TALDE Miami Beach, FL

Dale Talde may never have won Top Chef, but he has easily risen to the upper echelons of "Celebrity Chef"-dom, with his impressive resume and a solid point of view. This is Asian comfort food, hearty and, well, comforting, yet with a professional sheen. Talde's eponymous Miami Beach outpost is open late, so a few friends and I popped by for a post-show nosh one evening. 

The decor is dark and a little playful, like a Deco tavern, with a DJ spinning great music (is having a DJ a Miami Beach thing, or a Talde thing? Too tough to tell.) Expect to see noodles (lots of noodles,) ribs, dumplings, and so on, but with a twist. The wine and cocktail list isn't huge, but solid, and matches the cuisine. 

Of course we had to have the famous Kung Pao Chicken Wings, with their delectable glaze. I could also nom-nom dumplings all day, and the Pretzel Pork and Chive Dumplings with their spicy mustard dip were gobbled up in minutes. 

The Lobster Tom Kha was packed with flavor, and -- though difficult to share -- was slurped up gleefully, and the rosetta of Chow Fun with braised pork shank was very tasty as well (if a bit disjointed; the clever presentation made combining the noodles with the rest of the dish a little difficult.)

As a bit of a Charles Smith junkie and a rosé advocate, (especially with hearty Asian food,) I jumped on the Charles & Charles rosé, while my friends each had a Lychee Martini and a Plum Basil Margarita, both of which sips' were delish. 

Talde Miami Beach was a solid choice, especially in Miami Beach, where good food can be a little finicky and overpriced. My only regret was that I didn't get to go back (I mean, it was only two blocks from our hotel!) but the food is so scrumptious and filling, I'd have likely gained 10 pounds there alone. 

Bon appétit!

Talde

Inside the Thompson Miami Beach hotel 
4041 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33140 
T: (786) 605-4094

VALKYRIE, Tulsa OK

Y'all know I am a die-hard Wineau. (If you're unsure about that, see what the Wine Minx has to say lately!) But I seem to be touring the land with a bunch of folks who love the almighty cocktail, and I have fallen under the spell of an artisinal cocktail bar more than a few times.

Having arrived in Tulsa, OK, quite unsure about its foodie/wineaux bounty, I was thrilled to stumble across Valkyrie in the Brady district. I popped in for a few bevvies before heading around the block to Phryme for my dinner. (Post on THAT delectable meal to come!)

The decor at Valkyrie is rustic, homey, and unpretentious. The feel is: let the cocktails do the talking, we don't need to display our array of tinctures and bar implements to show we're good at this. (Although one of the bartenders admitted he will sometimes wax up his 'stache for the weekend.)

They have a number of specialty seasonal cocktails, but often prefer to whip up a classic, or their own twist on a classic, instead. Plus there are a few handpicked wines by the glass, and over a dozen interesting beers on tap. If cocktails are your thing, but the potential of HUNDREDS of drink options is daunting, they're more than willing to chat with you and tailor something to your mood. There even is a spiderweb of descriptive words on the back of the menu to help inspire you. (I.e., I'd like something "daring," "floral," and "herby.")

Knife Fight

I rattled off a few descriptors (along those lines above,) adding "smoky" and "weirdo" -- my own choice of words -- and was steered toward a "Knife Fight," kind of a version of a mezcal negroni. Delicious.

But the uniqueness of my second drink made me go gaga with glee: the "Schrute of All Evil," made with gin, beet, lemon, thyme, salt, bitters, and habanero shrub. Earthy (obviously, I mean, hello BEET,) but zingy from the lemon and gin, and spicy from the habanero and thyme. Anyone who loves a good juice bar, this is the drink for you!

Schrute of All Evil

They press their own beets for the juice, and locally source many other cocktails ingredients. Plus, in a town that likes to roll up its sidewalks fairly early, they're open until 2 every night, bonus! One small drawback (especially for theatre people after a show,) they don't serve food, but do have some snacks like homemade rice krispy treats. And they're pretty liberal about your bringing food in.

Bottom line: I can't wait to go back, with my fellow cocktail-loving Kinksters in tow.

Cheers!

Valkyrie Tulsa

13 East Matthew B Brady St.

Tulsa, OK 74103

918-295-2160