There’s no way you’re eating brains,” my vegetarian fiancée said in a sterner voice than I’ve heard from her in a while. The look on her face told me argument was futile — not unless I was willing to sleep on the couch for the immediate future. And just like…

And according to Zagat, the best food in Broward is at…..LaSpada’s Hoagies. Yep, a sub shop beat out Eduardo de San Angel, Casa d’ Angelo, La Brochette, and Canyon for the honors of top food rating in Broward County. Surely, that’s a sign of the times.Of course, if it had…

The question was raised for me after checking out Pakistani restaurant Usmania, which we reviewed this week. Usmania serves a dish called brain masala, a karahi-cooked curry made from the cerebral matter of goats. In the review, I mention my fiancee was adamant I not eat this dish. But I…

• A new book In a Cheesemaker’s Kitchen by Allison Hooper takes cheesy tales from chefs like Eric Ripert and Mireille Guiliano and gives them room to breathe. Why? Because almost everyone has a personal story about the funky stuff. Hooper, founder of Vermont Butter and Cheese Co., will be…

You can try a lot of unique ethnic dishes at Usmania Pakistani Restaurant in Plantation, the subject of this week’s dish review. One of my favorites was nihari, a spicy stew filled with shredded beef shank. You squirt lemon on the thick stew and scoop it up in swaths with…

What attracted me to 2-year-old Soba Sushi Lounge in Mizner Park is that its menu is unlike those at your average sushi joint. On it, you’ll find rainbow rolls, sashimi, and sushi platters; gyoza, miso soup, agedashi tofu, and ginger/miso-drenched salads. But you’ll also find quail’s eggs topped with caviar,…

There’s a moment in each restaurant meal when you’re forced to decide if what you are doing with your life is in fact enjoyable. It happened for me at Satoro Restaurant and Lounge while I was eating a slice of Mediterranean flatbread pizza that I did not order. A female…

Raw food continues to grow in popularity, even though its South Florida contingent is small. But Green Wave Cafe, a Plantation kitchen and organic market that serves raw, vegan lunches, may change that. Chef Lisa Valle takes wholesome, organic produce and creates a small menu that changes daily. Grab a…

It’s impossible to know whom I’m surrounded by. There are likely real estate magnates, local politicos, social sceners, and their hangers-on. They look like Palm Beach’s version of Dynasty, complete with well-dressed skeletons taking tea in closets bigger than your house. Here they are at Michelle Bernstein’s at the Omphoy,…

• Says a Boca Raton friend to me a few weeks ago: “There are no good hot dog places in Boca Raton!” Not so now, as Hot Dog-Opolis opened on November 16 at 6020 N. Federal Highway. The hut slings Chicago-style weiners made with Vienna Beef in a plethora of…

This week in Dish we take a closer look at the newest restaurant from Miami’s own James Beard magnet, Michelle Bernstein. Michelle Bernstein’s at the Omphoy is the Latin-Jewish chef’s Palm Beach answer to Michy’s; a restaurant that showcases the best of Bernstein’s simple, soul-drenched cookery. The review is now…

Has the holiday season crept up on you so fast you’ve barely had time to take your Halloween decorations down, let alone plan for Turkey Day? It’s cool. (Please get rid of that pumpkin, though, it’s scaring the neighbors.) Here’s a couple last minute Thanksgiving ideas to help make your…

Let’s do the numbers:Regulate this: Antinori’s Neprica is a blend for the ages.Vietnamese grub has arrived in Coral SpringsBash Wine Cafe gets the review treatment this week, and comes out strong with economical comfort food.Lots of new arrivals this season: Atlantique hits Delray and French Quarter opens in Pompano.Riki springs…

Food & Wine showcased their 10 Best Restaurant Dishes under $12 in this issue, and — wouldn’t you know it — none are from Florida. It’s getting to be a pretty common occurrence when America’s Dangling Unit gets left off any of these glossy mag “best” lists. But that doesn’t…

• The space that once housed Broward’s Best New Restaurant is now a sports bar. Mugs Bar & Grill has taken over where Christine’s used to operate on Oakland Park Boulevard. At one time, Christine’s doled out contemporary American food to the sound of sultry jazz music. Now you can…

I’m a sucker for pate — I’ll eat any sort of meat blended into a paste and cured. It started when I was a maybe 10-years-old. My parents would buy Oscar Mayer Liverwurst (yes, there’s such a thing) and spread it on butter crackers. I must’ve ate six tubes of…

The only unfortunate thing about this Broward version of the Miami Lakes eatery is the location: Hidden away in a corner of a mostly vacant retail complex, Green Papaya is almost impossible to see from busy Atlantic Boulevard. But the wafting smell of simmering pho will command you to stay…

Bash Wine Café is holed up like a dark cave in a drab suburban strip mall in Sunrise, a location born of frugality for owners Nikki Pettineo and Veronica Lopez. A Johnson & Wales grad, Pettineo had lucked into a job as private chef for former Miami Dolphins safety Renaldo…