Democratic Republic of beer more like Communism of beers..

I was so excited to visit this little spot where it seems beer flows like fountains but I just have to say after this last visit I was a bit saddened by the whole experience. Where do I begin?

The Democratic Republic of Beer is a bar that carries over 150 beers from all over the world. And the premise is, the first time you walk in you fill out your passport with some likes and dislikes and some basic information and they store it on file. Then whenever you come in and order a beer they are supposed to put it on your passport so that you and they can keep track of what beers you've had. I brought friends with me that had never been there before so upon arrival I requested a passport for them to fill out. I was so gleefully excited to bring my friends to this new spot and show them the cool passport gimmick.

Being that the last time I had gone in I had tried like 5 different beers (oops I meant to say 2), I requested my passport to see what I had tried because who could remember, and I wanted to know what to choose. And to my dismay the bartender told me they had not saved anything to my passport so I basically had to start all over again. In addition, one of my friends couldn't fill out their passports because they didn't have enough copies made. Leading me to believe that this whole passport thing was exactly that, a gimmick..

So I put that little incident behind me and decided I'd order some new beers, hoping they would add them to my list this time. At that point the menu became so daunting that I really didn't know what to choose and the staff wasn't the greatest at steering my taste buds into the right direction. I decided to wing it on my own and choose a beer I thought would be good and they said they had just run out. The same thing happened the next 3 beers I ordered...

And with each reply it felt like I was talking to the soup guy on Seinfeld except it sounded more like, "NO BEER FOR YOU!!!"

Finally I was able to get a beer that I requested and that they had in stock early enough to catch up to my friends who were well on their way to a beer buzz. It was a Japanese beer called Hitachino Nest with a little owl on the label, that tasted like fruit which was good.

We then decided to order some apps and call me crazy but when they arrived it felt as though the plates had been dropped on our table from high above and the silverware just flung in our direction. Very abrupt if you ask me. I mean I know we're at a bar essentially ordering bar food but we're sitting down and it does say "restaurant" on the sign. There is something to say about service. Service is service is service no matter the environment you're in, period.

And finally I decided to go with Le Fin du Monde which they had thank goodness and if you haven't tried, I highly recommend you do. It has been my favorite beer lately. And I stuck to that for the remainder of the evening, I really didn't want to go through the headache of dealing with the server staff again. Instead of feeling like they wanted to help me find the perfect beer for me, it felt more like I was bothering them and for that I can go to Total Wines buy a bevy of beers, get great service and go home happy instead.

I am still holding out a flame for this spot though. I mean who knows, anyone could have a bad night. I just hope its different next time I go in. And lets hope they wrote in what beers I had, but maybe I'll just go in with my own pen and pad. I don't know, let's keep our fingers crossed...

The word I love today.

An enigma can either be a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence, a person of puzzling or contradictory character, a saying, question or picture containing a hidden meaning or a German-built enciphering machine developed for commercial use in the early 1920s.

It can also refer to someone who is puzzling, ambiguous or inexplicable or a Gordian knot which is something sometimes used as a metaphor for an intractable problem, solved by a bold stroke.

I think the word enigma itself is an enigma. The very definitions of it are so diverse.

The way that it sounds even lends to its mysterious connotations. Some of its synonyms are words like perplexity, teaser and mystification. Man I'm really loving this word right now.

Now in current times lets try to figure out what is an enigma?

An enigma can be male or female. It can be an idea you don't seem to understand. It can be a book, a memory, a song, a voice message. An enigma can be just about anything these days and boy are there a lot of them.

I am riddled by all things enigmatic. Enigma's follow me wherever I go. Am I myself an enigma? Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, are you an enigma?

Likes are you haven't. Well actually you just did. What did you come up with? Was the thought a complete contradiction? Confusing isn't it? Yes I know, your brain hurts so I will stop.

But I will leave you with this. An enigma is that feeling you get when you know you are doing everything wrong and everything is coming out right.

The end.

Did someone say Roadside Chicken Mole Tacos??

THE TRUCK STOPS HERE!!

In case you haven't heard by now, there's a black truck adorned with red flames parking it all around Miami serving up scrumptious burgers and tacos at super low prices. And my favorite part is the fries, let me not even start telling you about the a special seasoning they sprinkle on them, to die for!

I know you're wondering "Why is the Commish eating at roadside trucks, pent up for cash these days?" Well not really, although if you have some extra throw it my way!

The real reason I made a u-turn when I saw this truck on the roadside is because it is owned by a little chef named Ingrid Hoffman who just happens to have a show on the Food Network called Simply Delicioso and a best selling cook book by the same name.

She's a hispanic chef (Colombian to be exact) who has lived in Miami for many years and is now blessing us with cheap, good eats!

The fun part about it is that on any given day you can go to the website - http://latinburger.com/

to find out what location they are stopping at for that day. And they can park it anywhere. I've seen them in Design District and my recent visit took place on Biscayne at the Busy Bee's carwash. And the other day I heard they were in Aventura. So the possibilities are endless.

Let me know what you order and what you think about it when you check it out.

Tell them Ms. Commish sent you!

Stripping just became legal on Lincoln Rd...

Walking on Lincoln Road isn't just good, clean fun for the family anymore we now have something scandalous for those with a more lascivious appetite.

The Strip, which just opened where the old Rumi lounge once stood, is a place where just about anything can happen. One minute you're encountered with a dance duo on stage and the next you're experiencing a psychedelic intermission by the host.

From ultra sexy burlesque clad bartenders

and dancers

to an intensely flamboyant host,

my Thursday night sizzled. Although I grew up in a city, where showing skin is almost a requisite, I found it difficult to believe I was standing in a club on Lincoln Road watching all sorts of promiscuous behavior as part of a show. And did I mention nudity? Enough to make this good ole Miami girl a little hot and bothered!

The choreography and logistics, I must say, could have been carried out a bit smoother for my taste, but it was a very interesting evening and the ladies did a great job.

Upon entering, picture a bar with vertical monkey bars on each end, rope straps hanging from the roof of the bar and swings dangling from the ceiling along with all kinds of other contraptions the girls have at their disposal.

The bar is nestled under a stage that is only viewable from the 2nd floor therefore from the moment you walk in, you are instantly curious and drawn to rush upstairs. BUT my question is, will the shows be performed just for those dropping big dollars up stairs or will anyone be able to get a taste of the action??

Regardless, I am sure this venue decorated with velvet gold lined chairs, soft lit sconces and risque images scattered throughout will blow the tassels off of everything ESPECIALLY its resident dancers.

I can only imagine what kinds of reactions future performances will spur, but I'm sure they will be anything but ordinary...