On the walls of the weathered office at Green Cay Produce, ecologist Barry Commoner’s “Informal Laws of Ecology” have been transcribed in calligraphy and framed. The document, the first line of which states in true Zen fashion, “Everything is connected to everything else,” is one of only a few elements…
The main wall is what grabs your attention as you enter Suva, adorned as it is by three looming, luminous ten-by-ten-foot panels colorfully depicting Polynesian tribal masks. In front of these are gauzy white curtains running from floor to high ceiling, and a shadowbox bar piled with sand and seashells…
The ghost of Mayya continues to haunt us: The defunct restaurant recently was touted in Nation’s Restaurant News’ special “50 Cities that Sizzle” issue as one of many in Miami that have celebrity owners (Billy Bean). The same paragraph included info about other star-crossed — er, star-owned — joints such…
The appointment had been arranged by the public-relations people, and my instructions were clear. I was to appear at JoAnna’s in the Grove, the three-month-old sister location of gourmet grocery and bakery JoAnna’s Marketplace in South Miami, at 6:00 a.m. The front door would be open, and somebody would be…
When we came upon Yambo, I yahooed with excitement. It’s a hopping, bopping, most colorful Nicaraguan joint that, despite the crowd lining up at an outdoor counter to get food, surely couldn’t be known by too many outside the periphery of this funky neighborhood (SW First Street between Sixteenth and…
I can’t think of anything less romantic than getting pregnant in a restaurant bathroom. So I suppose I can cross Boris Becker off my list of potential valentines, though the love child that resulted from his restroom tryst no doubt will be glad to thank Cupid’s, er, arrow in the…
Yeah, it’s nice to pay tribute to the ones you love. But instead of spending 25 bucks on some mediocre faux-French chocolates this Valentine’s Day, consider taking that cash and sending it to India. Not because there are children starving there (though there are), but because earthquake relief is going…
Azul is a two-month-old 120-seat restaurant in the $100-million Mandarin Oriental on Brickell Key, actually housed on the side of the hotel, along with another eatery, Café Sambal, in a patinaed structure. The restaurant’s interior , elegantly accented in rosewood, bamboo, white marble, stainless steel, and silk, impresses in an…
I was befuddled by the only word emblazoned beneath the restaurant’s name, right on the menu’s front page: tapas. Having always assumed the first Las Culebrinas, on West Flager, was a Cuban restaurant, I naturally projected likewise for this second venture, which emerged in the Grove seven months ago. I…
Call me Ishmael if you must. But don’t make the mistake of thinking I’m after a big white whale. This quest is about white tuna. White tuna is the most recent specialty item to hit sushi bars. Shibui in Miami began carrying it less than a year ago. Sushi Hana…
Thanks to the mad cow disease outbreak, restaurants in France have stopped serving beef, and there are reports that incinerators in England can’t keep up with the disposal of infected animals. Not the best climate to open a steak house, eh? Still, Jeffrey Chodorow of China Grill Management debuted Tuscan…
Green beans, sweet potatoes, strawberries, and all types of pulchritudinous produce can be purchased from roadside purveyors peppering the flat farmlands that surround Homestead. Nothing beats farm-fresh food. It’s also pleasing to note that there are more chickens than traffic lights here, John Deeres outnumber John Does, and a pastoral…
If a recent story stemming from Orlando is any indication, Americans love buffets now more than ever. Two weeks ago, during a Sunday buffet brunch at the 4th Fighter Group restaurant, a three-alarm fire broke out. But despite the smoke like steamed milk from a cappuccino machine pouring into the…
There are two types of gourmet markets: the modern sort, as in lots of white tiles, bright lights, and shiny stainless steel Metro shelving; and the rustic old-time look favored by Scotty’s Grocery. Well, not really favored. The style in this case has been attained involuntarily through evolution, the landmark…
If I’ve learned anything living in Miami, it’s that objecting to policy is pretty useless. No matter how strong the demonstration against whatever — a proposal, an issue, a politician — chances are the powers that be will ignore it. Protesters, however, do stand a better chance if they’re well…
If you’re going to dine at Diego’s Tapas at Bayside Marketplace, first check the local sports pages; you won’t want to head there when the Heat is playing a home game. Unless of course you’re the undaunted sort who relishes the prospect of a bumper-to-bumper crawl home through arena traffic…
A couple of years ago travel writer Mac Seligman sent a letter in which he wrote about how when you travel, what you expect — or are led to expect — is never what you get. To that end he’d prepared a list of “travelese,” a compendium of terms that…
The road to hellish restaurants is paved with good intentions, smiling countenances, sunny dispositions, and a sincerity on the part of proprietors. Al Bustan isn’t hellish, but the Lebanese eatery also isn’t anything more than just another ethnic eating place owned by people who want to serve exemplary renditions of…
On Chowbaby, a relatively new Website, an article titled “Fascination with Fusion” details the gastronomic community’s love affair with fusion cuisine. Author Kelly Tokarski writes, “Fusion is trendy. Fusion is tasty. Fusion is today.” Girl, I got news for you: Fusion is tired. Fusion is torturous. Fusion is so yesterday,…
The good news is that Oliver Saucy and Darrel Broek are not putting Café Maxx and East City Bistro up for sale, despite rumors to the contrary. The better news is that the duo finally has found a site for East City Grill, their successful Fort Lauderdale venture that was…
The Paramount Grill in Aventura Mall is being touted as Chef Allen’s passage into casual dining. For those of you who may have just arrived here, Allen Susser once was one of the most talked-about chefs in town, his namesake restaurant nationally acclaimed. That was back in the heady days…
The differences are glaring. As coruscating as the neon undercarriage of an El Dorado cruising Ocean Drive. As in-your-face as the high beam of a rotating spotlight outside a Washington Avenue nightclub. As shiny as a supermodel’s nose, awaiting powder. Last year, when the whole world looked forward to partying…
