#ThankYouMiami for Spreading Culture, Music & Love - 9 Mile Music Festival

Miami is all about celebrating cultures and Jamaica is stepping into the spotlight this weekend for a one-day celebration of the country's culture, music, and love for all man-kind. On Saturday, the 22nd Annual 9 Mile Music Festival will take over the Miami-Dade County Fairgrounds with arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, and a line-up of incredible reggae artists, including Stephen Marley, Damian Marley, Julian Marley, SOJA, and Capelton. This year's event will also showcase Jamaican cuisine during an invitation-only foodie focus and festival preview with Chef Donovan Thompson.

Cedella Marley-Booker is the brains and heart behind the 9 Mile Music Festival which she named after the Jamaican mountain village where she was born and gave birth to her son, the late Bob Marley. The event honors Bob Marley's legacy by spreading the Jamaican culture and music that he loved and came to represent. Furthermore, the event nudges attendees to give back to their community by requiring that they present four canned goods at the entrance with their admission ticket. The food collected will be donated to Curley's House, a local food bank that aids needy families in Miami-Dade County.

If you love reggae and Miami as much as we do, there is no better way to spend Valentine's Day than listening to music and showing your love for your city. We hope you will join us for good vibes at the 9 Mile Music Festival. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the 9 Mile Music Festival website.

#ThankYouMiami How-To: Valentine's Day à la 305

 

Ring the alarm! Valentine's Day is right around the corner and, if you're like us, your preparations are running on Miami time. To help you make magic happen al estilo Miami, we've sorted through a myriad of Valentine's Day date options to bring you the five that best channel our city's glamour, decadence, and pizzazz. Dale!

1. Brunch: The District Miami

190 NE 46 Street, Design District

We are absolutely loving that Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday because nothing is more Miami than celebrating over brunch. This brunch caught our eye because it includes holiday themed drinks, entrees, appetizers, and desserts. More importantly, there will be puppies! Brace yourselves, gentlemen. The District, in partnership with the Humane Society of Greater Miami, will have pets on-site for adoption and playtime from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you're not ready to adopt, you can donate $15 to the Humane Society and receive a complimentary Champagne Fresca or dessert. For reservations, call (305) 573-4199.

2. Cooking At Home: Chef Adrianne Calvo's "Play With Fire"

Miami's very own Chef Adrianne Calvo is bringing the heat this Valentine's Day with the February 12th launch of her new book "Play With Fire". The book, which is a collaboration between Chef Calvo and boudoir photographer Alain Martinez, features a combination of provocative visuals and exquisite recipes to stimulate your senses. If you're looking for a very Miami and muy caliente Valentine's Day date that you can execute from home, let her book be your guide.

3. Seven-Course Tasting Menu: Casabe 305 Bistro

1762 Coral Way, Shenandoah

This option is a "SO Miami" triple threat, starting with the Latin American-inspired fare for which Casabe 305 Bistro is known. Also à la 305 is the over-the-top tasting menu with its seven courses and dishes like lobster bouillabaisse. The $150 Lovebirds Special ends with another Miami bang thanks to the brie and guava puff pastry - pastelitos de guayaba, anyone? For reservations, call (305) 302-5160.

4. Valentine's Day Cruise Package: VanDutch & SEASPICE

422 NW North River Drive, Miami

If you're looking to elicit a "WOW!" from your date, then a yacht and exquisite dinner is exactly what you need. For $5,000, you and your date will be picked up by one of VanDutch's 40-foot luxury vessels and chartered to SEASPICE while you enjoy chilled champagne and the beautiful Miami night. At SEASPICE you will be treated to a five-course menu of aphrodisiac delights paired with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot rosé. Everything about this package is Miami romance perfection. For reservations, call (305) 440-4200.

5. Dessert and a Night Cap: Serendipity 3

1102 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach

A proper Valentine’s Day date is not complete without a delicious dessert or night cap. Serendipity 3 offers both separately or in one. We recommend splitting the chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream sundae with chocolate dipped strawberries and hot fudge. Our mouths are also watering for the strawberry shortcake cocktail (featured above) which has cake vodka, hot chocolate powder, fresh strawberries, and a heart-shaped pound cake. For reservations, call (305) 403-2210.

What type of Valentine's Day experience do you have planned? Do you have any unique Valentine's Day ideas that are "SO Miami"? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiamiGoesToNewOrleans - 4 Remarkable Similarities Between the 504 and the 305

The city of brass bands, beignets, and bon temps is on fire. Recently, it seems like movies, businesses, and tourists are looking to New Orleans. Everyone we talk to brings it up in conversation and, with the start of their peak tourism season, the chatter is only bound to get louder.

In October 2014, we traveled to New Orleans to check out the competition and see if it lives up to the hype. Our findings? New Orleans is just as awesome as everyone makes it out to be. On a more surprising note, it is similar to Miami, which must be why we liked it so much. Here are four remarkable similarities between the 504 and the 305:

#ThankYouMiami for Cocktail Know-How

Miami does a lot of things right and no one is surprised that one of those things is cocktails. This week, Reyka Vodka came to Miami to show us how their brand fits into our burgeoning cocktail culture. They brought with them Trevor Schneider, also known as the New York's Cocktail Ninja, who vouched for Miami's cocktail savvy and praised places like The Broken Shaker for leading the charge. When we asked Trevor why he says #ThankYouMiami, he said "#ThankYouMiami for The Broken Shaker. These guys take a lot of pride in what they do, they are about their business and their fresh ingredients, and they have a nice, casual vibe."

Through their event Reyka Vodka not only proved they can throw a great party, but they also showed that they have a well-deserved place in our local mixology scene. Read the excerpt below and click on the photo to read the full Soul of Miami event recap.

What is your favorite aspect of Miami's cocktail culture? What is your go-to cocktail of the moment? What is the one ingredient you want to see more in handcrafted cocktails? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami for The Best Spots to Go Fishing - Localeur

Miami is an amazing city. But, with everything it offers, it can be an overwhelming city for visitors who are unfamiliar with the area. Enter Localeur, an Austin-based company, whose mission is to help travelers get the inside scoop of where to eat, drink, and play on their website and app. Earlier this year Localeur tapped #ThankYouMiami to share our local expertise with their audience.

In our latest recommendation, we share Miami's four best spots to go fishing. So, whether you are a visitor looking for what to do in Miami or a local looking for a place to cast this weekend, click on the image below to discover your gateway to tropical and cold-water fish species. Also, make sure to keep an eye on the #ThankYouMiami Localeur page for future recommendations!

 

Where is your favorite place to go fishing in Miami? What type of fish have you caught there? What rod, hook, and bait did you use? Is there a spot you would have liked to see on our list? Is there a recommendation you would like to have us do next? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!