My husband was skeptical when we gave him the gift certificate for Christmas, but was convinced it was the real deal when they hit 100 miles an hour in the Audi 4S during the “test” run with a driver showing him the course.

Makes for a great Father’s Day gift!

Pork Belly Curry with Yellow Sticky Rice

My brother had told me about this restaurant when it first opened, but I hadn’t made it by.  After it was written up in the Herald a couple of weeks ago, I decided to go by for a late lunch after showing properties on Miami Beach.

The casual atmosphere, tasty food, and great service make this a must visit restaurant.

My Current Stash

I love chocolate, especially dark chocolate, so I am thrilled that the first ever Miami Fine Chocolate and Food Show is coming to Pinecrest Gardens this weekend.  One of my favorite chocolate stores, Romanicos on Coral Way, will be there as well as Valor chocolates from Spain.  Romanicos’ chocolates are pure artistry from their Tropical Collection, with painted  fish motiffs, to their Nostalgia Habanera, with chocolates filled with dulce de leche and guava paste.  My favorite from Valor is their 70% dark chocolate bar with banana. Pair any of these with red wine and…heaven!

I am looking forward to tasting chocolate from all of the chocolatiers that I don’t know yet and adding to my current stash.

Activities Room at Shake-A-Leg - Compliments of Miami Heat

I love that the Miami Heat are winning games and setting records, but I love what they do for our community when they are off the court even more!

If you are looking for an investment property instead of a weekend get-a-way, the last fully furnished unit that rented in this building was a studio that rented for $1500 per month!  Listed for sale, fully furnished (minus the art work) for $170,000.

Ceiling In Alfred Browning Parker designed home

Several recent  articles have highlighted the issue of preservation vs private property rights.  I want to clarify that I am for historic preservation of relevant buildings but I think if it is done retroactively, it infringes on private property rights.

Both the Miami Herald building, sold to Genting Malaysia, and a Robert Browning Parker home in Gables Estates, currently listed for sale by Helen Nicastri of Coldwell Banker, have come before preservation boards with different outcomes.

A home in north Gables on Minorca and another in Miami Beach on Star Island are further examples of preservation boards trying to designate properties as historic when new owners purchased the property and applied for demolition permits.

If a property is designated as historic, it cannot be torn down and there are restrictions on the amount and type of  renovations that can be done.  You can check with local preservation boards to see if the property you are purchasing is on their list prior to purchasing, but if it is not on the list should a local board be able to designate it when you apply for permits to demolish or refurbish?  To protect your investment, if you are planning to purchase a property built in the 1920′s-1960′s (Old Spanish, Art Deco and MiMo architectural styles) and want to renovate or demolish it, contact the local historic preservation board during your due diligence/inspection period.

Tonight kicks off the 30th Annual Miami International Film Festival.  Over 100 films will be shown through March 10.

The Cadillac Golf Championship comes to Doral Golf Resort and Spa on March 6-10.

Two music events overlap when the Winter Music Conference, March 15-24, and the Ultra Music Festival, March 15-17 and 22-24, come to town.

March 18-31features the Sony Open Tennis on Key Biscayne.

All this is great for our local economy and our social calendars, but I am looking forward to the “lazy” days of summer!