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Move over South Beach, step aside Coconut Grove, the
hottest spot in South Florida is now Coral Gables where Satchmo Blues
Bar & Grill has been entertaining throngs of enthusiastic music
lovers for over a year.
Harald Neuweg, owner of Satchmo Blues Bar & Grill and Mozart Stube,
has added an exciting new dimension to the nightlife of Coral Gables
The popular bar and grill at 60 Merrick Way, a block
north of Miracle Mile, just west of 37th Avenue, has become a favorite
place to listen to live bands, eat great Cajun-style food, drink cool
beverages and meet fun people.
To owner Harald Neuweg, who created nearby Mozart
Stube restaurant six years ago, it is the fulfillment of a lifelong
dream. "I have loved the sound of blues since I was a child
growing up in Austria," he said. "Satchmo is something I've
wanted to do for a long time."
Neuweg is the promoter, organizer and driving force
behind Coral Gables Oktoberfest and the Coral Gables Blues Festival.
He has brought 300 bands, from all over the country to Satchmo since
it was opened in June, 1999 and has traveled to New Orleans, Chicago,
New York and other blues hot spots to audition promising groups for
the club.
Among the many well-known national acts that have
performed for Satchmo audiences are Walter Trout, Deborah Coleman, Tab
Benoit, Larry Garner, Gary Primich, Johnny Marshall, Randy McCallistor,
Sun Seals, Cary Bell, Rockin Jake, Simply Blue, Kenny Neal, Tony O,
Snakeboy Johnson, and Paula and the Pontiacs.
Neuweg says that Sun Seals, who is a legend in this
business, is scheduled to perform at the club again on September 27th.
Satchmo's features a different band each night, seven
nights a week. Here you can listen to blues in all its varieties ...
from raw and gritty down in the delta, to swing, jazz, big band and
the edgiest blues rock. On Friday nights there are two stages, one
outside and one inside, each with its own band and more than 1500
people who come out to mingle, dance and enjoy the music.
The restaurant has a huge, 10-foot television screen
where patrons enjoy music videos and special events such as European
soccer championships and all major sports before and between sets.
There's a happy hour every day, Monday through Friday,
from 4 to 7 p.m. with special drink prices plus a complimentary
buffet, chicken wings, salads, and chips. Wednesday nights are ladies
nights, featuring free champagne, reduced drink prices for the ladies.
Tuesdays are "In the Biz Nights" where people who work at
other entertainment venues get substantial discounts on both food and
drinks.
Satchmo's is more than a blues bar. It is also an
excellent restaurant serving "down home American food" and
such Cajun specialties as jambalaya and old fashioned gumbo. Neuweg's
cooking credentials run from his native Austria to Switzerland plus
such notable local restaurants as Vintons and The French Connection.
His Mozart Stube at 325 Alcazar was named one of the 200 best
restaurants in South Florida by Florida Trend Magazine.
At Satchmo's the food tastes as good as it sounds. At
lunch you can have a Blue Monday (ham and cheese sandwich), Route 66
(pineapple flavored chicken salad sandwich), or a Big Bossman (Rueben)
among a wide selection of other tasty sandwiches. There's Muddy Gumbo
(seafood and rice stew), Old Man River (clam chowder), and Louie Louie
(bow-tie pasta salad) plus other interesting soups and salads. If
you'd like a burger you can choose from The Satchmo (a bacon
cheeseburger with sautéed mushrooms), The Mojo (topped with BBQ sauce
and jalapeno peppers), or Mother Nature (a veggie burger).
But that's not all. You can also have Bavarian Blues
(bratwurst), Boogie Chillen (chicken breast with cheeses, BBQ sauce,
bacon and tomato), Black Voodo (Cajun style dolphin) or Sweet Home
Chicago (rib eye steak) plus Ole Miss (jambalaya), Caledonia (penne
pasta with tomatoes, mozzarella), or Natchez (bow-tie pasta with
sausage and green pepper sauce).
At dinner you can start out with finger foods such as
Cajun wings, conch fritters, fried calamari, smoked fish spread or
grouper fingers; enjoy the soups, salads, burgers and other
specialties served at lunch, plus an enticing array of sensational
desserts.
These include Chocolate Ramble (fudge brownie topped
with chocolate ice cream and smothered in chocolate sauce), The Jazz
Session (apple strudel served with vanilla ice cream and sweet whipped
cream), Tiramiblues (Satchmo's version of an Italian classic), Hunk A
Berries (fresh fruit served with ice cream and sweet whipped cream),
The Fillmore (chocolate mousse cake served with chocolate sauce) and
Key West Boogie (key lime pie served with an orange sauce).
Satchmo Blues Bar & Grill has become so popular
that an increasing number of parties and special events are held
there.
"Whether you have 10 guests or 500, we can handle
it," says Manager Joe Weiss. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m.
to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday for lunch. Dinner is served starting
at 4:30 p.m. every day. The music continues 'til 2 a.m. on Friday and
Saturday nights and 1 a.m. on Sunday nights.
For more information and a listing of coming events,
call The Blues Hotline at 305-774-1883 or visit Satchmo's website at www.miamiblues.com.
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