Miami's Best Eats and Drinks This Week: Cooking Class, Tropical Happy Hour, and Shakin' It for a Cause

This week, Essensia's Ilde Ferrer teaches a cooking class at the Wynwood Yard; Edukos instructs how to make empanadas; Wendy's and Thrillist host a happy hour at Dolores but You Can Call Me Lolita; and Shakin' It for a Cause returns to the Epic.

Shakin' It for a Cause at Kimpton Epic Hotel. Kick off the week with the Kimpton's Cayman Islands Seven Fathoms Rum Challenge, in which six local mixologists will bring a taste of Grand Cayman to Miami. Beginning at 6:30 p.m., the bartenders will use Seven Fathoms Rum to create various cocktails for a chance to win a Cayman Airways trip to experience the 2018 Cayman Cocktail Week in Grand Cayman. Participating bars include Bar Alter, Sweet Liberty, Minnow Bar, Broken Shaker, Area 31, and the Social Club. The event is open to the public (21 years or older) and will offer small bites, Seven Fathoms Rum specials, Caribbean beats, and a Cayman Airways raffle. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit the Caribbean Tourism Organization Hurricane Relief Fund — a GoFundMe campaign to help rebuild the Caribbean after hurricanes. 6:30 p.m. Monday, August 27, at the Kimpton Epic Hotel, 270 Biscayne Blvd. Way, Miami; 305-424-5226; epichotel.com.
Cooking Class With Ilde Ferrer of Essensia Restaurant at the Wynwood Yard. Chef Ilde Ferrer of Essensia at the Palms Hotel in Miami Beach will continue the Wynwood Yard's cooking-class series Right on Target this Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. He'll lead participants through a series of dishes such as grilled octopus tostadas; sweet, sour, and spicy watermelon with feta cheese; and chili-rubbed salmon with mango chutney. Partially funded by the Target Foundation, the cooking class will donate proceeds to the Miami-based Wellness in the Schools, which is committed to ending childhood obesity through nutrition and fitness education. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 29, at the Wynwood Yard, 56 NW 29th St., Miami; 305-351-0366; thewynwoodyard.com. Tickets cost $50 via eventbrite.com.
Destination Wendy's Tropical Happy Hour at Dolores but You Can Call Me Lolita. Cool down with a one-night-only rooftop happy hour sponsored by Wendy's and Thrillist. Sip Bacardi cocktails made with Wendy's new lineup of tropical beverages, including strawberry, watermelon fruit tea, and limeade. There will also be complimentary bites, live music, and Instagram photo activations. 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, August 30, at Dolores but You Can Call Me Lolita, 1000 S. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-403-3103; doloreslolita.com. Admission is free with RSVP via events.thrillist.com.
Venezuelan Empanada Class at Edukos. Thursday, learn the old-fashioned way to make empanadas by hand at Edukos. Create the dough, choose a filling, and enjoy your creations while sipping beer. Plus, enjoy happy-hour specials until 8 p.m. 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, August 30, at Edukos, 1701 W. Flagler St., Miami; 786-452-0448; edukosmiami.com Tickets cost $14 via eventbrite.com.
Business Lunch at La Petite Maison. The Brickell restaurant is behind a French-inspired business-lunch menu offering two courses for $45. Items are subject to change daily, but a few signature dishes are the French bean salad with artichokes; tuna carpaccio; slow-cooked duck legs with orange glaze; and grilled tiger prawns. Noon to 2:30 p.m. daily at La Petite Maison, 1300 Brickell Bay Dr., Miami; 305-401-9133; lpmlondon.co.uk/miami.