The three have come together with a mural of Celia Cruz at the new location of Azucar at the Suniland Shopping Center in Pinecrest. This mural features wild Cuban-inspired flavors like Burn in Hell Fidel – chocolate ice cream with cayenne pepper.

Artist Diana “Didi Rok” Contreras was hired by the owner and founder of Azucar Ice Cream, Suzy Batlle, who opened the original store in Little Havana near Domino Park, where Didi has her studio and murals on the famous 8th Street.

For Didi, it was a sweet connection in several ways.

“I grew up to her music,” she says. “I still listen to her a lot in my studio. Celia Cruz used to go to a place that’s right where my Little Havana studio is, an optic store to get her glasses fixed. Then, she would get a coffee and hang out.”

The newly opened Azucar is in the former space of the chain Tutti Frutti Pinecrest Frozen Yogurt & Ice Cream and neighboring Books & Books and Flanigan’s. The tile floors at the Pinecrest shop are very similar to the floors at the original Azucar in Little Havana, with brightly patterned tiles that recall old Havana.

“I’ve known Suzi the owner for a long time, maybe 10 years,” Didi says. “When I saw that her store was opening, I asked her if she needed any murals, and she said yes. I think all of her locations have a Celia Cruz mural. She has one in Little Havana, one inland, and one in Texas.”

“Even better, she said ‘do whatever you want!’ So I found a photo I liked of Celia open-mouthed and painted her ready to bite into a cone. She has a pink sparkly outfit and glasses adorned with rhinestones. It’s from a few photos put together.”

“She wanted it to be fun and she didn’t care if I got pink paint all over the walls, like on the ceiling and everything. I said perfect! I wanted her to be holding a microphone and an ice cream cone with sprinkles. You know, she was very vibrant, so I thought it was perfect for the ice cream.”

The fun, colorful mural took Didi two days.

“Yeah, people love it now. People say their favorite singer is Celia so they love the mural.

I’ve been in talks with people that like it and maybe want a painting or mural like it somewhere. I’ve done a lot of portraits of my made-up characters, but I can do anyone.”

“I love Celia. I listen to her music, she’s always on and yeah, I love her. I saw her documentary and loved her more. My favorite song is the one that’s about being happy, laughing, not being sad.”

Suzy Batlle has used the work of local artists for a long time in the mobile carts she uses for catering. In the Azucar store, the most popular flavor is Abuela Maria, with guava, cream cheese, and Maria cookies. Other Azucar flavors are Domino—Oreo cookies and cream, for obvious reasons paying homage to Domino Park in Little Havana, and Willy Chirino, which has bourbon ice cream with dark cherries.

She says the shops are creating new flavors, too. Some are based on Girl Scout cookies favorites Thin Mints and Samoas. In addition, they’re making rose ice cream with real rose petals and rose water that will be a hit with flower lovers.

Azucar, 11429 Dixie Highway, Pinecrest. For more information, www.azucaricecream.com

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Didi Rok’s new mural Azucar at the Suniland Shopping Center

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This solo exhibition on view through November 21, shows her nesting instincts in this immersive site-specific installation and works on canvas that speaks to her journey from a young female, LGBT artist tagging the rough streets of Colombia to her current position as a globally recognized muralist who has created collaborations with Disney.

One of the most prominent artists of the Latin American graffiti scene, Bogota-based Diana Ordonez is known as Ledania. This is a pseudonym she derived from the Greek mythology character Leda who was seduced by Zeus, in combination with her name Diana, the Huntress in Greek mythology.

With vivid palettes, she celebrates color and nature in scenes populated by imaginary creatures who resemble owls or sprites. Her improvised world is magic and mystical, linked to expressionism, cubism, and surrealism.

“I love to travel and explore the world so that I can create graffiti with feeling,” says Ledania.

Her characters have no race or gender, there is no political or religious syntax in her work.

“I create places that are pure happiness by changing a structure in the city, intervening in it, adding my perspective, and changing how people who walk by there every day react to the space.”

In the Wynwood show called Private Spaces, she conjures up a cozy bedroom, painting furniture, and walls, and even making stained glass – a medium you rarely see in the graffiti world. A living moss wall and succulents grow at the foot of the bed, as nature is an integral part of the room.

“I am thrilled with the exhibition,” Ledania says “as it perfectly represents the juxtaposition of private versus public spaces, which is always on my mind as a public painter in the streets who mainly leaves her work outside. The tropical colors and native plants serve as a nod to my country and its inhabitants, who are my inspiration every day.”

She even prints her art on the bed’s comforter and pillows, backed by lush midnight blue velvet. There are layers of paintings on the bed headboard, the wall behind the bed, and then a large painting hanging overhead. An armoire contains the photos she took of departed friends.

A vintage music radio player emits the sounds of birds and the metallic rattling of spray cans – the sounds she hears as she paints outdoors. A patterned rug adds yet another layer.

The themes are nature with intertwined trees, shapes that invoke feathers, and woodland creatures.

It’s a room to get lost in, and dream in color, one that intertwines the female urge to nest with her wild hair of creativity.

Her roots loom large in her art.

“For me, Colombia is happiness itself in many aspects. Take Carnival, for example, and the celebration it represents. And also our ancestors and how they explored decorative traditions in their craftsmanship, which also began incorporating European influences following colonization. I too am the product of that melting pot.”

Classically trained, Ledania earned a master’s degree in Visual and Plastic Arts at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. She is a multimedia artist who expresses her creativity through street art, photography, graphic design, advertising, and artistic makeup. She also expresses her creativity in the implementation of her themes and motifs into clothing and accessories.

Ledania’s murals are displayed worldwide across 22 countries, from Colombia to the United States, Spain to Japan. Her art has been featured in several international exhibitions.

More on the artist at www.instagram.com/ledania

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On exhibit through November 21st at The Museum of Graffiti, 276 NW 26th Street, Miami, FL 33127. Online: Instagram @museumofgraffiti

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My tour group had been led into a room to watch a video on the 1930s Art Deco building when the Lisboa gang broke into the video feed to warn us about a heist that was going down of gold bars and money to be distributed to the poor and the people, and we had to help it happen – or else.

Our seemingly clueless guide then led us into another room where the gang burst in, led by Shanghai, a muscular threatening rebel, with guns blazing and took us all hostage! Seems the Lisboas had a fraction within that was not into giving the booty away!

I was pulled out of line (why me?) and had to repeat “This is NOT a time for heroes!” to make sure I would not try anything stupid.

As if!

But we had other members of the gang that were on to him and overpowered Shanghai to get us back into the “good” heist which meant finding codes and keys and clues in various other rooms to figure out how to break into the vault. This was no easy task as there were coins to sort through, computers to hack, crazed with power gang members to get past, and after donning the scary Dali face mask we finally end up at the vault to get the gold bars. What a blast!

The whole experience takes about an hour, with convincing actors and detailed, elaborate sets. Based on the hit series Money Heist on Netflix, this edition in Miami is boosted by the location – a former bank on the second floor of the DuPont building which has marble floors, soaring ceilings, and best of all a stunner of a real steel vault, several feet thick, built into the walls where the heist ends up.

You are forced to be a real actor in this setup, a real thrill if you’ve never done this sort of thing. No one breaks character, the sets are rich and detailed, and going along for the ride is a heart-pounding test of nerves.

This is a brand new story inspired by the hit series that lets you immerse into an experiential heist in Miami. It tests your nerves, you will find out if you have what it takes to infiltrate the vault and earn a spot in the gang.

Best of all, after the robbery, you get to hang out in the bank-themed bar with decorated sets for picture taking, appetizers, merchandise – the t-shirts are colorful and fun, and custom cocktails available.

You can’t take pictures during the actual heist, that would really ruin the vibe, so they have set up several sets for photos and allow you to keep on your red jumpsuit and Dali mask and gold bars you just, uh, borrowed, from the bank.

This is next-level large production stuff filled with surprises and tailored to the various locations, co-produced by Netflix and Fever, the leading entertainment discovery platform, so Money Heist: The Experience, makes for a high-energy theatrical event featuring a unique new storyline that is parallel to the show.

The groundbreaking series is in Spanish with English subtitles and has been airing since 2017. It’s become a worldwide hit along with these immersive interactive experiences, which pulls in both fans and those unfamiliar with the show.

Some online reviews rave: “Excellent actors! An incredible place and with many themed spaces. Total success!” Luis T.
“Amazing. The attention from all the staff is outstanding and the actors play an excellent role.” María A.
“Amazing experience, it was very worth it. It is something that I will have to repeat” Carlos J.
“One of the best experiences of my life. This experience is amazing. Very good quality of actors and actresses.” Gustavo H.

It’s currently across the street from The Van Gogh immersive experience at the historic Olympia Theater on Flagler Street in downtown Miami, giving some unexpected new life to this old Miami locale.

It’s fun and it’s wild, so let loose and let the heist begin if you dare.

If you visit:

Time: Friday – from 4 pm to 9 pm, Saturday and Sunday – from 11 am to 21pm
Duration: 60 to 75 minutes
Location: The Historic Alfred I. Dupont Building, 169 E Flagler St, Miami, FL 33131
Valet Parking is available at $5 for guests at 151 NE 1st Street, Miami, FL 33132 – please show your Ticket/QR code
Age requirement: 16+
This experience was designed with measures in place to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19. Please consult the FAQs of this experience if you have any questions.

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Gold, Guns and Hostages: Money Heist Hits Miami

The post Gold, Guns and Hostages: Money Heist Hits Miami appeared first on The Florida Daily Post.

The front lounge area is festooned with cherry blossom trees up to the ceiling.

A huge atrium opens up in the center flooding the center bar with light where two full walls of wildly colorful murals by Miami’s international art sensation sleepy eyes Ahol, take on a hypnotic effect. The world of art and high cuisine is always watching.

The restaurant Chotto Matte is a welcoming, vibrant, and contemporary environment. The food is a feast of popular Peruvian ingredients — tropical fish, quinoa, aji Amarillo peppers—molded by Japanese techniques. Multiple chefs at the restaurant prepare the ceviche in a particular style that dates back to the turn of the century.

The restaurant embraces natural colors and mouth-watering taste sensations, a delicious combination of both Japanese and Peruvian ingredients and cooking style, as Japanese sushi and sashimi, and Peruvian ceviche are central to their gastronomy menu.

At the bar, La Catrina Rosa cocktail made with Código 1530 Rosa Tequila, Hierba Luisa (lemon verbena leaves), raspberry, chili, and lime is something to lust after once you try it. Yummy enough but the real kicker is in the presentation. It comes in a glass of crushed ice with a frozen black skull (made of edible black currant liquor) on top. Then the mixologist poured a raspberry-colored drink on top partially melting the little skull and turning the drink a bloodier color. Vile and delicious!

Other choices include Daisy in Black with Código 1530 Blanco Tequila, Velvet Falernum, Yellow Chartreuse Grand Marnier, kumquat, and lime, or the Midnight in Lima with blackberry smoke.

The food menu is expansive, ranging from appetizers, sashimi, sushi, robata grills, and tempura. Available are sharing menus set at different pricing tiers and include a complete lineup of small plates curated into various selections. There are vegan options too.

The first dish I tried was Shishito Peppers, steamed to silky perfection and tossed with a gingery dressing. Next, Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice, with the fish sitting atop a fried rice square—an unusual presentation.

The best of the night was the Yellowtail “Nikkei sashimi” with lots of flavorful tangy toppings that made this fish dish deluxe a real winner. The BBQ broccoli and cauliflower was a veggie delight, with small florets still a bit crunchy and smokey with sauce.

A Black Cod Aji Miso was served in one large piece but a friendly waiter saved us by expertly separating it into bite-sized pieces, as meals are served with only chopsticks.
Sliced beef over fried rice rich with peas and other veggies was rich and filling, but we still had room for Chef’s Choice Dessert, a chocolate shell ball in a large black dish. The waiter came over with a warm caramel sauce and drizzled it on top. Within seconds the shell melted on top like a volcano, exposing the rich vanilla bean ice cream inside.

An evening at Chotto-Matte will give you an experience you will want to repeat. The mix of a contemporary urban environment, a spectacle, great cuisine, and Miami vibes make this restaurant a very special concept. It is all about quality, ingredients, and flavors.

The name Chotto Matte means “hold on a second” and the diverse, darkly sophisticated atmosphere of the place embodies that, as you will want to hold on to the full experience here.

If you want to visit, Chotto Matte is at 1664 Lenox Ave, Miami Beach. Online at: chotto-matte.com/miami 

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Spectacular eats at Japanese-Peruvian restaurant, Chotto Matte

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Miami was one of numerous Black cities across the country where interstate highways were built, disrupting communities. Adams is hopeful the new Signature Bridge now being built over the area, along with a planned park underneath called the Underdeck, will help to transform and reconnect the neighborhood.

The $818 million Florida Department of Transportation project with higher, thinner columns will replace the original bridge crossing Overtown, opening up dark, underutilized space to both a park and a Heritage Trail, and connecting the neighborhood to Biscayne Bay.

Referring to the original bridge as a disaster that destroyed a thriving community, Adams, chairman emeritus of the St. John Community Development Corporation, said: “Righting a wrong is something that is aspirational, but we can try to do right today. “

The Signature Bridge project coincides with a revitalization of the neighborhood that is underway. Community leaders are working to ensure that Overtown’s Black history and culture are preserved in the process. The Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Association is active in spearheading development, and at the same time working to preserve affordable housing and increase Black homeownership.

Derek Fleming, managing partner of the new Red Rooster Overtown restaurant with celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, sees the history of Overtown as “one of the most forgotten and one of the most important histories of Miami.”

The Red Rooster was once the Clyde Killens Pool Hall, frequented by musicians such as Count Basie, Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin. Fleming’s hope is to unify the neighborhood, adding: “There needs to be a replenishment of the existing culture, not a replacement.”

Historical photographs of the Overtown neighborhood are displayed on the outside of the historic Lyric Theatre in Miami. Wednesday, June 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
The husband-and-wife team of Akino and Jamila West renovated the once boarded-up 1940s-era Demetree Hotel in Overtown to create the Copper Door Bed & Breakfast, along with Rosie’s restaurant. The couple is proud to be part of the neighborhood’s revitalization, Jamila West said, adding that it’s important to pay homage to the history, but to “also insure that the current residents, or past residents even, have the same opportunity.”

Situated just west of downtown Miami, Overtown was settled in the late 1890s when Henry Flagler was recruiting workers for his Florida East Coast Railroad. Because of segregation, mostly Black workers from the South and Caribbean settled on the other side of the tracks from downtown Miami, in an area then known as “Colored Town.”

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Miami’s historic Black Overtown gets makeover

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Sounds like just another day in Miami Beach, but come November the 7 Deadly Sins: Temptations in the Magic City – according to Christianity – will be a live site-specific, socially distanced theatrical event presented in seven vacant storefronts along Miami Beach’s historic Lincoln Road.​

Taking advantage of the closing of large theaters and the empty storefronts, unfortunately, cropping up along Lincoln Road, the Miami New Drama will present short plays by award-winning playwrights Hilary Bettis, Nilo Cruz, Moisés Kaufman, Rogelio Martinez, Dael Orlandersmith, Carmen Pelaez, and Aurin Squire, each of whom will take on a sin.

Theater has had to adapt, with some companies going digital, using outdoor spaces, drive-in productions, or filming the productions for television.

​Miami New Drama with Michel Hausmann, Artistic Director, and Nicholas Richberg, Managing announced the productions will be presented from November through December. They have tapped a diverse group of nationally recognized, award-winning playwrights who will premiere seven newly commissioned short plays, each focused on one deadly sin. The shows will happen in rotation over 90 minutes, as groups of ten theatergoers at a time will sit in spaced out rows, maintain social distance, listening through headphones while actors perform the short plays all safely behind the windows of the vacant Lincoln Road storefronts.

Kind of like window shopping but with theater.

The ongoing pandemic has hit Miami hard as tourism is the main source of income in businesses there. It forced a spike in business closures on Lincoln Road, with 66 of the 200 storefronts now vacant along one of the most expensive retail streets in the nation. The once lively street is usually packed this time of year as temps cool down in the north and the art fairs, usually slated for December, have now all been canceled.

The Lincoln Road Business Improvement District (LRBID) and Mayor of Miami Beach Dan Gelber, collaborated with the Miami New Drama and worked on additional restaurant and retail partnerships to bring commerce, culture, and commercial activity back the road.

“This pandemic has shown in stark light the fragility of our world,” says Artistic Director Hausmann. “But theatre has survived for thousands of years and through many world catastrophes. We must find new ways to present live theatre until we can gather indoors again, and 7 Deadly Sins is a safe, socially responsible way forward. We are also thrilled to work with these seven superb playwrights and to bring much-needed life back to Miami Beach’s great Lincoln Road.”

“Miami New Drama is one of our street’s most vibrant arts organizations, so we are excited that they are bringing this visionary production to Lincoln Road, the civic and cultural hub of Miami Beach,” said Steve Gombinski, President of the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District.

“Lincoln Road is a world-famous landmark of Miami Beach,” says Mayor Gelber. “Miami New Drama continues to raise the bar, and a return to live performance in such an innovative way not only benefits the street’s cultural life. It bolsters the crucial economic recovery of our city after months of devastation and loss. Never have the Seven Deadly Sins been more welcome.”

Founded by Michel Hausmann and Moises Kaufman, Miami New Drama is a non- profit professional theater company that presents new work that is unique to the diverse city of Miami. Miami New Drama is the resident company of the historic Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road, Miami Beach.

Among the playwrights is Hilary Bettis (Envy). She is the writer of the Emmy Award-winning series “The Americans (FX)” and the Miami New Drama world premiere Queen of Basel, which has been produced around the country.

​Nilo Cruz (Lust) won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play, “Anna in the Tropics,” The PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award winner. His plays include “The Color of Desire,” “Hurricane,” and more.

​Moisés Kaufman (Greed) is a 2016 National Medal of the Arts recipient under former President Barack Obama. A Broadway director and playwright, he has earned multiple Tony and Emmy Award nominations. His writing credits include “The Laramie Project,” “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde,” and “33 Variations.”

​Rogelio Martinez (Gluttony) is a two-time Edgerton Foundation New Play Award winner, a Guggenheim Fellowship recipient, and a New Dramatist Alumnus. His plays include his Cold War trilogy: “Ping Pong,” “Born in East Berlin,” and “Blind Date;” and his Cuba trilogy: “Illuminating Veronica,” “Arrivals and Departures,” and “All Eyes and Ears.”

​Dael Orlandersmith (Wrath) is a Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Drama for her play, Yel- lowman, an Obie Award winner for Beauty’s Daughter, and a PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award winner.

​Carmen Pelaez (Pride) is the winner of the 2012 HBO New York International Latino Film Festival Short Film Competition. A contributor for NBC Latino and an advisor on Netflix’s “One Day at a Time,” her credits include the Miami New Drama World Premiere, “Fake.”

​Aurin Squire (Sloth) grew up in Opa Locka and is a writer for the award-winning hit NBC series, “This Is Us.” He has been a producer and writer on the hit shows “The Good Fight,” and “Evil” (CBS). He is the writer of Miami New Drama’s world premiere productions, “A Wonderful World and Confessions of a Cocaine Cowboy” which chronicled the men and women who ran the largest cocaine cartels into Miami.

Tickets can be purchased at Colony Theater Box Office—(305) 674-1040—or at Ticketmundo Customer Service: (800) 211-1414.

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The “7 Deadly Sins” coming to Lincoln Road

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In the photo by AP Photographer Lynne Sladky, Luis Negron, a Miami Beach code compliance officer, walks along Ocean Drive amid the coronavirus pandemic, Friday, July 24, 2020, in Miami Beach, Fla. Masks are mandated both indoors and outdoors in Miami Beach. People found not wearing a mask are subject to a civil fine of $50.

Florida’s 423,855 coronavirus cases as of Sunday were surpassed only by California’s 453,659 cases. With 39.5 million residents, California has almost double the population of Florida’s 21.4 million inhabitants. California is the nation’s most populous state, followed by Texas, Florida, and New York.

The statewide median age of coronavirus patients in Florida was 40.

Almost 3.4 million Floridians have been tested for the virus. The new cases tested over the weekend had a positive rate of 11%, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Miami Beach code compliance officer, walks along Ocean Drive

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The mobile testing truck is operated by Aardvark Mobile Health, which has partnered with the Florida Division of Emergency Management. People getting tested are separated from nurses via a glass pane.

The state Department of Health on Saturday reported 10,292 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 90 more deaths. Overall, there have been nearly 338,000 cases, resulting in 5,002 deaths.

The coronavirus has tapped out intensive care units of some hospitals around the state, and hospitalizations continue to rise, though not quite as steeply as on some days during the past week as of Saturday.

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Walk-up COVID-19 testing site in Miami Beach

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The ranks of America’s unemployed swelled toward Great Depression-era levels Thursday, and President Donald Trump reacted to the pressure on the economy by outlining a phased approach to reopening parts of the country where the coronavirus is being brought under control.

Worldwide, the outbreak has infected more than 2.1 million people and killed more than 140,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, though the true numbers are believed to be much higher. The death toll in the U.S. reached about 31,000, with around 650,000 confirmed infections.

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The Homeless Trust testing homeless population for COVID-19

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The male and female have been secluded in a den with their mother, Serai, since their Feb. 11 birth so that they could properly bond while avoiding external stress, according to a news release from the South Florida zoo.

Zookeepers took the kittens Tuesday to check their development and give them their initial vaccines. Both offspring appear to be thriving, and the mother continues to be attentive and nursing them on a regular basis, officials said.

“Amid all of the stressful news that we are all dealing with, I hope that this can bring a smile to some of your faces!” the zoo’s communications director, Ron Magill, wrote as he shared the images. “Hopefully, once this pandemic has run its course, the public will be able to return to the zoo to personally see these precious new additions!”

Clouded Leopards are highly endangered in their natural forest habitat in Southern China, Taiwan, and Malaysia. Adults usually weigh 30-50 pounds (13-23 kilograms). They have a very long tail with relatively short legs and large paws, which helps them stay in trees. Their numbers are depleted due to hunting. Their attractive pelts have ceremonial value in many cultures.

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Zoo Miami shows off clouded leopard kittens born on Feb. 11

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