If there’s one thing the six-month-old Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa offers, it’s a dizzying number of choices. First, you must decide between pulling into the valet station or self-parking in the lot across the street, then taking the second-story pedestrian bridge over to the hotel. Then you have to…
They may not cure the common cold, but the new Indian menu items at Legal Sea Foods (various locations in Broward and Palm Beach counties) purportedly have “Ayurvedic” (health-promoting) properties. Calling the campaign “Spices of Life: Legal Sea Foods Exploring India’s Cuisine and Ayurvedic Influences,” Legal CEO Roger Berkowitz unveiled…
And the slump is on. Two old-time eateries have fallen into the sinkhole we call our local economy: The 26-year-old Left Bank closed June 3, and the 18-year-old Burt & Jack’s served its last supper June 29. September 11, natch, is being blamed for the exits, particularly in the case…
Betrothed relatives and dear friends, please take note: I will not review the food at your weddings. Not even in jest. I will give whatever hotelier, restaurant, or caterer you hire my highest accolades. I will praise your decision to serve chicken over pork and vigorously applaud whatever version of…
Wine enthusiasts who can’t afford to travel to the food and wine festivals this summer can take heart. The two-week-old Florida Tap Room Restaurant & Bar (515 Seabreeze Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-779-3008) — former address of Fins Dockside — offers an expertly chosen wine list that features popular vineyards’ second…
Mexico wants you to know: It’s not all about the Corona. At the recent Food & Wine Magazine Classic at Aspen, the country sponsored a media luncheon titled “A Sublime Feast.” The purpose was to “introduce” members of the press and restaurant industry to both the elements of Mexico’s cuisine…
I always find it gratifying when a breakfast/lunch eatery attracts enough of a following to extend its hours. Such is the case with Talula’s Cafe & Tea Room (3045 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale, 954-567-0556). At least, sort of. The modest, homey café doesn’t serve supper nightly, but it is…
It’s easy to get the wrong idea about the Falcon House. A drive by this four-month-old restaurant, located in a Delray Beach house built in 1925 for a wealthy attorney, offers a view of typical old South Florida restoration: muted taupe colors with a brighter turquoise trim; Spanish-tile roof; tropical…
People are often surprised to hear that I don’t know where every chef in the tri-county area goes when he leaves his current post. Yes, my radar is out there, and it’s always on. But I’m not psychic. Usually the reason I do know where some beloved toque has absconded…
Small-business restaurateurs, listen up: I have discovered the key to success. Forget about offering value for money or supplying a hitherto-overlooked cultural demand or even trying to please your regular customers. If you really want to make a go of your culinary foray, all you have to do is paint…
Where on earth has New World cuisine gone? A decade ago, it was the up-and-comer, the regional fusion fare set to kick Southwestern’s spicy, sassy ass. Diners could stuff themselves from Café Marquesa and Louie’s Backyard in Key West to Café Arugula and Darrel & Oliver’s Café Maxx in Pompano…
Just what is the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), why is it hosting a Wild Alaskan Sustainable Cooking Class at the Whole Foods Market (1400 B Glades Rd., Boca Raton, 561-447-0000), and why are we so excited about this event? It’s not that we’re ignorant about guilt-free eating. The MSC is…
Are we ready for this? Sure, we’ve all gotten used to the fact that the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa would shape up the area tourist-wise; the two years of construction and $800 million spent gave us plenty of clues, not to mention time to adjust. But Hollywood and Hallandale…
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from a decade on the culinary circuit, it is that restaurants named for and themed around an entirely fictitious-slash-lovable character, complete with fake bio written on the back of the menu, don’t generally offer much of value to anyone who enjoys a decent meal…
What’s the difference between intention and execution? At the six-month-old Harbor Grille, it’s a corkscrew. The 450-seat Harbor Grille, overlooking the water in a pleasant boating community of Dania Beach, is a remake of the former happy-hour staple and local, decades-old landmark Tugboat Annie’s. The eatery now has four bars…
This summer, it’s all about the numbers. And no, I’m not talking about blockbuster movies along the lines of Spider-Man. Rather, I’m all for saving some bucks, Henry’s (16850 Jog Rd., Delray Beach, 561-638-1949) style. For instance, take the summer dinner special. For a prix fixe of $16.95 to $18.95,…
If you have the same philosophy that I do, then one is never enough. And apparently Giorgio Bakatsias and Peter Tsialiamanis, co-owners of Taverna Opa in Hollywood, agree with my personal credo: They’ve opened a second location of Taverna Opa (3051 NE 32nd Ave., Fort Lauderdale, 954-567-1630). The 8000-square-foot, 350-seat…
Steve Martorano, it’s fair to say, is not a patient man. If you call him during the day, the chef-owner of Café Martorano in Fort Lauderdale won’t even answer the phone, since he doesn’t take reservations. If by some miracle he does pick up, he’ll probably be curt, limiting your…
What makes Jack’s Bar-B-Q Smokehouse (500 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-567-9595) different from all the other barbecue joints that have opened recently? The easy answer would be the drive-thru. Open Thursday-Sunday till 2 a.m., the don’t-have-to-leave-the-car-and-risk-stumbling lane is the ideal option for those late-night folks who just can’t…
Restaurant critics are often faced with a conflict of interest: We stumble on these great, unknown, hole-in-the-wall eateries that we’d like to keep for ourselves and the few loyal customers they’ve already won. But such finds are too good for anonymity, so we write sterling reviews about them and publicize…
Make no mistake: Two Street Coffee Garage (209 SW Second Ave., Fort Lauderdale, 954-523-7191) ain’t your average mechanic’s hangout. But the brightly colored armchairs in this small, cozy coffeehouse are a good place to park yourself when you’ve had enough of Himmarshee Village nightlife or if you need a charge…
At first glance, it might appear that aside from a fondness for serving beef, Angelo and Maxie’s Steakhouse in West Palm Beach and Tusk Steakhouse in Fort Lauderdale don’t have much in common. And why should they? After all, Angelo and Maxie’s is owned by Chart House Enterprises, which bought…
