S. Florida Restaurant Certificates for Half Price!

South Florida is a mecca for dining out with a fabulous variety of cuisine from traditional American grill, to Cuban flavors, to Asian fusion, incredible seafood and so much more.

Even better, is a website dedicated to offering special HALF PRICE certificates to many new and popular restaurants throughout South Florida. Recession or not, this is a terrific deal, a great value!

Introducing SouthFloridaDines.com! I recently discovered this website and was pleasantly surprised the participating restaurants included both high end restaurants and some of my favorites. For example, right now, they are offering certificates to Miss Yip ($75 cert for $37.50), Berries in the Grove ($30 Cert for $15), and La Bodega Peruvian restaurant ($30 cert for $15). The restaurants constantly change and supplies are limited so if you see a restaurant you like, I recommend buying the certificate immediately. 

I purchased one for Miss Yip in South Beach and my experience was positive. The transaction was smooth and easy. I just had to pay for gratuity apart on my credit card as was clearly explained in the instructions before purchasing.  A great feature is the ability to print the certificate the second you purchase it. The processing fee is a reasonable $1.25 so it's best to purchase more than one certificate at checkout.
Be sure to read the restrictions carefully so you know what to expect and they may differ. For example, if you are going with a group of friends, only one certificate may be used per table and can not be combined with other offers. At Miss Yip they add an 18% gratuity, although you have the right to change it.

You may have heard of another restaurant website, http://www.restaurants.com/  The concept is similar for restaurants nationwide however they charge more for processing and they only mail the certificate so you have to wait a few days. I found that SouthFloridaDines.com has better deals and participating restaurants for the South Florida area.

So if the recession has pinched your dining out excursions, you definitely want to take advantage of SouthFloridaDines.com. Visit the site now and get an additional 15% discount now through Sunday by entering promo code: FABULOUS.

Buen provecho!
Christine

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Review: Historic Photos of Cuban Miami

ABOUT THE BOOK
From the Spanish-American War to the rise of Castro, followed by the Cuban airlifts in the 1960s and the controversial Mariel boatlift of the 1980s, HISTORIC PHOTOS OF CUBAN MIAMI commemorates the progress of this resilient community of people through 200 black-and-white images.

This collection looks back at the origins, hardships, and unique ethnicity of the great American metropolis of Miami. The images matched with informative captions and in-depth chapter introductions tell the story of this chapter in recent American history; a time that was so influential for Miami and the Cuban exiles and Cuban-Americans who call Miami home.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The author, JENNIFER ORTIZ was born and raised in South Florida to Cuban exile parents. She is a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelors in history and concentration in Latin American studies. In her past research, she studied the Latino identity, slavery, and society. Ortiz currently writes freelance and is working on a children's book. She and her family live in Parkland, Florida, where they hold frequent family gatherings filled with dominoes, café cubano, and lechon.


MY REVIEW
Historic Photos of Cuban Miami is a fabulous story book that unfolds the history of a corner of Miami-- the influence of Cuban Americans and their culture and how it transformed an entire section of Miami. Hialeah was originally planned as the next glamour city. In 1922, Miami Studios was built in Hollywood fashion. World War II and Cuban exiles altered that vision. Instead South Beach took the spotlight with its location hugging the ocean.


The concise  paragraph captions leap like a pop-up book figuratively and transports you to an era of uncertainty, boiling tensions, and a city transforming like the biology of a teenager--overnight, full of passion and rage, a sense of immortality despite the ugly face of communism a mere 90 miles away. But also a story of determination to succeed despite the odds here and there.

Historic Photos of Cuban Miami makes for a great coffee table book and equally engaging conversation piece. Or enjoy it all to yourself one lazy afternoon relaxing on lounge chair with an iced latte spiked with a shot of a cafe cubano.

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Mother's Day at Pinecrest Gardens

A promotional postcard landed in my mailbox promoting a Mother's Day brunch at Pinecrest Gardens. And it answered my prayers of where to take mom-- a perennial greenthumb!

I had never heard of Pinecrest Gardens and a quick online search taught me that this was the former home of the popular Parrot Jungle which now resides on Watson Island.

My mother is a lover of flowers and foliage and a Mother's Day brunch surrounded by tropical plants was the perfect setting and it met our expectations.

Upon arriving, were were presented with potted plants of mint herb leaves. What a great introduction! As we walked torwards our table, the view left us speechless. A backdrop of lush green sprawling lawn, a large pond shared by dapper ducks, gangling geese, and svelte neckline-swans surrounded by tropical plants and blooming, colorful flowers. We found a piece of paradise in the suburbs of Pinecrest!

Underneath a canopy of twined tree bark, each table was set for the exact number of people in each reservation's party. With humidity clamoring to cling to our bodies, the organizers cleverly set portable air-condition units every few feet. My mother welcomed the cool breeze conveniently stationed next to our table. The record heat to date was not going to put a damper on our perfect day. To ensure our comfortable arrival, chilled mimosas were served immediately.

Moms & Mimosas was the inaugural Mother's Day brunch at the Pinecrest Gardens and everything was just right. From the setting, the food and the service, we could not ask for more.

The catering company was Delicious Catering Services Inc. and the food selection offered traditional brunch favorites like omelette station, carved turkey and roast beef, to caesar salad, a tomato and spinach salad with candied walnuts, bagels, fruit assortment, pasta with sauce selections and a light cream cheese dessert with blueberries. Everything was indeed delicious! We went for seconds. Chilled white wine was also available upon request and there was no limit on the alcoholic beverages.

The price was just right at $55/person. We hope they continue this tradition and not raise the price!

If you decide to visit the gardens from the north, we highly recommend the scenic route through tree-line roads and breathtaking homes and estates of Coral Gables and then Pinecrest. Starting at Coconut Grove take Main Highway South to (left) 37th Avenue to (right) on Ingraham, a quick left on 42nd Avenue around the Cartagena Circle to Old Cutler Road. CLICK HERE for the Google Map.

We enjoyed this day in the fresh outdoors surrounded by Mother nature's warm spirits and the prodigy of her power--luscious landscaping and tropical surrounding.

It was a perfect Mother's Day.

Celebrity Chef Ming Tsai Offers Free Cooking Demos!

Celebrity Chef, Ming Tsai, will be in Miami this Saturday for free cooking demonstrations, book signing and food for you to sample! All thanks to Macy's Culinary Council.

Famous for his "East Meets West cuisine", the award-winning chef will prepare: New Style Salmon Sashimi, Asian Ratatouille with Couscous and a Tamari Marinated Tofu Cucumber Salad. Ming will share some of his cooking secrets and also sign his cookbook for you. Best of all, there's food samples for all to try.

You may have seen Ming on TV. He currently hosts and is executive producer of the public television cooking show Simply Ming. He’s also the author of three cookbooks and he hosts a weekly podcast offering tips and tutorials on everything from filleting fish to decanting wine. Ming has also received quite a few culinary awards.

If you can't make the event, you'll definitely want to visit his website for THE recipes: Tasty, Healthy, and Easy! The featured recipe for the month on his website, is Shrimp & Parsley Wontons with Soy Vinegar Sauce--I'm salivating!

For some basic instructions on like how to make perfect rice, Chinese style, or use soy sauce for stir frying instead of table salt, check out the videos below!

WHEN: 

Saturday, May 15, 2010
1:00 pm



WHERE:

Macy’s Home Store at Dadeland Mall

Culinary Kitchen, 2nd floor

7675 SW 88th Street

Miami, FL 33156



RSVP: 
Customer RSVP’s are recommended, but not required. To reserve your seat at the event, please call (305) 662-3533.

ABOUT THE CHEF
Ming Tsai started cooking at his family’s Chinese restaurant as a teenager in Dayton, Ohio. He then pursued a mechanical engineering degree from Yale University, which proved to be a brief detour in a career that would lead him to Paris, where he Studied at Le Cordon Bleu. Soon afterwards, he began working at Fauchon and Natacha where he encountered east-west cuisine for the first time. Back in the United States, Ming earned his master’s degree in Hotel and Hospitality Administration and Marketing which led him to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in San Francisco.

Fast forward to 1998, Ming returned to the Boston area and opened his three-star restaurant Blue Ginger. Shortly after opening, the restaurant was nominated as “Best New Restaurant of the Year 1998” by the James Beard Foundation, as well as Esquire Magazine honored Ming as the “Chef of the Year 1998.” Numerous accolades followed, including the James Beard award for the 2002 Best Chef Northeast and Second Most Popular Boston Restaurant by the Zagat Restaurant Guide for seven consecutive years.









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Florida's Water Lovers

Water Lovers--here's your new best friend--Citrus County, Florida.

Whether you enjoy kayaking, canoeing, scuba diving, or snorkeling, go to http://www.visitcitrus.com/. This magical part of Florida offers both wildlife and landscaped parks and marine spectacles.

On land there's birding, blueberries, and butterflies. For the adults, Citrus County has it all covered with golf and spas.

For the complete land and water experience, discover the Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park. Stroll along paved trails and witness the native wildlife including deer, bob cats, grey fox, and cougars at close range. The park is also a refuge for injured and rehabilitating manatee. The natural spring environment allows them an opportunity to re-acclimate themselves to a more natural environment before they are returned to the wild.

Swim to a manatee-nose-to-nose! No kidding!

Plan your trip now by visiting http://www.visitcitrus.com/ and for money-saving travelers, check out their "Crystal Cash" page for discounts, promos and more on hotels, boat rentals, attractions and restaurants!

Write back and share your adventure right here!

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This Weekend in St. Augustine

Friday and Saturday: May 7 & 8
WILD DREAMS - DISCOVERING HENRY FLAGLER
See Henry Flagler brought to life in this critically-acclaimed performance by Paul Jellinek. In Wild Dreams, Henry Flagler tells the story of his development of St. Augustine as a world class resort destination, his work with John D. Rockefeller, the expansion of his empire to the Keys - even the story of his three marriages. Performances are Friday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. at the San Marco Theater across from Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum in St. Augustine. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 children. For more information, call 904.429.0280.


Saturday: May 8
HASTINGS POTATO AND CABBAGE FESTIVAL
Come help celebrate this year's harvest season as this annual event returns to St. Johns County. Known as the Potato Capital of Florida, the town of Hastings will host a fun- filled day with entertainment of all kinds, kids' activities, art and history exhibits and a Farmer's Market. It all take place at the Hastings Recreational Field, 150 Main Street off SR 207 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 904.692.3655.

NATION'S OLDEST PORT TOURS
Immerse yourself in history during this exciting tour that includes stops at four of St. Augustine's nautical landmarks, including the Castillo de San Marcos, the Fountain of Youth, the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum and Fort Mose Historic State Park. Old Town Trolley's will pick-up and drop off at The Oldest Jail at 10:45a.m., noon and 1p.m. for this tour. Tickets are $6 for ages 13-55, free for younger or older. For more information, contact Old Town Trolleys at (904) 829-3800.

16th ANNUAL DINE ON THE WILD SIDE
Explore the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and enjoy a complete BBQ or vegetarian dinner and lively entertainment! This annual event helps raise funds for HAWKE, a not-for-profit organization that rehabilitates injured and orphaned wild birds, mammals, and reptiles including endangered species. Come early to enjoy the park, then stay all evening to participate in a guided tour of the bird rookery to view thousands of birds including endangered wood storks. Bring your camera for unique photographic opportunities! Once the park closes to the general public, the wild fun begins. The St. Augustine Alligator Farm is located at 999 Anastasia Boulevard in St. Augustine Dine on the Wild Side is from 6 to 9 p.m., but your come early and enjoy the park. Tickets are $35 kids 5 to 11 are $20. For more information, call 904.692.1777 or visit http://www.hawkewildlife.org

Advertising Rates for My Fabulous Florida

This website uses a Blog template so no matter which tab or link the users clicks, you're banner will always be on every page. One of the benefits of advertising on My Fabulous Florida is that I limit the number of banner ads. You will never see more ads than what is currently featured.

Below are special ad rates for first time advertisers:

Button Ad (150 x 150)
$25 per month

Square Ad (220 x 220)
$50 per month

Vertical Banner (190 x 474)
$65 per month

Product/Service Review
$100 (400+ words with a link to your website/ anchor text of your choice)

Please note that favorable reviews are done at the discretion of the writer.

Products can be sent to me (please contact me for mailing address), and I am available to experience your service on select days. If my experience with the product or service was not positive, I will communicate this to the advertiser prior to posting and accepting payment, at that time the advertiser has the choice to not have me write the post/review. I do not write a post/review without experiencing the product or service.

Ads should be submitted to christine.michaels@yahoo.com in JPEG or HTML form. Ads can be designed for you, pricing depends on the scope of the work.

Alternative ad sizes are available upon request.

Christine Michaels
Owner/Author
christine.michaels@yahoo.com