SUMMER 2019 THE PINK PALM The LGBTQ Travel Insider for Greater Miami and the Beaches WELCOME… WHAT’S INSIDE It’s time for another summer adventure – and what better place to make 02 that happen than in Greater Miami! Here, you’ll be able to enjoy the WELCOME afterglow of Pride Month and ease into July with all sorts of fabulous offers. Spring has sprung in Greater Miami Make sure to visit MiamiTemptations.com, which is “mission control” for and the Beaches. summer offers. It features hotel deals to suit every taste, a plethora of spa 03 treatments and dining options at more than 200 restaurants. This just MIAMI’S SPICY CHEFS points to the fact that summertime can be the best time in Greater Miami Two chefs doing their best to make and the Beaches! Miami one of the best tasting cities in the country! In this issue of The Pink Palm, you’ll meet Chef Rocco Carulli and Chef Alex Rodil, both of whom are doing their best to make Miami one of the best tasting cities in the country. We’ll also explore Miami’s Queer Scene, which is making waves in the city’s nightlife. Today, the city has opened its arms to the underground community, where anything goes! Next, we speak to Damian Pardo, the mastermind behind Gay8 Festival, which in only four years has become the largest Hispanic LGBTQ festival in the U.S. It’s the perfect excuse to come back in February! Finally, we’ll Gayther around at Hôtel Gaythering, the gayest hotel in Miami Beach. This local gem shares with us their commitment to provide resources 04 MIAMI’S QUEER SCENE and events to help improve the LGBTQ community. See you in Miami! Making waves in the city’s nightlife. 06 SUMMER 2019 IN MIAMI Making the most of your time in Stop by and visit the LGBT Visitor Center for local Miami this summer. and visitor information. Feel free to use the Michael Anthony Lucas Computer Center and 07 our free Wi-Fi. BRINGING A QUEER EVENT TO LITTLE HAVANA Miami’s Damian Pardo, LGBTQ LGBT Visitor Center Activist and Organizer, brings the 1130 Washington Ave., 1st Floor North Miami Beach, FL 33139 city’s diverse communities together 305/397-8914 • GoGayMiami.com to celebrate pride. Hours of Operation: 08 Mon-Fri: 9 A.M. – 6 P.M. GAYTHER AROUND Sat & Sun: 11 A.M. – 4 P.M. Hôtel Gaythering strives to make a difference in the LGBTQ community. This publication was produced by the Greater Miami The Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (MDGLCC) Convention & Visitors Bureau, with the support of the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. is the largest not-for-profit corporation in the county for gay and lesbian businesses. MDGLCC offers the Pink Flamingo Hospitality Certification by training and certifying hospitality service professionals on issues related to gender and orientation, and giving them tools to respond appropriately to all people. This is essential for creating environments where all visitors and employees are welcome. 701 Brickell Ave., Suite 2700 Miami, FL 33131 USA 305/673-4440 For a list of Pink Flamingo Certified Hotels and Businesses in Greater Miami and the Beaches, T: 305/539-3000; 800/933-8448 GayBizMiami.com please visit GayBizMiami.com For information about Greater Miami and the Beaches, visit MiamiandBeaches.com. 2 The Pink Palm // Summer 2019 MIAMI’S SPICY CHEFS Two chefs doing their best to make Miami one of the best tasting cities in the country! by IAN MALONEY For the nation’s LGBTQ community, summertime artistic and gastronomical explosion that the means one thing – PRIDE! Greater Miami neighborhood has become,” says Rocco. Chef Alex and the Beaches is marking 50 years of R House opened in January 2014 and, soon Pride by highlighting the culinary genius of after, its Drag Brunch was born. “What makes two chefs that call the region home. Make our drag brunch so special is that we not only sure to check them out – your taste buds will have a huge LGBTQ following, but an equally thank us later. enthusiastic straight customer base also,” says Rocco. R House is a place where everyone Chef Rocco comes together to kick back, indulge and be entertained. Be sure to check out R House in Miami’s renowned Wynwood neighborhood. Find out more at RHouseWynwood.com Chef Alex Rodil, Chef/Owner, On The Fly elegant. I put a few spices in the braising liquid Chef Alex Rodil has made a name for herself and freshen it up with citrus zest that ends up as she has risen through the kitchen ranks. balancing the dish so beautifully. I also love This Cuban-American, true blue Miami native that it’s one of my favorite cooking methods, has really found her niche after taking on the slow and low. You can give a lot of TLC the Food Network’s “Chopped” as well as when you’re developing and building layers of “Cutthroat Kitchen.” She also spent a year on flavors over hours.” the high seas working as a personal chef on a These days, Chef Alex is marching to the yacht. She now operates On The Fly, where she beat of her own drum and she loves every Rocco Carulli, Executive Chef, R House continues her work as a private chef at private minute of it. “I’m a private chef now so I have Chef Rocco’s parents come from Puglia, at the events throughout the region. the luxury of being able to work in kitchens southern tip of Italy. “Food and gastronomy When asked about how she got interested that actually have windows and beautiful have always played a huge role in my life,” says in cooking, she mentioned that she’s been views. When I’m on location doing a gig, it’s Rocco. “From my mother I learned about fruit reading cookbooks and trying new recipes great to get out and explore the area. When I’m and vegetables perusing the local markets and on her family since she was little. “I think I’ve home, I like to actually be low key and spend from my dad I learned my butchering skills,” always been interested in food and cooking. time with family and friends, usually eating, it’s he adds. The influences of his Italian heritage I can remember back to when I was younger, so much fun. I still love the feeling of finding can be seen in the R House menu today. As a buying little simple cookbooks and trying those a great place to eat. I did say I’m a bona fide young adult, Rocco started his career in recipes out on my family. I must’ve been about foodie, right? I love to find the dives and eat the accounting and banking, but soon realized eight or nine years old. As the years went by, food the locals make. There is no better way that he couldn’t stay out of the kitchen. After I started to develop my own cooking style to learn authentic cuisines than watching how spending some time on the New York and swaying away from the traditional Cuban food others make their dishes come to life. Here in San Francisco restaurant scenes, he settled and heading more into the realm of other Miami, I would say Dragonfly Izakaya & Fish down in Provincetown, Massachusetts where cultures. Market in Doral is amazing. Also, I love Beaker he owned and operated a restaurant called It took Chef Alex a while to decide she & Gray in Wynwood. The great thing about Edwige At Night for 13 years. wanted to be a professional chef though. “I Miami is that great food is all around.” Check After many visits to Miami, Chef Rocco started my career, actually, a little late in the out Chef Alex on Instagram, or for inquiries, decided he wanted to open a new venue that game,” she says. “I finally decided to go to drop her a line at [email protected] would be open year-round, in contrast to the culinary school back in 2007 at the advice of When it comes to creativity and originality, seasonal business of Provincetown. To our another chef friend, who had noticed that I had Miami stands at the vanguard, and Chef Rocco luck, he came across Wynwood and immediately some real interest in cooking for others. Now, and Chef Alex are really representing for the knew that he wanted to part of the Wynwood my favorite dish to make has to be my short LGBTQ community as they lead us into a future movement, and what was an empty warehouse ribs – they are rich and homey, but refined and that is sure to taste delicious! was transformed into what is now R House. “It is so exciting to be part of the cultural, Get your fill of Miami Spice this summer – visit MiamiTemptations.com VisitMiamiLGBTQ.com 3 ———————————————————————— MIAMI NEW TIMES ———————————————————————— MIAMI’S QUEER SCENE MAKING WAVES IN THE CITY’S NIGHTLIFE Anybody who’s part of Miami’s queer scene nonconforming people had found it difficult your own beauty standards and own rules to won’t hesitate to tell you that while the queer to find understanding in the mainstream. For live by, and you can break them if you want.” community here is anything but new, recent years, they had opted to abandon Miami for What began with a few experimental years have certainly seen it flourish and grow more open-minded cities like San Francisco, performances has gradually transformed beyond anyone’s expectations.