Talula & Rigatoni, Oceanaire & Caymus, Gonzalo & Olé, the FTC & Me

Talula turns Italian
Talula restaurant recently launched Buon Appetito!, also known as Wednesday pasta night.  "We wanted to give our diners a special taste of the type of food we love cooking at home for our families," says Andrea Curto-Randazzo, the Italian chef/co-owner who opened Talula in 2003 with her Italian chef/co-owner/husband Frank Randazzo. The deal is this:
$29 per person (excluding tax and gratuity) for a bottomless bowl of rigatoni dressed with Andrea's "Sunday Sauce", plus 40 Wet-Nap moist towlettes and all the tap water you can drink. No, but seriously, the refillable rigatoni comes topped with ricotta cheese and served with house-made meatballs, garden salad with red wine vinaigrette, and hot garlic rolls. Dessert is espresso panna cotta with chocolate chunk-cherry biscotti. As part of the Wednesday night program, Talula will also offer specials on Italian wines by the glass and bottle. Sounds like our kind of deal.
Talula is located at 213 23rd St., Miami Beach; 305-672-0778.

Can't say. Haven't been.
A few weeks ago, restaurateur Gonzalo Noales and his partner opened Olé Tapas & More in the Four Seasons Tower at 1441 Brickell Avenue. As the name implies, it serves traditional tapas ($5.00 to $10.00 per) -- & more, such as  tortillas, chistorras, wines and beers.
Olé is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. For reservations or info call 305-400-8162.

Oceanaire sails to Sonoma
Executive Chef Sean Bernal and Wine Director Jorge Morgado from The Oceanaire Seafood Room will present a five-course dinner paired with Wagner Family Wines Caymus Vineyards this coming Wednesday, October 21st, at 7 p.m.  The cost is $85.00 per person, plus tax and gratuity, for what looks to be a sensational meal. The menu:
1st Course:Alaskan King Crab Ravioli, Charred Corn, Tomato Confit & "Silver" Beurre Blanc paired with 2007 Mer Soleil "Silver" Chardonnay.
2nd:"The Puzzle ...." Arugula, Crystallized Ginger, Asian Pear, Dijon paired with 2007 Conundrum.  
3rd:Crispy Skinned Icelandic Arctic Char, Strawberries, Cherry Tomatoes, Aged Balsamic & EVOO paired with 2007 Belle Glos Meiomi Pinot Noir.  
4th:Miami Surf and Turf of Florida Gag Grouper & Australian Wagyu Strip Loin Brochettes paired with 2007 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  
5th:A dessert surprise paired with a specialty dessert wine.
6th:"Taxi!"
The Oceanaire Seafood Room is located at 900 South Miami Ave. in Mary Brickell Village.  Reservations are required: 305-372-8862.

This blog plus $29 will get me into Talula's Italian night
In recognition of the new Federal Trade Commission decision that bloggers, tweeters, and other networking nitwits such as myself must reveal any money, freebies, payolas, quid pro quos, and so forth that we may have received in exchange for recommendations and positive notices such as the one above, let me make it absolutely clear that I have received not a whit of a hint of a crumb of a payback: No free rigatoni, no bottle of Caymus wine, no chistorra in the mail (actually, I'm not certain what a chistorra is, but I don't think I've gotten one).
It's just a labor of love.