An 8,000-square-foot Italian food hall with six stations, a market and a full bar just opened at The Plaza Coral Gables. Pizza dough gets a six-day prep, steaks hit the open flame, and the soft-opening hours are far shorter than the eventual daily schedule.
— via Miami New Times, Victoria Stanzione
Two South Florida Publix stores are gone for good, for now: Kendall's 40-year-old Town & Country location shut down in January, and West Palm Beach's Southdale store closed in September. Both are getting rebuilt, but Publix hasn't said when either will reopen.
— via Miami New Times, Olee Fowler
Machine Gun Kelly's pink-rimmed latte brand lands in Wynwood Jungle with waffles made from Pabst Blue Ribbon and a menu item literally called "Pepperoni Pre Rolls." Down the block, chef Junior Santos opens Lito with blue crab gnocco fritto and veal Milanese, rounding out the neighborhood's biggest double debut this month.
— via Miami New Times, Olee Fowler
A University of Miami honor society and the Miccosukee Tribe are launching a film festival with 22 entries spanning Ecuador, Siberia and the Philippines, timed to Indigenous Peoples' Day. The strict rule for entry: Indigenous writers, directors, leads or subject matter, no exceptions.
— via Miami New Times, Douglas Markowitz
The Seminole Tribe says DraftKings built a Florida sportsbook disguised as fantasy sports, and it wants a judge to shut it down. The 72-page suit claims CEO Jason Robins spent over $20 million trying to rewrite state gaming law to make it legal anyway.
— via Miami New Times, B. Scott McLendon
Miami Film Festival GEMS returns Oct. 29 to Nov. 5 with Jesse Eisenberg's Julianne Moore vehicle "The Debut" opening and Jordan Firstman's directorial debut "Club Kid" closing. Kyle MacLachlan and John Turturro collect honors, and Pedro Pascal, Adam Driver and Miles Teller headline premieres across Miami venues.
— via Miami New Times, Douglas Markowitz
Trump posted a side-by-side photo comparison on Truth Social to accuse the New York Times of darkening an image of his Doral golf club to make it "look shoddy, filthy, and just plain bad." The rant, aimed at reporters Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman, dodged the actual story: questions about him profiting off hosting an international summit at his own resort.
— via Miami New Times, B. Scott McLendon
Mika Leon's debut cookbook hit shelves Tuesday and quickly became an Amazon bestseller, packing 100 family recipes from her Cuban upbringing into 256 pages. The Caja Caliente chef is marking the release with a week of Miami pop-ups, taco collaborations and a rooftop launch party with live music.
— via Miami New Times, Victoria Stanzione
III Points went from a few thousand ragtag attendees in 2013 to nearly fifty thousand in 2025, pumping an estimated $36.2 million into Miami's economy. Founder David Sinopoli admits it wasn't always this rosy: for years the festival drained local businesses instead of feeding them.
— via Miami New Times, Shawn Macomber
One of the men accused in Cornell's gang-rape lawsuit has direct ties to South Florida: Nova Southeastern confirms he was admitted this year, though it won't say if he's still enrolled. Court filings detail his alleged role, down to the Snapchat message that summoned fraternity brothers upstairs.
— via Miami New Times, B. Scott McLendon
Knaus Berry Farm reopens October 13, two weeks earlier than planned, and now caps walk-up buyers at four dozen cinnamon rolls apiece. A fourth register, more parking and a coming online order-ahead system aim to shrink the Redland farm's legendary lines.
— via Miami New Times, Olee Fowler
Rubén Blades headlines a fresh round of additions to Billboard Latin Music Week, joining Tito Nieves, Anthony Ramos and a Cuban reparto showcase at Miami's Faena Forum, Oct. 19-22. Panels pair generations and genres, from salsa revivals to reggaeton's cassette-to-streaming shift, alongside Maluma, Pitbull and Becky G.
— via Miami New Times, Osvaldo Espino
New extradition filings allege Tate knew a webcam performer was underage and kept exploiting her anyway, telling friends she handed over every dollar she earned. The 42-count British case also accuses him of rape, strangulation and trafficking, laid out in granular detail as the UK fights to pull him out of Miami custody.
— via Miami New Times, Natasha Yee
