15 MAY 4 - MAY 10, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Live Large Take a $6,000 culinary ride with a master chef during Miami Race Week. BY JESSE SCOTT A rt Basel has some major com- petition in terms of the most outlandish week of the year in the 305. The Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix — which debuted last year and zooms into town May 5-7 — is right up there. Case in point: the $6,000-a-ticket Once Upon a Kitchen event on Friday, May 5, at the Deck at Island Gardens. The event — presented by Gr8 Experience and promising to be “the world’s most exclu- sive epicurean experience” — will be hosted by chef Massimo Bottura of Osteria Frances- cana fame, a three-Michelin star global culi- nary destination in Modena, Italy. Bottura will be joined by Juan Manuel Barrientos of Mi- ami’s Michelin-starred El Cielo, chef Ber- nardo Paladini of Michelin-starred Torno Subito in Dubai, and famed alchemist and mo- lecular biologist Alex Ott, who will provide cocktail-hour concoctions. “There will be such an extreme level of tal- ent under one roof,” Barnabas Carrega, CEO of Gr8 Experience, tells New Times. “If you wanted to fly to Italy and try to get a reserva- tion at Bottura’s restaurant — which is nearly impossible — and pair it with all the talent and creations that will be at our event, you are actually getting a great value here. This will be a multisensory experience, and there are no events that are comparable.” If the Once Upon a Kitchen name looks fa- miliar, this isn’t the first time the experience has taken place in Miami. The last Miami event, in 2019, was held at the New World Cen- ter and paired Bottura with Mauro Colagreco, Alex Atala, and Antonio Bachour. Tickets for that affair ran between $1,500 to $5,000. So, what is on the slate at $6,000 a pop, which could otherwise get you 16 spicy potato soft tacos a day at Taco Bell for the next year? For starters, the event is eight hours long and will kick off with a cocktail hour by Ott. His résumé is impressive. In addition to surviving a 1998 plane crash in Thailand that killed 101 people, he has worked with the Oscars, Em- mys, and others on their cocktail programs. “There will be nothing ‘mix- ology’ about this. In fact, mixology is a music term, so don’t count on a bunch of handlebar mus- taches and bow ties greeting you,” Ott tells New Times. “This will be about the biochemical needs that everyone has on a daily basis, and we’ll be ready to satisfy every- one’s moods with different stations.” According to Ott, if you’re feeling anxious, depressed, or even experiencing the effects of PMS, he will be ready to customize a multi- sensory elixir for you onsite. For example, his “Why We Need to Kiss” contains supreme sandalwood sourced from India, acmella ol- eracea from the Amazon, and sceletium tor- tuosum from South Africa. The concoction was designed to help evoke a feeling of a shift from a “patriarchal military society to the divine feminine for a much-needed higher consciousness.” As for the dinner portion of the evening, Carrega says there will be a six-course feast with plates from each of the leading chefs. Pre- liminary dishes include Bottura’s lasagna dish inspired by “the crunchy part of the lasagna” and a gnocchi-meets-yuca dish with white truffle from Barrientos. On the entertainment front, DJ Benny Benassi will perform. “More than anything, we’re trying to elim- inate the barriers between guests and talent here,” Carrega says. “Count on our chefs go- ing table to table. It will be a very immersive evening.” Once Upon a Kitchen. 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, May 5, at the Deck at Island Gardens, 888 Ma- cArthur Cswy., Miami; thegr8experience.com. Tickets cost $6,000. ▼ Café Photo courtesy Gr8 Experience Massimo Bottura makes the magic happen behind the scenes at Once Upon a Kitchen. “THIS WILL BE A MULTISENSORY EXPERIENCE, AND THERE ARE NO EVENTS THAT ARE COMPARABLE.” Cocktail Shaker Bar Lab’s Christine Wiseman is honored by North America’s 50 Best Bars. BY LAINE DOSS B ar Lab Hospitality’s global beverage director, Christine Wiseman, has just been given one of her field’s most prestigious peer-reviewed awards. Wiseman was named the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award winner by North America’s 50 Best Bars, which lists the best drinking establishments from the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, and Canada. The head bartenders from each bar listed in North America’s 50 Best Bars vote for this an- nual distinction. Each bartender is asked to name one peer who “pushed the boundaries of what it means to be a great bartender.” In a statement, Mark Sansom, content director for 50 Best, called Wiseman a “bar- tending force of nature whose exuberant cocktails electrify her legions of fans across the U.S. and beyond.” Wiseman, who will celebrate her second an- niversary with Bar Lab in June, is responsible for the cocktail programs at Miami favorites such as the Arlo Wynwood, Margot Natural Wine Bar, Broken Shaker, Hoja Taqueria, and the soon-to-open Jolene. In addition, Bar Lab oper- ates Broken Shakers in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City. When asked about her pro- cess in creating cocktails for so many different venues, Wiseman says many factors are consid- ered. “We create different styles and spaces. At Bar Lab, it’s about cocktails, but it’s also about music, lighting, and ambiance.” The beverage director says she also consid- ers the climate and style of the different cities where she works. “I read the room in each city. Miami, for example, is very different than Chi- cago. In Miami, you don’t want a boozy, stirred cocktail in the summer, but during Chicago win- ters, everyone drinks stirred cocktails. In New York, there’s more diversity, so if you put an ob- scure item on the menu, people may know it.” Wiseman says Miami’s cocktail scene is grow- ing. “People understand a well-made cocktail here and appreciate the difference between a super sugary mojito, for example, and one made with fresh ingredients and mint.” When asked how she juggles multiple bars, Wiseman says she tries to find a balance. “My days start early and sometimes end late, but I try to make time to cook myself dinner or walk on the beach. I try to also take care of myself men- tally as well. I think that’s what truly keeps me go- ing.” She also gives credit to a supportive work family. “I love Gabe [Orta] and Elad [Zvi] and all of our staff. When I got word of this award, I received millions of messages from everyone.” Wiseman says the Bartender’s Bartender Award has special meaning because it’s peer-re- viewed. “This is the only peer-voted award in 50 Best. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster. I’ve done a lot of self-reflection in being able to ac- cept the recognition gracefully and not shy away from it because it is a wonderful award.” Wiseman will receive the award at a live awards ceremony in San Miguel de Allende, Mex- ico, on May 4 during the North America’s 50 Best Bars 2023 announcement cere- mony. Wiseman says she anticipates ac- cepting the award before her fellow bar- tender professionals. “There are so many wonderful people in this profession. This is another really great mo- ment and another layer of growing and achiev- ing my higher self and the best version of myself. And that’s why, I think, I won this award. By be- ing true and authentic and allowing people to mentor me.” [email protected] Photo courtesy Hanna Lee Communications Christine Wiseman “AT BAR LAB, IT’S ABOUT COCKTAILS, BUT IT’S ALSO ABOUT MUSIC, LIGHTING, AND AMBIANCE.”
