Miami's Best Eats and Drinks This Weekend: Kaido, Art Week, and Hello Kitty Cafe Truck

This weekend, the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck returns to Dadeland Mall, Hy Vong hosts a two-night dinner pop-up, Monkey Shoulder's Monkey Mixer cocktail truck rolls through Wynwood, and Miami Art Week and Art Basel continue, bringing more than a dozen food and drink events across town.
Monkey Mixer at Various Locations. Monkey Shoulder, known for its unique blend of malt whiskey, is hitting the road with the Monkey Mixer. Designed like a cement truck with a large cocktail shaker, the Monkey Mixer truck will travel around Miami through December 15, serving the Mixed Up Monkey cocktail, which is poured directly out of the vehicle. This weekend the truck, which can hold more than 2,400 gallons of liquid, will be parked at Better Days today, December 7, from 5 to 8 p.m. and at Gramps Saturday, December 8, from 6 to 9 p.m. Various locations; monkeyshoulder.com. Admission is free.
Hello Kitty Cafe Truck at Dadeland Mall. The mobile Hello Kitty Cafe will roll back into Miami on Saturday, bringing a new batch of desserts, drinks, souvenirs, and limited-edition collectibles. From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., the food-and-collectibles truck will be parked outside Dadeland Mall near the Cheesecake Factory. Onboard, new items include a large Hello Kitty chef cookie, a lunchbox filled with confetti popcorn, Hello Kitty plush toys, and a petit fours box set. In addition, expect some of the truck's year-round best-selling items, including cookie sets and rainbow macarons, and 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. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, December 8, at Dadeland Mall, 7535 N. Kendall Dr., Miami; sanrio.com.
Art Basel and Miami Art Week 2018 Food and Drink Events. Art Basel and Miami Art Week continue, sprinkling galleries, exhibits, and pop-ups all across town. From a nine-course tasting menu at Three in Wynwood to an artistically driven à la carte menu at Cantina La 20 and an Andy Warhol-inspired cocktail at Acqualina, here's your guide to the best pop-ups and food and drink events happening this year.
Miami Art Week 2018 Brewery Events. As you plan your Miami Art Week experiences, be sure to include some Miami breweries on your list. From new beer releases to live art demonstrations, here's what's brewing during the festivities.
Hy Vong at St. Matthew Episcopal Church. Fans of the shuttered Hy Vong on Calle Ocho in Little Havana can enjoy a two-night pop-up this weekend at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church. The menu will include spring rolls, barbecue short ribs, pho, chicken in lemongrass, beef and rice noodles, Christmas-inspired desserts, and more. 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 8, and Sunday, December 9, at St. Matthew Episcopal Church, 7410 Sunset Dr., Miami; hyvong.com. The meal costs $45.
Kaido Opens in the Design District. The 2,200-square-foot cocktail lounge, located in the heart of Miami’s Design District, opens just in time for Art Basel with a menu of Japanese-inspired fare inside a room fashioned in the style of a Tokyo drinking den. Bradley Kilgore, whose culinary trajectory shot upward with his Wynwood restaurant, Alter, says that with Kaido, he's created a space "where the beverage is as important as the food." To achieve that goal, he partnered with Nico de Soto, who owns Mace in New York City's East Village and two bars, Danico and Zebra, in Paris. There's much to be excited about on Kilgore's menu, including a dish he calls Floridian fugu: a lionfish sashimi with yuzu kosho, caviar, basil seeds, crispy tapioca, and ponzu. 151 NE 41st St., #217, Miami; 786-409-5591; kaidomiami.com. Sunday through Thursday 4 p.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. The Ama secret bar is open Friday and Saturday 6 p.m. to midnight by reservation only.
Where to Eat and Drink During Art Basel. Whether you plan to take in highbrow art at the convention center or spend time in one of the many tents that pepper the city, you'll need to fuel up for the adventure. From coffee shops to late-night cocktail bars, here are the best places to eat and drink in each neighborhood participating in Miami Art Week.