Miami's Best Eats and Drinks This Week: Drink in the Dark, SOBEWFF, and Blue Bottle Coffee Opening

This week, drink in the dark at Funky Buddha, buy tickets to the 2018 South Beach Wine & Food Festival, and visit Blue Bottle's first Miami-Dade location.

Drinking in the Dark at Funky Buddha Brewery. Sip Funky Buddha suds in a dark room and allow the aromas and tasting notes to help you identify each brew. A seat at the tasting table gets you eight samplings and a blindfold. Participants must be 21 or older. 7:30 p.m. Monday, October 23, at Funky Buddha Brewery, 1201 NE 38th St., Oakland Park; 954-440-0046. Tickets cost $25 via funkybuddhabrewery.com.
Beaker & Gray Raises Funds for FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality, and SOBEWFF Tickets Now on Sale. This week, the Wynwood restaurant/bar will donate a percentage of its happy-hour sales to Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. The promotion coincides with the ticket launch of the 2018 Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival, scheduled for February 21 through 25. Tickets are on sale at sobewff.org.
Estrella Damm Chef's Choice at Various Locations. Just as Miami Spice wraps up, Estrella Damm Chef's Choice rolls in, offering deals at 50 local restaurants. Each eatery will offer a three-course meal of 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. Prices range from $30 to $70 per person, giving chefs more control over the creation of custom menus. Participating restaurants include Phuc Yea, Paulie Gee's, Mina's Mediterraneo, R House, Wynwood Kitchen & Bar, Chef Adrianne's Vineyard Restaurant & Wine Bar, and Barceloneta. A complete list of restaurants is available at chefschoicemiami.com. Available through November.
Blue Bottle Coffee Opens in the Design District. Oakland, California-based Blue Bottle Coffee is set to open its first Miami-Dade location this Wednesday in the Design District. Coffee will be supplied by Blue Bottle's Bushwick, New York roaster. Brews such as espresso, cold brew, and New Orleans-style iced coffee will be sold within 48 hours of their beans' roasting. Besides serving java, the Miami shop will offer a curated menu of sweet and savory treats, including smeared toasts and Belgian waffles. A portion of the store's initial proceeds will benefit Lotus House. 1 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 24, Blue Bottle Coffee in the Design District will host a community day, when guests can enjoy complimentary cups of coffee. Grand opening Wednesday, October 25, at 3800 NE First Ave., Miami, and November 2017 at Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., Aventura; bluebottlecoffee.com.
Pineapples and Pizza at Matador Bar. The folks at Matador Room assure us that the age-old debate is over: Pineapple and pizza do go together, and the combo is scrumptious. That's why they're pairing beef carpaccio pizza, topped with button mushrooms, arugula, and Parmesan, with a fancy pineapple cocktail and inviting everybody to partake. The event is part of the restaurant's monthly Pineapples & Pizza series, which offers live music and off-menu pairings of exotic pizzas and specialty cocktails. Naysayers are encouraged to bring a friend to experience, although it's doubtful you'll be able to deny the deliciousness. 9 p.m. Thursday, October 26, at 2901 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 786-257-4600; matadorroom.com. Cost is $35 per pizza and cocktail pairing.
Fall-Inspired Wine Dinner at BLT Prime. This Thursday, chef Dustin Ward will curate a four-course dinner paired with pours from Argentine winery Nieto Senetiner, founded in 1888 by Italian immigrants in Mendoza. Guests will sip vintages featuring the Argentine white grape, Torrontes, as well as Malbec, one of Argentina’s primary reds. Local brand ambassador Tom Holland will be on hand to narrate the evening. Menu highlights include pan-seared diver scallops, braised pork belly, and a wild berry soufflé. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, October 26, at BLT Prime, 4400 NW 87th Ave., Doral; 305-591-6606. Cost is $120 per person. Reservations can be made at nietodinner.brownpapertickets.com.