Recap - Rock the Tot at Bar Louie

Who doesn't like a good tot? Well, on Thursday, September 19th, I sure had my fill of them. Bar Louie locations around the country hosted their 6th annual "Rock the Tot" tater tot-eating contest and set out to break the world record of most people eating the tasty treat at the same time. I went to the location in Midtown Miami, at 3201 N. Miami Avenue, Suite 106. The place was packed and spirits were high. There was entertainment, great food and lots of beer and cocktails flowing.

Since I had never eaten at Bar Louie before, I decided to ingest more than just tots for the evening. However, I can see why they choose their tots as the celebrity of this event. They totally rocked. We tried their Loaded Tots, crispy yummies topped with queso, bacon, scallions and a spicy mix. They had a slight kick and huge flavor. I really couldn't stop popping them in my mouth.

Loaded Tots

Blackened Salmon Sliders

Mango Mojito

While we waited for the competition to start, we also tried the Meatballs Al Forno and the Blackened Salmon Sliders. While the Loaded Tots were the winners of the night, the meatballs were swimming in a tasty marinara sauce with mozzarella cheese. They were served with a generous portion of parmesan crostini. The salmon sliders were a great pick too. Served with french fries, the salmon had a nice, smoky flavor that went well with the bacon, fresh spinach, tomato and pesto mayo. I have to tell you the Mango Mojito I was sipping while the totters were rocking the tot was spectacular. I totally loved the sweet element of the mango puree on the Cruzan Light Rum blended with lime, mint, pure cane syrup and ginger ale.

Meatballs Al Forno

The winners were impressive! I saw tater tots being smothered, pancaked, and practically swallowed whole in the quest for the prize. First came the guests, then came the employees and the crowd kept cheering. Ian, the manager, took the win for the employees. He had a huge incentive: if any of them won, they got to write their schedule for a couple of weeks. Oh Ian, you were a sight to see popping those watered-down tots!

Nobody's writing their own schedule if Ian can help it!

While I whimped out from competing when I saw the level of tot eating expertise and determined faces that were all around me, I did pick up a few foolproof strategies that I plan to implement next year. Ain't nobody taking that Rock the Tot trophy from me then!

Future Rock the Tot Winner! Me!

Here are some moments we captured of the fun! For more information on Bar Louie at Midtown, you can call them at 786-879-7260.

MINI Night Out Miami - Recap

It sure feels great to be a celebrity! OK so I'm not, but on Saturday, August 17th, I sure felt like one. Living everything from VIP treatment, a chauffeur and paparazzi flashing cameras in my face, I thought I'd be signing autographs by the end of the night.

UrbanDaddy and MINI Cooper have partnered to bring four lucky cities around the country an innovative event series called MINI Night Out. The event kicked off on July 30th when their website launched at www.MININightOut.com. and then drove into Miami on August 16th and 17th. Guests were given the opportunity to reserve a ride in the brand new and spacious MINI Paceman and were chauffeured all night to different hotspots, where they were given the VIP treatment including special seating, luscious cocktails and delicious bites. At each stop, cameras were waiting and hostesses welcomed guests with a smile; escorting them inside.  One of our favorite parts were the car rides, where we'd have Taxi Cab Confession-like cameras attached to Ipads filming us as we danced and sang like the party animals Miamians are known to be. Personally, I loved the Paceman and the cool retro gadgets inside. The big round display in the middle of the console which can be used to play videos, the spectacular sound system and the double sunroof left quite an impression on us.  I am seriously considering it for my next purchase . (Hope I can negotiate including the driver with the price.)

The other three cities chosen to experience this starstruck evening were Chicago, San Francisco and New York. Not living in one of these cities? No worries! Guests can still sign up for the national sweepstakes at MINI Night Out's website for a chance to win a special night in their own city.

But back to our magic evening. Our stops included Bar Centro at the SLS Hotel in South Beach, HaVen Gastro Lounge and Wynwood Kitchen and Bar. The evening lasted into the wee hours and it was a crazy good time. Check out the pictures below and take a look at the Paceman when you get a chance.

Bar Centro at the SLS Hotel

Sangria at Bar Centro

Lettuce Wraps

HaVen Gatropub

Cheers!

Yummy Bites at HaVen

Loved the décor at HaVen

Chef Todd Erickson preparing some Nitro Ice-Cream

Our adventurous driver

Wynwood Kitchen & Bar

Some serious flavor explosion going on at Wynwood

Thanks MINI Night out for an awesome evening!

Wok Star Cooking Class with Eleanor Hoh

I have to say that my idea of cooking healthy has always been to use either vegetable oil or olive oil in my recipes and perhaps bake instead of fry whenever possible. However, I recently attended a cooking class taught by my fellow foodie friend, Eleanor Hoh, that introduced me to a whole new way of preparing meals.

Eleanor Hoh, or the Wok Star as she is also known, is a cooking teacher, blogger and presenter that shares her knowledge of wok cooking in a fun, interactive way. She has developed an interesting, easy approach to teach people how to make healthy one-dinner dishes using fresh ingredients, absolutely no recipes and only 4 seasonings.

The lettuce wraps were my fave!

Eleanor Ho, Wok Star

Eleanor was born in Canton, China, and as a young child, escaped with her family to Hong Kong.  She later went to study in England, launching a career in the computer industry. However, she discovered she had a knack for teaching, and a passion for cooking, that she realized she got from her mother. After a number of years, she embarked on a journey that started in Key West and has since brought her to Miami, teaching those of us who have never used a wok, how fun, rewarding and delicious it can be. All of course, using her Wok Star Approach.

Miami Beach Botanical Gardens

I had the opportunity to participate in one of Eleanor's Wok Star cooking classes and I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon. First of all, the setting was relaxing and beautiful. The class took place in one of the event rooms in the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens and since I arrived a bit early, I walked around the gorgeous gardens and indulged in nature. We started off our session with a bit of wine and some introductions. Eleanor taught us how to make a lettuce wrap that was refreshing, tasty and light. After we bit into our creations, we sat down and watched as Eleanor showed us how easy and quick it was to prepare meals such as Stir Fry Shrimp with Veggies and Tilapia in Spicy Brown Bean Sauce, using her specially created road map. Some of the participants even got the opportunity to don an apron and get their hands in the mix.

The Happy Graduation Class of new Wok Stars

Sound like fun? Well, Eleanor is offering three Special Series Wok Star classes, complete with prosecco and wine pairings, with none other than Casa Vinicola Zonin, Italy's largest privately held wine company (and my personal favorite). The classes will be held on August 21st, October 23rd, and December 18th. A trendy loft, the best Prosecco, and Eleanor's cooking talent equal one great time. For more information and a schedule of upcoming classes, visit her website at http://eleanorhoh.com/.

Showing us how to slice the vegetables just right

The combination of ingredients works wonder for the flavor of the dishes

The special wok can be purchased from Eleanor, along with some great
tools she has put together to enhance the Wok Star experience.

It was amazing how fast and easy it is to cook using the wok.

No recipe and just four seasonings is the way to go, according to Eleanor.

I loved hearing the great stories she told throughout the class.

Voila! One-Dish Dinner

Don't mind if I do...

And now for Part 2...

Diageo Americas Global Travel Team (GTME) WORLD CLASS Competition

"To the north, to the south, to the east, to the west. The call is out: Are you the best bartender?" This was the mantra for the Diageo Americas Global Travel Team (GTME) WORLD CLASS Semi Final held in Miami, on June 6th, at the Casa Moderna Miami Hotel & Spa in Brickell. Four top bartenders competed for a spot in the finals, which will be held aboard a luxurious, boutique cruise ship sailing the Mediterranean from July 4-10. Following the creation of a new Diageo GTME cruise line partnership for 2013, the GTME final featured the best bartending talent from Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line. The talented bartenders came from around the globe representing Argentina, United Kingdom, India and Romania.

 

 

Saundra Vaucher, Customer Team Director for Diageo, explained that "customers expect great food, a great cruise and especially great cocktails. Our program has trained over 500 bartenders with the purpose of ultimately enhancing the passenger experience. Our goal for 2014 is to train over 1500 bartenders." The competitors of this semi final were tested on their bartending knowledge, skill and showmanship in two rounds: the first one consisted of preparing three specific cocktails in under five minutes, and the second one entailed creating an original cocktail and then explaining the story behind it. The highly esteemed judges were industry greats Angus Winchester, Tanqueray Global Brand Ambassador; Ricky Gomez, 2012 U.S. World Class Bartender of the Year; and Philip Duff, award-winning spirits and cocktail educator at Liquid Solutions.

 

After an impressive presentation by all four competitors, 28 year old Dominic Laverty from the U.K., representing Princess Cruises, was crowned Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS Global Travel Team's Best Bartender.  His signature drink and entertaining style left an indelible mark on the judges, earning him the win.  Dominic Laverty commented: "I'm thrilled to have won the GTME Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS Final and am excited to have been selected from so many talented cruise line bartenders to take part in the global grand finale of one of the word's most prestigious mixology competitions."

Dominic Laverty from Princess Cruises was the winner

 

Dominic will go on to compete against the world's best bartenders from over 50 countries at the WORLD CLASS Global Final. The voyage will begin in the French Riviera and will include stopovers in some of the Mediterranean's most iconic and chic destinations including St. Tropez and Ibiza.

Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, beer and wine. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Windsor, Buchanan's and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Jose Cuervo, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray and Guinness. Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit them at Diageo.com.