Julian, the waiter at Tantra, presented my husband with a bottle of 1993 Deutz Trio champagne and a large knife. We were celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary, and Julian thought it would be a charming demonstration if Jon “saber-ed” the bubbly, a technique which involves positioning the blade just underneath…
You can’t really fault the Cheesecake Factory people if, over the years, they’ve developed a bemused attitude while the front window of their popular eatery in the Aventura Mall food court has intermittently reflected the changing of restaurant signs in the space across the way. Soyka tried a News Café…
When it comes to choosing a bottle of wine, decision-making is endless. Red or white? Still or sparkling? New World (California) or Old World (France)? Cork stopper or screwcap?Come again? Naturally no serious Miami wine drinker wants a bottle of vino that’s as easy to open as a two-liter jug…
Recently I had a houseguest who presented a bit of a challenge in offering her a truly impressive dining experience. She’d grown up with a grandmother who was English, who was so wealthy that her idea of shopping was taking the QE2 over to Manhattan for an afternoon on Fifth…
“Mornin’ General,” my mostly African-American co-workers would say as I’d drag myself through the doors of Bagel World in Queens, New York, at 5:30 a.m. The nickname had nothing to do with any military bearing or bulldog attitude on my part; when I was first introduced one of the guys…
In terms of lunch-hour possibilities, 41st Street is a great place to make a bank withdrawal, but not such a great place to spend same on grub. Not that there aren’t eateries dotted here and there among the ATM machines. It’s just that almost none are appealing; in this neighborhood…
Where have all the Bahamians gone? The short answer: home. Seems like when I moved here a little more than a decade ago, Bahamian culture was dominant, and its influence was reflected in the epicurean scene — as in, nearly every menu, from low-end to high, boasted conch fritters and…
Was it the Brady Bunch who sang something like, “When it’s time to change, you’ve got to rearrange?” Well, it might as well have been the Mango Gang. Joining Norman Van Aken in sourcing new Coral Gables gastronomic projects, Robbin Haas has left Baleen. He’s going it on his own…
I could blame Zagat for my heading to Caffe Vialetto with visions of haute conch and upscale callaloo in my head, but I’m too big for that. It’s true the dining guide ranks the restaurant number three in the “Top Caribbean” category, yet while I had never been to, or…
Early last spring I got an e-mail from a reader recommending a restaurant I’d actually noticed myself while reviewing another place in the same neighborhood, the increasingly lively area right off Circle Park. The quite overlookable spot (décor, as seen through a plain storefront, is basically beer neon and fishing…
Skepticism, I’m told, is an unattractive trait. Well, call me homely and be done with it. My nature refuses to allow me to take things at face value and endorse them blindly, which is why I voiced initial doubts about the inaugural Miami Spice project, a month-long promotion that concluded…
Pita Loca is a place I usually frequent alone, even when my wife comes along. She pretends she doesn’t know me. She’ll stand a few feet away, as if she’s a separate customer, when I order my hummus sandwich to go. It works like this: The man behind the counter…
314 72nd St, Miami Beach;
Good Chinese take-out is a whole different bag from good Chinese food — quite literally. Because aside from needing to be slightly undercooked, to travel from restaurant to home without physical deterioration, great Chinese take-out food must interact with its enclosing porous paper parts (cardboard lids and cartons, et cetera)…
About three months ago I received a press release that began, “If you’re not famous, notorious, or a young, beautiful, unescorted woman, be prepared to wait in line for a table at the new, hip restaurant lounge Barcode.” Okay, I thought: I’m definitely not a, b, or c. Also it’s…
As per usual, it’s been a summer of fish stories. Last year was high drama: The Season of the Shark Bites. But these past few months, the sharp-toothed predators lurking in shallow waters have been eclipsed by the ominously named red-eyed northern snakeheads, migrating to a pond near you; and…
It’s official: Michael Schwartz, erstwhile of Nemo, Shoji Sushi, and Big Pink, has gone corporate. If you call the Rubells a corporation, that is. Schwartz has agreed to revamp Atlantic at the Beach House Bal Harbour. I’m doubly delighted. I’ve always liked Schwartz’s laid-back culinary style, and I’m happy he’s…
So you’ve done your reading and decided going organic, or perhaps even attempting a raw diet, is within the realm of culinary possibility. Maybe you’ve been titillated by the specialty produce you’ve seen served in restaurants. Or like me, you’re for the most part seriously unhappy with the quality –…
Britto’s paintings are boastfully commercial in nature. Those in the art world can debate whether this quality diminishes his reputation as a serious artist, but there’s no doubt the bold lines and bright colors make for a cheery, even dazzling dining room décor at his namesake restaurant in South Beach…
Let’s start with the basics: There are three types of “eat-out,” as opposed to homemade, burgers. One is the slider, a thin two-biter that slides down the digestive tract so fast even skinny supermodels need to order a six-pack. White Castles (Krystals for Southerners) are the classic sliders. Two is…
So you’re a couple of New York guys who have just relocated. It’s earlier this year. It’s lunchtime. You’ve been doing something-or-other in Miami Shores, and are cruising south past some of the increasingly snazzy neighborhoods bordering Biscayne Boulevard, like Belle Meade and Morningside. You are real hungry. And what…
We used to refer to it as anti-establishment, or the counterculture, composed of those who espoused such things as vegetarianism, communal living, recycling, and organic, sustainable farming. But in the past twenty years or so we’ve seen the edges move toward the center, especially when it comes to culinary choices…
