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…
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…
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…
Yucatan Mexican Grill
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Like the French, Greeks have specific names for different types of restaurants and the cuisine served in them. In Greece, restaurateurs generally conform to what is expected of their establishments. For instance, an estiatorion, or upscale restaurant, has tablecloths. A psistaria features a spit for barbecuing pork, lamb, and chicken…
Though it sounds like the name of a train station, Key West Crossing (617 Lake Ave., Lake Worth, 561-588-9900) is actually just as you’d expect: an ice cream parlor. Yeah, OK, I didn’t know what it was either, given the plethora of crafts and artsy objects crowded into the windows…
When I was living in Southern California, I worked in a seafood restaurant located at the end of a pier. During my shift, I occupied my time with waiting tables, doing sidework, and watching the fishermen bring in their catches of bottom-feeders: rays, crabs, the occasional soda can washed in…
Even if we weren’t in a recession, we’d still be watching our wallets: Now that it’s post-holiday season, the credit card bills have started to bring us back to fiscal reality. But there is a wonderful way to indulge and pamper ourselves without spending any more than we would during…
If the anonymous author in The Quotable Cook is correct and it’s true that “The hostess must be like the duck — calm and unruffled on the surface, and paddling like hell underneath,” then we need to turn the hostess at Gary Woo Asian Bistro upside down. As it stands…
Don’t call Baja Fresh Mexican Grill (7036 W. Palmetto Park Rd., Boca Raton; 561-620-9922) fast food. Yes, items like the Baja fish taco, chicken torta, steak burrito Mexicano, and side order of cebollitas (seasoned, roasted green onions) are available almost immediately. True, it’s counter service, and you can eat in…
People often ask me how I choose the restaurants I’m going to review. I give ’em the old party line: I do extensive research; I vary the reviews by city, ethnicity, and price range; I look for a good back story. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work. The…
Now here’s a great idea for St. Valentine’s Eve: On February 13, Whole Foods Market (1400 Glades Rd., Boca Raton; 561-447-0000) is hosting its first “Find Your Heart in the Cart,” a date-matching game for singles. Entrants will be given a shopping cart and a five-minute time limit, during which…
Talk about the ghosts of future pasts.It’s one thing to go to a new restaurant and be able to remember the eatery that occupied the site before. It’s another to recognize so many elements left over from the previous restaurant that it feels like the second one is haunted. Take…
You have to read the fine print to know that the new steak house Tusk (3411 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale, 954-396-6960) is actually adjacent (as in connected) to the Pure Platinum nudie bar — sorry, make that nightclub. But even if you tend to overlook details, you don’t have…
Well as it turns out, Fatboys Gourmet Grill (4115 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale, 954-568-5004) has confirmed what I’ve long — and I do mean long — believed: Size does matter. In fact, this burger-and-dog joint, which has its origins in the Jersey shore, takes that credo as its slogan,…
