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Panther Coffee Hits South Beach

Panther Coffee brings its made-in-Wynwood concept to South Beach.

February 25, 2013


Panther Coffee in Wynwood.

With an established reputation in Wynwood’s epicenter, Panther Coffee has set its sights on the new high-style Sunset Harbor parking garage to caffeinate hip coffee aficionados on both sides of the bay. Opening next month, the new Purdy Avenue outpost is expected to attract devotees with the aromatic wafts of artisanal roasting.

In 2009, Joel and Leticia Pollock relocated from Portland to bring the joy of rare, meticulously roasted coffees to Miami. While the Pollocks acknowledged a void of their type of small-batch roasting, they never dismissed Miami’s coffee potential and preference for strong, dark coffees. (Think café Cubano.)

Panther’s caffeinated concoctions are executed like science with digital thermometers and scales for accuracy. Meticulous about the final product, Joel and Leticia have scoured the planet from Ethiopia to Guatemala for coffee beans with distinguished flavors stemming from unique micro-climates, altitudes, and the “hands of the producer.” With coffees from many different countries, Panther only features a selection of five or six at a time. “They rotate seasonally and stay fresh,” the Pollocks say. “We are very focused on coffee quality—it is the heart of our business, as well as treating people well, from the grower to the customer. We want the customers to learn as much as they want as they enjoy their coffee.”

Panther first opened its Wynwood doors for Art Basel Miami Beach in late 2010, and while the Pollocks never expected to branch out so soon, they explain that the West End location, with like-minded businesses sprouting up and passionate patrons living in the area, “was too much fun to pass up.” “Sunset Harbor is really growing right now. A great group of quality-driven local businesses have been locating nearby. We are delighted about this and can’t wait to be a part of it,” the Pollocks say. “As for new locations, we’ll see. We will keep balancing the fun projects that come our way with keeping the high-quality standards we’ve set for ourselves.”

Coffee is roasted fresh each morning in the Wynwood headquarters with their 1927 German roaster and will be delivered daily to the Sunset Harbor café. Expect the same high standards and ritual weekly coffee tastings, called “cuppings,” every Saturday at 3 p.m. 1900 Bay Road, Miami Beach

—jess swanson

 

What We're Reading

The Today show hits Miami Beach, a new curator takes the reins at MOCA…

February 22, 2013


The Today show filmed in Miami this morning. Did you watch?

In case you missed it, NBC's Today show filmed live from the Loews Miami Beach Hotel today. In addition to hosting performances by Pitbull and Flo Rida, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, and company made a stop at the South Beach Food & Wine Festival with none other than Paula Deen. [All Day Today]

Alex Gartenfeld, senior editor of Art in America and Interview online, has been named curator for the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami. The 26-year-old writer, historian, and critic has worked on more than 25 international exhibitions. [Art in America]

Real Housewives of Miami star Lisa Hochstein and her husband Dr. Lenny Hochstein have offered preservationists the chance to relocate the historic Star Island house they had originally planned to demolish in order to build their "dream home." The couple even offered to help cover the moving bill. [Curbed Miami]

Dreading parking at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival? Bookmark this event parking guide complete with street addresses and price ranges. [Short Order]

The Knight Arts Challenge—which has funded the exploration of more than 140 creative ideas in the past five years—is now accepting new submissions. You have through March 4 to apply to make your artistic dream a reality. [NBC Miami]

—LIANA LOZADA

 

The Cosmopolitan Pops Up in Miami

Vegas’ pillar of excess hosts an exclusive SoBe WFF soirée this Saturday night.

February 21, 2013


Las Vegas' hottest new hotel, The Cosmopolitan, is popping up in Miami this Saturday night 

This weekend, what happens in Vegas is not staying in Vegas. For one-night-only, this Saturday, the luxuriously sleek Cosmopolitan hotel is popping up in Miami for an invite-only affair in honor of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Invited guests and VIPs will join restaurateur Costas Spiliadis at Estiatorio Milos, the sister location to The Cosmopolitan's Milos haunt, for an evening of Mediterranean cuisine, music, and mingling. Guests can fill up on an impressive carving station, prime rib-eye, and the restaurant’s signature sea bass, while Cosmopolitan mixologist Christopher Hopkins slings his unique cocktails, including his famous East 75, made with Bombay Sapphire East, prosecco, grapefruit, and house-made lemongrass syrup. Meanwhile, Miami DJ duo Ess & Emm have been recruited to man the decks. A promising pop-up, indeed. 730 1st St., Miami, 305-604-6800

—LIANA LOZADA

 

Weekend Recommender: February 21-24

Alvin Ailey mesmerizes at Arsht, Calvin Harris headlines Story Nightclub, and more!

February 21, 2013


New York's acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater glides through Miami this weekend 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 21-24
The beloved dance company lands at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Miami leg of its 21-city tour. Ailey will perform several classic works under Robert Battle's artistic direction. Tickets begin at $25 and may be purchased online or at the Arsht Center box office. 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 305-949-6722

El Ñosh Pop-Up
Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 21-24
Iron Chef pals Eric Greenspan and Roberto Treviño are serving up four nights of Jewish-Latin fusion eats at a pop-up scheduled in tandem with the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. The opening festivities take place Thursday night with cocktails, passed bites, and live music. Stop by for beachside servings of pastrami and dill pickle croquetas and molé braised brisket with sweet plantain kugel. 161 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach, 305-967-2465

Calvin Harris at Story
Friday, Feb. 22, 11 p.m.
If next month’s Ultra Music Festival can’t come soon enough, head to Story Nightclub this Friday night to catch a DJ set by international superstar Calvin Harris. Among his hits are collaborations with Ne-Yo, Florence Welch, and Rihanna. Presale tickets can be purchased here. 136 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-538-2424

—LIANA LOZADA

 

Miami Racks Up James Beard Nods

Khong River, The Broken Shaker, and four local chefs made the awards semifinalist list.

February 20, 2013

Local haunts like Khong River House and The Broken Shaker scored spots on the James Beard Foundation’s 2013 awards semifinalist list, published this Tuesday afternoon. The list will be narrowed down again on March 18, and the winners get medaled in May. Here’s the full list of Miami chef and restaurant semifinalists, and a primer on their talent.  

—LIANA LOZADA

 

Whet Your Appetite for SoBe WFF

A look back at the tantalizing plates from last year's South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

February 19, 2013

With a nearly sold out South Beach Wine & Food Festival kicking off this Thursday, there’s much to look forward to, but also much to look back on. So to whet your appetite, we’ve put together the above slideshow highlighting some of last year’s most delectable events, including The Best Thing I Ever Ate Late Night Bites and Sweets, The Flavors of Flay, and The Grand Tasting Village. And if you’re without solid SoBe WFF plans, there’s still time to nab tickets to the Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village, Diet Pepsi's Trucks on the Midtown Tracks with Andrew Zimmern, and Florida Blue's Fun and Fit as a Family event with Carnival and Kellogg's Kidz Kitchen. All proceeds from the festival benefit the Florida International University's Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. 

—LIANA LOZADA

 

Duncan Quinn’s Bespoke Bus Boutique

Dapper gents can shop the mobile men’s shop through March 8 in the Design District.

February 18, 2013

Duncan Quinn, the Brit who brought bespoke suiting stateside, is rolling his 1966 Bristol Lodekka double-decker bus into the Design district. Arriving today and parking through March 8, Quinn’s bus will double as a boutique, offering shoppers bespoke clothing customizations, expert fittings, and his eponymous brand's latest collection. Part of a coast-to-coast tour dubbed “Cask Chronicles,” the roadtrip will conclude in Los Angeles. However, the vintage bus keeps its roots in Miami: Quinn’s team found the Bristol Lodekka beauty at Miami's iconic Churchill's Pub and then towed it to New York City, where Quinn transformed the interior with new upholstery, wall-to-wall storage, and elegant finishings. Our favorite part? The mobile tailor shop's sexy second floor speakeasy. An exclusive group of lucky invitees will have the chance to head upstairs for after-hour libations courtesy of Zacapa Rum. 

—LIANA LOZADA

 

Monday Night Mixology Events

Keep the weekend alive at The Broken Shaker, Cecconi’s, and The Social Club.

February 18, 2013


The Broken Shaker recently debuted Monday Off-Duty Night 

The Broken Shaker
The Bar Lab boys Elad Zvi and Gabriel Orta introduced Monday Off-Duty Night in early February, offering guests complimentary cocktail samples from featured liquor sponsors from 9 to 11 p.m. The lineup has already welcomed brands like Mandarine Napoleon and D'Ussé Cognac. 2727 Indian Creek Dr., Miami Beach

Cecconi's
Slide into the Soho Beach House for Friends of Cecconi's, a Monday night loyalty program offering 50 percent off specialty dinner items and discounted cocktails for parties of four or less, as well as access to invite-only tastings and events. Also check out the Italian haunt’s newest cocktails crafted by Los Angeles-based bar director Chris Ojeda. 4385 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 786-507-7902

The Social Club
The Surfcomber South Beach's lobby bar has just launched a new late-night Monday happy hour, complete with causal $3 microbrews, $5 wells, and delicious bar bites. The festivities kick off at 9 p.m. with music by DJ Kristian Caro. 1717 Collins Ave., Miami Beach

—LIANA LOZADA

 

Kelly Wearstler’s Stunning New Book

In Rhapsody, the interior and fashion designer offers a plethora of décor inspiration.

February 18, 2013


Kelly Wearstler holds a copy of her new book, Rhapsody

With an empire that already includes interior design, home accents, fashion, and coffee table books—including the recently released Rhapsody—Kelly Wearstler’s sphere of stylish influence appears quite complete. However, this spring, Wearstler is introducing two new elements into her world—a bridal registry on her eponymous website and a debut wall covering collection with Kravet, the company she also partners with for fabrics. “It’s so exciting,” she says of the launch that is anticipated for March.

Available now however is Wearstler’s fourth coffee table book, Rhapsody, which highlights six different Wearstler-designed projects. Large-scale images showcase the designer’s signature inspiration trays, candid photographs of shopping excursions, and portraits of the finished details. “In one room there could be something I designed and things I found in 30 different countries, all coming together in one beautiful story—that’s the rhapsody,” says Wearstler. “The book also talks about my love of metals, why I love them, and how I use them. With the ready to wear and the interiors, there’s always a juxtaposition of something that’s raw and refined.”

It’s true, metals play heavily into the designer’s aesthetic, from the golden lobby at King & Grove Tides South Beach to the gilded accents at BG Restaurant at New York’s Bergdorf Goodman and Oliverio inside Beverly Hills’ Avalon Hotel (the project that initially put Wearstler on the map). But the palette is also a key component in Wearstler’s collection of jewelry, accessories, and ready to wear available at Bergdorf Goodman, Intermix, and Kirna Zabete. “It’s a totally different animal and it’s been so super challenging, but I’m having an incredible time,” Wearstler says of the transition from interior design into fashion. “Once you have a voice, it’s just applying it and finding your groove. Everything inspires—a sweater can be a carpet and a carpet can be a sweater; a stair railing or a door handle could be a piece of jewelry, it’s always crossing over.”

—JILL SIERACKI

 

Carnaval in a Cocktail Glass

Missed Carnaval? Grab a cachaça drink at one of these local watering holes and make up for lost debauchery.

February 15, 2013

All cocktails made with Leblon Cachaça

—LIANA LOZADA

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