Subject: Eating Out

• First Bites: Italian Oven Café

  ​Mall fast food is a pretty goddamned dismal mouthful, but this little joint in CityPlace has gotten enough foodie buzz for Charlie to put his intestinal tract on the line and check it out.  Italian Oven Café is the sole and way-slimmed-down survivor of the Pittsburgh-based Italian Oven chain that got up to 100-plus units in the U.S. and Australia before crashing and burning in the mid-1990s. It's a cute place with a sort of generic-moderne décor, done up in soothing earth tones with lo

  September 10, 2009

• Restaurant News: Plantation Hooks Bonefish, Gastropub Coming to WPB, Gold Medal Whine

  ​•    It's hard catching a real bonefish, but catching a Bonefish Grill will get even easier when the Tampa-based chain opens its 43rd Florida restaurant later this month, this one in Plantation. If you've been to one, you know the drill -- scarf some fried "Bam Bam Shrimp"; your fish, get it grilled, add a sauce; swill a glass or two of wine; and tell the kids to STFU while Mommy and Daddy try to eat at least one meal in peace. •    The old Spoto's Oyster Bar

  September 11, 2009

• Adventures in the Conch Republic: Key West Dining

  ​Last week, I took some much needed vacation time and made the three-and-a-half-hour drive down to Key West for a bit of R and R, Conch-style. And what a great trip. I hadn't been to the Keys in nearly 10 years, which is far too long an time for any self-respecting South Floridian with liver intact. But driving down that two-lane strip of US-1, past roadside shacks promising the "world's best Key lime pie" and hand-drawn signs promising whole lobsters for less than $5 a pound, it felt like the

  September 15, 2009

• El Zocalo in Margate Looks Enough Like Mexico, but Is It the Real Deal?

  September 17, 2009

• Side Dish: Giorgio's Brick Oven Pizza

  September 17, 2009

• What's the Drama Behind Domenick's in Weston?

  Photo by Riki Altman​It was a bit of a challenge finding the new Domenick's Pizzeria in Weston, only in part because it is hidden in a plaza off a main drag, tucked behind a synagogue and squeezed between a beauty salon and Sylvan Learning center. As of press time, one website claims it is named "Piazza DelVecchio." Even the sign atop the restaurant refers to it as only "Piazza." And, though its physical address is 2600 Glades Circle North, big white vinyl numbers stuck on the door will lead y

  September 16, 2009

• Downtown Fort Lauderdale's Brown Baggers Need a Place to Squat

  Photo by Lisa Rab​By the time the eviction notice appeared on the front door of Cafe Pisa, it was too late. Downtown office ladies with brown bags, paperback novels, and Tupperware had already descended on the shuttered restaurant's outdoor wrought-iron tables. Ideally situated in the plaza area of the Wachovia Tower building in Fort Lauderdale, the tables provided a quiet, shady lunch spot with a view of a fountain and a respite from the traffic noise on Broward Boulevard.Let's face it: The b

  September 18, 2009

• Side Dish: Key West Edition

  September 24, 2009

• Side Dish: Chini's Burritos

  October 1, 2009

• Monday's Special at Bova: Ronnie Brown

  If you're not a subscriber to our weekly Café Bites dining newsletter for Broward and Palm Beach counties, here's a taste of what you missed this week. Click here to subscribe. Ronnie Brown: a new kind of Dolphin at Bova.​Why are this year's Dolphins more chum than shark? Is the season dead in the water? Will the Tuna change the team mascot to a flounder? Ask the Dolphins' own Ronnie Brown snotty questions like these at his weekly radio show at Bova Prime. Every Monday from 7 to 8 p.m., th

  October 6, 2009

• Taza Mediterranean Kitchen and Lounge

  October 8, 2009

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

  October 8, 2009

• Da Francesco's Denied Temporary Injunction

  Click for the whole document. ​Da Francesco's, the group that for five months operated the organic Italian restaurant of the same name in Palm Beach, was denied an injunction last week against 251 Partners that would have seen them take back control of their restaurant. The order came down by way of Palm Beach Circuit Court Judge David Crow, who concluded that although da Francesco's has an excellent case against 251 Partners, an injunction allowing them to take back the restaurant would be un

  October 7, 2009

• Food Events to Sink Your Teeth Into

  ​Have you been to Tryst yet? I visited Delray Beach's Official Beer and Tapas Clubhouse on Tuesday night, and I was reminded again how great this place is. With exposed brick, dark wood, and antique furniture, it has the vibe of a retro speakeasy (since there's no secret password, it's packed to the rafters even on weekdays). Tryst also sports one of the sexiest courtyards you could possibly dine in, with miniature gazebos and tropical plants stretching up to the two-story roof. If you sit ins

  October 8, 2009

• Dine Out Lauderdale at Cafe Maxx Works Like a Charm

  ​Last week we suggested our top five Dine Out Lauderdale choices, a list punctuated by one Cafe Maxx. Based on our visit this week, we were right: Cafe Maxx has come up with a spectacular Dine Out menu that gives you more than just a little sample of the restaurant's extensive bill of fare, it manages to be a rewarding meal worth making the special trip for.Maxx has been around for a quarter century now, yet it still remains one of the more interesting restaurants in Broward. A big part of tha

  October 9, 2009

• Bamboo Fire is Hot Stuff in Delray

  If you're not a subscriber to our weekly Café Bites dining newsletter for Broward and Palm Beach counties, here's a taste of what you missed this week. Click here to subscribe. Photo by Flickr user eastbayjay​You've probably heard about all hot stuff going on along Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. Linda Bean's (as in L.L.) Perfect Maine Lobster Roll just opened (check back for a First Look next week). David Manero's The Of-fice (in the old Louie Louie Too space) is under major construction,

  October 13, 2009

• Order Up: Mustard Seed Bistro

  John LinnOne of Mustard Seed's signature dishes is the roasted duck with cherry gastrique.​ On deck this week: our review of Mustard Seed Bistro, a quaint French-inspired eatery in Cooper City. It's the product of Tim and Lara Boyd, a pair of restaurateurs now in their second location since selling Plantation's Upper Crust Cafe in 2004. Like their last effort, Milk and Honey, the Mustard Seed makes use of timeless bistro dishes like tuna Nicoise and French onion soup, each plating with an extr

  October 13, 2009

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

  October 15, 2009

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

  October 15, 2009

• Lovin' Gets Greasy at Grampa's Bakery in Dania Beach

  Photo by Flickr user Bowhaus​OK, so he spent the night. Sue me. I'm a grown woman with needs, for goodness' sakes. Said "needs" also entitle me to three or more meals a day -- I'm hypoglycemic, so there's a legitimate reason for my steady appetite -- and by morning I was simply ravenous. For those of you who "forgot" to read last week's column or too quickly relegated it to become the liner for your pet iguana's cage, I introduced you to my new amour, a darling boy who suffers from one bi

  October 14, 2009

• Anatomy of a Bad Meal at Latitudes Beach Cafe

  John LinnMiso sea bass at Latitudes: Oh, the humanity.​Last week I checked out Ron Duprat's restaurant in the Hollywood Beach Marriott, Latitudes Beach Cafe. I high hopes for Duprat's food after catching the Haitian-born chef on this season of the Bravo series Top Chef, even if longtime critic Gail Shepherd had once ravaged the place with such a scathing review you can still hear her pounding on the keyboard as you read it. But that was years ago. Certainly the affable Duprat has come a long w

  October 14, 2009

• Todd English Moving into Seminole Hard Rock?

  Surprise! It's Todd English!​Jazziz Bistro, the swank supper club in the Seminole Hard Rock and sister "venue" to Jazziz magazine, closed in April of this year. Since then, the site has remained empty, with a lot of speculation as to what is going in there. Now the rumor mill is brewing, and some are saying celebrity chef Todd English will be the one to move into the spot with a brand new restaurant. At least, that would explain his number of recent appearances around South Florida. Spokespers

  October 14, 2009

• Doggie Bag: This Week in Charlie

  This week according to Chucky:Like we always say, "the greasier the spoon, the better."​Troy's Bar-Be-Que in Boynton Beach has great ribs and pork, but skip the sides.Women love the Frenchified eats at Mustard Seed Bistro in Cooper City.More eateries hit the skids this week, as Italian Oven Cafe and Frankies 124 shove off.Riki greasy spoons with her new beau at Grampa's Bakery.How bad is Top Chef Ron Duprat's Latitudes Beach Cafe? Here's the blow-by-blow.Is celeb chef Todd English opening a th

  October 16, 2009

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

  October 22, 2009

• Bamboo Fire Café in Delray Beach Is Worth the Wait

  October 22, 2009

• Pete's Tuscan Hibachi Grill Closed, to Possibly Reopen in December

  ​Pete's Tuscan Hibachi Grill was the Joey Bishop to Cafe Bella Sera's Sinatra: classy, oddly entertaining, a good sense of humor. But now, the unique concept that fused Japanese hibachi-style cooking with Italian-American eats is officially closed.The Parkland restaurant, which sat right next door to owner Pete Lombard Jr.'s successful Cafe Bella Sera, shut its doors in mid September after struggling to pull its weight in difficult times. Lombard says the restaurant, which he opened in January

  October 21, 2009

• Bova Ristorante in Boca Raton Closes

  Florida Design​With all the restaurants closing their doors lately, it's easy to get a little jaded. But it's a shock when a powerhouse like Bova Ristorante quits, which, according to employees at the restaurant, is just what happened Saturday night.The restaurant, at 1450 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton, closed for good following service on Saturday evening. It's unclear at this time exactly what led to the closure, but Clean Plate Charlie will keep you posted.Bova's loss is a big one. In 20

  October 21, 2009

• LOLA Loves and Laughs in Delray

  ​As a philosophy, "Love often, laugh a lot" is not half-bad, certainly better than Jon Gosselin's "Loser often a little shit" or David Carradine's "Lonely onanist loves a knot." As a name for a restaurant it's not bad either; nobody gets into the business unless they love it, and if you don't have a sense of humor you'll go around snarling at puppies and flowers like Dick Cheney.  There's no snarling at puppies and flowers at Wendy Rosano's LOLA, her sleek new restaurant and ultra lounge

  October 27, 2009

• Shula's on the Beach

  October 29, 2009

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

  October 29, 2009

• Satoro Restaurant & Lounge

  October 29, 2009

• Top Chef 7 Florida Casting, In Pictures

  Jacob KatelProspective Top Chef contestants shoot the shit while they wait their turn to see the casting director.​Top Chef 7 is officially on its way to your signal box, and Magical Elves, the production company behind the hit Bravo series, was in Miami on Sunday looking for talent. Prospective contestants turned up for a 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. casting call at Club 50 in Brickell's Viceroy. Chefs from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Coconut Creek, Tampa, Orlando, and even Jamaica showed up for the chance

  October 28, 2009

• Elevation Burger Coming to Coral Springs, Grand Openings in Hollywood

  ​• Who says the hamburger has to be the symbol of American junk food? Not Hans Hess, founder of Arlington, VA based chain, Elevation Burger. The recently franchised burger hut pays much credence to its slogan, "Ingredients Matter," building its double-meat patties out of 100% organic, free-range, grass-fed beef. The company also promises all its ingredients -- including toppings like caramelized onions and hot pepper relish -- are fully sustainable, and local when possible. There's even a bu

  October 29, 2009

• Rock 'N' Roll Ribs Pairs Metal with Barbecue in Coral Springs

  Nicko McBrain behind the kit.​For nearly 30 years, drummer Nicko McBrain has toured the world as part of one of the greatest rock bands of all time, Iron Maiden. He's played arenas and festivals, in front of tens of thousands of people in places Bangalore, India and Gothenburg, Sweden, and hundreds of thousands in Brazil. And throughout that time traveling from city to city, McBrain didn't just perform great; he also ate exceptionally well. Now McBrain -- who lives in South Florida when he's n

  October 30, 2009

• The Office in Delray Beach Snags Mark Militello

  Photo by Jacob KatelChef Mark Militello​Chef Mark Militello has left 1 Bleu at the One Resort and Spa (formerly The Regent Bal Harbour) to join The Office, a gastropub in Delray said to be opening in late November. Last December Militello took the reigns as executive chef of culinary operations at The Regent Bal Harbour. That was only six months after the last of his four namesake restaurants, Mark's in Boca Raton's Mizner Park, closed. The Regent Bal Harbour was sold in June. The Office is t

  November 3, 2009

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

  November 5, 2009

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

  November 5, 2009

• Roxy's Rocks on the Roof

  ​If you want to get high at Roxy's, come Saturday, Nov. 28, you actually can. Legally, even. That's when the Clematis Street complex that includes Roxy's Pub, 10@2 Saloon and Rome Nightclub is throwing a street-wide beerfest to celebrate the debut of its rooftop bar and restaurant, Roxy's on the Roof.   The 7,500-square-foot space will feel like de islands, mon, complete with palm trees, waterfalls, bamboo, a gazebo, twin bars and 1,500-square-food teak dance floor. There will be liv

  November 4, 2009

• Unbelievable Dessert: Baklava Cheesecake at Satoro in Hollywood

  ​The best thing I ate at my recent visit to Satoro Restaurant and Lounge in Hollywood was dessert. Which is not to say the rest of the meal I enjoyed a few days back was a disappointment -- on the contrary, the meal whipped up by chef Alexander Dziurzynski formerly of Jackson's Steakhouse was exceptional. But I was blown away by the baklava cheese cake infused with goat cheese, a dessert so perfectly constructed it ranks among the finest I've ever tasted.First, you'll have to excuse the s

  November 4, 2009

• Six Things the Customer Should Always Do

  ​If you've ever wondered why restaurant workers sometimes want to gouge their own eyes out or shave off all their body hair and stow away on a tramp steamer bound for Guatamala, New York restaurateur Bruce Buschel's pair of blog posts that ran recently in the New York Times (part one is here, part two is here) should give you a pretty good idea.  Titled "One Hundred Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do," it's a seven-page list of no-nos, better nots, and damned well ought-tos, some

  November 10, 2009

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

  November 12, 2009

• A Big Fat Greek Letdown in Fort Lauderdale

  Photo by flickr user shesimmers.​For many of us unmarried gals, it can be particularly difficult eating alone in public. Now it just so happens that the boyfriend had to work late last Thursday after I returned from a road trip and the fridge was so bare that I could actually see the items I should've thrown out years ago so [sob, sob] I was forced to eat out alone. I figured the only thing that could give me comfort would be a bowl of matzo ball soup. But where could I find that 'round here t

  November 11, 2009

• Restaurant News: Mango Gangster to Delray, Gourmet and Green, Lantana Bash

  ​•    Allen Susser, one of the original Mango Gangers (with Norman Van Aken and Mark Militello), will open a gastropub, Taste, in the Pineapple Grove area of Delray Beach sometime early next year. Look for small plates of comfy food and a roster of swell cocktails. •    Also in Delray, Joey Giannuzzi's Green Gourmet made its debut in the Shoppes at Addison Place. It features traditional and contemporary American dishes prepared with organic, all-natural ingred

  November 12, 2009

• Get Downtown, Good Taste on Clematis, Rooftop Par-tay, Mo-Money MoQuila

  John LinnHappiness is a full bottle at Get Downtown in front of YOLO this Friday.​• The 11th annual Riverwalk Get Downtown happy hour ramps up in front of YOLO tomorrow night at 5. The huge, outdoor party will feature music from Fourth Dimension as well as food from Big City Tavern, Chima, the Downtowner Saloon, Sublime, YOLO, and more. Get your tickets for $20 a head a goriverwalk.com, or for $5 more at the door.

  November 12, 2009

• Order Up: Bash Wine Cafe

  ​This week in dish, we take a look at Bash Wine Cafe in Sunrise. We first looked at the unassuming bistro a few weeks ago on the blog and found its key asset to be well-priced comfort food. Now, here's an excerpt from our upcoming review:...Perhaps it's fate, then, that Bash's origins were as economically driven as it's menu. Owners Nikki Pettineo and Veronica Lopez essentially had no financial backing and limited budget, yet they've done an admirable job with their premier restaurant. Granted

  November 17, 2009

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

  November 19, 2009

• Brunch Leads to Blissful Break at Aruba Beach Cafe in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

  Photo by Flickr user moterrien​I knew it was bound to happen at any moment and, finally, it did: our relationship had gone from four-star steakhouses to budget beach brunches.But that's not necessarily as bad as it sounds. My job requires me to dine at some fancy-schmancy place at least once a week and, oftentimes, I drag my poor fella along. It's not always romantic. I spend some of the evening taking notes, our conversation mostly consists of culinary critique, and we are usually seated near

  November 18, 2009

• Restaurant News: Olives Going Wild in Boca, I'm Greek Today in Royal Palm Beach, Gulf Oysters Get a Reprieve

  ​•    By Dec. 1, Todd English's Wild Olives in Boca Raton should be going full bore. The former Opus 5 is currently transitioning to Wild Olives' Mediterranean-esque menu, with the full dinner menu said to be in place by Tuesday, Nov. 24, and lunch a week later. A few items on the menu: crispy skin Florida snapper, porcini-crusted organic chicken, house-made veal agnolotti and English's signature "carpetbagger oysters," fried bivalves with beef carpaccio and truffled whipped p

  November 19, 2009

• Rocco's Opens in Boca, Mugs Moves into Christine's, Argentina Invades Springs

  A face only a mom and pop could love.​• The space that once housed Broward's Best New Restaurant is now a sports bar. Mugs Bar & Grill has taken over where Christine's used to operate on Oakland Park Boulevard. At one time, Christine's doled out contemporary American food to the sound of sultry jazz music. Now you can eat a "mound o' taters" and watch games on the tube in your old favorite seat. Mugs also serves burgers, pasta, and bar food, and has a sizable selection of draft beer. May

  November 20, 2009

• A Seafood Hater's Guide to Eating in Key West: Part One

  ​Confession: I write for a food blog, but I can't stand seafood. Like at all. I just about refuse to eat anything that swims: fish, shrimp, lobster, and scallops are all completely off my menu. So when my girlfriend (who thankfully has the same aversion to eating things that swim) and I decided to take a weekend trip to Key West, we were a little worried about being able to eat well on an island filled with seafood restaurants. After reading John's gastro-tour of Key West, we decided to try to

  November 20, 2009