Despite my South Florida upbringing by Cuban grandparents, ropa vieja (pulled beef in sauce, translated as old clothing) was never a dish for me.       But La Diosa Taqueria’s version called Asere Que Bola ($11) changed my mind. A corn tortilla is topped with ropa vieja, a platanito (sweet plantain) and pork cracklings.         It’s less Mexican, but more Miami. With a name to match...

      The Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce will launch a podcast by April, President Fred Senra announced March 8.      “We’ll be running a half-hour program, during which we will interview two of our members in two, 15-minute segments,” Senra said.        Listeners may find the show, called “The Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce” podcast, on YouTube with...

     Author and executive coach Dr. Marisol Capellan drew a large number of women to the Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce’s March 8 luncheon as she shared her research into barriers to their professional advancement.      “We have to also acknowledge the systemic challenges [women] face due to their gender,” Capellan told 60 people gathered at the Miami Lakes Hotel on Main on International...

     The MIAMI Association of Realtors elected Eddie Blanco as its 2023 residential president.      Blanco, of Miami Lakes, is owner-broker of the Stratwell real estate firm, which has offices in Miami and Naples.      Blanco was looking forward to working with the residential board to “support sustainable growth, development of our local communities and to promote diversity and...

     Banking executive Hector J. Ponte recently brought his calculator to a Miami classroom to teach students about financial health.      Ponte is one of 200 business professionals who participated in The Education Fund’s annual five-month campaign called the “Teach-A-Thon.”       That’s when business professionals become Public School Champions and swap places...