Amid slowdown, Miami restaurants take summer pause, promise return
That includes Itamae Ao, the intimate, Michelin-starred restaurant that announced its closure Saturday.
State of plate: It's unclear when these restaurants will reopen, or if they will offer the same dining experience and meals as before.
But after the string of closures announced thus far this summer, we can only hope they stay true to their word.
Torno Subito, the Italian restaurant on the rooftop of Julia & Henry's food hall in downtown, said in late June it was time for "a summer pause" and was "taking a little break."
A spokesperson told the Miami Herald the restaurant was using the time to "focus on development, and prepare for an even stronger return in the winter."
Ensenada, the Latin American and coastal cuisine restaurant housed in MiMo's Vagabond hotel, took to Instagram to announce the restaurant was taking a "summer hiatus" with "plans to reopen after the season with changes to the concept."
The post acknowledged the summer slowdown and said it was using the time to "pause, regroup, and explore ways to return" next season.
Piegari Italian, which opened last summer in Wynwood, fell short of saying it was closing for a break. Instead, its message hinted at an eventual return.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood' lacks the drama and tension of its predecessor
Has there ever been a love as true, wild and literally epic as that of 'Outlander's' Claire Beauchamp (Caitríona Balfe) and Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan)? Made possible by a circle of standing stones (and the imagination of Diana Gabaldon, who wrote the novels on which the series is based), the all-but-instant passion of a British time-traveling former WWII nurse and a young Scottish Highlander has survived war, torture, rape, shipwreck and innumerable other perils encountered separately and together on four continents. So it's not surprising that, as 'Outlander' approaches its eighth and final season, there would be interest in the forces that shaped such a love. (Especially when it involves expanding what has been Starz's signature show for more than a decade.) This is just what 'Outlander: Blood of My Blood' aims to do by chronicling the courtship and marriages of Jamie's parents — Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy) and Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) — and Claire's — Julia (Hermione Corfield) and Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine). Casting directors Simone Pereira Hind and Suzanne Smith deserve praise for finding Roy and Corfield, fine actors who also bear an uncanny resemblance to their fictional children. There's plenty to love about 'Blood of My Blood,' especially a return to the 18th century Highlands, with tartans, castles and craggy tors aplenty. There's the beloved Castle Leoch, complete with a young Mrs. Fitz (Sally Messham) and Ned Gowan (Conor MacNeill), casting calm on troubled waters after the death of Jamie's grandfather, 'Red Jacob' MacKenzie (Peter Mullan), has left a leadership vacuum. The bright and spirited Ellen was his favored child, but as a woman, she cannot be a laird. That leaves her brothers, Colum (Seamus McLean Ross) and Dougal (Sam Retford), to fight each other, and any likely comer, while plotting an advantageous marriage for Ellen. Alas for them, Ellen locks eyes with Brian Fraser, bastard son of sworn enemy Simon Fraser (Tony Curran), at the clan gathering and the rest is, or will be, history. Claire's parents, though never divided by warring clans, have just as romantic a backstory. As a shell-shocked WWI soldier, Henry wrote from the trenches a letter decrying the war's brutality; working in the censor's office, Julia read it and responded. A meeting of minds led to love, marriage and Claire (conveniently visiting her archaeologist uncle when the couple was traveling to the Highlands). So another story of unlikely desire strengthened by hardship (including Henry's PTSD) and peril (including dramatic separation). Spoiler alert: Claire's parents did not die in a car crash as she, and we, were led to believe in 'Outlander.' On a trip through the Highlands that echoes the one Claire took with then-husband Frank (Tobias Menzies), Julia and Henry do have an accident, but they survive uninjured. Searching for a way back to their inn, they discover, you guessed it, ye olde Craigh na Dun. And those darn stones are at it again, claiming first Julia and then Henry. It is an obvious and laughable twist, but what's the point of being in the 'Outlander' universe without a little time travel. And the notion that Claire and Jamie's instant enduring connection might have its roots in something more mysterious than hormones is intriguing. By the sixth and seventh season of 'Outlander,' so many people had passed, and repassed, through those stones (and their international counterparts) that Craigh na Dun had begun to feel less like a mystical portal and more like a metro station. Next stop: 1714. Because they do not pass together, Julia and Henry wind up in the same year but in very different circumstances. Julia is quickly abducted by a tenant family who gives her to Simon in payment of a debt with absolutely no objection from anyone, including Brian Fraser and his mother, Davina (Sara Vickers). (Julia's posh British accent and very strange clothing, never mind her insistence that she's already married, likewise raise no questions.) Henry, meanwhile, winds up accidentally impressing clan leader Isaac Grant (Brian McCardie) enough to become his bladier (legal counsel); his duties will come to include arranging the marriage of Grant's son Malcolm (Jhon Lumsden) to Ellen. So you can see where this is going — as Henry and Julia struggle to find each other, each play a part in bringing Jamie's parents together. Those who have watched 'Outlander' will know the outcome and general outlines of Ellen and Brian's forbidden love, just as they know who will emerge as head of the clan. Fortunately, Slater's Ellen is a highly engaging heroine; Roy makes Brian a sympathetic swain; and meeting earlier versions of well-known characters, including Murtagh (Rory Alexander) and Ellen's sister Jocasta (Sadhbh Malin), is great fun. One can only hope that Ellen will eventually see in Julia a mirror of her own situation — both women are trapped by male domination — and help a girl out. But this is a series, not a film, so we will have to wait and see. Juggling two main love stories and multiple time periods (Red Jacob makes several appearances in flashbacks) is wildly ambitious. Still it's a bit strange that in the six episodes made available to critics, the Beauchamps, whose story is far more mysterious ('Blood of My Blood' is not based on any of Gabaldon's novels), wind up with the short end of the dramatic stick. With Ellen positioned as the spiky, stubborn, active lead, Julia is condemned to a softer, more submissive role — in letters that one can only hope Claire will somehow find in the final season of 'Outlander,' she chronicles her anguish and confusion, which is not as effective as showing them. As Henry, Irvine delivers a nuanced performance as a man deeply affected by war, but he is not terribly creative, or effective, in his search for Julia. More important, neither she nor Henry are able to make much use of the fact they are time travelers. Neither attempts to learn more about the standing stones or figure out how they can get back to their own time — Julia has no way of knowing that Henry is not still in the 20th century — never mind trying to situate themselves in history in a way that might benefit their plight. (Hint: a major Jacobite rebellion is a few months away.) And that is the show's biggest failing. As a prequel to 'Outlander,' 'Blood of My Blood' has two strong love stories and many footnote-like attractions, but it lacks, through no fault of its cast, the multilevel tensions of its predecessor. 'Outlander' is a romance to be sure — the fate of Claire and Jamie, together and separately, propels the emotional connection. But it is also about the realities, and potential responsibilities, of moving through time. In early episodes, Claire's struggles to accept and control her situation allowed viewers to imagine what it might actually feel like to find oneself 200 years in the past. Forced to confront the darker sides of her country's history, personified by the sadistic psychopath Captain Jack Randall (Menzies), she tries, for the first two seasons, to prevent a British victory in the fields of Culloden. Perhaps in response to the 'rape glut' criticism that dogged 'Outlander,' even the villains are less threatening. Simon Fraser is lecherous and mean-spirited, but he's no Black Jack Randall. The Jacobites are mentioned, but most of the political machinations involve interclan jockeying. Instead we are left with Henry attempting to install a kinder, gentler way of taxing the peasantry; Julia scheming to keep her pregnancy safe; and Ellen and Brian preparing to risk it all for love. Mercifully, we are at least back in Scotland, a big rebellion is on its way and if 'Outlander' is any gauge, another time traveler should be showing up sometime very soon.
Refinery29
5 hours ago
- Refinery29
Glass French Nails Are A Modern Take On A Timeless Classic
All linked products are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase any of these products, we may earn a commission. There are very few nail designs that have stood the test of time quite like the humble French manicure. Its charm undeniably lies in its versatility and understated nature, with that classic combination of clean pink base and crisp white tips becoming a shortcut for looking put-together. While there have been some similarly pared-back nail looks proving popular this season (think chic princess nails and milky white manicures to name just two), I'd argue that this summer has seen maximalist manicures reigning supreme. Yet between the polka dots, beach towel stripes and Italian summer designs, a modern spin on our favourite minimalist style is starting to emerge. Enter: the 'glass French' manicure. Adding a hint of shimmer and shine to a classic look, this style has a familiarly neutral base but replaces that solid white tip with an iridescent cat-eye effect that catches the light like glass. One for the die-hard French manicure fans or those who are looking for a playful summer upgrade, here's everything you need to know about the trend… View this post on Instagram A post shared by ATL Nail Artist • ROSIE (@donebyrosie) What are glass French nails? Think of the 'glass' French manicure as a contemporary twist on a classic look, which switches the classic white tip with a reflective, glassy effect. 'It's like a French manicure with a futuristic twist,' explains celebrity manicurist Michelle Humphrey. 'Instead of the usual opaque white tip, it features a sheer or dimensional effect that mimics glass or crystal.' While many nail artists will use a cat-eye gel to nail this look, there are other swaps that you can make to lend the same high-shine, glossy finish. 'You could try swapping the classic white French tips for magnetic, jelly or even chrome finishes that catch the light,' says session and celebrity manicurist Sophia Stylianou. While there are a few different ways that you can create that signature glassy tip, Humphrey swears by using a cat eye gel for the effect, starting with a sheer pink colour as a neutral base. 'Once it's applied, and before curing, I use a magnet to pull the metallic pigment in the cat eye gel into a curve that mimics the shape of the nail smile line,' Humphrey explains. Once it's set, she then layers on a sheer chrome powder to add that trademark shine. Not sure which colour to opt for? 'For summer, soft golds, champagne silvers and rose quartz tones are cute, while deeper smokier chromes like hematite, velvet green and sapphire will give a moodier molten vibe,' she says. If you want to recreate the glass French vibe without a UV lamp then there are some ways to achieve a similar look. 'Start with a sheer or jelly shade as your base, then apply a magnetic-effect or chrome colour polish to the tips for a look that will still have that signature shimmer and light-reflecting finish, suggests Stylianou, who recommends the Get Magnetised Nail Polishes, £10, and Leighton Denny's High Performance Nail Polish in Super Wings, £12.50. Crucially, don't forget the top coat. 'Seal it all with a high-gloss top coat, like Essie Gel Couture Top Coat, £10.99, for a polished, glass-like finish with no UV lamp needed,' says Humphreys. Rose Tips View this post on Instagram A post shared by @luxuryby_jemm Nails don't come much shinier than this striking red-tipped set by @luxuryby_jemm, which is practically luminous. Nod to the trend at home by teaming a neutral base with Manucurist's Red Hibiscus Nail Polish, £14, an iridescent and glittery ruby shade. Princess Pink View this post on Instagram A post shared by Acrylic & Gel-x nails ONLY 💅 (@nailssbygabyyy) Think of this set by @nailssbygabyyy as supercharged princess nails—using the same soft and minimalist colour palette, but with a velvety blush tip. Aqua Shine View this post on Instagram A post shared by CiCi_NailsLash (@cici_nailslash) @cici_nailslash has used them as the diving board for this glossy French set. Try Essie Special Effects Nail Colour in Frosted Fantasy, £8.99, for a nod to the trend at home. Holo French View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michelle Humphrey 💅🏽 (@nailsbymh) Silver nails are this summer's most unexpected colour trend and Michelle Humphrey's futuristic manicure proves it also works perfectly as a holographic French tip. Double French View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lagos/Ibadan Russian Manicure,Pedicure,Builder Gel ,Nail Art (@derenailz) Floating French tips are always cool, but this look by @derenailz is even more impressive thanks to its lavender cat-eye centre and gold edges. Glass Flowers View this post on Instagram A post shared by @nailsbyeriicka Teaming fresh green French tips with beautiful 3D detailing, this gorgeous manicure by nail artist @nailsbyeriicka screams summer. Get the look at home by using OPI Infinite Shine Nail Lacquer in Teals Familiar, £17.50. Fruit Salad View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bel Fountain (@sohotrightnail) What happens if you combine this season's fruity nail trend with the glass French technique? You get Bel Fountain's bright and beautiful fruit French manicure — a joyful work of art.
Chicago Tribune
11 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Hollywood Joliet unveils new $185 million casino ahead of Monday opening
After more than three decades of floating on the Des Plaines River, Hollywood Casino Joliet – one of the state's first riverboat casinos – is ready to welcome gamblers on dry land. Pending final Gaming Board approval, the new $185 million Hollywood Casino Joliet is planning to open its doors Monday in the Rock Run Collection, a sprawling 310-acre mixed-use development taking shape next to the busy Interstate 80 and Interstate 55 interchange. Rivaling the industrial warehouses lining the nearby interstates, the massive 189,000-square-foot casino complex features 1,000 slots, 43 table games, a new retail sportsbook, a 10,000-square-foot event center and celebrity chef restaurants, ushering in a new era of gaming in the southwest suburbs. 'It's very different than being on a riverboat,' said Ruben Warren, general manager of Hollywood Casino Joliet. 'The riverboat had two levels, it sat on water and it was 30 years old. This is a brand new build.' Hollywood Casino Joliet, which broke ground on the new land-based complex in December 2023, shut down its riverboat for good July 29 to transition the gaming operations and set up shop in its new highly visible, high-traffic home. Eschewing Vegas neon and glitz, the understated, low-slung casino looks right at home in a modern suburban shopping center, where Hollywood Joliet will be the anchor tenant amid restaurants, retailers, residences and a planned hotel. Once inside, however, Warren believes visitors will be dazzled by the new offerings. On Thursday, Hollywood Joliet hosted a media open house, offering a sneak peek of what visitors can expect when the new casino opens. The 50,000-square-foot casino floor features new gaming tables, a dedicated baccarat room, a mix of new and vintage slot machines, and an expansive major league retail sportsbook with what Warren says is the largest big screen bar TV in the Chicago area. Beyond expanded gaming, the Joliet facility features a variety of new dining options that Warren believes will draw regional visitors, whether they like to bet with chips or just eat them. Topping the list, celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis has partnered with Hollywood to launch Sorellina, a casual Italian restaurant. De Laurentiis is hosting private events at the new restaurant on Tuesday and Wednesday night, where guests can dine and take selfies with the celebrity chef well known for hosting a series of shows on the Food Network cable channel. Tickets to the Sorellina by Giada dining events, which cost $150 each, are completely sold out. Inside Sorrelina at the media event Thursday, Michael Speagle, president and COO of GDL Cucina, the parent company of Giada Restaurants, proudly showed off his rotating Marra Forni brick oven, which heats up to 650 degrees and cooks pizza in 90 seconds. 'We refer to this as our Ferrari,' Speagle said of the prominent oven at the center of the restaurant and the heart of its cuisine. Hollywood Casino Joliet also has a new food hall featuring some Chicago culinary star power. Boulevard Food & Drink Hall will include the first suburban locations for Antique Taco and Pretty Cool Ice Cream, as well as Lucky Goat, a new burger restaurant by celebrity chef Stephanie Izard. Izard, who opened the acclaimed West Loop restaurant Girl & the Goat in 2010 after becoming the first woman to win Bravo's 'Top Chef,' was on hand Thursday to offer samples of her elevated fast casual fare. Menu items included such Izard creations as a Chili-Crunch Cheeseburger, a Chicken Sammie and Messy Fun Fries. 'We're taking simple things like a fried chicken sandwich, burgers and french fries, but adding the type of flavors I love to use on all of my dishes,' Izard said. 'So you've got some influences from all over, but in a way that's very familiar, which I think is great.' Izard has been in Joliet all week in preparation for the grand opening. She and her staff got ready for the media unveiling by stoking up with an item from her menu. 'We were drinking a bunch of milkshakes as a little pregame, so we're excited,' Izard said. With separate entrances from the casino, Warren said the new food offerings will all be family friendly and accessible to non-gamblers. The food hall will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day when the casino opens. Another new attraction at Hollywood Casino Joliet is the ESPN Bet retail sportsbook with a giant 43-foot by 9-foot big screen TV for watching and/or wagering on your favorite teams from a front row of reclining black leather lounge chairs or nearby bar tables. There's also new sports betting kiosks, an attached restaurant and private seating areas. 'We'll be showcasing free UFC main event matches and of course, football season is right around the corner,' Warren said. 'All of that can be viewed here on the biggest screen in Chicagoland.' Hollywood Casino Joliet is planning a test run of the gaming floor Thursday night for invited guests, with state regulators on hand to monitor. If all goes well, the new land-based casino will be licensed in time for a VIP event Sunday, followed by the full public opening Monday afternoon. Launched in June 1992 as the Empress Casino, an actual riverboat that set sail from a newly built dock south of Joliet near Channahon, Hollywood Casino Joliet was once one of the busiest in the state. But Penn Entertainment, which owns Hollywood casinos in Joliet and Aurora, is investing hundreds of millions on each to join the ranks of the new land-based gambling palaces springing up in the Chicago area, quickly gaining market share with improved accessibility and a host of amenities not available in a docked riverboat. The new $360 million entertainment complex for Hollywood Casino Aurora, which is going up near I-88 and Chicago Premium Outlets mall with similar amenities to Joliet, is slated to open next year. Much is at stake for Penn, which has owned the sister riverboat casinos for more than two decades. In 2002 Penn acquired the Hollywood Casino chain, which then included the Aurora location and casinos in Mississippi and Louisiana. In 2005 Penn added the Empress Casino as part of its acquisition of Argosy Gaming. The Joliet casino was rebranded as Hollywood in 2009, after a fire destroyed its Egyptian-themed pavilion. In recent years, the dated riverboats have been passed by newer casinos. When Illinois legalized riverboat gambling 35 years ago, it meant driving to Joliet, Aurora and Peoria, paying an admission fee and taking a two-hour ride down a river on a floating casino. In 1999 the state eliminated the cruising regulations, allowing casinos to remain docked or simply be built over water. Harrah's Joliet became the first to ditch the boat in 2001, constructing a casino on barges connected to its pavilion. Rivers Casino Des Plaines, which opened in 2011, was simply built over a 144,000-gallon man-made pool to qualify as a riverboat. The state's sweeping 2019 gambling expansion bill, which added everything from six new casinos to sports betting, took it one step further, allowing all casinos to be built on or moved to dry land. Rivers became the first to convert to a land-based casino, paying a $250,000 Gaming Board fee to expand over adjacent dry land in 2020. The state's newer casinos, including Bally's Chicago, Wind Creek Chicago Southland and Hard Rock Rockford, are all land-based. While Rivers remains the state's No. 1 casino, the newer land-based facilities are all among the top in revenue and admissions. Through the first six months of 2025, the state's 17 casinos have generated $954 million in adjusted gross receipts, up nearly $127 million or 15.3% over last year, according to Gaming Board data. The casinos totaled more than 7.6 million visitors, up 1.5 million or 24% year over year. Most of that growth came from the opening of Wind Creek Chicago Southland in November, which has quickly become the second busiest casino in the state behind perennial leader Rivers. During the first six months of 2025, Wind Creek topped $96 million in revenue and welcomed 1.1 million guests to its 70,000-square-foot casino and adjacent hotel in south suburban East Hazel Crest. Rivers Casino generated nearly $250 million in adjusted gross receipts and saw nearly 1.5 million admissions through June, according to Gaming Board data. Hollywood Joliet ranked ninth during the first six months with $43.4 million in revenue, but Warren expects business to boom with the planned opening Monday of the first land-based casino in the southwest suburbs. 'The barge was great back in the day,' Warren said. 'But we put this new casino in the perfect high-traffic location, in an up-and-coming development with a bunch of cool food and entertainment, hotel product, residential product that's going to be coming here. And we feel good about the future.' rchannick@
