Burger Bash Sneak Peek at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach

As the host chef of South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s Burger Bash, Thomas Connell has a leg up on the competition. Not only are all of the 27 burgers in contention prepared on-site at his kitchen at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, but he also helps the contestants with their…

Contest: Predict The First Hamburger Joint To Close!

I mean c’mon — it’s getting silly. Oneburger, Blissburger, Fatburger, 8 Oz Burger, Burger & Beer, Burger & Beer 2, Bourbon Burger Bar, Dune Burger Bar, Kingdom, Five Guys, Whopper Bar, all the other Burger Kings, Mickey D’s, Checkers, Wendy’s —  plus one Shake Shack coming right up! According to…

Home Cooking: Sausage and Egg Casserole

This breakfast casserole was introduced into my kitchen by my husband. For him, it’s a dish that evokes memories of home in North Carolina. His mom traditionally prepares it the night before Christmas and leaves it in the fridge overnight so it’s ready to be baked in the morning. I’ll…

Morena Restaurant Lets You Name Your Own Price

Partners Hernan Caporasohe and Alejandro Maya (also from Lincoln Road’s Maya Tapas and Grill) last week opened their new Morena Restaurant & Lounge. Morena brings Maya chef Hector Diaz, an Argentine/Spanish menu, Argentine/Italian wines, and — get this — a “name your own price” promo through February 28. Mention the…

Baru Urbano Up and Running

Colombian partners Nicolas Hoyos and Juan Carlos Pardo proudly introduce Baru Urbano, “an experience that will seduce the senses through art, décor, music and cuisine.” The Brickell neighborhood restaurant/club touts an eco-conscious bill of fare with locally sourced ingredients. According to the press release, the menu “has been created with…

Five iPhone Apps for Cooks and Food Lovers

The iPhone is annoying for some, addictive for others. Love or hate it, the phone has won over a lot of us. And it’s only natural that among the thousands of applications made for it, there would be many catering to cooks and food lovers. Though you might not be…

The Scoop on Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill in Midtown

If you’re not a subscriber to our weekly Café Bites dining newsletter, here’s a taste of what you’re missing. Click here to subscribe.If one kitchen is good, are three kitchens three times better? One way to find out is to swing by the new Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill, 4,200 square…

Looking to Attend the SoBe Wine & Food Fest? You Still Can

Food Network personalities, high-profile chefs, and food fans from all over the world will descend over Miami next week for the 2010 South Beach Wine & Food Festival from February 25 to 28. You locals should consider yourself lucky: In years past, you’d be hard pressed to find a ticket…

Ariston Greek Restaurant Is Closed

Drove past Normandy Isles’ Ariston Restaurant on 71st Street the other night and noticed that it is no more. Don’t know when this happened, but it’s a shame — we liked the place enough to name it our Best Greek Restaurant last year.From the website:Regretfully, Ariston has closed it’s doors…

Café Barcelona Goes Bohemian on Wednesdays

Yes, all the info you need is in this ad. No, we are not getting paid to run it. I’m just posting it because I like Café Barcelona — it’s a cozy, local spot that works hard to provide a good time for its patrons. I like Bohemians, too. Honestly,…

The Genuine Kitchen: Roses Are Red… These Cupcakes Are, Too

The Genuine Kitchen column features recipes and tips for your home cooking by James Beard Award-nominated Chef Michael Schwartz and his team at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink. For this installment, Executive Pastry Chef Hedy Goldsmith guest blogs a retro recipe. Questions or comments? Visit the restaurant’s blog to send…

Where It At? Stuffed Artichoke Hearts

What it is: Artichoke heart stuffed with whipped artichoke confit, poached quail egg, and American sturgeon caviar.Now then: Where it at?Give it your best shot in the comments section below, and we’ll let you know when you get it right…

Top 10 Hypothetical South Beach Wine & Food Fest Media Disasters

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival is almost here, and that means an orgiastic horde of mostly out-of-town drunks on the shores of Miami Beach concerned with nothing but food, drink, sex, celebrity, their cell phone cameras, and Twitter.With that in mind, here’s our Top 10 list of hypothetical disasters…

Hot Plates: Michelle Conley at Quattro

Not only is waitress Michelle Conley a stunning blonde, but also she is very passionate about the food she serves at Quattro. The Connecticut native is a newcomer to the Lincoln Road Italian eatery, but she wows her customers with her knowledge of the menu and her winning smile. Michelle…

Grass Keeps Growing

Grass Restaurant and Lounge  has unveiled a new menu by executive chef and Top Chef alum Micah Edelstein. “Only natural and organic ingredients” will be used, everything from pasta to sorbets will be homemade, and the fare is being tagged as “upscale yet approachable all natural cuisine set in an…

Cool Restaurant Interiors: Fratelli Lyon

You wouldn’t expect the interior of a restaurant housed inside an Italian home design showroom not to be cool. Fratelli Lyon’s décor is sleek and industrial with clean-lined furniture, flatware and decorative accents from the Driade store.Orange place mats and tables and chairs provide a pop of color against the…

Interview: Chef Brian Cantrell Gets the 10

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…