Miami's Best Eats and Drinks This Weekend: Lychee Festival, Craft Beer, and Beach After Brunch

This weekend, the Lychee Summer Celebration returns to Schnebly Redland's Winery, Boxelder hosts a craft beer festival, the Strand at the Carillon offers free beach access after brunch, and a tiki bar competition takes over Macchialina.
D.C.'s Sette Osteria Opens in Wynwood. The Arts District has gained an outpost of the 15-year-old Washington, D.C.-based Italian restaurant Sette Osteria. The eatery serves a robust selection of house-made pastas, pizzas, and larger entrées, along with dozens of wines. Standouts include fettuccine alla bolognese, prepared using house-made pasta and house-ground beef with tomato sauce topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano; cacio e pepe served with shrimp, diced tomatoes, and pesto sauce; and vitello piccata with spinach, rosemary roasted potatoes, and a lemon caper sauce. Prices range from $12 to $35. All pizzas are made with San Marzano tomato sauce and Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil. Depending upon the pie, additional toppings include Italian sausage, beef carpaccio, mozzarella, and baked eggs. For dessert, try panna cotta, classic tiramisu, crème brûlée, or tortino al cioccolato, a baked-to-order warm chocolate cake topped with vanilla gelato. 2103 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-576-8282; setteosteria.com/wynwood. Lunch and dinner daily noon to 11 p.m.; brunch Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Lychee Festival at Schnebly Redland's Winery. The third-annual Lychee Summer Celebration is set to return to Homestead this Saturday with a 50-plus vendor farmers' market, cooking demos, wine, beer, and fireworks. Schnebly will offer three distinct lychee wines, and the adjacent Miami Brewing Company will debut three limited-edition lychee beers. As you sip, nibble on lychee seafood ceviche and lychee martini ice cream while several restaurants and food trucks show ways to cook with the fruit. This year, participating restaurants in the Grand Tiki Lounge, which will present cooking demos throughout the festival, include Half Moon Empanadas, Pro Kitchen Hub, My Ceviche, and Lulu's Ice Cream. If you're up for it, take part in the Relay for Life Beer Mile benefitting the American Cancer Society. Participants will run a mile that includes four beer stops where runners can drink one can of suds per stop. 2 to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at Schnebly Redland’s Winery, 30205 SW 217th Ave., Homestead; 305-242-1224; schneblywinery.com. Tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door; active or retired military get in free; lycheesummercelebration.com. Register for the Beer Mile at active.com.
Free the Whales Craft Beer Festival at Boxelder. Some of the nation's top breweries, including New York's Finback and Virginia's Triple Crossing Brewing, will hit Miami to bring a bunch of out-of-market beers to the masses. Sip unlimited tastings of more than 100 beers from 20 breweries and munch on croquetas from Masa Craft. 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Boxelder Craft Beer Market, 2817 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-942-7769; bxldr.com. Tickets are sold out.Beach After Brunch at the Carillon's Strand Restaurant. Every first Sunday of the month, customers who brunch at the Carillon's Strand restaurant can extend their visit with complimentary beach access. This weekend, the oceanfront restaurant's new brunch buffet will kick off with a Fourth of July-themed barbecue. Standouts include a carving station with smoked brisket and whole roasted pig; an outdoor grilling area with build-your-own sliders and skewers; and side dishes such as roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, mac 'n' cheese, and cornbread, along with a selection of breakfast items. Dessert includes mini apple and pecan pies, ganache-filled star-cookie pops, and assorted Fourth of July cupcakes. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 1, at the Strand, 6801 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-514-7474; thestrandmiami.com. Brunch costs $65 per person plus $25 for bottomless drinks.
Tiki Takeover at Macchialina. The bar at Macchialina will be taken over by two of Miami’s tiki masters, Broken Shaker alumni C. Virginia King and Gui Jaroschy. Sunday at 11 p.m., stop by the restaurant for fruity cocktails and complimentary Polynesian bites by Macchialina's executive chef, Michael Pirolo. 11 p.m. Sunday, July 1, at Macchialina, 820 Alton Rd., Miami Beach; 305-534-2124; macchialina.com.