Last week may have been the “Foodiest” week for Foodie in Miami ever!

It started Monday with Rosh Hashanah dinner at my sister’s Kelley’s house with her family. We had Matzo Ball Soup, Brisket with Gravy, Potato Leek Kugel, Brussels Sprouts with Tahini dressing and Pomegranate Seeds and Challah Bread. Dessert was a delicious Apple Upside Down Cake with whipped cream and I also made some Brown Butter Pecan Cookies to share.

The Butter Pecan Cookies was an Instagram recipe from Baker by Nature. I’ve been wanting to try it for a while and Rosh Hashanah was a perfect opportunity. I like making cookies for events where I can share them, so I’m not stuck with a whole batch at home! They were a hit. I left some with Kelley and froze the rest. It was so nice to spend time with her family and celebrate the Jewish New Year with good food.

We had leftover Brisket that I heated up for dinner later in the week. I really wanted Mashed Potatoes with it, but didn’t want to spend the time and effort peeling, boiling and mashing them, so I used a package of Instant Idaho potatoes. I’d bought it to use in a Yeast Roll recipe, but never made it, so I thought “What the heck?” How bad could they be?

You boil the water (I used half chicken stock), stir in the packet contents and voila! Mashed potatoes in a minute. While this is certainly against Foodie in Miami’s religion, they were actually pretty tasty and buttery (fake butter I’m sure). I served them with the leftover brisket and peas. While I wouldn’t do this on a regular basis, I would make them again if I was short of time and energy.

Since time was running out time for Miami Spice, I actually made two reservations for lunches last week. A.J. and I were supposed to go to Sexy Fish on Wednesday, but when Hurricane Ian cancelled school for Wyatt, she hightailed it to Mississippi with her family. So, lucky Zeke- he was my lunch date for Sexy Fish!

Sexy Fish, on Brickell, is the most photogenic restaurant I’ve ever eaten at. The decor is over-the-top Vegas meets Little Mermaid, with seascape uniforms of vibrant magenta and aqua, and beautifully plated food. The vibe is fun and relaxed. It was empty when we arrived at 12, but packed by the time we left, so you definitely need reservations. This place is ready for it’s close-up, made for Instagram and photos are encouraged.

Having said all that, if the food and service weren’t excellent, all the hoopla in the deep blue sea wouldn’t matter. Good news! Our server (Nina) was excellent and oh-so helpful and the food, although small portions, was delicious. $28 for Miami Spice was a great deal. I would pay $30 just to walk into this place. Don’t forget to check out the Men’s Bathroom if you go.

Recommended dishes:

• Burrata, kimchi and prawn cracker
• Yellowtail Spicy Maki
• Kimchi Fried Rice
• Steamed Sea Bass
• Warm Cinnamon Mini Donuts with Passionfruit Sauce

The drinks we had were also like works of art, but very expensive; they were almost as much as our lunch. While Miami Spice is over, they do have a Kuikku Lunch, Monday through Friday, for $32. They offer all the items we got on Miami Spice.

The next day, we had another Miami Spice Lunch, this one at Cote Korean Steakhouse, the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Miami. The vibe was different than Sexy Fish. It was very New York with mirrored doors, red lights, bare concrete floors and Techno music thumping in the background. I will write about it later, because this post is already too long, but it was interesting going out to lunch and comparing the two restaurants.

You would think I would go home and fast the rest of the week after these back-to-back meals, but I had a Birthday Dinner that night for my Mom at Mi’Italia. We got the delicious Whipped Ricotta Toasts to share and despite saying “I wasn’t hungry at all” had quite a few bites of the Pesto Ravioli in Mint and Pistachio sauce. My Mom and Elise split the Bolognese with Burrata and we all shared the Apple Almond Cake with a creamy, luscious Pistachio Gelato. Everything was good.

We then attended a Fleetwood Mac Candlelight Concert at Coral Gables Congregational Church. Elise had gotten tickets for my Mom’s birthday. It was the first time I had been to one of these concerts and it was lovely!

Now, I really should have stopped eating out at this point, but I had a Birthday Lunch the next day at Perry’s Steakhouse in Merrick Park. While most of of the ladies at the table ordered salads, I doubled down on the gluttony and got the Perry’s Famous Pork Chop. It’s only $17 on Fridays, comes with whipped mashed potatoes and is amazingly delicious. I did take some of it home!

Dessert was a Bread Pudding topped with an enormous homemade marshmallow, caramel sauce and candied walnuts. Completely decadent, it went around the table twice for more tastes. I will not be stepping on a scale for a long time!

Foodie News

Speaking of fattening stuff, have you heard of the latest Tik Tok Food Trend of Butter Boards?

It’s basically softened butter spread on a wooden board, sprinkled with salt, lemon zest, pepper flakes and honey, and served with thick slices of bread. Butter Boards, according the New York Times, are “cheaper and less fussy” than Charcuterie Boards. A spin-off board is the Cream Cheese Board, smeared with cream cheese and sprinkled with sliced onions, capers, smoked salmon and served with sliced-up bagels. That sounds like a fun Brunch idea!

Another hot Tik Tok Trend is the Raw Carrot Salad. It’s made with raw carrot slices, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. It’s supposed to regulate your hormones. I tried it and the taste was just ok, nothing to write home about. I don’t know if it regulated my hormones. Hard to tell, but after all the eating out I’ve done, a better option for me than Butter Boards.

Publix has gotten so expensive! I went to buy dates and they were $7! Not exactly a necessity, I just couldn’t do it. And my little bag of San Marzano tomatoes I love and Wyatt devours are now $4. They’re much cheaper at Trader Joe’s, so I’m going to start shopping there more. Shopping at Publix is not a pleasure when you’re getting price gouged.

Those of us who live in Miami are breathing a sigh of relief that Hurricane Ian didn’t hit us. But of course, we feel for all those affected by this monster hurricane, in other parts of the state. Many of us here remember Hurricane Andrew, which struck 30 years ago in Miami, and know the long road to recovery and rebuilding that lies ahead.

Unfortunately, it seems some “Old Florida” towns that were destroyed, filled with wooden structures and quaint Main Streets, will never be the same. And some residents, especially those without flood insurance, may not choose, or be able, to rebuild.

Jose Andres and his World Central Kitchen are in the affected areas, serving meals and water to those in need. You can donate to World Central Kitchen at https://www.wck.org.donate. I’m donating today in memory of my Dad, Butch Rice, who passed away 20 years ago today.

Time makes you bolder Even children get older I’m getting older too Oh! I’m getting older too.

Landslide by Fleetwood Mac

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