Kris Wessel

UnderGROUND Miami Tomorrow: Miami Chefs Cook Invasive Species

Invasive species are destroying our wildlife and local habitats. The biggest reason these transported critters do such damage is that they have no natural predators in our environment, but is that really the case? We can't discount the predator of all predators: Humans! It's time to eat the enemy. ... More >>

Slow Food Miami's Snail of Approval Tasting Party: Eat Locally, Start a Movement

Slow Food Miami is holding its second annual Snail of Approval tasting party this Friday, March 15, at the James Royal Palm Hotel. From 7 to 10 p.m., the nonprofit group dedicated to advancing the local slow-food movement will honor Miami restaurants that have won the coveted Snail of Approval, a de ... More >>

SoBeWFF for Free: Satellite Events Around Town Offer Gratis Food and Drinks

Sure, SoBeWFF is expensive -- if you can even scrounge tickets for the mostly sold-out festival. But there are ways to have some SoBeFun without the SoBEWFF sticker shock.Each year there are events and freebies all around the festival -- some "official" and some not. Frankly, it doesn't matter ... More >>

Let's Get Spiked! Celeb Chef Volleyball Tournament: Free VIP Tickets UPDATED

It's not unusual to see people playing volleyball on South Beach's shoreline. But come next week, don't do a double take when the person spiking the ball happens to actually be Spike... as in Mendelsohn.The Top Chef alum (and owner of some of the Presidential family's favorite Washington D.C. restau ... More >>

Chill Out for the Cause at Big Gay Ice Cream Social During SoBeWFF

Disney World: Where dreams come true. Florida: Where dreams of equal marriage are crushed. Well, for now, at least. Ah, Florida... we have such a happy place nestled right in the bosom of our state, but all around us, gay couples are advocating for the right to marry. How can we be truly happy i ... More >>

Ni.Do. Caffe Charms With Laid-Back Italian on the Upper Eastside

Happy Repeal Prohibition Day: Miami's Chefs Tell Us Their Favorite Drinks

If you think government is meddling in your affairs now (we're talking to you, Fox News), you should have been around in the early 20th Century, when Christian organizations and the federal government decided that most of our country's ills -- such as poverty, mental illness, crime, and bad behavior ... More >>

September 2012 Restaurant Openings and Closings

September is a transitional month for Miami. It's the time when tropical storms and hurricanes tend to be their most active (though we had one scare it luckily turned out to be a non-event), snow birds are still up north, and many folks (especially those in the biz) take a break or a quickie vacatio ... More >>

Chefs For Obama: Miami's Best Chefs Cook For Fundraiser

Last evening's Chefs for Obama was a veritable who's who of the Miami culinary scene in Miami. Hosted by chef Michael Schwartz (Michael's Genuine Food & Drink) and congresswoman and Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, the event, held at the Moore Building, was one of a ... More >>

Miami Chefs Help Jump-Start Public School Breakfasts

Students all over the state are celebrating Florida School Breakfast Week, in which kids are encouraged to start their day with healthy chow.According to the Food Research and Action Center in Washington, D.C., children who eat a complete breakfast make fewer mistakes and work faster in math and num ... More >>

August 2012 Restaurant Openings and Closings

Though generally slow-moving, August in Miami saw a surprising amount of new growth in the restaurant biz.Many restaurants opened including Michelle Bernstein's Crumb at the Webster and the reemergence of pop-up favorite Eating House.Speaking of pop-ups, Dining Room closed its doors on Washington Av ... More >>

Wessel, Schwartz to Cook For Obama's Campaign Coffers

In what could be a brash attempt to enrage some of their well-heeled, Cuban patrons, a handful of Miami's leading chefs will gather at the Moore Building in the Design District on September 18 to cook for a $250-a-head fundraiser for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign. For a cool grand y ... More >>

Miami Restaurant Openings & Closings, July 2012

Miami Restaurant Openings & Closings June, 2012The big news in July regrettably revolved around closings: Sra. Martinez said adios in the Design District, David's Cafe II shut down its Lincoln Road branch, and Jamie DeRosa and Geoffrey Zakarian are now both gone from Tudor House, which sort of e ... More >>

Farm Tropical Offers South Florida Fruits Nationwide

Local Food in Miami: Phonies, Freeloaders, and the Real Deal

Flickr CCJeff McInnis grew up among a family of farmers. As the chef and partner at Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, he strongly advocates a farm-to-table ethic."People should know where the food they are eating is coming from," he says. "It's the responsibility of all chefs to know as well, and t ... More >>

Blue Collar Miami: A working-class joint wins with American comfort food and just plain comfort

SoBeWFF: Hedy Goldsmith and Diet Pepsi Team Up at Trucks on the Beach

​Hedy Goldsmith and Diet Pepsi have teamed up for a trucking excursion to the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. You can catch them at Sunday night's "Trucks on the Beach" event, where Hedy's signature chocolate chunk cookies (with a hint of Maldon salt on top) will be handed out - ... More >>

Top Five Inexpensive Downtown Restaurants: Beyond Best Of Miami 2011

In our Best Of Miami 2011 issue, Best Downtown Restaurant was declared to be Sparky's Roadside Barbecue. We love everything about Sparky's, from the pulled pork sandwich to the smoky, spice-rubbed brisket to the homemade pecan pie. But in recent years, downtown Miami has fairly exploded with interes ... More >>

Sony Ericsson Open: $1,200 for First-Class Chow

Sony Ericcson Open But where are the peanuts and Cracker Jacks?​At most sporting events you can satisfy your hunger with a few hot dogs, some peanuts and a beer.But tennis is not like most sporting events. First of all, the spectators dress and resemble the players so much that sometimes it ... More >>

Frank Jeannetti Dishes About Just How Organic Essensia Is

Jeannetti gets up close and personal with his food.​Yesterday, we chatted with the guy we affectionately referred to as Chef Green Jeans, Essensia's Frank Jeannetti. Click here to read the first part of this interview.You claim your restaurant is organic but, really, with the incredibly high cost ... More >>

12 Top Miami Chefs Who Were Not Too Big To Fail, Part Two

Ben FinkIt was a genuine struggle to the top​In yesterday's installment, we listed six chefs, in alphabetical order, who at one point or another in their careers encountered a flop. We continue with the remaining half-dozen:7. Chef: Andrea Curto-Randazzo and Frank RandazzoFlop: Water ClubTalula fo ... More >>

Midtown Is Miami's Best Dining Neighborhood

Coming to midtown...​As Waylon Jennings might have put it, we were looking for Miami's up-and-coming dining scene in all the wrong places. Like, for instance, the Design District. When Michael's Genuine Food & Drink took off, followed by Fratelli Lyon, Michelle Bernstein's Sra. Martinez, and J ... More >>

The 15 Most Colorful Restaurants In Miami

Photo by Andrea F.The color yellow has been proven to increase the appetite.​​In alphabetical order:Acqua in the Four Seasons Hotel MiamiAqua connotes greenish-blue. Acqua connotes the restaurant helmed by chef Patrick Boucher in Miami's Four Seasons Hotel. The Life Acquatic is a movie with Bill ... More >>

Short Order Award winners

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 >>

Wine Over Miami, Where Wine Doth Taken Over

​Forget about that full-body cleanse. It seems as though wine has just taken over the city this week. Miami plays host to a number of wino-centric events open to both trade and consumers. If you love Spanish wines, jump on the wine train Wednesday, October 13 at the Great Match at the Biltmore Hot ... More >>

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 >>

Douglas Rodriguez, Jonathan Eismann, Andrea Randazzo to Compete in Ceviche Throwdown for Gulf Fishermen

Courtesy of Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill and South Florida Foodies​Miami's First Annual Ceviche Throwdown is Sunday, October 17, from 3 to 6 p.m. Participating chefs include Timon Balloo (Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill), Clay Conley (formerly of Azul), Jonathan Eismann (Fin), Douglas Rodriguez (Ocean/De Rodri ... More >>

Let's Talk Chef Shoes, Part 2: What The Pros Wear

Friday's opening shoe post was mostly about my own experiences with kitchen footwear. Today we find out what Miami's real chefs wear when they're working -- and why.Michelle Bernstein, Michy's, Sra. Martinez: Clogs, as they not only help me from falling on my back side but they also give me those co ... More >>

Michael Schwartz, Zach Bell in James Beard Final Nominees List

Photo via jamesbeard.org​Chefs Michael Schwartz of Michael's Genuine Food & Drink and Zach Bell of Café Boulud in Palm Beach were the only Florida chefs to move onto the James Beard Awards nominees short list.While 11 chefs from Florida -- four from South Florida -- were named among the semif ... More >>

Letters from the issue of March 11, 2010

Kris Wessel Interview, Part Two

Kris with daughters on vacation; he's a chef, not a photographer​This is part two of our interview with Kris Wessel, chef/owner of Red Light Little River. You can read the first part of the interview here. Three influences that, culinarily speaking, got you to where you are today.Growing up in New ... More >>

Kris Wessel Interview, Part One

​Kris Wessel, a tall, lanky New Orleans native, is Miami's blue-collar superstar chef. He looks and acts it -- a laid-back demeanor, a hard work ethic, and a no-nonsense, populist approach to dining. His acclaimed Red Light Little River was carved from a ruinous space wedged in a formerly seedy mo ... More >>

Sam Gorenstein, Hedy Goldsmith and Eos James Beard 2010 Award Semifinalists

Photo by Jacob KatelBLT Steak's Sam Gorenstein is a semifinalist for Rising Star Chef of the Year.​In anticipation of the nominees set to be announced March 22 in New Orleans, the James Beard Foundation has revealed the 2010 semifinalists for its Restaurant and Chef Awards -- and Miami is definite ... More >>

Top Ten Most Important Miami Restaurants of the Decade

Photo by Simon HareMichael's Genuine pioneered fine dining in Miami's Design District.Let's end the year with a bang-bang look at the most important restaurants of the decade. Caveat: It must still be in business. And we're skipping those historically important places (like China Grill, Joe's Stone ... More >>

Last Chance Bistro

La Goulue aims at a better class of mall rat

Restaurant Chefs Are Doing It for Themselves

There's less of a hunger for sweets makers

Last Bites

So long, Miami -- Lee Klein goes north to Broward

Tapping into Tapas

Tapas, er wait, miniature cuisine is taking hold in the biggest of kitchens

Side Dish

It's the dog days of summer, so thank God Talula is here

Miamian Beauty

Naked breasts and rose petals in the name of WTC relief

Don't Look for the Fusion Label

That's so passé but then what do you call it?

The Real Miami Circle, Act Three

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