The sun is shining, daylight lasts longer, and Miami Spice returns… it’s like Christmas for foodies (on budgets like me) to rejoice! What kicks off the season? Not eggnog and candy canes, but rather Fontainebleau’s Miami Spice Preview, hosted by the lovely Karen and Larry from BCPR and Ana Lanzas and Stephanie Giner from the Fontainebleau, showcasing: Scarpetta, Hakkasan, and StripSteak by Michael Mina, and their own patisserie, Chez Bon Bon.  This year we were greeted by Scarpetta’s limoncello cocktail that was delicious, followed by a lovely roasted branzino, and then the angels began to sing, the sky opened up and rays of light unveiled the dish before me… my favorite food perfected by this glorious place… spaghetti with tomato and basil sauce (pasta pomodoro e basilico)… it was and always is outstanding. It’s tough to follow that, but Hakkasan always can and they did it by greeting us with a Chinese mule (their version of the Moscow mule, which is my preferred summertime cocktail) which I had to pace myself with… and yes, they serve both lunch and dinner Miami Spice menus and yes, either will prove amazing, but my recommendation will always be to head for lunch because they serve their… dim sum basket which includes lotus root with mushroom chicken shumai that is heavenly alongside their baby bok choy with garlic that is scrumptious. We then headed to StripSteak, which greeted us with a “Sugar n Spice, whiskey is nice” cocktail that was my favorite of the evening (and that is not an easy feat especially since I’m not a huge whiskey fan). It was perfect.  The kale salad with pickled tomatoes was incredible, and so was their filet mignon that was served with a yummy carrot ginger purée and broccoli… and I had stayed away from bread all night, but their garlic bread was one that I wanted to cuddle with while nibbling on. The night ended with a goodie bag from Chez Bon Bon, which is always the goodie bag of all goodie bags (and whose macaroons make me sing), included their amazing flavored marshmallows, madeleines, and chocolate bon bons…by the end of the night my inner child was twirling with delight!