Two Different, But Equally Magnificent, Ways to Spend an Evening

I've written before about musimelange.  This is the creation of Anne Chicheportiche, a French-born violinist who lives with her husband and son in Bay Harbor Islands.  Anne is active in the local classical music scene, and she occasionally travels (well, not so much any more, with the young lad and #2 on the way), as part of her career as a professional violinist.  But on the side, about 5-6 years ago, Anne began a new venture, which she calls musimelange.  She puts on four events each year, beginning in January, and the venue is a unique place called the M Building.  (I don't know, so don't ask.)  The M Building is on the corner of NW 2nd Avenue and 29th Street.  I sometimes think the M Building was constructed to be a house, but I'm really not sure.  Some woman owns it now, and she rents it out for various small functions.  It would be a really cool place to have a wedding, and they've had them.  The M Building is decked out in weird art, and it has a few rooms on the ground floor.  There's a second story, but no one can go up there.  Yeah, part of the mystery.

Anne's evenings start at 7:30.  When you get there, you sign in.  If you didn't pay yet, it's $65.  If you paid in advance, it was $55.  If you subscribed to the whole four-event season, it's $50 per event.  Then, you mingle for a while, having excellent cheese and spectacular bread (I think it's Zak's), and eavesdropping on all the conversations in French.  Unless you came with someone, or you know someone, or you just feel like meeting someone, in which case you can have your own conversation in your own language.  At some point, usually around 7:45, the doors open, and you go in to the back room.  There's more funky art back there.  That room is like a parlor room, and it has an appendage that is a small kitchen and an island for prepping or serving.  It's at that island that the caterer for the evening (some French chef Anne knows) provides bites.  There are a few or several different offerings.  A bite in itself isn't filling, but a succession of them can be.  And you can have as many as you like.  While you do, you can take another step out the open sliding door to the patio and back yard, where all the wine is served.  Likewise, you have as much as you like.  Wine is provided by Barton & Guestier, and it's always good.  So this goes on for a while, as you continue to eavesdrop or have your own conversation-- possibly with the person you just met-- until "Act 2" begins.  Act 2 is the concert.  There are chairs set up, in the parlor room and on the patio, and couches that are always there, and one end of the parlor room is reserved for the musicians.  Sometimes, there's a piano there, if that's the ensemble for that evening.  And you listen to a concert.  It's usually some version of classical, but occasionally Anne veers in a slightly different direction.  Twice, she had Corky Siegel, who plays jazz and blues harmonica, and he sometimes plays with classical ensembles.  Wonderful stuff.  For the coming concert, on February 12 (they're always on Mondays), it's pianist Jim Gasior and his frequent musical companion, singer Wendy Petersen, doing pure jazz.  So you sit and enjoy.  The music has never been less than spectacular.  And then, when the program has been played, you meet and talk to the performers, and you have "Act 3," which is dessert.  Sometimes, it's the same chef who produced Act 1, and sometimes, it's a dessert chef.  But it's always top shelf sweets, and, as with Act 1, you take as much as you like.  These are very highly memorable evenings.  They're like having someone cook you gourmet food, and give you a concert, in your house.  No, it's not your house, and that fact will be clear to you when you try to park, but it's a very intimate and homey setting for all the high class food and wine you like, and a great musical presentation.  If you want to know more about musimelange, or arrange to attend, you can go to their site: musimelange.com.

Another way you can spend an evening is by going to downtown Coral Gables on the last Saturday of any month.  Bellmont Spanish restaurant is at 339 Miracle Mile.  Bellmont is owned by Sergio and Claudia Romero (it's been there about four years now), and it's mostly just a Spanish restaurant.  Well, when I say "just"...  The Romeros say their food is traditional Spanish.  I would say it's upscale and a gourmet version of Spanish food.  I love Spanish food, and this is the best I've had.  One of my friends who attended the Bellmont event with me once has travelled in Spain, and she says it's the best Spanish food she's ever had, too.  Sergio and Claudia built this restaurant.  Literally, up to a point.   The room is a combination of rustic and modern, incredibly appointed, and Sergio did it all himself.  Not only did he choose everything in that room, but he constructed some of it himself, too.  And he's the chef.  How he turns out those meals is frankly beyond me.  Bellmont has a normal menu, and I'm told that the usual price for dinner is about $35-$40 per person.  They also have a Miami Spice menu for the Miami Spice price of $39 prix fixe for dinner.  For the evenings I'm describing to you, the price is $69.  It used to be $59, but it was embarrassing to get all this for $59, so I'm glad they raised the price.  Alcohol, by the way, is not included at Bellmont.  But they have a very nice list, if you want to add wine to your meal.  These evenings start at about 7:30.  You can come when you like, but the show starts at 9:00, and it's nicer if you're not eating while you're enjoying the show.  (It would be even nicer if other people were not eating, while you're enjoying the show, but you don't always get that courtesy from them.)  Anyway, the meal is this:  there are two appetizers, and you get both of them; there are about five choices of main course, and you pick one (it doesn't matter which one you choose, since they're all unbelievable); there are two desserts, and you get both of them, too; I forgot to mention the bread, which comes from who knows where (OK, fine, I surrender: there is a heaven).   As for what Sergio creates, I really don't know where he gets the inspiration for these dishes.  Many of them are unique, and even the more common ones (filet mignon, paella, lamb chops) are done in an unusual and gourmet style.  One of my friends who loves steak had the filet mignon, and he said it was the best steak he ever had.  Then, at 9:00, the show starts.  This collaboration between restauranteur and performers has been going on at Bellmont for about two years.  A stage is set up at one end of the restaurant floor.  The offering is flamenco.  It's either Ballet Flamenco La Rosa, or it's Siempre Flamenco.  Occasionally, it's people from each organization performing together as a, um, melange.  (Sorry, Anne.)  This is a great show, and Ballet Flamenco La Rosa and Siempre Flamenco are excellent local companies.  The first set ends at about 10:00, and you're welcome to stay for the second set after the break.  If this interests you, you can go to their site at bellmontrestaurant.com.  If you do go, you'll see what I mean about wondering how anyone survived providing that level of food, and a flamenco show, for $59.  Well, at least it's $69 now.  It'll be more than that by the time they add in the tax and tip, but it will be money very well spent.  Go have fun.