Kevin McCarthy, former head of Armadillo Cafe and the new chef at M Bar, chatted with Clean Plate Charlie about what he’s planning for the Las Olas restaurant.  Clean Plate Charlie: What have you been up to since you decided to close Armadillo Cafe in 2009?McCarthy: I’ve been working on a bunch…

​Calling all strippers…and managers, bartenders, servers, hosts, cooks, dishwashers, DJ’s, marketing peeps, and makeup artists.  Meet Robert DeNiro, Carmen Electra, and Hugh Hefner with his bunnies at the re-opening of Cheetah Night Club. This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. stop by the massive job fair at 100 Ansin…

Former New York Times food critic Frank Bruni sides with Paula Deen on the op-ed page in the aftermath of Anthony Bourdain’s calling Deen “the most dangerous person to America” for “telling an already obese nation it’s ok to eat food that is killing us.””Ill-timed elitism” is what he calls it,…

Nacho Bizness is down for the count. “The mystery van is not looking good,” the taco truck posted on today’s Twitter feed. “Back in the shop. No lunch or dinner today. Anyone got a deal on a new van?”Owner Aaron Byers says they’ll be up and running as soon as…

A food writer friend used to talk of weeknight joints: local hangouts Sunday to Thursday, yet come Friday, overcrowded with weekend warriors, stilletto’d 20 somethings, touristas, and neighborhood folks. Some people love a scene. When service, food, and space is compromised, it’s not my thing. Himmarshee Bar & Grille is…

Tricia & Johanna: Yelpers – watch more funny videos Among my favorite links today is one brought to my attention by our colleagues over at LA Weekly. Behold Fuck You Yelper, the Tumblr dedicated to collecting jackass comments on Yelp. The company’s rendition of online democracy is great in theory…

Charismatic sushi chef and scenester Takeshi Kamioka will unveil his new restaurant in Wilton Manors this Thursday: Gaysha New World Sushi, an ambitious project that’s a fusion of style and sustenance. Thursday night marks the christening, with DJ Mikey from Radio-Active Records spinning…

It’s 8 a.m. at The Dandee Donut Factory on Atlantic Boulevard in Pompano. Under a brown-striped awning, groups of old guys in shorts and running  shoes sip coffee and eat breakfast sandwiches. Bougainvilla punctuates the parking lot, spilling over a divider. The factory sign juts into the sky, competing with…

I went to Rosie’s for Sunday brunch and sat at the bar, intending to read the Sunday Times. Instead, distracted by a four on the floor playlist, I fell into conversation with the guy next to me. “What should I order?” I asked, noting he’s a regular. Though I had…

Perhaps there’s a more salacious reason some fancy restaurants keep white tablecloths rather than modern-up with minimalist decor: sex in restaurants, reports today’s New York Post. Sex in public is so very New York since according to Joseph Couture, author of “Peek: Inside the Public World of Private Sex,” “restaurant…

I tend to like open kitchens since I often eat out solo and embrace the role of restaurant voyeur. In DC, open kitchens were de rigueur while here, I’ve noticed fewer. If they’re open, it’s only partially so. A colleague suggests the reason I’m not seeing so many open kitchens…

I’d been looking forward to reading Jamie Long’s review of Luigi’s Coal Oven Pizza this week, since, like many of you, I’m passionate about my pizza. Growing up in Jersey and doing time in New York, it’s hard not to geek out on pizza in the country’s pizza epicenter.Coal oven…

Susan Phipps was in an Atlanta cheese shop a year ago when she became inspired. “Cheese was stacked from floor to ceiling. My jaw dropped. I couldn’t speak for several minutes.” Phipps decided to open her own place. Cheese Culture will have a soft opening this weekend. It will offer…

Eater National gives a heads up that Men’s Health wants readers to help decide “the manliest restaurants in America” among 45 nominated around the country. Manly is one of my least favorite words since- like flavorful and healthful-it’s kinda vague. Our trusty dictionary tells us it means having qualities traditionally ascribed…

​​Though I’ve been eating around south Florida with abandon,  I’ve only had a handful of desserts: oreo gelato at D’Angelo, a slice of cheesecake at Dig, and a delicious biscuit topped with homemade whipped cream and mangoes at O-B House. I enjoyed all three for different reasons, but I must confess:…

I’m not talking about what you might come across in a deli like Lox Haven, though what I’m looking for is certainly a cousin. Served with a side of spicy relish and mild Jalapeno Tabasco, the dish in question is the ice cream scoop that’s made with smoked kingfish, mahi mahi,…

I’m struck by how depressing Chipotle’s employment campaign is. Opportunity is a lonely fast food burrito – for which we can’t even see the food? It’s so sad sack it reminds me of a scene in American Splendor in which Harvey Pekar wears a frown and slumps through garage sales,…