miamime

provocations & observations by William Plasencia 

Talavera: My new favorite Mexican spot in Miami

If you're near the corner of Giralda and Ponce, in Coral Gables, you might miss the entrance to Talavera but it's worth seeking out.

Talavera is not your typical Mexican restaurant in Miami. Yes, you'll find the requisite Frida Khalo portrait hanging on the wall but it's one of a string of prints of famous sons and daughters of Mexico including Carlos Santana and Salma Hayek. The décor eschews the typical rustic earth colors for a clean look that ties back nicely to Mexico through the judicious use of blue and white talavera ceramics and illustrations.

So what's the food like?

If you've spent time in Mexico City you know that people in “el DF” do their own take on typical Mexican dishes and that's what you'll find at Talavera. For example, the excellent guacamole is still made fresh from the same avocados but instead of being served up plain in a stone mortar, Talavera adds a bit of crumbled, tangy Mexican cheese and serves it in a blue and white ceramic bowl with a few, light pork rinds that are meant to be rolled up along with the guac in a tortilla and eaten as an appetizer. The queso fundido clasico, too, had just the right amount of chorizo to make it tasty but not overpoweringly greasy.

I drizzled a bit of the green habanero sauce on everything. I mean absolutely everything. It's made from lava-hot habaneros whose spiciness is tempered by mixing in a bit of vinegar and crushed cool, green tomatillos. They ought to bottle this stuff and sell it. It's just that good.

We drank micheladas along with our food – Bohemia beer mixed with lime juice and spices. It's a refreshing concoction that I never think of having at night but it worked for this meal.

Instead of one of the heavier dishes, we shared Tacos de Chilorio, pulled pork that's simmered in ancho and guajillo chili sauce and served up with a side of guac, white rice and black beans and a side of pico de gallo sauce. The freshly made corn and wheat tortillas were wonderful and the waiter didn't blink when we asked him to bring us more. The service, overall, was very good, which is what we're accustomed to at owner Lalo's other restaurant, Jaguar, in Coconut Grove. But you can tell that he's put extra effort into Talavera to make it more Mexican than his other pan-Latino creation.

Our meal was filling and we came to about $60 with the tip. We could have easily spent more on drinks or food, but we went home with leftovers and a desire to go back. Next time we're going for brunch over the weekend.

Talavera 2299 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33134 tel: 305.444.2955 www.talaveraspot.com

Filed under  //   restaurant   review  

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15 Ways Publishers Are Re-Imagining The Magazine Taking The Tablet: 15 Ways Publishers Are Re-Imagining The Magazine | paidContent

Taking The Tablet: 15 Ways Publishers Are Re-Imagining The Magazine

Marie ClaireInterviewThe FactoryMag+WiredVivDe TelegraafSports IllustratedPenguin Books3D FlipIkeaAssoc. of Online Pubs.New York TimesCynergy NewsstandMartview

Magazine publishers were already beginning to imagine how tablet devices might reboot their fortunes long before the April 3 retail date for Apple’s iPad.

I've come around to the iPad, and other ereaders. I think they will change the way magazines in particular will be read. They do not spell the end of newspapers however. Print needs to find a way to reach those people who can't afford fancy iPads. The rich aren't the only ones who hunger for news.

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A people's view of Mars

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Images from the Mars orbiter.

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Zero in on your perfect customer's location - MiamiHerald.com

"Lo-so networks lend themselves well to small businesses and retail locations," said William Plasencia, former managing editor of Latin Trade magazine who now owns WPA, a firm specializing in social media consulting. "Part of the appeal of these lo-so tools is the sense of immediacy and instant gratification the user gets. So, say you make cupcakes and you want to give out free cupcakes every Thursday, you can put a message out on Foursquare or Loopt and you get the increased volume of people walking through your door. On the user side, they get the instant gratification of a free cupcake and now they will tell all of their friends about it and every Thursday, your business will be on their minds as they wait for the next promotion." Read more

I was quoted in the Miami Herald's Business Monday section today. The point I was trying to get across strongly is that social media isn't just for big enterprise. Small to mid-size companies can benefit just as much, if they put the time into it. But you have to work at it -- the benefits don't just happen. Get on Twitter, get on Foursquare or Yelp or Facebook. Work them. Trust me, you'll see results.

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Mashable: Top 10 Modern Gadgets with Retro Styling [PICS]

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I want that Snowball microphone. The Olympus ain't bad either, but pricey.

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Buying Guide To Really Expensive Time Pieces

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This was actually a really eyeopening article. Now, I just need a spare $10 Grand to buy ones of these babies.

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Which to save: The Everglades or U.S. Sugar?

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Did anyone ever have a doubt that Big Sugar was in control of this deal?

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Oh, Rick. He tries. Too much.

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Milk of the Gods

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Growing up, you couldn't walk into a Cuban-American home and not find sweetened condensed milk. We used to pour it on all sorts of things. Even Coca-Cola. Read the NYTimes food article about it.

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Oops, my bad.

"My chairmanship is bringing so much attention to the press," said Rangel, 79. " . . . In order to avoid my colleagues having to defend me during their elections, I have this morning sent a letter" asking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "to grant me a leave of absence until such time as the ethics committee completes its work."

The ethics committee reprimanded Rangel after concluding that his staff was aware that corporations, such as American Airlines, financed his 2007 and 2008 trips to Caribbean resorts for conferences. That broke new House rules forbidding such privately financed travel. While the committee could not conclude that Rangel knew of the backing, the panel found him culpable for his staff's knowledge.

I am not a Rangel fan. By any stretch.

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