Trio On The Bay

Pan Seared Scallops on a bed of fresh spinach,
grilled red onions, smoked cubed bacon.

Brick courtyard with French Cafe Bistro chairs
are so chic and perfect setting for this
wonderful waterfront setting.

I am so excited to welcome a good waterfront restaurant in Miami, Trio On the Bay! When my husband and I had dinner at Trio On the Bay recently, we were so impressed with the GM, Louie Spetrini. He gave us the inside scoop of how the restaurant started, the time spent training the staff and it shows. For us, eating out is not just about good food but the ambience, the service, the music (not so loud that you have to shout to the person next to you!) They succeeded on all fronts, so that was very thrilling. It was early still, so not too crowded so we could relax and enjoy the beautiful water views. We so appreciated how lucky we were to be able to eat outside while it's still cold up north!

I was also doubly excited because Gerry Kelly is managing the nightclub side of this vast venue. If anyone knows how to 'party' and get some excitement going, Gerry does. Few know he wears another hat! He was also a haute couture designer! On open night, he designed some very unique and eye catching outfits for the models. My husband posed with one that had a huge lampshade looking hat on her head. So nice to see Gerry in his element.

When you go, ask for server, Gianpaolo, he made our evening so memorable and special! Such a lovely personality, we got to know him a little. He had some cooking experience after working at Norman's in the Gables, so he helped us with our dinner selections.

I have to say that the Appetizers were my favorites especially those perfectly pan seared scallops! They were juicy with a crisp exterior, exactly how I like them. Escargot is another of my favorites (there's not much I don't like), the addition of the sundried tomatoes and mushrooms were a nice touch. Well, with the fluffy bread dipped in the special in-house olive oil and olive dip, we were full by the time the main courses came out.

The roast duck I felt had a nice crispy exterior but think the chef was so intent getting it crispy, it made the interior a little dry. However, when we reheated the next day, it was tender again. We both love duck, it's such a tasty bird without doing anything to it. I'm not a fan of mixing sweet sauces with my savory protein, so I just didn't dip my duck in the raspberry demi glace. The lamb chops were perfect, seared exterior and tender interior. I shouldn't have ordered mushroom risotto but felt I just had to give a try in all the departments. It was creamy and very mushroomy, I'd order that again. I really had two bites of the duck and lamb and took the rest home.

You know what they say, a separate stomach for dessert. We ordered apple tartine with vanilla ice cream but when it came, Gianpaola also brought us a very light pana cotta with figs. Both were outrageously decadent and a perfect ending to our wonderful dinner at Trio on the Bay. Such a great place to show off to visitors!

Bumped into Executive Klime Kovaceski on our way out and got our photos taken with Gerry Kelly, sorry Louie, didn't get you in this shot! That was so nice of the chef to say goodbye.

Trio of Appetizers: The bread was light & fluffy,
the olive oil with olive dip was divine.
The pan seared scallops.
Baked Escargot, mushrooms, sundried
tomatoes, garlic & herb butter.

Escargot is one of my favorite appetizers, delighted they were so delicious!

Lamb Chops with Apricot Chutney
and
Roasted Maple Leaf Duck
raspberry demi glace, grilled asparagus.
They split our 2 dishes. We took most of
this home. We were so full.

FREE CHINATOWN Event Launching The Red Thread

The Playground Theatre is showcasing their new play, The Red Thread in a very unique way! They're bringing a CHINATOWN MIAMI event to Miami Shores this Sunday, April 17 from 12-6pm!

My friend & Wok Star cooking class alumni, Maria Cummins has invited me to participate in her tent for CookingWithKidsMiami, a cooking school for kids, except I'll be teaching adults! The tent will be set up outside her retail store and cooking school, A Place 4 Kids at 9612 NE 2nd Avenue, right on the main drag!

I'll have my Asian decorations up as well as my Wok Star Kit and a sign up sheet for cooking classes when it starts at her school! Do drop by for surprise giveaways or a chat and especially if you have any burning questions about woks or stir fry techniques! I will NOT be giving a cooking demo just so you know.

Read review of The Red Thread here. I can't wait to see it, who wants to go? But, not that night for me, I'll probably be too tired.

Full details with map of all the fun things to do there including music acts, green market, craftspeople, kids stage culminating with a dragon parade! Of course, any event in Miami has to have gourmet food trucks, such a great idea, need to feed people! I'm very impressed how organized this is.

Miami Dade Culinary Institute Open Day

Snapshots of open day, from what I can see, fabulous facilities. At ceremony talk, food later!!!

See the full gallery on Posterous

Sent from my iPhone
www.wokstar.us

Songkran Festival at Wat Buddhist Temple, Food 2011

Snapshots of Thai food at last Sunday's Songkran Thai New Year Festival, Wat Buddhist Temple in South Miami. By 3pm, most folks had left and these were the only remaining food stalls left!  If you've never been, it's really worth a visit when they have a festival, you meet neat Asian folks and get to eat good Thai food. More on the Temple and grounds in a separate post.

Thai Bayshore was also at the Asian Culture Festival I went to recently. They had a LOT more food offerings like this delicious Salmon Homok. I devoured one the minute I arrived, I was starving. I bought 2 more and a box of pork jerk strips with an interesting chili, fish sauce dip. You definitely need to reheat the strips to soften them, otherwise too chewy to digest.

I know how to make homok, I put fish and scallops in mine. It's a lot of work esp. the banana leaf boats. My hubby helped me make them. It's funny how when you're not used to making a dish, it seems like a lot of work but every Thai person I've met said it's easy. I have to make this soon.

Well, I think wok cooking is easy, so guess it's same idea, it's what you get used to making.

This booth makes Green Papaya Salad fresh in a stone mortar and pestle. I'm sorry, I've never cared for the strong flavors of fish sauce and the raw Papaya together. But looks gorgeous.

Fried bananas and taro, I would have tried it if I knew it was freshly made.

Colored rice noodles in the back tray, didn't understand what went with it. I got a coconut drink with interesting jello type bits and corn which was surprisingly light and refreshing and not too sweet.

Thai Bayshore's daughter posing with this tray of fritters and I can't remember what she told me they were, think taro. I got more of the banana leaf sticky rice to take home too. Had an East Meets West breakfast next morning with the pork jerk strips for a protein hit.

This is a monk gift tree, people bring 'gifts' to place on the tree including money, food and anything you think a monk would like.Very interesting concept, I might put out a gift tree to see what people would give me?

 

Chef Demos at Common Threads Fundraiser!

Iron Chef contestant, Chef Dena Marino, MC Hospitality Group was our headliner and closing act for Kids Eat Miami's inaugural fundraiser event for Common Threads! I'll be posting the chef's individual posts soon. Also, all the recipes will be posted on Kids Eat Miami site soon.

I can't wait to hear the tally on how much this event raised. For a first, I think everyone did a FANTASTIC job of pulling together for a great cause! 

Thanks to Jungle Island for hosting this event and to all the participating sponsors, auction donors, organizers and especially to the volunteers. The kids love ya! Please visit Common Threads to see how you can get involved in this community project. And let's not forget Chef Michelle Bernstein who started the Miami chapter.

Common Threads Chef instructor and Nutrolution, Rachael Richardson, RD, LN/D made a delicious, very fluffy Tabbouleh using quinoa instead of bulgar wheat.

Kelly Saks, Miss Earth Florida teaches adolescents success through ecology (T.A.S.T.E.). A vegetarian herself, she does a great job promoting healthy eating and the kids related to her.

Wok Star Eleanor Hoh gives monthly cooking classes in Miami. I made a sizzling beef with baby bok choy and bell pepper. I wanted to show a tasty, one-dish dinner for busy weeknights can be simple and easy.

Chef Shawn Fralin, Rakkasan Chef and his teenage kids made Conch Soup from the Overtown CookBook. As he says, can be served hot and sassy or chilled and spicy, umm.

Great turnout for the chef demos even though the other activities were way out in Jungle Island. What I noticed was the minute people smelled food, they were THERE!

I couldn't resist doing the celebrity chef photo op.