Red Light Is Super Bowl Central for New Orleans Fans

Chef Kris Wessel already has a lot of friends and family in town from his hometown, New Orleans, for the Super Bowl. And more fans will start trickling in on Thursday, he told us. To rise to the occasion, he’s bringing New Orleans to Miami at Red Light.Festivities kick off…

For the Super Bowl, Sideline Shrimp Dip and Touchdown Trash

Tony Chachere’s is the only pre-made seasoning a Cajun will use, a friend told me when I mentioned I was testing one of the Louisiana company’s Super Bowl recipes. Tony’s corporate chef Kelly Williams, a CIA grad and Louisiana native, shared a few Super Bowl-inspired recipes and tips. The Saints…

Where to Eat in Miami This Valentine’s Day

If you ask us, showing off your culinary skills for your loved one is much more romantic than a dinner out, but we understand it’s not always easy. If you’re looking for where to eat out this Valentine’s Day, here are some options. Area 31 at the Epic Hotel Your…

Behind the Scenes at Chef Michael Schwartz’s Cookbook Photo Shoot

I arrived at the Wynwood studio of Miami artist Betty Rosado shortly after lunch one afternoon last week. The beautiful two-story home with wood floors, high ceilings, and lots of sunlight was the site of the weeklong photo shoot for chef Michael Schwartz’s cookbook, due out in 2011.Upstairs, Chef Schwartz…

Cool Restaurant Interiors: Jaguar Ceviche Spoon Bar

Jaguar Ceviche Spoon Bar is not all glitz and glam. Far from it, in fact. But it has a warm, welcoming vibe thanks to mustard-colored walls, bright-colored paintings and colorful details like the butterfly mobiles hanging from its ceiling. Our favorite part is the bar, which albeit simple, looks cool…

Home Cooking: Garlic Chilli Wings To Accompany Your Bowl Game

I must confess I was a little stumped when asked to prepare a Super Bowl-appropriate recipe for this week’s home cook edition. Wings, pizza, nachos, dips are not really part of my everyday repertoire. But I wasn’t going to shy away from the task. After looking through cookbooks, I decided…

Art in Chocolate at Fairchild

Funky cakes inspired by artists such as Dale Chihuly and Yayoi Kusama were on display this weekend at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s fourth annual International Chocolate Festival. Eight hopeful bakers entered the contest, which required they bake a cake or cupcake that: (1) used chocolate as the main ingredient, (2) included coffee…

JB Kitchen + Bar Coming to the Badrutt’s Place Space

Badrutt’s Place is reinventing itself as the more casual JB Kitchen + Bar. They are holding interviews and finishing remodeling the space.The restaurant, owned by Johannes Badrutt, will offer “American classics with a Peruvian flair.” A preview menu seems pretty run-of-the-mill. Appetizers include artichoke and spinach dip, JB’s honey-mustard wings,…

Cool Restaurant Interiors: Sra. Martinez

Michelle Bernstein’s Sra. Martinez exudes warmth and modernity. When you walk through the commanding front door of the former 1920s post office that houses the restaurant, you’re struck by bold red, black, and white accents in the dining room. Immediately, your eye is drawn to the second floor, where bright…

Fairchild Hosts Chocolate Festival This Weekend

Calling all chocolate addicts! You know who you are. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden will host its fourth annual International Chocolate Festival beginning tomorrow, January 22, through Sunday, January 24. The fest will feature demos, lectures, tastings, and food vendors. Learn to make your own chocolate, meet chocolatiers and bakers, or…

Home Cooking: A Greek-Inspired Salad for One

In this week’s Home Cooking edition, I get lazy and throw together a salad for one. That’s fine by me, because I love salads, and not for health reasons. This one in particular makes a filling lunch or light dinner. I dressed it with vinaigrette made from a recipe in…

Plato Royale: The Battle of the Chicken Chop-Chops

It never fails. Whenever old college friends visit Miami, they always want to stop at Chicken Kitchen. Maybe it’s nostalgia, or maybe they sincerely crave the flavors of yellow rice topped with grilled chicken bathed in mustard-curry sauce they discovered in Miami and kept them fed through many college days…

Cool Restaurant Interiors: Hakkasan

If there’s one restaurant in Miami that immediately comes to mind for spectacular design, it’s Hakkasan at the Fontainebleau. The French firm behind it, Gilles & Boissier, is also responsible for other inspired designs that include Maison Boulud, Daniel Bouloud’s restaurant in Beijing, and the W Hotel in Shanghai. Dark-stained…

Home Cooking: Pasta with Tomato, Basil and Garlic

So it’s pasta. Dressed simply with tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. What’s the big deal? I’ll tell you. It’s comforting, easy to make and relatively inexpensive. It never fails in those “I could care less for cooking” moments. Which typically occur on a weekday night when all you want is…

Plato Royale: Steak Sandwich From Graziano’s Market and Patagonia

The steak sandwich: straightforward yet flavorful and incredibly satisfying, a winning combination created simply by marrying a piece of perfectly cooked steak with bread. In Miami, we find the cheese steak, the Cuban palomilla sandwich, the more complex Uruguayan chivito, and the Argentine steak sandwich, among others. For today’s face-off,…

Really? More Burger Bash Tickets?

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival yesterday released additional tickets to the “sold-out” Amstel Light Burger Bash. That’s great news for those who missed out on tickets the first time, but I’m with those who bought tickets early at full price in feeling a little cheated. Organizers claimed that unlike in…

Colombian Restaurant La Moon Closes Gables Outpost

For lease signs now grace the windows of La Moon restaurant on Ponce de Leon Boulevard. Calls to the restaurant’s phone number were forwarded to its Eighth Street location, where an employee confirmed the Gables spot closed last week. The restaurant must have been hurting, for on my last visit…

Six Beers To Drink Tonight

It’s noche buena. Many of us are getting ready for lechon, family and good times. And what best than a good brew to go along with it as an alternative to the customary wine? Here are six winter beers you can enjoy tonight. We found these at Sunset Corners (8701…

Fatburger on the Mile

Is it me or does Miracle Mile has a lot more casual eateries now than ever before? The second Florida location of California chain, Fatburger, opened Saturday on the strip, and we obligingly stopped in for lunch. Burger options range from Small (Baby Fat Burger) to XXXL (Triple King). They…

Miss One Ninety? Get Your Fix at Luuur

Live music, good and affordable food, and a bohemian vibe made One Ninety popular among locals back when it operated in Buena Vista. It then closed and reopened at a new location after a two-year absence. And then it closed again to the disappointment of many.The man behind it all,…

If You Must Serve Eggnog This Season, Make Your Own

Eggnog is one of those staples that should be voted off the holiday table. Really, is that warm, thick, egg-y beverage the best thing to drink with your holiday meal? Especially in this Miami heat? Eggnog originated in England and was brought over to America by the colonists. Originally made…

Learn to Cook Healthy, Gourmet Meals at Delishe’s Supper Club

Chef David Whyko, CIA graduate and former personal chef to Lenny Kravitz, is all about healthy but flavorful food. Inspired by his 12 years working for Kravitz, a job in which he prepared healthy meals to take on long bus rides in exotic places, he opened Delishe in 2008. There…