Nibbles and Bits

New Year’s dining and partying options

Ready to celebrate? Here’s a rundown of New Year’s Eve options from Miami.com. Unless noted, specials are available Saturday, prices are per person and do not include tax and tip:

Next@19th Hanukkah party Wednesday

Next@19th, a Jewish cultural center at Temple Israel, 137 NE 19th St., Miami, hosts a musical Hanukkah party at 8 p.m. Wednesday featuring the creators of Bad Jew BBQ, a dairy-free, kosher sauce. Tickets are $15, $12 for students, seniors and artists, at www.brownpapertickets.com. Guests who bring two kosher food items to donate to the Kosher Food Bank will receive a 50 percent discount; www.nextat19th.org, 305-542-7732.

Become a wine master at FIU

Florida International University will offer its Wine Masters Certificate Program from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays beginning Jan. 23. The course, which runs through April 16, covers tasting, buying and selling wine and other beverages, wine-food pairing, wine lists, inventory control and proper storage in home or restaurant. Instructors are Chip Cassidy and Bill Hebrank of FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality Management and Eric Hemer of Southern Wine & Spirits. Classes are at the Biscayne Bay Campus, 3000 NE 151 St., North Miami. Price is $695. Contact Dawn Fagnan at fagnand@fiu.edu to register.

Openings: Havana’s in Cooper City, Crave in Gables

Havana’s Cuban Cuisine, which opened 11/2 years ago in Cooper City, has opened a second location at 10035 Sunset Strip, Sunrise. Serving Cuban, Argentine and Mexican items, it’s open for lunch and dinner daily and features a full bar; 954-741-9696.

Deals: Scarpetta, BGR, Chow Down

Scarpetta at the Fontainebleau, 4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, celebrates its third anniversary through Thursday with a three-course, $49.95 dinner menu with an entree choice of branzino, roasted chicken or aged beef sirloin; 877-326-7412, www.fontainebleau.com

Deals & doings: China Grill, Whole Foods, RA Sushi

China Grill, 404 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, launches an expanded, daily, noon-8 p.m. happy hour on Friday; 305-534-2111, www.chinagrillmgt.com

‘Healthy Voyager’ at B&B, e-cookbooks from Mr. Food

Carolyn Scott-Hamilton presents her first cookbook, The Healthy Voyager’s Global Kitchen (Fair Winds, $19.99) , featuring 150 vegan recipes, at 7 p.m. Monday at Books & Books, 927 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach; 305-532-3222, www.healthyvoyager.com.

Meatball eating championship at Hard Rock Saturday

The Martorano’s Masters Meatball Eating Championship comes to South Florida for the first time as Major League Eating competitors chow down from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood.

Food & Wine Calendar

Go to www.MiamiHerald.com/events and choose “Food & Wine” from the list on the left. Click “add to our events” on the upper right to submit a listing.

Latin food fest in Pinecrest Saturday

Pinecrest Gardens, 11000 SW 57th Ave., Pinecrest, gets its cha-cha-cha on from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday with a Latin Spice Food Festival, featuring tastings by 25 chefs and restaurants, arts and crafts sales, cigar rolling, a domino playing area, children’s activities and live entertainment. The event culminates in the lighting of the village holiday tree.

Author events: Daniel Boulud, Mourad Lahlou

Chef Daniel Boulud and mixologist Xavier Herat introduce their new book, Cocktails and Amuse-Bouches for Her & For Him (Assouline, $50), at a 6-8 p.m. reception Monday at Boulud’s Miami restaurant, db Bistro Moderne at the JWB Marriott Marquis, 255 Biscayne Blvd. Way. Admission is $95 and includes a signed copy of the book; 305-421-8800.

Openings: Lucky Clover, Mare Nostrum, Rusty Pelican, Shula Burger, Brooklyn Water Bagel

Lucky Clover Irish Pub opened for lunch and dinner this week at 1111 SW First Ave., Miami, serving classics ($14.99-$19.99) like corned beef and cabbage plus pizza, pasta, salads and sandwiches; 786-691-2750, www.luckycloverbar.com.

Deals & doings at Brio, Bourbon Steak, High Steaks BBQ

Brio Tuscan Grille at The Shops at Pembroke Gardens, 14576 SW Fifth St., Pembroke Pines, hosts a breakfast buffet, visit with Santa Claus and story time with former Miami Dolphins player O.J. McDuffie from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Each child will receive a goodie bag, and those who bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate will have the chance to win an iPod Touch. Cost is $10.95 for adults, $5.95 for children, and reservations are required; 954-431-1341.

Eat well, do good at Whole Foods, Juiceblendz, Pollo Tropical, South Miami Bar Crawl

Whole Foods Market, 6701 Red Rd., Coral Gables, hosts a 6-8 p.m. tasting Friday featuring holiday menu samples. Cost is $5, with all proceeds benefiting Kristi House for abused children; 305-421-9421.

Food & Wine Calendar

Choose “Food & Wine” from the list on the left at www.MiamiHerald.com/events. Click “add to our events” to submit a listing.

Whole Foods, Marky’s team up on caviar classes

South Florida Whole Foods Markets are collaborating with Marky’s Caviar of Miami on a series of two-hour classes showcasing farm-raised caviars and benefiting Mote Marine, a nonprofit aquafarm in Sarasota.

Truffle time at Beach restaurants

If white truffles are your kind of indulgence, three Miami Beach restaurants want you to know they’ve got you covered:

Coming soon: J&G Grill, Cochon 555

Acclaimed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who oversees an international portfolio of restaurants, has announced plans to open a J&G Grill at the St. Regis Bal Harbour in January with Barcelona-born executive chef Jordi Valles (Mosaico, Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne) in charge of the kitchen.

Beer tasting, food-truck roundup, family-fun day

BGR The Burger Joint, 232 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, hosts a brewmaster-led tasting from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday featuring Dogfish Head beers. Thirty seats are available at $25 each; 305-461-9989.

Elia at Beard House, lunch at Morton’s

Chef-owner Angelo Elia of Fort Lauderdale favorite Casa D’Angelo will cook a white-truffle dinner Tuesday at New York’s James Beard House. Tickets for the five-course feast are $205 ($155 for Beard House members) at 212-627-2308.

Cooking making at Jackson, benefit at Dunkin’ Donuts

Turnberry Isle Miami executive pastry chef Danny Malone helps pint-sized patients from Holtz Children’s Hospital and the Jackson Pediatric Center decorate gingerbread cookies from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday in the fifth floor lobby at Jackson’s ACC West Building, 1611 NW 12th Ave. Some of their creations will be incorporated into a gingerbread house display at the Aventura resort.

Chefs appointed, website started

Certified master chef Derin Moore is Turnberry Isle Miami’s new executive chef.

Food & Wine Calendar

Go to www.MiamiHerald.com/events and choose “Food & Wine” from the list on the left. To submit an event, click “Add to our listings” on the upper right.

Thanksgiving restaurant specials

Here’s a sampling of South Florida offerings. Specials are available Thanksgiving Day, Nov 24. Prices don’t include tax or tip, and reservations are a must:

Champagne, bites on wheels for Art Basel

It wouldn’t be Art Basel and its mainland adjunct, Design Miami, without bubbly, and Veuve Clicquot is bringing it to you. Its Mobile Clicq’Up Café and Champagne Bar will sell such items as crispy white corn cake with poached egg and chipotle cream, curry pork tacos and conch salad by Miami’s own chef Jeremiah Bullfrog. Veuve Clicquot will be available by the glass and bottle; buy the latter and get a pop-up champagne bucket. Follow the truck on Twitter @Veuve_Clicquot or look for it at these locations: 4-9 p.m. Tuesday, Design Miami Pavilion; 7 p.m.-midnight Wednesday, Art Basel outdoor art exhibit; noon-5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Northeast 38th Street and First Court, Miami.