By: Dr. Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

For almost 25 years, just about everyone has wanted to “Be Like Mike.” Ever since the iconic commercial graced our television screens, it became widely known that to be “Like Mike” meant you could soar through the air and that your taste was, well, impeccable. Like Mike Italian Taste in Coconut Grove, may be named after a different “Mike” but the restaurant’s namesake, also knew a thing or two about living large and exceptional dining.

Like Mike’s menu features flavors from the Amalfi Coast, including select recipes curated by Italian Michelin-starred chef, Luigi Salomone, such as: Parmigiana Vesuvio, Pasta alla Nerano and Cacio e Pepe al Tonno. Other standouts include the Fiori di Zucca and the Tagliata di Manzo.

Salomone adds a modern flair to his traditional Italian recipes. The trattoria is the newest addition to the Lucio Giordano Group, which boasts several restaurants on the Amalfi Coast, including the Michelin-starred, Re Santi e Leoni in Nola, Naples.

Similar to its sister restaurants, Like Mike invokes the spirit of the Amalfi Coast, where guests can indulge in a unique, authentic, and relaxing atmosphere- enjoying long, languid meals and conversations in a relaxed setting. The menu is complemented by a curated wine selection centered around Campanian wines, with the intention of enhancing the immersive Italian dining experience.

Named in loving memory of a friend of owner, Lucio Giordano, Like Mike aims to combine tradition and food quality by using locally-sourced ingredients like trattorias found in Italy, but embellished with a contemporary and innovative twist. The setting is is bright and airy, trendy and sophisticated- all at the same time. Don’t be surprised if the manager sits down with you at your table to share some of his favorite wines and tales of the Old Country.

Giordano shares: “Our customers can expect a modern, trendy vibe paired with the enveloping, traditional hospitality that recalls the spirit of the Amalfi Coast. For this reason, Like Mike imports a unique dining experience that complements the sparkling Miami charm. What fascinates me about this new American project is to import the picturesque, exotic Italian essence and culinary wonders to an American audience. With Like Mike, we can construct a bridge that connects dream and reality.”

Like Mike is the first restaurant outside of Italy to be part of the Lucio Giordano Group, which owns a string of successful restaurants in destinations like Pompei, Positano, Sorrento, and the aforementioned Michelin-starred, Re Santi e Leoni, in Naples.

Like Mike is located at 3433 Main Highway in Coconut Grove. It is open Tuesday through Thursday from 12pm to 10pm; Friday and Saturday from 10am to 11pm and Sunday from 10am to 10pm.

To learn more about Like Mike, visit www.likemikerestaurant.com
Tel. (305) 392-0679
@likemike_restaurant
@LikeMikeRestaurant

A magic carpet ride of brilliant performers, stunning costumes, creative set design and special effects and beautiful music, Disney’s Aladdin is funny, entertaining and a joy to experience.

The plot, lyrics, humor and set are intended to appeal to young audiences, (ages six and up are recommended) while, at the same time, engaging and delighting adults.

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Left: Performance by Kianí del Valle. Right: Faena Prize Winner Paula de Solminihac with Jury members José Roca and Alexandre Arrechea. Photography by Oriol Tarridas. Courtesy of Faena Art.

Honoring the Gala’s theme “Patterns of Paradise”, guests were asked to explore the interconnectivity between all cultures and wear mismatched patterns to celebrate ritual and collective consciousness. The best dressed won a two-night stay at Faena Hotel Penthouse.

Guests also enjoyed an artistic intervention by Xander Ferreira; performances by Kianí del Valle and Gazelle; a live DJ set by Pascale Moscheni; and culinary experiences by Chef Erik Ramírez in collaboration with Francis Mallman and Paul Qui. Notable attendees included artists and cultural tastemakers including Alan Faena, Mayor of Miami Beach Dan Gelber, Peter Brandt, Jr., Ximena Caminos, City of Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez, Carlos Betancourt, SiriusXM President and Chief Content Officer Scott Greenstein, and Stefano Tonchi.

Following opening remarks from Mayor of Miami Beach Dan Gelber highlighting Faena Art’s commitment to the community, Alan Faena welcomed the enthused crowd to the Gala and awarded Paula de Solminihac with the Prize presented by Bombay Sapphire, commenting, “Following five successful editions in Buenos Aires, we are thrilled to debut the Faena Prize for the Arts in Miami with Paula de Solminihac’s vision for Faena Beach during this year’s Miami Art Week. Actively contributing to Miami Beach as a nurturing site for the community, Paula’s proposed installation—and the artist’s largest-scale work to date—physically embodies this vibrant city Faena Art is deeply committed to.”

In her acceptance speech, Faena Prize for the Arts Winner Paula De Solminihac said, “When I saw the open call to create a public art project on the beach, I didn’t hesitate for a second to propose something. What I didn’t imagine was that that this project would become a reality. To have this proposal recognized as the Prize winner means not only receiving the opportunity to explore my imagination—an activity which is part of me and part of my daily practice and one that I very much enjoy—but also the opportunity to construct something at a large scale, a project that requires many hands for it to become a reality. I am filled with joy and honored to generate a space on the beach during Miami Art Week that invites us all to think in a rooted manner, in collaboration, and in relationship with our environment.”

Dining with Bacchus
Last night we had the pleasure of Dining with Bacchus, a wine & food educational dinner hosted by the Italian Trade Agency, at dōma restaurant in Wynwood.
Dining with Bacchus is an amazing learning experience educating guests on Italian wines and their adaptability to various culinary pairings.
With over 540 officially recognized native wine grape varieties, Italy can boast an extensive wine grape biodiversity, and being the only country in the world to produce wine in every single region, it offers one of the most diverse tasting profile panoramas, adapting to multiple culinary traditions. With the Dining with Bacchus series, the ITA aims to educate trade, media, and industry key players on Italian wines and their adaptability to various culinary pairings, embracing yet debunking the myth that “what grows together, goes together”.
If you are able to experience one of these fantastic food journeys you will be guided by an Italian wine expert and discover 12 Italian wines, representing the Italian wine scene and paying homage to the Italian biodiversity, paired with Italian, local and international bites.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness, the Pink Luminous Advocacy Project hosted an exclusive Light Up The Night concert last week at Mayfair House Hotel & Garden to benefit its non-profit and distribute preliminary screening tools that can help in identifying possible breast abnormalities to women living in financially challenged communities, as well as Baptist Health Foundation, a not-for-profit organization providing outstanding patient care.

Dr. John Diaz, Chief of Gynecologic Oncology at the Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health and Marilyn Dans, the Founder of both SilkProUSA and Pink Luminous Breast, spoke about the revolutionary technology behind the new Pink Luminous Breast. Philanthropist, broadcast journalist, soon-to-be published author, mentor, and motivational speaker Tracy Mourning was the Master of Ceremonies. Notable guests were Philanthropist Norma Jean Abraham, Co-author of Miami Breast Cancer Experts: Your Indispensable Guide to Breast Health Cindy Papale-Hammontree, Founder of Miami Women Who Rock Emily Zubizarreta, Entrepreneur Manny Machado, among others. Read the rest here »