An economy that’s gone from filet mignon to meat loaf faster than you can say “greedy Wall Street bastards” has got the attention of even high-flying steak houses. One of them, Ruth’s Chris, last night unveiled a new “bistro menu” of apps, sushi, soups, salads and sammies priced from $9…
Pulp Fiction: anti-pork propaganda.Pork. Luscious, juicy, tasty pork. So flexible, so wonderful, yet so derided. Order it at dinner, and there’s a good chance someone at your table, having demonstrated their conviction that beef is “better” than pork by really going out on a limb and ordering the filet mignon…
There’s no sugar-coating it, folks: This was the episode of Top Chef Las Vegas where Ron cooked his last. After six challenges, a few of which he ended up in the bottom three, Ron was eliminated for his “deconstruction” of paella by a panel of judges that included none other…
There’s nothing wrong with a messy, multilayered burger — those overflowing constructions that aim for something higher than just meat, cheese, and bun. But bringing a change of clothes wouldn’t be a bad idea if you order a burger “cowboy style” at Charm City Burgers in Deerfield. The name isn’t…
Last week, our dining critic, John Linn, headed to Key West, where he managed to find a few worthy restaurants still slinging food in this quiet time of year. Café Marquesa The converted 1880s “conch” houses that form the Marquesa Hotel back up to this boutique fishbowl restaurant that serves…
This is what’s left of my Dolphin Piquant I ordered last night from Creolina’s Dixie Takeout on State Road 84 in Davie. I should’ve taken a picture when it was fresh — that would’ve been impressive. The hulking dish was $11.95 and came crowned with two whole mahi-mahi fillets doused…
As part of the continuing Food Writers’ Full-Employment Project, another restaurant has announced it’s coming to Clematis Street. This one is Don Ramon, the mid-scale Cuban eatery that’s pegged to debut in the old Paradise Bar spot in November. There will be no reinventing the wheel here, just all your…
NT’s own John Linn recently took one of my favorite road trips to one of my favorite towns — the long cruise down U.S. 1 to Key West. The Southernmost City is home to a surprisingly number of seriously good restaurants — John nailed three of them — but the…
An excerpt from this week’s dish review, on Deerfield’s own Charm City Burgers: The standard logic here would be to cut the packed burger in half and approach it a little at a time. But that only goes so far. The best tactic is to position your hands opposite your…
My recent visit to El Zocalo in Margate left me with an unsated craving for some badass tacos — I felt like Chris Farley in full Chicago Bears regalia (swap the “Polish sausage” for some “chorizo,” “Ditka” with “Cutler,” and the transformation would be complete). Instead of trolling my usual…
Well gawsh darn. This week was a great one on Clean Plate Charlie. We shared laughs. We shed tears. We ate a lot of food. Check out what you missed below.Morton cooks for who? Oh, for us. “Mi amore, take me to El Zocalo!”My trip to Key West yields three…
Although Clean Plate Charlie is the only food blog you need to read on a daily basis, some people just can’t get enough. Here are some highlights of local food blogs.Enjoy reading The Meatist? Of course you do. You should check out his other blog, Bone in the Fan, where…
Recently, I tried a small exercise in perception. Specifically, sausage perception. As in, what people think of when they think “sausage”. So I called up a friend. “What’s in sausage, do you think?” I asked him. “Sausage? I don’t know – the crap they can’t sell whole? Lips, hooves, ears…
It’s 2 a.m., and you’re out at the bar, having a good time. Maybe you’re only a few drinks in; maybe you’re singing Christmas carols on top of the bar. Either way, as you prepare to call it a night, you feel something primal growling deep inside your gut. Then,…
Welcome back to the Ron Duprat recap, where we talk about what happened to Broward’s own Haitian chef on the last episode of Top Chef. So far, Ron’s survived four elimination and four quickfire challenges. But he’s currently hugging the bottom rung of contenders. He’s never been in real danger…
An unflinching love of Mexican food commands me to do outrageous things to satisfy urges. I’ve chased down street carts, eaten things out of convenience stores that I probably should not, and cut through traffic at the mere sight of a taco truck. Also acceptable: eating standing up in the…
There’s a world of difference between dull, ordinary table bread and the ethereal bodies of wheat born from Giorgio’s time-tested brick oven. Hold it up to your nose and you’ll immediately sense the difference: There’s the sweet, heady fragrance of fresh dough, a yeasty pungency that puts the swirl of…
It was a bit of a challenge finding the new Domenick’s Pizzeria in Weston, only in part because it is hidden in a plaza off a main drag, tucked behind a synagogue and squeezed between a beauty salon and Sylvan Learning center. As of presstime, one website claims it is…
This one came with a disclaimer. A note on my desk reads: Brett: This may be so hot it kills you. –E. I ponder whether this sticky note disclaimer would hold up in court. Then I realize if something I eat kills me, my family will surely be too embarrassed…
Last week, I took some much needed vacation time and made the three-and-a-half-hour drive down to Key West for a bit of R and R, Conch-style. And what a great trip. I hadn’t been to the Keys in nearly 10 years, which is far too long an time for any…
The pozole is undoubtedly the best thing I tasted at El Zocalo Authentic Mexican Restaurant, the subject of this week’s Dish review. The dark red soup has thick chunks of pork and plenty of hominy, large kernels of corn with a potato-like texture. On its own, the soup is spicy…
Here’s what you missed this week on Clean Plate Charlie:Bill Citara highlighted one of our favorite cheap wines: Robert Mondavi Syrah.A brand new restaurant opened in downtown Hollywood, and Eric Barton wrote up a quick take on Satoro’s tapas plates.Love Bites this week takes on a Transylvanian restaurant in Hollywood.Charlie…
