#ThankYouMiami for Food, Food, and More Food Events

Photo: Manny Hernandez

Dear Miami foodie, unbuckle your belt and start making room because this week is going to leave you stuffed. It seems the stars have aligned in your favor and are serving up a buffet of food events every day this week. Here's what you need to know:

What: The District Miami is hosting a joint celebration of National Beer and Empanada Day that is "So Miami" featuring rare brews from local breweries Miami Brewing Co., Wynwood Brewing Co. and Funky Buddha Brewery at 50% off, as well as complimentary empanadas prepared by The District's own Chef Horacio Rivadero.

When: Wednesday, April 8 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Where: 190 46th Street, Miami

What: Gables staple Frits & Franz Bierhaus will host the 12th Annual Paella-Fest with classic Spanish paella samples, live music, and drink specials, including an $11 Bierhaus Sangria Cocktail. The restaurant's party-ready plaza will be lined by liquor and beer bars and will feature performances by Conjunto Progresso, Rudy Gil, and Cortadito.

When: Friday, April 17 from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Where: 660 Merrick Way, Coral Gables

What: Dolce Italian launched a special prix-fixe tasting menu in celebration of their Bravo's Best New Restaurant win. For only $65, you can get your hands on the mouthwatering dishes that you reluctantly coveted from home during the competition, including the crispy zucchini flowers and the ricotta cavatelli.

When: Now until Sunday, May 31

Where: 1690 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach

And, in case you missed it...

What: Soho Bay Restaurant, a Japanese-inspired Brazilian restaurant with stellar views of Biscayne Bay, celebrated its grand opening with over 500 guests. During the event, guests sampled signature drinks like the molecular Cucumber Mojito and Guava Coladas, as well as 15 varieties of hot and cold dishes from Chef Ricky Sauri's menu.

When: The grand opening took place last Thursday, April 2. Soho Bay opens to the public on Tuesday, April 7.

Where: 520 West Avenue, Miami Beach

Which of these events are you most excited to attend? Why? Are there other Miami food events you will be attending? Which? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami for Fashion - Weekending

Weekends are a blast when you live in paradise. The world is your oyster because, well, the weather is beautiful and you have a full itinerary of indoor and outdoor activities at your reach. In this week's #ThankYouMiami for Fashion we talk about our preferred Sunday afternoon activity. We'll give you three hints: (1) it's outdoors; (2) it involves a Sector 9; and, (3) it takes place at our favorite park. Read the excerpt below and click on the photo for the full feature. Make sure you keep an eye out for the Sound of Music reference we threw in for good measure!

What is your favorite weekend activity? How do you plan an outfit that is appropriate for that activity yet chic? How do you accessorize ultra casual outfits? Would you wear the look from this week's post? Which was your favorite piece from this week's look? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami How-To: Dining Out Like A Local

At the end of last year, Tastemade, now Tastemade City, launched #TastemadeMIA by engaging local tastemakers to create recs of our city's top 400 restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream parlors, and the like. The #ThankYouMiami team heeded their call and created our very own appisodes featuring old favorites and some new finds. We've previously released the videos featuring our 4 dinner and nightlife favorites and 5 go-to breakfast and lunch spots.

Today, we're sharing with you 4 restaurants that are our secret weapons for dining out with friends or going on a date. Thanks to their ambiance and menu, these restaurant options work well for both! Check them out below and make sure to follow @ThankYouMiami on Tastemade for more recommendations soon to come.

Casablanca Seafood Bar and Grill
Macchialina Taverna Rustica
Essensia Restaurant & Lounge
660 at The Angler's

Which restaurant are you most excited to try? Is there a Miami venue you would like us to feature in an upcoming appisode? What would you like to learn about that location? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami for Fashion Luminaries - Ashley Brozic

A little over a year ago, we raved about how the launch of Racked Miami meant our city is finally fashionably relevant. Today, the continued existence and growing popularity of Racked Miami means so much more than that. The site's increased coverage of non-fashion topics, such as wellness, suggests that Miami's relevance extends beyond fashion. Furthermore, its quickly expanding audience locally and abroad means the masses are hungry for our city. 

For our third Miami Fashion Spotlight for The New Tropic, we interviewed Ashley Brozic, the 100-percent Miami chica who, through hard work and dedication, made Racked Miami "a thing". In the article, Ashley shares with us what she loves about Miami, how Miami played a role in her career, and why she's not ready to ditch her city just yet. Read the excerpt below and click on the photo for the full feature.

What inspires you most about Ashley? What Miami fashion luminaries would you like to see in future iterations of The New Tropic's Miami Fashion Spotlight? What other topics would you like to see us cover for The New Tropic? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami for Killer Programming - Yoga Soundscape

Picture this: You're in Miami and it's the Tuesday after Winter Music Conference, Spring Break, and the Miami Beach Centennial. If your hectic schedule last week didn't super charge your stress levels, the traffic definitely did. Plus, let's be honest, you probably went out more nights and a lot later than you're used to. No judgments - it was totally worth it! The only problem is that your body is currently a low-energy, high-stress environment and for a Miami-an that is a losing combination. So, how do you reboot your system?

The Miami community knows Miami life can be tough on your body, which is probably why they offer so many free yoga classes. To restart our bodies from last week's mayhem, we joined 200 of our neighbors last night for one of these classes at the Canvas Patio in the Arts and Entertainment District. But this was not just your average yoga class because we were wearing LED headphones during our practice and moving in tandem with the musical curation of Karri On. Wait - what?

You've heard us talk about Sound Off Experience's "silent disco" concept before. Well, yesterday's Yoga Soundscape event was exactly like that, except much more zen. For the first time in Miami, Canvas Miami, in partnership with Ansa Yoga, applied Sound Off Experience's innovative idea to a yoga class. The combination was pure magic. 

Sound Off Experience's headphones kept the background noise at a minimum and connected us more closely with the mind-clearing experience. We heard one girl say that listening to teacher Jennifer Pansa through the headphones helped to silence her normally racing thoughts. We heard another girl claim that she cried during one of the poses because it synced so perfectly with the music. And, us? We loved it. We hope it is the first of many more Yoga Soundscape events at the A&E District and Miami's other neighborhoods.

Did you experience the first ever Yoga Soundscape? Have you attended any of the A&E District's other events? Which one did you go to? What did you like about it? Dislike? What other types of programming would you like to see in Miami? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!