Weekly Nibble: $10 Pasta, Chef Collab Dinners, and a Summer Rooftop Pop-Up

As much as we'd like to think summer is Miami's slow season, when it comes to events and fun food related activities it seems there's no shortage of cool things to do. From collab dinners with our favorite chefs to deals on the city's best pasta -- we've got your Weekly Nibble round up featuring plenty of can't miss events!

Macchialina hosts $10 pasta all week long

Miami Beach hotspot for rustic Italian fare, Macchialina, is extending its incredibly popular Pasta Thursday promotion to a weeklong celebration to thank the Miami community for voting the cozy trattoria “Best Restaurant on South Beach” in the Miami New Times Reader’s Choice. Throughout the second week of July, guests will be able to enjoy a selection of $10 pasta dishes on Monday 7/9 through Thursday 7/12 all night long, *cue Lionel Richie*. Yes, $10 pastas #ALLNIGHTLONG. Please the palate and the wallet by indulging in handmade pasta crafted by Chef/Owner Michael Pirolo including a rotating weekly menu of specials and house favorites such as Caccio e Pepe with pecorino and fresh pepper; Lasagna with short rib and taleggio; and the Cavatelli Macchialina with baby meatballs, porchetta and pecorino.

When/Where:       

The pasta-packed promotion begins on Monday, July 9th 2018 and will run through Thursday, July 12th 2018. Macchialina is located at 820 Alton Road on Miami Beach. Dinner is served nightly at 6PM. Telephone: (305) 534-2124; www.macchialina.com

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LEYNIA + Pubbelly Collab Dinner

On Tuesday, July 17th, LEYNIA at Delano South Beach + Chef du Cuisine Guillermo Eleicegui will host a 5-course collaboration dinner with Chef Jose Mendin, the force behind the Pubbelly dynasty, now known as Food Coma Hospitality Group, and Habitat at 1 Hotel. This one-of-kind dining indulgence is part of the restaurant’s monthly guest chef dinner series called Parrilla Con Amigos (Grill with Friends), which invites notable chefs from across the globe to share in the favorite summer pastime.

The James Beard Award-nominated Chef will cook side-by-side with Chef Eleicegui in the LEYNIA kitchen to present diners with a surprise feast not yet released. The anticipated menu will feature dishes by both chefs as well as collaborative efforts, all paired with select wines. For $95++ pp, guests can enjoy this mouthwatering, family-style meal available for one night only. Seating is limited.

For reservations, please call (305) 674-5752. Tuesday, July 17th at 7:30PM.

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Soul Tavern Hosts Snail Social Roaming Happy Hour

Slow Food Miami presents its “Snail Social” roaming Happy Hour event on Tuesday, July 10 from 6PM to 8PM hosted by restaurateur and healer, Jason Gordon and Chef de Cuisine, Kinsler Josaime at Miami's first vegetarian gastropub, Soul Tavern at 1801 West Avenue.

Located in Miami Beach, Soul Tavern is a plant-based restaurant and full bar serving up innovative flavors and a comfort food feel where nobody misses the meat. Chef Josaime will be treating guests to specially-created Snail Social offerings featuring Hearts of Palm Cakes, Hemp Encrusted Edamame Cakes, and Crunchy Forest Maki.

This event is open to the public; $15 suggested donation. Tickets can be purchased here. Snail Social attendees can enjoy the Happy Hour menu from 5:30PM to 7PM including discounted cocktails and wine as well as bites. Guests who choose to stay for dinner will receive 15% off the check (Happy Hour excluded). Student and teacher sponsored tickets are available – those interested can send a message to Slow Food Miami on Facebook or to snail@slowfoodmiami.org.

In previous years, Snail Socials were free to attend. However, Hurricane Irma was the major catalyst that spurred Slow Food Miami to turn these monthly gatherings into fundraisers that would connect the community with the obstacles that farmers face, and to support the local farms most in need. All funds raised through Fall 2017 have been distributed amongst several South Florida farms that were hard hit by Irma’s destructive winds. Moving into 2018, Slow Food continues to support farms where they need it most. The suggested minimum donation of $15 per person directly impacts local farms’ operations and help keep good, clean fair food on South Florida tables.

Snail Socials are hosted by different Snail of Approval chefs and restaurants throughout Miami on the second Tuesday of every month. Other participating chefs and restaurants will be announced throughout the season via Slow Food Miami’s mailing list and social media tagged with #snailsocial. Follow Slow Food Miami on Instagram and Facebook to stay current.

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Pao by Paul Qui Chef Collective dinner with Giorgio Rapicavoli

On Thursday, July 26, Pao by Paul Qui‘s Chef de Cuisine, Benjamin Murray will welcome famed local Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli, beloved for his fun and funky twists on comfort food, to this month’s Chef Collective at Faena Miami Beach. Rapicavoli has a rap sheet that will impress: he’s the owner of Eating House, the popular and critically-acclaimed restaurant in Coral Gables, a two-time winner of Chopped, listed in Forbes’s “30 Under 30” for food, a James Beard Rising Star semifinalist and voted Miami’s Hottest Chef by Eater. Sure to bring his creative verve and uncanny ability to improvise, there’s one thing diners can expect from Rapicavoli: the deliciously unexpected.

Fun Fact: the menu will be vegetarian, but you’ll have the option to add meat if you’d like!

Tickets are $95 per person, plus tax and service charges. Seatings are available from 7:00 – 8:00 pm and space is very limited. For tickets, please visit HERE or call 786.655.5600 to book.

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EPIC Summer Rooftop Pop-Up

This summer, EPIC Pop-Up will offer Downtown Miami a new rooftop restaurant, bringing upscale Mediterranean fare and a large-format cocktail menu to Kimpton EPIC Hotel. Opening  on Friday, July 13, the culinary destination will offer an approachable rooftop dining option to the area, complemented by enviable views of Biscayne Bay.

The pop-up with run from July 13 and stays open for dinner from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. only Thursday-Saturday through the remainder of summer.

The seasonal pop-up will serve chef Alex Olivier’s menu of Mediterranean tapas including small plates such as Serrano ham with melon, Andalusian marinated olives, stuffed dates, conch salad and mussels escabeche. Large plates will include the aforementioned succulent swine, local grilled fish Provençale and Spanish-style prawns with garlic and oil. Three small plates will run $18 with five for $28 and large plates priced at $16-$21.

There will be a whimsical large-format cocktail menu that lead bartender Benny Hernandez says will feature seasonal summer ingredients and “will definitely encourage our guests to be interactive, social and have a good time.”

For reservations and more information, log onto www.EPIChotel.com or call  305-351-7403.