As Lee Klein reported earlier today, chef Norman Van Aken’s new restaurant, Norman’s 180, will open in Coral Gables tonight. It’s a homecoming of sorts for Van Aken, whose return to the neighborhood has been highly anticipated. And he’s very happy to be back. Short Order got a peek of…
Erik Peters left college to become a “ski bum,” but after a bad man-versus-nature accident, he reverted to cooking, a hobby that always came naturally. His first job with Club Med was as an assistant sous chef in Copper Mountain, Colorado, and his next gig took him to Playa Blanca…
Rum has a long and romantic history. Pirates in the Caribbean spun tales during rum-infused journeys, the British Navy was said to be run on “rum, sodomy, and the lash,” and smugglers who satisfied America’s thirst during Prohibition were known as “rum runners.” Maybe it’s because of our ancestors’ torrid…
Despite working for a chain, chef Sean Bernal has always brought local authenticity to the Brickell outpost of the Oceanaire Seafood Room. But we found out via Facebook that Bernal has decided to move on from the restaurant. He wrote, “Today is a good day, my tenure as the executive…
No news in this post. No quotes. But man, this is the best dessert you will ever eat if you are a chocoholic. It includes chocolate mousse, brownie, and cheesecake. The thing set me back $48, which is rather steep. Service stunk, but eventually servers wrote a name on it…
Sushi House in North Miami Beach has introduced a new “twilight” menu with reduced pricing on many of its appetizers, the full sushi menu, and several of the entrées. Late-night bites will include the spicy tuna tower, crispy honey shrimp, and purple plum barbecue ribs. A free glass of hot sake…
Forget the burgers this Fourth of July. Start your day with a tasting of locally made, tropical-fruit-flavored ice creams at Bee Heaven Farm. July is, after all, National Ice Cream Month.We’re talking white sapote, lychee, passion fruit, mamey, South Florida peach ice cream, and others. They’re all prepared by local…
The decade has seemingly flipped by faster than a griddlecake in midair: The Tenth Annual Mrs. Beeton Flapjack Flip-Off is just around the corner (Mrs. B. being our patron saint for her prescient in-print assertion, made 101 years ago, that pancakes “must be regarded as somewhat beyond the capabilities of…
Seems this fella named Norman Van Aken is debuting a restaurant in Coral Gables tonight. It’ll be called Norman’s 180. Lord knows Coral Gables can use a boost. Too bad Van Aken didn’t try this a decade ago, when the neighborhood was one of the best around for dining. Would…
The Place: Blue Martini900 South Miami Road, Miami305-981-2583 The Hours: Daily 4 to 8 p.m. The Deals: 2-for-1 on cocktails, beer and liquor (with few exceptions). All food is half off. The Scene: Like its signature drink, the Blue Martini’s happy hour is saturated with neon, a bit too sweet,…
Click here to read part one of the Master Cleanse diary.Lemonade Day 6I skipped the tea/saltwater today because I stayed up too late and had early meetings to attend. I’m going to free yoga at Bayfront Park later which will be interesting because usually after a hot, sweaty yoga class…
Club Med, the all-inclusive vacation concept company with its North American headquarters in Miami, has hosted an annual culinary event for years, but it was always kept on the down low. Erik Peters, Club Med’s corporate chef, has worked to get it big enough to tout. [The Wine & Food…
In this weight-obsessed, low-carb world, it is important to sometimes stop and smell the bread basket. Hit up Spris Restaurant on Lincoln Road to check out a warm, airy loaf with a crisp crust best enjoyed with some olive oil and a drizzle of salt. The bread, made in-house in…
Roaches. They’re not shy, they love to eat, and some can even quote Kafka. But none of that makes them a good dinner date. So what are they doing at our local restaurants? The same thing as everybody else; grabbing a bite to eat and trying to get laid.Problem is,…
Lucas “Luca” Cardillo is a 32-year-old, tall and suave Argentinean who strives to create the ultimate dining experience for everyone he serves at Scarpetta. He pays attention to detail, looks you in the eye, and can make anyone, male or female, feel sexy. His bright smile and thick accent make…
It’s been a success on South Miami Avenue, and now Brickell Irish Pub, which was voted Best New Bar/South in our recent Best of Miami 2010, is getting set to debut a sister spot by Española Way in South Beach. The actual address is on Drexel Ave., so the new…
As part of our annual competition to determine the best pancakes in town, we visited Picnic Miami, which picked up the coveted On Second Thought, Maybe I’ll Have Some Peanuts and Cracker Jack Award. Its boom-boom soundtrack at 11 a.m. proved only slightly less distracting than the ESPN sports highlights…
Panda Kitchen & Bath, in cahoots with Whole Foods Market (and Miami New Times, among others), is offering a total kitchen makeover plus one year of free groceries — the two worth over $14,000 combined! Here’s how it works:You visit this place HERE, upload a photo of your miserably ugly…
After years of tossing the idea around I’ve decided to stop being a nancy and do the damn Master Cleanse. You may be asking…what is this Master Cleanse? Well, it’s a 10-day (minimum) detox developed in the 1941 that’s still being used today. Also called the “Lemonade Diet”, you subsist…
Cacique’s Corner is a Cuban coffee shop and cafeteria that has stood at SW First Avenue and Flagler Street under the same ownership in downtown Miami since 1987. When Selim Diaz and his family emigrated from the small town of Sasa del Medio, Las Villas, Cuba, in 1980, he was…
The Place: Sushi Maki, Brickell 1000 S Miami Ave.305-415-9779sushimakirestaurants.com(Other locations include South Miami, Coral Gables, and Palmetto Bay.)The Hours: Seven Days of Sake takes place daily throughout the summer from 4 to 8 p.m.The Deals: Get half-off daily sake selections and sake cocktails. Cocktail options might vary depending on location…
Soyka Restaurant has hired a new executive chef and a new pastry chef. The new top toque is “Chef Paul” (I don’t know why, but it sort of creeps me out when chefs go by first name only) — or Paul Soriel, who worked at Orso in New York and…
