Miami's Best Eats and Drinks This Weekend: Hank & Harry's, Sushi Azabu, Dessert Wars, and Miami Beer Fest

This weekend, Hank & Harry's will open at Aventura Mall, the Michelin-starred Sushi Azabu will debut in Miami Beach, Dessert Wars will return to FIU Arena, Miami Brew Fest will take place at Marlins Park, and a group of Miami's female chefs will prepare complimentary food and drinks at a Women Chefs & Restauranters regional event.
Hank & Harry's Opens at Aventura Mall. Miami Beach's Hank & Harry's Deli, a New York-style delicatessen founded by local restaurateurs Buzzy Sklar and Richard Booth, will bring corned beef and pastrami to Aventura Mall. Opening Friday, January 19, the space is located inside the mall's new Treats Food Hall. The menu offers Jewish deli plates such as corned beef and pastrami sandwiches ($12), knishes, house-made bagels with cream cheese ($1.50 to $3), and black-and-white sugar cookies ($1.50), as well as hot Italian sandwiches and meatball subs ($10). 19501 Biscayne Blvd., Aventura; handhdeli.com. 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Free Sandwiches at Sanguich de Miami. As Sanguich de Miami converts its shipping container into a mobile structure, the Cuban sandwich shop will host a food giveaway Friday, January 19. Beginning at noon, there will be complimentary sandwiches until stock runs out. Guests are encouraged to make donations to a charity whose name will be announced soon. The shop expects to reopen in two weeks. Noon Friday, January 19, at 1641 SW Eighth St., Miami; 786-313-3650; sanguich.com.
Concrete-a-Con at Concrete Beach Brewery. Wonderful worlds are colliding. In partnership with Paradise City Comic Con, Concrete Beach Brewery will host the geeky beer extravaganza Concrete-a-Con. For a second consecutive year, the event at the Wynwood brewery will include costume and videogame competitions, silent films, and a surprise movie release. Get all cosplayed out for the affair and get a buck off pints. It pays to nerd out. 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, January 19, at Concrete Beach Brewery, 325 NW 24th St., Wynwood; concretebeachbrewery.com. Admission is free.
Michelin-Starred Sushi Azabu Opens in Miami Beach. Inside the Stanton South Beach, Sushi Azabu will debut Friday, January 19, with a hidden sushi counter, a formal dining room, and a snazzy cocktail bar. Many of Azabu's plates will be cooked on a robata — a Japanese charcoal grill — and served in an izakaya dining style. The menu will include yakitori, grilled chicken on a skewer; fried rice served tableside on a sizzling toban-yaki (ceramic) plate; sukiyaki, fried meat served with vegetables and sauce; and a variety of udon noodles. Adjacent to the dining room, a secluded sushi den will provide a more intimate experience. 161 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach; 786-276-0520; miami.azabuglobal.com. Opening Friday, January 19. The restaurant will be open daily for dinner from 6 to 11 p.m. and until midnight Friday and Saturday.
Keg & Klean at Virginia Key Beach. Join Debris Free Oceans and Miami Is Not Plastic, which inspires hospitality businesses to reduce the use of plastic, for the 2018 launch of Keg & Klean. The event will take place in Virginia Key Beach Park and include support from the Rickenbacker Marina, Rusty Pelican, and Whiskey Joe's Bar & Grill. You'll do some trash retrieval on the sand and enjoy beer from Wynwood Brewing Co. at the afterparty. Bring a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated and your own cup for the brew, and give Mother Earth a break. 2 p.m. Saturday at Virginia Key Beach Park, 4020 Virginia Beach Dr., Miami; facebook.com/DebrisFreeOceans. Admission is free.
Dessert Wars at FIU Arena. This edition of Dessert Wars will present more than 50 vendors, the largest number of participants in the event's three-year history. There will be thousands of samplings, and organizers expect a similar turnout of about a thousand attendees. You'll find cupcakes, cookies, brownies, doughnuts, and other confections. Several vendors will offer gluten-free and vegan options. The event will be hosted at the FIU Arena, a 5,000-seat indoor stadium. Each vendor, including Sweet Melody Ice Cream, Donutty, Dough Miami, and Chocolate Divas, will offer samples. As with previous editions of Dessert Wars, guests will receive a ballot to rank every vendor on a scale of 1 to 3. The vendor with the highest score will win. 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, January 20, at FIU Arena, 11200 SW Eighth St., Miami; dessertwarsmiami.com. Tickets cost $20 to $35 via eventbrite.com.
Miami Beer Festival at Marlins Park. Miami's first brew fest of the year is coming to Marlins Park this weekend. The sixth-annual Miami Beer Festival will take place Saturday, January 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. in Marlins Park Plaza, where a slew of breweries will serve suds for a good cause. The fest will present 80 breweries pouring 200 kinds of beer. In addition, attendees can enjoy food trucks, DJs, and live entertainment. The afternoon will also benefit 1 Lucky Dog Rescue Inc, a no-kill nonprofit animal rescue organization based in Hialeah. Tickets for this 21-and-over event cost $40 for general admission. VIP admission allows entry an hour early, at 5 p.m., and includes special beers poured only for VIPs. 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, January 20, at Marlins Park, 501 Marlins Way, Miami; 305-480-1300; miami.marlins.mlb.com/mia/ballpark. Tickets cost $40 to $50 via eventbrite.com. No tickets will be available onsite.
Women Chefs & Restauranters (WCR) Miami Regional Event at Front of the House Showroom. Show your support for female chefs this Saturday night. Some of Miami's most talented toques will band together and offer food and drinks, as well as a chef demo. Keep an eye out for Dizengoff's Valerie Chang, Ms. Cheezious' Fatima Mullins, Alter's Leah Jones, Yoko Matcha's Chie Sanchez, the Edition's Mary Davies, and others. Admission is free, but $10 to $50 donations are suggested, which will support the ongoing work of WCR to advance women in the food and beverage industry. 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday, January 21, at 7630 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; RSVP via eventbrite.com.
Australian BBQ With Chef Aaron Brooks and His Mates at the Four Seasons' Bahia. Enjoy a poolside barbecue with Edge Steak & Bar's chef Aaron Brooks, as well as other local chefs and restaurant owners. Expect Stanzione 87's Franco Stanzione, Macchialina's Michael Pirolo, Taquiza's Steve Santana, and Dizengoff's Valerie Chang. The afternoon of grilling will also include wine from Australia and beer from J. Wakefield Brewing. Advance tickets are required and cost $55 per person. 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, January 21, at 1435 Brickell Ave., Miami; Tickets via eventbrite.com.