By E. Machado.

Lent Season is now here thru April 14 and the time to try and explore our seafood offerings, from innovations to one of our guests favorites.

According to industry expert Datassential Meat, Poultry & Seafood Keynote Report that circulated earlier this month: “…Seafood tends to show up in more traditional applications on menus, while beef and chicken are used in a wider range of unique dishes. More unique seafood dishes score well with younger consumers, in particular, while 60% of consumers overall say they’d eat more seafood if they had more recipe ideas..” 

Based on the 2022 Food Industry Trend report the top five most liked preparations for fish among US consumers: 63% Fried, 60% Grilled, 56% Parmesan Crusted,  54% Beer Battered & 47% Panko Crusted. The highlights on the report also explains that: “Consumers find seafood most appealing in hearty entrees and appetizers.” Link to Post

Either you are in Miami or Las Vegas, here are some DEL MAR selections to enjoy during this Lenten season across Vida & Estilo restaurants. 

 

IN BRICKELL, MIAMI.
PaperTuna Rolls

Signature Sushi & one of the top favorites since the soon to be 1 year old Paperfish Sushi Bar opened in April 2021. This maki has 10 pieces and combines Tuna Tartare avocado, torched tuna, nikkei sauce & chives.
Price: $18
WHERE: @PaperFish 

 

AT BRICKELL CITY CENTER, MIAMI
Ceviche Carretillero & Tropical Ceviche

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marabu is a Coal Fired Cuban Cuisine BUT don’t let the name or description foul you. Since Marabu  opened in 2020,  the Crudo items, featuring items like the tropical ceviche, have been so well-liked that the team have been adding some new crudos. The latest addition is the CEVICHE Carretillero with fresh cut Corvina, leche de tigre, rocoto pepper, crispy fried calamari, sweet potato, giant peruvian corn, crispy cancha corn.
Price: $18
WHERE:  @Marabu

 

IN MIAMI BEACH.
Green Aguachiles

Picoso & Rico, Spicy & delicious, the aguachiles aka Mexican style ceviche at La Cerveceria de Barrio are unlike any typical seafood appetizer. They do have serrano pepper that when added to the fresh citrus marinated Gulf shrimp with cucumber & red onion create an explosion of flavor & freshness. If spicy is too much for you, you can always ask for the lighter version that does not have any picante.
Price: $16
WHERE: @LaCerveceria De Barrio  

 

IN MIAMI BEACH & PEMBROKE PINES
Camarones Al Ajillo

At Havana 1957, there are five seafood entree options to choose from though the garlic shrimp is one of the must-try when visiting any out of our five locations & is best described as Shrimp sautéed in garlic, olive oil and white wine, served with white rice and sweet plantains.
Price: $ 22.95
WHERE: @Havana 1957

 

In MIAMI BEACH & LAS VEGAS
Cape Cod Fish & Chips

No wonder why 54% of US consumers preferred the beer battered option when ordering fish. At Cafe Americano the cape cod filet is crispy beer battered & served with french fries & herbed tartar.
Price: M/P
WHERE: @CafeAmericano

 

MIAMI BEACH & LAS VEGAS
Two cities two ways
Mediterranean Sea Bass


In Miami Beach, get this fresh dish served whole-head off with romesco, roasted cauliflower, salsa verde & charred lemon $39

When in Las Vegas, go feast mode & get the whole coal roasted Branzino with rustic Calabrian tomato sauce, arugula & shaved fennel $55

(photo credit @grandcanalshoppes @onesevenagency)

WHERE: @Mercato della Pescheria

 

WHAT ELSE IN LAS VEGAS

 

 

 

 

 

East Coast OYSTERS @Mercato della Pescheria 

By E. Machado.
Some days it feels like the year has passed so rapidly, it has been one year since we opened Cortadito Coffee House & just like that we started 2021 with a January witnessing a 4th Cafe Americano & an April blossoming with PaperFish sushi bar. 

Summer brought us great joy & for the first time a Key to the City of Miami Beach plus Hispanic Heritage month award for Oh Mexico, such a great way to begin the 25th anniversary celebration of Vida & Estilo in America.  

And now, here we are writing about the end of the year & more importantly what is it that our guests prefer in our restaurants in hectic post-pandemic times. Some items will be best sellers forever. It is hard to compete with 96 years old American Breakfast.
However, some others like Cuban Sandwich did not make it to the list just because we don’t have a best of the year sandwich, or perhaps because we dedicated a whole Cuban Sandwich month earlier this year. 

About our 1st time putting together this editor’s selection – VE Best of the Year 2021, criteria was certainly not just limited to $sales but to quantities of items sold & popularity. Some categories were filtered by cuisine & new of the year has been carefully selected by our team. 

Here is the BEST of the YEAR 2021 – Editor’s selection. 

PERFORMER OF THE YEAR – La Orquesta Cubana

 

Sellers. Havana 1957
Qty: 42,418
VE Top 10 Ranking # 3

This platter of Cuban classics is first a signature dish that brings 3 selections of traditional dishes in One, of which the (also) signature Havana 1957 roasted chicken with Cuban gravy, aka Pollo Havana, the Lechon Asado & the everyday more popular in menus across America Ropa Vieja. These 3 mains all are perfectly paired with white rice, black beans, salad & maduros  scoring a $1.03 million in the year.

BREAKFAST OF THE YEAR – American Breakfast

Sellers. Cafe Americano
Qty: 130,251
VE Top 10 Ranking # 1

Back in 1925, 96 years ago, bacon and eggs became the iconic American breakfast thanks to Edward Bernays, also known as the father of Public Relations. The initial goal was to increase bacon sales & for that he worked with doctors to grow awareness about how a heavy vs light breakfast was better for the health. For Cafe Americano this item sales in 2021 are about $3 millions placing it at the top of the whole group. 

COFFEE OF THE YEAR – Cortadito

Seller. Cortadito Coffee House
Qty: 22,810
Cortadito Top 10 Ranking # 1

For this category we did not focus on sales numbers of which American Coffee, Espresso & Colada would take the lead, BUT on the fact that this particular coffee drink sales proportionally rocketed after the homonymous coffee shop opened in Dec 2020.

LUNCH OF THE YEAR – Lunch Special 

Seller. Mercato della Pescheria Las Vegas
Qty: 52, 505
Mercato della Pescheria Top 10 Ranking # 1

Whilst is not listed in the website, hence poorly organically promoted, this special made it to the best of the year for its great lunch selections, a food for every mood while in Vegas around lunch time, from wandering to gambling, from not much hungry to starving.  

 

TACO OF THE YEAR – Baja Chicken Tacos

Sellers. La Cerveceria de Barrio, Oh Mexico
Qty: 12,704
Tacos Top 10 Ranking # 1

This was a tough selection because in Oh Mexico, the Bistec con Queso is so good & at La Cerveceria those Carnitas are to die for.

But there is something magical that happens when a perfectly garlic & herbs marinated chicken breast is  combined with chihuahua cheese, crispy bacon, chipotle mayo, spices and we have a winner for both our Mexicans in the family. 

MOJITO OF THE YEAR- Super Mojito

Sellers. Havana 1957
Qty: 103,276
VE Top 10 Ranking # 2

No doubt when in Miami, Mojito is a must-have. With such a variety of flavors from classic to fruity, truth is that the 22 oz Super M is the one our guests prefer the most.
Hey Bartender! It is hard to beat 300 daily Super M’s and shake it for this $2.05 millions winner.

 

PASTA OF THE  YEAR- Linguini 

Sellers. Mercato della Pescheria, Cafe Americano
Qty.  23, 333
VE Pastas Ranking # 1

Whilst spaghetti may be the number one pasta worldwide, in the world of VE, the longer & narrower relative is the absolute winner perhaps because of the excellency in flavor when partnered with different sauces. In Cafe Americano, we go with the Linguini Alfredo & at Mercato della Pescheria the absolute favorite is Lobster Linguini.

 

SUSHI OF THE  YEAR- Paper Tuna

Sellers. Paperfish Sushi
Qty. 7,300
PaperFish Top 10 Ranking # 1

This signature maki with tuna tartar, avocado, torched tuna, nikkei sauce and chives made the best of year with an average of 32 rolls / day since PF opened in April & $128.5K of pure love for tuna. 

SEAFOOD OF THE YEAR- Mediterranean SeaBass

Sellers. Mercato della Pescheria
Qty. 5,707
Mercato Top 10 Ranking # 2

Both foodies & eaters, describe the Mercato branzino as a deliciously must-get of clean taste, good texture on the skin, flavorful, moist & soft fish meat with perfect sides (arugula & shaved fennel). 

 

COCKTAIL OF THE  YEAR- Margarita

Sellers. Oh Mexico, La Cerveceria de Barrio, Cafe Americano. Barsecco, Havana 1957, Marabu
Qty. 97, 100

Margarita is the most popular cocktail nationwide, so it came as no surprise that it is also the VE cocktail of the year with an average of 300 classic margaritas  / day.  No, we are not including any flavors but classic. Oh yes! Margarita is the Numero Uno. 

NEW COCKTAIL OF THE YEAR – Wasabi Martini

Sellers. PaperFish Sushi
Qty. 3,782

Labeled as the Martini that challenges your taste buds, this creation gets the VE award in NEW ON the Menu in 2021 with 3.7K cocktails sold since its introduction earlier this year.

NEW DISH OF THE YEAR – Black & White Pizza

Sellers. Barsecco

Menu Innovation has been declared the way to the future by 55% of eating-out enthusiasts in America, mostly because of the interesting foods that they can’t make at home.  Our VE best of the Year recognizes the activated Charcoal pizza dough, caramelized mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, bechamel, brie cheese, mozzarella, crispy prosciutto & micro arugula.
Officially introduced during Black Friday 2021. We wish all the BEST in 2022. 

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By E. Machado.

Every year in August & September, The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) launches Miami Spice months showcasing the best restaurants in the area, a variety of cuisines and tailored menus to satisfy locals & visitors while exploring the top destinations in Miami. 

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Turkey Day is fast approaching: Is your restaurant staying open for it? There’s no major American holiday so centered on food as Thanksgiving, of course, and that means a unique situation for dining establishments. On the one hand, many households continue to go the traditional route with a home-cooked meal. On the other, more and more Americans are opting to skip the fuss, hassle, and stress of making their own Thanksgiving feast and eating out instead.

There’s thus a real opportunity if you decide to be open on Thanksgiving, but it’s something to weigh against the potential drawbacks. Let’s “dig in” to the issue!

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