Born in the Asturias, José Andrés is widely credited with introducing avant-garde Spanish cuisine to the United States. This remarkable feat was accomplished through his empire of highly regarded restaurants. His status as a Made in Spain PBS Food television star didn’t hurt either. A majority of Andrés’s restaurants are…
One of the hottest things right now, according to Lee Schrager, is mixology — the skill of blending cocktails with a focus on quality ingredients and innovative flavor combinations. “There’s so much emphasis on cocktails right now,” he says. To reflect what he calls the “big explosion of mixology,” the…
Birthday Month, every office has one. The term, named by the office birthday expert Pam Beesly, refers to ‘that’ month when there is a birthday in the office nearly every other day. This often translates into being crammed into the kitchen eating sheetcake under a fluorescent light followed by the…
Depending upon the Japanese dialect, shokudo could mean anything from “canteen” to “peaceful dining” to “path to food.” Regardless of the definition, the essence remains the same: It’s a casual spot for easy eating, and that is exactly what owner and general manager Yoko Takarada and executive chef Armando Litiatco…
Lee Brian Schrager is a visionary. He transformed a one-day annual event known as the Florida Extravaganza, held at Florida International University’s Biscayne Bay Campus, by moving the 5-year-old fete across the causeway in 2002 and renaming it the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Now it’s a four-day extravaganza…
Jeff McInnis incorporates his eclectic kitchen background into Yardbird’s menu. “I use Caribbean influences in dishes from time to time depending on what’s in season,” he explains. And there is always a hint of French fare. After all, he says, “Classic French is the foundation of almost all American-style cuisine,…
Peter Vauthy, chef/partner at Red the Steakhouse, greets me with the usual hellos, then asks the question that looms like a giant invisible bovine in the room. “Want to see my meat?” Vauthy isn’t being fresh. He just knows I came to Red to see and taste his Kobe beef.What’s…
Jeff McInnis was raised in Niceville, a small town in the Florida Panhandle. He spent his childhood on fishing boats and, in the summertime, on his family’s working farms. “Southern food was introduced to me at a young age at my grandparents’ farm in Tunnel Springs, Alabama,” he explains. His…
Amir Ben-Zion’s long-awaited eatery, Cooper Avenue, finally opens today. What started as Gigi Village has now morphed into a new concept that features New American cuisine — contemporary dishes with a few twists.Last night, we were invited to the friends and family preview, which allowed us to scope out the…
Miami likes its sushi like its women – sleek and sexy. Hence the popularity of Sushi Sake, a rapidly expanding South Florida sushi empire that just opened its seventh location.This chic local chain is known for late-night hours, an expansive menu and a dramatic, lounge-inspired atmosphere.The newest branch is located…
September is a transitional month for Miami. It’s the time when tropical storms and hurricanes tend to be their most active (though we had one scare it luckily turned out to be a non-event), snow birds are still up north, and many folks (especially those in the biz) take a…
I feel for people who have a genuine desire to improve their diets and get healthy – really healthy, not like Jenny Craig or Slim Fast healthy – but who have no clue where to start. There’s a lot to learn, and for the many who have graduated from the…
Dunkin’ Donuts recently pledged to start using cage-free eggs and eliminate gestation crates for its products. While the chain will move slowly to transition out the crates and cages, it will cut back by 5 percent by the end of next year. A final goal is yet to be determined…
Bloom in Wynwood Needs Polishing
See also: Slide show: “Closer Look: Bloom.”
Tucked inside what appears to be a small home along Coral Way near 17th Avenue, Casabe 305 Bistro looks like somebody ripped a cottage out of Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard, gave it a three week juice cleanse in San Francisco then dropped it off in Miami with a Latin menu…
In the past five years, the Wynwood Arts District has transformed from an area of warehouses and thrift shops to a mecca of art-centric lounges, bars, and restaurants. Crowds of creative folks and Magic City hipsters now strut around gallery events in vintage-meets-American Apparel — with an added touch of…
In an effort to marry food and fashion, Toscana Divino in Mary Brickell Village will fly in sommeliers and designers and then pair them with chef Marco Stabile for Wine & Fashion Florence Week, October 8 through 12. Organizers of the five-day event — combining authentic food, wine, fashion, and Italian…
The owner of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink and Harry’s Pizzeria is planning a third restaurant in the Design District.According to the Genuine Hospitality Group’s blog, the Genuine Kitchen, the Cypress Room is set to open in early 2013. It will be an American tavern featuring “sophisticated food, service, and…
It was a rainy night on Key Biscayne. That didn’t make finding Exit 1, the restaurant by the owners of Route 9, any easier.”OK, it’s after the tennis center but before Bill Baggs State Park,” I helplessly told my husband as we drove through a monsoon. After making several u-turns,…
Trader Joe’s is finally bringing its first store to southeast Florida. Joe’s plans to open a location in the tony Pinecrest neighborhood in 2013 and Miami is all abuzz over the prospect of shopping for trail mix, nectarines, and cheap wine.The grocer has something of a cult following in the…
Ulises Ledain opened Doma Polo Bistro this past August 23, but he’s actually been in the restaurant industry in Miami for over a decade. Previously, Ledain was involved with Dolce Vita, the gelato-café with locations across Miami. For eight years, he also served many financial and consulting roles for Novecento,…
Sunday is the one day my husband and I get to spend together without work, chores, or agendas getting in the way. After a morning run, we head out for brunch and a few mimosas. Though we usually stick to a la carte meals, we decided to give the brunch…
