John Critchley

Timon Balloo and Carlos Torres On Upcoming Chef vs. Chef Match

​The 4th Annual Iron Fork event takes place Thursday, October 20th, from 7 to 10 pm at Ice Palace Film Studios in Downtown Miami (make sure to bring earmuffs -- I've heard it said that ice palaces can be cold). Lots of restaurants will be participating -- too many to list here, but a few highlight ... More >>

Area 31 Chef Change: Critchley Out, E. Michael Reidt In

Chef Reidt is coming back to townAnd that's the news in a nutshell -- or shall we say bombshell? Executive chef John Critchley had established himself as one of the city's culinary stars, but the Boston native has decided to return to the Northeast to be closer to family. He'll remain in the Kimpton ... More >>

World Festival Miami: Valet Hell

John Zur​It seemed troubling yesterday morning when only 140 of the $125 tickets for World Festival Miami at the Palms had sold. But a crowd of at least 300 showed and was greeted by bright-eyed, smiling kids who benefit from Common Threads, a nonprofit that educates mostly low-income ch ... More >>

Iron Fork 2010: Jose Luis Flores Takes the Pan; Short Order Award Winners Announced

Paula NiñoChef Jose Luis Flores​View photos from Iron Fork 2010 at Grand Central here.De Rodriguez Cuba's Jose Luis Flores won the 2010 Iron Fork title last night in a battle against defending champ John Critchley of Area 31. The chefs were given 45 minutes to prepare one appetizer and one entree ... More >>

World Festival Miami at The Palms: Tickets Now on Sale

Courtesy of thepalmshotel.comExecutive Chef Frank Jeannetti​On November 1 at 7:30 p.m., The Palms Hotel & Spa and executive chef Frank Jeannetti will host the 1st Annual World Festival Miami. Thirteen local and celebrity chefs, including Michelle Bernstein, John Critchley, Samuel Gorenstein, D ... More >>

Iron Fork Tonight

​Everybody is getting excited about tonight's Miami New Times Iron Fork event, to be held at Grand Central downtown. There will be great food and drink, all sorts of chefs and food industry personalities milling about, lively music, general festiveness, and - possibly the highlight of the evening ... More >>

Get Iron Fork Tickets for $20, Today Only

​Iron Fork is less than a week away, and we have a sweet deal for those who've been slacking on getting their tickets.Until midnight today, Short Order readers can buy general admission tickets for $20 (that means you save $15 off the regular price). Before we give you the details on how to buy, h ... More >>

Iron Stomachs

Michelle Bernstein, Jeff McInnis, and Kris Wessel to Cook for Common Threads Benefit

Courtesy of Mimi Chacin/Common ThreadsMaking sushi​Common Threads co-founder Art Smith will chair the first Miami benefit for the organization. It's a lineup worthy of an All-Star team if cooking had a midsummer classic.  Check the line-up: Michelle Bernstein, Jeff McInnis (Gigi), Sam Gorenst ... More >>

Merrick House Slow Food Pie Picnic in Pictures

Trina Sargalski​It was pie heaven at the Merrick House in Coral Gables this Saturday. About two dozen pies were submitted for the contest at the Slow Food Pie Picnic.Hedy Goldsmith, pastry chef at Michael's Genuine, was the Chief Justice of Pie. The other judges were: Ariana Kumpis (Ariana's Etiqu ... More >>

Michael Bloise, Gonzalo Rivera, Michelle Bernstein Share Hurricane Food Wish Lists

Photo by Jacob KatelGonzalo Rivera, executive chef at La Marea at The Tides.​If Miami had the rotten luck to get hit with a major storm and power was knocked out, what would chefs want in their hurricane pantries? From Michael Bloise, chef/owner of [soon open] American Noodle Bar:Fish sauce. It's ... More >>

The Weekly Wrap Up: The Food Arts

'Old Dirty Dawg' by chef Jeremiah at gastropod Miami​This week we profiled two muralists, one whose art graces the walls of two local restaurants, the other a guy who just knows where to get good eats. We also previewed an arts festival jam packed with good food and a pop-up cocktail lounge to que ... More >>

Cooking with Pictures: Chef John Critchley's Miami Spice Yellowtail Snapper, Part 2

David SamayoaChef John Critchley of Area 31​Chef John Critchley showed guests at Whole Foods Coral Gables how to prepare some of the dishes from Area 31's Miami Spice menu recently. In an earlier post, Short Order presented Chef Critchley's watermelon salad recipe, along with step-by-step photos. ... More >>

Chef John Critchley's Miami Spice Watermelon Salad, Part One

David Samayoa​Last night at Whole Foods Coral Gables, Chef John Critchley broke down some of the dishes from Area 31's Miami Spice menu. Of course, he added that deft touch that only decades of practice can bring. However, the recipes are relatively simple for the home cook to replicate.Critchley ... More >>

All New: Jimmy'z Kitchen, Pizza Fusion, Segafredo, & Critchley Cooking Demo

Pizza Fusion tosses its pie into the South Beach ring​Mo' Mofongo Jimmy'z Kitchen, the little, lovable, Latino hole-in-the-wall on South Beach, has the signs up for a second location coming to the ground floor of the Cynergi Miami Condos at N. Miami Avenue and 27th Street in Wynwood. You can check ... More >>

New Times Iron Fork Returns October 21 at Grand Central

​The first  two years were sell-outs. This year, Iron Fork will be bigger and better. New Times' massive culinary event returns for a third time, taking over the downtown event space/nightclub Grand Central on October 21. Last year's winner John Critchley (Area 31) will fight to hold onto his ... More >>

Area 31 Hosts Ice Cream Social for Charity

D Sharon Pruitt via Wikimedia Commons​Ice cream socials mostly invoke thoughts of church gatherings and neighborhood get-togethers, but not when you're eating your ice cream overlooking Biscayne Bay at Area 31. The restaurant will celebrate National Ice Cream Month by hosting Scoops for Success to ... More >>

Save the Date for Fairchild's Mango Culinary Conference

Paula NiñoMango varieties at the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden Mango Brunch​Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden will open this year's Annual International Mango Festival with a Mango Culinary Conference, a day of panel discussions that pairs Fairchild's tropical fruit experts and local chef ... More >>

100 Favorite Dishes: Oysters at Area 31

Jackie Sayet​As a countdown to New Times' "Best of Miami" 2010, Short Order is serving up 100 of our favorite dishes in the 305. Send your nominations to cafe@miaminewtimes.com.

Area 31's Menu Unaffected by Gulf Oil Spill... For Now

Area 31 not yet feeling the effects of the oil spill.​Wondering whether that ungodly oil slick off the coast of Louisiana is going to spoil your next seafood feast at Area 31 Restaurant, located on the 16th floor of the Epic Hotel. Well rest assured, BP's big mess shouldn't stop you from enjoying ... More >>

Photo Preview of Area 31 SBWFF Wine Dinner

Photo by Lee KleinSeared Yellowtail with salsa verde and caramelized chestnuts​Area 31, which has quickly established itself as one of Miami's best seafood restaurants, will be hosting a Fish Wine dinner on Thursday, February 25 during the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Execu ... More >>

Area 31 Wine Dinner at SBWFF, or Boat Ride and Lunch With Chef Critchley

31's seafood bolognese​Area 31 is back serving its fresh, sustainable seafood and will present a dinner called Fish Wine, hosted by executive chef John Critchley and master sommelier Emily Wines, Thursday, February 25 -- South Beach Wine & Food Festival week. The event begins with compliment ... More >>

Area 31 Chef John Critchley Gives Dolphins Money To Live, In Pictures

Yes, this post is full of Dolphin pictures, but first:Chef John Critchley has made a strong impact on the local dining scene since joining up with Kimpton Hotel Group to head up all food operations at The Epic Hotel in downtown Miami. Area 31 was recently named an Esquire Magazine Best New Restaura ... More >>

Area 31's John Critchley Gets The 10...

Chef John Critchley​Executive chef John Critchley of Area 31 at Epic seems to be a man of few words--as is evidenced by his interview below--but perhaps that's because his focus is more on action, nowadays. As a matter of fact, on November 20, he'll present a donation check to the Marine Mamm ... More >>

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 foc ... More >>

Area 31 Makes Esquire Best of 2009

adam larkeywas mariani bowled over by this bolognese?​Area 31, in the Epic Hotel downtown, has been named as one of the Best New Restaurants of 2009 in the November issue of Esquire magazine. When food and travel critic John Mariani dined at Area 31 this summer, he asked executive chef John Critch ... More >>

Critchley, Bodini Finalists for New Times' Iron Fork in October

Executive chef and Iron Fork finalist John Critchley of Area 31.​Last night, New Times held the pre-chef challenge for its Iron Fork event at La Cuisine Gourmet in Coral Gables. Four chefs competed: executive chef Maria Manso of the Blue Door at the Delano, executive chef John Critchley of Area 31 ... More >>

New Prix-Fixe At Area 31, and Valet Prices Drop: China Grill $6, Fontainebleau $0

Starting August 1st, China Grill's new Summer menu will include half-orders of the existing sharing plates. As the press release explains, "The new pricing is ideal for single diners and smaller parties who can now enjoy the same China Grill Experience they've come to expect over the past 14 yea ... More >>

Weekend Blog Watch: The Miami Food Twittersphere

Twitter.com I hate birds. Here are some active Twitter account addresses from local food-web-heads, bloggers, chefs, and citizens. Leave a comment if you know of any more that should be added.Chef Norman Van Aken - @normanvanakenMaria A., Yelp manager - @mari7305ER Gagit - @ergagitMango & ... More >>

Miami's New Restaurant Mantra: 2-for-1 Booze

If our local restaurants can't succeed in giving us great value for our food, the next best thing is to give us great value for our drinks. This way we can get drunk and forget how much we're paying for dinner. And so in this spirit of cut-rate spirits, we present the following quartet of deals for ... More >>

Cast Your Line with Downtown Miami's Area 31

You're sure to snag something great.

Epic Opening Tonight

Area 31 makes its' debut tonight on the 16th floor of Brickell Avenue's Epic Hotel. Executive chef is John Critchley, who trained under Boston's renowned chef Ken Oringer (Clio) and was known to make a mean morcilla at his own Beantown tapas bar. The sommelier is Emily Wines (from San Franciscos's F ... More >>