On the corner of 15th Street and Washington Avenue there’s a lip-smacking new place to get your fast food fix on the beach. A big smiling monkey face beams down at you from the Kokopo sign, but once inside there is no monkey business. They pump out pizza, rolls and…
Juan Echeverri did not start out selling frozen alcohol to overzealous college students. This Medellin-born entrepreneur first started a non-profit venture producing frozen treats that single mothers could sell in the summer for some extra money. But then he noted the popularity of his frozen pops on the beaches of…
Ray Hicks is a good Southern boy who grew up on comfort food and at his downtown eatery, First & First Southern Baking Company. He’s bringing those flavors to Miami one deliciously gooey cake at a time. From Coca-Cola cake to red velvet, the only thing more American in this…
During November, National Peanut Butter lover’s month, you can enjoy the creamy goodness at Quattro Gastronomia Italiana. Twin chefs Nicola and Fabrizio Carro bring lots of Northern Italian dishes to their menu and with their pastry chef, Antonio Bachour, have loaded a traditional panna cotta with lots of peanut butter…
November is national peanut butter lover’s month. Even with peanut allergies on the rise, peanut butter is found in about 75 percent of all American homes.This American pantry staple dates back to the Incas who created a paste-like substance from peanuts. The first American commercial peanut crop was grown in…
Hemp, that beloved fiber of the cannabis sativa plant, seems to be popping up in everything you buy these days. Look online and you’ll find clothing, body lotion, paper, granola, milk, butter and protein bars all touting the benefits of this popular plant. But don’t be fooled. You won’t find…
It’s 3:30 on a Wednesday afternoon and Vincent Pantoliano, executive pastry Chef at Meat Market, is in the kitchen experimenting with different ingredients and techniques. He wants to get the right textures and flavors. He often comes in early so there’s extra time to “play” in the kitchen.This adventurous spirit…
Halloween is right around the corner and we can smell fear around us. Whether it’s because of the psychotic neighbor who’s decided to reenact SAW in his front yard, or the girlfriend who convinced you that Ken and Barbie is a great couples costume, sometimes you need a string drink…
Whether you have a stressful job or just finished a long night of partying, you may have a hard time sleeping. Perhaps you guzzle energy drinks, powders and tablets to try to keep up with the fast pace. Maybe if you snoozed a little more you could get something done?…
Downtown dining just got a little hipper and healthier with Soi Asian Bistro. The latest venture from the folks who brought you Mr. Yum, Soi provides a soothing green sanctuary behind large glass doors that open into a long hallway-like dining area. But don’t let the minimalist and seemingly small…
Halloween is this weekend and what better way to honor all things gory and dead than by stocking your fridge with bags of blood? Whether your preference is human or zombie, the folks at Harcos Laboratories developed Blood and Zombie Blood; two energy potions that will satisfy every blood-thirsty craving.It…
Stone crab season is underway and Floridians are embracing the season one claw at a time. Restaurants across the city are serving up these succulent sea creatures, and 14Thirty-Five at the Four Seasons Hotel on Brickell just added a $65 all-you-can-eat stone crab dinner to the Tuesday night menu.Executive Chef…
carnitas tacosDo you have tickets for the Heat home opener against the Magic on October 29? Get ready for a sensory overload of sight, sound and taste. And it won’t just be the trifecta of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. The food at the American Airlines Arena just…
Miami’s own Lime Fresh Mexican Grill may be the nation’s fastest growing chain. Just last week, a new place opened down by the Miami Courthouse. Another new place opens this week In Orlando. And the firm just inked a a deal with lagging Ruby Tuesday’s chain to open 200 new…
Juan Carlos Lopategui has a long culinary background that started back in Puerto Rico on his family’s fishing boat. JC,as his friends call him, “grew up on the water sport fishing. I think that’s why I am obsessed with ceviche.” It’s easy to become a ceviche fanatic with the fresh…
Despite the economy, new restaurants continue to enter the Miami market. CRAVE, part of a chain built on an American dining concept with Mediterranean and Asian influences, will open this November at the Village of Merrick Park.The Minnesota-based firm has seen rapid expansion. The Coral Gables outlet is the sixth…
Stone crab lovers, get ready: The season officially begins today and runs through May 15, 2011.The sweet and succulent claw meat of stone crabs is one of Florida’s famous delicacies. The crustaceans live in waters off North Carolina to the Yucatan Peninsula, and 2.4 million claws were harvested commercially last…
Some beverages have a history in medicine. Coke can trace its origin back to the late 19th century when it was sold as a medical elixir. 7-Up launched in the 1920s, originally contained lithium, and was marketed as a mood stabilizer and hangover cure. Today, both of these household names…
Last week, the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) held its annual trade show in Atlanta. There are 144,541 convenience stores in the U.S (one for every 2,100 people), and the NACS show is one of the largest in the nation. It draws more than 23,000 attendees. Short Order spent…
The office vending machine, often the cause of extra pounds and unhealthiness, is seen as a calorie and nutrition trap. But let’s be real, come 3 p.m.,.the shiny colorful wrappers start calling your name. Somehow you manage to justify the Snickers as a “meal replacement bar.” That is, until the…
Cobaya touts itself as an underground dinner club for local foodies eager to open their wallets and pallets to food experimentation by South Florida chefs.; Hence its name: Cobaya/Gourmet Guinea Pigs.The concept is not new. Call it a transient dinner, renegade party, occasional supper club or gourmet dinner club, it exists…
Prost! Oktoberfest in Germany came to a close this past weekend but here in Miami we’ve the holiday. The beer keeps flowing at Fritz & Franz Bierhaus right through next weekend in the restaurant and adjacent plaza. This Austrian-run beerhouse located in the heart of Coral Gables continues the tradition…
