Between Miami Spice and the endless end-of-summer happy hours, August is heaven for South Florida foodies. But with the vast array of choices within this paradise for gluttons, a task as simple as choosing where to go on any night can become overwhelming. So, how do you choose? Well, I’ll…
Pictured: Cheddar and roasted jalapeno burger with rosemary garlic home fries. Burger: Fresh ground round. Salt and pepper crusted. Grilled medium rare. Melted aged Vermont white cheddar.Bun: Whole wheat kaiser, grill toasted on the cut side.Toppings: Whole jalapenos, grilled, skinned, and seeded. Chopped fine. Campari tomatoes, sliced. Mayonnaise.Fries: Red potatoes,…
Summer is here, and apparently that means its time to get loaded on wine, scotch, and beer pairings. Check out these events taking place over the next week, and bring an extra liver, if you can.• Himmarshee Bar & Grille is teaming up with B.R. Cohn Winery for a four course…
Unrepentant beer drinkers, rejoice! Each week, Clean Plate Charlie will select one craft or import beer and give you the lowdown on it: How does it taste? What should you drink it with? Where can you find it? But mostly, it’s all about the love of the brew. If you…
One thing I can’t stand is having extra ingredients go bad in my fridge. Last week, I was in Oriental Square, a Chinese Market in my neck of the woods that has amazing deals on produce. I buy all types of fresh vegetables and herbs there: they have the best…
“This is an aggressive beer. You probably won’t like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to safer and more familiar territory — maybe something with a…
One of the great things about BX Beer Depot is that it’s more than just a place to find a wide selection of craft beer for sale. It’s also a destination for like-minded guys and gals to gather and discuss brews: what they like, what they don’t like, and what…
My favorite thing about The Lodge, a bar that serves a wide selection of craft beer in Boca Raton, is watching people get converted. On a recent visit, a pack of college kids from up the block at FAU swarmed in and grabbed seats next to us at the bar…
The world of wine speaks a language all its own. Urdu, mostly. With a soupcon of bullshit and a faint whiff of pretension. So in keeping with Clean Plate Charlie’s commitment to calling a spade a goddamned shovel, he presents this modest glossary of wine terms for your amusement, edification,…
Who says your weekend needs to end on Sundays? On Monday, LaBORatory Nights will bring their monthly tradition to Sage Bistro and Oyster Bar in Hollywood for an evening of wine and conversation. LaBORatory Nights is an 18-year-old tradition started in Miami, meant to bring together both cultivated and aspiring…
If you’re not a subscriber to our weekly Café Bites dining newsletter for Broward and Palm Beach counties, here’s a taste of what you missed this week. Click here to subscribe. Fort Lauderdale isn’t exactly the most dog-friendly city, so any time the rules relax enough for locals to bring…
Months after it first kicked off, Angelo & Maxie’s Thursday night craft beer tasting hosted by Fresh Beer Inc.’s Chris Montelius is still going strong. And tonight’s holiday-centric entry should be particularly fun. Everybody knows that beer and barbecue go together like Schlitz and a hangover. Shoot – you’re not…
Saturday I was wandering around Publix looking for sundries for a Father’s Day brunch I was having at my place for my girlfriend’s father. He’s a real dad’s dad: He enjoys motorcycles, power tools, target shooting, good booze, and, of course, meat. So whatever brunch I put together had to…
As the axiom goes, if there’s a way to a man’s heart, it’s through food. If that man happens to be your father, chances are that pathway is paved with gold foil-wrapped chocolate bricks and snakes in and out of a lush wood, where streams of beer whisper promises and…
Sven Vogtland is the Advanced Sommelier at the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale, and a 13-year veteran of the craft who has recommended bottles in the sunny Virgin Islands and in far-away Vietnam. In this column, Vogtland will discuss the latest trends in wine, from what bottles and regions are blowing up…
This week, we’ll be looking at a drink adored by Brazilians. Honestly, it’s adored by almost anyone who tries it, but Brazil often lays claim to it as its national drink. Made from cachaca, lime, and brown sugar, the caipirinha is like a sweeter version of a mojito, minus the…
“What if he doesn’t show? Are there enough fans for a riot?” asks a 20-something guy waiting in line at a Boca Whole Foods for Tool frontman turned winemaker Maynard James Keenan. He’s in town on a promotional tour, signing bottles from his winery, Caduceus Cellars, and vineyard Merkin Vineyards…
It’s easy to fall into the trap of overdoing a mixed drink. Sure, booze purists insist that mixing anything aside from a splash of water will ruin any decent alcohol, but sometimes slugging straight whiskey isn’t the most refreshing summertime drink on the beach. But pounding down frozen cocktails in…
Here’s a case where one plus one equals a wine too good to pass up. We’re talking the 2008 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier, a marriage of two under-appreciated grapes made in the Napa Valley and consummated in your mouth. Unlike most marriages, though, it will only set you back 12…
Think Portuguese wines and the first one that probably comes to mind is port. Sweet, syrupy, high alcohol. . . just what you want to drink in the South Florida summer blast furnace, when it’s hot enough to make your face melt and humid enough to grab a handful of…
Next Friday we launch our weekly Friday Feature, “Ask The Critic,” invented for the sole purpose of allowing us to show off. Readers: Send us your easy questions, send us your torturous riddles. “Where can I find beignet in Lauderhill?”; “Who makes the tastiest shark n bake?”; “How many calories…
If you’re looking for a unique cocktail to whittle away an afternoon, the Prickly Pear Margarita served at Canyon Southwest Café in Fort Lauderdale should be at the top of your list. The exact ingredients and portions of this signature margarita are a well-guarded secret, but here’s an educated guess:…
