Miami’s beer scene might be on the rise, but one of its originals – Wynwood Brewing Co. – which has been a mainstay in the popular artsy neighborhood for more than three-and-a-half years and is credited as being the first craft production brewery in Miami. Sales manager David X. Rodriguez, aka the “Missionary of Beer,” gives us a little behind the scenes of the popular beer spot. Since its inception, Wynwood Brewing Co. has grown dramatically. Starting off with just four tanks at its on-site brewery and beer room, it quickly expanded to three times that amount, Rodriguez notes. The uptick in production is also why its popular beers like La Rubia and Pop’s Porter can be seen not only at Wynwood Brewing but at popular restaurants and grocery stores around town. If you want to check out the production for yourself, there’s a coordinated tour every Saturday and Sunday at 2 and 6 p.m. For $10 guests can get a tour, a glass of beer and even keep the glass itself. Better yet, all the money made off the tours go to charity. While Wynwood Brewing is known for its signature beers, this Thursday at VeritageMiami’s Craft Beer Tasting it’ll feature some newcomers like the Grand Pop’s Porter aged in rum & red wine barrels all available to sample.

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Miami’s First Craft Brewery Keeps The Beer Flowing In Wynwood

The new drinking den that’s gaining all the buzz in Coral Gables is nothing like the neighborhood has seen before. Called Copper 29, it serves up creative, craft cocktails in a retro-chic setting complete with a plant-filled “living” wall. Heading the bar is Eleftherios “Lef” Kraounakis, who has perfect his cocktail slinging chops at places like La Mar inside the Mandarin Oriental. Each drink is broken down on the menu by flavor profile, preparation style and the glassware used to serve it. And if you’re craving a bite (or have had one too many libations) there are items like Truffle Mac & Cheese and Meatballs on the tapas-style menu. Check out Lef making the Lost In Japan cocktail with Kai Shochu, Mastiha FOS, Coconut Matcha Powder Tea, Fennel Seed, Yuzu Juice & 24K Edible Gold Powder in the video above.

Copper 29 Brings Cocktails With A Side Of Chemistry To Coral Gables

The only thing better than celebrating bourbon month with your favorite classic bourbon cocktails is celebrating bourbon month with donut holes spiked with your favorite classic bourbon cocktails, which is why we've joined forces with Miami's first craft donut shop The Salty Donut to bring our favorite boozy holiday to sweet life and because, well, who doesn't love boozy desserts? The fun starts this Friday with Jim Beam's® Old Fashioned spiked Donut Holes — that's right, old fashioned spiked donut holes — and continues every week through September with a different bourbon and libation. On the menu? Basil Hayden's® Bourbon Apple Crisp; Maker's Mark® Sazerac; and A Knob Creek® Manhattan. If you're a Salty Donut fan (join the club), then you'll want to watch the behind the scenes video of master donutier and executive chef Max Santiago making the Jim Beam® old fashioned donut hole, and then get to either the airstream in Wynwood, pop-up at the Confidante, or Uber Eats it sometime this weekend before they sell out.

Max Santiago / The Salty Donut / Bourbon Month

The Classic Old Fashioned • 2 oz Basil Hayden’s® Bourbon • ½ oz Cane Sugar Simple Syrup • Housemade Cherry Bark & Orange Bitters

Batch Gastropub / The Classic Old Fashioned

Miami is seriously behind on its ramen game, but newcomer Ichimi is hoping to change that with its modern Japanese, ramen-centric menu. Chat Chow sat down with its executive chef Kosme Sanchez to learn more about the concept, menu highlights and what sets its ramen apart. The star of the ramen menu is the Tonkotsu created with a pork-based broth that is cooked for 24 hours and then filled with pork belly, hanjuku egg and bamboo shoots. Other favorites include the vegetarian friendly Garden ramen made with shōyu, Shiitake and Nameko mushrooms, mung bean, scallions, bamboo shoots and red pepper along with a brisket and seafood variety. Each ramen bowl contains homemade noodles, created with the help of one of the area's only authentic noodle-making machines imported from Japan and one of only ten in the country. But ramen isn’t the only thing on the menu. Ichimi serves a full Izakaya menu filled with dishes that run the gamut in variety and flavor. Traditional housemade gyoza dumplings make an appearance on Ichimi’s menu in beef, seafood, pork and vegetable variations along with the ever popular Pork Belly and Fried Oyster buns. Curious how many noodles Ichimi goes through in an average day? (Hint: it’s a lot) Or what Sanchez’s favorite dish is? Find out all that in more in the video above.

Ichimi Serves Creative Ramen And Authentic Izakaya Bites In Coral Gables

New American dining den and cocktail go-to spot Trust & Co has debuted in Coral Gables. The space exudes an old-school prohibition feel with dark woods and an industrial-chic ambiance with plenty of iron and steel throughout. The menu was created to showcase the best produce and product South Florida has to offer by chef Pablo Zitzmann, a Jean Georges alumni, it features a bevy of house-made dishes with seasonal ingredients. Zitzmann shared some of his favorite dishes with Chat Chow TV, which includes Grilled Artichokes with a spinach chimichurri and blue cheese, the Charred Octopus, and for brunch the Pork Belly Benny made with poached eggs, smoked and confited Palmetto Creek pork belly and an “old school” hollandaise.  The drinks are also not to be missed with a rotating menu of classic drinks with a twist like the Maple Smoked Old Fashioned and the Beeten Negroni, all created with house-made bitters and mixes along with high-quality spirits. Find out what with Zitzmann thinks of the menu and his must-have bites in the video above.

Prohibition Style Dining Destination Trust & Co. Debuts In The Gables

For VIXI owner Melissa Stam, gelato is in her roots. Stam's great grandfather, Giovanni Rattazzi, opened a gelato parlor in his home city of Genoa in 1865 and her shared passion for gelato inspired her to open Coral Gables’ gelateria VIXI more than a century later. VIXI proudly boasts a large selection of authentic and healthy Italian gelato made without any artificial flavorings, colorings or additives, using only fresh natural ingredients. Flavors run the gamut from traditional varieties like chocolate, vanilla and hazelnut, to the more funky like parmesan cheese and pesto with basil sauce flavored gelato. Lactose-free sorbets are also available. Curious to know what the difference is between gelato and ice cream? And how exactly it gets its intense smooth flavor? Check out the video above to find out that and more.

Good For You Gelato at VIXI in Coral Gables

Last week, Matador Room chef Jeremy Ford took home the title of Top Chef on season 13 of the show. During his final, winning meal, Ford created Honey Bubbles to be paired with the Ricotta and Mozzarella Cheese Cylinder dish. Chat Chow TV caught up with Ford where he created the honey bubble for us, but used it in a different way — as part as a bourbon shot. Learn how he makes the bubble (it's easier than you think, we promise) in the video above.

Top Chef 13 Winner Jeremy Ford Shows Us How to Make Honey Bubbles

Odds are you been to a Shake Shack somewhere in the world and odds are you're a fan. The burger phenomenon that started with a stand in NYC has become a world wide sensation with locations from Miami, to Tokyo to Dubai and everywhere in between. We sat down with the chain's culinary director Mark Rosati who was in town for last month's South Beach Wine and Food Festival, to find out all about the burgers and what's next for the popular chain. Rosati got his start not as a chef, but just a fan of food. A chance encounter with Tom Colicchio got him a gig at the famed Gramercy Tavern where he honed his skills for three years. Wanting to learn another side of the restaurant industry, more specifically management, he took a job with Danny Meyer's Union Hospitality Group's then new concept Shake Shack, which had just opened Madison Square Park and quickly fell in love and helped grown it into the phenomenon it is today. When the concept decided to expand outside of the NYC for the first time, the first stop was Miami with the opening of the Lincoln Road location in 2010. Rosati lived in South Florida for close to a month and learned to love the city and local hot spots like Michael's Genuine Food & Drink and Puerto Sagua and even has a clever idea for a Miami-inspired Shake burger that he shares with us. Find out how he gets inspired, what locations are coming next and exactly what goes into making the now famous Chick'n Shack.

Shake Shack’s Culinary Mastermind Mark Rosati Dishes On All Things Shack

Tricks aren't just for kids. Apparently they're for foodies too, or at least that's what Josh Beckerman (better known as the Foodie Magician) has made a career out of. Part comedian, part entertainer, part food blogger and all parts magical, Beckerman's mind games have been featured everywhere from the New York Times to Late Night with Seth Meyers. It was only a matter of time before our food paths eventually crossed and as serendipity (or was it magic?) would have it they did so during the 15th Annual South Beach Wine and Food Festival. After blowing our minds at Jose Andres' chef afterparty at the SLS South Beach the previous night, the Foodie Magician randomly reappeared Saturday at the Broken Shaker and we luckily (or was it serendipity this time?) had a camera with us to get his signature "think of a restaurant you like a lot" trick and others on camera. Want to get #foodiemagished? Watch the video and who knows, you might be next.

We Get Food Magished by the Foodie Magician

Five years after opening, Wynwood mainstay Wynwood Kitchen + Bar has finally launched its brunch. Offered every weekend, the menu is inspired by the executive chef’s Miguel Aguilar home country of Venezuela. On the menu you can find dishes like tostadas and sweet corn pancake that can all be paired with special Cusqueña beers. The beer company holds a special place in Aguilar’s heart since he got to travel to their factories in Peru last August to learn all about how they were made and try some of Peru’s best cuisine. The weeklong trip – that Chat Chow TV was luckily a part of – took a group of journalists and chefs through Peru from the seaside city of Lima to the mountains of Machu Picchu. Chefs from across the country demonstrated different techniques, flavors and ingredients that the group had never experienced before. And everyone got to learn how to properly pair Cusqueña beer with all of their favorite dishes, from sweet to savory and everything in between. Aguilar even added a special ceviche to the new brunch menu inspired by the trip. Curious what Miguel Aguilar favorite beer is? Or what culinary tips he learned in Peru? Find out all of that in the video above.

Miguel Aguilar / Wynwood Kitchen & Bar

During the craziness that was Art Basel 2015, pastry chef extraordinaire Dominique Ansel hosted a “surprise” pop-up soft serve window at The Setai Miami Beach serving two frozen yogurt creations. The first was a Caramel Stout Soft Serve with Chocolate “Caviar” and Sea Salt Brownie and the second was his cult-favorite Burrata Soft Serve, Balsamic Caramel, Confit Strawberry and Microbasil, both served in hand-rolled honey tuile cones. Ansel sat with Chat Chow TV during the Basel madness to tell us more about the pop-up and some of his favorite sweet creations.

Dominique Ansel / Art Basel

Mediterranean newcomer Byblos has made quite the splash on the South Florida dining scene. Its fusion of flavors and impressive design have wow-ed many, and Chat Chow TV sat down with the restaurant’s executive chef Stuart Cameron to learn more about the Miami outpost, the restaurant’s eclectic menu and its signature dishes. South Beach is home to the first outpost in the United States for the restaurant brand, which has a few locations throughout Canada. But the question on a lot of people’s mind is — why Miami? “Miami is really, really growing,” Cameron notes. “Such an awesome food scene, and it was a really good opportunity to open a Byblos here.” As for how the South Florida menu differs from the the Canadian counterparts utilizing South Florida’s local produce, seafood and flavors to create a menu that’s different to its sister restaurants to the north. But the restaurant still sports plenty of signature dishes that made it popular like the lamb ribs, dumplings and hand-rolled couscous. And of course, the tea-cocktails presented table side also make an appearance on the menu. Curious what Cameron’s favorite dishes are? Or what he thinks is unique about Byblos? Find out all those things and more in the video above.

Stuart Cameron / Byblos

This past summer, Italian cuisine master and all around bad-ass chef, Michael Pirolo, prepared a private Italian feast filled with Prosciutto di Parma for some very lucky guests. The ham is almost as old as Italian cuisine itself with the earliest references to Prosciutto di Parma dating back all the way to Roman times around 100 BC. The ham has a very strict certification. By law it can only be produced in the gently rolling countryside surrounding the city of Parma in north central Italy. The ham must use Italian-born and bred pigs raised according to the highest standards on which they are monitored, inspected and traced. Once the ham is ready to be cured, a highly experienced maestri salatori (aka salt master) applies a minimal amount of sea salt necessary to produce a ham with the desired savory-sweet flavor profile. This is also the reason why Prosciutto di Parma tastes less salty than other ham varieties. At the end of the curing process, every leg of Prosciutto di Parma is checked for quality and then fire branded with the five-pointed Parma Crown, signifying its guarantee of authenticity and quality. In the above video, Pirolo makes one of the dishes he prepared at this special Prosciutto di Parma dinner and shares the back story of why tortellini are shaped the way they are.

Michael Pirolo Makes Tortellini

Over the past few weeks, you’ve probably seen plenty of your favorite social media personalities post a photo of themselves with a fruit or veggie and hashtagging it #DrinkGoodDoGood. Wondering what that’s all about? Let us explain. Nearly 24 million Americans live in food deserts and don’t have access to affordable, quality, fresh fruits and vegetables. But Naked Juice is trying to help change this. For the third year in a row, Naked Juice is partnering with Wholesome Wave – an organization that helps create affordable access to fresh, local and regional food to those in need – to provide fresh produce where there is none. So every time someone posts a “fruit selfie” with the #DrinkGoodDoGood hashtag, Naked Juice will donate the equivalent of 10 pounds of produce to neighbors in need — up to 500,000 pounds in total through October 15. To help raise awareness, Naked Juice and Wholesome Wave are teaming up with local ambassadors across the country to help shine a light on the issue of food deserts. Among the ambassadors joining the effort are Wholesome Wave board member and D.C.-based chef Jose Andres, musician Common, Los Angeles chef Michael Voltaggio and San Francisco chef Tyler Florence. In Miami, this cause hits close to home affecting nearly 250,000 Miami-Dade county residents. That’s enough people to line Ocean Drive over 36 times. Locally, the campaign has tapped chef ambassadors, CENA by Michy’s Michelle Bernstein and Alter’s Brad Kilgore, to help get the word out. In the video above check out Brad discussing the campaign and why the cause is important to him.

Help Fight Food Deserts with Naked Juice and #DrinkGoodDoGood

Chat Chow TV is a mouth-watering new video podcast where we go behind the scenes with the celebrated chefs, owners and mixologists of the food industry.

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