Eating Out

Working at Miami restaurants and food trucks: The inside scoop

Tapas & Tintos in midtown: Shaky service undermines some tasty plates at this outpost of a SoBe favorite

Rosa Mexicano Brings In Jonathan Waxman and His Magical Snapper Gefilte Fish

One of the first rock star chefs.Jonathan Waxman's early resume includes La Varenne culinary school in Paris, Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and his own iconic Jams. That he has just been named "chef-in-residence" with Rosa Mexicano might seem unusual for two reasons. Firstly, "chef-in-residence" sounds ... More >>

Gluten-Free Dining in Miami: Local Resources For Diners With Celiac Disease

Photo by Sami Keinänen/Wikimedia CommonsThe picture of a healthful, colorful meal?​If you like lots of dining options, Miami is your kinda place. Whether you crave International deliciousness or  vegan, low-fat or sugar-free fare, it's all right here. Or so it would seem. Because there's one ... More >>

George's Gets Fancy With New Midtown "Loft"

Lesley ElliottGeorge's comes to Midtown in June. ​Francophiles delight! George-Eric Farge is bringing his bistro concept to Midtown (3404 N. Miami Avenue), and although opening day is a bit far off (June), we're already looking forward to drinking copious amount of red wine upstairs. You see, this ... More >>

Miami's Best Macaroni and Cheese Dishes: Truffles, Lobster, Even Broccoli

Food NetworkMacaroni and Cheese: childhood favorite elevated to cult status.​Macaroni and cheese. What started out as an inexpensive school cafeteria lunch for most of us has turned into an adult's obsession. The search for the ultimate dish of firm noodles engulfed in creamy bechamel sauce, toppe ... More >>

Gloutonnerie to Open in Former Pied de Cochon Space

We glean info on Gloutonnerie from this cryptic photo and other clues.​A French restaurant from Mexico, Gloutonnerie, will be taking over the former Au Pied de Cochon venue in South Beach. I heard this news from my source, Strep Throat, who reported that it would be upscale, "a Maison d'Azur type ... More >>

Chinese New Year Beach Party at Mandarin Oriental

Mandarin Oriental, Miami​The Year of the Dragon begins exactly two weeks from today, so if celebrating the Chinese lunar calendar helps to provide a party excuse in between the usual holidays and vacays, we say, bring it on. The Mandarin Oriental always embraces their roots during this time period ... More >>

Anthony Bourdain's The Layover: I Left My Liver In San Francisco (A Recap)

The Travel ChannelAnthony Bourdain gets drunk off of umbrella drinks at The Tonga Room.​There's no doubt that San Francisco is one of the top cities for restaurants, so I was looking forward to seeing Tony's picks for dining in his San Francisco Layover. Interestingly enough, it was the drinking t ... More >>

Opening Friday in Miami's MiMo District, Blue Collar Offers An Unpretentious Dining Experience

​Who wants $40 tiny dishes and formalities in fancy upscale eateries? Not chef Daniel Serfer, who will open Blue Collar this Friday in the space formerly occupied by short-lived American Noodle Bar.A true working man's joint,it will focus a menu on contemporary American dishes from Serfer's upbrin ... More >>

The Shore Club's Terrazza Replaces Ago: Dining With an Ocean Breeze

The bali beds and lanterns by the pool make you feel like you're really on vacation.​Forget about that restaurant known as Ago at the Shore Club on 19th and Collins. It's gone. Now you'll find Terrazza, another Italian eatery featuring the chophouse styles of executive chef Stefano Riccioletti. Wa ... More >>

Vegan Chow at Philippe Chow

Philippe by Phillippe Chow at the south end of Ocean Drive, reminds me of Lewis Carroll's Alice and Wonderland. There are white chairs with the funky, violin-like curves and elbow-patch like black padding, like something the Mad Hatter would have happily rested his rump on. The bright reds and stark ... More >>

Crazy About You is Brickell's Best Value Dining Deal

Photo by billwisserphoto.comHuevos estrellados with unbroken yolks.​Plenty of popular new restaurant concepts -- small plates, food trucks, boutique burgers -- have recently popped up around Miami. The team at Spanish Grupo La Misión, owner of Brickell mainstay Dolores But You Can Call Me Lolita, ... More >>

Crazy About You: Brickell hot spot has great plates at reasonable prices

View a Crazy About You slide show.

A Plea to Ethnic Restaurants Everywhere: Give Authentic Foods a Fighting Chance

Mercadito via FacebookBut where are the rajas?!I recently went to Mercadito's Taqueria in Midtown. It had been a long day at the office and a solid, close-by taco lunch was in order. I pulled up the menu online and the blood drained from my face. "Where are the rajas?" I thought.I quickly dialed the ... More >>

Blue Collar Serves Simply Good Food

All photos by Laine DossChef-owner Daniel Serfer works the grill at Blue Collar.​Blue Collar on Biscayne Boulevard opens its doors tomorrow, and we dropped by for a visit to sample the food. The room's decor lives up to the blue collar name. Old metal lunch pails (the kind that steel workers take ... More >>

Edge Steak & Bar's Nose-to-Tail Dinner Series: Porchetta, Pig, and Palaver for $99

Andres AravenaAs if Edge Steak and Bar didn't offer enough already, this gem of a restaurant has announced the beginning of a new interactive dining experience, "Specialty Dinner Night," set to take place once a month. The Nose-to-Tail events will feature a trio of chefs who will collaborate to prod ... More >>

Miami's Best Sports Bars: Huge TVs, Signed Jerseys, and Championships

​One way to tell a sports bar from any other is the array of 20-plus TV sets with live broadcasts of every college or professional football/basketball/soccer game or pay-per-view game known to man.However, you can't simply judge a good sports bar by its flat-screens; some actually have kitchens th ... More >>

The Federal's Opening-Night Dinner (Photos of Pig Wings)

A shining beacon of hope for Miami's gastronomic scene​Every once in a while, we come across new eateries that wow us to the point where we can't wait to go again -- so we sneak in a mere two days after our first visit. That's what happened at the Federal Miami.Described by opening-night patron Ni ... More >>

Rapicavoli Leaving 660 at the Angler's and Opening a Popup in February

Sergio Ferrer and Jorge PorroRapicavoli and Cass look forward to a new project​Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli formally announced that after his recently aired victory on Food Network's Chopped, his last day at 660 at the Angler's will be January 20. Come the first week of February, he'll open Miami's sec ... More >>

Metro Organic Bistro Has Gone to the Dog!

Joni Williams​Well, actually it's the other way around: the dog went to the Metro Organic Bistro. And this, ladies and gentleman, marked a first in his just-past-the-puppy-stage life.Heretofore, the only restaurants where my darling dining doggie has accompanied me have been in the vain of sit-dow ... More >>

Azul at the Mandarin Oriental: Inconsistency scars a pricey but intriguing molecular menu

View a slide show of Azul.

Gorge for a Cause

View a slide show of Azul.

Azul at the Mandarin Oriental Leaves Us Feeling Blue

Photo by billwisserphoto.comAzul's Carnaroli rice risotto.​At Azul, guests arrive to the sound of water trickling rain-like alongside a marble-and-tile-clad open kitchen. This peaceful, feng shui welcome has been in place since the restaurant premiered at Miami's Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Decembe ... More >>

Tonight: Lakers-Heat Pre-Game Prix Fixe Dinner at Area 31

Pork belly sliders are part of the prix fixe deal​The Miami Heat take on the Los Angeles Lakers at home tonight, and Area 31 is set with a three-course pre-game meal for $34 per person (available from 6 pm to 7:30 pm before every home game). The acclaimed seafood restaurant, located just blocks fr ... More >>

The Dome: Miami's Only Truly 'Green' Restaurant?

​There aren't any caviar bars in Coral Gables, but Rachel Dominguez is changing that when on January 28 she opens The Dome Bar and Lounge on Miracle Mile in the heart of The City Beautiful. Other than The Restaurant in Setai Hotel in Miami Beach, The Dome will be the only caviar bar in Miami- ... More >>

Indomania: Still Best Place You Don't Know

All photos by Alex RodriguezOwners Pieter and Ineke offer a Dutch-Indonesian home, even though it's not on the menu​Restaurant options in Miami Beach? The most obvious choices are over-priced-and-tourist-laden Lincoln Road, south of 5th street for the "seen and be seen" evening scene, and Washingt ... More >>

Chinese New Year Celebration Starts Sunday: Kung Hei Fat Choy at Hakkasan and the Mandarin

The Hakkasan Dragon Dance performed by local Kung Fu experts at the Fontainebleau Hotel will start at 9 p.m. sharp at the Bleau Bar and make its way to the haute cuisine restaurant..

Mai Tardi in Design District Celebrates With Closing Party

Mai Tardi is going out with a bang!​When a Miami restaurant closes, it usually slinks away in the middle of the night, leaving only note on it's door as a reminder of all the good times you had together.Not Mai Tardi, the lively design district eatery known for beautiful al fresco dining. The rest ... More >>

Philippe Chow vs. Mr. Chow: I Think Mr. Has a Point

​The long awaited legal battle between Michael Chow (Mr. Chow) and Philippe Chow (Philippe by Philippe Chow) began in a Miami federal courtroom on Monday. Mr. Michael Chow is seeking over $20 million in damages for trademark infringement. I'll leave it up to the lawyers to hash out the legalities, ... More >>

Miami's Best Cuban Coffee: Five Places to Fuel Up

​It's the crack of dawn and somehow you are hearing roosters crow though you are nowhere near a farm. You have a crazy morning ahead dealing with an especially difficult client and you realize the rooster you hear crowing is actually your brain periodically sobbing inside your head. A cup of coffe ... More >>

The Villa by Barton G.: Dining for the 1%

Photo by billwisserphoto.comThe Villa's truffled asparagus salad.​The wealthiest 1 percent of Americans take home 24 percent of all national income, own 40 percent of the country's total wealth, and are most likely to be seen dining in any restaurant where Jeff O'Neill is the chef.O'Neill, who cut ... More >>

Pizza Fiore to Open in Former Village Cafe Location Next Week

Photo by Alex Rodriguez ​We recently passed by Miami Shores' Village Cafe, which seems as if it had been open for an eternity. It was closed. Peeking in to see what was going on behind the blacked out windows we found chairs on top of tables and a ghost-like restaurant space. Then we noticed th ... More >>

Dining in the Dark: A Preview of Tonight's Kinky Chinese New Year Dinner

Courtesy of GMG Advertising​Who wants dinner with an undeniable kink factor? We do! You can come too -- we like things extra-kinky. Tonight's repast is sold out, but tomorrow evening, give Dining in the Dark with chef Adrianne Calvo a shot.Calvo, whose episode of Food Network's Chopped aired Octob ... More >>

The Villa by Barton G. is a singular dining experience for very special occasions

View a slide show of the Villa by Barton G.

At Mare Nostrum, They're Flying It In From Spain

Lesley ElliottMare Nostrum serves the full menu at their fancy mosaic bar. ​Brickell's newest fish and seafood emporium, Mare Nostrum, is importing everything from the chef (Pedro Gallardo moved here a little over two months ago from Murcia, Spain) to the tuna, which has to be frozen at minus sixt ... More >>

New Chef Aaron Taylor Puts Stamp On STK's Menu

Lesley ElliottTaylor's new heart of palm salad at STK Miami. ​About a month ago, we watched Aaron Taylor defect from Meat Market to take the top spot at STK, after Ralph Pagano went off to the races. And since a new chef usually means new menu items, you can look forward to a taste of something di ... More >>

Yes Pasta! in North Miami: Good Online Reviews But Oily Pasta

Photo by Marguerite Gil Half plate of very oily, angel hair noodles.​My friend Janet picks the eating places where we meet and shmooze a couple of times of month. She's usually good at it. She goes online, checks out the menu; parking, prices and then we enjoy a happy lunch together at her favorit ... More >>

Eric Ripert: Miami Airport Stinks, But Try La Carreta ... and Other Recommendations

Eric Ripert via TwitterEric Ripert: MIA sucks, LaCarreta rocks.​While it's safe to say that every Miamian has a different opinion about what to love about our fair city -- the amazing weather, pristine beaches, exciting nightlife, fine dining -- we will probably agree on one thing: Miami Internati ... More >>

Timon Balloo at Johnson & Wales University Dinner

All photos by Laine DossChef Timon Balloo shows a JWU student how to plate his beet salad.​The students at Johnson & Wales University's culinary arts program got a taste of what it's going to be like in the real world when Sugarcane executive chef and JWU graduate Timon Balloo took over the ki ... More >>

Vic & Angelo's Closes South Beach Location

Lee KleinVic & Angelo's is closed.​​Vic & Angelo's Coal Oven Enoteca, the mid-priced Italian eatery that replaced restaurateur David Manero's higher-priced eatery, DeVito, has closed. A visible for-lease sign hung on the building's facade when Short Order stopped by this afternoon.The So ... More >>

Women chefs struggle to break into fine dining's good-ol'-boys club

Lee KleinVic & Angelo's is closed.​​Vic & Angelo's Coal Oven Enoteca, the mid-priced Italian eatery that replaced restaurateur David Manero's higher-priced eatery, DeVito, has closed. A visible for-lease sign hung on the building's facade when Short Order stopped by this afternoon.The So ... More >>

Snackdown! Coconut Grove vs. South Beach

​Over the next few weeks, Short Order will be pairing eight Miami-Dade neighborhoods in a "Snackdown." This is the first entry. Today pits Coconut Grove against South Beach. Which of these two is the better neighborhood for dining?Read our arguments and VOTE! Tweet it. Facebook it. Google it. Com ... More >>

660 at The Angler's Names Carlos Torres as New Chef

Torres takes over 660.​660 at The Angler's has announced that Carlos Torres will be replacing the recently departed Giorgio Rapicavoli as executive chef. The indoor/outdoor contemporary American restaurant will keep its signature dishes, but chef Torres will slowly integrate his own dishes into th ... More >>

La Cigale Wine Bistro Marseillais: Cous Cous, Merguez, Chicken, and Lamb Starting Today

Chef owner Thierry Bossa hates wilted salads.

SoBeWFF Trade Seminars: Celebrity Chefs Offer Insight for Insiders

Food NetworkBobby Flay moderates a panel discussion on winning a televised cooking competition.​While thousands of people will be flocking to the South Beach Wine and Food Festival's Grand Tasting Village for some wine and a glimpse at a celebrity chef, those same chefs will be sneaking across the ... More >>

Coconut Grove Over South Beach? 50 Reasons That's Just Dumb

​As you may or may not know, Short Order is having a little Snackdown! Over the next few weeks, we will be pairing eight Miami-Dade neighborhoods and pitting one against the other in an NCAA-bracket sort of tournament. The first entry, last Thursday, was Coconut Grove versus South Beach.Admittedly ... More >>

Coconut Grove Should Clobber South Beach in the Snackdown

​Short Order's Snackdown, our friendly little competition to see which dining neighborhood gets the most love, is heating up. We expected to see comments from readers expressing their choices, including a little point/counterpoint discussion. What we didn't expect was that the fires would come fro ... More >>

Miami's Best Valentine's Day Dinners

Tuyo via Facebook​Valentine's Day is upon us once again, and soon we'll all be scrambling to get flowers and chocolates and godawful stuffed animals to show our significant others we give a damn. (By the way, if you do, skip the stuffed animal and go for something original, like a live iguana or a ... More >>

The Dutch: The W South Beach's hot new restaurant serves food as lively as the scene

View a slide show of the Dutch.