Weekend things to do: Kim Petras concert, SI’s Swimsuit Island, Asian Street Market, American Social in Boca Raton

What a weekend in South Florida: Top chefs at an Asian Street Market in West Palm Beach, the opening of Argentine shipping-container restaurant KAO Bar & Grill, and trans icon Kim Petras at the Hard Rock for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Jason Newsted’s Metallica memories, Margaret Cho and news from Sebastian Maniscalco. Raul Malo’s new solo album, The Psychedelic Furs on the beach and the imminent opening of a new American Social in Boca Raton. It’s all so diverse and inclusive. How to make sense of it? We’re headed to Books & Books to see poet Campbell McGrath on Saturday night. He’s got the answers.

THURSDAY

Miso in Progresso: Miso Japanese Tapas, the trailblazing restaurant from chef-restaurateur Thuan Lam (founder of Phat Boy Sushi & Kitchen and Poke Lolo), will debut in soft-opening mode on Thursday from 5:30 to 11 p.m. The restaurant is located in a bold blue building at 815 NE Second Ave., in Progresso, a relatively undiscovered pocket of downtown Fort Lauderdale, on the north side of Progresso Drive and the Brightline tracks. A neighbor is popular barbershop Noblemen’s Cut & Shave. With the kitchen led by head chef Julien “Jay” Barashari, Miso will be open 5:30-11 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday, 5:30-11 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday. Visit Instagram.com/miso_ftl.

Free Social:Grammy-nominated Colombian singer-songwriter Paula Arenas is the headliner for Thursday’s edition of The Rhythm Foundation’s free North Beach Social series at the lovely Miami Beach Bandshell. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the concert at 8 p.m. Visit MiamiBeachBandshell.com.

Jazz and drinks:Picturesque restaurant-bar Holly Blue in Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village will introduce a new cocktail menu with a live jazz band outdoors “on the green.” The party runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday. Visit HollyBlueFTL.com.

Thursday laughs: Margaret Cho brings her Live and LIVID! tour to The Parker in Fort Lauderdale at 8 p.m. Thursday, with a few scattered tickets remaining (singles $45.50+, the rest $200+) at ParkerPlayhouse.com.

FRIDAY

Kim Petras’ moment:Grammy-winning pop star and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue cover model Kim Petras will perform at 9 p.m. Friday at Hard Rock Live, kicking off a weekend takeover that will turn the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood into Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Island through Sunday. Patras (the second trans model to appear on the cover of SI’s iconic swimsuit magazine cover) will share music from her debut album, “Feed the Beast” (Republic Records/Amigo Records), set for release on June 23. Tickets to the concert start at $55+ at MyHRL.com.

Open containers:Hallandale Beach’s buzzed-about, Argentine-fusion restaurant KAO Bar & Grill, housed inside a stack of boldly muraled shipping containers, is set to open Friday. Located on Hallandale Beach Boulevard, west of U.S. 1 at 11 NE First Ave., the 5,000-square-foot eatery is a spinoff of the popular KAO Sushi & Grill in Coral Gables. Hours for KAO Bar & Grill are 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m Sundays to Wednesdays. Visit KAOBarAndGrill.com.

Weekend laughs:Comedian and actor Gary Owen(“Ride Along,” “Think Like a Man”) has multiple shows Friday-Sunday at the Palm Beach Improv in West Palm Beach. Tickets cost $40+ at PalmBeachImprov.com. … Veteran actor and stand-up Bruce Bruce(it’s been 30 years since his breakout on HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam”) performs at the Dania ImprovFriday-Sunday, with tickets starting at $30+ at DaniaImprov.com.

Future laughs: Charismatic funnyman Sebastian Maniscalco this week announced that he will kick off a random six-city tour with two performances July 20 and 21 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood. Tickets start at $65+ and go on sale Friday at MyHRL.com. Next weekend look for Maniscalco on the big screen, co-starring with Robert De Niro in the comedy “About My Father.”

Sweet life:The nonprofit Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale and Hof’s House of Sweets will host The Art of Chocolate & Whiskey Tasting at the Fort Lauderdale Woman’s Club (20 S. Andrews Ave.) on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. The event will include unlimited tastings of more than a dozen whiskeys, along with wine, craft beer, hors d’oeuvres and plenty of sweets. Tickets cost $50. Visit GoRiverwalk.com.

Under a spell:Small Wine Shop in Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village (natural and organic wines a specialty) will host another edition of Buzzed Bee, the wine-enhanced spelling bee ruled by the imperious Nick Khan. You know the rules: Your $15 entry fee gets you the first glass of wine. Spell your word right and they pour you another and you move to the next round (you need to finish your glass before getting your next word) and so on and so forth. The winner gets a package of swag from the shop and mad respect. Visit SmallWineShop.com.

Weekend playlist:The Mavericks’ charming lead vocalist Raul Malo dispenses with the words on “Say Less,” his new solo album of sexy instrumental grooves set for release on Friday. “Growing up in Miami, I loved listening to records like this,” Malo said in an Instagram shoutout. No weekend party wouldn’t be better with Malo’s Cosa’s Cumbia on the playlist. Visit RaulMalo.com.

Sushi and skin:Friday is opening night for the Jade Rabbit Experience, a burlesque-enhanced sushi pop-up taking place each Friday and Saturday through June 30 at Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery in Fort Lauderdale. Running from 7 p.m. to midnight, the Year of the Rabbit celebrations include assorted sushi served nyotaimori-style (also called “body sushi”), a hibachi station, full liquor bar, welcome glass of bubbly, DJ and a burlesque show. Saturday’s party is sold out. Tickets cost $99+ at TheJadeRabbitExperience.com.

Paying tribute: Long-running South Florida Eagles tribute band The Long Run brings hits such as “Hotel California,” “Take It to the Limit” and “Life in the Fast Lane” to Galuppi’s in Pompano Beach from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Friday. Admission is free, though table reservations are recommended. Visit Facebook.com/Galuppis.

SATURDAY

Elsewhere on Swimsuit Island: Sports Illustrated will deck the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel pool on Saturday and Sunday with SI Swimsuit installations, celebrity guests, live entertainment, food and drink, trendy shopping opportunities and complimentary services at the official SI Beauty Bar. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $30 daily, or $50 for a two-day pass at SITickets.com. There’s also a VIP pass that includes the Kim Petras concert on Friday.

C’mon, get AAPI!: Palm Beach Meats and founder Eric San Pedro, who is Filipino, will celebrate Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month in a tasty way with an Asian Street Market on Saturday from 4 to 9 p.m. Along with live entertainment, small-biz shopping and sake flights by Sōtō Sake, the market will include distinctive Asian dishes from some of South Florida’s leading chefs (Asian or otherwise). They include Takeshi Kamioka of Kaminari Ramen (Japan); James Beard-nominated author and chef Nicole Ponseca of Jeepney (Philippines); May Aungthet of Ahmay’s Cuisine (Burma); Sotharith “Bee” Chhim of @average_asian_dad (Cambodia); and Manh and Thanh Trac of Yen’s Kitchen (Vietnam). Tickets cost $60 at PalmBeachMeats.com.

Words to live by: Esteemed South Florida thinker and wordsmith Campbell McGrath will share his latest examination of modern life in America and Florida, “Fever of Unknown Origin: Poems,” at Books & Books in Coral Gables at 8 p.m. Saturday. The Pulitzer Prize finalist, who teaches at Florida International University, will take part in a book signing after the reading. Visit BooksAndBooks.com.

Real buzz:Saturday is World Bee Day and there may be no better spot to honor the pollen-hauling workers than Boca Raton eatery J&J Fresh Kitchen, where owners Matias and Marcos Pagano (also behind the new KAO Bar & Grill) make honey on their bee farm. One of the special menu items they’ll serve is Chipotle Figs ($7), wrapped in turkey bacon, sauteed and caramelized in housemade wildflower honey. Visit FreshKitchenBoca.com.

Sound of metal: Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted is getting his other metal band back together for a performance by Newsted (the band) on Saturday at Revolution Live in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. The Jupiter resident and abstract painter says Newsted (the band), which first erupted in 2012 and disbanded in 2014, will play music from throughout his career, including new songs tentatively aimed at a future album. Tickets start at $27+ at JoinTheRevolution.net.

Furs and Dando:Enduring rock malcontent Richard Butler and The Psychedelic Furs perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Miami Beach Bandshell, bringing the hits (“Heaven,” “The Ghost In You,” “Heartbreak Beat,” “Love My Way,” “Pretty In Pink”), but also music from the critically praised 2020 release “Made of Rain.” Revered former Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando opens. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $44.50+ at MiamiBeachBandshell.com.

All beers: The annual Ocean Brews & Blues festival returns to Deerfield Beach (on the water in the main beach parking lot) on Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m., with unlimited sampling of more than 140 craft beers, food and vendors. There will be breweries from around the country, including respected locals such as NOBO Brewing Co., 3 Sons, 26 Degrees, Yeasty Brews, Dream State and many others. An all-access, general-admission sampling ticket, with a souvenir glass, costs $45 (VIP is sold out). New this year are single-beer tickets ($8), good for one 12-ounce beer from any brewery. The other half of the event, the live music lineup, includes the Low Ground Trio (3-4 p.m.), Shaw Davis & the Black Ties (4:15-5:15 p.m.), Adam Uhlan & the Blue Risers (5:30-6:30 p.m.) and local legend Joey Gilmore (6:45-8 p.m.). Free parking can be found just across the bridge in the Cove Shopping Center (1500 E. Hillsboro Blvd.), which will have complimentary shuttle service. Visit OceanBrewsAndblues.com.

SUNDAY

Weekend burger:Comfort-food artiste and all-around wildman Cheffrey Eats (Guy Fieri is a fan) will introduce another one-day-only burger on Sunday at his home away from home, Barrel of Monks Brewery in Boca Raton. The Buffalo Bill includes an Angus beef patty, fried chicken, housemade buffalo sauce, blue cheese and celery relish. Yes, a burger topped by a crispy slab of fried chicken. Insane. Get it from noon-6 p.m. Visit CheffreyEats.com.

Don’t be late:Notwithstanding the elongated name of The Ben hotel’s Proper Grit Whiskey Library & Supper Club, it has always been home to a respectful tea service. The downtown West Palm Beach restaurant will leverage that expertise with Sunday’s Mad Hatter Tea Brunch. In addition to the full (a la carte) brunch menu, you’ll find “whimsical” specials, “improper tea elixirs,” Alice in Wonderland-themed sweets and a DJ. The Mad Hatter Tea Brunch runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit Facebook.com/propergrit.

LOOKING AHEAD

AmSo Boca: The answer to the question you’ve been asking (for, what, years?) is in: Tuesday, May 23, will bring the long-awaited opening of the Boca Raton edition of American Social Bar & Kitchen. Sharing an energetic sports-and-cocktails vibe with sister hotspots in Fort Lauderdale and Miami (and Orlando and Tampa), the 9,000-square-foot Mizner Park AmSo will join one of the most dynamic dining/drinking intersections in the city. The other corners are home to Calaveras Cantina; Kapow Noodle Bar and Max’s Grille; and Loch Bar and Villagio. They are going to need a crossing guard. Visit AmericanSocialBar.com.

Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Instagram @BenCrandell and Twitter @BenCrandell.