Taste of the Grove tidbits

Peacock Park was overtaken on Sunday for the annual Taste of the Grove. The weather was perfect and the food was delicious but I have some suggestions for next year:

1) Give decent size food. $5.00 for a tiny hors d'oeuvres is not right.
2) Mark the booths. Put huge numbers on top so they can be seen across the park, and put corresponding numbers in the program so booths can be easily located.
3) How about tables? Would it kill someone to set up a tent and picnic tables? It isn't easy holding drinks and food and trying to eat. The grass was damp and not comfortable to sit on.
4) How about a mist system, for when the sun gets too hot?
5) A Rolaids booth may be a perfect booth. I may set one up next year and sell the Rolaids for one ticket per roll.
6) More free samples.
7) And next year, enough with the dogs. No dogs allowed.

Grove Arts Festival to Home Depot: Drop Dead

Monty Trainer, prez of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival told Home Depot to take their money and go away after the Home Depot donated over $25,000 worth of kitchen items to the festival.

The Home Depot feels it can buy its way into the hearts of Grove residents. The Home Depot doesn't realize they aren't wanted and they will do anything to bully their way into the Grove.

Folks, keep boycotting the Home Depot. Go to Shell Lumber and Poe's and other local places. The Home Depot needs to see its sales go down in our area. We need to send a statement and Monty Trainer sent a huge statement.

Now if only our elected officials will grow some balls and tell the Home Depot where to go.

Grove hosts marathon and food tasting today

The Miami Marathon winded its way through the Grove this morning, tying up traffic all over the place, but it was nice to see those hearty souls out doing something good.

The Taste of the Grove is now on. We'll post pictures this week.

What's with the golf carts?

What's the deal with the golf carts that seem to be popping up around the Grove? I hope we don't turn into Key Biscayne. Traffic is bad enough without these overgrown fat asses clogging it up more. Is this even legal to have golf carts used as cars on main streets? The Aviation and Bird area is the worst.

Grapevine pens at Berries

We gave a bunch of Coconut Grove Grapevine pens to Liz at Berries (2884 SW 27th Ave), stop by and ask her for one. (If there are any left). She is holding a bunch of the pens in the picture here.

Operation Shield

Cocowalk was the place to be today for the Miami Police Dept. They were out on a "terrorist search" during an "Operation Shield" sweep. These are random searches on soft targets, like the Grove's shopping area.

The police actually go into the stores and question people who may seem suspicious. They want the terrorists to know that the Grove is not the place to be. I wonder if anyone is watching Turkey Point or the Port of Miami, I really don't think the Grove is where terrorists have their eyes set.

But at least I feel safe. Thanks MPD.

ING Miami Marathon

This Sunday is the Taste of the Grove but it is also the ING Miami Maratahon, which is earlier in the morning.

One of the ING Cheering Zones is located at Peacock Park at South Bayshore Drive and MacFarlane in Coconut Grove (Mile 21.5). So for those of you who will be out cheering the runners, this is a great location to enjoy the race.

Traffic light problem

Is the DOT ever going to fix the blinking light on Avaiation and Tigertail? It is an accident waiting to happen. If the lights are blinking, they should be red on all four sides, not only on two, it is confusing to many drivers.

Taste the Grove

The 16th Annual Great Taste of the Grove presented by The Coconut Grove Chamber is Sunday, Jan. 29th at Peacock Park (2820 McFarlane Road) from 11 am to 8 pm.

Over 30 local Coconut Grove restaurants will be serving tasting's of some of their signature dishes. The Sonesta Hotel & Suites will feature a culinary showcase with five top Florida Chefs all from our local Coconut Grove Community doing demonstrations during various scheduled times

A waiters race will kick off the event at 11:30 in Peacock Park , watch and cheer on your favorite servers and bartenders as they dash through a treacherous obstacle course with trays filed with lots of food & drink.

As usual, live Jazz will be featured throughout the afternoon and early evening. Joe Donato will be the opening act and many other well known local musicians will featured as well.

A Children's area will be set up with rock climbing and other fun activities.

A Farmers Market and Gourmet Place will be featured by Milam's Grocery where you can purchase items and taste samplings. A wine tasting tent will be featured where a series of tasting's will be held. Wine educators will be on hand to answer questions so you can taste and explore diverse wines from all over the world.

There will be an art exhibit named "Food is Art" where artists of all medias will exhibit art as it relates to food. All entrants will be judged and exhibited during the Coconut Grove Arts Festival in the Coconut Grove Chamber offices.

The event is free and visitors will be able to purchase tickets to sample over 30 restaurants. It's Coconut Grove's opportunity to showcase our burgeoning culinary scene.

For more Information contact the Coconut Grove Chamber of Commerce at 305-444-7270 or check: www.coconutgrove.com .

Shakespeare in the park tonight

Tonight at 8 pm, you can see Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in Peacock Park. It will be cold, so bundle up. For more info: www.shakespearemiami.com

City inspectors

What is with these City inspectors who give you a hard time if you look at them cross eyed? I had to threaten one of the inspectors with a law suit once before he gave in and stopped acting like a jerk and gave us our inspection certificate. We are up against another inspector at our condo lately.

Why are they all so nasty and difficult, are we supposed to pay them off or something? If that is the case, we will. I hate all of them with their Napoleon complexes.

Improve Festival starts Wednesday

The Fourth Annual Improv Festival starts this Wednesday at the Miami Museum of Science and Planetarium for five nights. The festival celebrates all forms of improv and sketch comedy from around the world, and is hosted by Miami's home for improv and sketch comedy, Just The Funny.

Along with almost 30 improve groups, there will be 50 shows and 14 workshops. There will also be two screenings of the improve "mocumentary "Yes And."

For a complete listing of events and schedules, please visit: http://www.miamiimprovfestival.com/

The Miami Museum is located in Coconut Grove at 3280 South Miami Avenue, where US1 and I-95 meet.

Calm sunrise

Sunrise on the Bay in Coconut Grove

Tour 'The Kampong' tomorrow

Larry Schokman, the Kampong director is holding a tour of the former home of David Fairchild (Fairchild Tropical Gardens) tomorrow at 10 am.

Quoted from the Kampong website: "The Kampong contains a fascinating array of flowering trees and tropical fruit cultivars. In the early 1900s, noted plant explorer David Fairchild searched the world for plants of economic and aesthetic value that might be cultivated in the United States. He and his wife Marian (daughter of Alexander Graham Bell) took up residence here amid some of his collections, borrowing the Malaysian word kampong for his home in a garden."

It will be nice and cool out tomorrow, perfect for a day in the wild. Adults: $10.00 / Students: $5.00 / Under 7: free. Call 305-442-7169 to reserve space. It is limited.

More King Mango Strut Pictures

Trees for the Grove

It appears that the City of Miami is offering trees to replace those lost by hurricanes this past year. For info, please email contact4grove@yahoo.com

Happy New Year!