Miami Restaurants Make Their Own Bacon

Chef David Bracha makes his way to a freestanding wine cooler located in the dining room of his Design District eatery, Oak Tavern. Nearby, cooks and waiters prepare for the Friday dinner rush. Burners are topped with pans of sautéed mushrooms. Pots are filled to the brim with slow-cooked sauces…

The Meatball Joint Closes

The Meatball Joint, Bernie Matz’s third South Beach restaurant, closed yesterday evening with a meatball and craft beer party, thrown by chef/owner Bernie Matz. The restaurant, which opened spring of 2012, was located on Alton Road, adjacent to chef Matz’s Bernie’s L.A. Cafe. Matz, who also runs the popular Cafe…

The Flat Brings Verrines to Miami

Though last month we stated that the Flat, a place south of Fifth planned to open later this month, would serve tapas, things have taken a new turn. It will set out to be a place unlike any other in Miami, borrowing traditions from France where its owner is from.Verrines…

Capriccio On The River Coming Soon

A new restaurant is opening on the Miami River. A sign has risen in front of the walkway of the swanky high-rise Brickell on the River’s North Tower, near Tobacco Road and The Capital Grille. Follow the brown-brick road and you’re led to the back end of the tower where…

Bloom’s Dim Sum-Days: Bites and Sake on Sundays (Photos)

Dim sum was a favorite weekend treat where I grew up in New York. On Sundays, we would head over to Chinatown and feast on tiny steamed dumplings, egg rolls, meat-filled buns, fried shrimp, and the occasional chicken foot.Little steamers on carts would be wheeled around the dining room, allowing…

Sunny LaValle: Eat to Beat the Flu

Like an impending tornado, the flu is circling, looming and ready to strike. The CDC estimates that 128 million doses of the flu vaccine have already been administered as of this month, which is a whopping 95 percent of the total manufacturers planned to produce all year. Boston even declared…

Thea Pizzeria: Hospital Area’s Cafe for Lunch

At Thea Pizzeria and Café, rays of sunlight filter through a floor-to-ceiling glass wall. They warm the petite 38-seat café and illuminate scattered pizzas sprinkled with emerald leaves of baby arugula. Across from the window, a 30-square-foot, 210,000-piece glass mosaic mural made in Italy by luxury design brand Bisazza depicts…

Acropolis Greek Taverna to Bring Ouzo and Belly Dancing to Coconut Grove

Coconut Grove residents get ready for an influx of belly dancing, live Greek music, flowing rivers of ouzo, and fresh seafood. Acropolis Taverna, the Florida-based small chain of Greek tavernas is planning on opening in Coconut Grove sometime late winter.The restaurant will be located on Main Highway, between GreenStreet Cafe…

Five Reasons Publix Isn’t the Best Grocery Store Ever

Like Coke versus Pepsi or McDonald’s versus Burger King, some business battles will be waged forever. After all, people have strong opinions about what they put in their pie-hole. The same goes for supermarkets. Some people are die-hard Whole Foods junkies; others (as former Northeasterners know) swear by Wegman’s. But…

Thea Pizzeria: Hospital Area’s Cafe for Lunch

At Thea Pizzeria and Café, rays of sunlight filter through a floor-to-ceiling glass wall. They warm the petite 38-seat café and illuminate scattered pizzas sprinkled with emerald leaves of baby arugula. Across from the window, a 30-square-foot, 210,000-piece glass mosaic mural made in Italy by luxury design brand Bisazza depicts…

PB Steak Opens January 10: We Get a First Bite

PB Steak, the fifth restaurant by Pubbelly Restaurant Group, opens Thursday, January 10. I was invited to one of the two “friends and family” dinners, where staff are given a “dress rehearsal” before paying customers converge on the establishment. Given the fact that this is a Pubbelly concept, the staff…

Miami’s Ultimate Food Truck Is The Health Nut on Wheels (Photos)

A new food truck was crowned supreme at Magic City Casino Saturday night, when The Health Nut on Wheels won the Ultimate Miami Food Truck Competition, beating out seven other food trucks to win the title and a cool $5,000 cash prize.Attendees were treated to an interactive evening, with each…

Bonding: Asian Fusion and Romance

All photos by Zachary FagensonInside Bonding.In only a few weeks, Bond Trisransi, the man behind Calle Ocho’s Mr. Yum and 2B Asia Bistro, has transformed a South Miami Avenue space sandwiched between Tobacco Road and the River Seafood & Oyster Bar into another of his whimsical, romantic fusion eateries. This…

Four Tips for a Perfect Juice Cleanse

Most of us have been stuffing our faces and beating up our livers for the past month or so. These facts combined with the pressure to choose a New Year’s resolution make this time of year a particularly busy one for the body detox industry.There are all sorts of capsules,…