Miami's Best Eats and Drinks This Week: Taste of Tennis, Beatz and Eatz, and Miami Beach's 100th

There's lots of eating and drinking to do this week, starting tonight with Taste of Tennis, which is coming to Miami for the first time ever. The food meets tennis experience has been a Big Apple mainstay for 15 years, and because the Miami Open’s first match is today, there’s no better way to celebrate the sport than by meeting some of its biggest players whilst enjoying cocktails and dishes from the Magic City’s top chefs like Andrew Carmellini.

But it’s not all food and tennis, Winter Music Conference is also this week, and Oolite is merging soulful beats and nourishing eats on Wednesday with Beatz and Eatz.

And last but not least, Miami Beach is turning 100 on Thursday. To celebrate, Jalapeno is giving away gift cards to the first 100 diners, making it the first time you get something on someone else’s birthday.

Monday


Taste of Tennis at the W

The Miami Open starts today, which means some of the world’s best tennis players are in town. And tonight, you can find a few of them poolside at the W for first annual Taste of Tennis. Presented by Citi, the Taste of Tennis is a pretty big deal in New York and has kicked off the past 15 U.S. Open Tennis Championships up north by bringing professional athletes and top chefs together for an evening of eating, drinking, and sportsmanship. The list of attendees includes tennis’ top winning doubles team of all time, Bob and Mike Bryan, as well as Feliciano Lopez, Ivo Karlovic, Lucie Safarova, Ekaterina Makarova, and others. Food and cocktails will be provided by some of the city’s top toques such as Paula DaSilva (3030 Ocean), Dustin Ward (BLT Prime), Patricia Yeo (Khong River House), Kerry Heffernan (Wild Fish Direct), Michele Mazza (Il Mulino NY), Timon Balloo (SugarCane Raw Bar Grill), and more. Andrew Carmellini will be feeding all those in the Citi VIP lounge. The event is pricey (at $200), but considering it’s an open bar, you’ll have the ability to mingle with some of the best tennis players in the game. Since a portion of sales benefit FIU's College of Architecture + the Arts, it's money well spent. The party goes from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite.com

Tuesday

Katsuya Lunch

Winter Music Conference kicks off today, and if you’re in need of some light sustenance before or between pool parties head to Katsuya at the SLS South Beach. In honor of WMC, the Japanese eatery is opening for lunch so that partygoers can enjoy refreshing favorites like the yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno, crispy chicken salad, and of course sushi. And because you’ll be right next to Hyde, it might not be a terrible idea to start your dancing there.

Wednesday

Beatz and Eatz at Oolite

WMC culinary offerings continue on Wednesday at Oolite with Beatz and Eatz. Join Mrs. Laidback Luke, DJ Gina Turner, as well as DJ Richard “Dr. Love” Vasquez as they provide soulful beats for an evening of gluten-free and vegan eats cooked up by James Beard nominee Kris Wessel. Word on the street is Laidback Luke might even swing by to show his wifey support and throw up some double LL’s while he's at it. Start off with a cocktail reception followed by an art auction, and then get down to business with a three-course vegan dinner and some dancing. Shall you want to keep the party going, the price of dinner $125 includes your entrance to the Disbehave WMC Edition afterparty at Astor Hotel with Yolanda Be Cool and Dirtybird original Worthy. So you can dance and eat till you drop. Dinner goes from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets available through eventbrite.com

Thursday

Score Gift Cards to Jalapeño

Miami Beach turns 100 on Thursday. And for its centennial milestone, South Beach Mexican eatery Jalapeño is giving away gift cards ranging from $25 to $100 to the first 100 diners. The catch? Gift cards are only applicable for a future purchase. Either way, the first 10 diners will receive $100 gift card, 11 through 50 will get $50 gift cards, and the other 50 will walk away with $25 worth of Mexican fare, which can still buy you a whole lot of tacos.

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