Miami's Best Eats and Drinks This Week: Miami Spice 2019 and James Beard Foundation Pop-Up

This week, Miami Spice will host a kickoff event at Jungle Island before more than 250 restaurants offer three-course meals priced at $23 for lunch/brunch and $39 for dinner throughout the county. Plus, the James Beard Foundation will host a Taste America pop-up dinner with the James Beard Award-winning chef Tony Mantuano.
Spicy Wing-Eating Competition at Spring Chicken. To celebrate National Chicken Wing Day, 50 Eggs’ Spring Chicken in Coral Gables will host a spicy chicken wing-eating contest where ten contestants will compete for a crown and prize. The first person to eat two pounds of spicy wings in less than ten minutes will win free Spring Chicken wings for the rest of the year. 7 to 10 p.m. Monday, July 29, at Spring Chicken, 1514 S. Dixie Hwy., Coral Gables; 305-504-2704; eatspringchicken.com.
Miami Spice Kickoff and Heritage Showcase at Jungle Island. It's almost time for Miami Spice, the annual fest of discounted prix fixes at local restaurants from August 1 through September 30. Before you enjoy some of the area's best dishes at awesome prices, the Miami Spice Kickoff and Heritage Showcase will serve food from a number of participating Spice restaurants, including Frost 321, Bagatelle, and Table 55. Also, expect live art activations and jams from Spam Allstars. If you're looking to shake off the calories you've consumed, head to the afterparty at E11even. 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, July 31, at Jungle Island, 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami. Tickets cost $50 to $100 via eventbrite.com.
James Beard Foundation Pop-Up Dinner at Le Sirenuse at the Four Seasons Hotel. This Wednesday, the James Beard Award-winning chef Tony Mantuano of the acclaimed restaurant Spiaggia in Chicago will host the Taste America James Beard pop-up dinner with Miami's Soraya Kilgore of Alter and MadLab Creamery and Antonio Mermolia of Le Sirenuse. The evening will begin with a cocktail hour offering beet cookies with whipped cheesecake and candied walnuts, eggplant Parmesan bonbons, and burrata crostini. Dinner highlights include Sicilian red shrimp carpaccio, dry-aged beef porterhouse steak with truffle, and chocolate forest cake. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 31, at Le Sirenuse, 9011 Collins Ave., Surfside; 786-482-2280; fourseasons.com/surfside. Tickets cost $225 per person via squadup.com.
Wine Wednesdays at Three. Inside the Wynwood Arcade, Three has launched a Wednesday wine special offering two red or two white wines for $10 per glass. The wine list rotates weekly and offers varietals from around the globe. Sommelier Jean-Baptiste Barre is on hand to provide insight on each selection. 5:30 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, July 31, at Three, 50 NW 24th St., Miami; 305-748-4540; threewynwood.com.
Miami Spice Begins Across Miami-Dade. The restaurant count will top 250 during Miami Spice this year. The two-month promotion that begins this Thursday, August 1, will offer three-course meals for $23 during lunch/brunch and $39 during dinner, and Miami's biggest restaurateurs are participating. So how does one decide where to eat? A good way to start is to visit miamitemptations.com, which shows the participating restaurants' menus. Then take a look at New Times' recommendations, which are listed by neighborhood.