Miami & The Beaches Photo Blog

Luxirare.com, the blog that marries food to fashion, recently posted the newest twist on fine cuisine. The lunchtime special bento box has become a staple in midday eating, but california rolls and spicy tuna have no place in the bento reinvention. Blogger Ji built a three course meal inspired by Japanese compartmentalized tradition. She left out the raw fish, citing poor portability, and replaced seaweed wrappers with soy.

The first roll showcased is a vegan roll made up of cucumber, Japanese pickled rice, green tea soba noodles drenched in ponzu sauce, and grilled tofu. Next, a turkey club roll. A sesame soy wrapper sheet is used for this one, with turkey, bacon, avocado, and mayo surrounded by a thin layer of white bread. A fried shrimp roll follows, with chives, cucumber, soba noodles, carrots and fried egg ribbons. The presentation is beautiful and intricate, sure to inspire replications.

Ji concocts cobb salad dumplings out of bacon, cheese, lettuce, avocado and grilled chicken. She wraps the ingredients in a bite size sheet of soy and ties the dumpling with a chive.
For dessert, a chocolate (she uses nutella), peanut butter, and banana sandwich- make sure to freeze the roll before cutting. 30 minutes in the freezer will prevent a gloppy peanut butter mess.

Finally, what meal is complete without a cocktail? This is where the jello shots of frat parties past come in. Agar agar is a packaged dried up bar that, when heated, turns into a flavorless jello like liquid. Add the liquefied agar to a shot glass and mix in your drink (some examples were sex on the beach, Kahlua & cream, and a dirty martini complete with an olive). After the shots cool down in the fridge, the bento box is complete.

Presentation is a key component, with the stackable boxes decorated with flowers, complimented with tiny bottled side sauces (spicy mayo, truffle oil, ponzu sauce, oil & vinegar), and the finished product wrapped up in “your favorite fabric.” So test out your bento box skills, or at the very least impress your friends with some mojito jello shots.

Adding ‘pe’ onto
words is unnecessary. It’s also cool. I like it. I’m going to start doing it.
Adding one ‘pe’ onto another ‘pe’ is even cooler. Therefore, from this complex
equation we can establish one thing. Kevin O’Connell is very cool guy. He is
the man behind mid-town’s Pop Burger, and who, back in February of last year, brought Burger Shoppe to the
Financial District with great success. Following his lead are the also very cool Christopher and Heather Tierney, with Workshoppe. Taking
over the space above O’Connell’s old-Philadelphia-style diner, the Tierney’s and their team
have come up with the future of office space.

Workshoppe is split over three levels; Workshoppe, Shoppe
library, and Shoppe Loft. So many pe’s, just writing about it is akin to a
literary orgasm. Available to rent by the day, week or month (and currently
taking reservations for mid-October), the idea is to provide a variety of
spaces to help the creative juices flow.

Each floor is very unique in its design. Workshoppe goes for
the stark, minimalist, write all over the walls attitude. And in this space,
you really can write all over the walls and the desks, as every available space
is white-board material. Shoppe Library and Shoppe Loft are slightly more
classical, with leather studded, high back armchairs, and subtle lighting given
off by tasteful wall sconces and desk lamps in the library, while the loft is
literally that – a loft. Complete with large double bed, free-standing bath, and
comfortable couches, there’s a space for every persuasion. Unless of course, you find
inspiration in repetitive, bland cubicles – in which case, stay where you are.

Oh, and I forgot to mention. If you’re in the middle of a really good brain storming session and don’t want to break for lunch, Burger Shoppe downstairs will make
(and deliver) 100 of their delicious 4oz burgers for you and your team. So wrong, yet so, so right.

Monday may not be the most popular night to go out in NYC, but some restaurants around the city are promoting some tempting deals to lure you out of the apartment.

At Vero Wine Bar ordering a glass of wine, beer, or cocktail entitles you to a free panini. Prosciutto, spinach, and sopressata are among the little flat sandwich choices. Doubt a panini will stave off those hunger pains? Head over to Tre to take advantage of bottomless spaghetti, lamb meatballs and all-you-can-drink sangria for only $19, or bring your own bottle of wine with no fee. Bar Blanc Bistro is promoting Moules Frites Monday (aka a bowl of mussels, frites, and a draft beer for $18) while over on Gansevoort Street Macelleria is serving bottomless gnocchi for $12.99.

Unlimited wings at Marfa for $9, all-you-can-eat tacos at Mercadito Cantina for $21, and as much BBQ as you can handle for $25 at Hill Country should cover your Monday night meal cravings. So what about alcohol?

The following spots are offering 50% off bottles off wine:

Accademia de Vino
Beppe
STK
Parlor Steakhouse
Les Halles
Cesca
Aquavit

And the only thing better than a bottle of wine for half off is a bottle of wine for free. Paradou will be giving customers a free bottle of wine every Monday until the Dow is back at 12,000, as long as a dinner entrée is purchased. See, recessions aren’t all bad.

Chanterelle, the treasured Tribeca establishment, has closed for good after a planned renovation and fall re-opening fell through.

One of the longer running, elegant restaurants in New York, Chanterelle was preparing for its 30th anniversary party this fall. Unfortunately the owners, Karen and David Waltuck, issued this statement, “After thirty years of successful business we are sad to share the news that despite all our efforts the plans to renovate and re-open Chanterelle will not come to pass.” [Via NYMag]

It’s sad to see a pillar of New York fine dining succumb to economic pressures. At least the Waltucks seem primed for a comeback, saying, “[to] look forward to what we will bring to you in the future…” The two restauranteurs, beloved by their patrons, have remained in the city, possibly planning their next venture.

Either way, the Waltuck’s seem to have lost their prized Master Sommelier, Roger Dagorn, to Porter House. Dagorn paired wine at Chanterelle for 16 years, growing the cellar to over 5,000 bottles, according to the wine writer Robert Simonson.

A favorite among diners with something, or someone, special to celebrate, Chanterelle will surely be missed.