| TASTE TEST | ▼ Café ▼ BRICKELL KOMODO IS OFFERING AN NFT COMPLETE WITH VIRTUAL DRAGON “A big part of what we aim for at Komodo — and all Groot properties — is to create new and highly memorable experiences. By combining the culinary world with Bubblehouse and digi- tal art, we see this dessert-NFT combo as the first step to a near-limitless future. The meta- verse is only going to grow, and we’re going to be right there with it as it evolves.” Grutman is correct that NFTs are gaining Miami Tech Month is filling our city with tech bros and crypto investors. Usually, the only involvement a restaurant would have in a week such as this would be to possibly offer a signature cocktail — anyone up for a “TechTini” or perhaps a little “Hair of the Doge” after a long night? Until now. Groot Hospitality, in partnership with the NFT company Bubblehouse, has created an NFT dessert called “Fire & Ice.” The NFT is limited to 300, at $100 a pop. What, you might well ask, is an NFT dessert? It’s a dessert that lives on the blockchain. So, in this case, NFT stands for “Not for Tasting.” ground in the culinary world. Earlier this month in partnership with King Plebs, the Tank Brewing Co. released a double IPA called Pleb Nectar, accessible via a beer-cen- tric NFT that unlocks limited-edition beers at participating breweries. The NFT costs 0.05 Ethereum (ETH) — about $160 when last we checked — and includes discounts at partici- pating brewery partners. Komodo. 801 Brickell Ave., Miami; 305-534- 221; komodomiami.com. LAINE DOSS ▼ FORT LAUDERDALE FUNKY BUDDHA AND RIVERWALK TEAM UP FOR RHYTHM & BREWS South Florida craft brewery Funky Buddha is partnering with Riverwalk to present an all-new food, music, and beer event in Fort Lauderdale. Next month, the first-ever Riverwalk Rhythm & Brews is billed as an outdoor hangout featuring live music, free lawn games, food trucks curated by the Burger Beast, and cold brews and hard seltzer from Funky Buddha. Funky Buddha marketing director John Photo courtesy of Groot Hospitality The “Fire & Ice” at Komodo New Times got a preview of the NFT and, well, it’s kinda cool: a 15-second digital clip shows a gilded Chinese dragon swooping down onto the sands of South Beach and blowing flames at a golden egg engraved with the word “Komodo”. The clip, according to a Groot representa- tive, was not created by a famous artist and the money doesn’t benefit a charity. But there is one key benefit to owning the NFT: Holders get the opportunity to purchase a real dessert at Groot Hospitality’s Brickell restaurant, Komodo. You know, the analog kind you can eat. The “Fire & Ice” dessert starts with a dark- chocolate egg, coated in an ombré fade of red, gold, orange and black. The egg is presented on a dragon-shaped platter and then “cracked” by having flaming 151-proof rum drizzled on it. The flame is then doused with caramel-passionfruit sauce, exposing an inte- rior filled with coconut meringue, chocolate crunch, and cake. The dessert sounds amaz- ing and costs a “Miami-reasonable” $40. The catch: To order the dessert, you have to purchase the NFT. Groot Hospitality founder David Grutman 14 14 tells New Times that the NFT/dessert combo takes experiential dining to a new level. Linn says the idea began as a “game night in the park” wherein people could enjoy festive, large-format lawn games. From there, the concept morphed into a larger event in part- nership with the city’s Riverwalk, the non- profit responsible for the beautification of the area parks. The small party grew into an eve- ning that will include live music and food — and plenty of beer. “We’ve partnered with Riverwalk on a number of events in the past and recon- nected a few months back to talk about how we can do more together as the world starts to open back up,” Linn tells New Times. “We wanted to create something very chill, very come-as-you-are, and a way for folks in Fort Lauderdale to get outside and have a good time.” The inaugural Riverwalk Rhythm & Brews will take place in Esplanade Park on Friday, April 15, and will feature live music by Spider Cherry and a food-truck lineup that includes local eats from World Famous Egg- roll, Cuban Guys, Tacos el Machine Gon, and Jerk It Cuisine. The outdoor event is free and open to the public, and will also include draft beer and cans including a host of Funky’s core favorites like Floridian, Hop Gun IPA, and the brew- ery’s popular annual release, Maple Bacon Coffee Porter, as well as hard seltzers. Moving forward, Linn says, the goal is to create an ongoing series and, eventually, an established festival. Riverwalk Rhythm & Brews. 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, April 15, at Esplanade Park, 400 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale. Admission is free. NICOLE DANNA APRIL 14-20, 2022 MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com miaminewtimes.com
