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Just as Miami Spice wraps up for the season, Estrella Damm Chef's Choice rolls into Miami, offering meal deals at 50 Miami restaurants. The promotion lasts throughout November.
Each restaurant will offer a three-course meal consisting of an appetizer, main course, and dessert. The dinner will be paired with an Estrella Damm beer. Each participating chef has also been tasked with incorporating chickpeas into the entrée to honor the Spanish beer maker's Mediterranean roots.
Unlike Miami Spice, Chef's Choice has no set pricing. Instead, each restaurant can offer its meal for $30 to $70 per person. That gives participating chefs more control over the creation of a custom menu.
Phuc Yea cofounder Aniece Meinhold values the collaboration between the beer maker and Miami's restaurant community. "We love partnering with Estrella Damm across the board."
Meinhold adds that the Barcelona-based beer company also values Miami's culinary talent. "Chef's Choice is yet another initiative that embraces diversity and allows local chefs to flex their creative biceps."
That creativity shows in the MiMo District restaurant's menu for the promotion. Chef Cesar Zapata will serve crisp imperial rolls, followed by a brisket-style smoked short rib with curried chickpea purée for dinner. A guava and cheese trifle, along with Estrella Damm, completes the meal, which costs $39 (tax and tip not included).
Chef Eileen Andrade at Finka Table & Tap knows her meal must begin with croquetas. A classic seafood paella with chickpeas will follow, accompanied by a beer. Guava cheesecake will follow ($49, excluding tax and tip).
The most creative use of chickpeas goes to Paulie Gee's for its pizza topped with spicy hummus and vegetables. A salad with chickpeas begins the meal, and cannoli nachos are on the menu for dessert ($35, excluding tax and tip).
Other restaurants include Mina's Mediterraneo, R House, Wynwood Kitchen & Bar, Chef Adrianne's Vineyard Restaurant & Wine Bar, and Barceloneta. A complete list of participating restaurants is available at chefschoicemiami.com.