Of course it’s been a burning question: Now that restrictions and trade boycotts stemming from the 1979 hostage crisis have been lifted, where exactly can you get Persian caviar? Turns out it’s easy. For fish eggs and all your other imported Middle Eastern food needs — Turkish coffee, Israeli couscous,…
If I could sum up the newly opened Tarpon Bend in Weston with one onomatopoeic word, it would be a no-brainer: burp. And that’s not because the food at this month-old eatery is indigestion-inducing, though items like the Jamaican-style conch fritters, which were more like conch patties, needed a wrap…
Perhaps the last thing you’d expect to see next to a coffeehouse might be a Bounce House — you know, the puffy plastic piece of playground equipment that kids like to jump up and down in. But Cheryl Chamely, proprietor of the Trinidadian coffee shop Café Juvay (9395 W. Sample…
The politicians and the service staff in South Florida seem to have one terrible habit in common: blind endorsement. In both cases, the perennial bluff has gotten so bad that it’s impossible to believe a recommendation that either makes. Local politicos no doubt can speak for themselves — or have…
If you need more proof that Broward County’s demographics have become increasingly South American, head to La Bodega (3800 N. University Dr., Sunrise, 954-741-2626). This family-oriented Peruvian grill and market provides a whole rotisserie chicken with French fries, salad, and Inca cola for $8.99. But this clean, quick-service eatery has…
The flamenco guitarist stands on a small podium between sidewalk tables at Café del Mar. The fingernails on his right hand resemble Lee Press-Ons, thanks to a talon-sharp file and a bottle of clear nail polish, and he uses them to pick complicated patterns while alternately holding the instrument over…
Take Lox Haven (5715 Margate Blvd., Margate, 954-977-7300) at its word. This Jewish grocery store is a veritable treasure chest — or ice chest — of smoked, pickled, and cured fish. Lake Michigan whitefish, kippered salmon, hand-cut sable, Nova Scotia salmon, and a terrific assortment of herring beckon those who…
No doubt it was a fluke that during a random sampling, the Food and Drug Administration found salmonella bacteria in some cumin packaged by Miami-based American Spice Co. Probably it was coincidence I came down with a stomach malady the same evening a batch of the spice was recalled from…
So you think your kids can cook. Now’s the time to prove it. The Children’s Home Society of Florida is sponsoring the Caring Chefs for Kids Recipe Contest. From September 1 to November 1, children ages 5 to 15 are eligible to enter in three categories: main course (chef); side…
“Jaboticaba.” Johnny Vinczencz says the word as if he’s chewing it, standing in what can only be described as Delray Beach’s singular tropical Eden. “Jaboticaba.” Or, perhaps he says it as if he’s getting used to uttering it. The latter’s probably the more apropos metaphor, since he’s now picking that…
Of the dozen or so definitions for jerk in the dictionary, only one concerns me. OK, I lied. Actually, three kinds of jerks have captured my attention: the jerk chicken, jerk pork, and jerk fish that will be available and in abundance September 1 from noon until 8 p.m. That’s…
At the risk of sounding like a food snob, I too often find German cuisine in South Florida to be akin to writer’s block: a big, empty space where creativity and inspiration should be. It’s as if our local German-American chefs and restaurateurs invest both hearts and stomachs in dour,…
Of all the species of restaurants in the world, the steak house is no doubt the most universal. Nearly every dominant culture that morphed from hunting to herding — Italian, Japanese, Brazilian — has a themed place for steak. And each gives a simple piece of meat its own distinctive…
Sure, it’s still summer, but football fanatics have been officially inducted for the season. That’s right, Monday Night Football has been launched, and the question of the year already has been posed. No, it’s not Will the Dolphins make the playoffs?, or even, What the hell happened to Dennis Miller?…
The Little Asia Market (1756 N. University Dr., Pembroke Pines, 954-437-1666) is the answer to why everyone should frequent Indian grocery stores. This shop carries a familiar-exotic ethnic mix of Indian-Pakistani groceries, compact discs, tapes, videos, and other cultural, hard-to-find necessities for the local community, which looks to be burgeoning…
The campaign in Portugal is on: convince the wine-drinking world that natural cork is the only renewable resource appropriate to stop up a bottle of vino. Portuguese cork harvesters (yes, it really does come from trees) and cork-stopper manufacturers have banded together to enforce industrywide standards that will ensure a…
Sure, it’s about nine months away, set to take place on March 21-23 in 2003. But right now you can whet your appetite for Boca Bacchanal, Boca Raton Historical Society’s first annual winefest and auction to benefit children’s charities in Boca Raton. The Website — www.bocabacchanal.com — is up and…
Funny how many elephants were in the restaurant the night I dined at the six-week-old “Thai Kitchen & Sushi Bar” Galanga in Wilton Manors. You know the kind. They’re really obvious — trunks, tusks, and all — but no one seems to notice them. Either that or the pachyderms are…
Exotic Bites (1842 S. Young Cir., Hollywood, 954-921-6667) might not be as ethnically outlandish as it implies — after all, the majority of diners are now familiar with Middle Eastern delicacies such as falafel, tabbouleh, gyros, and kebabs. But the little storefront eatery, which has a couple of outside tables…
You know an area is heating up when Nation’s Restaurant News highlights it. This past week, Delray Beach was pinpointed as a palate-singeing zone. Of the five restaurants mentioned in the “What’s Hot In” column, three are relatively new: Sopra, Aura, and De la Tierra at Sundy House (106 S…
The Broadwalk Cafe (1400 N. Surf Rd., Hollywood, 954-922-0322) is true to its name, offering a broad selection of beachside fare: Greek salads to Spanish omelets to Belgian waffles to Philly cheese steaks. But its tastiest and most value-oriented item just might be its pizza. A slice of the New…
I’ve been bothered ever since I read Al Martinez’s essay, “Confessions of an Ice Cream Fanatic,” published in the August 2000 issue of Gourmet magazine. At first, I couldn’t pinpoint the source of my distaste, but after two years of reflecting on the article’s thesis — that the “Statue of…
