March 27, 2026
Each Friday, we try to compile South Florida food-related news and events that we couldn’t fit on the site earlier in the week, as well as other local news that piques our interest. Want to be included in our next roundup? Shoot us an email at bark@miamifoodpug.com.
Viva Abejas at Toro Toro
Chef Spring Series at MILA Omakase
Extended Happy Hour at Cervecería La Tropical
New Bar Menu at Fooq’s
Viva Abejas at Toro Toro
This Spring, internationally renowned chef Richard Sandoval celebrates our connection to the earth with the return of his global culinary campaign that spotlights our interdependence on nature. Showcasing the importance of the world’s pollinators – bees – on which the global food cycle depends, Sandoval’s fifth annual interactive, multi-sensory plant based culinary experience Viva Abejas (Long Live Bees), will take center stage at his restaurants worldwide, including right here in Miami at his celebrated Pan-Latin concept Toro Toro at the iconic InterContinental Miami.
Guests will have the opportunity to experience the celebration with several sustainable beverage and culinary selections that incorporate bee pollen, honey, agave, avocado and additional bee-centric ingredients. Richard Sandoval Hospitality (RSH) has partnered with the World Bee Project and will be donating a portion of proceeds from all Viva Abejas menu items purchased to its philanthropic partner. Guests can also donate directly through www.vivaabejas.com.
As part of the campaign, Toro Toro will be featuring an exclusive, a la carte menu of specials that will be available to savor and sip all-month long. Specialty items on offer include the culinary selection of Beef Tenderloin served with roasted corn ragout, rainbow heirloom cauliflower, criolla salsa and truffle honey ($75), along with a vibrant lineup of lineup of sustainable, handcrafted cocktails including the Viva Abeja Paloma – chipotle-infused blanco tequila, honey, lime, grapefruit soda and black salt; and Margarita Melipona – blanco tequila, fruit-infused honey, turmeric, orange, lime and tajin; plus, a special zero-proof libation, the Honeybee Fizz – ginger ale topped with a butter and lavender foam ($16 – $19).
In addition, to celebrate the Viva Abejas campaign’s fifth anniversary, Toro Toro is presenting a special, one-night-only Bloom to Table Pairing Dinner hosted by creator Richard Sandoval and the restaurant’s executive chef Victor Rosales on Friday, April 24 at 7PM. Taking place in Toro Toro’s intimate El Matador Room, the four-course culinary experience is priced at $175++ per person and will feature plant-forward culinary and cocktail pairings.
Dinner will begin with an amuse bouche of Blue Corn Masa Biscuit with chipotle honey, requeson cheese, corn sprout and corn husk; followed by Viva Tiradito prepared with chili-crusted ahi, cured salmon, Hamachi, honey avocado puree, lemongrass leche de Tigre, red onion, radish and orange blossom honey. For the entrée course, guests will enjoy Beef Tenderloin served with roasted corn ragout, rainbow heirloom cauliflower, criolla salsa and truffle honey.
The evening will conclude on a sweet note with an indulgent Abejas Pavlova made with bee pollen pavlova, Alma Finca macerated mango, whipped cream, coconut ice cream and raw honey. The culinary offerings will be paired with the specialty Viva Abejas cocktails including the Viva Abejas Paloma, Margarita Melipona and Honeybee Fizz Zero-Proof. Advance reservations for the pairing dinner are required and can be booked via OpenTable – HERE.
The Viva Abejas campaign kicks off Tuesday, March 24, 2026 and runs through Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
Photo Credit: Richard Sandoval Hospitality (RSH)
Chef Spring Series at MILA Omakase
MILA Omakase, Miami Beach’s most intimate and design-forward omakase experience by Riviera Dining Group, and part of the globally recognized MILA brand, continues its Chef Spring Series with an exclusive two-night collaboration featuring Chef William Eick, Chef/Owner of Matsu taking place April 7–8. The collaboration marks a bicoastal culinary exchange, with the MILA Omakase team set to travel to Matsu in Oceanside later this spring for a reciprocal takeover, further extending the dialogue between the two kitchens.
Based in Oceanside, California, Matsu has earned widespread recognition for its immersive tasting menu and refined, ingredient-driven approach to modern Japanese cuisine. Since opening in 2021, Chef William has been named Best Chef in San Diego by Thrillist and has received consecutive honors from San Diego Magazine as Best Japanese Restaurant and Best New Restaurant. His cuisine is defined by a disciplined reverence for Japanese technique—from fermentation and dashi to precise knife work—interpreted through a contemporary lens.
For this limited Miami appearance, Chef William will collaborate with the MILA Omakase culinary team to co-create a bespoke tasting menu that bridges coastal California refinement with MILA’s signature MediterrAsian perspective. The experience will highlight a shared ethos rooted in restraint, seasonality, and precision, expressed through a multi-course omakase format designed to unfold as a cohesive culinary narrative.
With only ten seats per seating and two nightly seatings, the collaboration offers a rare opportunity to experience one of California’s rising voices in modern Japanese cuisine within an intimate, counter-only setting. Seatings are available at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and costs $250 per person; sake pairing available upon request. Make reservations
here.
Extended Happy Hour at Cervecería La Tropical
Cervecería La Tropical, Miami’s craft brewery and tropical botanical garden in the heart of Wynwood, is raising the bar on early-evening and late-night drinks with expanded happy hour offerings that start early in the afternoon. Guests can enjoy specials Tuesday through Thursday from 3–7 p.m. with a late-night happy hour from 9–11 p.m., Friday from 3–7 p.m. with late-night specials 11 p.m.–1 a.m., Saturday from 9 p.m.–1 a.m., and Sunday from 7–10 p.m. Happy hour offerings include handcrafted drinks and Cuban-Caribbean bites such as yuca fries, chicharrón, tostones, and tres quesos, alongside crafted beer cocktails and specialty cocktails.
New Bar Menu at Fooq’s
Following its highly anticipated return, Fooq’s is introducing a new bar menu that brings the restaurant’s signature Persian-influence and shareable dining experience into a more casual, late-night format.
Designed with the same attention to detail and flavor as the main dining room, the menu highlights bold, comforting dishes meant for grazing and gathering. Guests can start with house-made dips like Whipped Feta with pistachio and cacao pangrattato or Burnt Eggplant & Tomato with crispy shallots, all served with freshly baked za’atar bread.
From there, the offering leans into elevated bar favorites, including Duck & Foie Gras Croquettes with rhubarb ketchup, Chicken Wings finished with calabrian chili sauce, and house-made pides crafted from 48-hour cold ferment sourdough topped with options like lamb with caramelized fennel and labneh or tomato with stracciatella and sumac onion.
For those looking for something more substantial, the menu also features standout plates like Bucatini Amatricana and Black Opal NY Strip, making it just as suitable for a full meal as it is for late-night bites.