Spring Break: Navigating the endless food options on South Beach

Starting Black Tie Barbecue has been a labor of love. The key word being labor. We have worked every holiday major or faux that has occurred since we have been in business. (I burned my nose and hand on 4th of July and ate something other than turkey on Thanksgiving.)

We chose Miami as our destination to get away from it all for a few days. We spent so much time deciding on the best place to stay on South Beach that our dining options were nothing more than an after thought. After a $60.00 experience, which consisted of overcooked chicken wings and a margherita pizza, which in actuality was a  microwaved cheese pizza, we recognized the potential traps and pitfalls to avoid when eating on South Beach. In the process we also discovered places that offered memorable meals at reasonable prices.


Pay careful attention to the following pictures and avoid these type places at all costs: 

Try not to frequent establishments that offer breakfast, lunch and dinner "specials" or that prominently display their food. I am sure there are exceptions to the rule, but our experience taught us that these type establishments can be a slippery slope . 

On Ocean Avenue we recommend: 

 Go to News Cafe and get the huevos rancheros. The tortilla is the perfect combination of thin and crispy.













Our favorite dining experience on South Beach was the Latin American food served at a street fair on Lincoln (if you're lucky enough to catch the street fair on a Sunday)

For tasty yet inexpensive dining we recommend crossing the bridge and going to Little Havana. 
Versailles offered traditional Cuban fare. Dinner for 4 with appetizers and Sangria came out to $80.00

La Camaronera, also in Little Havana,  is a great seafood location.  It is a standing only diner and everything offered is fried, but La Camaronera has some of the freshest tasting seafood that I have tasted in a while. 

Now about the drinks:  
BYOB is probably the best policy. Again, beware of the large garnished glasses that are offered by the same woman or man trying to "sell" you the Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner special.

As for Wet Willies, be sure to ask for the drinks made with rum, because the "other" drinks are made with grain liquor, which can ruin your Spring Break and the days and weeks to follow.

In conclusion: 
We had a blast on SoBe. By no means is this a comprehensive list of dining options in Miami.  If you're ever in Miami for a short period of time and on a limited budget keep our recommendations and warnings in mind. 

By: Spencer Humphrey 

Who Knew Salad Could Be So Complex?

Earlier this month, I had the awesome privilege of attending a food styling workshop with the amazing @runwithtweezers (Ms. Tami Hardeman), food stylist extraordinaire. As the designated food stylist for Black Tie and just being a natural perfectionist, I wondered how much I’d really learn at an afternoon workshop. Boy was I over-confident! We only worked on a salad, but Tami broke that salad down like it was the most complicated entrée ever plated. And I realized that the skills I thought I had were minor in comparison. She had tools, strategies and secrets that were well worth the price of admission.

In addition to learning some really cool tricks, I met a great group of “foodies” and together, we had the opportunity to try those tricks out ourselves. Though it was a styling workshop, in some ways it was a photography course as well. We talked about proper angles to shoot from and simple tools that help you get the best shot of your plate. By the end, I was ready to sign up for Part II. So, if you love food as art and have a free Sunday afternoon, please check out Tami’s styling workshop. You won’t regret it! You can find Tami at: www.tamihardeman.com or on her blog http://www.runningwithtweezers.com/


by LaToyin Rollins

Napa Valley an Hour away from Atlanta: Our time at Montaluce Winery

 We started our blog in December 2009, but between the Secret Suppers, tending to meat on the smoker and trying to find inventive ways to keep our product relevant while we define who we are as a company we’ve lost our way as bloggers and our Blog has well, died in the process.  Our goal is to take more time to blog in an effort to share our thoughts and help us reflect on the rich and rewarding experiences we’ve been blessed with.

            Back in January we had the pleasure of being the guests of Rob Beecham (@MontaluceWine) and Brent Beecham (@MVineyards) for their Food and Wine Conclave.  Prior to visiting Montaluce (www.montaluce.com) my Georgia wine experience was limited to an establishment off I-85.  I had no clue that Georgia had a wine country. (Yes, our meal was free, but our opinions are our own.)

Montaluce offers the charm and romantic scenery of Napa or a Tuscan get-away without the expensive plane tickets, time zone changes, etc.  Our time at Montaluce started with a tour of the winery sprinkled with details of the art and science wine making according to Oliver Asberger, Montaluce’s vineyard manager. Oliver told of his resourceful ability to keep birds away from the grapes and of course his farmer’s intuition, which enabled him to predict last fall’s monsoon season and thus pick the grapes before this year’s crop was ruined by rain. 

Above is a picture of me inside one of Oliver's fancy wine things used in the fermentation process

Since a picture is worth a 1000 words, I’ll let photos from the day speak for the wonderful 5 course meal paired with Montaluce Wines prepared by Chef Steven Hartman of Le Vigne Restaurant.

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My favorite thing on the menu was the chicken liver mousse. I have never had anything like it. The key to getting your kids to eat  liver is to have Chef Hartman prepare it for them.  Chef Hartman's cooking demonstration on the chicken liver mouse also inspired me to learn how to sous vide our favorite cuts of meat (more to come on that in future blog posts.)

Don't take our word for it. Pay Rob and Brent a visit and experience Montaluce for yourself. The drive is scenic, the wine is top quality and the food is worth the trip by itself. If you're willing to wait an hour outdoors for brunch in Atlanta, you can certainly take the hour drive for this special experience.
by Spencer Humphrey