Is the poster too funky for the area?

A reader sent this photo in. The poster is in the window of Funky Urban Klothes at 2996 McFarlane Road. She wonders if it is too racy to be next to a church and school (St. Stephen's). And their initials seem to be "F.U." I am more concerned with their spelling. Klothes?

To see it larger, please click on the image.

TreeWatch Committee receives award

The Cocoanut Grove Village Council's TreeWatch Committee has been selected to be the recipient of the Trees Florida Awards Program Outstanding Tree Advocacy Group Award for 2008.

TreeWatch, a committee of the Village Council, acts as a liaison with the City of Miami’s Code Enforcement and Public Works departments, serving as the Grove’s clearinghouse for reporting incidents of illegal tree removal, expediting and following up on incidents that may have otherwise gone unreported, and ensuring that citations and mitigation occur. TreeWatch files appeals to save trees, especially those in the public right of way, which have been issued permits by the City for removal at the request of an individual or developer, and which are healthy and pose no hazard.

TreeWatch was founded in November of 2005 by a group of Grove quality of life activists, including Bob Ferreira, former Village Councilman, and Liliana Dones and Marc Sarnoff, then the head of the One Grove Alliance. Sarnoff and Dones were named Co-chairs, and the TreeWatch was then folded into a Committee of the Village Council.

When Marc Sarnoff was elected as City Commissioner, Liliana Dones, who also serves as Village Councilwoman, and on the City of Miami's Green Commission, remained as chair of TreeWatch. The TreeWatch core group includes Santiago Villegas, Jim McMaster, who is president of another fine tree advocacy organization, Treeman Trust, certified arborists Pierre Sands and Bob Brennan, but essentially, every tree-caring resident of Coconut Grove (and some even outside of the Grove), is an official member of TreeWatch, each applying what they do best to the end of saving the trees which are a hallmark of the community.

The Outstanding Tree Advocacy Group Award is presented in recognition of an organization stimulating landscape beautification, tree planting, maintenance, preservation and/ or public educational programs within their community.

For more information on Trees Florida, visit www.treesflorida.com. For more information on TreeWatch, and the Coconut Grove Village Council, visit www.coconutgrovevillagecouncil.com .

Free haircuts for charity

John Frieda Mobile Salon is coming to the Woman's Club of Coconut Grove Tuesday and Wednesday, May 27 & 28 from 10 am to 6 pm, to give free haircuts by celebrity stylists. This is a fund raiser for the Woman's Club renovations. Tell your friends and make an appointment by going to www.johnfrieda.com/salontour .

CocoWalk is where things will be set up.

George's in the Grove is opening this week

I caught my neighbor George Farge checking out his new place at 3145 Commodore Plaza. They plan to open tomorrow, May 22.

Mangoheads are very proud today

Mimi Davila won the Silver Knight Award for drama last night. She was one of 15 winners selected from 1,100 nominees. She joins past winners like Amazon.com founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos.

If you were hiding under a mango tree this past year, Mimi is half of the Chongalicious Girls who were the King Mango Strut's 2007 Grand Marshals. That's her above, at right, with Laura Di Lorenzo.

Mimi said that the King Mango Strut was mentioned during the ceremony. And they didn't hold it against her!

This sounds like a great excuse for Mangoheads to PARTY!

For the Herald story and a photo of Mimi getting her award,
please go here.

Photo by Harry Emilio Gottlieb

Celebrating birthdays

AnnaMaria and I both have birthdays this week, one day apart in fact, so we decided to have a little birthday breakfast this morning to celebrate.

Art loving crooks

This bronze, "Leslie," named after the model was stolen from in front of a house on Calusa. It's quite heavy and not that easy to move around.

The necklace below is one of two made by Uta, a local artist. One was stolen from the glass case at the Heart of the Grove gallery. It has jade and turquoise suspended from stones. Uta takes quite awhile to create the necklace as she searches for these natural beach stones and then graduates them like a strand of pearls.

Both of these are unique and if anyone has a clue of where they are, it would be very helpful if you contacted us here via email. Police reports have already been filed, and there are suspects in both cases.

Author Nancy Schleifer to sign her new book

Nancy Schleifer will be signing her new book "A Warrant for Mrs. Lincoln" tomorrow night at The Bookstore (3399 Virginia Street at 7:30 pm.

Come out and meet Nancy, have some coffee and pastries and enjoy a cozy Wednesday night in the Grove.

Flowers

I wrote about the flower shop on Commodore Plaza, but there is another great flower shop on the other end of town -- The Blond Tulip (3390 Mary Street #139), owned by Pearl. It's at the back, near Cielo on the Florida Avenue side. You'll notice it as you get toward the back of Mayfair because it looks like a big green jungle right outside their door -- lots of areca palms and plants will greet you.

You can reach Pearl at 305-444-9899 and her website is here: http://www.theblondetulip.com/

Rainy Monday in Coconut Grove

A wedding party in the rain.

A cozy lunch at Focaccia.

Claudia giving Carlos Falconi a massage before hair cut and Jacki is doing highlights for Sandra Hoyos at Aruj Salon and Spa.

Photos by AnnaMaria Windisch-Hunt

Grove Chamber announces 2008-2010 board

The Coconut Grove Chamber of Commerce held their Annual Board of Directors Election on Friday May 16, 2008. The Monthly Chamber Luncheon was held at Pisco Seafood Bar and Grille where much of the voting went on.

New members were elected to the board, joining the current members.

Executive Board
(Returning Officers to Executive Committee)
President -Liliana Dones, Creative Tools Inc.
Vice President - Gary Ciuca, Wachovia Securities
Treasurer - Anthony Noboa, Coconut Grove Bank
Secretary - Carol Romine Hawks, Resident
At Large - Monty Trainer, Coconut Grove Arts Festival

Recently Elected or Reelected
2008-2010 Term Board of Directors
Mark Alvarez - Grand Bay Hotel
Felice Dubin - The Bookstore in the Grove
Mia Stierheim - Stierheim & Wesson/CocoWalk
Mary McDonald - MACCI Designs
Ed Prelaz - CBRE- The Shoppes of Mayfair
Guillermo “Willy” Vega - Oppenheimer and Co. Inc.

2007-2009 Term Board of Directors
Returning for 2nd Year of 2 Year Term
Manuel Alonso-Poch - Arts & Minds Center
George Cozonis - Sonesta Hotel and Suites
Pat Dahne - Pat Dahne Realty Group
Doreen LoCicero - Resident
Sue McConnell - Resident
Michelle Niemeyer - Attorney
Carol Romine Hawks - Resident

For membership or general information, please contact Richard Issa, Administrative Officer, at info@coconutgrove.com or 305-444-7270.

More on CocoWalk

Some people are upset that I changed my stance on CocoWalk, but I did it honestly for two reasons.

First because the person who soured me on CocoWalk actually threw a fit and tantrum right in front of Mia, me and a few others in CocoWalk management -- right on cue. I could not have planned it better myself. Mia stood there shocked, she actually saw what their problem is. It is THAT person who has no business dealing with the public.

I won't go into details, but those of you attacking me need to see all sides of the story. I have kept some of it private to protect the person in question. But as soon as Mia saw the problem, she saw my side and I then saw her side. A third person was the cause of many problems. Again, I have email proof of this from many people who were emailed rude, nasty comments by this person, as he/she tried to "defend" CocoWalk.

Secondly, Lucky Strike Lanes really did make me see differently. I know it is an upscale alley and I know it is not Bird Bowl, but I think that Lucky Strike is a perfect fit for the Grove. My fear was that they were getting rid of "user friendly" places and gearing more toward turning the Grove into Bal Harbour and Merrick Park.

After all, we do have a commissioner who wants to turn the Grove elitist, many people want to get rid of the late night bars and clubs (I don't) and I honestly feared that they got to CocoWalk's owners and management and I feared that little by little that the Grove would turn into something it's not -- an elitist place only for the chosen few.

The wine spa coming and Tu Tu Tango leaving, started this erroneous thought in my head. Also daily emails from concerned citizens didn't help with the confusion. Many people were concerned.

I know Lucky Strike isn't cheap, but it is a night out. It may not be a place for 16 year olds to go on a date, but I don't see how a grown man and woman or group of friends can't afford to bowl a few games, have a few drinks and enjoy an afternoon or night doing something different. It won't break the bank. It would literally be cheaper than a tank of gas these days.

I have blogged every event at CocoWalk for the past three years from Santa's arrival to profiles on individual stores to the recent Art Strolls and Fashion Show. So for someone to say I turned 180 degrees makes no sense. I was concerned about the direction the place was going to be taking in the future. I didn't hate CocoWalk or anyone associated with CocoWalk.

As for the "white trash" comment -- I was trying to be funny. It didn't work. I apologize for that.

Healthy Farmer's Market every Saturday

The Mayfair Farmer's Market is still happening every Saturday at the arcade walk-thru area at Mayfair. Along with the fresh fruits and vegetables for sale is this great healthy, hot veggie food, served in pitas. They also have green tea. And below you'll see you can even get a massage or have a little yoga class on the spot.

David or David?

Please click on the image for larger version.

Big fish

My neighbor Chris has been busy. Last week he caught this 25 pound Grouper, some Tuna and five Sailfish (which he released). All, right in Grove waters.

Going back to their roots

The Coconut Grove Flower Shop has moved from 3112 Commodore Plaza (above) across the street to 3137 Commodore Plaza (below). The cool thing is that the new location is really their old location. They opened there in the 1940's! Talk about going back to your roots -- roots, flower shop, get it?

Apparently they are going to be knocking down the 3112 Commodore Plaza site to build a four story building, I think something like this below, because it's the same owner.

My next door neighbor Constance Steen owned the flower shop for many years before the current owners.

Deblois performs at Barnacle Under Moonlight

Deblois will be performing at this month's Barnacle Under Moonlight Concert on Tuesday, May 20. It's a concert full of “smart lyrics and great hooks, with undercurrents of Jazz, Blues, and surf culture” from 7-9 p.m. at The Barnacle Historic State Park, 3485 Main Highway. Gates open at 6 pm, rain or shine.

Deblois, a Miami native, has toured extensively throughout the United States and Central America. Her unique blend of styles incorporates “acoustic roots music and soulful original tunes with an eye for the universal and great melodies to sing along to.” In addition to performing world tunes that she has infused with her own flavor, she will also be performing original songs from her CDs “Leviathan” and her latest, “Velveteen.”

Admission: $7.00 for adults and kids age 10 and over;
$3.00 for children ages 6-9; children under 6 are free.

They are being robbed blind

Note to Bath & Body Works -- you are being robbed blind.

A family in a green car comes in, doesn't pay and exits with bags full of merchandise.

Can it be an inside job? How can they just walk in, help themselves to large shopping bags, fill them up and exit.

One of the the security guards for Mayfair has the license number and info on this family (I have the picture of their car and license plate), you may want to wake up and nip this in the bud before the store goes broke.

What's in CocoWalk's future?

When I met with Mia, we really didn't talk much about Tu Tu Tango, that's already beating a dead horse, they are leaving and there is no turning back.

I know the owner was recently in a bad divorce and maybe he just wants to close up and move on. Tu Tu Tango tells me one thing, Mia tells me another -- just the usual landlord-tenant dispute. Maybe it's just time for them to go. I do know now that CocoWalk was working with Tu Tu Tango. They offered them a month-to-month lease so that they could figure out what they wanted to do, they gave them repair money to fix the floor and ceiling, they did work with them and did not want them to leave.

I don't know if anything new is going in there yet. It's not easy to rent space these days in malls or apartment buildings and that one particular location does need a lot of work.

As you have probably heard, Muvico Theaters is opening their first megaplex theater in the county at CocoWalk, so that should bring in some new people who hopefully stick around and visit before or after the movie.

What you may not have known is that Lucky Strike, the bowling alley/lounge is going in right next door! So that really is a coup for CocoWalk! To me, that is the direction that CocoWalk should be
going in. Fun for all -- more South Beach, less Bal Harbour.

The new theater is going to have VIP areas with reclining plush seats with a full service bar and restaurant. There will be a child care area, valet parking (hopefully in the garage and not on the streets) and reserved seating.

If you look up at the theater now, to the left will be a restaurant/eating area, the movie theater will be in the center and Lucky Strike will be to the right. I'm truly looking forward to this. They will do this in phases, so as not to be too disruptive, but the AMC theater will probably be out of commission for some time.

It will be awhile though before the new theater and bowling alley open. Their planned opening is not until October 2009. Ouch.

Best buds

So I met with Mia Stierheim, retail specialist at CocoWalk, and we really hit it off. We had a great time going around the Grove.

We walked around and talked and really enjoyed the afternoon. We both learned that there are two sides to every story. She knows where I was coming from (I kept being fed different information from her own organization -- that's where the confusion started).

I told her that I really do like CocoWalk, and I am just blogging the sentiments of many people who email me or speak to me directly. But I am always promoting their events. CocoWalk's photo is the image printed on the front of the Grapevine's business cards.

There are lots of cool plans for CocoWalk, I'll talk about them soon. I think it is going to turn around for the better. Mia actually asked me my opinion on certain things and was honestly concerned about what people think and she wanted to know what direction CocoWalk should go. This was really nice to see.

Mia was born at Mercy Hospital -- she is a true Grove native and she does care about the Grove and its residents and visitors. I really was getting the other impression. I was wrong.

She did say that Emile Mourad, owner of Full Bodied Wine and Spa, now under construction at CocoWalk, feels bad about his comments (imported drunken crowd) and wished to apologize. She says that when they first opened his storefront to show him the space, there was a squatter living there. He had his own little bathroom area and food area and sleeping area. Of course, they had to send him away, but that's what Emile had to deal with and in spite of it, he signed a lease, so maybe he's not such a bad guy after all.

The wine and spa combination is some sort of new thing out of California. I am not familiar with it.

So I'm glad Mia and I had the chance to meet and talk. We plan on doing lunch soon. We'll take you along -- through the blog, of course.

Welcome to the hood!

Sophia and Madelyn, FedEx/Kinko's new manager, and Yasnai were making the rounds in the Grove today introducing themselves and promoting Kinko's. They will have six rental computers and of course wi-fi. The Grove's FedEx/Kinko's is opening May 27 at 2982 Grand Avenue, between Qdoba and 24 Hour Fitness.

Something good at CocoWalk

Congrats to Mari-Nalli at CocoWalk for winning "Best Quesadilla" in this year's New Times Best of 2008 poll.

Two other Grove places made the list:

Best Place to Mountain Bike - Grove Skate Park

Best French Restaurant - Le Bouchon du Grove

Best Blog went to Eye On Miami. Well deserved.

Renaissance on Commodore Plaza?

While I feel The Bookstore is the center of town, I see a shift back to Commodore Plaza as the center of activity. With new restaurants opening on Commodore Plaza and the uniqueness of businesses, I see more people gravitating there.

Greenstreet is crowded any time of day and night. Mr. Moe's always has a crowd and Christabelle's Quarter has its following. Somoto and Al Fresco are popular and Cita's and George's in the Grove are both opening this month, more and more people are going to Commodore Plaza to eat and shop.

I'm not sure, but I think Commodore Plaza has more restaurants than any area of the Grove now and they are all local restaurants -- not chains.

All the businesses on Commodore Plaza are unique, in fact. There are art galleries, a flower shop, jewelry stores, ice cream shops and many one-of-a-kind stores and shops, even the second hand store (This 'n That) fits right into the funky mix. The tree canopy and brick-lined streets, valet parking on weekends and quaintness are bringing people back.

The plantings from last summer are adding a lot of greenery to the area, too. The only two problems are the old empty Firkin and Friar place, which needs to be rented out and the post office at the end of the street, which needs a lot of attention.

Real fine art in our midst

Would you like the opportunity to meet someone who shared studio space with Picasso in Paris in 1951? If so, watch the Windisch-Hunt Fine art Gallery this fall.

Maximiliano Gonzales de Olazabal, shown here with AnnaMaria, also painted with Wilfredo Lamb. They did one joint painting which will be on exhibition but not for sale.

AnnaMaria is looking to honor working artists who have become National Treasures in their own right. This is a designation given to artists in Japan who have given their best and continue to create in their field of endeavor.

CocoWalk is not bohemian enough for Grove

I don't think CocoWalk fits into the Grove anymore. Has it ever? Management doesn't understand that they are not the Bal Harbour Shops or Merrick Park.

The owners of CocoWalk are from New Orleans, I believe, but CocoWalk isn't even bohemian enough for New Orleans.

It's a shame that we can't have the likes of Monty Trainer to run CocoWalk or AnnaMaria Windisch-Hunt or Felice Dubin, or Liliana Dones -- you know -- GROVE PEOPLE.

Why is it ok for a new tenant to call the customers of another tenant an "imported drunken crowd?" Is this the new sort of business CocoWalk is trying to draw -- elitist snobs? To many people Tu Tu Tango IS CocoWalk and when it is gone, CocoWalk will be just another mall. There is nothing at CocoWalk that says Coconut Grove anymore. There's nothing unique. Is there? It's just a bunch of chain stores. You could be in Anytown, USA.

People come to Coconut Grove because it is different. They aren't coming here for The Cheesecake Factory, The Gap or Starbucks. While there is room for all of these great businesses, let's not discard the businesses that make the Grove special. I would rather see an "imported drunken crowd" than "imported elitist snobs" any day of the week.

Bring some local businesses to CocoWalk and Mayfair. Give them a break on the rents so they have a fighting chance.

Chamber luncheon is this Friday at Pisco's

Pisco's Seafood Bar and Grill (3310B Mary Street) is turning out to be a favorite place for the Grove Chamber of Commerce. The next luncheon is this Friday, May 16 at noon, with a short networker at 11:30 am.

It's the Annual Election Luncheon, so there should be quite a crowd. Members will be voting for the 2008-2009 Board of Directors. If you can't make it, voting will take place before and after in the Grove Chamber office (2820 McFarlane Road).

$25 members/$35 non-members. Please RSVP by calling 305-444-7270 or emailing: info@coconutgrove.com

Heard around town . . .

What local Grove restaurant owner eats frequently (almost daily) at another restaurant in the Grove and then tries copying the recipes for his/her own restaurant?

Is this acceptable? Should he/she be told to stop it? Should he/she be banned from eating at the other restaurant?

Grove's Sailing Club's summer camp filling up

The Coconut Grove Sailing Club's summer youth sailing program for members and non-members is gearing up and will start next month. Camp begins at 9 am each day and ends at 4 pm.

Sessions are as follows:
Session 1 - June 9 thru June 20
Session 2 - June 23 thru July 3
Session 3 - July 7 thru July 18
Session 4 - July 21 thru Aug. 1
Session 5 - Aug. 4 thru Aug. 15

For registration, pricing and all the info you'll need, please go here. Or call here: (305) 444-4571 ext. 11 for the Sailing Director.

Busy agenda for next Village Council meeting

The Village Council meets tomorrow, May 15 from 7 to 9 pm at City Hall (3500 Pan American Drive).

On the agenda:

1) Jim McMaster of the Tree Man Trust will provide info about the Adopt-A-Tree program.
2) Fred Bredemeyer of the Miami Parking Authority will inform the Council about the Post Office parking lot mess.
3) Melodie Mitchell will give a presentation regarding the Goombay Festival which is June 7 this year.
4) Priscilla Morales of Miami-Dade County will provide info about the status of the Commodore Bike Trail.
5) Commander Jorge Martin from the Police Dept. and Robert Lupo of Grove Crime Watch will provide an update regarding crime in the Grove and what is being done to address the problem.
6) There will be a funding request for the Fourth of July Celebration.
7) Discussion of changes in the subcommittee structure that were discussed at the Council's May 1st workshop.

If you cannot attend, the proceedings will be televised on Channel 77 and on streaming video at: http://videos.miamigov.com/

There's always something to complain about

I can't believe that some people are complaining about the art galleries taking up empty storefronts in the Grove. Are empty storefronts better? Do you like the cardboard covered windows instead? Even the art covering the windows of the old Borders location is a hell of a lot better than empty windows.

Most of us like the art, if you don't, how about you get off your ass, contact the store owners and make some arrangements to find them renters? You'll get a commission, the store owner will have a renter and the artists will be thrown out onto the streets. Then you'll be happy.

I happen to think this is one of the nicer things that these landlords do. It sort of negates their overpriced rents when they do find renters.

St. Hugh's new Concert Series

St. Hugh Catholic Church (3460 Royal Road) is presenting a new concert series.

The first concert is this Friday, May 16 at 8 pm -- "An Evening of Piano and Voice Virtuosity." Included: Rachmaninoff Musical Moments op. 16, Liszt Spanish Rhapsody, music from Bellini's "La Sonnambula" and "Ride on, King Jesus." Performing will be Maria Aleida Rodriguez, soprano and the Coconut Grove Concert Chorus. Roberto Berrocal is the music director.

Admission is free, but a donation is requested. The money raised will benefit The Grove Outreach, which is a place where the church purchases and distributes food to the poor every Sunday. More info on the Outreach program here: www.st-hugh.org/church and for more info on the concert series and to be come a benefactor, please call 786-768-0640.

Icees, they're not just for children anymore

A friend told me that in the past she and friends used to put Tequila in AC's Icee's -- the lemon ones. They would drink a little off the top and then put the Tequila in. She made a point of saying they didn't drink in the park, they would take the Icee to go.