Miami's Best Eats and Drinks This Weekend: Hello Kitty Truck, Plomo, and Casa Gioia Pop-Up

Happy weekend, Miami. Enjoy what's new in town, including a dessert pop-up at Small Tea, the return of the Hello Kitty Truck, a new menu at Fooq's, and Plomo Tequila and Taco Bar's opening in Coral Gables.
Casa Gioia Dessert Pop-Up at Small Tea
4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, July 7, and Saturday, July 8; Prices vary
This Friday, July 7, and Saturday, July 8, local dessert business Casa Gioia will pop up at Small Tea with a batch of its best-selling desserts. Owner Mari Rubio will be there from 4 to 7 p.m. serving her treats. Rubio's pastry company, meaning "house of joy" in Italian, specializes in a hodgepodge of treats, from pies, cookies, and cakes to guava crisp squares and dough rolls stuffed with ingredients such as pumpkin jelly or chocolate mousse and chocolate hazelnut brittle. At the pop-up in Coral Gables, enjoy three desserts each day. Sweets that will appear this weekend include personal pies in flavors such as lemon-lime meringue and passion fruit thyme, along with Rubio's signature Ferrero Rocher chocolate roll.
The Hello Kitty Food Truck at Dolphin Mall
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 8; Prices vary
Stocked with Hello Kitty-inspired desserts, drinks, and souvenirs, the mobile café will be parked at Dolphin Mall near Cheesecake Factory this Saturday, July 8 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Expect an array of sweets such as cookie sets and rainbow macarons, along with pink bow-shaped bottles of water. Besides selling food, the truck will also offer Hello Kitty swag such as coffee mugs, T-shirts, and signature bow headbands.
BurgerFi's Plant-Based Beyond Burger Now Available at Coral Gables Location
Now available; $8.67 to $9.17
The Beyond Burger, a plant-based patty made by California company Beyond Meat, bleeds (beet juice) and tastes like the real thing. Now fast-casual chain BurgerFi has officially added it to its menu in select locations, including Coral Gables (136 Miracle Mile). The Beyond Burger is served as a single patty topped with pickles, onions, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, and American cheese (vegans can skip the cheese and mayo and order it on a vegan bun or in a lettuce wrap). The traditional build costs $8.67 with a vegan or potato bun; green-style runs $9.17.
Plomo is Now Open in Coral Gables
Open for lunch and dinner; Prices vary
Plomo, a tequila and taco bar at 230 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables, is now open. Created by the Atomic Group, known for popular Coral Gables eateries such as Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar and Copper 29, Plomo emulates a Mexican-style speakeasy. It offers a dimly lit atmosphere with colorful skulls painted on the walls, cacti set on tables, and a plant-covered ceiling. If you go, try the El Muro, stuffed with pork al pastor, pineapple, onions, and cilantro; the El Guero, packed with with beer-battered shrimp, creamy chipotle aioli, and pickled onions; the El No Mames, with potato, eggs, and chorizo; and the El Taco Volador, filled with salmon or tuna tartare, habanero salsa, and chipotle aioli. Tacos range from $3 to $4.50 each. Make sure to sip a few different tequilas and mezcals, as Plomo is stocked with more than 65 varieties.
New Menu at Fooq's
Available daily
Saul Ramos is now executive chef at Fooq’s Miami. He began working at the restaurant in mid-May and was shown the ropes by chef Bryan Rojas, who plans to move to Monterrey, Mexico, where the mother of his child lives. The new dishes, created by Ramos, include an octopus finished on a Japanese charcoal grill and served with a cold bean salad ($18); a roasted half-chicken with crisp potatoes, sweet peppers, feta, and chicken jus ($27); and local burrata salad with tomato jam and toast ($18). To coincide with Fooq's menu additions and chef appointment, the dining room has undergone a quick face-lift that includes new flooring and redesigned walls too. The restaurant reopens today after the refresh.