In this second part of our talk with Bjoern Weissgerber, we discuss Zuma and his role there as executive chef. Read the first part of our interview with Chef Bjoern Weissgerber here.New Times: Why did you pick Miami as the first U.S. location for Zuma?Weissgerber: Miami is a fun and vibrant city…
Best of Miami Spice 2010
If you walk along Ocean Drive, you’ll quickly notice that many of the voices inviting you to dine at its eateries have Eastern European accents. The Ocean Drive restaurant scene is full of workers from Russia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Estonia, and other ex-bloc countries. Short Order decided to ask: What are…
When we first met Bjoern Weissgerber, executive chef at Zuma Miami, he wasn’t what we expected. The young, charismatic German with Swedish roots is more reminiscent of a hip, energetic artist than a top toque at one of Miami’s finest Japanese restaurants. Then again, his visually stunning plates are truly works…
Restaurants close every month, but since our last roundup of doom in May, a handful of very popular, longtime establishments has gone to Guest Check Heaven. Plus the ice-cream shop Jack Frost melted in minutes. The roll call for our departed 11 follows…
I just got off the phone with a manager at Talula. Earlier this morning, a reader wrote the following into our comments section:I guess they were lying about not being for sale, because their PR person just emailed me when I requested a reservation that they just sold the restaurant…
Yelp is throwing a party for the public, and it’s the best kind of party: free. The erstwhile bloggers and friends will be whooping it up Saturday, August 21, from 8 to 10 p.m. at the very historic and extremely brick Moore Building in the Design District. Noshes will be…
660 at the Angler’s: Loud but tasty
Here’s Part Three of our interview with the Van Akens. You can read the first part of the interview here and get Norman’s recipe for sea bass ceviche here.New Times: Was the farm-to-table concept totally absent from your consciousness, Chef Norman?Norman Van Aken (NVA): Hardly. My paternal grandmother ran a…
After years of working in high-end restaurants, former Wish chef and South Florida Rising Star, Michael Bloise, is turning to something more casual at his soon-to-open restaurant, American Noodle Bar.”I’ve done upscale food for a while now and I kinda found that the food that I was cooking was special…
When we hit up chef Norman Van Aken for an interview a few months ago, he mentioned he’d soon open a new restaurant in Miami, but he neglected to say his son, Justin, would fan the flames at his side. But there Justin was at the preview. Eventually, we learned there’s a third chef in…
Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling novel, “Eat, Pray, Love,” takes place in Indonesia, India, and Rome — the respective settings for romantic, spiritual, and culinary revelations. The Sonesta Bayfront Hotel Coconut Grove and the new Paragon Grove 13 movie theater have teamed to present a weekend getaway coinciding with the film’s release the…
A glass of big, smoky 2007 Petite Petit Lodi ($8) melded well with pork belly and would probably pair with any dish containing bacon. So would anything selected from an alluring, user-friendly craft-beer list that includes brief taste characterizations of each brew. For instance, one of the imports is referred to as…
It’s 3:30 a.m. and you’re on your way home from a night out. Your speech is slurred and you’re sweating Grey Goose. No one is laughing at your jokes or joining in on your renditions of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.” Worse, you’re starving. So where should you direct your designated…
After Short Oder called this Miami Beach-based chain an overrated, the oversensitive pizzza makers issued a challenge. “Come on over and check us out. Just see if our stuff ain’t fresh….” (Well, to be honest, we’re paraphrasing here.)So we we went behind the facade of the restaurant. Back in the…
At Adelita’s Café in midtown Miami, you can get a taste of Honduran life. Upon entry, you sense the uncomplicated, laid-back attitude characteristic of that culture. Cheerful salsa music, staff chatting with customers, and telenovelas on TV give the small café a relaxed, friendly vibe.Of course, the place serves typical Honduran…
The sandwich cubano at Latin American Cafeteria recently made Short Order’s 100 Favorite Dishes list. We touted its huge, bountiful nature as distinguishing it from others around town, and noted its tag line: “Since 1974, over 50 million Cuban sandwiches served.” So far so good, but one detail escaped notice:…
Jackson Soul Food and Aguacates got soul
In part two of our interview, The Forge’s chef Dewey LoSasso discusses the “Mango Gang,” where he eats at one in the morning and The Forge’s impressive wine list. You can read part one of our interview with Dewey LoSasso here. When you first opened, you weren’t doing specials. When did…
We’ve got a doubleheader cooked up for this week’s Cafe review. Here’s a little lick of each:Jackson Soul Food:Like many other patrons in the room, we started with an insulated urn of freshly brewed coffee that’s placed on the table. The menu contains à la carte dishes (oatmeal, waffles, and…
Helped by a multimillion-dollar renovation, chef Dewey LoSasso has transformed the Forge into a world-class restaurant with an innovative menu and edgy flavor. The veteran toque has worked at the Foundlings Club, Tuscan Steak, and, most recently, his own eatery, North 110. Below, LoSasso’s thoughts on the Forge 2.0. New Times:…
The Villa by Barton G.: An elegant dining experience for special occasions
