I’ll never forget the genuinely baffled look on my mother-in-law’s face when the proprietors of a northern Chinese restaurant in North Miami Beach handed her a rather large ceramic Buddha as a souvenir. Here she’d been busy complimenting the folks, as is her métier, but I doubt she was expecting…
In the restaurant biz, passing your first anniversary means you have a chance of making it. Going ’round for another year? You’re obviously doing something right. Three times for the hat trick? Kudos, congrats, hooray. But if you ask Tony Sindaco, chef-proprietor of Sunfish Grill (2771 E. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano…
As we say down here in the subtropics, “The lime doesn’t fall far from the tree.” At least, it doesn’t if we’re talking about Key limes and the Key Lime Tree (95231 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo, 305-853-0378, and 105690 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo, 305-453-1717). These kitschy little shops down in…
My husband insists that, good or bad, I always get what I deserve. Which is why, when I got stopped at the metal detector before entering the courthouse for jury duty, he found it hysterical. Apparently, the security guards thought I had a pocketknife stashed in my purse, and I…
Talk about getting the support of your hometown. Las Palmas (1318 N. Ocean Dr., Hollywood, 954-929-0550), the latest restaurant to join the party that has begun to spread along the formerly Taverna Opa-dominated Intracoastal coastline like ouzo on fire, opened with a number of political ribbon-cutters on hand, including Hollywood…
I suppose I should have expected the question sooner or later. This was the third time I’d taken out a certain couple for dinner and the third time we found ourselves to be the only party in a restaurant I was about to review. “Is it us?” they wanted to…
When you’re seated at the five-month-old French restaurant Le Rescatore, you’re handed a menu, a wine list, and a review from the Boca Point Viewpoint, a community newspaper, lovingly encased in plastic. Presumably, you’re supposed to read it and be impressed by its favorable content. But most likely, before you…
“Jumbo shrimp” is a favorite oxymoron. I’ve got another doozy: “New classics.” You know, things like steak au poivre, a New York strip sirloin steak topped with a five-peppercorn cognac cream sauce; filet Oskar, a tenderloin topped with jumbo lump crabmeat, fresh asparagus, and béarnaise sauce; sliced sirloin served with…
Soul Food 2Go (5102 S. State Rd. 7, Hollywood, 954-587-1616) has the right idea: Find a niche and fill it. This take-out joint, which does have a half-dozen picnic tables for those of us who just can’t seem to wait, is already popular with locals, who would probably agree that…
In the more remote corners of Peru, restaurateurs are going to great lengths to win regular customers: They’re requiring the female cooks to practice encantes — culinary spell-castings. These bewitchings aren’t the white-witch, nose-wrinkling sort Samantha Stevens made famous, either. In fact, they’re sort of stomach-turning, not to mention appallingly…
It’s no secret that buffets are big down here. We’ve got Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Southern country-style fare, soup-‘n’-salad. And they’re all competitive in terms of price points (below $15 per person) and items (in the 200 range). So what’s to distinguish the 70-foot-long buffet at Old Boston Seafood Company (5353…
Take note: The Original Fat Cat’s Bar & Grill is actually a copycat. Of course, mimicry is the highest form of flattery, and that’s what Gen-X proprietors Scott Kurland (30 years old) and Dan Kurland (26 years old) intended — an homage to a popular sandwich shop near Rutgers University…
The Website for Starr Organic Produce Inc. (P.O. Box 551745, Fort Lauderdale, 888-262-1242, www.starorganic.com) is emphatic: “We cannot ship to Alaska, Hawaii, or California!” Well, pity those three states, because the rest of us get to enjoy avocados, papayas, tangelos, limes, and pink or red grapefruits, all of which have…
I swear, I will never understand why some restaurants highlight their weaknesses instead of their strengths. Even for the sake of mass appeal. Take the three-month-old Bulgari Ristorante in Hollywood. Just off the I-95 ramps on Hollywood Boulevard, the place bills itself as Italian and Mediterranean. Many consumers will obviously…
Brazil has made an impact on American culture — consider the rising popularity of soccer and the Brazilian bikini. Now the new Brazilian eatery/take-away Kybom (1831 E. Sample Rd., Pompano Beach, 954-782-7553) is introducing another product from that country: pizzas brasileiras. Of course, you can order favorites from the boot,…
Yucatan Mexican Grill
I don’t often go to fish markets expecting to buy Japanese bread crumbs. But hey, if the panko’s there, as it is at the Islamorada Fish Company Retail Market (220 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, 954-927-7737), I’ll take it. After all, the coarsely ground crumbs are ideal for coating the…
Dining out and being politically correct hardly go hand-in-hand. Not that I don’t try. But really, am I expected to forgo the shark’s fin soup when I visit an authentic Chinese restaurant simply because the fishermen are cruel enough to cut the fin off and return the shark to the…
OK, so you don’t trust the local critics enough to give you an idea of what exactly a restaurant offers. Don’t worry. I won’t be insulted if you consult the Florida Menu Guide Website (www.FloridaMenuGuide.com). In fact, I encourage it. Not only can you log on to read about 35,000…
Chefs and restaurateurs tend to prepare for Saturday nights as carefully as brides primp for their weddings. They check and double-check food deliveries for quantity and quality. They prep the hostess on who and what to expect. They make sure the best servers are on shift for that evening. On…
Don’t be fooled by the emptiness of Avila’s (1823 E. Sample Rd., Lighthouse Point, 954-942-7700). The deli case in the front might have nothing in it. The two scarred table-and-chair sets might have no one sitting at them. The tortillería might have no guacamole, depending upon avocado season. But you…
An unwritten rule about dining out: Don’t eat in an otherwise empty restaurant. Chances are, there’s good reason your party is the only one. Of course, my job doesn’t allow me the luxury of bolting when I’m surrounded by empty tables. As a result, I sometimes have the unpleasant experience…
