Slow Eating With Finlandia Vodka

Chef Sara La Fountain, a Finnish-American Culinary Institute of America grad who runs a catering company in Finland, will cook up a “slow” Finnish meal featuring Finlandia vodka at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle resort this Saturday. Each of the four courses will be paired with a Finlandia vodka cocktail prepared…

Hump Day at Boteco Offers All-You-Can-Eat Appetizers

Today we welcome hump day, the awkward midway point to the weekend’s freedom. Why grudgingly crawl over this nuisance when you can conquer it Brazilian-style? Every Wednesday, Boteco offers an all-you-can-eat appetizer special for $9.50 and a corresponding happy hour. This “Rodizio de Salgadinhos” special provides a prix fixe order…

Summer Fruit: A Country Garden Cookbook

This is the second installment of our ongoing series that spotlights interesting cookbooks. Some will be new and familiar, chosen because we think they’re really good. Others will be highlighted as a means of introducing you to cookbooks you might not know about — and that we also think are…

First Look: Bernie’s L.A. Café on South Beach

Bernie’s L.A. Café opened to a packed house on Alton Road last week, and it continues to pack ’em in this week. Part of the built-in appeal is the familiarity with chef/owner Bernie Matz, who has a following from his Café at Books & Books. There is no literary backdrop…

Now Open: Burger & Beer Joint Brickell

The mainland locale of Burger & Beer Joint has opened its doors in Mary Brickell Village. The new location comes complete with a sports bar and a 5 a.m. liquor license sure to attract the happy-hour and party crowd. For now, the restaurant will open only for dinner from 5…

Meatless in Miami: To Analog or Not to Analog?

Some veggie folks are on the fence about “meat analogs” (AKA fake meat). Their main argument: I don’t want to eat meat, so why would I want something that tastes like meat?” Fair enough for some, but I like to think about it more in terms of logistics: the shape…

Behind the Line: El Pimiento in Miami Lakes

El Pimiento in Miami Lakes is an owner-operated Spanish tapas restaurant. Mylo Gonzalez is the dude in charge, but don’t call him chef — he prefers culinary director. Mylo says, “I never went to culinary school. I’m not a chef; forget the chef stuff. This is the real-deal home cooking…

Get a “Hookah on Steroids” Buzz at SAWA Happy Hour

The Place: SAWA Restaurant and Lounge 360 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables305-447-6555sawarestaurant.com The hours: Monday and Friday 4 to 7 p.m. and late-night Sunday through Thursday 11 p.m. to close. The deals: Van Gogh flavored-vodka drinks go for $5.50, with other cocktails, wine, and beer under $5. The scene: Everybody needs a…

First Look: Miss Saigon on South Beach

As we reported last week, Miss Saigon is now open for business on South Beach. Locals are familiar with the Vietnamese restaurant from its Coral Gables and Pinecrest locations. The menu is similar here, although the emphasis is weighted more toward take-out; there are just six seats in the petite…

Delicias de España’s Fabada Cooking Kit

In preparation for the Spain vs. Germany World Cup semifinal, which takes place at 2:30 Wednesday afternoon, we hit up Delicias de España on Red Road to find out how to eat like a crazed Spanish soccer fan. This bright and friendly grocery-restaurant is a bit of Spain in Miami…

Blue Mountain Coffee Now at Starbucks

On this, the morning after a frolicking July 4th weekend, you might find yourself in want of a good cup of coffee. Or maybe you crave something better than that, like a cup of coffee made from some of the world’s most heralded beans — those from Jamaica’s Blue Mountains…

Anthony Bourdain’s Rôti de Porc au Lait

Searing a hog and shooting some hard liquor is the only acceptable way to honor avowed pork addict and alcoholic connoisseur Anthony Bourdain. Naturally, any South Floridian’s first impulse would be to stuff that mojo mofo into a caja china and let him roast till sundown. Sadly, though, that’s not…

Stephen Starr Opening Japanese Restaurant at Bal Harbour Shops in 2011

Word has been leaked that award-winning restaurateur Stephen Starr (you know him from Buddakan, Morimoto, and Steak 954 in Fort Lauderdale’s W Hotel), will be debuting a new 200-seat Japanese concept restaurant in Bal Harbour Shops early 2011.A press release mentions “expansive sushi bar offerings and modern takes on traditional…

Flip Burger Bar on the Happy Hour Hunt

The Place: Flip Burger Bar 1699 NE 123rd St.North Miami305-741-3547flip-burgerbar.comThe Hours: Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.The Deals: Get two-for-one draft beers (reg. $3-$5), house wines (reg. $6-$8), and select bottles (reg. $3). Beers on draft include Miller Lite, Stella Artois, Brooklyn Lager, and Sam Adams. Bottled…

Sneak Review: Otentico Fresh Food Restaurant

A small bite of the upcoming Cafe review:Otentic is a clean, bright, contemporary bistro that looks out of place on this fast food stretch of Washington Avenue. Most everything at Otentic is slow: The cooking of food, the movement of workers, seemingly time itself. Yet after you finish off a…

Hot Plates: Brittany Smith at Sushi Samba

Brittany Smith is a long-legged blonde who struts around Sushi Samba while serving raw fish to Miami’s most beautiful people.The 28-year-old is originally from Michigan but found a home on Lincoln Road three years ago. In her scanty black dress, the tall and svelte server can easily be mistaken for…

High School Student Lynette Bofill Wins Le Cordon Bleu Scholarship Cook-Off

On June 12, 18-year-old Cuban-American high school student Lynette Bofill emerged from a field of ten young, aspiring chefs to take $10,000 in Le Cordon Bleu’s Future Chef of America Culinary Scholarship Competition. Today, Lynette offers the recipe for her winning dish, chicken paprikash with bread twist and red pepper…

Grill Grrrl’s Buffalo Sliders Recipe

Now that you have Grill Grrrl’s (Robin Medlin) grilling tips from earlier, you should be ready to try her buffalo sliders. On July 4, follow Medlin’s suggestion to create a slider bar by serving your favorite toppings and letting your guests create their own specialty burger…

Cheez-It: Your July 4 Cracker

It’s a holiday weekend and time to hit your local grocery store to stock up on party supplies. For most Americans, July 4 means burgers, hot dogs, ribs, coleslaw, and ice cream. And it seems everyone is jumping on the holiday discount bandwagon. A visit to a few local grocers…

GrillGrrrl’s Fourth of July Grilling Tips

Grilling is often seen as a man’s job. But who says a girl can’t grill?Robyn Medlin, AKA GrillGrrrl, has made it her mission to show women they need not fear the grill. A resident of Hollywood, Medlin writes the blog GrillGrrrl and teaches grilling to small groups of women.”A lot of…

Miss Saigon Opens Today on South Beach

Miss Saigon, the popular veteran Vietnamese restaurant from Coral Gables, quietly opened a second, smaller branch on Washington Avenue today — less than an hour ago, actually. The space is quaint, the menu extensive — including bánh mì sandwiches, which should prove popular in this neighborhood. Also on the menu…