Ethnic and Regional Cuisines

Top Ten Mexican Restaurants in Broward and Palm Beach Counties

Let's face it: with South Florida's heavy colorful Latin population, finding good latin cuisine isn't exactly challenging. But finding a good Mexican restaurant? Now, that's another story. While lots of restaurants in the area produce a decent variation of authentic Mexican fare, true Tex-Mex or a ... More >>

Florida's Giant Snail Problem: Five Places to Get Escargot

Mmmm, delicious? National Escargot Day isn't until May 24, but there's no rule saying we can't get started early and we have a new reason to celebrate this fascinating French food. South Florida has a problem. A giant snail problem, to be exact. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture, ... More >>

RA Sushi to Host Sushi-Eating Contest: Win Sushi for a Year

If you're the champion sushi eater in your group, then RA Sushi wants you. The Sushi chain is hosting a Sushi Showdown on Sunday, April 7, at its Pembroke Pines and Palm Beach Gardens restaurants. The competition starts at 3 p.m. at both locations.At each restaurant, 24 contestants will face off in ... More >>

First Look: Over 100 Small Plates at Ceviche in Delray Beach

When you think of ceviche, think of Ceviche in Delray Beach. The restaurant recently opened its doors with a quiet grand opening last October, and we at Clean Plate Charlie think it's a crying shame we didn't know about them sooner. The family of Florida establishments has branded itself as an upsc ... More >>

South Florida's St. Patrick's Day Party Guide

It's time to bust out the obnoxiously awesome striped top hat and green leisure suit out of storage: St. Patrick's Day is Sunday, March 17, and South Florida is ready to parrrrtttty. If the whole "amateur hour" aspect of drinking in public on St. Patty's Day isn't a huge turnoff, there are plenty of ... More >>

Meet Taiki Kuramoto: The Ex-Professional Snowboarder Sushi Chef at Imoto

South Florida is filled to the brim with sushi restaurants galore. It's no secret: our diet crazed, scantily clad population absolutely loves the Japanese staple. Unfortunately, for the most part, it's certainly not authentic. Have you ever heard of them eating California rolls with fake crab in Jap ... More >>

Haifa to Hallandale: Falafel Benny's Got the Best Balls

Through Falafel Benny's narrow, squat entrance was a room of mostly men yelling at each other in thick Israeli accents. "How is the falafel?" owner Benny Regev gregariously bellowed at customers halfway through their lunch. He tried to buy some of his regulars' meals. Some accepted, and others slam ... More >>

Inedit in Hollywood: Go for the Flamenco Shows, Not the Food

Play With Your Sushi

Sushi-Making Class at the Morikami Museum

When people think about sushi, it doesn't seem that complicated. It's raw fish. You eat it.There's actually a lot more to it than that. Just spend five minutes really reading a sushi menu instead of just ordering your usual JB roll. You may learn that "sushi" doesn't mean raw fish. It refers to ... More >>

2013 Fort Lauderdale Greek Festival Is This Weekend

Gyros, souvlaki, tyropita, fried cheese, dolmades, stuffed grape leaves. And ouzo -- how could we forget the ouzo! All that's left to say: Opa!This weekend, celebrate the 3rd annual Flavors of Greece, Fort Lauderdale's first Greek food and drink tasting event organized by St. Demetrios Church.  ... More >>

Ninja Spinning Sushi Bar in Boca Raton: a Revolving Sushi Bar, Tatami Room, and More

Sushi joints are a dime a dozen in South Florida, even in Boca Raton, where kosher delis and Italian restaurants seem to hold sway. It takes a bit of creative leverage to stand apart from the sea of places following the standard sushi-Thai model. "Everything's so Americanized (in South Florida). W ... More >>

Saigon Tokyo in Greenacres is Truly a Hidden Gem

When I am feeling guilty about my recent eating habits, I like to head over to Saigon Tokyo in Greenacres. Nothing gets me back on the right track like eating a huge bowl of pho, and Saigon Tokyo prepares it consistently well. First off, please don't judge this place by appearance only. It looks lik ... More >>

Endless Sake and Sushi at Prime Starts Tonight

For the most part, we all love sushi. Yes, you have your vegetarians and your individuals who are highly allergic to fish. But the rest of us are sushi fanatics--if you're not there's something wrong with you. Unfortunately, it's expensive.Of course, you could find an all-you-can-eat buffet, but tha ... More >>

Pinche Taqueria in Wilton Manors Can't Be Beat for Drinks and People-Watching

Sake and Sushi

Italian Red Sauce in Sunrise: Big Plates, Big Personalities

Chapultepec Mexican Restaurant in Hallandale: Cheap Beer and Slow-Roasted Meats

Tucked behind an empty lot with anemic-looking trees, you can barely see Chapultepec while flying down Hallandale Beach Boulevard. Yet it's there, and it's a Mexico-Aztec-Incan oasis replete with cheap beer and slow-roasted meats stuffed inside everything from corn tortillas to tamales. The restaur ... More >>

RA Retail Therapy

Hiro's Yakko-San: From the Deep Fryer to the Sushi Bar

Checkers Old-Munchen Reopens in Pompano Beach

The much-loved German restaurant Checkers Old-Munchen re-opened for a packed house this past weekend. Eager customers threw back boots of beer or slowly filled up on drinks thanks to an eight-part beer tasting menu. Nearby was a German buffet, which staff struggled to keep stocked, as the dining ro ... More >>

Osteria Acqua and Farina: New Fort Lauderdale Pizzeria Prepares the Pies Pungently but Just Right

Scott Kennedy: From Accountant to Co-Owner of Union and Creator of Candyfish Gourmet Sushi (Which Officially Opens Tomorrow)

Here in South Florida, sushi spots are as familiar as burger bars and taco food trucks -- and a lot of them have the same myriad interpretations of the spider and California roll at varying price points. First-time restaurateur Scott Kennedy hopes to stand out in the crowded sushi marketplace. ... More >>

Candyfish Gourmet Sushi Bar to Open Inside Union Delray Beach

It's said that Sukiyabashi Jiro -- a small yet revered establishment tucked away in a Tokyo subway -- is considered to be among the best sushi restaurants in the world. Run by 86-year-old shokunin Jiro Ono, a man now considered a national treasure by the Japanese, the restaurant's menu is ... More >>

Tee-Jay Thai Sushi: Middling Asian in Wilton Manors

Highs, Lows and Neck Massages at Tee Jay Thai Sushi in Wilton Manors

The original Tee-Jay Thai Sushi is located on Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale north of Commercial Boulevard. This second outpost opened in March 2011 in Wilton Manors. You'll know you're in the right plaza when you see the signs for Gay Mart (a menswear store), Humpy's Pizza (whose mascot is a bu ... More >>

Thasos Greek Taverna in Fort Lauderdale: First Look

A drop kick from the ocean a few blocks north of downtown Fort Lauderdale's waterfront hustle, you'll find Thasos Greek Taverna -- the new Greek restaurant from first-time restaurateurs Gus Leontarakis and Sophia Mylona. The building at the corner of A1A and Oakland Park Boulevard was once a Denny's ... More >>

Oktoberfest 2012 in Oakland Park: Food by the Ambry

On Friday, we gave you a roundup of all the 2012 Oktoberfests in South Florida. This week, we get into the delicious details. Although beers get all the glory in Oktoberfest celebrations near and far -- from Munich to Topeka to Oakland Park -- it's the spectacular German food that ultimately helps e ... More >>

Sunday Is Mexican Independence Day: Three Places to Find Authentic Tacos in Broward

If your way of celebrating Mexican heritage is making your standard 2 a.m. Taco Bell visit, freeze and put down the Chalupa. Clean Plate Charlie has got your covered on where you can celebrate Mexican Independence Day on Sunday, September 16, by visiting authentic Mexican restaurants in Broward. And ... More >>

Pho Vi Brings the Vietnamese Craze to Pedestrian-Friendly Downtown Hollywood

View a slideshow of Pho Vi.

Bid Farewell With Fish

Pho Vi Brings the Vietnamese Craze to Pedestrian-Friendly Downtown Hollywood

This week's restaurant review is about Pho Vi, a Vietnamese restaurant that opened in March in downtown Hollywood. In the past few years, Vietnamese cuisine has exploded on the contemporary food scene, thanks in large part to a filling and fun-to-eat dish called pho -- beef broth and noodle soup th ... More >>

The 2012 Olympics: Drink and Dine the British Way in South Florida

Does watching other people burn massive amounts of calories participating in seemingly random Olympic sports (Shooting? Badminton? Race Walking?!) have you hankering for a nice plate of fat- and cholesterol-laden English food? You're in luck. While it will never be mistaken for the streets of London ... More >>

The Thai Room Opens in West Palm Beach

As a Florida native, non-natives tend to whine open up to me about why they hate Florida, disdainfully referring to my beloved sunshine state as "the foot of the nation" (in which case New Jersey is clearly the armpit). They lament about nearly everything--the suffocating humidity, our lawless pill- ... More >>

Salt7 Now Open in Delray Beach: Swanky Steaks and Sushi, For a Price

Among the new restaurants to debut in the notoriously sleepy summer season is Delray Beach's swanky Salt7, which debuted last month in Worthing Place. The steak and sushi joint opened to the general public on Friday, June 15, but Salt7 marketing director Michelle Lefkowitz said the grand opening eve ... More >>

My Ceviche's Fresh Take on Seafood Brings Unpretentious Delights to South Beach

Rice and Dough in Fort Lauderdale: Sushi and Pizza, Together At Last

It was with mild trepidation that my fiance and I  ventured to Rice and Dough in downtown Fort Lauderdale for our first visit. Husband and wife team Amy and Goran Perovic opened the lunch and dinner spot this spring as part pizzeria/sandwich shop (dough) and part sushi bar (rice). We wonde ... More >>

Looking for Father's Day Ideas? Fred Kim of Gambose Talks Korean BBQ

You know the drill. Buy dad some cool new grilling tool. Pick up some some steaks, corn, and potatoes. Make a salad. Call it a day. Your father's day celebration is complete. Effortless, but it is the same old routine you've done year after year. This year, why not step it up a notch? How about Kore ... More >>

21. Seaweed Salad from Fusionarie Japanese Signature

We're counting down to New Times' Best of Broward/Palm Beach 2012 issue in June by serving up our top hundred favorite dishes. Click here for a full archive. If you have any nominations of your own, please add them to the comments or visit our Facebook page.21. Seaweed Salad from Fusionarie Japanese ... More >>

Buddha Sky Bar's Chef Robert Araya Offers Tips for the Novice Sushi-Maker

Think making sushi is an impossible task? Sushi chef Robert Araya of Buddha Sky Bar in Delray Beach breaks it down in an appetizing slideshow on Clean Plate Charlie (click here to see the images), demonstrating how to make two of the restaurant's dishes: the handsome rob sushi roll and the chef's ex ... More >>

Best Fish Taco in South Florida

We're a hell of a long way from SoCal, but that doesn't mean you can't get a decent fish taco in South Florida. In fact, there are some damned fine examples if you know where to look. In anticipation of the New Times' annual Best Of issue premiering in June, Clean Plate Charlie has put together a li ... More >>

Unexpected Places to Party for Cinco de Mayo in South Florida

Cinco de Mayo is Saturday, and there are many ways you can choose to celebrate what often devolves into a holiday of drinking too much and making poor decisions about one's ability to dance on a bar. (Which, more power to you: Have fun, and call a cab!)Find a list of the typical, tried-and-true, cra ... More >>

Derby Day at Tap 42, Cinco de Mayo, and Other Food Events This Week in South Florida

The food and drink event calendar in South Florida is pretty quiet this week, and with the weather taking a dive, it's a good time to hunker down with your couch and streaming Netflix (try this list of five Florida-based movies). By the weekend, it will be time to party down for Cinco de Mayo and th ... More >>

Cinco de Mayo at Biergarten Boca Raton: Cheap Beer and Tacos at a German Joint

Proving they'll take every chance they can to throw down the party stein, Biergarten Boca Raton will host a day-long Cinco de Mayo fiesta on Saturday, May 5. The bash is 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. with food and drink specials running all day long. The German restaurant/bar will feature $3 Coronas, $6 margari ... More >>

South Florida's Best Mexican Food

With Cinco de Mayo just around the corner, it's time to talk tacos (and burritos, oxtail soup, and pork belly products, etc.). In anticipation of the holiday and as part of the countdown to New Times' annual Best Of issue, we've put together a list of ten of the best places for Mexican food in Browa ... More >>

Sushi-Thai in South Florida: An Americanized Throwback

South Florida's Best Inexpensive Italian

Resisting the urge to once again take a few playful swipes at a certain low-cost Italian sit-down chain, suffice it to say that no behemoth national brands made their way onto this list of the best sources for inexpensive Italian in Broward and Palm Beach. Know of a great little mom-and-pop pla ... More >>

The Pelican in Lake Worth: North Indian Home Cooking, Served in an Americana Setting

South Florida's Best Greek and Mediterranean Restaurants

​Falafel, hummus, kibbe, feta, souvlaki...the bounty of Mediterranean- and Greek-inspired cuisine in South Florida is no joke. And while the spectacle of belly dancers and flaming cheese seems geared more for tourist cameras than culinary success, there are some seriously good eats that pay homage ... More >>