Epic Hotel

The Vegan & Vegetarian Guide to Miami Spice

Miami Spice begins August 1. Like New York's Restaurant Week, it lets diners indulge in prix-fixe menus at the city's best restaurants at deeply discounted prices. We Miamians are actually even luckier than our friends up north, because our opportunity to "Spice" up our diets on a budget lasts ... More >>

Chef Todd Erickson's Top Five Miami Restaurants

See also "Todd Erickson: Digital Chef," "Haven is Kitchen Heaven to Chef Todd Erickson," and "Haven: A gastro-lounge for hipsters."Short Order knows that when it comes to dining out, few people are pickier than a professional chef. We talked to some of Miami's top chefs to learn about their favorite ... More >>

Miami Heat Dunkin' Donut, La Moon, Food Trucks, and Area 31 Celebrate Today

When you walk out the door today, you might get hit with a bout of humidity from Tropical Storm Debby, but today Miami's all about the Heat.Miami will be celebrating in the streets today when the Miami Heat parade kicks off at 11 a.m. today. Starting at the corner of SW Eighth Street and Second Ave ... More >>

Miami Heat Parade on Monday: Area 31 Throws Watch Party

The city of Miami is throwing the Miami Heat a parade on Monday morning, which gives this lousy weather a few more days to play itself out.  Either way, it's going to be a lonely day at Miami-area workplaces, as thousands of fans suddenly call in sick at the start of the work week. Heck - even ... More >>

Top Five Miami Restaurants for Dining During a Hurricane

During the coming week, you'll be hearing and reading a lot about how this Friday kicks off the official hurricane season in South Florida. You will be privy to all manner of advice on how to best weather the potential storms, and the very word hurricane will blow into your ears over and over a ... More >>

Top Five Places to Drink With a View: Tequila, Fine Champagne, and a Sunset

We are dedicated to saving Scotty's Landing, one of the city's best venues with a view, so even though we named the best places for brew with a view last month -- Scotty's was number four -- we are bringing you more.Short Order scoured the rooftops and beachfronts of Miami -- a tough task for anyone ... More >>

Earth Day is Sunday: Area 31 Dedicates A Menu to Locally-Sourced Ingredients

Earth Day is this coming Sunday, but today chefs at the seafood restaurant Area 31 at the Epic Hotel funnel their inner chi to a dedicated, limited-time only Earth Day menu with local ingredients. The menu was designed by chef Michael Riedt and and the idea behind it is to reduce overall energy co ... More >>

Maserati Wedged Under a Jeep and Into a Porsche at Epic Hotel

Miami's roads are known for two things: insanely bad driving and fancy cars. It's always a shame when the two combine, especially when a wreck involves somewhere in the neighborhood of $400,000 worth of automotive extravagance.Friday night out front of the Epic Hotel in downtown a Maserati GranTuris ... More >>

Snackdown! Downtown vs. Mid Beach

​Over the next few weeks, Short Order will pair eight Miami-Dade neighborhoods in a "Snackdown". This is the second entry. Today pits downtown Miami against Mid Beach in Miami Beach. Which one is the better neighborhood for dining?Read our arguments and VOTE! Tweet it. Facebook it. Google it. Com ... More >>

Tonight: Lakers-Heat Pre-Game Prix Fixe Dinner at Area 31

​The Miami Heat take on the Los Angeles Lakers at home tonight, and Area 31 is set with a three-course pre-game meal for $34 per person (available from 6 pm to 7:30 pm before every home game). The acclaimed seafood restaurant, located just blocks from the Arena high up on the 16th floor of the Epi ... More >>

Newt Gingrich's failed Florida campaign

Worst Cooks in America: Handicapping the Miami Hopefuls

We wouldn't eat this for a million dollars.​View photos of Friday's casting of Worst Cooks in America at the Epic Hotel.Friday, Food Network's Worst Cooks in America brought hosts Bobby Flay and Anne Burrell to Miami's Epic Hotel to audition contestants for Season 2. People came from as far a ... More >>

Drama Queens and Kings

Miami Heat Game 6: Top Five Places to Watch the Team on an Expense Account

Morton's steak sandwich: better than bar wings. Trust us.​Here's the dilemma: if you stay home and watch Dirk Nowitzki in Sunday's Game 6, you'll swear at the TV set and probably break something. And your boss stuck you with the job of entertaining the new clients. You can't take them to the ... More >>

Albright Already

Area 31 Does Winesday on Hump Day -- Tomorrow

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin​What better way to get over that mid-week hump than sipping it away? Area 31 has a bubbly happy hour sure to turn that uphill battle into a downhill rush. "Veuve on the Clock" features Veuve Clicquot champagne specially priced according to what time it is -- from 5: ... More >>

Water on the Mind

Fondle Your Nonfiction

Zuma Miami: Stunning Japanese cuisine

Fondle Your Nonfiction

Favorite Dishes: Eel Sushi At Zuma

Lee Klein​Zuma has made a splash in downtown Miami since opening on the ground floor of the Epic Hotel. The menu presents quite a few Japanese food options -- robata grilled meats, tempura vegetables, rice hot-pots, and so forth. One of our Zuma favorites, however, comes from the sushi bar: Unagi ... More >>

Woman Threatens to Jump off Epic Hotel

​In today's round up of crime, death and other travesties: a woman is threatening to jump off the Epic hotel, a teen girl is gunned down on the street of Miami, Lobster mini season claims its first victim, and a police chasing involving three different forces ends in a shooting in Hialeah.

Area 31 Hosts Ice Cream Social for Charity

D Sharon Pruitt via Wikimedia Commons​Ice cream socials mostly invoke thoughts of church gatherings and neighborhood get-togethers, but not when you're eating your ice cream overlooking Biscayne Bay at Area 31. The restaurant will celebrate National Ice Cream Month by hosting Scoops for Success to ... More >>

Michy's Tuesday, Texas de Brazil Wednesday, Area 31 Thursday

Beginning next Tuesday evening, June 1, and continuing on succeeding Tuesdays, Michy's will be cooking up an all-you-can-eat Cuban pig roast. The slow-cooked-in-a-caja China porker is due to be accompanied by heirloom tomato salad, roasted fingerling potatoes, and other side dishes -- all served fam ... More >>

Area 31's Menu Unaffected by Gulf Oil Spill... For Now

Area 31 not yet feeling the effects of the oil spill.​Wondering whether that ungodly oil slick off the coast of Louisiana is going to spoil your next seafood feast at Area 31 Restaurant, located on the 16th floor of the Epic Hotel. Well rest assured, BP's big mess shouldn't stop you from enjoying ... More >>

Magic Chili, Acqualina Wine, Vegas, Paradise, and The Pizza Joint That Won't Stop Opening

​Best Veggie Chili Ever?Not sure, but the Magic Veggie Chili made by Christopher Hughes is the best I've yet tasted. It's also the only chili I've ever had that has its own blog. Amazing what a person can do with textured vegetable protein and imagination.  The Amazing and Incredible 4 1/2 Mo ... More >>

Easter Brunch in Miami: Where to Go?

​Easter Sunday is not only about Easter bunnies, egg hunts and Hallmark greeting cards. It's also a time for festive meals in the company of family and many local restaurants have created special menus to celebrate the occasion. We've selected the best around town.(In alphabetical order) Angelique ... More >>

Cool Restaurant Interiors: Area 31

Area 31's interior is one of understated elegance. Subtle details like iron spherical chandeliers and wood ceiling beams and furniture enhance the mostly beige, clean-lined room on the 16th floor of the Epic Hotel designed by Cheryl Rowley. Adam Larkey PhotographyArea 31's private dining room.​

100 Favorite Dishes: Organic Microgreen Salad at Paradise Farms

Photo by Lee Klein​As a countdown to New Times' "Best of Miami" 2010, Short Order is serving up 100 of our favorite dishes in the 305. Send your nominations to cafe@miaminewtimes.com.

Area 31 Wine Dinner at SBWFF, or Boat Ride and Lunch With Chef Critchley

31's seafood bolognese​Area 31 is back serving its fresh, sustainable seafood and will present a dinner called Fish Wine, hosted by executive chef John Critchley and master sommelier Emily Wines, Thursday, February 25 -- South Beach Wine & Food Festival week. The event begins with compliment ... More >>

News Roundup: Jimbo's on Fire

A trailer near Jimbo's caught fire after Jimbo's son, Bubba, hooked up a water heater. [JustNews]The Epic Hotel's water has been deemed safe. [FoxNews]After warming up just a bit for Christmas, the temperature might drop to the 40s. [CBS4]SportsTime to pop champagne: The Indianapolis Colts pulled th ... More >>

News Roundup: Heat Melts Magic

Turns out the Epic Hotel has not been completely cleared as the cause of Legionnaires' disease. [Herald]However, the disease might also be linked to the Liberty of the Seas cruise ship. [SFBJ]The Supreme Court of Florida has decided it's no longer legal to put shackles on kids in court. [JustNews]An ... More >>

Epic Hotel Cleared In Death of Tourist From Legionnaire's Disease

Jacob KatelLooking out the window of a private dining room in the Epic Hotel's Area 31 restaurant.​Breaking news: The AP, The Miami Herald, and NBC Miami report that Miami-Dade health officials have cleared downtown Miami's Epic Hotel of responsibility in the death of a tourist from Legionnaires' ... More >>

News Roundup: Dumb Cops Finish First; SEC Probes Miami

This makes a lot of sense looking back at it: Miami Dade College was responsible for administering tests to Miami-Dade Police officers to be considered for promotions, but the college screwed up the process. So cops who didn't get good scores were sometimes promoted, while office ... More >>

Area 31 Closed for Now -- Don't Worry, Just Some Legionnaires' Disease

Seafood bolognese? Not this week.​After the Epic Hotel's specially installed filtration system removed most of the chlorine from city water, three guests fell ill from Legionnaires' disease and the hotel has been temporarily closed. That means the award-winning seafood restaurant Area 31 is as off ... More >>

News Roundup: One Epic Hotel Guest Dead, 400 Relocated

The Epic Hotel, in its quest to be fancy, has killed a man and hospitalized two others. It installed a powerful water filtration system that actually filtered out chlorine and caused the bacteria responsible for Legionnaires' disease to grow. Four hundred guests were evacuated while the ho ... More >>

Area 31 Chef John Critchley Gives Dolphins Money To Live, In Pictures

Yes, this post is full of Dolphin pictures, but first:Chef John Critchley has made a strong impact on the local dining scene since joining up with Kimpton Hotel Group to head up all food operations at The Epic Hotel in downtown Miami. Area 31 was recently named an Esquire Magazine Best New Restaura ... More >>

Free Food at Tamarind Thai Miami Beach for Life Is Art Networker

Click for full size.​ Hey artist! are you broke, hungry, like booze? Life Is Art has got your back.Life Is Art Inc. hosts a popular artistic meeting ground for an everyone is welcome crowd. At each event a different speaker addresses a topic unique to their field.This month's Creative Connections ... More >>

Local House Candidate Picks Up Key Rico Tubbs Endorsement

Today marked the official beginning of election season, with early voting kick-starting around Miami-Dade for the November 3 general elections, and here at Riptide we're feeling that democratic itch.via Pinkieeegirl's FlickrTubbs has spoken.​But, frankly, we're already looking forward to next Augu ... More >>

Area 31 Makes Esquire Best of 2009

adam larkeywas mariani bowled over by this bolognese?​Area 31, in the Epic Hotel downtown, has been named as one of the Best New Restaurants of 2009 in the November issue of Esquire magazine. When food and travel critic John Mariani dined at Area 31 this summer, he asked executive chef John Critch ... More >>

Go Ahead, Rock the Boat

Behind the Scenes of Pitbull's "Hotel Room Service" Video Shoot

Here's Derick G's behind the scenes video for the new Pitbull song "Hotel Room Service." This video is presented in HD. Holy fuck are cameras getting good now. The actual music video is directed by David Rousseau and the location is the Epic Hotel downtown.

Flapjack Flip-Off IX: Special Hoity-Toity Hotel Edition

Recognized, if not widely, as one of the planet's grandest griddlecake events.

Openings, Closings, Remodelings, Oh My!

Akashisushi.com Akashi, a city in Japan known for its seafood, means "bright stone" When one door closes, another opens...    Akashi on South Beach has closed on the second floor of "Fresh on 5th" deli at 5th and Ocean. The location had a short ride, opening up just a few weeks aft ... More >>

No Smoking Jacket Required

Mother's Day Munchies

A few epicurean ways to tell that special lady you love her.

Mother's Day Restaurant Roundup, Part II

via basyke's flickr some random picture I found on the internet on a "mother's day" image searchThis post is dedicated to the time I got arrested on Mother's Day when I was 15. Do not -- I repeat -- do not, get high with your friends on the roof of a parking garage in Coral Gables and throw r ... More >>

Smoke, Drink (For Free) and Chill (Tonight) at Area 31

Jacob Katel Smoke, drink, and chill. Area 31 at the Epic Hotel makes you feel rich and powerful, like you're at the top of the world, even if you're only 16 floors up. Our beautiful skyline, infinity poolside chillin', a cool breeze, ships chugging along the Miami River -- it's a scenic ... More >>

Cast Your Line with Downtown Miami's Area 31

You're sure to snag something great.