Subject: Jackie Sayet

• When the Going Gets Tough, Christine's Roti Shop Does Breakfast

  Jackie Sayet Surviving with a smile Raise a white flag in trying times?  Nonesense.  After 17 years in business, Christine Gouveia flipped a big white bird at all the naysayers, the pouters and the wallowers, and instead chose to open her Roti Shop four hours earlier than usual yesterday to launch a breakfast service.

  June 2, 2009

• Bali Hai Preview with Chefs Oscar del Rivero and Sean Brasel

  Jackie Sayet Chef Oscar del Rivero of Jaguar mixing his Peruano ceviche. This Sunday, April 5, will mark the 15th annual Bali Ha'i event, an outdoor soiree of culinary delights from restaurants around Miami to celebrate the Kampong. On Thursday, I set out to get advance tastes of one fish dish and one meat dish, from two talented and charming chefs, Oscar del Rivero of Jaguar and Sean Brasel of Meat Market who will appear at Bali Hai. A quick drive down Main Highway, and I met Mexican-b

  April 3, 2009

• Complimenti, Cioppino

  Jackie Sayet Rissoto that's the real dealIf your DNA contains X and Y chromosomes and you have a pulse, it's impossible to strut the streets of Italy without learning how to handle constant harrassment from cliques of brazen young Italian stallions. "Complimenti!" "Grazie a la mama!!"   "Ragazza, perche non fare un giro con me?!?" Hey, I'm not shy.  I fended off such enthusiastic fellows and their compliments, expressions of gratitude

  May 19, 2009

• No Curry? No Worry

  Jackie Sayet Just chop and saute the warty Karela (bitter melon) with curry to jazz up rice, noodles or a saladKnow how to tell when an ethnic restaurant is authentic? Check out the regular clientele. At Spice 'N' Curry in Sweetwater, you won't find tourists or South Beach jet set. Just some folks from the neighborhood, especially Indian engineering students filling up on a taste of home right in their backyard.And it's no accident this exotic-food outpost is situated opposite the F

  May 11, 2009

• Ray the Hot Dog Man: An artist sells eats

  Jackie Sayet Nothing's fishy about Ray Trout's dogs Ray Trout is owner of Sun, Cloud & Rain Hot Dog Stand. "I realized after I named it, that I'd have to be out here no matter what," he says.  It's a hearty commitment, but Ray looks the part.  His sombrero shades a face that's beet red, like he was born with a sunburn. At Ray's, near NE Second Avenue and 17th Street, you can get Nathan's hot dogs, Hebrew National large dogs, and Garcia sausages.&n

  May 20, 2009

• Jake's in South Miami Goes Gastro

  Jackie Sayet This little piggy goes to the kitchen. Cue the violins. Jake's in South Miami has come of age, and it's feeling a little frisky. Now dubbed The Gastropub at Jake's, this neighborhood watering hole est. 2001 has updated its decor and menu, focusing on shareable dishes. "It was important that we took the new economic environment into account," explains owner Cynthia Seaman.  "People really want to feel like they can go out for a fun night on the town without hav

  May 21, 2009

• Out of Season? Not at Michael's Genuine.

  Jackie SayetLeggo my lycheesIt's in between tropical downpours in the Design District as I wade through the humidity to Michael's Genuine Food & Drink. Summer's making its usual graceful entrance, and I'm curious about what happens to a restaurant with a menu that celebrates local foods when the local growing season ends. What's fresh on the mind and inside the walk-in of Chef Michael Schwartz and crew in his shrine to vines?  Like delivered today, pulled-off-the-tree-today fresh? Turns

  May 28, 2009

• Ode to the Publix Cafe Lady

  Jackie Sayet The commuter-friendly 'grab and go' counter is the first of its kind for Publix in Miami(To the tune of Adam Sandler's Lunch Lady Land)Open up at 6 a.m.Got on my sage green polo Served croquetas de jamonCon un poco de amorGot no clue why we sell gallon jugs of milkJust know everything's doing fineDown here at the Publix Cafe stand Jackie Sayet Ma..ri...a!Yes I wear this net on my headPorque food safety standards applyI wear these clear disposable glovesIt's all for you

  June 9, 2009

• Sushi Siam at the Plaza on Brickell: The Countdown Goes On, and On, and On

  Jackie Sayet When will it be our turn to chow? What a tease.  Ever since Sushi Siam shuttered at its former home in the Four Ambassadors Hotel last year, Brickell has had a serious shortage of good quality, upscale casual Asian eats.  So when the Coming Soon sign hiding on that open door first appeared at 951 Brickell Ave. earlier in the spring, residents have been taunted ever since.  This neighborhood real estate website posted on the topic, and a comment thread 135 entri

  June 10, 2009

• House Sauce at Jaguar Ceviche Spoon Bar & LATAM Grill

  Jackie SayetHow do they get it so creamy? It starts with one innocent dunk.  You select a tasty victim from the basket of assorted toasted pita chips, fried green plantains and blue corn chips on the table and go in for the kill.  Scooping up just enough salsa to coat half of the delivery vehicle, you're like a chocolatier dipping candied orange peel or pineapple slices into a tub of glistening, melted heaven. And then it's crunch time. And repeat.  And repeat. And repeat.Executiv

  June 15, 2009

• Open Just One Week, It's Bustling At Puntino Downtown

  Jackie Sayet Mona's always watchingIt could be a sign of desperation for fuss-free neighborhood eats, priced right in the financial district, or merely a coincidence.  Either way, Puntino Downtown was filling to the brim quickly by noon yesterday with a power lunch crowd hungry for a taste of its new "Fine Italian Cuisine."  In addition to the area's white collar set, Goldilocks would approve of the menu here.  It's front-loaded with just the right amount of antipasti, insa

  June 17, 2009

• Plato Royal: The Cobb at Giardino Gourmet Salads Vs. Salad Creations

  Jackie Sayet "Country Cobb" at Giardino Gourmet Salads Jackie Sayet "Florida Sunshine Cobb" at Salad CreationsCue the workforce lunch crowd.  All together now... "Hallelujah!"  Miami has finally gotten its fair share of salad mixing chains, transforming noon-time question marks into exclamation points.  For this installment of Plato Royal, we thought we'd take on interpretations of the Cobb salad from a pair of major franchise players in town.

  June 23, 2009

• A Chicago's Trifecta in Coconut Grove: Bakery & Deli, and Soon to be Steakhouse

  Jackie SayetCorned Beef, kraut and banana peppers, the guts of "The Chicago Fire," a twist on the Reuben sandwichThe new Chicago's Bakery & Deli has only been open one week, but its performance has already received rave reviews and even a few regulars.  There was such a fuss brewing on the Cracktwit and Faceboring, initiated by neighborhood insider Tom Falco (@GroveGrapevine), I just had to stop by to see what da big deal was.  So did about 10 others right before close last night.&

  June 24, 2009

• Dining Out with Hialeah Mayor Robaina and a Top 11

  Jackie Sayet Taberna owners Ignacio and Laura are the bread in this mayor sandwich The "City of Progress" will finally live up to its moniker if Julio Robaina has anything to do with it.  But don't expect him to go behind the line if it involves more than a photo op!  Trust us; we tried to cajole him into an apron ourselves last week at Taberna de Ignacio on West 68th Street, his favorite Hialeah restaurant for a business lunch.

  June 29, 2009

• Fire Station 9 Rescues Fourth of July Dinner: Alex's Spinach Salad with a Side of Antics

  Jackie SayetThis clean plate club always chips in, even with the dirty work Lieutenant Ignacius "Iggy" Carrol, Public Information Officer for the City of Miami Fire Department, didn't mess around when I rang earlier in the week.  I was looking for a firehouse willing to play guinea pig for a story on July 4th eats.  He sent me straight to his old stomping grounds, Station 9 in Little Haiti.Lemon City's finest may not have the iconic pole, but after hanging out on their home turf for a

  July 3, 2009

• Tiny Confucio Express Packs Big Flavor, Talks Franchising Chinese Takeout

  Jackie SayetVegetable lettuce wrapBummed out that our 2009 "Best of" pick for Chinese may also come with a nose bleed?  Or that Hakkasan, Lee's review this week, may be best reserved for a special occasion?  Here's a wise pick for those further south that won't burn a hole in your wallet and proves one should never underestimate the little guy.  It's Confucio Express Chinese Gourmet Cuisine, and don't let the "to go" concept fool you.  For all intents and purposes, this takeo

  July 6, 2009

• A Meeting of the Gluttonous Sharpe Tongues Over Bubbles and Eggs

  Jackie SayetMuselet chairs, miniature marvels which Christie Wolfe learned how to make over champagne and blackberries in the California garden of Iron Horse's Joy SterlingEat, drink and be merry.  That's the idea behind a group of wine and food enthusiasts who gather monthly for gourmet potlucks, replete with the fermented grape.  Last night's raison d'être was vintage champagne and eggs, in honor of Bastille Day.   "The idea is to get foodies to put their money where their

  July 15, 2009

• Plato Royal: Casale Pizzeria Mozzarella Bar vs. Pizza Volante

  Jackie SayetTop to bottom: Margherita at Casale, Margherita at Volante Do you sometimes feel like you live in Pizzami? Well, if you've been following the munchings and musings of local food bloggers and Twitterites lately, it's hard not to. But I can't blame 'em.  There's been a flood -- er, fireball -- of new, gourmet pizza joints opening up across town, and I have to say, not a moment too soon. For so long a good pie meant hauling hulking, par-cooked Vito's down from God-knows-where to be

  July 16, 2009

• Cartoon Ice and St. Germain Dreams: It's Refined Cocktail Time at Fratelli Lyon and EOS

  Jackie SayetEven the garnish is a star at EOSWe've come to expect high quality ingredients and technique in fine dining kitchens around town, so why shouldn't the same principle be applied behind the bar?  It is now thanks to a new focus on natural spirits, supporting mixers and special touches, as well as precision in drink-making.  We checked out Fratelli Lyon Driade and EOS, two establishments who are taking this mission to heart.

  July 17, 2009

• Tempted by the Fruit of the Dragon at Fresh Market in Coconut Grove

  Jackie SayetDon't worry, it doesn't bite It's the height of summer, ladies and gentlemen.  And whether you like it or not, our local growing season is all about the tropical fruits.  I wrote of an encounter with one of the more beautiful and unusual tropical treats that nature makes on my blog, Kitchen Interviews, this weekend: the Dragon Fruit. Why we don't see it on more menus, especially dessert, I have no idea.  It was so pretty, that I decided to make it my blog's masthead fo

  July 20, 2009

• Mimi the Kitty Hearts Kingdom, and Other Revelations on the Court of Miami's Best Burger According to Epicurious

  Jackie SayetNice kitty It's not easy trying to find something new to tell you about Kingdom that hasn't already been said, typed or printed.  But then we heard that Miami Herald food critic Victoria Pesce Elliott crowned its Queen Burger victorious when Epicurious, the online home of Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines, asked local food critics to scout their cities for the best patty.  So it was worth a deeper dive.  Here are some things you may not know about this MiMo "restaurant sports gal

  July 24, 2009

• Lessons Learned on Set at Pinecrest Gardens with Gordon Ramsay and a Kitchen Nightmare called Fleming: a Taste of Denmark

  Jackie SayetLast time I was at the "Parrot Jungle," I was in diapers. Can you guess what the re-launch stunt was? You're gonna have to, because my lips are sealed. Fox has been pretty adamant about what we can and can't reveal prior to the first airing of Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares: Fleming Edition.  Here's what we are able to spill about this past Tuesday's private marketing event for camera at Pinecrest Gardens to officially dust off this restaurant from its comfy perch in

  July 24, 2009

• Ingrid Hoffmann's Creamy Mojito Shakes: Handy on a Hot Summer's Day, and for Post-Weekend Detox

  Jackie SayetI declare this meeting chilled​For those of you more excited than confused at the prospect of detoxing with mojitos, we're sorry to burst your alcohol-coated bubble. The mojito recipe in this post is - gasp - virgin!  Where is an Edvard Munch "The Scream"-style font when you need one?If you're still reading at this juncture, we'd like to thank you for sticking around.  So did seven editorial staffers yesterday, when Chef Ingrid Hoffmann popped by the New Times office with

  July 28, 2009

• Plato Royal: Sunday Brunch Buffet at the Four Seasons Hotel Miami Vs. the Biltmore Hotel

  Jackie SayetFrom the top: part of the raw bar at The Biltmore Hotel, and at the Four Seasons Hotel Miami​Have you ever had the feeling that you've bitten off more than you can chew?  Try sizing up a brunch buffet, and you'll have the metaphor made literal. Die-hard brunchers have it down, and they're a fiercely loyal group with All Clad allegiances.  We're talking protective over their preferred turf like "mama bear" wannabe Sarah Palin guards her cubs. For this Plato Royal, which is

  July 30, 2009

• Brickell Irish Pub Open-Closed-Open?

  Jackie SayetMe want beer​An attempt to meet up with a close friend for pints at Brickell Irish Pub on Tuesday ended in disappointment, aside from the company that is! Urban Daddy had reported the pub's opening on July 15, more than two weeks ago. What a bummer to arrived and find locked doors, lights off, and no one home but a lift and strewn wires. A call placed today by husband of said close friend successfully reached the owner, who relayed that it's "supposed to open this weekend."  C

  July 30, 2009

• Meaty Reflections on Taste of the Nation: Carnitas, Pork Belly and BBQ, Oh My!

  Home team advantage​In a whirlwind of BBQ, BBQ, raw fish and more BBQ, Taste of the Nation was over, as it always is, too soon. Tons of money was raised for a good cause, so we can all go home feeling satisfied.Stand out dishes included the hosting Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne's last minute switch from Tacos al Pastor to pork carnitas, which Chef Andres Parlange derived from an old family recipe passed down for many generations. Those are usually the best anyway, no?  Me thinks we need to de

  July 31, 2009

• Killer Triple Tail Tacos at Fish Shack Market

  Jackie SayetThree times is a charm​Heavenly fish tacos have arrived on the stretch of Red Road between Bird and Flagler at Fish Shack Market.  First, thick pieces of the daily Triple Tail catch are seasoned and seared a la plancha and land on crunchy  strips of julienne green cabbage inside a flash fried corn tortilla.  Then, each crisp bundle is topped with freshly-made pico de gallo, bunches of chopped cilantro and finely diced fresh jalapeno.  A steamed corn tortilla sle

  August 3, 2009

• Accurately Identify Five of These Chefs and Win a Pass for Two to See Julie & Julia Before the Public Can

  Jackie Sayet Say fromage!​One made carabales cheese and walnut empanadas with pear compote.  Another, grilled Florida grouper with "bean escabeche" and buñuelos.  There was barbeque quail salad with poached egg and passion fruit vinaigrette.  Down Island French Toast with foie gras, brioche, and curaçao melted in mouths.  The smoked Scottish salmon on warm sweet bread with potato hash, crème fraîche, caviar, and horshradish oil would not be overlooked.  A sp

  August 4, 2009

• Akashi South Miami Has a Swanky New Look

  Jackie SayetBefore...​As reported in June, owner Larry Chi was planning his flagship restaurant's first major cosmetic makeover.  The result was unveiled last week, and we're pleased to report that it's the same neighborhood spot we know, and menu we've grown to love, over the past 16 years.  It's just a little cooler on the inside.  Actually, a lot cooler.Note to UM students: Akashi finally got some mojo, but don't worry.  It doesn't mean your wallets will lose theirs. As

  August 5, 2009

• Chef de Cuisine Brandon Benack's Fried Shrimp Po' Boy with Creole Tartar Sauce and Truffled Potato Chips at Emeril's Miami Beach

  Jackie SayetBenack and his larger than life hogie​If there ever was a po' boy rich enough for our girl Gwen Stefani, this is the one. Not too fancy, but with a sizable amount of midriff-bearing sass."We had this po' boy on the Miami Spice Menu last year," explains Benack. "I think we're going to bring it back for lunch this time around."This New York native knows a thing or two about authentic po' boys.  He lived in New Orleans for six years.  That's equivalent to 312 of the iconic s

  August 6, 2009

• Jennifer's Homemade Grows Up, Offers Short Order Readers 25 Percent Off for August

  Jackie SayetHome is still baked-in​Jennifer's Homemade may have graduated to a warehouse baking facility, but the same pasta-sheeter that Jennifer Behar retrofit for her flatbread dough, which she cut by hand and baked at home, matriculated along with the business."We moved two years ago.  It was a raw space, and we had to build it out, but it still looks very industrial, which I like," explains Jennifer, who was out of the house after three months.  "We knew pretty quickly that we w

  August 10, 2009

• A Devoted Fratelli Milano Customer, Inspired, Puts Feelings into Verse

  Jackie SayetSidewalk caffe​What is it with downtown Miami and old world-style Italian restaurants?  And good ones, at that?  We think these diamonds in the rough may be a sign of good things to come for this metropolitan center, as long as all the businesses in the area don't go bust before they have a fighting chance.But devoted patrons, there is no shortage.  A poetic tribute to one such enclave, Fratelli Milano, was slipped under our door anonymously from a reader, and we jus

  August 12, 2009

• Move Over Swedish Meatballs: It's Crayfish Season at IKEA

  Jackie SayetDon an exoskeleton, devour theirs ​Let's face it.  There are many reasons to love IKEA, and food is not one of them when you are a foodie.  At the cafeteria, pre-made wraps and salads, plus desserts and a hot line straight from the freezer, hardly equal fuel for a day of combing through 293,000 square feet of showroom and marketplace.  Don't get us started on the cookware section desperate for a consultation with Marcus Samuelsson.  But when making the haul to s

  August 17, 2009

• Family Food Fun: Metrozoo Kids' Cooking Class and Crazy Pianos Shake-a-Leg Fundraiser

  Jackie Sayet My adorable cousin Nicole Rubin, here with her take on brownies (there are secret ingredients added, people!), will probably kill me for grouping her in the kid category!​Back-to-school doesn't have to mean an end to fun.  It's time to play with your food, and we don't mean spaghetti sculptures of Fluffy the poodle.Metrozoo and Crazy Pianos are both hosting one-time events for the kid in all of us.Metrozoo (12400 SW 152nd St; Flooded Forest Room at Amazon and Beyond)A

  August 26, 2009

• Get Caught in Charlotte's Web: Chef Elida Villaroel Dishes on Her New Bistro and the Beauty of Imperfection

  Jackie SayetMarie Antoinette's gaze beholds the dining room. Behold, Villaroel's muse?​The question is not, is three Michelin star restaurant-experienced Chef Elida Villaroel ready for Coral Gables, but rather, is Coral Gables ready for her?Pensive and profound, yet uncomplicated.  Calculated with a penchant for impulse. The mother of two and a half year old Andrea at home, whom she refused to name Charlotte (despite a love for the name) since it sounded "too snobby," is a lover of contr

  August 27, 2009

• Just Like Grandma Would Make: An Heirloom Czech Spaetzel Recipe is Illuminated

  Jackie SayetEasy as one, two, three: Czech spaetzel ​Recipes passed down from generation to generation are special.  That they stand the test of time is reason alone to love them -- a generous helping of the past on a plate or in a casserole dish.  Newly born dishes, shaped by chefs forging brave trails in restaurant kitchens, are important too.  Perhaps sometimes inspired by the past.  But these... Well, they've earned their keep. In a community like ours, with a root syst

  August 31, 2009

• Six Things to Eat Other than Ceviche at Peruvian Restaurants

  Jackie Sayet"Causa" to eat​Sure, ceviche comes in all shapes, tastes, and sizes worth sampling regularly... But living on the edge during recent Peruvian restaurant outings, we shifted from automatic to manual ordering and tried some different menu items.Surprise! There are dishes for which it's worth kicking the ceviche habit. Well, temporarily, at least.  Here are six on our list to expand your menu horizons at the restaurants where they shine.

  September 9, 2009

• Sneak Review: Charlotte Bistro

  ​A teeny sneak preview of the New Times restaurant review for next week -- an amuse-bouche, if you will, to whet your appetite. The cuisine weaves an enchanting web, fusing strands of French bistro fare with ingredients such as the curry and coconut milk that globalize a beurre blanc pooled beneath three bacon-wrapped langoustines. Alongside the thick, succulent crustaceans were thin slices of softly cooked zucchini infused with the alluring perfume of anise. Jeez, she can make even zucchini t

  September 11, 2009

• Make This Tonight: Orange Gazpacho with Crunchy Vegetables Salad and Grilled Garlic Ciabatta Bread

  ​Inspired by the Late Summer Vegetable Salad dish recently devoured at Sra. Martinez, (soon to be named one of Esquire magazine's 20 best restaurants of 2009,) we whipped up this tasty take in about an hour.  Suffice to say that mere minutes after that hour, a crumb and a puddle were about all that remained!The dish is comprised of three parts that come together in a bowl for service: an orange gazpacho made with yellow and red tomatoes, a crunchy salad of roughly-chopped radish and fenne

  October 5, 2009

• Oldies But Goodies: A Duo of Favorite European-Inspired Soup and Sandwich Spots

  Jackie SayetOpen wide: The "Boiled Egg & Tomato" under construction at Pommes & Pane.​Keep it simple, stupid.  Words to live by when it comes to food, especially the classic lunch combo of a soup and sandwich.  This pair of places answers the question "What should I have for lunch?", serving up bread with fix-ins and blends in bowls in their finest forms.  Try one, or if you're hungry, scarf both.   

  October 6, 2009

• Bacon Makes Dessert Better: Peanut Butter Brittle and Maple Pecan Ice Cream

  Jackie SayetBringing home the Sir Francis Bacon.​Everyone's buzzing on bacon.  Drinkable (like in the case of "Bakon" vodka) and munchable, is there ever an occasion when getting some belly in your belly is not ok?My Achilles' heel is particularly, and often, pierced in Hedy Goldsmith's pastry station at Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, where fatty slabs become confectionery c... well...  you can fill in the alliterative blank.  Jackie SayetCandied bacon-studded maple ice cre

  October 12, 2009

• Make This Tonight: Lemon-Lime Scallops with Buttered Sweet Corn

  Jackie SayetEasy elegance at the table with scallops and sweet corn​A great dinner at Red Light (7700 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-757-7773) the other night of "crushed pepper seared sea scallops, roasted corn spoon bread and spicy orange drip" inspired this home-cooked riff. Zesty lemon and lime-marinated sea scallops, giant and plump, meet rich, nutty sweet corn. It comes together fast and wows on the plate. A side of sauteed shallots with mixed wild mushrooms, like trumpet with their hearty,

  October 14, 2009

• Newcomers and Some Oldies Shine at Iron Fork 2009: Critchley Victorious, Whisk and Others Raise the Bar

  Jackie Sayet​The Presidente flowed as Chef John Critchley laid the culinary smackdown on Giancarla Bodoni for the 2009 Iron Fork title. Critchley is on a winning streak, with his seafood-celebrating Area 31 having been recently named one of Esquire magazine's best new restaurants this year.Our focus, however, was the side show -- edible offerings of 40 South Florida restaurants through which crowds mowed.  Here are some highlights:- Whisk's fall-off-the-bone pork with golden honey cider b

  October 16, 2009

• Surprise! New Favorite Takeout Salad Resides at Wok Town

  Jackie SayetThe "Stir Fry Miso Beef Salad" ($8.95) is a fresh and crisp unexpected find at an Asian takeout place​Forget everything you expect from and dislike about Chinese takeout. If you're having trouble, let us shed some light...  Greasy, saucy, gloopy, wilted, and one-note flavor. Now imagine a menu with light options like crisp salads, low oil stir fries, noodle soups, finger-licking edamame tossed in a creative selection of light sauces, and house-made -- I repeat -- house-made du

  October 20, 2009

• The Show Must Go on for Barton G: Prelude Opens Tomorrow Despite Warehouse Fire

  Jackie SayetDaisies adorn the 2nd floor foyer into Prelude. ​Despite the fire that ravaged Barton G's warehouse on Monday night with millions in props and other non-food-related damages, Barton G. Weiss, the seasoned showman that he is, addressed an impressive crowd of media and industry VIPs Wednesday night in a pre-launch event for his new Adrienne Arsht Center restaurant, Prelude by Barton G.  Not a mention was made of the devastating events of two days prior.The restaurant, adorned wi

  October 22, 2009

• Party Like a Salsa: Venezuelan Import, Salsa Fiesta, Opens on Biscayne Corridor

  Jackie SayetService with a sonrisa​American mall food court fare leaves some -- er, many -- things to be desired.  But venture across the border or overseas, and as cultures change, so does the fast food game, usually for the better.So when we first heard that young entrepreneurs and husband-wife pair Cesar Olivo and Adriana Perez Benatar were taking Benatar's family business stateside from its Venezuelan courtesan roots, we were mostly curious.  We were also somewhat hopeful that Sa

  October 29, 2009

• Slow Food Miami Conference in People and Pictures

  Jackie SayetTHIapet!​Last night in an Upper East Side event space called the Coverings Showroom, Slow Food Miami's membership met for its annual conference.  With a musical booth buffet, orchestrated by Chef Kris Wessel of nearby Red Light Little River, the evening was less structured meeting and more pre-Thanksgiving pause for producers, restaurant industry folk, and people who appreciate fair and fresh local foods to celebrate the movement's progress to date.  One supplier, Thi Squ

  October 29, 2009

• A Frontera Grill of Our Own? Talavera Channels the Corazon of Mexico in the Heart of Coral Gables

  Jackie SayetA sea-salty, tangy punch of solid libation: Here's looking at you, Classic Margarita.​Short of Rick Bayless opening up shop in Miami, Talavera enters the local restaurant scene to fill a much needed void, authentic Mexican cuisine.  In the capable hands of Mexican-born Executive Chef/Owner (and Chile Master, as far as we're concerned) Oscar Del Rivero, Owner Eduardo Durazo, and Partner Martin Moreno, all of Jaguar Ceviche Spoon Bar and LATAM Grill in Coconut Grove, Talavera ma

  November 9, 2009

• Former Gourmet Editor-in-Chief, Author Ruth Reichl Dishes on the Art of Recipe Testing at Miami Book Fair

  Jackie SayetJudge this book by its cover.​Last night was one of many funerals for a fallen hero taken before its time, Gourmet magazine. Ruth Reichl, its jilted guardian, gave a remarkably candid and emotional eulogy for her final book tour appearance.The remarkably (yet not surprisingly) composed former editor-in-chief addressed what she later tweeted as a "smart crowd" at the free Miami Book Fair event in downtown Miami. The profound sense of loss was palpable in the packed ballroom, as was

  November 10, 2009

• Dividing and Conquering 'Cued Pig at Ribfest 2009

  Jackie SayetVictors and spoils: Trophy tchotchkies as colorful as their owners get carted around the competitive BBQ circuit and have the scuff marks to prove it.​This past Sunday, I joined foodie friends and bloggers Steve, Paula, and David on a tiny trek to Homestead for a taste of America -- and what could be more U, S of A than barbecued pig, funnel cake and roasted corn vendors, and cowboy and tchotchke stalls of all kinds? Now mind you, I know it sounds like fun and games, but the annual

  November 12, 2009