experiment #71 - Cobaya Ariete with Chef Michael Beltran

We took some time off, but WE'RE BACK. Experiment #71 took place Monday night at Chef Michael Beltran's restaurant Ariete in Coconut Grove, hosted forty of us for a white-tablecloth, eight-course, classically inspired dinner. You can read a full recap at Food For Thought and see all the pictures in this Cobaya Ariete flickr set. Here's what was on the menu:

Cocktail "El Sueno"

Pineapple, dark rum, Pavan, prosecco

Brioche

herb butter, truffle butter

Canapés

stone crab beggars purses, cherries and chicken liver, tostone smoked fish rilletes

Egg

Quintero Farms egg, malanga, sugar cane, herb, caviar

Terrine

foie gras and eel, confit plum, white bread

Pot au Feu

oxtail, carrot, zucchini, bone marrow, consommé

Bass

heirloom tomato confit, ravioli of tomato and salt cod

Crown of Venison

roasted stone fruit and sauce Diane

Tart

honey, apple, frangipane

Tea service

Tibetan tea, Ya'an city, Meng Ding Mountain

As always, a big thank you to Chef Beltran, for finally pulling off so successfully a dinner that's been a long time coming, to all of his crew in the kitchen and front of house at Ariete, to JoJo Tea for a nice nightcap, and as always, to all of the guinea pigs whose interest and support make these events possible.

experiment #71 - 12.18.17

Sorry, we're having email issues - please send seat requests to cobayamiami@gmail.com - not the other address. If you've already sent a request to the other address, please re-send to cobayamiami@gmail.com - sorry for the inconvenience.

It's been a long hiatus, but WE'RE BACK! Greetings Guinea Pigs – it's time for another experiment!

Quick Details:
Date: 12.18.17 (Monday)
Price: $125 (inclusive of tax and tip)
Start time: 6:45pm

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 cobayamiami@gmail.com and let us know how many you're requesting.

You will be advised by Saturday 12/9  if your request has been confirmed. You'll then need to book your seats by noon on Tuesday 12/12, 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 beverage pairing (price to be determined); a la carte beverages should also be available. BYOB ought to be OK, but please check to confirm.

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 #71 - choose # of seats

1 seat $129.00 USD 2 seats $258.00 USD

experiment #70 - Cobaya Olla with Chef Scott Linquist

After a month's hiatus, we're back. Experiment #70 brought us to Olla, Chef Scott Linquist's restaurant on the west end of Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, a Mexican restaurant that's both traditional and contemporary in its ways. We brought fifty guinea pigs to take over the place, and Chef Linquist brought fifteen dishes that highlighted the varied flavors of Mexican cuisine.

You can see all the pictures in this Cobaya Olla with Scott Linquist flickr set, and stay tuned for recaps coming soon. Here's his menu from last night:

A Mexican Romance with Cobaya

A menu journey through the multifaceted culinary landscape of Mexico

Bocadillos

Snacks - served with cocktails and mezcal

Guacamole

warm chips with four salsas: pasilla Oaxaca and roasted pineapple, charred tomatillo habañero, salsa fresca, and salsa verde

Chicharron

freshly fried pork skins, salsa borracha, roasted garlic aioli, cotija, cilantro

Chapulines

Oaxacan toasted grasshoppers, golden raisins, marcona almonds, Mexican chocolate dust

Verdure

jicama, cucumber, pineapple, watermelon radish, tajin

Welcome Cocktail

Oaxacan Burro - Alipus "San Juan" single village mezcal, ginger epazote shrub, ginger beer, lime

Mezcal Tasting

Espadin Agave - Alipus "San Juan," "Santa Ana Del Rio," "San Luis" compliments of XXI Wine and Spirits

Picpoul, Bonny Doon Beeswax Vineyard, Arroyo Seco, California 2015

La Mar

Kumamoto

oysters on the half shell, sea urchin, tomatillo cucumber serrano mignonette, lemon olive oil

Ahumado

house smoked salmon and 3 eggs – Siberian Osetra caviar, smoked trout roe, chicken eggs – Mexican crema, poblano salsita, bolillo bread

Navajas

razor clams, cured chorizo, toasted garlic, chile morita, roasted tomatillo, shrimp head aioli

Chardonnay, Gerard Tremblay, Chablis, France 2015

Pato y Patas

Pato

fresh nixtamal sope, duck three ways – cured and seared breast, carnitas leg, foie mousse – mole coloradito, pasilla Oaxaca and kumquat marmelada

Patas

menudo, rich broth made from 3 different patas (feet), tripe, hominy, guajillo chile, Mexican oregano, sunny side egg

Brut Rose, Antoine Muller Methode Traditionelle, Alsace, France NV

Cochinita, Carnitas y Cachete

Cochinita Pibil

pork shoulder slow roasted in banana leaf with achiote and habañero pickled onions

Carnitas

Michoacan style confit of pork leg and shank, salsa verde, pickled jalapeños and vegetables

Cachete

slow cooked Niman Ranch pork cheek, pork belly, charro beans, roasted tomato salsita, chipotle

Garnacha/Cariñena, Buil & Giné, Giné Giné, Priorat, Spain 2014

Oaxaca

Barbacoa

slow roasted Colorado lamb shoulder, recado de pasilla, roasted jalapeño mint salsita, salsa borracha, roasted cauliflower with pumpkin seeds and poblano crema

Chichilo

slow roasted long bone angus short ribs, Oaxacn mole chichilo, piloncillo roasted butternut squash, crispy Brussels sprouts

Malbec, Fabre Montmayou, Gran Reserva, Mendoza, Argentina 2012

Dulce de Leche

Cajeta Flan

goats milk dulce de leche custard, muddled raspberries, smoked Maldon sea salt, whipped cream

Weber Blue Agave, ArteNom, Seleccion de 1146 Añejo, Highlands, Jalisco, Mexico

A big thank you to Chef Linquist for putting together a great dinner, to all of his team at Olla for helping to make it happen, to XXI Wine and Spirits for the delicious and educational mezcal samplings, and as always most of all, to the guinea pigs whose interest and support makes these events possible.

experiment #70 - 4.19.17

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

Quick Details:
Date: 4.19.17 (Wednesday)
Price: $95 (inclusive of tax and tip)
Start time: 7pm-ish

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 Tuesday 4/11 if your request has been confirmed. You'll then need to book your seats by noon on Thursday 4/13, 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 beverage pairing for $35; 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.

Please note, we're in process of consolidating our mailing lists, if you get multiple notices of the same event: (1) we're sorry; (2) there's no need to respond more than once.

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

FOR CONFIRMED SEAT REQUESTS ONLY:

experiment #70 - choose # and pairing

1 seat (no pairing) $98.00 USD 1 seat (with pairing) $134.00 USD 2 seats (no pairing) $196.00 USD 2 seats (with pairing) $268.00 USD

Cobaya SOBEWFF 2017 with Bradley Kilgore, Jeremiah Stone and Fabian Von Hauske, and Jean-Luc Royere

This past Saturday we had our third dinner in collaboration with the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Our chefs this time around were Bradley Kilgore of Miami's Alter and Brava, Jeremiah Stone and Fabian Von Hauske of New York City's Contra and Wildair, and Jean-Luc Royere of Azul in the Mandarin Oriental, which was our host for the evening. It was a great assembly of young talent: among other honors, Kilgore, Stone and Von Hauske all were included among Food & Wine magazine's 2016 "Best New Chefs" honors.

Here's their menu for the evening (you can see all the pictures in this Cobaya SOBEWFF 2017 flickr set):

Reception:

Olive Oil Snow, Serrano Chili, Green Apple, Caviar

Bradley Kilgore

Sumac Crackers, Blood and Flagship Cheese

Crab Claw, Smoked Pepper, Chicharron

Jeremiah Stone and Fabian Von Hauske

Kombu-Cured Tuna, Finger Lime and XO Sauce

Jean-Luc Royere

Dinner:

Raw Shrimp, Lobster, Butternut Squash

Jeremiah Stone

Smoked Kama, Koji Miso, Puffed Urbani Black Truffle

Bradley Kilgore

Japanese A5 Wagyu

Miso Bordelaise, Roasted Maitake Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, Smoked Potato Espuma

Jean-Luc Royere

Grape and Coconut

Fabian Von Hauske

A big thank you to all the chefs, to the whole crew in front and back of house at Azul who were working hard all evening, to Jeffrey Stambor of Beaulieu Vineyards for the wine pairings, to the SOBEWFF team for helping put this event together, and as always most of all, to the guinea pigs who joined us for the dinner and whose interest and support make these kind of events possible.

experiment #69 - Cobaya Rancho Patel with Chef Niven Patel

Honestly, we weren't sure what would happen when we decided to do a dinner down in Homestead, where Chef Niven Patel – who is very close to opening his restaurant, Ghee, in Downtown Dadeland – has his backyard farm. We were even less sure when Niven told us he wanted to do 80 seats – could we get that many people to make the pilgrimage down south?

As it turns out, we not only had a full house, we set a record for the number of requests. It was a much bigger group than we usually do, but I'm really glad we got to share this event with so many people, as it was a special one – a beautiful night to sit under the stars and sample Niven's inspired, farm-to-table Indian cooking.

Here's what he made for us. You can see pictures in this Cobaya Rancho Patel flickr set, and stay tuned for recaps.

Welcome Cocktail

ghee wiz sake | basil infused mango juice | clove and coriander simple syrup

Passed

backyard pakora | taro leaf | sweet onion

Florida shrimp toast | charred scallion | sesame

chickpea roll up | black mustard  | cilantro

First

roasted chicken samosa | peanut chutney | pickled garlic | green papaya

beet cured cobia | grapefruit | puffed rice | avocado | pickled turmeric

tandoor roasted broccoli | marinated peppers | sweet onions

roasted green millet | red onion | heirloom tomato | sev | cilantro chutney

Blackpoint Brewery Golden Ale, Miami Florida

Second

dry aged ribeye | eggplant | heirloom tomato sauce

lamb kofta | fenugreek | plumped raisins | cashews

baby cucumber | green mango | radish | chaat masala

black eyed pea basmati | lentils | curry leaf

grain naan

MIA Brewing Cmpany Neon White IPA, Miami Florida

Dessert

purple yam puran puri | cardamom | Florida strawberries | almonds

Black Velvet, strawberry chocolate stout, Rose Regale sparkling wine

A big thank to you Chef Niven, to all his family and crew at Rancho Patel, to Edukos for the beverage pairings and Island Sky Water for the atmospherically harvested water, and an especially big thank you to all of the guinea pigs who drove all the way down to Homestead to participate in this event. Everything we do is only made possible by your support - thanks.

experiment #69 - 2.11.17

Greetings Guinea Pigs – it's time for another experiment - Number 69! (Nice.)

Quick Details:
Date: 2.11.17 (Saturday)
Price: $95 (inclusive of tax, tip & drinks)
Start time: 6:00 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. We're not going to be quite as limited as usual on space, so we are not limiting requests to only 2 per person this time around.

You will be advised by Saturday February 4 if your request has been confirmed. You'll then need to book your seats by noon on Monday February 6, 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.

One thing to note: while we don't disclose location in advance, we do want to let you know that this one is going to be down south (like, Homestead) - so if you're requesting a spot, please be ready to make a bit of a pilgrimage.

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.

Please note, we're in process of consolidating our mailing lists, if you get multiple notices of the same event: (1) we're sorry; (2) there's no need to respond more than once.

Beverage pairing is included in the price this time, BYOB should be 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 #69 - choose # of seats

1 seat $98.00 USD 2 seats $196.00 USD

experiment #68 - Cobaya DK with David Lanster and Kelly Moran

Experiment #68 is in the books! This one felt kind of like a return to our roots: small group (only 18), young chefs (only 19!), cool off-campus venue (a penthouse loft overlooking the Biscayne Boulevard MiMo District). In the kitchen were aspiring young chefs David Lanster and Kelly Moran, a/k/a DK Culinary Ventures, and here's their menu for the evening (you can see all the pictures from the dinner in this Cobaya DK flickr set, or click on the links in the menu below; plus stay tuned for recaps at Food For Thought and The Chowfather):

snacks

house salad | sunflower | macaron | mojito

root vegetable antipasto

goat cheese gelato | rye crumble

chicken liver pâté

blueberry | pickle | sesame

pine nut risotto

youthberry | pumpernickel | basil

pulled pork in cubism

pullman texas toast | cole slaw terrine | bbq

this is not a strawberry

organic compounds | modified dna

fried strip steak

smoked carrot | quail egg

pineapple

bubbles

cellars at jasper hill

seasonal garnishes

date bread

toffee | cinnamon | maple

orchid

rooibos | bee pollen

A big thank you to Kelly and David, to their equally young and enthusiastic crew, to Pietro Morelli for providing the beautiful space for the dinner, to Paolo Dal Gallo of Zonin Wines for supplying some excellent pairings, and as always most of all, thanks to the guinea pigs whose interest and support makes these events possible.