"Art in the Park" presents the Florida Grand Opera
March 6, Sunday, 4-6pm
This event is free to the public. Takes place at Collins Park at Collins Avenue and 21/22nd Streets.

National Wine Week at Smith & Wollensky
March 7-11
Sample 10 wines for $10 with the purchase of a lunch entree. For more details, click here.

"Art in the Park" presents Frozen Music Sound Installation
March 13, 12pm-4pm
This event is free to the public. Takes place at Collins Park at Collins Avenue and 21/22nd Streets.

Audition to Sing National Anthem at Sony Ericsson
March 19, Saturday
The Sony Ericsson Open is hosting a talent search where one lucky winner will have the opportunity to sing the National Anthem prior to the Friday, March 25 evening session.


The contest will be held at Dos Caminos, Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday, March 19 and will begin promptly at 8pm. All eligible contestants must be at least 16 years old and legal residents who live within 250 miles of Miami; and must sign-up at the contest location no later than 8pm to participate. All contestants will have a chance to sing one song up to two minutes in length in front of a panel of three judges and the Dos Caminos crowd.

The selected winner will not only receive the opportunity to sing on Stadium Court at the Sony Ericsson Open on Friday, March 25, but will receive four (4) tickets to the Friday evening session, and an all-access tour of the tournament.

Dos Caminos, (Sheraton Fort Lauderdale) 1140 Seabreeze Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-727-7090


Antoon Vanderborght - Belgium’s First Prize Winner Guitarist in Concert
March 19th, Saturday
The Miami Classical Guitar Society presents the fourth concert of its International Guitar Masters and Laureates Series 2011 featuring Antoon Vandeborght, Belgian virtuoso guitarist. His concert will take place at the Episcopal Church Center in the University of Miami Campus, 1150 Stanford Drive, on Saturday, March 19th, at 8 pm. Tickets cost $20 at the door, and $15 members, students, seniors. Parking is free. For more information, call 305-412-2494, or visit http://www.miamiguitar.org/

Antoon Vandeborght is undoubtedly Belgium’s leading young guitarist, 1st Prize Winner of 16 of the most important international guitar competitions, including the 2009 Premio Andres Segovia (Spain), 2009 Ciudad de Coria (Spain), Concurso Internacional José Tomás (Spain), Enschede (Netherlands), Mercatalli (Italy), among others. Audiences and juries all around the world have much valued his interpretive qualities, and his sensibility and capacity to transmit his music to the public.

KISS A GOAT
2011 Miami International Agriculture and Cattle Show
March 19, 20 (Saturday & Sunday)
The Miami International Agriculture & Cattle Show, now in its fourth year, attracts visitors from all over the world and features a host of fun activities for the whole family. Browse exhibitor displays of plants and fresh produce, enjoy live entertainment and sample the array of foods offered by vendors. Each day there will be local horse clubs demonstrating all kinds of cultural equestrian traditions, and new this year is the equestrian trail where you can see blacksmiths fitting horses with horseshoes, craftsmen making saddles and leather wear, artists painting horse portraits, and more. Saturday features a professional polo exhibition match, and on both days there will be the Medieval Times Spectacular, complete with medieval pageantry, where knights compete in jousting and sword fighting tournaments on horseback. Children will enjoy the cowboy horseback rifle and revolver shooting skills contest, cattle herding exhibition, petting zoo and pony rides. Admission and parking are free, and all proceeds from concessions will benefit children afflicted with autism through the South Florida Autism Charter Schools. Open Sat from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sun from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Ronald Reagan Equestrian Center
Tropical Park
7900 S.W. 40th Street, Miami
305-222-2116

Tennis: Sony Ericsson Open
March 21-April 3
Get set for the Sony Ericsson Open, one of the most glamorous events on the ATP Tour, offering a complete entertainment experience with high fashion, fine food, fabulous shopping and celebrity musical performances. With the likes of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Andy Murray, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters on hand, you'll see the top players in the world competing for one of the most prestigious titles in tennis. The Sony Ericsson Open always delivers the best tennis action imaginable, and you never know who you'll bump into on the tournament grounds. Ticket packages are available starting at just $82. http://www.sonyericssonopen.com/
Crandon Park Tennis Center
7300 Crandon Boulevard, Key Biscayne

White tents erected on the beach like giant sugar cubes are the telltale signs that the SoBe Wine & Food Festival is underway. One of the most coveted star-studded events in South Beach that draws people from across the nation, rich people.

Going back to its origins, the festival offered sampling of foods from Miami's finest restaurants and wine labels under one big tent.  Tickets were an affordable $75 a piece. Even then the lines for each station serpentined like a tangled necklace and the attendees bumped elbows along the way perhaps stumbling from over indulgence of wine and bubbly.

Much has changed since those days.  Today, tickets are a stratospheric $300+ for the Grand Tasting village. Other private festival events will torpedo your recessionary budget into a bleak depression.

What's all the fuss? The Food Network is now the sponsor of the festival which means a swarm of celebrity chefs descend into Miami. Bobby Flay, Rachel Ray, Emeril Lagasse, Paula Deen and others.  Sure I enjoy these chefs and still have all the ingredients collecting dust in my cupboard for a red cake recipe from Paula Deen. But let's face it, who has time? Although I love Rachel Ray's 30-minute recipes which fit my busy lifestyle.  But my sofa's distance from my 40" flatscreen fulfills my celebrity-proximity need.

Moving onto the Grand Tasting village, upon entering say hello to Mr. Elbow again.  A little pushing and shoving is expected. And yes, you paid a handsome price to be treated like a sardine.

With a dimunitive name (the "ito"), Mercadito was not a dollhouse-size storefront with even smaller interior. Quite the opposite. The unpretencious entrance doors gave way to a chic market. Yes, upholstered bench seats meet decorative weaved basket-light fixtures dangling from the ceiling. And the bar was even more impressive.

Cozy entrance sitting area for drinks and appetizers

Christine sitting at table with bar in background

The restaurant was large and must hold over 70 people. The waitress that served us shared that famed pop singer Shakira, was recently here.

Scanning the various "guacamoles" as a starter, we opted for the traditional one with avocado versus the more adventurous flavors of pumpkin or pomegranate.  It was perfect!

Lately I have been sampling ceviches from different restaurants. More recently I had the ceviche at the famous Joe's Stone Crab restaurant in South Beach. It was disappointing. They were clearly missing an ingredient but I could not pin point it.  After a long work day, I needed an uplifting evening. Please, Poseidon, don't fail me!




"Dorada" ceviche

So next, I ordered a fish ceviche "dorado" which consisted of mahi-mahi, avocado, tomato, and orange-chile de arbol broth. No fishy taste, light, not too tangy and refreshing. I loved it.

For my choice of meat, my taste buds leapt at the "carnitas de puerco" taquizas. Translation: braised pork flour tacos.  The dish, to my surprised was an appetizer size. However, the meat was flavorful, succulent and the three sauces enhanced the flavors with a mild or bold flavor.  I skipped the tortillas that accompanied the pork. I was already brimming carbs from chips and guacamole.




"Carnitas de puerco" taquizas

Passing up dessert was quickly negated when the dessert menu was presented and the first item "flan de cajeta" cried my name.  A lover of goat's cheese, I was drawn by the ingredients of goat's milk, orange crystallized topping and dusted coffee.

Flan de cajeta

High marks for the food flavors, it met or exceeded expectations. Unfortunately I give low marks for value. The pork carnitas was priced at $21.  Highly overpriced. 

Mercadito is definitely out of my moderate-priced budget. For indulgence, I would rather go to Michael's Genuine Food or Asia de Cuba at the Mondrian. The trend of loud music was rampant at Mercadito that once again I felt I was 42 years old going on 80. 

As a marketing professional I see that restaurants are excluding an older clientele with money to spend. By reducing the  music volume that still exudes ambiance but does not overpower the sensitivities of clients, should be the goal.

Mercadito Midtown
3252 NE First Avenue
Miami, FL  33137
786-369-0430