Celebrated Guest Chef Series Launches with the Renowned Massimo Bottura
When Mendin & Friends first started three years ago at Pubbelly, it was a humble endeavor; a night for chef/host José Mendin to cook with chef friends and respected colleagues for the pleasure of an ardent group of ravenous fans. In the years since it has become one of the longest-running chef series in the region and evolved to feature some of the greatest chefs from South Florida and the US. Now, for its third year, Mendin & Friends is going global and launching with none other than world-famous Italian chef and three Michelin-star restaurateur Massimo Bottura at Mendin’s lauded new restaurant, Habitat at 1 Hotel South Beach.
In keeping with Habitat’s varied global influences, it only made sense for the theme of Mendin & Friends‘ third year to be internationalism. “Our first year, it was all local chefs. Our second year, we branched out and started inviting chefs from other cities and states. As our company (Food Comma Hospitality Group) has grown, so has our network of friends and with Habitat opening, we wanted to go global and bring in amazing chefs from all over the world,“ Mendin says. “To say it’s an honor to host Massimo Bottura at my restaurant is an understatement. For a chef, cooking with him is like a musician playing with The Stones – amazing and surreal. I’m very excited about the dinner and what we have in the works for this year‘s Mendin & Friends.“ Guaranteeing the 2018 series debut delivers, Mendin is hosting Bottura for two separate events.
On Wednesday, January 24, guests will be able to join Mendin and Bottura at a special, cocktail reception featuring a welcome drink and an array of passed bites curated by Mendin. This approachable cocktail hour welcomes the community, including local chefs and industry vets, to spend time with Mendin and Bottura in a comfortable, laidback setting. Tickets are limited and priced at $50 per person (excluding service charge and tax); taking place at Habitat’s chic cocktail bar and lounge, The 2nd Floor, located on the mezzanine level. Start time 7:30 PM.
On Thursday, January 25, the dinner itself; a once-in-a-lifetime affair at Habitat. Limited to 100 guests, the six-course dinner, paired with an exclusive selection of premium Italian wines, will be a not-to-be-missed collaborative experience between Mendin and Bottura. Tickets are priced at $650 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. A brief cocktail reception will begin at 7 PM; guests will be seated at 7:30 PM sharp.
Tickets for both events can be purchased at https://www.exploretock.com/habitatmb/. The remainder of the 2018 season is in development but guests can look forward to upcoming dinners with celebrated chefs Rodolfo Guzman, Mitsuharu ‘Micha’ Tsumura and Mauro Colagreco, among others. Additional guest chef names, dates, and details are forthcoming.
Habitat is located at 1 Hotel South Beach, 2395 Collins Avenue on Miami Beach. Lunch is served Monday through Friday from noon – 4 PM. Dinner served daily from 6 PM – 11:30 PM. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from noon – 4 PM. Reservations are recommended and are available via OpenTable.
Telephone: (305) 604-6700; www.habitatmb.com.
