BIG BIG NEWS!

I've been holding this for so long and I've FINALLY been given permission to share!!

BUBBLES N BRUNCH IS BACK BITCHES!!!!

For those of us who live for Bubbles N Brunch, I'm sure you noticed that our beloved Bubbles N Brunch was missing this spring.  By putting two an four together, I imagine that with Trinidad and Jamaica carnivals, UberSoca Cruise adding a 3rd sailing and then the Easter holiday.... Bubbles n Brunch (although a great success for patrons) probably wasn't making too much sense for the hosts. The only way to continue having this staple event was to find a perfect time on the carnival/fete calendar that worked for all.  

Thanksgiving Saturday! 

From inception, Bubbles n Brunch has had a special place in my heart and attending is a must! Now for price and theme. You know how much D'CarnivalBaby loves (and sticks to) a theme! 

From the flyer alone, can you guess what the theme for this year will be?

No?

Then you're not thinking hard enough.

Ciao

D'CarnivalBaby

SORREL 2019

When the flyer for Sorrel came out, I was interested as I saw some of my favorite Christmastime delicacies and thought it would be a nice Christmas party to go to.

The event was scheduled from 11-5 so figured 1pm would be an ideal time to arrive.  This gives me time to eat without rushing and another 4/5 hours to party and drink.  Driving up, the parking looked sketchy but there was a parking lot right across the street and it was free. Double win!

After the short walk from the parking garage to what looked like a little clubhouse that we'd have to fight one another for breathing room, we walked right in.  Inside was beautifully decorated. Not too much, not too little and gave me a very different look than what I initially thought from outside.  Inside was very spacious and I was pleasantly surprised.  Once ticked and given a band, to the immediate left was where I could have stayed.  It was the food station. The first thing I saw were the cheese paste sandwiches.  There was bread, I could also tell that the bread was homemade. There were cupcakes, cake, sweet bread, eggs and my favorite, HAM!  Listen, I have no shame in saying that I think I singlehandedly ate all of the cheese paste sandwiches as I stayed in that little room stuffing my face for about an hour.  *rolls eyes cause I don't care.

Once I ate til my belly nearly buss, it was time to attend to my drinks.  The bartenders were very attentive and weren't overwhelmed.  There were just the right amount of bartenders to keep the crowd flowing and they made the drinks very well.  I actually tasted the alcohol and they didn't put too much ice the way many of these bartenders like to do.  That was appreciated and encouraged me to purchase more.  I felt like it was worth it.

So now I'm set.  Walking into where the party was actually taking place... the atmosphere was different.  There were large white curtains that separated the eating/social area from what I call the party area. CinCity had a large, single white table set up (which I called the V.I.P. because some very important people sat there) and many standing tables which were on two ends of the 'dancefloor'.  The set up was dimly lit with red lighting. I must say, there was certainly a 'mood'.  Throughout the party, people complained that the a/c gave out and that they were hot but I was quite comfortable and glad that I didn't experience that. It could also be because I was never stationed indoors throughout the event and kept making trips outside.

The music took me on a musical journey.  There was parang, old school and new music of all genres which I also appreciated.  We even got some Whitney Houston and New Edition!

This Sorrel will be an annual event brought to us by CinCity Entertainment and although this was only the 2nd Sorrel, I see this being one of the events that you can not miss once you're in South Florida for Christmas.  It was an amazing event and I have no complaints.

The food was finger licking worthy *and I did lick my fingers, the drinks and bar service was A-1 and we all know how I feel about music.  If the music isn't right, I am sour.  Man, we even got a sexy Santa.  Man an woman alike sat on Santa's lap! He was one of the Sorrel highlights.

 (the cheese paste)

(more treats)

Not one of the best pictures as lighting was dim but one of the most talked about 'things' at Sorrel.  Santa look like he could break me in two right?!

Should you be interested in having your next event catered by the catering service that catered Sorrel, you can call or message Tieesha from Not A Tie Catering food is ALWAYS on point! Click the link to check out the IG page or just take my word for it (cause I'm a little fatty) and call direct 305.724.4971.

SOCA BRUNCH REVIEW

DISCLAIMER:  I love a good brunch which is what peaked my interest in it. (As well as the unlimited food).  So the day came. I've made it no secret that I am a part of the SocaDemons family but this blog will be the real, how I've always done in the past and will continue to do once God gives me health and strength and I do hope that everyone can/will respect that.

ARRIVAL:
A friend and I got to the venue around 1:50pm.  Parking was a breeze and right on the side of the venue but it wasn't free. For the 7 hours that I put on the parking app, I'd say the parking was very affordable. It was $10.83.  There was no line by the time we finished with parking and walked to the event.  By now it was about 2pm.  Got inside and it was a little empty.  I won't lie, it wasn't what I was expecting.  I expected to see tables set with knives and forks, signature glasses and some type of decor that screamed BRUNCH but it didn't. However, there were tables set up in the middle for people to sit down and enjoy their food.

 

BAR:
It was early, I know... but am I not to take advantage of the unlimited Mimosa's?  We got white tickets that said "Mimosa" and this is what we were to use until the official Mimosa bands came.  The bartender saw that it was 3 of us who had the tickets but she brought us 1 pitcher.  She allowed all three of us to drink from the one pitcher which made no sense as we ran through that one pitcher quickly.  It was later when one of my friends had to tell her that we EACH had unlimited drinks and he'd like for us each to have our own pitchers which only made sense rather than us having to call her every 15 minutes.  I thought the Mimosa's were tasty, I had no complaints and by the time we were on pitcher number 2 our wristbands came.  To now get a wristband, we had to surrender our Mimosa ticket.  I can tell this was an unforseen hiccup but it was handled quickly enough so that once others came they would not have known.  It's not always the hiccup but how it is handled that I pay attention to.

THE FOOD:
The food was served in portions.  I was under the impresson that we would be eating everything as we walked through the door but there was a little more order to it. To start, there was pholourie, accra (fish cake), pone, a sauce for both the pholourie and accra, coconut bake, fried bake and saltfish buljol.  I didn't see them advertise pone on the flyer but I was appreciative.  I took a plate of only accra and the sauce for myself and my friend took pholourie and accra.  I didn't care for the accra.  Although it was flavorful, they were really hard.  I want to believe that is was because of the size and maybe if they were bigger they would have been softer.  My friend said that he didn't care for neither the pholourie nor the accra for the same reason as I.  By now I'm panicked because after all, this is a brunch and this was the first thing we were tasting.  Because of that, I didn't bother with any of the bake or buljol.  I stuck to drinking.  After becoming hungry (because before I was just going to eat for the hell of it/ greed), I got some fried rice, Chinese styled chicken, potato salad, Creole shrimp and some type of chicken.  It looked like a barbeque but I wasn't sure, I had to taste it.  EVERYTHING was ON POINT! The chicken that I didn't recognize turned out to actually be a sesame barbeque but it had a Chinese finish to it. I don't know what it was exactly because this was the only thing I saw that I wasn't expecting and it was a pleasant surprise.  The Creole shrimp was cooked to perfection.  Shrimp has to be cooked perfectly (like most seafood) and usually never is.  This is something that's just accepted as most people don't know how to properly cook seafood but that shrimp, was very very well done. Kudos.  The Chinese chicken didn't have the oyster sauce that I am accustomed to.  It was a sauce that looked kind of redish.  Because I'm a creature of habit, I put the sauce to the side.  When I dipped the chicken into the sauce it didn't taste aweful but I rather oyster sauce BUT the chicken without sauce was actually a win so I was good. The picture quality was not of the best because Kona Lounge was dimly lit and flash would have ruined the entire thing.

ENTERTAINMENT:
As usual, once I'm entertained I don't really know who is playing.  It's when I don't like musical selections or how songs are being mixed that I make it my business to know who's on the 1's and 2's. There were a handful of DJ's and they did their thing.  ALL OF THEM!  There was no pause inbetween, there was no unnecessary chatter on the mic, most genres were played, tunes from 'way back when' brought right up to today.  Hearing songs that made my pores raise is a wonderful night for Kim.   I was enjoying myself so much that I didn't realize just how many people ended up inside Kona Lounge.  The turnout was amazing! Big up to all the DJ's..... there was DJ Exquisite, DJ J Rocca, DJ Mistic and DJ GlamaaFyah. Job VERY well done guys!

I mixed and mingled with so many different people at the SocaDemons Brunch.  I met people I've never seen before and seeing faces that I haven't seen in a while was refreshing.  The crowd was mature, not old and everyone was there to have a good time. There were no stush vibes and I lived for every minute of it.  Hopefully there will be others and I won't have to wait around until Bubbles n Brunch.

(The Kisha and The Kischa)

  

(DJ Exquisite)

(Army Boyz Clem)

BUBBLES AND BRUNCH 2018

I HAVE TICKETS NOW!!!!

CALL 9546873215

FOR MORE INFO

I have waited long for this and not only am I going, I will be selling tickets to the EPIC Bubbles ~N~ Brunch.  This year we have a nautical theme to prepare for.  The nautical theme is both good and bad for me seeing as I've reserved an outfit since last year but seeing as it doesn't go with the nautical theme at all, changes will have to be made.

What seems to have stayed the same was the drink selection.  Again we will have Mimosas, Belinis, Daiquiris, Rum Punch, Aurora Specialty Drinks and Champagne. As for Premium liquors, there will be VODKA: Tito's, Ciroc (Peach, Green Apple, Coconut and Pineapple),  RUM: English Harbor Rum (5 y/o and 10 y/o).  GIN:  Bombaby Saphire and Hendricks  TEQUILA: Patron Silver.  WHISKEY:  Jack Daniels, Johnny Walker (Black Label) and COGNAC:  Hennessy.

Changes made this year starts with the DJ cast.  I believe there is room for changes/additions as it's still early but the DJ's advertised will be LL COOL BLAZE, Silent Addy and Back 2 Basics. LIVE Steel Pan has also been added.  The steel pan is a nice touch for those of us who love steel pan.  All genres of music have been added.  If I remember correctly, last year only had Caribbean music but don't quote me.  The liquor is truly unlimited and you, (my dedicated readers) know that I have a two drink limit.  So if anything other than Caribbean music was played, please excuse me. For our listening pleasure Top 40, Hip Hop, EDM, R&B, Latin and Disco will be played n addition to the Soca and Reggae norm.  So far, I am still sold.  It is sometimes refreshing to hear music outside the norm. Although the venue was perfect, the Aurora team aims to please and will try to out do last year's venue.  I am excited to see if that is possible because the brows are already raised by the venue overlooking water.

Although I wished the menu would have stayed the same because I'm a creature of habit and there was no fault with last year's menu.  The menu has also changed. 

MENU: Which needed to be copied and pasted below.

"Italy, Rome

Stone baked pizza, prepared before your eyes in a traditional wood fire oven.

Frittata Di Zucchini, sauted herbs with zucchini cooked gently with eggs till set.

France, Paris

A spin on the popular French Toast; French toast bites covered with creamy butter with a light dusting of powdered sugar

Originating in Paris the light and fluffy Belgian waffle drizzled with maple syrup

Quintessentially European Continental Breakfast of croissants with Confectionaries, healthy fruits and yogurts

Boudin noir a.k.a Blood Sausage a.k.a Black Pudding alyuh know what it is…

USA, Ft Lauderdale

Stacked Buttermilk pancakes with pan fried sausage, crispy bacon and golden potatoes or opt out for the more traditionally simple maple syrup

Cuba, Havana

Lechón Asado, Feast on the Beast! Whole, slow roasted suckling pig marinated overnight in a Cuban Mojo of garlic and sour orange accompanied by Arroz Moro (rice and beans) fried plantains and tostones

Jamaica, Montego Bay

Salt fish and green banana, salted cod sauted in garlic, onions, scotch bonnet peppers and tomatoes served on a bed of boiled green bananas

Jerk chicken, chicken pieces marinated overnight in Jamaican Blue Mountain herbs and slow smoked on the bone; buccaneer style coupled with turmeric infused rice

Trinidad and Tobago, Maracas 

Bake and shark, light fried bread stuffed with chunks of deep fried shark marinated in garlic, corrianda and scotch bonnet peppers and garnished doused sweet tamarind or mango sauce and garnished with fresh salad

Corn soup, a hearty combination of ground provisions, spices and herbs with fresh corn on the cob".

If you missed Bubbles ~N~ Brunch 2017, 

feel free to recap HERE

Hope to see you there!

BUBBLES N BRUNCH.......THE AFTERMATH

Bubbles N Brunch, where shall I begin?

When I initially saw the flyer for Bubbles N Brunch, I was skeptical and already decided I'd probably not go.

AURORA has a successful annual New Years Eve party that I've never attended so I didn't know what to expect.  This flyer is also the only thing I had to go off of besides the elaborate inclusive food and drinks menu.  It seemed as though the promoters were trying too hard to 'sell' the event.  I tried looking for who the DJ's were, (just to see what kind of crowd was being targeted) and that too was missing from the flyer.

The day before the event I got tickets to go.  Fortunately for me that very day, I was able to see the venue.  This venue was hidden in plain sight, I swear!  There was a plantation house sitting in the middle of a beautiful piece of land.

The back yard was equally spacious but there were less tables set up, I'll explain why later.

Parking was a breeze.  As cars were seen, they were ushered in and led to parking spaces.  From the parking area to the actual venue was a matter of seconds.  

The brunch was scheduled from 10am to 4pm so the plan was to arrive at 11.  Needless to say I got there at 12pm but it was actually the perfect time to arrive as there was no line and enough people inside to feel comfortable.  Upon entry, we were given beautiful signature glass favors that served as drinking glasses throughout the event and the cabanas were set up all along the wall on the opposite side of the entrance.

The first station that caught our attention was a daiquiri bar. The presentation of these drinks had us in awe, I don't drink daiquiris but couldn't help it.  The choices were mango or strawberry,  I chose the strawberry.   The drinks were given in a long champagne~flute crossover plastic cup.  At this point, I didn't know what to do with my original glass so in my purse it went and seeing that this one was bigger, it became my 'drinking cup' and the signature favor glass remained in my purse for the balance of the day. 

This was made out of fresh fruit, ice and English Harbour Rum.  I wasn't thrilled with the taste as I like all my drinks on the sweeter side but it wasn't horrible.

Let's get to the reason reason I left my house on a Sunday! After we got our drinks we went around to the back of the house.  The back yard wasn't as big as the front but had the same decor, about two or three tables set up, the second bar and the food.  

I've taken the liberty to copy the entire menu just as the AURORA STAFF PROUDLY ADVERTISED:

Brunch:

Pastry and Fruit Station
Yogurt Parfait Bar
Continental Breakfast (Omelets, Pancakes, Waffles, Eggs, Fruit, etc...)
Salt fish With Green Banana
Black Pudding
Jerk Chicken and Jerk Fried Rice
Corn Soup
Lobster Bites
Crab Rice
Corn on the Cob
Mac n' Cheese
Shrimp Skewers

Deserts: Premium Desert Station
Vanilla Cake Pops with white chocolate gold accents
Chocolate Cupcakes
Rice Krispy Treat Pops with white chocolate
Rum cake-balls
Rum Cake
Chocolate Cake
Two Tiered Vanilla Cake with Buttercream roses
Three Tiered Oreo Stacked Cake
Assortment of Doughnuts
Caramel Popcorn
Gold Sixlets Candy Coated Chocolate
Candy Coated Chocolate Gems

Bottomless Champagne / cocktails:
Mimosas
Belinis
Daiquiris
Rum Punch
Aurora Specialty Drinks 
Champagne

Premium Liquor:
Vodka - Tito's Hand Made Vodka and Ciroc flavors (Peach, Green Apple, Coconut, Pineapple)
Rum - English Harbor 5yo and 10yo
Gin - Bombay Saphire and Hendricks
Tequila - Patron Silver
Whiskey - Jack Daniels and Johnny Walker: Black Label
Cognac - Hennessy
Your musical enjoyment will be Top 40, Hip Hop, EDM, R&B, Latin, Disco, Caribbean (Soca/Reggae), and International. Our Djs will have a little something for everyone.

With the exception of the gin, *both the Bombay Saphire and the Hendricks 

EVERYTHING LISTED WAS PRESENT!

EVERYTHING WAS THERE!

WE ATE ALMOST EVERYTHING!

AND IT WAS GOOD

The first order of business was to attack the lobster bites.  I was expecting some sort of lobster fritter but no, I can show you better than I can tell you.  

This picture was retrieved from the Official BubblesNBrunch Gallery because I didn't get any. I've gotten complaints from some of my friends that the lobster finished too fast but I couldn't say the same.  I got to the venue at 12.  There were many people there before me.  I made a stop at the daiquiri bar and yes, went directly to the food line HOWEVER, when I saw the lobster in the foil pan I assumed that I had enough time to to eat, got off the food line and went on the drinks line.  The time that it took us to get the drinks and return to the food line, LOBSTER WAS GOOOONE.  Luckily the last batch was already on the grill.  We were told that they would be finished in about a half hour, that he would remember our faces and we shouldn't get on the line (that would be at 12:45).  Okay, we could do that.  While listening to the live entertainment and taking pictures, time slipped us and exactly 12:50 we all could have kicked ourselves because now we were scrambling to collect our things and race to the back. The disappointed look on the face of the server already told me that we have missed the last batch of lobster bites.  The lobster 'bites' from what I heard were everything and then some.  Friends of mine even bragged about getting seconds and thirds of it.  The crab rice, macaroni pie, shrimp skewers and corn on the cob were all appetizing but in the back of my mind was the missed lobster.  

In a quick switch around 2pm the music was taken off from the front and began to play in the back.  I believe this was planned as there were fewer tables set up there to encourage dancing.  By now, the majority of people were intoxicated and loosened up.  With the closer proximity in the back, the brunch felt more fete like and was now in full swing. Many shoes came off and we had a time. 

For the time frame given, there was just not enough time to eat and drink everything offered.  Imagine it was not until the Official Bubbles N Brunch Pictures posted on Facebook had I known there was a Hennessy fountain.  Never got a chance to taste, let alone see the Aurora Specialty beverage and was too full to touch anything from the Premium Dessert Table.  

All in all $65 was an excellent price for such an epic event.  This is the first time I've attended an event and felt the need to say thank you to the team.  Team Aurora went over and beyond to make their patrons feel like we actually mattered and feel appreciated.  Not just ticket sales.  Bubbles N Brunch exceeded my expectations.  An email was sent out to patrons requesting their feedback.  EXCELLENT! I have no complaints and there was nothing that I could think of that could be added to the event to make the experience more enjoyable. From beginning to end I loved it and it would be my honor to attend the next Bubbles N Brunch movie.

South Florida promoters, take note.