Rise News partner MIAbites and The Liquid Projects present: Taco & Tequila Showdown #TNTShowdown on November 8th and tickets are ON SALE for $65 pp thru Eventbrite link here
There’s no hotter duo in food and beverage right now than tacos and tequila. So now…imagine 12 of Miami’s hottest chefs and taquerias making their interpretation of the best taco, each aside a bartender making a bespoke tequila cocktail to pair with each taco and then judged to crown the winners. The Liquid Projects and MIAbites present the hottest event of the year:
The Taco & Tequila Showdown (#TNTShowdown)
at Vagabond Restaurant and Bar -Sunday November 8, 2015 6-9 pm
Each of the participating chefs, led by Vagabond Restaurant & Bar host chef, Alex Chang, will create their signature taco using either soft or hard, corn or flour tortillas and be as creative as they want with the ingredients. Attendees will have chance to vote for the Peoples Choice for favorite taco and favorite tequila drink, while an esteemed panel of judges led by The Miami Herald Food Editor, Evan Benn, Broken Shaker alum, Gabe Orta, Adri Garcia, of Verde Kitchen Cafe, and food blogger, Nidal Barake @YoCulinario will select their Best in Show winners.
It is our belief that no food and beverage event would be complete without including and supporting a local industry non-profit. Therefore, we are delighted to partner with the Urban Oasis Project, (think Upper East Side Farmers Market – close to Vagabond) and founder of Verde Community Gardens Market and Cafe who has joined us to work with our chefs and bartenders with 20% of ticket sales donated to UOP to support their program of doubling the value of food stamps at local Farmer’s Markets.
EVENT DATE: Sunday November 8, 2015 6 -9 pm
PLACE: Vagabond Restaurant and Bar – 7301 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, FL (Valet parking available)
TICKETS: $65 advance sale / $70 at door- Available thru Eventbrite link https://www.eventbrite.com/e/taco-tequila-showdown-tntshowdown-tickets-18300424061
PARTICIPATING CHEFS ( in alphabetical order ):
Chef Bee– Oishi Thai
Aaron Brooks– EDGE Steak and Bar
Jeremiah Bullfrog– GastroPod
Alex Chang– Vagabond Restaurant & Bar
Todd Erickson– HuaHuas
Richard Hales – Centro Taco
Bradley Kilgore– Alter
Niven Patel– Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink
Romero Ramirez– Taqueria Morelia/Homestead
Giorgio Rapacavoli– Eating House
Steve Santana– Taquiza
And FOOD TRUCK: BC Taco Truck
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to sample creative tacos and tequila from Miami’s top chefs and mixologists while hanging out at the very hip Mid-Century Modern Vagabond Restaurant and Bar. Limited availability so get your tickets now!
Eventbrite link https://www.eventbrite.com/e/taco-tequila-showdown-tntshowdown-tickets-18300424061
Let the Countdown to the Showdown begin!!
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Star Miami DREAMer Student Able To Attend U Of Florida Because Of Community Donations
This story was originally published in May of 2015.
Getting high grades and being involved is a necessity for this generation as gaining acceptance to college is getting harder and harder.
For some students, though, their hard work and commitment to their education could fall flat due to their citizenship status.
“At school, I didn’t talk about my citizenship status,” Giancarlo Tejeda, a senior at Miami Lakes Educational Center said. “It wasn’t something that I wanted to define me and it wasn’t something that could be fixed by complaining about it so I just kept quiet.”
Giancarlo and his family left their native town of Bucaramanga, Colombia in December of 2000, when he was just three years old.
His parents left behind noble careers to pursue a new life in Miami, Florida.
“My parents had to give up their careers in Colombia to become simple laborers. My father was a college professor and my mother was a primary school teacher,” Tejeda said.
In America, his father found jobs in construction and his mother often found herself cleaning houses.
They applied for asylum in the United States, but to no avail, and thus became undocumented immigrants.
According to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center, unauthorized immigrants comprised 4.8% of Florida’s population in 2012 and in 2013, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the foreign-born share of Florida’s population rose to 19.4%.
It is no question that the state of Florida is home to many immigrants—many of which are hard workers like Tejeda and his family.
Giancarlo Tejeda. Photo Credit: Giancarlo Tejeda/ Facebook
Giancarlo’s Advanced Placement Literature teacher, Neyda Borges, makes it known that these students are not just a number through her work and advocacy for immigrant students.
“We need to see and hear the human stories. We need to meet these children and these parents,” Borges said. “People need to see that these undocumented immigrants are not monsters or criminals, but that they are our friends and neighbors.“
Determined to be more than just a number and his legal standing- a DREAMer with deferred action status- Tejeda focuses on his studies and extracurricular activities. Giancarlo challenged himself with a full schedule of college level courses and excelled.
As an aspiring biomedical engineer- a career that merges his natural altruism and love for the sciences- Tejeda recently committed to the University of Florida.
Through local and even national support he has raised enough money to attend UF for the first year.
His teacher, Borges helped him create a page where the community could chip in at https://www.gofundme.com/rb6p5dtg.
He’s excited, but he says that he still feels frustrated about his legal status.
“Despite not being considered legal in the eyes of the United States Government, we are still part of the communities that we live in. I feel as I always have felt about my legal status – frustrated,” Tejeda said.
Borges’ admits that she’s learned of many activists groups and organizations that are out there to support DREAMers like Tejeda.
“There is a lot being done; but, is it enough? I don’t know how to answer that,” Borges said. “That’s a political question. Luckily, I am not a politician. So, as a teacher, the answer is that it is never enough.”
Students like Giancarlo are eligible for in-state tuition to UF or any other state university thanks to a correction by the Florida Legislature in 2014, but many like the Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Schools who is no stranger to advocating for high achieving immigrant students, remain adamant in their quest to make sure that change happens sooner than later.
“A bright student like Giancarlo deserves the chance to fulfill his college dreams,” Superintendent of Schools Alberto M. Carvalho said. “Like many of us, his family came here for better opportunities. We must enact reform immediately.”
Giancarlo and his family are thankful for the support from political leaders and local and national media, but remain aware that the future is untold.
They hope that an easier route to citizenship will one day be a reality and that their obstacles may serve as inspiration to others.
The Miami-Dade County Public School system has almost 350,000 active students and inevitably there are more students like Tejeda who haven’t spoken out yet.
Tejeda said that his message to them is important.
“Don’t be afraid. There is a whole community out there supporting you,” the 18- year old Tejeda said. “You will find that many people will support you if you speak out and make your situation known. If enough of us speak out, our voices will be heard everywhere and it will incite change.”
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.
Cover Photo Credit: Giancarlo Tejeda/ Facebook
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Get Ready Miami, The Heat Is (Almost) On
By Santiago Archieri
Between a very disappointing start for the Dolphins, and the Marlins being the same old Marlins for yet another season, Miami fans are starting to get excited for the start of a new Miami Heat season.
As for me, I am an optimistic, die hard, annoying Heat fan, who has been looking forward to media day for weeks because that’s how much I miss the Heat. But it is time to be a bit more realistic, as last season I thought they were serious contenders in the Eastern Conference, and the Heat ended up being 10 games under .500 and being in the lottery.
What an awful season it was for Heat fans. First, we lost Josh McRoberts for most the year, then our newly-maxed out Chris Bosh has a health scare that takes him out for the year.
We find a giant gem called Hassan Whiteside, who smacks his hand against the rim and isn’t 100% after that game.
And to top it off, we had Dwyane Wade resting up, taking care of his hamstrings and knee, and I am not even naming all the injuries that kept numerous other players out. There was one point in the year when the Heat were scrambling around looking for players to be a suit up for a game. The Heat had to dig deep into their rotation, and even then, the Heat were just a few games from reaching the final playoff spot in the East.
The Heat hit the offseason with a lot of work to do. After eventually landing the 10th spot in the NBA draft, the Heat were able to take the exciting young man out of Duke University: Justice Winslow. The next step was bringing back Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic. Dragic took a pay cut to stay, and after a lot of trolling, Wade signed a one year deal to stay in Miami.
The projected starting line-up for the Heat this season might be the most complete 5 in the Eastern conference, and quite possibly in the NBA. Hassan Whiteside played at an All-Star level after he was given a starting job, and is already a name floating around for possible defensive player of the year in the upcoming season.
Chris Bosh is one of the best power forwards in the league, and the number one option for this team. Luol Deng had a quiet season, but did show some glances of life while he had some nice games, and still put up decent numbers. Dragic is a complete point guard, who had a rough season before joining the Heat, and I would go as far to say that he is the best point guard the Heat have had since Tim Hardaway (sorry Chalmers). And to complete it, we have Wade, who of course happens to be “washed up”. Wade was third in the East in scoring, extremely efficient from the field, and still an important player last season- helping shut the doubters down.
The bench has also drastically improved. Winslow should be fun to watch, McRoberts is back healthy, Amar’e Stoudemire is looking to bounce back from some bad seasons, Gerald Green has some uber-athletic skills that will bring everyone to their feet at the American Airlines Arena, and Chalmers is going to be much more valuable in a bench role.
So what now? I’m not here to preach that the Heat will go 99-0, including a win in the All-Star game, and that there will be another parade down Biscayne Boulevard.
But if the injury-bug doesn’t infect Miami again this season, the Heat is set to be atop the Eastern Conference, contending with the Cavaliers for the top seed.
Cover Photo Credit: Keith Allison/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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Where’s The Best Places To Get Great Food In Miami This Upcoming Week?
This piece was originally published by our partner MIAbites.com and is produced by them.
Each week, MIAbites will feature The Weekly Nibble, highlighting “foodie” events and special promotions in Miami for the upcoming weeks. Please note that specific details, dates and prices are subject to change, so please call ahead to confirm event details.
Wednesday January 13th – The Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce “Let’s Eat Dinner” Series is pleased to return in 2016 with the announcement that Bulla Gastrobar will host a special dinner and cooking demonstration on Wednesday, January 13 at 6 p.m. Guests are invited to learn how to make authentic Spanish paella learned at one of Spain’s most famous restaurants, El Bulli. Led by Bulla Doral’s new chef Miguel Rebolledo, who will take the helm at Bulla Gastrobar’s new Doral location in early 2016, refined his technique and culinary skills working under two of the most renowned Spanish chefs, Jose Andres and Ferran Andria, and Bulla Coral Gables’ chef Diego Solano, participants will enjoy CAVA wine and a cooking demonstration of the beloved national dish of Spain, paella. Tickets are $65 and reservations are required. Bulla 2500 Ponce De Leon Blvd, Coral Gables, FL 33134 (305) 441-0107
Saturday January 16th – Burger Beast hosts his 7th Annual “Burgie Awards” honoring South Florida’s best food vendors, restaurants and food trucks. Miami Lakes Auto Mall is bringing the 2016 Burger Beast Burgie Awards back to Magic City Casino on Saturday January 16th from 5-10 pm. After a 2 month long voting period on the Burger Beast Blog which ends on Wednesday January 13th, the 14 Burgie Award Winners will be decided. Those winners will be announced & receive their Awards LIVE at the Burgie Awards. Over 25 different food vendors will be on hand selling to the public a variety of great eats in addition to live music and admission is FREE. Voting is still open and for more info visit http://theburgies.com.
Thursday January 21st – BLT Prime Miami will partner with local home-grown beer makers M.I.A. Brewing for a five course dinner featuring seasonal beers from the Doral-based brewery and tap room. Miami Herald Food Editor Evan Benn, a national beer writer for Esquire, Beer Advocate and other publications, will serve as host for the event; The evening will get underway at 7 PM on Thursday, January 21. Priced at $75 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity, reservations are required at 305-591-6066. BLT Prime Trump National Doral
4400 NW 87th Ave Miami, FL 33178Do you like this? Read more awesome restaurant reviews, tips and event listings at MIAbites.com.
Saturday January 23rd– StripSteak by Michael Mina at The Fontainebleau kickoffs off their 2016 Cellar 1954 Wine & Dinner serieswith a decadent five-course menu prepared by StripSteak chef de cuisine Derrick Roberts, complemented by seven different wines from Darioush. Darioush Khaledi and his wife Shahpar founded Darioush in 1997. The Darioush Estate has flourished over time and is now comprised of 120 acres in Southern Napa Valley spanning the Mount Veeder and Oak Knoll American viticultural areas. Each of the five courses will be paired with a different varietal from the label. Priced at $225 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuity, the luxurious evening will begin at 8 p.m. Strip Steak by Michael Mina 4441 Collins Ave. Miami Beach FL (877) 326 7412
New and Ongoing:
Mignonette– It’s time to go “Big Easy” at Chef Daniel Serfer’s neighborhood oyster bar and seafood haven in Edgewater. Rolling out this week, Mignonette’s menu features six new brunch items; two new sandwiches for lunch; three appetizers; three ‘fancy’ preparations for dinner and four new veggies for the proverbial chalkboard. Southern- influences abound with a Big Easy brunch items like Conch Fritter Benedict with Bahamian conch, poached eggs and sherry-cayenne aioli. NOLA lunch offerings include the addition of the P-Muffuletta. New dinner items include Steak Diane, a classic dish prepared with beautiful cuts of filet mignon served with herbed spaetzle and cognac; Swordfish is seared to perfection perched atop melty duck confit, wild mushroom fricassee and finished with a marsala pan sauce; Fancy Red Fish takes a cue from Cajun iterations with an Andouille crust, rock shrimp, bomba rice and lobster broth. Mignonette 210 NE 18th Street, Miami, FL 33132 (305) 374-4635
Quality Meats– Coming up on the one year anniversary of the popular Quality Meats Miami, chef de cuisine Patrick Rebholz has added to the menu a Signature Chicken Parm Pizza, a buzzworthy import from NYC sister restaurant, Quality Italian, and is the star of the new line-up. Intended for two diners at $32 per person, the 14-inch chicken parmesan topped with mozzarella, Parmesan and Pecorino is delivered to diners on a pizza rack, and is sliced tableside. So popular in New York that the restaurant often runs out midway through dinner service, the dish is accompanied with all the requisite pizza toppings including shakers of parmesan, pepper, dried black olives and Calabrian chili honey. Other new menu items make their way onto the charcuterie board and as new appetizers including two seasonally fresh selections – a snapper ceviche with local strawberries and heirloom tomatoes and yellowfin tuna carpaccio with roasted beets and lemon olive oil. Among the newest main courses, two new selections are sure to please non-carnivores — juicy lemon-charred chicken, and the Quality Lobster Bake. Quality Meats Miami Beach 1501 Collins Avenue (305) 340 3333
The Filling Station (previously located in Downtown Miami) in Oakland Park is giving guests a reason to celebrate the new year with a lunch deal that’s a savory steal! Through the end of January, locals and visitors can enjoy The Ultimate Great American Bacon Cheeseburger served with a side of their signature tater tots and a draft beer for $11. To cure any hunger pain, the hunk of a meat is dressed with American cheese, candied bacon, buttermilk ranch and homemade chipotle ketchup. This offer is available daily from 11:30 AM – 4 PM.Additionally, the irresistible bar food paradise will be offering new specials weekly like Trivia Night, or their $1 tacos during happy hour. The Filling Station 3200 NE 12th Oakland Park. FL (954) 908-5225
Beaker & Gray in Wynwood announces the launch of $5 Happy Hour. Certain to become a go-to destination to wind down after work, Happy Hour at Beaker & Gray features lineup of libations and bites, available Monday through Friday from 5PM-7PM. For night owls, Happy Hour returns with a second round on Monday through Thursday from Midnight-2AM. Drink special include $5 craft cocktails, $5 beer and $ glasses of wine. $5 bites include: Oaxaca – wax pepper, oregano and tomatillo; Sandwichitos – plantain brioche, pork belly and watermelon rind; Onion Rings – cipollini, pearl and dill; Ricotta – Black Mission fig, Thai basil and Citterio chorizo; and Glass Noodles – green papaya, chayote and Valencia peanut. Beaker & Gray 2637 North Miami Avenue in Wynwood. (305) 699-2637
(Information provided from various sources and subject to change. Please call ahead to confirm details )
The above was produced by MIAbites, one of the leading sources for food news in South Florida. Be sure to visit their website for more great information.
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