Voodka’s interior, with its vaulted ceilings, glittering chandeliers, and oversized faux leather couches, catches the eye of almost all who walk by on East Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. Inside, owners Dan Ellia and Michel Karsenti have composed a mashup menu with everything from burgers to pasta with cream…
Genetically engineered foods have been a concern of many for quite some time now. For years, it was more an issue for vegetarians, environmentalists, pseudo-hippies, and ethically concerned chefs than for the general population. Not anymore. The presence — and subsequent failure — of Proposition 37 on California’s ballot in…
The farmer’s market is a long-standing American tradition. Affordability and convenience of grocery store produce seduced the general public, and farmer’s markets became the province of your favorite crunchy granola. With increasing concerns about GMOs and pesticides and ripening chemicals and the use of fossil fuels to transport long distances, farmer’s market…
Americans’ love/hate affair with SPAM goes way back to 1937 when the canned meat, named SPAM (short for spiced ham) was launched by Hormel Foods. We’re not sure how well it was initially received, but soon World War II broke out and the canned meat was in high demand to…
It’s pretty much common knowledge that opening a new restaurant comes with a bunch of hiccups. It’s rare for a newly built spot to actually open according to initial schedules. As is expected, that’s part of the story of the newly opened Burt & Max’s. The restaurant, which was originally…
Anytime you go out on a Saturday night, you know you’re going to blow through some money. Unfortunately, all you’re going to get in return is a deflated bank account and some possible drunken remorse. If, for once, you would actually like to get drunk for a good cause, Posh is…
Are you addicted to Starbucks? We are too — so much so that we’re seriously afraid to find out what horrible detox we’d go through if we didn’t have our daily allowance of caffeine and sugar.Recently looking at our bank statement, we were shocked to see all the Starbucks charges…
Sick of the same ol’, same ol’? There’s no need to get stuck in a rut in South Florida’s ever-changing restaurant landscape. February saw the opening of an eclectic mix of bars, restaurants, and specialty food venues, as well as news of several projects on the horizon. After the jump,…
Meatless Monday has been around for quite some time, since WWI, actually. At that time, however, it was more about rationing meat during wartime than health, environmental, or animal-rights issues. Times change, and whether or not you believe meat is unethical or bad for your health, Americans certainly get plenty of it. Cutting it…
The next time you’re in the mood for an authentic Maine lobster roll, look for South Florida’s new mobile kitchen, the Red Zeppelin Rockin’ Lobster Roll. After hitting the streets last November, the crustacean-focused food truck based out of Dania Beach has been handing out some of the best around…
Florida Cookery’s manager, an unflappable and poker-faced woman dressed in an austere black-and-white uniform, set a heavy spiny lobster dish on our table. Around her, the dining room lit up with that unique razzle-dazzle that South Beach restaurants often possess Saturday nights. It had been 25 minutes since we inquired…
If you’re heading to IKEA in Sunrise to pick up some cheap furniture and a snack, don’t worry too much about finding remnants of Trigger in your lunch.Earlier in the week, authorities in the Czech Republic detected horse meat in IKEA meatballs. Initially, the furniture company removed meatballs from its…
If you’ve ever driven around in your car at two in the morning wondering where you could find a mega gut-bomb, then read on because we’ve found a doozie of a burger. Steak ‘n Shake has introduced the 7 x 7 Steakburger, and it’s exactly what you think it is…
The “Harlem Shake” is the most inexplicably awesome thing to hit the internet since Paula Deen was riding things. And now, the hip-pumping, shoulder-shaking, wiggleriffic dance craze is lending itself to a good cause. Salt Life Food Shack and the Barefoot Children of Fort Lauderdale Parrot Head Club are teaming…
Raw food is good for you. Vegan food is good for the animals. But raw vegan screams boring. Plus, let’s face it: Trying to make anything appetizing that is both raw and vegan isn’t easy. And it’s certainly not something that’s on everyone’s to-do list. But if eating healthier, more…
Florida Cookery’s manager, an unflappable and poker-faced woman dressed in an austere black-and-white uniform, set a heavy spiny lobster dish on our table. Around her, the dining room lit up with that unique razzle-dazzle that South Beach restaurants often possess Saturday nights. It had been 25 minutes since we inquired…
Through Falafel Benny’s narrow, squat entrance was a room of mostly men yelling at each other in thick Israeli accents. “How is the falafel?” owner Benny Regev gregariously bellowed at customers halfway through their lunch. He tried to buy some of his regulars’ meals. Some accepted, and others slammed a…
We consistently have to give PETA credit for its brilliant marketing strategies. To make their point, they’ll use any trick in the advertising playbook — including sex, sex, and more sex.Take, for example, their Sexiest Vegan Next Door contest, which seeks out the hottest vegan with the best bod. And,…
It’s no secret that Market 17 is one of the most locavorian, sustainability-savvy restaurants in South Florida. After all, it’s not shy about voicing its commitment to responsible dining and local sourcing. Chef Lauren Shields is a driving force behind these efforts. The Florida-born chef cooked her way around San…
In 2011, when nutritionist and holistic health coach Elena Pezzo, owner of Green Bar & Kitchen, learned of her brother Anthony’s stroke and subsequent coma, she was devastated. Only a few years earlier, the 33-year-old New York native had lost both of her parents and had battled poor health and…
Pizza Fusion, the South Florida-based pizza chain with the slogan, “Saving the Earth, One Pizza at a Time,” recently announced plans to open two new locations — one in Naples and a second in Boca Raton, which will be the brand’s first corporate location. Currently the leading green franchise in…
For four glorious days every year, Miami Beach is taken over by a cadre of chefs, celebrities, and fans of food and wine in an indoor-outdoor hootenanny known as the South Beach Wine & Food Festival.For those looking to hobnob with the likes of Robert Irvine, Geoffrey Zakarian, and Sunny…
