Miami's Best Eats and Drinks This Weekend: Ice Cream and Beer Festivals, Brunch, and Astra Opening

This weekend, rooftop bar Astra opens in Wynwood, the annual Ice Cream We Love frozen treats festival returns to Bal Harbour Shops, Boxelder hosts an all-day beer festival, and Stubborn Seed offers a three-course brunch.
Astra. Miamians will have another place to enjoy the city's glorious winter weather when a beautiful rooftop spot opens this Friday, January 11. Located in Wynwood, Astra will be a combination lounge, restaurant, and bar sitting atop Sette Osteria, which opened about six months ago. Both establishments are owned by IK Retail Group. With a full-service kitchen and bar, Astra will specialize in Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. Menu items include horiataki, a traditional Greek salad; paidakia, charcoal-grilled baby lamb chops; and the Milo plate, a meze platter of fried zucchini, squash, eggplant, and cheese. Rooftop of 2121 NW Second Ave., Miami. Daily 5 p.m. until late beginning Friday, January 11.
Ice Cream We Love at Bal Harbour Shops. Some of Miami's best local ice-cream shops will unite for Bal Harbour Shops' second-annual Ice Cream We Love, a frozen-treats fest benefiting UM/Jackson Memorial's Holtz Children's Hospital. The event will transform the mall's first and second levels into a real-life Candyland, where you'll find everything from Italian ice and gelato to paletas and nitrogen ice cream. More than 20 vendors are expected to set up mini pop-ups, so keep an eye out for Amazonica, Bianco Gelato, Cielito Artisan Pops, Dasher & Crank, and others. The festival will offer a variety of unique flavors, though specifics have not been released. A sneak peek, however, reveals Dasher & Crank's popular picks, including ubemacapuno and strawberry cream cheese with guava jelly. Each ticket guarantees unlimited samples at every booth. 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., Bal Harbour; 305-585-4483; balharbourshops.com. Tickets cost $40 for adults and $15 for children aged 2 to 12 via eventbrite.com.
Juicy at Boxelder Craft Beer Market. Boxelder Craft Beer Market will host Juicy, an all-day festival celebrating IPA and fruited sour beers. A ticket guarantees unlimited pours and a custom festival glass. Confirmed breweries include Angry Chair, Calusa, Equilibrium, Hidden Springs Ale Works, and more. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, January 12, at Boxelder Craft Beer Market, 2817 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-942-7769; bxldr.com. Tickets cost $50 via eventbrite.com.
Wine Date Reopens as Bacco. In case you needed another excuse to break dry January, Bacco wine bar is now open in the Roads. The artisanal wine shop, formerly known as Wine Date, reopened its doors January 2 after several months of renovations and overhauling the kitchen. In addition to its new name, Bacco — short for Bacchus, Roman god of wine — guests can expect an extended food menu to pair with the extensive wine selection. Items include Gorgonzola-stuffed dates blanketed in prosciutto ($10.50) and spaghetti fruiti di mare brimming with shrimp, black mussels, baby clams, and squid rings tossed with garlic, olive oil, and marinara sauce ($21.50). Wine savants and amateurs alike will appreciate Bacco's extensive wine shelves that greet patrons at the entrance. Customers can purchase a bottle and enjoy it on the patio or inside for a corkage fee of $10, or take the wine and meal to go and avoid the fee. 2700 SW Third Ave., Miami; 305-364-5658; baccomiami.com.
Three-Course Brunch at Stubborn Seed. Accompanying Stubborn Seed's a la carte Sunday brunch is a three-course option complete with the restaurant's best-selling items, including the buttermilk biscuits, charred sourdough and ricotta, the smoked Tennessee pork belly, and cinnamon sticky buns. Priced at $25 per person, customers can upgrade their experience to include unlimited mimosas for $45. For those who prefer their mimosas without orange juice, Perrier Jouet specials are available at $55 per bottle. Plus, groups of four who reserve a table ahead of time receive a complimentary bottle of bubbles. Cheers to that. 101 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-322-5211; stubbornseed.com. Brunch is served 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.