I’m excited to introduce you to a new digital publication, “City Life Guru” that uncovers hidden gems all over Miami. The media is buzzing about the opening of Julia & Henry food hall in downtown Miami, but we are the only ones reporting about the huge crash when it first opened. Speaking of openings, we dined this week at Pastis, Miami—ooh la la! NYC has the Highline and Miami has the Underline, which is now becoming a major home for public art.

Discover A Whole New Miami with “City Life Guru”

Not only does Miami have great weather, the best beaches, plenty of sunshine, outstanding restaurants, and an exciting nightlife, it now has City Life Guru. The new digital publication is like no other. Co-founders, Alison Davis and Michelle Roth Maloy, have created a new type of newsletter that uncovers hidden gems all over Miami that most of the mainstream publications will never talk about. While City Life Guru may occasionally cover the typical glitz and glamour of Miami, the newsletter is going to provide a platform where local experts recommend specialty restaurants, pop-up exhibits, boutique clothing shops, native theater productions, unique marketplaces, and home furnishings from all over the world.

Miami has needed a publication like this for a long time. It’s a city that embraces a multicultural population. People who live in Miami, or tourists who visit here, are usually curious, sophisticated world travelers who enjoy different cultures, ethnic food and diverse social practices. Here are just a few of the areas that most folks know very little about:

• Allapattah, Diverse Latin neighborhood
• Aventura, World class shopping
• Bal Harbour, Luxury open air mall and fancy restaurants.
• Coconut Grove, Historic hamlet filled with jungle/lush landscaping and bayfront and sidewalk cafes.
• Coral Gables, Mediterranean architecture, luxury suburban life.
• Hialeah, Hispanic culture and fun and games.
• Little Haiti, Lively arts and culture to Creole flavors.
• Little Havana, The heart of Miami’s Cuban diaspora.

One of the recent “finds” that Alison and Michelle just uncovered in Little River is a vegetarian restaurant that offers healthy, clean, homemade style food that you can purchase by the pound. Maria Laura Alemann, along with her husband, opened Plantisserie in order to introduce Miamians to all of her new dishes.   She “veganized” all of her childhood favorite recipes: curries, lasagnas, stuffed eggplants, empanadas and even pizzas. Plantisserie is located at: 7316 NE 2ND AVE, Little River. Miami

The restaurant now has a cult-like following among non-vegetarians and vegans alike. One of the secrets is that Maria hires actual grandmothers to cook traditional recipes. I personally think that’s brilliant. Everyone appreciates a home cooked meal even if it’s done remotely.

Alison and Michelle have a knack for gallivanting around to find new things and places for all of us. They have been doing it for years. They met in their 20s. Alison said, “Michelle’s dad is from Argentina and her mom is from Brooklyn. My mother is from Argentina and my father is from Maine. We had a lot in common when we met in Buenos Aires.  I was working in advertising. She had an internship with a law firm. We quickly became great friends. She moved in with me for a year and a half. We traveled around Buenos Aires and discovered it was very multicultural. We both loved the different neighborhoods. There was so much to do. We loved exploring together.”

One of the most valuable elements of City Life Guru are the city guides that allow you to walk through the different areas of Miami and know exactly where you are going. Alison and Michelle invite everyone who are interested in Miami to go to their website and sign up for the newsletter. www.citylifeguru.com.

Julia & Henry’s, Seven-Floor Mega Food Hall, Starts Off with A Bang

Everyone is talking about the new Julia & Henry food hall in downtown Miami but no one in the media reported that there was a huge crash when it first opened. A few of my friends were walking around the massive seven story food hall when all of a sudden there was a loud bang. At first, they thought someone got shot. They were about to run for their lives when they saw folks on the second level pointing to the glass floor below them. A three foot by three-foot see-through glass panel exploded.  What was a perfectly clear, see-through glass floor, turned into a crushed mosaic looking piece of art in a matter of seconds.

It was startling to see. My friends didn’t know if there would be a domino effect on the remainder of the second level, or if other floors were going to crash as well.  They calmed down when they saw no one else rushing out or getting frantic. In fact, several patrons put chairs over the broken glass so others would not step on a questionable area.

Interestingly enough, there were no public address announcements about the incident. My friends were alarmed that no one from the Julia & Henry management team took responsibility for letting the public know if they were in harm’s way.

Maybe they felt it was better not to bring attention to it. They didn’t want to cause a mad rush for the doors. After all, that was not good for business. The place was jammed packed with young customers eating, chatting, buying takeout, browsing through the shops, and eyeballing each other. This is quite a perfect venue to pick up a future date.

The glass floors play a big part of checking each other out. You can see dating prospects in front of you, to the side, and now from below. Apparently,  Julia & Henry’s owners feel there is no better way to check out a cutie than to look up their skirt or shorts.

If you think I am kidding, check out this video recorded by my pal Steve Greenberg, creator of “What The Heck Is That?” Gadget Game Show

For those of you who have never heard of Julia & Henry’s seven story food hall, let me tell you more about it.  The multi-use complex is named after Miami pioneers Julia Tuttle and Henry Flagler. It’s located in downtown Miami and features 36 vendors, featuring various food and drink choices from highly regarded local, national, and international chefs.

Miami-based King Goose Hospitality operates the new establishment. It’s located in a historic landmark building initially constructed in 1936 as a Walgreens Drug Store. You may know it because it was also the former home  La Epoca. Stambul. The property was acquired a few years ago.

Julia & Henry is at 200 East Flagler Street and is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., with happy hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday. Check out the full lineup of food vendors here

You Will Want a Piece of Pastis

This is the second time I am writing about Pastis, the New York City Parisian-style brasserie which got its fame in the Meatpacking District. Thank you very much Sex in the City for all the scenes that you filmed at the restaurant. The owners, Keith McNally and Stephen Starr, have now taken their signature “je ne sais quoi” vibe that they created over the years and brought it to the Wynwood district of Miami.

Eliot (husband) and I dined there last night with our neighbor Maurice Zarmati, a long-time top executive with Carnival Cruise Lines. He certainly knows the hospitality business better than most. He made friends with all the important staff members so we can easily get reservations on busy nights.

From the minute we walked in, to the minute we left, we felt like we were experiencing the high life. The service was impeccable. They also must have spent a fortune on the decor because you absolutely feel like you are in a very upscale Parisian bistro. The white tiles paired with rich wood tones give you a feeling of total elegance. The curb appeal is the brick archway that leads into a garden area where patrons can opt to dine outdoors. Equipped with its own sizable bar area, the garden area is better for spotting the new arrivals.

The snazzy restaurant was obviously designed for people watching because the restaurant is totally open to the garden area. It’s very exciting to see who arrives next. Last night was filled with fashionistas who forgot to cover certain areas of their bodies. Maurice, who is single, was certainly creating a little stir for himself. It’s amazing how the unattached can spot others who supposedly are available. Eliot was doing his fair share of looking. The women last night looked like runway models.

Now let’s get to the food. Maurice and I had Dover Sole à la Meunière and Eliot had Duck. Maurice started off with Crispy Artichokes, Eliot had Escargots and I had Oysters. We also pigged out on desserts. The men had Creme Brulee and I had Profiteroles.

I dare to say that Pastis has that New York special “something in the air” that most restaurants in Miami are missing. I’m not complaining. The restaurants here are wonderful but when something shines you just have to spotlight it.

Ooh la la!

The Underline, a Major Home for Public Art 

This 10-Mile Walking Trail is now home to public at. There is a new 9-foot-tall bronze structure of an outstretched arm holding up two fingers on the corner of SW 7th Street and SW 1st Court in downtown Miami.  Many of the commuters who pass that area every day have been trying to guess how that structure got there and exactly what it means.

I just found out. The Miami Herald was good enough to do a story on the sculpture which is a a-part of “the growing public art collection at The Underline, a $140 million linear park and urban walking trail that stretches beneath Miami’s Metrorail.

The Underline is transforming the land below Miami’s Metrorail into a 10‑mile linear park, urban trail, and public art destination. It’s Miami’s answer to New York’s High Line.  New York’s park is high, Miami’s park is low.

The art piece is called “Duality” and it was created by Hank Willis Thomas, a renowned conceptual artist known for tackling themes of race, identity and popular culture. He said the outstretched arm holding up two fingers can mean anything. “It depends on how you look at it. I used my own arm as a model.”

The sculpture was officially unveiled last week as part of the growing public art collection at The Underline.  The installation was funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Friends of The Underline board member Debi Braman Wechsler and The Braman Family Foundation.