Four top toques, including the latest gastronomaestro to pull up to the stove in our fair city, will demo and dish the fruits (and meats and produce) of their culinary labors to celebrate the ninth anniversary and reopened Lifestyle Center of the Fort Lauderdale Whole Foods Market.Mark Militello, now chef…
It’s hot out. Like standing sweat, hair-matted-down, ass-stuck-to-the-seat hot. And thanks to the six months of virtual summer we get around here, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be relenting anytime soon. When it’s this hot out, all you want to do is sit inside with a cold drink…
Dark rum, like dark beer, is something of a grey area: how dark is dark? Just as there are acres of difference between, say, a dark lager and an imperial stout, many bottles of rum wearing the ‘dark’ label are merely not light. That won’t suffice for this quick jaunt…
South Florida’s own Michelle Bernstein made an appearance as guest judge on Top Chef last night in what turned out to be an interesting episode. The program may have also revealed a little bit of a chef rivalry between Miami-based chef-testant Andrea Curto Randazzo and Bernstein herself.It all started with…
Jamie, chef/owner of underground restaurant Squat-N-Gobble, appeared Wednesday and Thursday morning on the Paul and Young Ron Show. The show brought me on a few weeks ago to talk about the phenomenon of rogue restaurants after I wrote this article.For the unfamiliar, a rogue restaurant is a word-of-mouth eatery typically…
One of my friends — we’ll call him the esteemed Dr. Niles — recently posted a question on Facebook that had a bunch of people talking. The question goes, “your ideal hamburger… what’s on it? how’s it cooked? bun type?… go!!”Naturally, few can resist this type of inquiry. What is…
The place: Bahia Cabana, 3001 Harbor Drive (A1A) Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-524-1555.The hours: Three, count ’em — three happy hours a day. 7 to 11 a.m., 4 to 7 p.m., and after 10 p.m.The deal: During the morning and afternoon shifts, all drinks are a dollar off. Two-for-one piña coladas and…
“OK, Mister Tight-With-a-Buck,” I hear you ask. “What’s the cheapest wine you know of that doesn’t suck?” So maybe you didn’t really ask. But I’ll tell you anyway. It’s the nonvintage Rene Barbier Mediterranean Red and White. I’ve already touted Barbier’s white wine — a blend of Xarello, Macabeo, and…
To see more photos from Via Luna click here. In the movie version, our waiter would be played by Kevin James or some other likable funnyman. He made quick small talk that always ended with a punch line. He stopped by just when you needed him, not before. And his…
The former home to Smith & Jones on Las Olas won’t sit empty long. A third location of Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar will open in the spot this fall.Rocco Mangel, who co-owns the two other Rocco’s Tacos with the Big Time Restaurant Group, said he has been negotiating the…
This week in Dish, we review Via Luna, the high-end Italian joint in the Ritz-Carlton on Fort Lauderdale beach. Via Luna replaced the much-loved Cero after the Ritz bought the place. The hotel chain brought in a classically trained chef, which sounds promising, but saddled him with an Italian menu…
September 16 is like a holy day for beer nerds across the U.S. That’s the start of the Great American Beer Festival, held annually in Denver. Each year at the fest, more than 500 brewers from across the nation gather to share, sample, and compete for top honors in the…
The life of a restaurant critic isn’t always healthy. And lately, I’ve been feeling the effects of a rather luxurious diet. A couple of weeks ago, I came down with a case of food poisoning so severe it knocked me flat out for four days. And just a week before…
Since the closing of Smith & Jones last weekend, those who worked in the kitchen and those who paid the bills are trying to figure out who’s to blame for the restaurant’s failure.In an article posted here Monday, sous chef Ted Inserra blamed a steep Las Olas overhead and a…
The Village at Gulfstream Park, a massive, billion-dollar outdoor shopping mall adjoined to the Gulfstream Race Track, is struggling in the summer heat, at least according to this article from the Sun-Sentinel. The story, which cites intense heat and the economy as contributing factors in the mall’s troubles, comes hot…
There was a time when exotic beer didn’t enjoy the cachet it does today and instead was classified as downright weird. Folks were prepared to accept the division of lagers/ales/porters and stouts), but anything escaping those boundaries was unacceptable. Fruity beers existed, but you had to go to a fancy…
The deal: This long-standing restaurant serves Tex-Mex-inspired dishes in a quaint setting that looks like a Mexican cottage. It’s named after a classic Mexican tune played by Mariachi bands and not the famous Los Angeles restaurant. The Lighthouse Point location is now closed, but this Cielito Lindo on 44th St…
Here’s a clue — this shot was taken at a restaurant located in a strip mall. Does that narrow it down a bit? It’s in Broward County. From the photo, it’s pretty obvious what kind of food is served here. Click on the jump to see a larger image. …
When is a hot dog a haute dog? When it’s a Snake River Farms Kobe hot dog, that’s when. This ain’t your granddaddy’s tube of vigorously emulsified petroleum binding polymers but a big, thick cylinder of rich and meaty-tasting beef. Now, Kobe beef has been the recipient of more hype…
We understand that eating meat is one of the badder things you can do for the planet, what with trees being cut to make way for pastures, cows chewing cud where soybeans could otherwise flourish, and heifer poop emitting methane into the air. While Mama and I haven’t exactly committed…
Smith & Jones, the second restaurant on Las Olas opened by venerable Chef Johnny Vinczencz, closed its doors for good after dinner Saturday night. The comfort-food restaurant started a bit rough for Vinczencz, earning a fairly scathing review here at New Times. Our article from January 2009 said the place…
Chain sushi joint RA Sushi has long been an active contributor to charity organizations. It’s annual Nicky’s Week event held in early June each year has raised more than $700,000 for the St. Jude Research Children’s Hospital. And tomorrow, its inaugural “Roll ‘N With RA” sushi contest held at the…
