Halloween is usually a crazy time in Coconut Grove with street closures and perennial house parties. This year The Barnacle is joining in with a Mad Hatter Tea Party this Friday evening. Costumes are encouraged, hats are recommended, and everyone is to bring their own teacup!

Proceeds from the catered party will be used for the care and maintenance of the Barnacle, one of the Grove’s oldest and most beloved treasures.

If you or someone you know is thinking about buying or selling a home any time in the next year, please call to let me know at 305 794.6570. It would be my pleasure to contact and work with your referral. My commitment to you is to treat them with the utmost care as they work towards buying or selling a home.  Referrals are the core of my business and are always appreciated.

“The Peacock Garden Cafe has the best ambiance of any restaurant since Food Among the Flowers. It’s beautiful, albeit it a bit noisy indoors. They offered only one selection, center cut filet mignon, but it was delicious. Usually the Spice menu consists of three courses but at PGC they impressed with gravlox tartine, soup du jour, a pear and gorgonzola salad, a chocolate brownie and a glass of Prosecco. The dessert was the single less-than-outstanding selection. One diner had the tuna tartar appetizer with grilled shrimp and Asian slaw salad, all exceptional. We also enjoyed the white sangria, a house favorite. I’ve been back already.

Talavera Cocina Mexicana is owned by the same group as the PGC. It’s no wonder we loved this dining  experience as well. Again, we enjoyed extra courses with no skimping on portions. We had  fantastic service that began with cilantro margaritas (surprisingly delicious) followed with shrimp ceviche tostadas, cactus salad that included portabella mushrooms, spinach, tomato, red onion, serrano chili, cilantro and goat cheese. Then came the entree of carne asada (melt in your mouth tenderloin served with guacamole, roasted poblano pepper that was DE-vine, refried black beans (rather dry) and enchilada mole. The owner offered up a second round of drinks on the house prior to the amazing mango sorbet dessert. I’m going back soon.

Palme d’Or has exquisite food. We enjoyed the three-course meal and its small portions left us wanting more. Our meal began with a mushroom amuse bouche followed by chilled Heirloom tomato soup with goat cheese – all quite pleasant. One diner ordered the lobster bisque as an extra course. It was superb, with perfect consistency and great flavor. For our entree we all ordered the lamb tenderloin with ratatouille and a creamy potato garnish. Presentations were elegantly minimalistic, flavors were exceptional. We were a little disappointed as the menu changed from the posted one on the internet offering slipper lobster. This can happen if an item is not fresh or available, so diners must be flexible. However, an updated menu posting would be appreciated. Dessert was a decadent chocolate ball (frankly, I can’t remember the specifics but it was quite tasty). The wait staff was attentive but a bit stuffy and cold. Seems they might have been tired after a busy Labor Day weekend. I may go back.

Sustain Restaurant and Bar, a relatively new Midtown hotspot, fits the bill for great energy and hip urban ambiance. The food was trendy and tasty beginning with the fennel salad with arugula, orange, walnuts and parmegiano. I chose the Cavatelli for my main course – Harris Ranch braised short rib ragu with ricotta – a nice comfort food that was very satisfying and flavorful. Others ordered the pan roasted snapper and, although it was good, it was literally three bites and diners were disappointed and still hungry. I had the strawberry cobbler with marscapone cream for dessert and it was a great play on textures and flavors, the sweet and the slightly salty. I may go back.

Hakkasan at Fountainbleau was wonderful – LAST YEAR. Unfortunately, this year disappointed in many ways. The crispy vegetarian spring rolls – greasy. The sweet and sour sauce sea bass – surprisingly fishy. We related this to our waiter who was rather disinterested. Most unique and enjoyable was the hot and sour soup – very thick with a distinctly smoky flavor. The braised tofu with dried shitake and garden greens was quite delicious and the best of the vegetarian selections this evening. Also flavorful was the braised eggplant with toban chili sauce. The veggie fried rice was nothing special while the minced beef fried rice was considerably more interesting with ginger pickle and Szechwan peppercorn. Off the Spice menu (a must, as portions are small) we shared a vegan dim sum and regular dim sum platter (both good) as well as the sweet and sour pork prepared with a light batter and a sweet and tangy sauce that was one of the best I’ve ever tasted. We finished with a rich and creamy dark chocolate mousse with vanilla ice cream and hazelnut crumble. A few extra mentions: service was good, ambiance great, and parking was discounted to a reasonable $12 for Spice month. Drinks at Blue Bar in the lobby of the hotel were pricey, but the biggest turn off – the lobby smelled like sun tan lotion and chlorine. Swim anyone? I’m NOT going back.”

There you have it – Debra’s take on the five places she visited. There are over a hundred restaurants participating and Miami Spice continues through the end of September. Don’t miss your opportunity to sample fabulous (and sometimes not so fabulous) food at reduced prices.

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It’s a fact of life here that at some time we will have another big storm. May as well be as ready as you can before the inevitable long lines everywhere make preparations even harder. All local television will broadcast updates 24/7 and reiterate what you need to have and do, but it’s better to have to deal with only the last-minute items around your home.

If you live in a single family home you can prune trees and shrubs and harvest heavy fruits, coconuts and dry palm fronds so the city can haul them away before the action begins. Decide how you can protect landscaping and very large outdoor potted plants and consider creating a space indoors for movable containers.

Unless you have impact resistant windows make sure you have every nut and bolt needed for your shutters, as well as heavy-duty gloves, ladders, and W-D 40. You can also check for a specialized drill bit to speed up tightening those bolts.

If you don’t have either of the above, get thee to a lumber supply place and talk to someone who can help with a temporary plan for your home’s protection.

Gather your important documents and policies and store everything together in a watertight container. In this age of baying bills online, it makes sense to schedule future payments in case the electricity is out for an extended time.

For complete checklists of everything you’ll need visit the National Hurricane Center site. Taking steps now can mean one less family – yours – in line when the inevitable happens again.

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Coconut Grove is a unique village, and you need a hyper-local specialist working for you here. Whether you are selling, buying, renting or investing I can help you make the right decisions. Call me at 305 794.6570 or leave me a note.

Join the fun at The Barnacle on Sunday, April 10th, to honor the 160th birthday of Commodore Ralph Munroe, one of Coconut Grove’s most charming and influential pioneers. Each year the Barnacle Society gathers to commemorate his remarkable life, and this year’s festival will have plenty of perks.

Dinner will be catered by Top Chef contestant Howie Kleinberg’s Bulldog BBQ, music will be provided by The Three Jacks, an American-Celtic rock band, and of course there will be birthday cake! The festivities will begin at 6:00 pm. All details about this event are listed here.

It’s a great opportunity to visit this historic and grand bayside home built by the Commodore in 1891 at 3485 Main Highway. At the same time you’ll be supporting the Barnacle Society’s mission to generate public awareness, education, and financial support for the preservation and maintenance of this historic home.

If you are looking for a Realtor who knows and loves Coconut Grove, and who can guide you to informed decisions, call me at 305 794.6570 or leave me a note.

Eileen Seitz in Front of her Newly Designed Information Booth on Main Highway

Eileen Seitz was born an artist, winning her first award as a thirteen-year-old at a Manhattan street art show. She sold her first painting to a New York art dealer at age sixteen. Among other places she studied fine arts at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y. concentrating on drawing, oil painting, and watercolors. Traveling the world, she realized that tropical climates satisfy her soul, and in 1981 she moved to Coconut Grove.

Her road to the Grove is interesting, but I want to convey the playful and energetic spirit of Eileen Seitz. She deeply feels and embraces the wonder and excitement of life flowing through her and onto canvas, paper, or fabric. In her own words, she “creates a vision that excites the SOUL and invites the SPIRIT of the viewer to bask and enjoy all the smells, sounds, and joys of color, through whatever line and form I bring to the two-dimensional surface”.

Recently, Eileen is showing up all over town! She was commissioned to paint the nondescript black information booths dotting the downtown area. Never planning her designs but using at-the-moment inspiration  to guide her, she transformed each kiosk into clever flower-dappled tropical bungalows.

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Eileen designed two peacocks for the Coconut Grove Peacock Tour, a unique interactive public art installation benefiting various charities around Miami. Eileen’s birds are sponsored by Milam’s Market and the Patrick Sessions Family. All the peacocks will be auctioned  on March 16 at the Paragon Theater in Cocowalk.

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Just released for sale is her 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. She’s also designing on fabric, available as sarongs, pillow coverings, wall-hangings, tableclothes, and almost anything you can imagine. Her hand-tied wool rugs are amazing and can be commissioned from her site.

I’ll be at the Arts Festival this weekend. If you are thinking of selling your home, or buying or renting in the Grove, I’d love to talk with you about how I can help you. You can always call me at 305 794.6570 or leave me a note.

Welcome to my new look! 2011 brings the name of RealEstateCoconutGrove.com and it’s all about Coconut Grove. Of course!

It just feels right to narrow my focus to the neighborhood I know best and love the most. When there’s a good reason I’ll throw in a dash of something outside Coconut Grove, but I hope this will be your go-to place for Grove-centric real estate information.

You see the new look featuring a view of the bay from Peacock Park, a streamlined sidebar making navigation through the site easier, links to other professionals who can help you, and new categories from which to select what most interests you.

I’m happy to hear your ideas and comments, and I’m most interested in helping you with all your real estate needs. Call me anytime at 305 794.6570 or leave me a message.

To stay updated with all Coconut Grove real estate information, receive my blog posts via email by subscribing here.  Once you register, you must activate the subscription in a follow-up email.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, the King Mango Strut was started in 1982 by Glenn Terry and the late Bill Dobson after a group of Grove residents known as The Mango Marching Band were denied entry into the Orange Bowl Parade because of their “unsuitable instruments” – such as kazoos and conch shells. It’s pure justice that the Strut survives while the Orange Bowl parade is long gone.

The Strut pokes fun at the year that is ending and nothing is off-limits, including the boundaries of good taste.  This year we can hope for floating tar balls, groping TSA agents, tea partiers, vuvuzelas, Wikileaks, Chilean miners, position-buying politicians, and whatever else the organizers thought to include.

Regular entries will include the Hare Krishnas, the Marching Freds (open to anyone named Fred), the Grove Juggling Exchange, the Running of the Bull Sh*tters, the Progressive Marching Funeral Band, and the election of Little Miss Mango where every young lady comes in first. The motto “Putting the NUT  in CocoNUT” is an apt description of this parody-parade.

The streets will remain closed after the parade for the King Mango Music Massacre where all the bands from the floats will continue to play until 6 pm.

If you’ve never been to this event now is the time to begin. And if you know the Strut your attendance is expected!

Look for me up on the third floor over Lulu’s Restaurant right at the start of the parade among the “chosen”, a small group of friends of Louis Lafontisee, one of Coconut Grove’s best-known real estate attorneys!

The news all across the nation is that LeBron James purchased a waterfront mansion in South Beach. Let it be known that 3590 Crystal View Court is located in north Coconut Grove!

It’s really a stunning home with all the amenities a celebrity could wish to have. It was listed by EWM, of course!

The annual City of Miami Christmas tree lighting was held this evening at City Hall on Pan American Drive. It’s the first night in over a week that it’s really warm enough for people to enjoy hanging around outside, and there must have been a good crowd of neighbors on hand for the ceremony.

The Second Annual Holiday Boat Parade will be held on Sunday, December 19th. Beginning at 6 pm and led by the “Effortless”, boaters are welcomed to follow her out the channel and join in the caroling. Everyone is invited to the Coconut Grove Sailing Club after the parade to enjoy desserts!

I thought you would like to know what’s happening around town, especially during this fun time of year. There’s no place like the Grove anywhere. If you’re looking to find your first or next piece of Coconut Grove, give me a call at 305 794.6570 or leave me a note. This is my village and I want to be your real estate connection here.

Michelle Villalobos, founder of the Empowered Woman  Success Summit and Expo, will open a two day event at the  Museum of Science on Thursday at 9:30 am.

The Summit is a content-rich networking event that brings women’s business empowerment to life through engaging workshop-style sessions (not speeches or panels) and exhibits designed to help women generate ideas, develop concrete skills and make lasting connections to achieve greater success in work and in life.

The target audience is female business owners, entrepreneurs, those wanting to network with like-minded women, women seeking direction and focus, women at the top of their careers, and those just getting started.

Looking over the Schedule and Speakers I’m pleased to see one of my clients, Denise Jacobs, will be presenting “Unleash An Avalanche of Productivity” on Day Two. Denise is one of the funniest and warmest women I know, and at the same time so smart and driven to succeed. You should really be there to hear her speak at 10:15 on Friday.

In addition to the workshops there will be an Expo Area where sponsors and presenters will have an opportunity to promote themselves. Also in the Expo Area you’ll find:

• Media Meetings: Editors & writers from various media will be on-site taking 10-minute appointments with attendees and sponsors

• Relaxation Station: Massages, manicures & pedicures in the Expo area

• Connection Doctor:  Proactively connecting people, businesses and ideas – right at the event.

• Consulting & Coaching Corner: Business Consultants & Coaches on hand to give personal advice and coaching on site

• Tech Center: A bank of laptops for our high-tech sponsors, sign-ups and other unannounced happenings

Admission is free for the morning speakers, and afternoon sessions cost $10. A VIP pass for $35 gets you into everything with seating guaranteed.

Look for me on Thursday and Friday at this powerful learning experience. And in the meantime, call me to discuss your real estate needs and desires at 305 794.6570 or leave me a note.

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No matter where you rent in Miami, renter’s insurance should be as much a priority as air conditioning and a water-tight roof. As a renter of an apartment, condo, house, duplex, townhouse, or villa you may be surprised to learn that your landlord’s insurance doesn’t cover your personal possessions or liability. It is up to you to purchase renter’s insurance that covers your belongings inside the home as well as your potential liability for injuries and damages.

Here are the top five reasons to have renter’s insurance:

• Protection From Theft or Vandalism:  If anyone breaks into your home and steals your belongings or defaces or damages the exterior, renter’s insurance will help make you whole again. Be aware, however, that expensive jewelry, coin or stamp collections, high end art, antiques, sterling silver, oriental rugs, or really expensive electronics may not be included in the coverage without a rider that specifically covers such items (named coverage) and these can be expensive.

• Protection From The Unexpected:  Imagine a car veering off the road and coming through the front door, or a water pipe breaking while you’re out of town, or a neighbor’s fire causing smoke damage in your home. Renter’s insurance will cover these things. Likewise if your home is damaged due to civil unrest or riot.

• Coverage When You’re Without A Home: In the event you are unable to stay in your rented home, renter’s insurance will cover the expenses you incur while the residence is being repaired or rebuilt. Most policies limit the amount they will pay to 30 – 40% of the policy value, so you’ll want to be aware of that amount before temporarily relocating.

• Protection From Liability: This not only covers someone who might be injured at your home, but also  insures damages to an adjacent property. This would be most likely to happen in an apartment or condo situation. Your renter’s insurance will also protect you from liability if one of the injured party chooses to sue you and wins.

• Protection From Natural Disasters: If your property is damaged by lightening, fire, or hail, renter’s insurance will cover it. Here in South Florida a windstorm rider is necessary to cover damages from a hurricane, and a flood rider for flooding. Hurricane coverage, even for a rental home, is expensive. And although your rental home is in a no-flood zone it can’t hurt to have the low-cost flood insurance rider. You will need to let your insurance agent know that you need these two riders.

If you are a renter, the peace of mind is well worth the cost.

When looking for insurance be aware that policies will cover your possessions in one of two ways. The preferable option is “replacement value” which does what it says. The other is “actual cash value”. The difference is critical at a time of loss. If a five-year-old stereo is stolen, a replacement cost policy will pay an amount sufficient to replace the item with a comparable unit; an actual cash value policy will depreciate the item a percentage amount for every year since it was purchased, often as much as 50 percent. While some recovery is better than none, talk with your agent about the cost of a full replacement cost policy.

EWM has our own Insurance Department if you want to know more about renter’s insurance. If you are looking to rent a home in Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, or South Miami give me a call at 305 794.6570 or leave me a note.

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