynwood, a five-day cocktail, art and music pop-up lounge featuring a food truck garden, live art installations, live music performances, an art skate park, cocktail demonstrations, etc. Find more details and RSVP for a free Red Bull cocktail here.
• 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.: The Langford Hotel's Sky Lobby (121 SE 1 Street, Miami) will be playing host to the stunning sculptural floral arrangements of Emilio Robba, the world's most recognized name in botanical art, all weekend and are definitely worth a visit!
• 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.: Superfine! The Fairest Fair (56 NE 29 Street, Miami) is back for its second year with new rock by 75+ local and global artist. This is the art fair for those of you looking for accessibly-priced works by established artists or incredible buys on pieces by passionate emerging artists. Purchase your day or all-access pass here.
• 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Miami Made College's MDC Live Arts will be confronting traffic, Miami's favorite gripe especially during Art Basel, using humor and creativity via musician Steve Parker's project: Traffic Jam. Parker will take over MDC's Wolfson Campus Parking Lot 1 (Biscayne Boulevard between 5 Street and 6 Street) for a free CARnival featuring a mixed ability dance performance with live musical score, a gang of skateboarding ukulele players, a quartet of choreographed musical bicycles and more. Join the fun with your car—you may be provided and intuitive musical score so you can participate with your car horn, windshield wiper and headlights. Read the full event details here.
• 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.: For our photography aficionados, we recommend checking out the Miami Street Photography Festival's 2016 schedule of events for great (and free!) programming that will be hosted at the HistoryMiami Museum (101 West Flagler Street, Miami) starting Wednesday, November 30 and ending with this closing party. Space is limited but you can register to attend the MSPF 2016 closing party for free here.
• 11 p.m. to late: The Anderson (709 Northeast 79 Street, North Bay Village) will be hosting an entire weekend's worth of music and dancing events throughout the week. On this night, they will be hosting a dance party.

Sunday, December 4

• 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Our friends from Fashion Happy Hour make their triumphant return to Miami's social scene with a shopping and mimosas party hosted by local fashion blogger Stephanie Cosmopolitan of The Lux Loft. If you've never been to one of their events, read our recap from their March 2014 event so you know generally what to expect. Purchase your tickets here.
• 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.: LA urban artist KAI, best known for his street art and cement fixtures found in cities like Miami, Paris, New York and London will be displaying his latest collection Modern Relic at Markowicz Fine Art. The exhibition of his iconic pieces depicting social criticisms and phenomena in art is free and open to the public.
• 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.: The Langford Hotel's Sky Lobby (121 SE 1 Street, Miami) will be playing host to the stunning sculptural floral arrangements of Emilio Robba, the world's most recognized name in botanical art, all weekend and are definitely worth a visit!
• 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.: SWARM presents HIVE Wynwood, a five-day cocktail, art and music pop-up lounge featuring a food truck garden, live art installations, live music performances, an art skate park, cocktail demonstrations, etc. Find more details and RSVP for a free Red Bull cocktail here.
• 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Superfine! The Fairest Fair (56 NE 29 Street, Miami) is back for its second year with new rock by 75+ local and global artist. This is the art fair for those of you looking for accessibly-priced works by established artists or incredible buys on pieces by passionate emerging artists. Purchase your day or all-access pass here.
• 11 p.m. to late: The Anderson (709 Northeast 79 Street, North Bay Village) will be hosting an entire weekend's worth of music and dancing events throughout the week. On this night, they will be hosting a Basel version of their Miami is an Island Sunday night party featuring Mr. Brown, Kumi, Erick Paredes and special guests as chief purveyors of beats.

#ThankYouMiami for New Food Finds - OLLA Opens in Miami Beach

Happy Monday of Mondays! This week high season (which has creeped on us in the past few weeks, noticeable only in the terrible driving, the increased crowds, and the insufferable traffic) officially kicks off with Miami Art Week. If you're having as hard a time as us in dealing with all the hubbub, worry not—this is the best time of the year to eat your feelings because a thousand restaurants are opening their doors for the first time. Starting today we're taking our Mexican tuckuses to Lincoln Road, where Chef Scott Linquist's highly anticipated "regional, rootsy Mexican" concept OLLA is finally open! Our contributor Belen Baquerizo, the blogger behind A Hint of Life, recalls their grand opening party so you know what to expect.

The grand opening party for OLLA, the authentic Mexican restaurant by COYO Taco's Chef Linquist, was held on November 12 at its new location on Lincoln Road, culminating into a fun fiesta. Per usual, we joined our foodie friends (and A-listers like Chef Marcus Samuelsson of the Food Network's Chopped and Red Rooster Harlem fame) in the celebrations. Upon arrival, we made our way to the bar for a drink and to admire the stunning mural that lies behind it. Although the mural wasn't fully finished—an artist was on-site painting during the party—the exposed terracota fit in with the restaurant's authentic Mexican vibes.

The bar served classic sangria among signature drinks with cheeky names like the Olla Rita, Pájaro Sucio, Pinche Flor, Frambuesa and Chica Picosa. The cocktails were tequila based but easy to drink thanks to the deliciously fruity mixtures (trust me on that one!). My favorite drink was the Frambuesa because it tasted like fresh juice and my boyfriend's favorite drink was the Pájaro Sucio. In addition to the bar's signature cocktails, there were two stands serving Modelo beer and Jarritos (Mexican soda) infused with...tequila, obviously! One of the best parts about OLLA's grand opening party was the diversity of drinks available—there was a little Mexican something for every taste and mood.

The appetizers offered throughout the night were super tasty. The food ranged from mini tacos to mini tortas to ceviche, intermingled with a vast array of meats and even octopus. I managed to track down all the servers as they made their way from the kitchen to the dance floor so I could get a piece every time! Chips and guac were strategically placed at any section of the restaurant that remotely resembled a table and we also posted up there. You could say we were pretty much eating all night long (which helped with the amount of drinks we were having because we just HAD to try them all...you know, for blogging purposes).

I think of OLLA as a more sophisticated version of COYO Taco. The menu expands beyond the tacos, tortas and other street food we know and love from Chef Linquist to include top-notch entrées common to traditional Mexican cuisine. Between the electric atmosphere, the delicious drinks, the quality food, and good company OLLA's grand opening party made our Saturday night a great one. We can't wait to come back once it opens for good.

#ThankYouMiami for Mexican Thanksgiving

Most people associate Thanksgiving with turkey, stuffing, gravy and warm childhood memories. I, on the other hand, have only truly celebrated Thanksgiving—at least in the traditional sense—for the last five years so it doesn't evoke the same feelings for me. I am still adjusting to its flavors and vibes, building those classic American memories I hope to associate with the holiday maybe 20 years from now.

In the interim, Thanksgiving for me is somewhat of a hybrid between my Mexican traditions and the American traditions I have picked up since we left Mexico. It is a "Mexican Thanksgiving" perfectly manifested in the delicious Latin American-inspired Thanksgiving menu that Chef Richard Sandoval of Toro Toro has in store for tomorrow's dinner and of which I got a sneak peek a few weeks back. From his unabashed use of pomegranate seeds (an ingredient common to Mexican holiday dishes) to his creative incorporation of Oaxaca cheese and chipotle in mashed potatoes and turkey, Chef Sandoval's 2016 Thanksgiving menu perfectly represents what I associate with the holiday at this stage in my life. It bridges the flavors of my past as a niña in Mexico City with those of my future as an American woman.

Motivated by nostalgia brought upon by the menu's nod to Mexico, I decided to unearth my diary today and read the entry describing my very first Thanksgiving—a harrowing experience which makes me appreciate what amazing and "normal" food I have access to nowadays. I have copied my dairy entry word for word (spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, annoying abbreviations and all) for your reading pleasure below, followed by photos of Chef Sandoval's exquisite spread. But, before I let you peek into my 14-year-old mind and indulge in food porn, I would like to give thanks for all of the blessings I have in my life, including but not limited to you and your support for this blog and the fact that my writing and spelling abilities have vastly improved in the last 15 years. Happy Thanksgiving, Miami!

"Thursday, November 22, 2001
Happy Thanksgiving! 

It's the 3rd Thursday of November and there is no school! Since we are from Mexico, we celebrate Thanksgiving differently, however my sister Carla (8 yrs. old) ended up baking a pumpkin pie. I've been working on an essay 4 ww (writing workshop) all day, that is until my sisters let out Nugget, a hamster they brought home from school, to play with. Apart from the cute lil' hamster, they also brought home Creeps. At first I thought Creeps would be a lil' lizard, but when I saw the contents of the cage, I refused to let my sisters even step in the car with it. So neway, they ended up bringin the disgusting TARANTULA home yesterday w/the hamster. 

After playing with the hamster a lil', my mom called my sisters n me to the kitchen. N eww! 2 but we found... As we stood near the kitchen sink, there was a strong smell of something decaying, as if Creeps had been dying (which we found later to be true), but the smell of Creeps' decay was not even as strong as the smell coming from the 'thing' my mom was holding in her hands. She announced joyously that what she was holding was going to be for lunch and that the 'thing' she was holding was... honeycomb tripe, in other words: COW STOMACH. 

@ that moment both my sisters and me went back to what we were doing b4, and that was the first time me and Carla had ever been scared of food in our lives. The minutes seemed to go by very slowly and my stomach was making noises, yet I didn't want to try the food my mom claimed one of her favorites. Neway I told my mom I had a stomachache so I wouldn't have to eat, but she just gave me 'polvitos' (a Mexican homeopathic digestive aid) and went back to finishing lunch. 

At the table, there was delicious soup (pasta) to be followed by that huge piece of stomach. When it was time 4 the tripe to come 2 the table, I used my stomach technique, but failed. I had no choice. I was going to have to eat it. Lucy, my other sister, ate the first piece. My mom had cut the white looking bag of muscles into lil' pieces that only have one word 2 describe them: DISGUSTING. She cooked it of course and put tomato sauce all over the pieces, but when I took my first piece (which was very chewy) I almost threw up, yet I didn't show that on the outside. 

I chewed on it 4 a couple seconds, then I tried swallowing it whole since I couldn't stand the taste any longer. 2nd piece...swallow....stuck...chew...chew...eww...little pieces now so I could swallow the piece whole since it was softer and smaller. I still hesitated to eat the 3rd piece, but my parents gave me the 'you have to eat it look' so I stuffed in my mouth and followed the same procedure like in the other three two pieces. To this moment the TRIPE! still gurgles in my stomach. 

Until next time,
Margarita"

#ThankYouMiami for Brunch - Our Passion at the Trio

It's Sunday funday so we're coming at ya with a new brunch find: Our Passion at the Trio in Fort Lauderdale. Believe it or not, I grew up in Fort Lauderdale. Yes, my parents' house was in Boca but my high school, my friends and, therefore, my social life revolved around Fort Lauderdale. My memories from that time consist of beach days at Sea Ranch Lakes, beach volleyball tournaments at the Yankee Clipper, awkward movie dates at the Galleria Mall, and eating Vito's pizza, Jacks burgers, Laspadas subs and, on special occasions, Chez Porky's everything. When Our Passion invited me to try their new brunch menu, I was psyched to visit my old stomping grounds and find new reasons to come back. After all, brunch wasn't a "thing" in high school so I have a brunch filled hole in my repertoire of Lauderdale food venues. Excitedly, I put on an EW's BINGE Harry Potter podcast and headed north on I-95.

Like many businesses along this corridor, Our Passion is nestled in a strip mall. The space it occupies is cozy, with only a dozen or so tables between the entrance and the bar in the back. During my visit, I was greeted by the very friendly Chef Paul Lobeck and his wife, both of whom won major points by offering me a glass of mimosa or sangria as I walked through the door. (I award them bonus points for offering unlimited quantities of both mimosas and sangria at only $15 per person because, if there's one thing I love more than brunch, it's brunch with unlimited drink offers.) After delivering my mimosa, they walked me through the nine eclectic dishes on their brunch menu, stopping only to recommend the "South of the Border" and the "That's All Folks" as their two favorites. I ordered and devoured both.

What struck me most about Our Passion are its strong family ties. Chef Paul was inspired to cook by his grandfather, a passion that he passed on to his son Joseph. At only 11 years old, Joseph loves to spend time with his dad in the kitchen helping out with his catering orders—Chef Paul also owns and operates a successful catering business—and at his restaurant. Young Joseph even invented Our Passion's most popular dessert: JoJo's Smile (two peach cobbler empanadas à la mode). I had the chance to meet Joseph when I stopped by and asked him if he was nervous about cooking for 200+ people at an upcoming event with his dad. Not surprisingly, he was completely unfazed.

Chef Paul's wife and daughter are also integral to Our Passion, handling the front of house with a smile while the men are busy in the kitchen. It was only because the whole Lobeck clan was on board that Chef Paul pursued his lifelong dream of running his own restaurant and opened Our Passion. It is the family's unity, as well as their passion for food and friendly service that make this spot worth visiting. Plus, Chef Paul really let his creativity shine through in the brunch menu. (For example, he made the quesadilla breakfast appropriate in the "South of the Border" by stuffing it with bacon and topping it with an egg, chipotle crema, and pico de gallo.) Their family-owned restaurant brings a rare warmth and personal flare that has been lacking on Commercial Boulevard since my high school days.

We were invited to try the brunch menu by Our Passion at the Trio. However, all opinions expressed regarding our experience are our own.

#ThankYouMiami Launches "Events" Page

We have very exciting news! Earlier this week we launched a new page on our blog dedicated solely to Miami events. We're talking about all of the amazing restaurant openings, concerts, celebrations, collaborations, fashion shows, and other fun happenings around Miami that we're clued into and want to make sure you don't miss.

Previously we were bringing you the low-down on upcoming local events in the form of periodic round-up posts that were not on a regular schedule and did not happen frequently. These nuggets of event info were exciting when they happened but did not provide you a dependent resource with which to plan your social calendar. Our new "Events" page is here to solve all of those problems. This permanent #ThankYouMiami feature includes a list of can't-miss Miami events that we will be updating regularly starting this week.

Whenever you're looking for something to do or to keep tabs on what is happening around town, our new "Events" page can be your go-to resource. Just place your cursor over the "Miami" section of the menu up top and click on "Events"—it's that easy. You're welcome, Miami! (P.S. If you love what we do, please vote us Best Local Blogger in the 2016 South Florida Blogger Awards.)

What do you think about our recently launched "Events" page? Have any feedback on what you like or what we could do to make it better? Excited for an event that is not on our list? Have an upcoming event that you would like us to consider for inclusion? Send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami or e-mail us at info [at] thankyoumiami [dot] com!

#ThankYouMiami for Brunch - Pinch Kitchen

We've set a very Miami goal for ourselves since we're in town from now until the Christmas holiday: to discover and enjoy a new brunch every weekend. For that reason, the next six weeks you will find a new brunch post every Sunday morning. Today we're coming at you with Pinch Kitchen, a locally-owned restaurant in the MiMo District with a brunch menu that we have been dying to try since the summer.  We finally had the chance to check it out recently and it was as delicious as we expected. We're especially excited to share it with you today because November marks Pinch Kitchen's one-year anniversary, a well-deserved milestone considering how much fun we had during our visit.

We knew we were at home when opened the door to find server Eloy in the dining room dancing like no one was watching. (After all, we're known for our spontaneous bouts of dancing, especially in the car.) We decided to sit at the bar so we could chat with and learn more about this awesome human being. It turned out to be an excellent decision because he's as charming as he seemed on first encounter. He kept us engaged in conversation throughout our meal and, when we needed a hand model for snapping the more interactive dishes on the menu, he was a willing volunteer.

Beyond fan-girling over Eloy, we engaged in some serious eating, which required two cups of coffee to recover from the food coma it enduced. (Seriously, we were surprised we didn't face plant into the bar.) Our meal started off light with a citrusy, refreshing corvina and shrimp ceviche with yucca chips that has substantially raised the bar for us when it comes to ceviche. We jumped in next into a cazuela of homemade curry dumplings filled with curried beef and smothered in a golden curry sauce that are making our mouths water every time we think about them. Eloy recommended we keep the empty dish for dipping with the grilled whole wheat toast from Egg in a Basket, our next dish. (What. A. Power Move.) If you read The Hunt Miami, then you know we're obsessed with Huevos Bulla. Egg in a Basket is like Huevos Bulla in a self-contained bowl made out of potato chips so needless to say we ate ever last bite, transitioning smoothly into the Pinch Kitchen's eggs benedict. We accompanied our final entrée with a blood orange mimosa because it wouldn't be brunch without eggs benny and mimosas.

By the time we were halfway through the egg dishes, food coma was already at a 9 out of 10 but we powered through it. Then, like the food blogging champs we are, we ordered dessert: orange-chocolate soufflé with crème anglaise served inside of an orange peel. (We have Amber Love Bond to thank for slowly, but surely converting us into appreciators of the sweet stuff.) Turns out we have a separate stomach reserved for enjoying warm, gooey chocolate soufflé. Turns out it doesn't make a difference when it comes to food coma, which explains our post-meal struggles. Nevertheless, it was well-worth every last bite.

If you're looking for brunch, Pinch Kitchen's food and service make it one of our top recommendations in Miami. Can't make it for brunch? Worry not—they also serve lunch and dinner. This month, to celebrate their one-year anniversary, they are offering a special menu that includes some of these items and is another great reason to visit!

We were invited to try the brunch menu by Pinch Kitchen. However, all opinions expressed regarding our experience are our own.

#ThankYouMiami How-To: Booking Miami Activities With Vimbly

As we veer head first into high season, our lives become infinitesimally more hectic and we start to rely more heavily on people, places, and products that make our lives simple. Vimbly, an app that allows us to easily find and book Miami activities on demand, fits the bill. For starters, it removes the pressure of coming up with ideas when we're looking for something to do by giving us an ample but narrowed down list of available options. In fact, their home page starts off with only four choices: today, tomorrow, this weekend and see all. Once you choose, you're taken to another page where you can filter by activity type (learn, explore, eat, drink, watch, date, fight), by price, by part of town, etc.

We tend to alternate between homebodies and beach bums on the weekends, so we recently used Vimbly to spice up our weekend routine. We were initially lured by the idea of doing a BYOB paint night and/or a sunset champagne cruise—yes, both are activities you can book on Vimbly—but they were both sold out. (Note to self: book drinking activities early.) Instead we decided to check out Miami Culinary Tours' South Beach Food Tour. You may remember that last summer we went on and loved their Little Havana Food Tour so we knew we were in good hands. Plus, we were super intrigued to see what restaurants they recommend in our own neighborhood.

Surprisingly booking through Vimbly was a super smooth process. Since we had previously signed up for a Miami Culinary Tours directly through their website, we were initially apprehensive about inserting a middle man in the process. Our fears quickly disappeared when we received a text from a Vimbly rep confirming our reservation and letting us know that our tickets would be emailed shortly. There's something about an actual person taking care of you that is uber comforting. Alas, we showed up the day of our tour knowing that everything was squared away for us. It's the simplicity and piece of mind that is so precious, particularly this time of year.

We were invited to book the South Beach Food Tour by Vimbly. However, all opinions expressed regarding the experience are our own.

#ThankYouMiami Talks New Book: #TheHUNTMiami

Unless you've been living off the grid, you already know that I wrote a book and that it was released on Monday. A la Eddie Redmayne winning Best Actor at the 2015 Oscars, I'm super excited about my accomplishment and have been yelling about it from the cyber rooftops and mountain tops of social media. It's just that, it's a milestone I never thought I would achieve—not for lack of confidence in my writing ability but because I never dreamt of becoming a published author. I've dreamt of living in other countries, of becoming a pop star (that's another story for another time), of starting my own business, and of building a great career as an environmental scientist. I never, ever dreamt of writing a book and getting it published. Until the opportunity came knocking, I guess I didn't think it was realistically within my reach and therefore never gave it a second thought.

Now, here I sit as a published author with a copy of my pocket-sized print guide sitting pretty on my lap, my bio listed under the "About the Author" section on its Amazon page. OH MY GOD. You guys have no idea how excited I am (if you watched the video of me holding my book for the first time, you may have a clue). Most of all, I am thankful. Thankful to Gatehouse Publishing for entrusting me to deliver a guide worthy of The HUNT Guides name, to all of you for supporting my blog and thereby making it possible, to my family and friends for their patience during many a sleepless night, and to Miami for being such an amazing city worthy of sharing with others.

This success is not just mine. It is all of ours. I started #ThankYouMiami as means to take control of our community's narrative amidst the negativity we are constantly subjected to. The addition of The HUNT Miami to a series that includes other world-class cities like Rome, London and New York is a testament that our work is paying off, slowly but surely. I am so excited to celebrate this small win with all of you. In fact, I am working on organizing a few events around town so I can sign your copies, share behind-the-scenes stories about the writing process, and hear from you about your favorite places in Miami. Stay tuned for more details. In the interim, join me tonight at 8 p.m. EST for a Facebook Live broadcast where I will tell you where you can get your very own copy. See you then!