San Francisco's Legendary Drag Club Oasis Set to Close This Year
Drollinger elaborated on the press release in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, telling the paper that their margins are razor thin and that they've been struggling, just like other venues. 'I've had to subsidize the club every month to be able to make it through,' Drollinger says. 'Those resources are gone, I've cashed in the majority of my retirement account to keep this going.' There is a chance the popular club won't even make it to the January closure date, Drollinger says; the Chronicle writes that 'realistically, that would require a surge of ticket buyers and clubgoers.' As such, Drollinger is encouraging everyone to visit in the last months, but in one small bit of good news, Oasis Arts — Oasis's nonprofit for LGBTQ and BIPOC artists — will continue on after the closure.
Peninsula favorite Sushi Sam's lives on
San Mateo-based Sushi Sam's closed in December 2024, shuttering after over 20 years in business. But Palo Alto Online reports that the restaurant lives on, in a way, thanks to chef Sam Sugiyama's family. Sugiyama's nephew, Koichi Ito, is the new chef at the rebranded business — now named Sushi Edomata — while Sugiyama's niece, Toko Ito, heads the dessert business, and her husband, Ching, handles the business side. The business has relocated to its new home at 38 East 25th Avenue in San Mateo and is now open.
Osito chef takes over former Wesburger spot
Chef Seth Stowaway closed down his Michelin-starred restaurant Osito in May 2025, but it looks like he's ready for his next act. The San Francisco Standard reports that Stowaway will take over the WesBurger 'N' More space in the Mission, following the burger spot's closure earlier this month. The Standard writes that Stowaway plans to open a 'casual, family-friendly restaurant' that pays tribute to the chef's roots in Texas, and is tentatively called Chicken Fried Palace.
The Monterey Abalone Festival debuts
Abalone diehards now have a space to gather, thanks to the first-ever Monterey Abalone Festival, the Mercury News reports. Running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 26 and 27 at the Japanese American Citizens League Hall at 424 Adams Street in Monterey, the event features talks from commercial abalone farmers and fishermen, film screenings, abalone races, an 'abalone-centric' walking tour, and an abalone dance by the Monterey Rumsen Ohlone Community on Del Monte Beach. Unfortunately, there won't be any abalone dishes for sale at the event, but more information about the event programming can be found on the jaclmoterey.org website.
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Newsweek
5 minutes ago
- Newsweek
80 Years of 'Cool Girl': Actor Shares Eye-Opening Take On Female Archetype
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The "cool girl" trope seen in film and media has continuously evolved out of the spotlight, but now, a California-based voice actor wants to highlight how the character has changed to match gender expectations—and break down the internalized misogyny associated with it. In a satirical Instagram video shared on May 3, voice actor Tawny Platis reenacted how the "cool girl" has been portrayed over the decades. Katherine Brodsky, a freelance correspondent for Variety and creative content producer in the film industry, told Newsweek that the "cool girl" is a cultural archetype shaped by the male gaze—an idealized fantasy of what men want women to be. Always a male fantasy wrapped in cultural nuance, the "cool girl" is the woman who loves sports, eats junk food, looks flawless, never asks for too much, and never nags. She was designed to complement to the male lead—a woman who reflects his likes without ever challenging his autonomy. In each era, she shifts to embody what society, and especially straight men, found ideal at the time. "I wanted to show how each decade demanded women perform a different version of 'effortless' appeal," Platis, 34, told Newsweek. "I began with the proto-cool girl from the 1950s who could 'spar with men but still end up domestic' and follow the evolution into increasingly impossible standards that seem to hold a mirror up to the societal hive mind at the time." Using vocal modulation and character acting, Platis recreated the signature sounds and vibes of each decade. Her 1950s version speaks in a smoky transatlantic accent, bringing to mind performances by silver screen stars Lauren Bacall and Katharine Hepburn. "I keep up with the boys and I'm always in control," Platis told viewers. 2000s "cool girl" Megan Fox at a screening of the new film "Transformers" at Hoyts Entertainment Quarter in Sydney, Australia on June 12, 2007 (L) and 1970s "cool girl" Farrah Fawcett arriving at the Golden... 2000s "cool girl" Megan Fox at a screening of the new film "Transformers" at Hoyts Entertainment Quarter in Sydney, Australia on June 12, 2007 (L) and 1970s "cool girl" Farrah Fawcett arriving at the Golden Globe Awards Ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in California in January 1977 (R). More Getty Images While in the 1970s, she channels late actress Farrah Fawcett with a dreamy voice: "You don't have to worry about clarity, commitment or confrontation." By the 1990s, she mimics a peppy, upbeat tone, similar to characters like Rachel Green from the sitcom Friends. "I love sports, and I never get mad when you're late...I'm hot and never clingy, I guess I'm just not like the other girls," she said. The 2000s "cool girl," echoing Megan Fox's performance in Transformers, says in a sultry deadpan: "I'm effortlessly sultry and emotionally flat, especially when I'm fixing cars in a crop top." The 2010s voice is lifted almost directly from Amy Dunne's famous monologue in Gone Girl. Platis even quoted: "I eat junk food...I never complain." Her final persona—the 2020s "cool girl"—marks a shift from mimicry to authenticity. Jennifer Lawrence recently took on a modern iteration of the "cool girl" trope in the 2023 film No Hard Feelings. "My voice is real and emotional. I'm not chill. I'm complicated, I feel everything, and I'm done shrinking myself to be digestible. I get to be loud, needy, and messy," she said. From left: Voice actor Tawny Platis at her recording studio; and in her viral Instagram video. From left: Voice actor Tawny Platis at her recording studio; and in her viral Instagram video. @tawnyplatis How the Cool Girl Has Changed Platis explained that the "cool girl" trope, regardless of era, has always been about packaging female identity to serve male comfort. "She was meant to be the exception that proves the rule," she said. "She validates male interests and behaviors while requiring nothing in return. Each generation just updates the costume." Brodsky seconded this, adding that the trope has showed up in various forms over the years including as the "manic pixie dream girl" who revives a disillusioned man's spirit, the tomboy who eventually "softens" to become more desirable, and the femme fatale who intrigues and disrupts but always orbits male desire. "However, in recent years, we have started to see that mold fracture," she said. "More female characters now start as 'cool' but evolve into complex, contradictory, even messy people. "Greta Gerwig's 2023 film Barbie is a great example of this, she starts off as a literal fantasy, flawless and fun, but chooses a less polished reality." The 2014 film Gone Girl had popularized the language around the trope with Amy Dunne's scathing breakdown of how women are conditioned to perform a version of carefree perfection. Platis says her own video explores the buildup to that cultural reckoning—and the rejection that's followed. "Honestly, Gone Girl gave us the language, and now we are collectively exhausted by the performance," she said. "The 2020s reclamation is not about finding a new way to be cool; it is about rejecting the entire framework of the trope." The feedback Platis received online was immediate and wide-ranging. "What strikes me most is how multigenerational the engagement has been," she said. "A lot of women have shared with me which version they performed in their youth and how they eventually stopped caring about the male gaze. "I do like seeing the conversation evolve from 'how do I become the cool girl?' to 'why did I ever think we needed to be?' And to me, that shift represents real cultural change."
Hypebeast
6 minutes ago
- Hypebeast
Pauly x Cotodama: Music Imitating Art Imitating Life
It's the year 2000, you've saved up enough pocket money to purchaseHybrid Theory. You unwrap the CD and place it in your 'Jog-Proof' Sony Walkman. As you find a seat on the bus home, you press play; 'Papercut' starts playing, and you open the CD booklet to an almost monochromatic portfolio of graffiti and song lyrics,'Why does it feel like night today? Something in here's not right today.'Over the next month, you listen to nothing but Linkin Park's debut studio album, reading the album booklet like a bible: memorizing, uncovering, connecting with the late Chester Bennington's troubled childhood — gone were the days. Today, with the ease and accessibility of music streaming, it's rare to find the same connection with music, where artists' top hits come and go like clouds, non-released tracks get lost in a music graveyard we boast as infinite streaming libraries, and the stories woven into lyrics are never heard. But what if we could save some of that? What if there was a way to blend a culture now lost into our daily lives? If our unconscious could be encouraged to listen to music like we would when reading a book or watching a movie: to pause, focus, and get lost in the song. Now imagine a world where your favorite song doesn't just fill the air, but also paints a picture right before your eyes. A world where the devices in your home aren't just gadgets, but living pieces of art that respond to your mood and your music. Such is the innovative spirit ofCotodama, whose name is made up of 'koto' (words) and 'dama' (spirit), a Japanese belief that words possess a kind of spiritual power. They are a small, aspirational Tokyo-based creative tech company that literally makes music visible, blurring the lines between art, design and their cutting-edge 'Lyric Sync Technology,' where lyrics float and dance in a box, perfectly in sync with the beat of a song. Cotodama's speakers are equipped with a world-first advanced engine that 'automatically estimates the impression space based on the lyrics' and then displays them with 'optimum motion graphics and fonts.' So, if the lyrics are calming, they'll appear in soothing motion. If the melody is uplifting, the visuals will be dynamic. This technology translates the emotional core of music into a visual language, and transforms passive listening into an active, multi-sensory journey. And at the heart of this new frontier stands a collaboration that simply makes sense, with the untamed artistry ofPauly Bonomelli. Pauly, also known as 'himumimdead,' is an Australian-born free spirit who truly seeks to live life to the fullest — and his autobiographical art is a by-product of that philosophy. Having recently somewhat left the material world behind and moved his homebase to Brazil, Pauly walks the walk, just as much as he talks the talk. His art is raw and honest, it embraces imperfection, and is rooted in stories for days. 'I was working for Ksubi in Australia when A$AP Rocky walked into my workshop space — I didn't know it was him at the time — and we just bonded right then and there,' recalls Pauly. 'After which I met Bari, and when they launched VLONE, they invited me to help with the brand's activations and murals. Years later I went on to meet Rihanna as well, and it's crazy seeing Rocky then and now, where he's fully into responsible dad-mode. It's beautiful.' Often misunderstood, Pauly, while chronically enigmatic and often perceived as snooty and rebellious on social media, is in actuality the most down-to-earth, good-hearted human being whose impact is anything but chaotic, albeit not always the easiest to lock down — 'I will always be there for a friend, if you can catch me, that is,' says the nomadic, self-proclaimed tech illiterate. It's also probably his moniker 'himumimdead' that is so detached from the actual person. 'In all honesty nicknames like that were the trend when the internet was just starting out. One of those crazy decisions I made for my handle, which could just as easily have been something like 'pauly6969.' I would change it if I could, but more so because people always associate it with its morbid meaning, when in fact it was just something I used to say to my mum to exaggerate how burned out I was working in Sydney, 'Hi mum, I'm dead.'' Back then, Pauly spent years immersed in the fashion industry, but his true passion was in art, which he always did 'for fun' until he eventually found a way to bring both worlds together. His portfolio is diverse: from traditional canvases and paper to massive murals, patchwork denim and T-shirts, and even immersive installations that have popped up everywhere from Australia to Europe, China, and the US. Not to mention celebrity endorsements from the likes of the A$AP crew and Kanye West (before he changed his name to Ye), whose recognition of his intrepid and progressive art perfectly aligns with a tech product that aims to be more than just a device. Cotodama speakers are not your typical polished, high-end device. While they do embrace a minimalist design, it is only to act as a canvas for the music and the art. For Pauly x Cotodama, three distinct modes best illustrate this: First, there's the 'Pauly Font' mode, which is literally Pauly's own handwriting that has been adapted into lyrics on the digital display. Second is the 'Instrumental Mode,' when there are no lyrics, that's when Pauly's psychedelic artwork is visualized in response to the song. And lastly, there's the 'Standby Mode,' which similarly displays his art in an ambient way where 'the performance is designed to provide catharsis,' suggesting an immersive and evocative experience. This collaboration is far from an artist just slapping their name on a product. It is the symbiotic relationship that is Cotodama and Pauly, two disruptors that evoke memory and emotion through their respective mediums. It is Cotodama personalizing the music listening experience, transforming their speaker into a conduit for introspection and storytelling. And it is Pauly taking that moldable canvas to share excerpts of his life's journey, transforming one's listening into a dynamic, visual performance. The Pauly x Cotodama speaker comes in a limited edition run of 40 unique units, where all units make up Pauly's full artwork for this collaboration, and each speaker will set you back a cool $2,200 USD before tax. Available now onCotodama's website.
Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Miami Herald
We tried Miami Spice menus at local restaurants. Here's what we liked
If you're looking for good reasons to dine out this summer, they're here. Miami Spice, now in its 24th year, kicked off Friday with more than 300 restaurants participating in the annual promotion from the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. Spice runs from Aug. 1 through Sept. 30 and offers three-course, fixed-price menus for brunch, lunch or dinner (and sometimes all three). Participants include local favorites like MiMo's Blue Collar, The Rusty Pelican on Key Biscayne and downtown's Mr. Omakase, as well as Michelin-starred restaurants like The Stubborn Seed in Miami Beach; Ariete in Coconut Grove; and Cote and Le Jardinier in the Design District. Michelin Bib Gourmands like Ghee Indian Kitchen in Wynwood and Kendall and Michael's Genuine in the Design District are also on the list. Some spots are offering 'signature experiences,' such as a special omakase experience at Gekko or a dinner and show at Faena Theater in Miami Beach. Restaurants offer Miami Spice menus on specific days, and some may only offer dinner, so be sure to check the schedule on the Miami Spice website. The menus may also change throughout the promotion. Here are the restaurants we visited during Miami Spice previews and what it was like to eat at them. For a full list of participating restaurants visit Who should go?: Fans of top-level Middle Eastern food and followers of the expanding Coconut Grove dining scene. What to order: Amal is a place to splurge on the upgrades. There's a pistachio kabab on the regular menu, but for $15 you get to try not only that skewer but a beef tenderloin kabab and a chicken tawok one, with grilled tomato and onion and serrano pepper adding color and variety. If you're here on a weeknight, splurge and get the delightful grilled octopus ($10 upcharge), tender and savory, served with potato two ways, red pepper relish and a white wine vinaigrette. Worthy, too, is the dip sampler (+$5), hummus, baba ganoush and a nutty muhammara served with pita. The black cod is tender and deeply flavored, with tahini, cilantro, pine nuts, leeks and toasted pita. All entrees are served with rice for the table. Baklava, the Middle Eastern classic, is served with vanilla ice cream, but a duo of cotton candy and pistachio ice cream is more memorable. When is it offered?: Brunch Saturday-Sunday ($35); lunch weekdays ($35); dinner Friday-Saturday ($60); dinner Sunday-Thursday ($45). Parking: Metered street parking Location: 3480 Main Hwy., Coconut Grove – Kendall Hamersly Who should go?: Those who enjoy fine dining in a gorgeous bayfront setting wearing shorts. What to order: Spice lunch appetizers delight, from Peruvian-inspired salmon causita with purple potato puree and aja panka aioli, to whimsical chicken and mushroom croquetas featuring a 'handle' fashioned out of tiny bones, to arugula and fennel salad with grapes and feta. At dinner time, you might try a lush carpaccio of beef (New York strip on our visit) with arugula, parmesan and a housemade vinaigrette; more Peruvian flavors with hamachi crudo sweetened with fresh plums and tarted up with finger lime and leche de tigre, or burrata with fresh peaches, micro basil and salsa macha. For entrees, you can't go wrong with a 12-ounce ribeye, pleasantly salty and Josper-grilled, with roasted baby potatoes and a Provencal roasted tomato caked with cippolini onion and garlic butter. Vegetable lasagna is at once homey and exotic, with eggplant, calabaza and Swiss chard, ricotta, parmesan and a rich tomato sauce. To finish, a Key lime pie-like mango tart is served with chocolate ganache, Marcona almonds and lime zest. Chocolate torte features Grand Marnier cream and orange creme Anglaise. When is it offered?: Lunch weekdays ($35); dinner seven days ($60). Parking: Metered street parking or valet. Location: 3101 NE Seventh Ave., Miami. – Kendall Hamersly Who should go: Anybody who loves Mediterranean cuisine and is willing to cross the causeway. What to order: You never have to worry about getting enough to eat during Spice time at this Israeli restaurant in a swanky SoBe hotel. Aviv's unforgettable hummus, delicious bread and salatim (array of salads) comes with every dinner. The salatim includes pickled vegetables, beets with tahini, a summer slaw, twice-cooked eggplant and a new bean and corn dish that's the standout, as well as a few other choices. The first course is the true highlight of the meal, especially if you opt for the amberjack crudo atop sweet melon and topped with crunchy quinoa or the remarkable smoked sweet potatoes with French onion labneh, caviar and chives, which could well be the restaurant's best dish. Entrees include a delightful Turkish kofte (think meatballs) and an eggplant dish with muhammara, carob molasses, walnuts and tahini, with a superb brown sugar soft serve to finish. Or you can order guava sorbet instead — but why would you? — or mix them for the best of both worlds. When is it offered?: Dinner Sunday-Thursday ($60) Parking: Valet $25 with restaurant verification or, if you're feeling lucky, search for spot in the Miami Beach Parking lot at 22nd Street Location: 1 Hotel South Beach, 2341 Collins Ave., Miami Beach — Connie Ogle Who should go?: Fans of an instagram-worthy experience. Perfect for a vibey date night. What to order: Campo's tropical oasis dining room delivers a delicious three-course lunch or dinner offer for Miami Spice. We went for dinner and had the Key West shrimp and the salmon tostada as appetizers, both super fresh and with interesting, fun twists– Chef Antonio Maldonado adds his Mexican flair to every dish. We tried the organic Bell & Evans chicken made with bourbon crispy tempura and paired with a chili and black gochujang sauce (which takes eight hours to make and added a nice, cinnamon-like touch) as one of our mains. The crispy chicken paired with the sauce was the perfect marriage of flavors, and absolutely the right choice. The two dessert options were to die for – passion fruit cheesecake (made with goat cheese) and the vegan sorbet. Both were delectable and fresh– and possibly the stars of the night for us. When is it offered?: Daily; Lunch ($35); Dinner ($45) Parking: across the street Location: 3500 Collins Ave, Miami Beach – Ana Claudia Chacin Who should go?: Anyone hoping to impress a date (or their parents) and willing to brave Brickell traffic What to order: A newcomer to the Miami scene, Claudie opened in February, offering French-Mediterranean in a gorgeous dining room that peers into an impeccably organized open kitchen. Put this spot near the top of your Spice wish list. For us, the dream meal starts with their heirloom tomato gazpacho, a pitch-perfect pairing of sweet and tangy. For entrees, go with the juicy yet crispy grilled chicken served over a treasure trove of flavorful accouterments — roasted artichokes, chanterelle mushrooms, pancetta, lima beans and succulent sundried tomatoes. Or splurge and get the black angus tenderloin (+$25), served with a stuffed piquillo pepper and a small heap of dressed baby gem lettuce. For dessert, end with the classic crème brûlée, subtly flavored with lavender. When is it offered?: Dinner Sunday-Thursday ($60). Parking: Valet for $25, nearby street or garage parking Location: 1101 Brickell Ave S-113, Miami – Alex Harris Who should go?: Meat lovers; anyone who wants to check out the steakhouse that took Fort Lauderdale by storm. What to order: You don't have to order a steak at Daniel's Miami, but you'd almost be crazy not to. This elegant spot in the former Fiola space has gems on each of its three Spice menus, and most (though not all) involve meat. If you go for brunch or lunch, consider starting with the refreshing strawberry gazpacho (although the siren song of the brunch menu's wagyu empanadas may simply be too alluring, and we understand that). Fans of Fiola's pasta should note that both the brunch and lunch menus offer Fiola's popular mezze rigate vodka pasta, always a worthy alternative to meat. For dinner, start with the wagyu and pearls (wagyu beef tartare with black garlic aioli, Kaluga caviar on brioche) or Chef Danny Ganem's take on oysters Rockefeller, which blends watercress with spinach atop fat Florida oysters. For the dinner menu, opt for filet mignon. We've never had a steak here we didn't love. The best dessert? Soft serve, of course. When is it offered?: Brunch on Sunday ($35); lunch Tuesday-Friday ($35); dinner Sunday-Thursday ($60) Parking: Valet and street parking Location: 1500 San Ignacio Ave., Coral Gables — Connie Ogle Who should go?: Fans of shared plates, Asian cuisine and old-timers who are curious to see how the former space of Wynwood Kitchen & Bar has evolved into a sleek restaurant with a gorgeous bar. What to order: Ordering is slightly complicated at this Philly import, located next to Wynwood Walls, but the experience is worth a little confusion. You choose six different courses from six different categories (cold, crispy, a small bite option, one item from the robatayaki grill, a side dish and a meat or fish main course), plus dessert. The catch? Everyone at the table must order the same thing. You're choosing off the regular menu, so you can't go too far wrong, but we recommend the cool tuna tartare with a sauce that hints of spice; the crispy Japanese chicken; the sticky wagyu soup dumplings; and the grilled steak served with a delicious swirl of sweet potato. You won't want to skip the black cod or mushroom fried rice as your side. Dessert varies, but if the chocolate coconut caramel soft serve is offered, don't even think about choosing anything else. Double Knot has also created a wonderfully refreshing Miami Spice cocktail involving watermelon and rum that will make you glad it's summer. When is it offered?: Daily; dinner only ($60) Parking: Street parking, garages in Wynwood Location: 2550 NW Second Ave., Miami – Connie Ogle Who should go?: Shoppers looking for a nicer meal after a day of running their credit cards, boat people looking for some carbs to soak up a boozy day on the water What to order: Elia's is a Spice first-timer this year, and new diners will see an abbreviated selection of the Italian-Mediterranean cuisine that fills the full menu. For starters, the meatball with a dollop of whipped ricotta and a pool of savory tomato sauce is the more filling option. The mains can please many palates; we liked the spicy rigatoni, but the cheeseburger makes this a safe option to bring younger diners along for a night out. For dessert, there's a classic tiramisu, but the real star was the pistachio bliss — layers of salty-sweet crumbled crust with pistachio mousse and whipped cream. When is it offered?: Dinner Sunday-Thursday ($60) Parking: Free for the first two hours in the attached garage or metered street parking Location: 1440 NW N River Dr., Miami – Alex Harris Who should go? Hotties on staycation, Japanese food lovers who couldn't afford the trip this year, locals looking for a good enough reason to get dressed up and drive to South Beach What to order: The Setai's latest restaurant pays tribute to Japanese cuisine and everything on the Spice menu looks good, so it's best to go with a small group and share. For appetizers, the hamachi tataki (lightly seared yellowtail slices topped with spicy sambal) and salmon sashimi (served raw on a ponzu sauce and garnished with a crisp garlic chip) were must-haves, especially since there are no sushi or raw fish options for the entrees. The skirt steak yakitori don was a comforting bowl of sushi rice, vegetables and steak. But the star of the menu is the branzino filet, with perfectly crisp skin and a custardy miso-flavored sweet potato. We'll be back to try the mushroom kimchee noodles and fried chicken karage. Here's how to pick dessert. Are you in the mood for an elevated Ferrero Rocher? Get the Gianduja Nama, served with hazelnut praline and chocolate gelato. If not, the Strawberry Fields Pavlova is a great choice. When is it offered: Dinner Monday - Thursday and Sunday ($45) Parking: Valet and nearby street parking Location: 2001 Collins Ave, Miami Beach (located in The Setai Miami Beach) – Amanda Rosa Who should go?: Brickell eaters tired of Instagram-bait restaurants and ready for Michelin-guide level pan-Asian cuisine What to order: This is Kaori's first Spice offering, and a great opportunity for Miami diners to check out one of the hot new Michelin Guide-recommended spots in the city. We recommend you start your meal with one of the best things on the menu, the grilled mushrooms, a Spice-only offering. Roasted golden oyster mushrooms are served on a smear of deeply savory curried carrot puree and get an extra umami boost from charred cherry tomatoes. For entrees, the perfectly seared local fish is served over a pool of dashi-forward congee so rich and creamy it's more like risotto and offset nicely with a yuzu-pickled radish. Or try the takikomi gohan — a hot stone pot of crispy rice flecked with roasted mushrooms, edamame and sweet pea shoots and sauced with black garlic oil and a glossy egg yolk. Dessert comes with two Spice-only options, the matcha crepe cake and the mango amazake sorbet. Go with the just-sweet-enough crepe cake for the perfect cap to your meal. When is it offered?: Dinner Sunday-Thursday ($60). Wine or cocktail pairing ($40) Parking: Street parking or several nearby garages like Brickell City Centre Location: 871 S. Miami Ave., Miami – Alex Harris Who should go: Connoisseurs of advanced Mexican cuisine and cocktails. What to order: Start lunch with a meatless delight, a gratin of baby zucchini, roasted and filled with a salteado (chopped poblanos, onion, corn and epazote), afloat in a mole coloradito. Lunch entrees include more in the Koko repertoire of moles, the airline chicken bathed in mole almendrado, made with an array of nuts and chiles; and the lush seabass in mole verde, with mint, parsley, epazote, tomatillo and chiles and pistachios. Both come with house jasmine rice. Aguaghile de camaron con mango features jumbo shrimp marinated in citrus and chile and with mango, red onion, cucumber, avocado and sliced serranos. Dinner starters include sopecitos, a round tortilla pocket piled high with your choice of pork carnitas or pork cochinita, each painted with refried beans and guacamole, with tomatillo sauce on top. As a dinner entree, a generous serving of octopus is elevated by a smoky three-chile. Finish with a chocolate brownie or bread pudding, each served with ice cream and nuts. When is it offered?: Daily; lunch ($35) and dinner ($60) Parking: Street parking and nearby garages. Location: 2856 Tigertail Ave., Coconut Grove – Kendall Hamersly Who should go: Fans of clubstaurants with top-level food. What to order: The dinner-only Spice menu has an impressive variety that shows off the sprawling menu. If you're looking for a light start, try a trio of salmon tacos, the savory tartare drizzled with eel sauce. Komodo chicken salad is a gigantic appetizer, a big bowl brimming with tender chicken breast, Napa cabbage and crunchy wontons with a sesame dressing. Wagyu beef dumplings feature tasty meatballs and a bright chile ponzu dipping sauce. Entrees are designed to be shareable. Korean fried chicken features a half-dozen or so tender, boneless pieces with yuzu pickles. Wagyu skirt steak (+$12) is 10 ounces of medallions, decorated with crispy onions. A half tail of angry Maine lobster gets its name from a spicy aioli brushed on the poached beauty in the shell. For dessert, the most decadent is chocolate dumplings with raspberry caramel and sea salt countering the sweetness. Spongy-light Japanese cheesecake will remind you of angel food, with berry compote and vanilla creme Anglaise on the side. When is it offered?: Dinner Sunday-Friday ($60) Parking: Street parking or several nearby garages like Mary Brickell Village or Brickell City Centre Location: 801 Brickell Ave., Miami – Kendall Hamersly Who should go: Brickell scenesters who enjoy fine steaks in a supper-club setting. What to order: This posh Brickell steakhouse rebrands (and discounts) its $75 Summer Menu for Miami Spice, and steak lovers won't be disappointed. Settled into a plush banquette in the gorgeous dining room and get ready. You can go full-on beef with a prime steak tostada with chimichurri and pickled red onion as a starter, or take things more lightly with a trio of fat cocktail shrimp served with spicy ketchup and avocado mousse, or a creative salad of crunchy fresh green beans generously drizzled with a creamy whole grain mustard dressing, studded with nuts and candied ginger over frisee. For entrees, the Spice steak is a straight-ahead option, steak frites (+$10), four or five medallions of tender hangar steak with a peppery-bold au poivre sauce and crisp fries. Pan-seared Chilean sea bass is rich and delicate, with a curry sauce and heirloom baby carrots. To finish, put a bow on this decadent meal with chocolate lava cake ($5), served with pralines and vanilla ice cream, or a rotating offering of two ice cream varieties (we selected scoops of pistachio and whiskey-flavored). When is it offered?: Dinner Tuesday-Saturday ($60). Parking: Street parking and nearby garage at Mary Brickell Village. Location: 1111 SW First Ave., Miami — Kendall Hamersly Who should go: Fans of super-fresh sushi and innovative Japanese cuisine taking a break from upscale shopping. What to order: Although Makoto offers a Spice menu only for lunch, the options are plentiful enough that you can go twice without repeating an order. Smoked salmon rillette is a fancy way of saying fish dip, and it's terrific, the rich treat served with homemade scallion milk buns for dipping. Tempura shishito peppers weren't very spicy, but a Szechuan sauce provided heat and boniato flakes extra umami. Tuna crispy rice, billed as the top seller on the menu, are four buttons of crunchy fried rice piled high with savory tuna tartar, a serrano chile slice on top. Rock shrimp tempura ($7 upcharge) present many pieces of juicy shrimp, quick-fried and doused with kochujang, four spears of purple endive in the bowl for color and crunch (be sure to squeeze on the slice of Key lime). Koji chicken breast is super tender and juicy. The most creative dish might be crispy pork belly, the unusually lean strips of pork arrayed atop a bed of cold somen noodles, the whole platter served over ice for a nice hot-cold contrast. Sushi/maki moriawase is a generous portion of tuna, salmon and yellowtail nigiri, with a California roll incorporating real crab. To finish, Okinawan tres leches is sponge cake studded with roasted pineapple, whiskey-spiked meringue and soy ice cream. Easily worth the $5 upcharge is yuzu chocolate lava cake, with berries, saketini foam and vanilla ice cream. When is it offered?: Lunch weekdays ($35) Parking: Bal Harbour Shops $3 hourly parking. Location: 9700 Collins Ave., Bal Harbour – Kendall Hamersly Who should go?: Fans of farm to table cuisine and followers of Michael Schwartz, one of Miami's star chefs. What to order: Spice menus will be shuffled throughout the period, so you can visit multiple times and try different things. For starters, Michael's take on the Italian classic arancini features bits of shrimp and a Latin touch, chorizo, with a smoked chile aioli. Wagyu beef tartare gets brightness from a parsley caper salad with a horseradish aioli. Vegetarian diners will find lush Mediterranean richness in wood-oven roasted eggplant spiced with tomato harissa, feta and crunchy chickpeas, served with homemade pita. Pan-seared cobia pairs the delicate fish with strips of fennel, orange sections, castelvetrano olives and arugula, with a smoked paprika aioli. To finish, meringue-based pavlova features mango, peach and mascarpone creme, fruity and light. Sweet and savory play well together with the toasted polenta cake, festooned with mixed fresh citrus and served with cream cheese ice cream. When is it offered?: Lunch weekdays ($35); dinner Monday- Saturday ($45). Parking: Street parking, reasonably priced garages nearby Location: 130 NE 40th St., Miami – Kendall Hamersly Who should go? Sushi and Asian food lovers, rooftop diners, anyone on a date with someone they really want to impress What to order? Mila, a Mediterranean-Asian rooftop restaurant on Lincoln Road, lives up to its title as one of the most beautiful restaurants in the country with its stunning outdoor greenery and serene wooden interior. Even the food is pretty, often topped with cute edible flowers. And the guests are encouraged to look good, too, with the restaurant's 'smart casual' dress code. After a refreshing watermelon palette cleanser (presented with tiny flowers), we enjoyed the appetizers. The shawarma gyoza is perfectly spiced and the spicy tuna crispy rice is fresh and addicting. For dinner, we splurged on the rich wagyu steak (which costs an additional $30) and the seasonal mushroom hotpot, a comforting risotto-like dish. Dessert was just as luxurious. Be sure to get the cherry cheesecake and gooey chocolate lava cake, served with salty miso ice cream. Hopefully your 'smart casual' pants are a little stretchy. When is it offered? Dinner Monday - Thursday and Sunday ($60) Parking: Valet, street parking, nearby Lincoln Road parking garage Location: 1636 Meridian Ave., Miami Beach – Amanda Rosa Who should go?: Fans of the Toronto import; anyone who wants to know what's going on inside the historic Firestone garage What to order: This Chinese spot from Canada brings a cool speakeasy atmosphere to the south end of the empty Firestone garage space on Alton Road. Walking in, you leave the busy street behind with a sigh of relief. Your first choice may be the hardest. For starters, Mimi offers a crunchy shrimp toast with red vinegar and hot mustard mayo; savory chicken dumplings; or a refreshing cucumber salad with wood ear mushrooms, chrysanthemum and Shanxi vinegar. All three choices are worthy, but know the cucumbers pair nicely with the spice of the dumplings and the slight heat of the toast. We weren't able to try the General Tso Chicken entree, but you won't regret opting for the pork belly, which is served with wildflower honey and caramelized soy beans. Mango lovers may gravitate to mango pudding for dessert, but we preferred the steamed cake, with egg custard and a sweet rice cream poured over it. When is it offered?: Dinner Wednesday-Sunday ($60) Parking: Street parking or nearby garages Location: 1575 Alton Rd., unit 2, Miami Beach. — Connie Ogle Who should go?: Fans of fresh Japanese cuisine and great service. Great date night spot to impress or a small group dinner. What to order: Nobu's Miami Spice dinner is a great way to try the world-renowned restaurant with impeccable service. For your first course, we'd recommend the lobster salad– prepared with arugula and crispy quinoa crunch, which adds a great texture. We'd also recommend trying the classic nobu app: yellowtail jalapeño with a yuzu soy sauce and cilantro. For the main, we tried the Japanese strip steak and the black cod miso wraps– both excellent. The cod miso wraps provide a build-your-own fun experience, with two different sauces and a crispy add-on they recommend you include in every bite. For dessert, the Santandagi (Okinawa style doughnuts with dulce de leche, passion fruit sauce and nutella gelato) and the miso cappuccino (miso chocolate brulee, candied pecans, vanilla gelato and cappuccino foam) were both top-notch and delectable. Highly recommended. When is it offered?: Dinner $60, Sunday-Thursday Parking: public parking next door Location: 4525 Collins Ave, Miami Beach -Ana Claudia Chacin Who should go?: Anyone who wants to motor up on a boat or jetski, dock and enjoy a waterfront meal. What to order: This casual bayfront spot, until recently Shuckers, has a seafood-forward menu and a lively vibe. Lunch and dinner Spice menus have lots of overlap, so you'll get a full experience at either meal. Start with a creative take on the classic Caesar salad, a full head of baby gem lettuce coated with a Parmesan dressing, served with crisp cream cheese balls and sourdough croutons. Coconut shrimp are a must-try, four jumbos with a coconut and cornflake breading and a spicy aioli. Crispy salmon rice (+$5) features a spicy salmon tartare atop four crisp sushi rice bites with spicy aioli. A fillet of cobia is simply pan seared, with a salsa verde and plenty of grilled broccolini on the side. The best entree is the simplest, fish tacos (+$6), three beauties with achiote and lime-marinated chunks of cobia, packed with red cabbage, pico de gallo and lime aioli. Desserts stand out here. Key lime pie is a classic, with Graham cracker crust and citrus zest. Rich chocolate cake gets sassy with chocolate ganache and vanilla whipped cream. The star is a big batch of dulce de leche filled churros, with vanilla whipped cream. When is it offered?: Lunch Sunday-Friday ($35); dinner Sunday-Friday ($45). Parking: Free parking lot. Location: 1819 79th Street Causeway, Miami Beach – Kendall Hamersly Who should go?: Pasta lovers, diners craving a lack of pretension in Wynwood What to order: Like its straightforward name suggests, the star here is homemade pasta in various simple but delectable forms. The appetizers on offer are perfect for sharing: a romaine salad that kicks off the meal with a garlicky bite or a generous plate of some of the best crispy calamari we've had in Miami. There are three pasta choices on the Spice menu, all of them worthy: a wonderfully thick and chewy pici with marjoram, crispy garlic and parmigiano reggiano; a lighter fettuccine verde with caramelized leeks, lemon and parmigiano reggiano; or fettuccine with 'nduja (a spreadable pork sausage) and mascarpone. We struggled to pick a favorite, but for me the pici was the standout, simple but flavorful, the freshness of the pasta evident in every bite. My companion would not be swayed from the fettuccine with leeks and lemon, and if you ask me tomorrow, I may pick that one, too. It's that good. Dessert is panna cotta with burnt caramel or rich gelato. When is it offered?: Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday ($45) Parking: Street parking Location: 124 NW 28th St., Miami — Connie Ogle Who should go?: Fans of French cuisine and the impressive Wynwood dining scene. What to order: Miami Spice lunch and dinner menus are studded with French classics like onion soup, escargot, steak frites, creme brulee. Escargot here are gorgeously salty, buttery morsels seasoned with garlic and herbs and served with crunchy toasts to sop up the butter sauce. A beet salad is a fresh counterpoint to all the richness here, with the cool purple cubes tossed with goat cheese, mixed greens and walnuts in a fennel dressing. The most creative Spice plate might be tender steamed leeks in a tart basil vinaigrette with almonds. Trout amandine is a tender slab of sweet-fleshed fish coated with slivered toasted almonds (they're nutty for nuts here). Spaghetti limone gets salty umami from bottarga tossed throughout. Gently poached shrimp, avocado, greens make for a light lunch entree, dressed with a lemon beurre blanc. That creme brulee is a classic, but chocolate mousse gets more creative, with crunchy chocolate 'pearls' dotting the custard and chocolate cigars great for dipping. When is it offered?: Lunch weekdays ($35); dinner Sunday-Thursday ($45). Parking: Metered street parking or valet. Location: 380 NW 26th St., Wynwood. – Kendall Hamersly Who should go? Drag lovers, birthday parties, bachelorette parties, party people, anybody looking for dinner (or brunch) and a show What to order: R House is Wynwood's premier brunch and dinner venue where drinks flow, drag queens backflip and dollar bills rain. This is not the place for a quaint night out, it's where locals and tourists alike go for jaw-dropping entertainment and great food, too. While R House is best known for its brunch, the restaurant's dinner menu is solid. The appetizers are generously portioned: we loved the juicy fried chicken and the tasty green pea falafel salad. For the main course, you can't go wrong with the R Burger, topped with mojo pork and caramelized onions. We also appreciate R House's vegetarian options. The seared oyster mushroom dish is just as flavorful as the prime New York strip steak. For dessert with a kick, pick the Dirty Pop Espresso Martini, a sweet alcoholic treat sure to keep you wide awake for the second half of the drag show. Don't forget to bring cash to tip the queens and servers. They werk hard. When is it offered?: Dinner Wednesday - Sunday ($45 or $60); Brunch Saturday - Sunday ($35) Parking: Street parking nearby Location: 2727 NW Second Ave., Miami – Amanda Rosa Who should go?: Those seeking a 'club-style' Miami night out. Dress to impress What to order: Each meal begins with a tostada set featuring avocado salsa, plantain-habanero salsa, and jalapeño salsa — all guacamole is fresh and served with grilled panela cheese, known in Mexico as queso canasta. The charcoal-grilled branzino is a standout, served with pico de gallo, avocado and a citrus sauce. The corvina ceviche is equally refreshing, perfectly balancing acidity and sweetness. Even the green salad shines, thanks to crisp watermelon radish. The mushroom risotto is rich and satisfying, and the beautiful, extravagant dinnerware adds to the restaurant's glamorous feel. For dessert, the pistachio ice cream with Black Sea salt is a must-try, as is the banana cheesecake drizzled with salted caramel and topped with peanut popcorn. Every hour, the energy kicks up as servers — the women in matching gray Grecian-style dresses — clap to the beat, prompting diners to twirl their napkins as a man with a half-buttoned shirt dances atop a table. When is it offered?: Dinner Tuesday - Friday and Sunday ($60) Parking: Street parking or valet parking available for $25 Location: 1346 S Miami Ave, Miami - Clara-Sophia Daly Who should go?: Everybody but vegetarians What to order: Finding the entrance to Chef Raheem Sealey's Asian smokehouse in Wynwood is slightly confusing, but you're going to want to take the time to look: Shiso offers one of the best Miami Spice menus we've experienced. Either of the first courses will get you off to a good start. If you want hearty, choose the stracciatella with shiso pesto, xo sauce and honey with sourdough. If you want light, order the bluefin tuna with red pepper relish. Dinner absolutely must include the smoky, sticky ribs; they tell you everything you need to know about what Sealey, also the force behind the popular Drinking Pig barbecue pop-up, is trying to do here. The oxtail udon noodle is worthwhile, too, served with an egg yolk on top that your server will mix tableside. The Spice menu also offers a choice of side. You wouldn't be wrong to choose the potatoes, topped with bacon and sitting in a cheesy sauce, but the broccolini is a showstopper. Dinner also finishes with quite a flourish: Japanese sweet potato cheesecake with a drizzle of caramel, possibly the best dessert we've had in Miami. When is it offered?: Dinner Wednesday-Sunday ($60) Parking: Valet or street parking Location: 239 NW 28th St., Miami — Connie Ogle Who should go?: Well dressed folks who want some protein What to order: This chic steakhouse with a location in Miami Beach is now open at the Esplanade at Aventura, and chances are if you go you're going to order steak (though you don't have to – there are seafood options like maple glazed salmon, too). We opted for the skirt steak served with chimichurri sauce, which is also available on the lunch menu (the dinner menu also offers a surf and turf option with filet and shrimp). Both menus also offer the wonderfully creamy burrata as a first course, served with marinated beetroot, pickled red onions, basil oil and sourdough croutons. Skip the tuna tartare tacos and choose the cheese: The beets make it. For dinner, if you're not ordering steak and willing to pay a $5 upcharge, consider the brand's addictive Lil Burgers as your starters, two perfect little wagyu burgers you'll finish much faster than you wish you had. The pineapple upside down cake with ice cream ends the meal with a flourish, but chocolate lovers may be unable to resist the chocolate cake with caramel and chocolate crumbs. When is it offered?: Lunch Monday-Friday ($35); dinner nightly ($60); brunch Saturday-Sunday ($35) Parking: Free parking in surface lots and garages; valet $10 Location: 19505 Biscayne Blvd, Aventura – Connie Ogle Who should go?: Fans of Asian flavors and cool venues What to order: Every single item on this trendy Wynwood restaurant's Spice menu is terrific, from the starter (a 'salad' of farm greens and daikon you eat with your hands and dip into edamame-jalapeno puree) through the entrees (a tender bavette steak with crunchy hashbrowns or a perfectly cooked piece of yellowtail with ponzu, Thai chili and orange). Before you get to the entrees, though, you get bites of crudo, nigiri and a Zero Sen roll with yellowtail, avocado, shallot and flavors are distinct and interesting, sometimes with a citrus snap, other times shimmering with mild heat. Dessert is either a dark chocolate cookie with vanilla semifreddo, hazelnuts and strawberry or strawberry and herb sorbet. This is the perfect menu for sharing because everyone is going to want to try everything. When is it offered?: Dinner Sunday-Thursday (($60) Parking: Street parking or garages Location: 252 NW 25th St., Miami — Connie Ogle
