Say It to His Face

We drooled when we tasted Jeff McInnis’ sublime mango sorbet. One spoonful and suddenly he was the “hot chef of our dreams,” knocking Bobby Flay down to number two. So when we found out that he was going to be a contestant on our favorite culinary reality show, we made…

Valentine’s Elixir

Expecting oysters, foie gras, and caviar to carry you to Valentine’s Day ecstasy is like waiting for Santa to come down the chimney on Christmas Eve. Worse: If you’re not used to eating these rich, luxe comestibles, you may find them working their way through your gastrointestinal tract faster than…

Behind the Line at Chef Allen’s

Chef Allen Susser of Chef Allen’s restaurant is a culinary pioneer, a renowned restaurateur and a cool dude. I recently spent several hours in the kitchen of Chef Allen’s restaurant in Aventura. I arrived at four, was provided with a chef jacket and promptly put to work. This was a…

Culinary Convenience South Florida’s Mobile Restaurant Supplier

I met Aaron J. Michaels in the back alley behind Pacific Time when his Culinary Convenience truck showed up, parked and invited the kitchen staff in to sample his wares. Culinary Convenience offers a truly mobile shopping experience. Let me reiterate, this guy has an uncramped, walk-in store built in…

Oyster Lovers, Unite

Nearly four inches long, the sand dune oyster from Prince Edward Island was so plump it was bulging out of its shell “like a large breast in a small brassiere,” as Rodney Clark, owner of Rodney’s Oyster House in Toronto, puts it. Intensely briny and wonderfully sweet, the fat beige…

Introducing Meghan “The Forager” Tanner, Organics Dealer

Meghan “The Forager” Tanner is a South Florida organics dealer. She provides the freshest produce and ingredients, local, exotic and otherwise, to forward thinking, quality-minded chefs. She’s an Allapattah-market mainstay, a Homestead hustler, a Redland raider, a South Dade trafficker pushing heavy weight up the interstate. I recently rode out…

New Website Discovers the Cure For Obesity

meadowlandsparkinglotThe Jabaconageburger with cheese, a cheeseburger topped with sausage and bacon and sandwiched between two Jamaican beef patties. Urg. Food porn is all the rage these days. There are entire sites devoted to the obscene pleasures of voyeuristic foodie-ism, and they’re growing in number each day. Just this week, food…

V-Day Planner: In Search of the Big O

Belinda Eaton, Girl with Oysters, from Belindaeaton.comPly her with aphrodisiacs all night, and you’ve got it made, right? This week in New Times, Robb Walsh dispenses pearls of wisdom on the world’s favorite bivalve here. And below, a plan to spend your V-Day shelling out:Sage Bistro and Oyster Bar 2000 Harrison St,, Hollywood,…

Teena’s Pride Farm Grows Heirloom Tomatoes The Florida Way

Teena’s Pride is a farm deep in South Dade that grows heirloom tomatoes, which means the seeds have been passed down for generations and no genetic modification has taken place. Pictured above is Michael Borek, he runs the place. The farm was passed down to him from his mother and…

How To Get The Best Indian Food In Miami

First thing you do is drive to East Kendall. Yes, I know that’s not exactly Miami, but would you have read this if I said “Best Indian food in East Kendall?” I didn’t think so.Next you head to Ayesha’s Kitchen to learn how to cook the best Indian food in…

Robert Barnum of Possum Trot Tropical Fruit Nursery Knows Trees

Robert Barnum of Possum Trot Tropical Fruit Nursery is an expert in rare and exotic tropical fruits. I met him through Meghan “The Forager” Tanner, an organics dealer serving the restaurant industry, I rode down south with her one day as she picked up Dade County’s freshest produce for Michael…

More Broward Places to Get Your Mexican Fix

John LinnFresh grilled Mahi Mahi finds a home in tacos and burritos at The Whole Enchilada in Fort Lauderdale. According to Gail Shepherd’s Dish column this week, Palm Beach County residents have at least one more joint where they can sate their cravings for authentic Mex (though Ameri-Mex fans should…

Mary Burr of Burr’s Berry Farm Knows Strawberries

Burr’s Berry Farm in the Redland has been cranking out some of South Florida’s best strawberries since 1960 when Charles Raymond Burr “The Strawberry King” planted his first crop. Burr’s Berry farm operates a fruit stand where you can buy fruits, vegetables, and the fine products made from them, fresh…

Chocolate-Dipped Bottle Of Champagne

Champagne and chocolates constitute the dynamic duo of no-brainers for Valentine’s Day. Peterbrooke Chocolatier at 227 Aragon Ave. in Coral Gables has come up with a novel way to team the two: A chocolate-dipped champagne bottle. Now through February 14, customers can bring in their favorite bubbly — or wine…

Odds ‘n’ Ends: Closings, New Beginnings, Events

A grab bag of food-related items this a.m. One of our favorite Lauderdale cafes has closed temporarily while they look for a new home: Sugar n Spice, formerly on Oakland Park Boulevard and the brainchild of a French/Irish chef duo, Jean and Vero, has decided to look for a “more intimate”…

Gaia Ristorante: The Full Story

As Short Order reported last week, Gaia Ristorante, the latest venture of seasoned restaurateur Tom Billante, has opened at 101 Ocean Drive (Hilton Bentley Hotel)– which I erroneously cited as the site of Billante’s last Ocean Drive venue, ViVi. In fact, Prime Italian has moved into that space, and Gaia…

Slow Booze at Lola’s

To celebrate their recent Golden Spoon Award for Best Place for a Cocktail, Lola’s on Harrison is teaming up with the Glades to Coast Slow Food Chapter on February 17th for a night of locavore mixology and finger foods. Cost is $25*** for cocktails and canapes. Join them for a…

The Govind Burger

The barrage of burgers continues unabated. Two more Five Guys  are poised to proffer their patties to the public — one in the old Dogma space at Washington Ave. and 15th Street in South Beach, the other in Aventura Mall. But a bigger burger banner headline is that Govind Armstrong…

Factory Tour of Nuts About Florida

Welcome to the Nuts About Florida factory tour. The Barnard Nut Company has been roasting, packaging, and distributing nuts from right here in South Florida since 1942. I recently got the factory tour and a free bag of pistachios. I had never seen a nut factory before. There were nuts…

The Goods on Aventura’s Grill on the Alley

Between frenzied flings with wasabi foam, foie gras ice cream, and other frivolous foods, diners regularly return to the safe and steady steak house. They do so for the sidecar martinis, shrimp cocktail, and oysters on the half-shell; for gargantuan steaks, Buick-size baked potatoes, and wodgy wedges of iceberg lettuce…