Thunderstorms may have rocked much of Miami-Dade County last night, but the wet weather wasn't enough to keep the winos from joining French-native Florent Blanchet in celebrating the two year anniversary of his W Wine Bistro .
"Any excuse for a party," grinned Blanchet between monster-size gulps of bubbles -- Laurent Perrier to be exact. He wasn't the only one throwing back the good stuff.
About 50 people crammed into the tiny space (next door to Barton G in the Design District) and gluttonously guzzled free-flowing champers and nibbles. Since opening with former partner Eddy Le Garrec in March 2005, Blanchet has amassed a loyal following of winos and foodies, many of whom showed up to show some love for the good old grape.
Even the homeless dude wandering around outside stopped in.
We all know how fab the area is becoming and the odds of running into a pipe smoking cracky are slim, but the region is still rife (or rank, perhaps?) with local flair.
For example, step outside of the euro-inspired bistro with a slice of prosciutto in hand and a full glass of bubbles, place them on the table while reaching for a cigarette, and, voila! -- a shoeless guy will pop out from behind a lamppost and thieve the lot.
Cheers! --Joanne Green
