Tapas, Tiramisu, and Trans-Brazilian Jazz
PHOTOS BY RODOLFO BENITEZ
Miracle Mile is not only an easy place to find something to drink or eat, it’s also the perfect staging area if you intend to end up at the Sanctuary of the Arts. And that was our plan. We had tickets to a Friday night performance, in this case for Brazilian music. So, we parked in front of the Sanctuary and headed by foot down Miracle Mile.
Before that eight o’ clock performance we needed libations and food. We’d thought of grabbing a cocktail at Doc B’s or John Martin’s, but before we got there, the sight of patrons at La Jamoteca downing glasses of ice-cold Spanish beer at outside tables simply waylaid us.
Right: Ice-Cold Spanish Beer at La Jamoteca on Miracle Mile
Left: The Penne in Vodka Sauce at Fratellino (Book Early)
On the north side of the Mile a half block in from City Hall, Jamoteca offers more than just its precious Iberico aged ham – albeit some the best in the world, and priced accordingly. Unknown to us, it also has an extensive menu of pure Spanish tapas. Next time, we will try the Spanish tortilla and Milanese Iberica, but we didn’t want to eat too much before dinner, so we limited the order to white anchovies and stuffed red peppers. Both delicious.
Then came dinner at Fratellino, on the south side of the street just past the Miracle Theatre. If you think you can just walk into this madly popular little Italian bistro, think again. You will have to make reservations two weeks ahead of time (and we did so when we bought our Sanctuary tickets). Run by Beto Dicarlo and his family, the food is straightforward southern Italian/Sicilian, and very much in the style of New York’s Little Italy. With its checkered tile floor and walls covered with framed photos of family and friends, you feel like you’re in Luna’s Café on Mulberry Street. We ordered two plates of pasta, one penne in vodka sauce, the other pappardelle with porcini mushrooms.
A glass of house red wine finished the job, as did a pair of macchiatos and a “Grandma Ale’s Famous” tiramisu at the end. Now fully fueled, we ended the evening listening to a brilliant pair of pianists playing music from across Brazil at the Sanctuary of the Arts.
For those who have not attended the Sanctuary, it occupies the restored First Church of Christ, Scientist, across the street from City Hall. The brainchild of Mike Eidson – attorney, preservationist, and long-time supporter of the Miami City Ballet – the Sanctuary is now three years old, providing the Gables with a needed platform for dance and classical music performances. With an auditorium that accommo- dates just 314 audience members, there are literally no bad seats.
One niche the Sanctuary has repeatedly hit is Latin music of the 20th century. Our concert was called “Latin 2 Piano: From Rio to Miami,” featuring renowned pianists Thito Camargo and Phil DeGreg accompanied by bass, drums, and other percussion. They performed works by legendary Brazilian composers such as Antônio Carlos Jobim, Pixinguinha, João Gilberto, and Milton Nascimento. It was a trans-Brazilian jazz fest, with music from Samba and Choro to Bossa Nova and Baião. The concert was a virtuoso display of two pianos weaving in and out of different regional rhythms, which Carnargo explained before each riff. At the end, the audience refused to leave unless another number was performed.
By the time you read this, the Sanctuary will already have held three more concerts from their Mainly Mozart festival and two dance performances. But there is always more to come. We left feeling entirely satisfied and pleased with the artistry of the evening – and additionally pleased to have parked out front along Biltmore Way.