Crescendo Jazz and Blues Lounge (Miami, FL)

Crescendo Jazz and Blues Lounge
2201 Biscayne Blvd
Miami, FL 33137
305-967-8176

 Great vibes, heart-warming food and sensational live music. Crescendo Jazz and Blues Lounge lives up to its name…

The gradual progression in ambience in the layout of this establishment welcomes its patrons with a full bar and lounge waiting area. Here, some guests choose to stay to mix and mingle as they enjoy happy hour specials and signature cocktails. Mixologist, David Moise, serves up lavishing libations such as his signature Zyr Vodka Lychee Martini. I was among a party of 6 who visited Crescendo and three of us had the Lychee Martini. We all thought it was sensational! Knowing that real fruit was squeezed and muddled for each drink sort of alleviated the guilt from this awesome pleasure.

Entering the main dining room, elegance greeted us but the atmosphere was not at all stuffy. Flat screen televisions were strategically placed so as not to take away from the musically themed artwork that add to the character of an upscale jazz and blues restaurant. A smaller bar is nestled in the corner of this room giving the atmosphere of a trendy sports bar. This quieter room is great for dining and conversation.

The establishment reaches its ‘crescendo’ as we progress to the back room. This is the jazz and blues lounge and looks like it. One must step down into this darker, smaller, more intimate setting where patrons can dine while being entertained by a live blues or jazz band. The dim lighting and garden-like setting (which actually does open up to a patio in pleasant weather), lend to an ultra-romantic scene or just a chill- spot to unwind after a long day.

This family owned and operated business “comes from what we love,” effuses Jasmine Johnson, whose love of music inspired her mother Gwen to pursue this venture. It was Jasmine who also came up with the name Crescendo, borrowing from the musical term for a “gradual rising in loudness or intensity” and symbolic for what they hope for it to represent. Jasmine elaborates: “we are trying to get it to something that’s not ordinary but extraordinary.”

Shelly Ann-Marie Parkinson

South Florida Professionals

Think of this as your classic jazz bar scene—dark lighting, plumes  of smoke, trumpets going crazy—only turn up the lights, lose the smoke, and you’ve got Crescendo……

You’ll want to start at the bar, a five-seater where they’ve got a standard supply of wine, liquor and beer, plus a few interesting bottles, like a Landy cognac bottle covered in a slinky red dress and hat (ask it out, and you’re cut off).

After a couple of drinks to get your jazz legs, you’ll mosey through the main dining room and make your way back to a lights-strewn patio with about 10 tables. Here, you’ll order up a Classic Cheese Burger or some Jambalaya and listen to the night’s live band (they’ll have up to three a night, with more Thursday through Saturday).

And because they’re still looking for their definitive house band, don’t be surprised if somebody from management asks you what you think of the music you just heard.

 UrbanDaddy.com

The newly opened Sevvapronounced ‚ savor,  offers a menu as diverse as the city it calls home.  Located on the roof of the 28-story Princes Building in Hong Kong’s Central District, the 233-seat restaurant features a selection of dining experiences from fine to casual to tapas style all in a single space. An outdoor wraparound terrace provides 360-degree views of the city and Victoria  Harbor.

The menu is equally eclectic, with dishes such as wagyu beef cheek and ox tongue pot pie, as well as South Indian crepe with masala potatoes, peas, and chutney. Ingredients are sourced internationally offering diners an array of exotic items such as La Ionica chicken flown in from Australia, foie gras from France, and Graffeo dark blend coffee from Colombia, Costa Rica and New Guinea.

For those who didn’t save room for dessert, the restaurant’s Cake Corner offers treats such as a pear and chocolate tart for guests to take away and enjoy at their leisure. (+852.2537.1388)