Certainly, chef Oscar del Rivero is not responsible for bringing ceviche to Coconut Grove or authentic Mexican eats to the Gables. But many folks will attest that his seafood creations at Jaguar Ceviche Spoon Bar & Latam Grill and flavorful plates at the new Talavera Cocina Mexicana have raised the…
Before anyone got tipsy, Chopin Vodka shoved a Sharpie into the hands of Oscar winners Sandra Bullock, Kathryn Bigelow and Jeff Bridges, as well as Forest Whitaker, James Cameron, Emily Blunt, Kirk Douglas, Quentin Tarantino, Carey Mulligan, Julianne Moore, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Colin Firth, asked them to sign a 200-liter,…
Before you start getting all uppity, yes, we are well aware there’s nothing Irish about fried green tomatoes. However since so many of us will be searching our closets for green to wear for St. Patty’s Day and, heck, you’ll need something in your bellies besides bangers and mash to…
So perhaps it wasn’t fair of us to try to squeeze information out of The Forge’s long-time executive sommelier Gino Santangelo over multiple glasses of wine at a South Beach Wine and Food Festival dinner, but we just couldn’t resist. After all, news has been trickling in about The Forge’s…
In last week’s two-part interview with Philippe Ruiz, executive chef of the Biltmore’s Palme d’Or and all around nice guy, the James Beard Award nominee described his food as “simple, classic/modern, generous, and appetizing.” When asked for an example we could recreate at home, without pause he shared the recipe…
Here’s Part Deux of our interview with Philippe Ruiz, executive chef of Palme d’Or at the Biltmore. Read the first part of the interview here. You often cook for celebrities and dignitaries. Who was the most impressive or the one who made you the most nervous?I think everybody is important. How…
To go along with your Moët & Chandon cocktail, check out this recipe from the champagnemaker’s entertaining ambassador, Katie Lee.”I eat popcorn almost every night and I like to experiment with different flavors,” she says. Maybe that’s how she stays so thin. Consider whipping up a batch of this Chinese…
The Academy Awards are airing this Sunday night, so surely you’re planning a bash to celebrate, correct? Serve a cocktail for each category and by the time the hosts get to the Sound Mixing category (or by the time James Cameron gets through with another cringe-worthy acceptance speech–whichever comes first),…
While some of the top-name chefs manning kitchens in Miami are busy working on bacon-infused ice creams and three-pound slabs of steak, the Biltmore’s chef Philippe Ruiz continues to focus on making light, classic French dishes with a modern edge, often using just a few natural, high-quality ingredients. Thankfully the critics…
Yesterday Esquire hosted a round table talk regarding “The Rebirth of Fine Dining.” Panelists were Chefs Daniel Boulud, Laurent Tourondel, John Besh, Paul Bartolotta, Mike Lata, and Michael White, while Esquire’s food editor, Ryan D’Agostino, moderated.The following lessons were learned:…
Guests who bought $225 tickets to last night’s Barilla Interactive Dinner at the Biltmore hotel probably assumed the word “interactive” meant a chef would be cooking for them at each table. Not so. As hungry diners dressed in everything from jeans to suits entered the room, they found cloth toques…
There’s something to be said of that old cliché, “The early bird gets the worm,” as was evidenced by the line stretching from the peach lifeguard stand to the red, white, and blue one even 20 minutes before the Wine Spectator Trade Tent/Grand Tasting Village officially opened Friday afternoon. Hundreds…
Nearly 100 journalists, sponsors, and other industry types attended a private welcome brunch at The Betsy Hotel’s rooftop this morning to kick-off the South Beach Wine & Food Festival and, lo and behold, there was Daniel Boulud mixing amongst the common folk…
Getting an interview with Chef Jonathan Wright was as difficult as, well, trying to eat hot and sour soup with chopsticks. But we forgive the delay; he’s a busy guy. Tonight, as a matter of fact, you can catch him at Wine Spectator’s Best of the Best presenting a tasting…
David Ortiz, president of the U.S. Bartender’s Guild Miami Chapter and mixologist extraordinaire, may not be the only one around here who makes mojitos, but as far as we can tell, his version is as truly tropical as it gets. Ask for him at Club 50 or try this in your kitchen…
In the wake of their impressive SBWFF kickoff last night, it seems the folks at Red want everyone to know they’re putting out a serious contender in the battle of the beef (a.k.a. Burger Bash) competition tonight, also. Chef Jonathan Bennett, the executive chef at Red, the Steakhouse and Moxie,…
Can’t afford to shell out big buckaroonies for a ticket to any of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival events? Forget about hangin’ with the food snobs and check out The Paul & Young Ron Cookoff (Episode 6) Friday, February 26 at the Lowes Hotel. The morning show personalities from…
Spies inside Bourbon Steak’s kitchen found executive chef Gabriel Fenton hard at work hand-shaping a substantial amount of meat patties–hundreds, actually–and later discovered he was prepping for Burger Bash. He says there’s no secret to his entry, as it’s the same delicious, Michael Mina signature hamburger always served at the…
The battle of the Chows didn’t start in Miami Beach, but when Mr. Chow and Philippe by Philippe Chow opened mere footsteps away from each other, down came the machetes. Both gents may share the same last name (and, it seems, some similar recipes–more on this later), but so there’s…
Know anyone with a February birthday? Here’s a drink perfect for those wacky Aquarians and sensitive Pisceans, since it is the color of their birthstone (amethyst). By the way, it was created by Jon Gasparini, co-founder of a San Francisco-based cocktail catering company called Rye on the Road, so hit…
Ever met Brian Cantrell, A Fish Called Avalon’s executive chef and general manager? He’s no stranger to South Florida, though he grew up hunting and fishing in the Blue Ridge Mountains near his farm home in Hendersonville, North Carolina. [Editor’s Note: He still claims Lexington barbecue is the bomb diggety.] At…
No, B&BJ doesn’t probably sell lots of whipped cream-topped adult milkshakes to the biker dudes and Jersey Shore/Ed Hardy-wearin’ wannabes when they stroll without their bitches, but you can imagine how sexy it would be to share one of these with a silicone-enhanced partner of the opposite sex. Heck, it…
