Subject: Riki Altman

• Letters for February 3-9, 2005

  February 3, 2005

• She’s DeLaria-ous!

  February 19, 2009

• Hoedown!

  September 15, 2005

• Gift of Gab

  October 6, 2005

• Groove-ilee

  September 29, 2005

• Pour Some Pewter on Me!

  September 22, 2005

• Improv-Sensational

  June 2, 2005

• How Lo Can You Go?

  May 5, 2005

• Cane-o-rama

  Spring game gives fans something to cheer about

  April 7, 2005

• Monkey Biz

  March 24, 2005

• It's No Joke

  February 17, 2005

• Art Pays

  January 13, 2005

• Midway Madness

  January 13, 2005

• No Bare Boobs

  Performance artists set gender roles to music

  January 6, 2005

• Light and Loafers

  December 23, 2004

• Stagebeat

  Capsule reviews of current area stage shows.

  December 2, 2004

• In Search of the Elusive Boba

  December 2, 2004

• Songs of Innocence

  November 25, 2004

• Rent Time

  November 18, 2004

• Making a Hard Guy Soft at Café Martorano

  Photos by C. StilesIt's crazy that I've eaten my way through Fort Lauderdale on dates for nearly a half decade and never tried Café Martorano. That is, until a few weeks ago. But hey -- it's not easy to sucker many guys into shelling out a few pretty pennies for a meal far away from the Atlantic Avenue/Las Olas scene. So when I found my perfect pawn, an Italian boy who had just moved from Chicago and drives a Saab, I knew exactly where we were headed.But when he realized the resto was located i

  July 22, 2009

• Getting Wet at Le Tub

  Photo by Flickr user c00lmarieI don't think I'll ever forget the expression on my date's face when, in response to his request for a glass of water, our rough-around-the-edges waitress at Le Tub in Hollywood simply pointed to a big Igloo plastic cooler with a stack of flimsy plastic cups and said, "Get it yourself." Surely this was a far cry from the service he was used to receiving back home in Delray ("Would you like still or sparkling, sir?"), so kudos to him for just laughing off the shock o

  July 29, 2009

• Twisted Tongues at Trina

  Photo by Flickr user flibbertijibbetYou won't win Riki's heart with a tomato. ​I'll admit that I'm another one of those singletons who fell victim to I-wonder-whatever-happened-to-my-ex-maybe-I-should-look-him/her-up-on-Facebook stupidity. Yes, my friends, it was a big, gargantuan mistake. But I'm happy to report that at least I got a whopper of a learning experience, a few trips to Texas, and lots of good meals out of him (not the least of which was one of my most memorable dining experiences

  August 12, 2009

• Taking "The Dude" to Fort Lauderdale's Steak 954

  Dude, ever had an Australian Tajima Kobe Porterhouse?​For so many years -- I'm thinking ten, at least -- I've been able to avoid the dreaded blind date. But since I haven't been finding much quality on my own, I decided to make a public announcement to my buddies: "Line 'em up. I'm fix-up-able!" Inspired by my recent reading of The Surrendered Single, I refrained from providing a checklist of qualifications. All I said was, "Just let him be single, straight, and male from birth." Within a

  August 19, 2009

• Makin' the Cut 432 in Delray Beach

  Photo by Flickr user rebecca *This date deserved the LBD.​After a series of dates with random guys that started with "I dunno. Where do you wanna go for dinner?" it was refreshing for once to hear a man say, "Just look pretty. I'll take care of the plans." I did my part, putting on the LBD (that's Little Black Dress for those of you who are in a fashion void), platinum gladiator heels, and a full face of makeup. And, thankfully, my redheaded date also did his part, taking me to a great li

  August 26, 2009

• Doggie Bag: This Week in Charlie

  ​ Melted, fatty goodness was en vogue this week on Clean Plate Charlie. The above pic hailed from our post on the Big Bear Bistro Burger, New Times' best burger of 2009. Check out what else you missed this week on CPC below. The Meatist returns again this week to talk about the benefits of dry-aging beef.To orange or not to orange? Either way, I need a Witness.Have you started following local chef Ron Duprat on Top Chef Las Vegas yet? Catch up on what you missed in the first two episodes.Brett

  August 28, 2009

• A Jew and a Muslim Get Spicy at the Whole Foods Lifestyle Center Cooking Class

  Photos by Riki Altman​Traditional dinner dates started to get as boring to me as reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond, so I suggested that my Saturday-night matchup and I try something different. Hmmm, maybe a cooking class would be fun, I thought. Seemed a win-win to me; If he's a dud, at least I'll be entertained bantering with fellow classmates, and if he's not, then I'll get to explore his level of confidence in the kitchen. I always say there's nothing sexier than a man who knows his way aro

  September 2, 2009

• A French Kiss-Off at Sage in Hollywood

  ​I often go on blind dates with a great deal of reluctance, but since my matchmaker put the words "handsome," "tall," and "doctor" in the descriptive sales pitch, I was more than eager to go out with Bachelor No. 3. (Or is it Bachelor Number 8,635? I've lost count by now.) Knowing he was coming all the way up from Coconut Grove, I suggested Sage French Café & Oyster Bar, a quaint restaurant off Harrison Street in Downtown Hollywood. In true form, I showed up about 15 minutes late and

  September 16, 2009

• Stealing from the Restaurant: Morton's Medallions Al Forno

  Photo by Flickr user taminsea​I never claimed to be an awesome cook. I've got two knock-em-dead recipes in my repertoire -- meatloaf and chicken marsala -- but otherwise it's a crapshoot as to whether anything that comes out of my kitchen is even edible. But, alas, my new beau has wined and dined me for weeks now, and I've only reciprocated with pancakes from a mix, so I knew it was time to put out. With trepidation, I unwrapped the gorgeous new Morton's The Cookbook, provided gratis by t

  September 14, 2009

• Pairings, Celeb Chefs, and More Upcoming Events

  Jane, stop this crazy thing!​Earlier in the week, Riki Altman cooked up beef tenderloin medalions from the new Morton's The Cookbook: 100 Steahkhouse Recipes for Every Kitchen. You sampled the recipe, now you can head to Morton's in Coral Gables on September 23 for a signing by author Tyler Fields III, the VP of Wine and Spirits for the celebrated chain. Comers will get the chance to taste some of the other great recipes from the book as well as bid on auction items to benefit charity. Tickets

  September 16, 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

• True Love Bites at Gran Forno, but Can He Pass the Picky Eater Test?

  Hang on to your sporks, folks; I think I've met "the one" -- the mac to my cheese, the bangers to my mash, the nilla to my wafer. After decades of dating countless guys, some of whom possessed nothing more enticing than a penis and an appetite, I was just about to consider either joining a nunnery or enlisting in some obscure culinary school where I could bake the perfect man. (I initially thought a gingerbread version would suffice but then reconsidered after admitting it would be too temp

  October 7, 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

• The New Rules for Doing It Over Dinner -- Dating, That Is

  Photo by Flickr user pieeetrCoffee date: good. Breakfast date: fail.​This week's column is going to piss some people off and cause all kinds of debate, but frankly, I don't care. This whole dating thing has gotten way out of hand, and I'm going to lead a revolution. Yep, lil ol' me, the Love Bites gal, is going to detail how all my singletons out there can handle the whole who-pays-and-where-do-we-go dining and dating deal for 2009 and onward. Listen up.My ire was sparked when a friend shared

  October 21, 2009

• The Restaurant Gods Deliver on a Lantana Road Trip

  Photo by Flickr user junebug6467​Now that I've committed my heart to a non-foodie, it's really up to me to throw out the suggestions for where we eat. If it were up to him, we'd be eating pancakes for breakfast every day, grilled chicken for lunch, and a burrito every night for dinner. But recently, we left our selection up to the restaurant gods and were blessed.I felt like going for a little drive and insisted we bypass Boca and Delray in search of something less commercialized. So, on a whi

  November 4, 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

• 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