Many diners were distressed by the departure of Revolution 2029 from the Hollywood restaurant scene. But fans of former chef David Sloane now have a reason to celebrate: He’s turned up as executive chef at Dancing Bear (333 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-779-7374). Sloane’s inventive comfort-food recipes –…
Ah, the dreaded flat tire. Since ours is a wheeled society, flats are inevitable. You can only hope one doesn’t occur in a truly dangerous situation, like on a freeway in Los Angeles after dropping a friend off at the airport. That happened to me years ago, when I was…
It’s rare to come across a new restaurant that exudes Old Fort Lauderdale, but Tarpon Bend (200 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale, 954-523-3233) succeeds. The eatery, dedicated to deep-sea fishing and offering dishes like grouper fingers, crabcakes, and clam bakes, is owned by the Himmarshee Bar & Grille group. Despite…
Forget last year, when Pakistan and India were hurling nuclear threats at each other. This year, India is in. Bookstores are brimming with Indian literature — a trend that delights me, because I’m a big fan. Clothing designers are employing Indian fabrics, and DJs are spinning Indian synth-pop. Speaking of…
I have this good friend who has bad asthma, which is a shame, really, because in addition to being an avid weekend warrior, he’s also a hearty eater. Overeating can complicate an asthma attack, and apparently there’s no worse sensation, when you already feel like you’re suffocating, than being so…
November doesn’t just mark the end of the hurricane season; it’s also the high point of white truffle, or tartufo bianco, season. This highly prized mushroom, which grows underground in the hills of northern Italy, sells for about $1300 a pound. That’s some luxury item. Fortunately South Floridians can try…
Tucked away in a little corner of the Polo Club Shoppes shopping plaza, the Crepes & Piccolo Caffe (5030 Champion Blvd., #D3, Boca Raton, 5619977900) features a beautiful, hammered-copper bar and Old World brick walls. But the unstuccolike décor is hardly the only reason to visit the eatery. I have…
It’s usually the case that you don’t get nothin’ if you don’t give nothin’, and Rooney’s Public House (213 Clematis St., West Palm Beach, 5618337802) is proof. According to the Irish pub’s “Frequent Guest Appreciation Program,” if you buy eight lunches, you get the ninth free. Unfortunately the program doesn’t…
Vogue’s food critic Jeffrey Steingarten was angry a few months ago when his own magazine published the phone number of Balthazar, one of his favorite New York City restaurants. Until that time the number was unlisted and kept very close to the chests of devotees. In fact, the secret to…
I couldn’t help myself. I just had to follow tennis hottie Anna Kournikova, who’d bowed out of the U.S. Open with a leg injury, around Publix recently and see what she was putting in her cart. Although she was born in Russia, Kournikova lives and trains in South Florida. And…
Country clubs and bargains don’t usually go together. That’s why the Hillcrest Golf & Country Club’s restaurant, Montego’s (4600 Hillcrest Dr., Hollywood, 9549875000), is so unusual: A group of six can actually eat there for a total of about $40. Share two large pizzas, two pasta dishes, and two antipastos,…
Don’t give all the credit for the explosion of interest in Latin culture to pop artists like Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez. After all quite a few artists in South Florida have displayed crossover skills for years. Take chef Guillermo Veloso, who’s now working at Martha’s (6024 N. Ocean Dr.,…
Warning: This review has not yet been rated and may contain nudity and graphic language. Children are advised to read this review only under adult supervision. Either that or disregard it altogether — because minors aren’t allowed to enter the establishment. Why? Because Rachel’s, a steak house in West Palm…
Contrary to popular belief, First Frank of Delray (210 NE Second St., Delray Beach, 561-330-0022) wasn’t built on the site of a former bank. But this modern version of a hot dog stand, which includes a dining area with boardroom tables and highchairs for miniature frankfurter fans, takes full advantage…
To borrow a phrase from Martin Luther King, Jr. — and perhaps trivialize it just a bit — I have a dream. But my subconscious interlude isn’t about racial equality, or sexual equality, or any other kind of political correctness. My dream is about dining. I have a dream that…
A lawyer in Miami-Dade is suing some clubs for gender discrimination — he believes ladies’ nights, where women drink for free, exclude men. He’d have a field day in Broward County, where not only can women imbibe on the house in certain establishments, they can also dine without spending a…
A restaurant must meet only one requirement in order to qualify for the title of “neighborhood restaurant” — it has to match said neighborhood. That means the fare should appeal to the locals, the décor should neither disgust nor intimidate them, and the prices should be geared to reflect their…
If you ever wanted to get a handle on the character of Boca Raton, just head over to Bagel City South (6006 SW 18th St., Boca Raton, 5613935383). It’s not the century-old bagel recipe, the mild Nova Scotia salmon, or the chopped liver that this busy deli offers that will…
I was ordering the house wine in a small outdoor café in Pátzcuaro, Mexico, where I was attending a writers’ conference, when I felt a hand on my arm. “Don’t do it,” a colleague warned, shaking his head. “You won’t like it.” Of course Mexico isn’t known for its vintages…
I’ve always wondered about the “power” in “power smoothie.” Does such a drink really give you a boost for your workout? I experimented at Power Smoothie (330 Clematis St., West Palm Beach, 5618209100), where the namesake concoction contains — in addition to strawberries, bananas, and sugar cane juice — more…
I don’t like surprises. In fact, I despise them. I can’t stand not knowing something that other people know; whatever the secret is, I have a pathological need to be informed. I read the ends of mysteries before the beginnings. I got an ultrasound to determine the sex of my…
Looks like Mama Leone’s left a note on the door, saying, “Sonny moved down to Davie.” The yang to Mama Leone’s yin, Papa Leone’s (8922 Pine Ridge Plaza, Davie, 9544758877) takes the pizza recipe from the original New York tourist trap — of Billy Joel’s “Anthony’s Song” fame — and…
