Email Author John Linn

2009 Stories by John Linn

• New Owners Have Revamped Paraiso Cuban Cuisine and Sandwiches

  published December 31, 2009

  Downtown day workers have been grabbing a quick lunch at this Cuban sandwich stand along Andrews Avenue for years, since it was known as Sury's.... More >>

• Thank God It's Over, but 2009 Does End With the Promise of Better Things to Come

  published December 24, 2009

  I remember the low point well. Just a few months ago now, it was a slow summer in a notoriously seasonal dining town. But almost every... More >>

• Beachside Grill in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Makes Good on an Italian-American Classic

  published December 17, 2009

  My friends Mike and Tara and I were parked in front of a big bowl of Beachside Grill's Sunday gravy, each trying to determine how it stacked up... More >>

• Abru Caffé a Nifty Italian Coffee Shop in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

  published December 17, 2009

  This Italian coffee shop along Commercial Boulevard serves freshly made panini, tramezzini (tea sandwiches), and salads in addition to a host of... More >>

• Usmania Restaurant in Sunrise Serves Legit Pakistani Street Food

  published December 10, 2009

  There's no way you're eating brains," my vegetarian fiancée said in a sterner voice than I've heard from her in a while. The look on her... More >>

• Bimini Boatyard Offers a Primo Seat for Lunch

  published December 10, 2009

  About two years ago, I had a friend in town who wanted to go to lunch somewhere distinctly Fort Lauderdale. So I took him to Bimini... More >>

• Satoro in Hollywood Is Loud, Confusing, and Just Plain Wrong

  published December 3, 2009

  There's a moment in each restaurant meal when you're forced to decide if what you are doing with your life is in fact enjoyable. It happened... More >>

• Star Miami Chef Michelle Bernstein Brings Her Show to Palm Beach

  published November 26, 2009

  It's impossible to know whom I'm surrounded by. There are likely real estate magnates, local politicos, social sceners, and their hangers-on.... More >>

• Green Wave Cafe in Plantation Is a Vegan's Delight

  published November 26, 2009

  Raw food continues to grow in popularity, even though its South Florida contingent is small. But Green Wave Cafe, a Plantation kitchen and organic... More >>

• Bash Wine Café in Sunrise Delivers Comfort Food at a Helluva Price

  published November 19, 2009

  Bash Wine Café is holed up like a dark cave in a drab suburban strip mall in Sunrise, a location born of frugality for owners Nikki... More >>

• Green Papaya Vietnamese Cuisine in Coral Springs Is Worth Finding

  published November 19, 2009

  The only unfortunate thing about this Broward version of the Miami Lakes eatery is the location: Hidden away in a corner of a mostly vacant retail... More >>

• Texas Hold ´Em BBQ Moves to Downtown Fort Lauderdale in Style

  published November 12, 2009

  Over the years, the old Texas Hold 'Em BBQ location on Sunrise Boulevard felt sadder with each visit. It was always empty, especially near the... More >>

• Park Avenue BBQ and Grill in Boynton Beach Has Great Fritters

  published November 12, 2009

  An order of corn fritters at any one of the eight Park Avenue BBQ and Grill locations costs just $3.49 and nets you six fried balls of dough along... More >>

• Callaro's Prime in Manalapan Serves Up Old-Fashioned, Beefy Indulgence

  published November 5, 2009

  My friend and New Times theater critic Brandon K. Thorp recently planned a pre-play dinner at Sushi Bon in Lantana. Soon after he... More >>

• Chef Tommy Valdes at Trattoria Bella Cibo in Margate Makes His Pitch

  published November 5, 2009

  Executive chef Tommy Valdes sure knows how to shill — the Culinary Institute of America grad and author is making a bid to be on the Next... More >>

• Carousel Can Can in CityPlace Is All Sexed-Up With Nowhere to Go

  published October 29, 2009

  The enthusiasm was infectious on a recent Friday night at Carousel Can Can in CityPlace. Surveying the half-empty dining room of mostly couples... More >>

• Bamboo Fire Café in Delray Beach Is Worth the Wait

  published October 22, 2009

  It was about 7 on a Wednesday night when we arrived at Bamboo Fire in Delray Beach. We picked out a cozy seat near the restaurant's front... More >>

• Peniel's Palace in Fort Lauderdale Boasts Inexpensive Southern Cooking

  published October 22, 2009

  This fishbowl restaurant off Broward Boulevard brings inexpensive Southern cooking to a shopping complex already inundated with lunch options. But... More >>

• The Mustard Seed Bistro in Cooper City Works With a Very Specific Crowd

  published October 15, 2009

  Make no mistake; Tim Boyd is a lady's man. There's something about Boyd, the 42-year-old chef and owner of the Mustard Seed Bistro in... More >>

• Latitudes Beach Café Makes Us Wonder About that Top Chef Thing

  published October 15, 2009

  Haitian-born chef Ron Duprat lasted six episodes on Top Chef Las Vegas, eventually succumbing to some subpar paella. A jovial guy with a... More >>

• Creolina's Dixie Takeout in Davie Offers Cajun Creole Goodness

  published October 8, 2009

  The shrimp and grits in front of me at Creolina's Dixie Takeout in Davie fill the entire white, oval plate. Almost two dozen plump shrimp are... More >>

• Taza Mediterranean Kitchen and Lounge

  published October 8, 2009

  Mediterranean cuisine in South Florida has come to be synonymous with throwing around napkins and guzzling ouzo while dancing on top of the... More >>

• The Restaurant at 251 Combines Nightclub and Organic Eatery, to the Detriment of Both.

  published October 1, 2009

  Picture this: You've been invited for dinner at a friend's house. He's prepared a lovely meal — a salad of baby lettuces and herbs from... More >>

• Side Dish: Chini's Burritos

  published October 1, 2009

  This four-table restaurant in a rundown strip mall in Coral Springs is unassuming, but the authentic fare tastes like it comes straight from a... More >>

• At Charm City Burgers in Deerfield Beach, Getting Messy Is Half the Fun

  published September 24, 2009

  There's nothing wrong with a messy, multilayered burger — those overflowing constructions that aim for something higher than just meat,... More >>