Christine Michaels at Le Sirenuse Champagne Bar

You've heard of "Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams".  Welcome to my new hideaway. A Champagne hideaway.  My new escape from the urban beat of south beach or rustling of downtown.  It's Le Sirenuse a champagne bar and restaurant in Miami Beach.

I discovered this gem on Instagram this past summer. The second I saw it was in Miami Beach, I knew that would be the location for my next birthday celebration.



I could not believe this place existed, a hidden gem.  A blend of Mediterranean, Moroccan, and island living.  The white walls and arches, contrasted by dark wooden beam vault ceiling with intricate woodwork, the giant palm frond wicker back chairs, and mosaic tile of South Spain or North Africa.  It had an airy island feel, exuding a subtle wealth reminding me of upper echelon Brits in colonial India or Caribbean islands.  This was magical. This would become my new special place.





What made it more amazing was the history and then the food. The past and the present.

Soon I learned this was the original Surf Club, a private club for the wealthy in the 1930's.  Guests ranging from Gary Cooper, Frank Sinatra, The Rat Pack, Douglas MacArthur, Winston Churchill, the Duke & Duchess of Windsor, and Elizabeth Taylor, visited the Surf Club.  It was tire tycoon Harvey Firestone that opened it in Gatsby-ish flair on New Year's Eve in the Depression.  Speaking of extravagant, in its heyday, one would find kayaks in the pool, liquor on the beach during Prohibition, black tie boxing dinners, and even tables all made of ice for themed galas.

Feeling like we stepped into a black and white movie film of the 1930s

The exterior surprisingly is insignificant in detail. No doubt not to draw attention to guests.  So it was easy to miss the building and drive passed it.  Just another white building in a sea of concrete hotels and condos. No colorful garden or impressive sign like the iconic Eden Roc.  Upon entering, it was a different world. Tropical, cool, artistic, inviting

Christine Michaels at the grand hallway entrance of the former Surf Club

Hotelier Antonio Sersale  is acclaimed for the Le Sirenuse Resort in Positano, Italy and the Miami location is his first venture in the U.S.

It is this bar that caught my attention on Instagram. The emerald green white marble top bar with gold accent.

Le Sirenuse bar, Four Seasons Miami Beach Formerly the ballroom of the Surf Club called "Peacock Alley"

The food follows its Italian Neopolitan roots but adapts to Miami ingredients.  The Chef also hails from Positano. Both owner and chef considered Miami refined but informal, like Positano.  Recalling my visit to the Amalfi coast, I have to agree.



For Brunch in October on Saturday it was not busy yet we did need a reservation.  The best time to visit Miami is October, early November, the off season before the madness of tourist season.  We had the place to ourselves practically that the waiter was so delighted to have a group of local ladies.  Looking around there were a few other customers and one large corporate group visiting.

The tables were set with fine linens and hand blown glasses from Venetian Carlo Moretti. I call the color,  Mediterranean blue.




For the slower season, even though Miami Spice ended in September, Le Sirenuse offered their own Summer Fare.  A three course brunch for $45 and a flight of wine for an  additional $25.  Their dinner preset menu was $130 for five courses.


The winner surprisingly was the  Halibut which easily won high praise over the Chilean Seabass.  Perhaps due to the fact the former was much more plump than the seabass which came out thinner and not as flavorful. Side dishes of zucchini with parmesan was a hit.



It was the wine pairing that really impressed me.  Fine selection and offering with the preset lunch menu. Oh and dessert.  Very happy with the lemon sponge cake.

The food was very enjoyable and would definitely return for more Champagne and Birthday wishes.
Here's to wishes coming true!

Lemon spongy cake --light and delicious!

Sorbet

Christine blows birthday candle

Rums of Puerto Rico

Did you know that Puerto Rico is the capital of rums? It's no wonder we get the tropical sensation of wearing a wide brimmed straw hat, sipping a cocktail on a Caribbean island. Rum is historically an island product brimming with history, warmth, spice and the sweetness of its source--sugar cane.

Today I had the pleasure of meeting with the representatives of the Puerto Rican tourism government in town for an educational/marketing campaign about the Rums of Puerto Rico, a division of the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO).



While Puerto Rico still recovers from the aftermath of hurricane Maria in 2017, it strives to focus on its core strengths, one is tourism the other is rum. With the expansion of mature luxurious expressions, rum is no longer labeled a"good time" quick party spirit.

While rum is produced in over 80 countries, Puerto Rico is responsible for exporting 70% of the rum consumed in the U.S. As drinkers age so does their palate for a more sophisticated rum.  Therefore Rums of Puerto Rico was wise to ensure the Americans were aware that rum was evolving into a higher end spirit. It's not just for mixing and sipping pina coladas and mojitos anymore.  Swirling, sniffing and tasting these finer rums in pure form, ranks them high with cognacs and brandy.

The Puerto Rican Rum Standard

The representative started with a general overview of rum making on the island. In touting their benchmark standard, the Rums of Puerto Rico claims that no other country follows their high standards of processing and craftmanship.  Let's do a  "rum down":

1.  Ingredients. The rum must be made from quality sugar cane molasses. Other countries use primarily the sugar cane juice. 
2. Distillation. Here they use columns made of pop steel called "Alambique".
3. Aging. This is the most important process. All rums must be aged minimum one year in American oak barrels. 
4. Blending.
5. Filtering.

For our tasting and lesson, we sampled four rum brands Don Q, Bacardi, Ron de Barrilito and Trigo. In Hispanic style we started from right to left.

Trigo, Reservea Aneja Rum

The first one up was Trigo Reserva Aneja Rum. We examined the color, the legs and flavor.  Trigo started in 1953. This particular rum, light body, is aged at least 12 years in American white oak barrels normally used for Bourbon. It is bottled in a hand blown decanter bottle, to signify a master jewel in a collection of rums. Drinking it pure, it was definitely strong.

Ron de Barrilito

Next was Ron de Barrilito (translated "the barrel of rum").  This was my favorite blend and story. A full body rum aged in sherry casks from Spain. As the story goes Pedro Fernandez returned to Bayamon, Puerto Rico in 1871 after studying engineering in France for learning to craft aged spirits. In 1880 after perfecting his craft he created the first blend of rum and served it straight from the "barrelito" (barrel).  While the family served other blends from a bottle as was more appropriate, guests kept asking for the rum from the "barrelito".  This is the favorite rum in Puerto Rico for its simple process and historical roots. Nothing has changed since 1880. They still make small batches, utilizing the exact same methods and even the same label, and bottle labels placed by hand. Amazing.

Bacardi

Next was the recognizable brand Bacardi. While the Bacardi family originally started rum distillery in Cuba, sensing the rising tension during the Batista era, they began building distilleries in Puerto Rico. There they fled after the Castro revolution and continued their rum making. Bacardi is the number one selling rum brand in the world. This particular superior blend was aged 10 years.

Don Q

Castillo Serralles was built in the 1930's and served as the family headquarters for 70 years. It was sold to the City of Ponce in 2001 and now serves as a public museum and cultural venue

Last but definitely not least was the Don Q, the best selling rum in Puerto Rico. In 1865 the family of Don Juan Serralles opened a rum manufacturer at the plantation Hacienda Mercedita (which he named after his wife Mercedes). After importing a still from France, Don Juan produced various local rum brands most of which were short lived. Inspired by the success of other rum producers in the island, the family decided to launch a refined brand, Don Q in 1932 to export.  It became so popular it rivaled Bacardi who locals considered too harsh or a foreign brand (headquarters for Bacardi was in Cuba at the time; since the 1960's Bacardi has had its headquarters in Bermuda). Then in the 1960's Don Q was available in most of Puerto Rico's supermarket chains.


With the growth of premium rums there is a price point to match. Bottles can average $50USD or more depending on the age of the rum.

Now you are probably thinking, one needs a nice cigar to complement a fine rum. Indeed you are correct.  You're also in luck.  If you are in Miami, the Little Havana Tours has launched a Cigar & Rum Pairing tour. Learn about cigars, the history, where the tobacco leaves grow, and watch taqueros roll leaves into fine cigars. Then light it while sipping a decadent rum.  Or you may ask for a private rum tasting tour alone, no cigars.  Feel free to call or text them at 305-814-4058.

Note: This is not a paid advertisement.  I was not asked to write this post in exchange for any monies or benefit.