Saturday, December 21, 2019

cobaya experiment #81 - Cobaya Amarilla with Chefs Santiago Gomez and Carlos Garcia

Cobaya Amarilla with Santiago Gomez and Carlos Garcia

Another experiment successfully completed! This time, our chefs were Santiago Gomez of Cantina La Veinte and Tacology, and Carlos Garcia of Obra - but we weren't at any of their restaurants. We were at La Casa Amarilla, Santaigo and his wife Camila's home, where they hosted thirty of us in their back yard while Santiago and Carlos cooked at a wood and charcoal fired open kitchen. It was a perfect night for it and a great dinner. You can read a more detailed recap at Food For Thought, and see more pictures in this Cobaya Amarilla flickr set.

Here's what we had (with links to pictures):

(vuelve a la vida with tostada and grilled shishito)

(heirloom tomatoes, radishes, basil, chicharrones)

(vegetable paella)

4. Los Vegetales

(roasted lamb leg with salt-roasted potatoes)

(beet ice cream sandwich with chocolate sauce)

A big thank you to Chefs Santiago Gomez and Carlos Garcia, to Camila Basmagi, to all of their crew helping out for the evening, and most of all, to the guinea pigs whose interest and support make these events possible. And a side note: we encourage everyone to check out and support the non-profit that Santaigo and Camila formed, and which Carlos actively supports – Recipes for Change – which works to provide nourishment to local at-risk communities. Thanks and happy new year, all.




Monday, December 2, 2019

cobaya experiment #81 - 12.15.19

Greetings Guinea Pigs – it's time for another experiment!

Quick Details:
Date: 12.15.19 (Sunday)
Price: $98.00 (inclusive of tax and tip)
Start time: 7:30pm

We will be doing a drawing for seats from all requests received over the first 48 hours. Please get your requests in quickly, and if you get a spot, please book it quickly.

To request spots, please send an email to reserve@cobaya.miami and let us know how many you're requesting.

You will be advised by Friday December 6 if your request has been confirmed. You'll then need to book your seats by noon on Tuesday December 10, or we will need to release the seats to the wait list to ensure all spots are filled. Note the tight schedule: please make your request quickly, and if you get a spot, please book quickly.

We have limited seating available, and while we try to accommodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events fill up fast. Due to space limitations, we will limit people to 2 spots per request, though if you're interested in more let us know and your request will be added to the waitlist.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly. There will be a short window of time to book before seats need to be released back to the waitlist to make sure they're filled.

We are still figuring out beverages, BYOB should be an option.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail the day before the event, confirming the location and other details.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Plus some legalese: please note that if you're requesting a spot, you understand that any food or beverages you consume are at your own risk, that you voluntarily assume any and all risks, known and unknown, and voluntarily release the organizers of the event from any claims, including personal injury and wrongful death, resulting in any manner from your participation in this event, whether caused by negligence or otherwise. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Look forward to seeing you there. As always, thank you for your support.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:


experiment #81 - how many?




Saturday, November 30, 2019

cobaya experiment #80 - Cobaya Arson with Deme Lomas

Cobaya Arson with Chef Deme Lomas

Earlier this month we conducted our eightieth experiment, with Chef Deme Lomas at his second restaurant, Arson in downtown Miami. This was Deme's second round with Cobaya: almost exactly four years ago we held Experiment #58 at Deme's first restaurant, Niu Kitchen, just down the block. You can read a more detailed recap at Food For Thought, and see all the pictures in this flickr set. Here's what we had (with links to pictures):

cold almond and garlic soup, salt-cured red tuna,
figs and charbroiled scallions

white asparagus, charbroiled green huancaina,
sesame seeds

steamed clams, chipotle sofrito, charbroiled garlic aioli

slow charbroiled monkfish, zucchini textures,
Spanish green chili, golden garlic

lamb chops, burnt eggplant puree,
red pepper juice viniagrette, Josper onions

condensed milk gelato, passion fruit foam,
chocolate sand, diced brownie

A big thank you to Chef Deme, to Karina Iglesias for picking some great wines and generally making the evening feel like exactly the kind of dinner party you hope to invited to, to the entire crew at Arson, and as always most of all, to the guinea pigs whose interest and support make these events possible.


Tuesday, October 22, 2019

cobaya experiment #80 - 11.4.19

Greetings Guinea Pigs – it's time for another experiment!

Quick Details:
Date: 11.4.19 (Monday)
Price: $87.50 (inclusive of tax and tip)
Start time: 7pm-ish (exact start time to be confirmed)

We will be doing a drawing for seats from all requests received over the first 48 hours. Please get your requests in quickly, and if you get a spot, please book it quickly.

To request spots, please send an email to reserve@cobaya.miami and let us know how many you're requesting.

You will be advised by Friday October 25 if your request has been confirmed. You'll then need to book your seats by noon on Tuesday October 29, or we will need to release the seats to the wait list to ensure all spots are filled. Note the tight schedule: please make your request quickly, and if you get a spot, please book quickly.

We have limited seating available, and while we try to accommodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events fill up fast. Due to space limitations, we will limit people to 2 spots per request, though if you're interested in more let us know and your request will be added to the waitlist.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on the Cobaya website. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly. There will be a short window of time to book before seats need to be released back to the waitlist to make sure they're filled.

A la carte beverages will also be available. BYOB is also an option.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail the day before the event, confirming the location and other details.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Plus some legalese: please note that if you're requesting a spot, you understand that any food or beverages you consume are at your own risk, that you voluntarily assume any and all risks, known and unknown, and voluntarily release the organizers of the event from any claims, including personal injury and wrongful death, resulting in any manner from your participation in this event, whether caused by negligence or otherwise. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Look forward to seeing you there. As always, thank you for your support.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:


experiment #80 - how many?



Sunday, September 22, 2019

cobaya experiment #79 - Cobaya Taymor at Three

Cobaya Taymor at Three Wynwood

Another experiment successfully concluded! Almost exactly a year ago we did Experiment #74 at Three restaurant in Wynwood with chef Norman Van Aken. Experiment #79 was a return to the same scene, but with a different chef and an entirely different menu. This time around, the chef was Ari Taymor, of Santa Monica's Little Prince, who's doing a stint as "guest chef" at Three for a couple months, and he brought a taste of Southern California to South Florida for his dinner. You can read a more detailed recap at Food for Thought, and see more pictures in this Cobaya Taymor at Three Wynwood flickr set.

Here's the menu (with links to pictures), plus the great pairings put together by sommelier Jean-Baptiste Barr:

with braised bacon and smoked potato
Raventos I Blanc, Conca del Riu Anoia Brut 2014, Textures de Pedra, Penedes Spain

melon, cucumber and burrata with pink peppercorn vinaigrette
Domaine Huet, Vouvray Moelleux Clos du Bourg 2018, Loire Valley, France

with heirloom tomatoes and a sauce made from the bones
Alphonse Mellot, La Moussiere, Sancerre 2017, Loire Valley, France

with black garlic, fingerlings and frisée
Federico Orsi, Vigneto San Vito Vigna del Grotto 2016, Emilia Romagna, Italy

from Jamison Farm with cilanto and black vinegar chimichurri
Moccagatta, Barbaresco 2014, Piedmont, Italy

with almond scented cream and plum sherbet
Cruse Wine & Co., Ricci Vineyard St. Laurent 2018, California, United States

A big thank you to Chef Taymor, and also to chef Jeffrey Brana at Three for all his work in putting this together and making it run so well, to Three executive chef Brian Vaughn, pastry chef Karla Hernandez, sommelier Jean-Baptiste Barre for some great pours throughout the night, co-owners Candace Walsh and Susan Buckley, and to the whole crew at Three for a great evening, and as always most of all, to the guinea pigs whose interest and support make these events possible.


Saturday, August 24, 2019

cobaya experiment #78 - Cobaya Isabela with Chef José Ramirez-Ruiz

Cobaya Isabela with Chef Jose Ramirez-Ruiz

Another experiment successfully completed! Number 78 was with chef José Ramirez-Ruiz, formerly of Semilla restaurant in Brooklyn, where he earned a Michelin star, a two-star New York Times review, a four-star Eater review, and inclusion in everyone's best new restaurants lists when it opened in 2015. Fortunately for us, Ramirez-Ruiz is in Miami now, and working on opening a restaurant - to be called Isabela - that will focus on "local flora and fauna."

He gave us a preview with our dinner at Little River Miami, a multi-purpose space in Little Haiti / Little River. You can read a longer recap at Food For Thought, and see more pictures in this Cobaya Isabela flickr set. Here was the lineup (with links to pictures):





A big thank you to Chef Ramirez-Ruiz, to all of his crew who made it a great night for everyone, to Little River Miami for providing the space, to Madre Selva for providing all the lush greenery, and as always most all, to the guinea pigs whose interest and support make these events possible.


Wednesday, August 21, 2019

cobaya experiment #79 - 09.04.19

Greetings Guinea Pigs – it's time for another experiment!

Quick Details:
Date: 09.04.19 (Wednesday)
Price: $98 (inclusive of tax and tip)
Start time: 7:00pm

We will be doing a drawing for seats from all requests received over the first 48 hours. Please get your requests in quickly, and if you get a spot, please book it quickly.

To request spots, please send an email to reserve@cobaya.miami and let us know how many you're requesting.

You will be advised by Monday August 26 if your request has been confirmed. You'll then need to book your seats by 5pm on Wednesday August 28, or we will need to release the seats to the wait list to ensure all spots are filled. Note the tight schedule: please make your request quickly, and if you get a spot, please book quickly.

We have limited seating available, and while we try to accommodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events fill up fast. Due to space limitations, we will limit people to 2 spots per request, though if you're interested in more let us know and your request will be added to the waitlist.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly. There will be a short window of time to book before seats need to be released back to the waitlist to make sure they're filled.

There will be an optional $46.50 beverage pairing; a la carte beverages will also be available. We're still checking on BYOB (please confirm in advance).

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail the day before the event, confirming the location and other details.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Plus some legalese: please note that if you're requesting a spot, you understand that any food or beverages you consume are at your own risk, that you voluntarily assume any and all risks, known and unknown, and voluntarily release the organizers of the event from any claims, including personal injury and wrongful death, resulting in any manner from your participation in this event, whether caused by negligence or otherwise. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Look forward to seeing you there. As always, thank you for your support.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:


experiment #79 - choose # and pairing





Wednesday, July 24, 2019

cobaya experiment #78 - 8.4.19

Greetings Guinea Pigs – it's time for another experiment! And it's also, believe it or not, our 10th birthday: experiment #1 took place on August 4, 2009. Come help us celebrate!

Quick Details:
Date: 8.4.19 (Sunday)
Price: $93 (inclusive of tax and tip)
Start time: 7:30 pm

We will be doing a drawing for seats from all requests received over the first 48 hours. Please get your requests in quickly, and if you get a spot, please book it quickly.

To request spots, please send an email to reserve@cobaya.miami and let us know how many you're requesting.

You will be advised by Sunday July 28 if your request has been confirmed. You'll then need to book your seats by noon on Tuesday July 30, or we will need to release the seats to the wait list to ensure all spots are filled. Note the tight schedule: please make your request quickly, and if you get a spot, please book quickly.

We have limited seating available, and while we try to accommodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events fill up fast. Due to space limitations, we will limit people to 2 spots per request, though if you're interested in more let us know and your request will be added to the waitlist.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly. There will be a short window of time to book before seats need to be released back to the waitlist to make sure they're filled.

There will be an optional a la carte beverages available, possibly a pairing option, and BYOB is OK too.

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail the day before the event, confirming the location and other details.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Plus some legalese: please note that if you're requesting a spot, you understand that any food or beverages you consume are at your own risk, that you voluntarily assume any and all risks, known and unknown, and voluntarily release the organizers of the event from any claims, including personal injury and wrongful death, resulting in any manner from your participation in this event, whether caused by negligence or otherwise. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Look forward to seeing you there. As always, thank you for your support.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:


experiment #78 - choose # of seats



Saturday, July 20, 2019

cobaya experiment #77 - Cobaya Obra with Chef Carlos Garcia


Another experiment successfully concluded – for Experiment #77, a visit to Obra Kitchen Table where Chef Carlos Garcia and his crew served a seven-course dinner that highlighted the flavors and dishes of Venezuela along with Chef Garcia's creativity. You can read a recap of the dinner at Food For Thought, and see all the pictures in this Cobaya Obra flickr set. Here's the full menu:

Snacks:
Fried Pork Puff Skin + Caviar + Cauliflower
Arepa + Sea Urchin + Guasacaca
Cava Hola Barcelona 2017

Eggplant + Goat cheese + Red wine

Tuna Toast/ton + Spicy Guava Sauce
Pinot Gris Spatlese 2017

Coconut Sticky Rice + Grilled Oysters

Roasted Red Snapper + Grilled Shishito Butter + Green Sauce
Ribeiro Finca San Cibrao Carlos Moro 2017

Ossobuco + Arracacha Puree + Winter Truffles
Alpasion Vintage Blend Owners Selection, Argentina

Sweet Club Sandwich
Oppenheimer Herrenberg Riesling Auslese 2015

A big thank you to Chef Garcia, to his whole crew at Obra including sous chefs Estefania Andrade and Mauricio Morales, pastry chef Maria Laura Aguirre, and GM Maria Alejandra Felizola, and as always most of all, to the guinea pigs whose interest and support make these events possible.

Friday, July 5, 2019

cobaya experiment #76 - Cobaya Kamayan


Thank you to all the guinea pigs who joined us for Cobaya Experiment #76, a Filipino kamayan feast with chefs Paul Qui and Ben Murray at Pao in the Faena Miami Beach. You can read more about it at Food For Thought, and see more pictures in this Cobaya Kamayan flickr set.

Here's everything they had on the menu, and spread out over banana leaves on the communal table:

Lechon
Wagyu
Chicken Inasal
Grilled Shrimp
Loup de Mer

Achara
Kimchi
Ramps
Grilled Green Onions
Bell Peppers
Bok Choy

Mango
Plantains
Pineapple

Nam Jim
Toyomansi
Garlic and Black Pepper Vinegar

A big thank you to chefs Paul and Ben, to the whole crew at Pao, and as always most of all, to the guinea pigs whose interest and support make these events possible.


Monday, July 1, 2019

experiment #77 - 07.10.19

Greetings Guinea Pigs – we're ready for another experiment!

Quick Details:
Date: 07.10.19 (Wednesday)
Price: $98 (inclusive of tax and tip)
Start time: 8:30pm

We will be doing a drawing for seats from all requests received over the first 48 hours. Please get your requests in quickly, and if you get a spot, please book it quickly.

To request spots, please send an email to reserve@cobaya.miami and let us know how many you're requesting.

You will be advised by Friday July 5 if your request has been confirmed. You'll then need to book your seats by 5pm on Sunday July 7, or we will need to release the seats to the wait list to ensure all spots are filled. Note the tight schedule: please make your request quickly, and if you get a spot, please book quickly.

We have limited seating available, and while we try to accommodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events fill up fast. Due to space limitations, we will limit people to 2 spots per request, though if you're interested in more let us know and your request will be added to the waitlist.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on this page. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly. There will be a short window of time to book before seats need to be released back to the waitlist to make sure they're filled.

There will be an optional $36 beverage pairing; a la carte beverages will also be available. We're still checking on BYOB (please confirm in advance).

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail the day before the event, confirming the location and other details.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Plus some legalese: please note that if you're requesting a spot, you understand that any food or beverages you consume are at your own risk, that you voluntarily assume any and all risks, known and unknown, and voluntarily release the organizers of the event from any claims, including personal injury and wrongful death, resulting in any manner from your participation in this event, whether caused by negligence or otherwise. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Look forward to seeing you there. As always, thank you for your support.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:


experiment #77 - choose # and pairing




Monday, June 10, 2019

cobaya experiment #76 - 6.20.19

Greetings Guinea Pigs – it's time for another experiment! (It's been a while!)

Quick Details:
Date: 06.20.19 (Thursday)
Price: $125 (inclusive of tax and tip)
Start time: 7:30pm (ish. Start time to be confirmed)

We will be doing a drawing for seats from all requests received over the first 48 hours. Please get your requests in quickly, and if you get a spot, please book it quickly.

To request spots, please send an email to reserve@cobaya.miami and let us know how many you're requesting.

You will be advised by Thursday June 13 if your request has been confirmed. You'll then need to book your seats by noon on Sunday June 16, or we will need to release the seats to the wait list to ensure all spots are filled. Note the tight schedule: please make your request quickly, and if you get a spot, please book quickly.

We have limited seating available, and while we try to accommodate everyone who is interested, that is usually not possible - most events fill up fast. Due to space limitations, we will limit people to 2 spots per request, though if you're interested in more let us know and your request will be added to the waitlist.

When your seat request has been confirmed, please book it using the PayPal link which will be set up on the Cobaya website. Please do not book unless and until you've received a confirmation. When you do receive the confirmation, please book your seats through PayPal promptly. There will be a short window of time to book before seats need to be released back to the waitlist to make sure they're filled.

There will be an optional beverage pairing (price TBD); a la carte beverages will also be available. We're still checking on BYOB (please confirm in advance).

Confirmed and paid-up attendees will receive an e-mail the day before the event, confirming the location and other details.

A brief, but important, refresher course on the whole Cobaya thing: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night. If you have food related allergies, strict dietary requirements, religious restrictions; are salt sensitive, vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan; don't like your meat cooked medium rare, or are pregnant: this meal is probably not for you. Do not expect white-glove service. Don't ask for your sauce on the side. Just come and enjoy.

Plus some legalese: please note that if you're requesting a spot, you understand that any food or beverages you consume are at your own risk, that you voluntarily assume any and all risks, known and unknown, and voluntarily release the organizers of the event from any claims, including personal injury and wrongful death, resulting in any manner from your participation in this event, whether caused by negligence or otherwise. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Look forward to seeing you there. As always, thank you for your support.

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:


experiment #76 - choose # and pairing