The 2016 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Award Semifinalists have been announced, and several Miami chefs — and one restaurant — are in the running. This year sees a dramatic increase in the number of local chefs up for an award from the New York-based organization. A Beard is the…
Imagine Velvet Creme Doughnuts, Jake and the Cake, Mr. Bing, Donut Divas and more than 15 other sweets boutiques all under one roof. No, it’s not the newest edition of Candy Land. It’s Dessert Wars. The second-annual eats and sweets event is back, transforming the BankUnited Center into the closest thing to…
Despite Miami’s tropical locale and abundance of beachfront, the city can feel less than paradisiacal at times. If you’re itching to bring a little more magic to the proverbial table, this month’s Brunch in Paradise at Homestead’s Paradise Farms offers an edible escape. The event, hosted by Les Dames d’Escoffier Miami…
Sunset Harbour’s NaiYaRa is like an Asian night market nipped, tucked, and primped to meet South Beach standards. The wicker baskets that, on the streets of Hanoi, might bear the purple, razor-edged herb called red perilla have been refashioned into tall, dangling light fixtures. The sheaths of Thai magazines and…
No one moves to Miami to live the simple life. This is a city filled will all-night clubs, yellow Ferraris, and cocktails accented with real gold. Even if you can’t afford to own an Italian sports car, there are places that let you channel your inner Trump — at least…
What’s the secret to great tasting pizza? “Patience,” says chef Rubens Mullaj who has been honing his craft for nearly 15 years. Born in Livorno, a city on the western coast of Tuscany, Mullaj has been in Miami for six years, the last two of which have been spent growing…
The agricultural quarantine that for months has gripped a large swath of South Dade farmland in an effort to stave off an Asian fruit fly outbreak will finally be lifted Saturday at midnight, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture. The long awaited relief will finally give some farmers the…
Zak Stern thinks Ptcha is sexy. The Ashkenazi dish is made by boiling cow’s feet or knees into oblivion with little more than onion, garlic, and salt. Once rendered out, the whole meat-studded brew is poured into serving trays and cooled. After it’s chilled, the fat is skimmed off and…
Ralph Pagano is getting naked again. The celebrity chef’s Naked Tiki, the third in his naked restaurant series, opens today, February 11, at the Stiles Hotel (1120 Collins Ave.) on South Beach. Pagano is also chef/owner of Naked Taco, a taco and tequila concept at the Dream South Beach hotel,…
Imagine a nondescript, brown box delivered to your doorstep. Now picture it filled with freshly baked goods, like sweet breads, cookies, brownies, and other pastry treats. No, this isn’t a dream. It’s the creation of Jarly, a new Miami-based start-up that delivers a sample of baked items made by local…
Whether you’re single or attached this Valentine’s Day, nothing says loving like overindulgince. Food, after all, equates to love in so many cultures. if you really want to embrace a loving attitude towards all things edible, a plant-based diet is your best bet. Vegan food helps you to love your…
Long before Dominique Ansel’s cronut and Momofuku Milk Bar ‘s corn cookies, New York’s cult favorite treat was Junior’s cheesecake. Since its introduction in 1950, the decadent dessert was a sensation with New Yorkers, who raved about the creamy cake, with fans of the treat have making weekly (sometimes daily)…
Say Happy Valentine’s Day with a holiday-themed doughnut from the Salty Donut’s one-day-only pop-up inside the Hyatt Centric South Beach (1600 Collins Ave.). Miami’s first artisanal doughnut shop, which pops up every weekend inside a small courtyard in Wynwood (29 NW 24th St.), is adding a second location for the sweet-filled holiday. …
Rip Esselstyn is a lot of things: son to legendary heart surgeon Caldwell Esselstyn; former firefighter; professional triathlete, New York Times bestselling author, manly man — and plant-pusher. His first book, a runaway bestseller called The Engine 2 Diet, was all about how he introduced his Austin ladder company to a…
The fried chicken sandwich is shockingly simple but perfect. No wonder more and more are popping up across Miami and America. In mid-January, Shake Shack began serving its version, aptly named the Chick’n Shack, across the nation. Restaurateur John Kunkel’s 50 Eggs Inc.’s fast-casual concept place Spring Chicken opened the…
February 14 is right around the corner, and in the age of Tinder and digital dating, classic gestures can go a long way. Combine that with the universal love of all things sweet, and the annual Valentine’s Day gift dilemma practically solves itself. Whether they’re decadent mini cupcakes or silky-smooth…
A description of Wynwood’s 2-month-old Beaker & Gray reads like a hipster checklist. There’s pork belly, sous vide cooking, and exposed brick walls. The soundtrack bounces from ’80s hits to the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Gimme the Loot.” When the 120-seater’s owners, Brian Nasajon and Ben Potts, who respectively oversee the kitchen…
Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Carnival, Shrove Tuesday — there are a lot of different names for tomorrow, February 9. The holiday marks the last day of revelry before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. While its roots may be firmly planted in Christianity, some say the holiday is even older, with…
Velvet Creme, an iconic Miami doughnut shop which planned to reopen in Little River this month, has abruptly switched their location. Robert Taylor, one of the founding partners, says the store will most likely open in downtown Miami Shores in the late spring to early summer. “Basically we nixed the…
Pincho Factory is poised to become the next big fast casual chain. The brand started as an eatery in Westchester in 2010, after Nedal Ahmad and his cousins Otto Othman, and Nizar Ahmad, decided that their barbecue creations should go public. The restaurant quickly grew steam after word got out of the…
A handful of food halls all located within a stone’s throw of Biscayne Boulevard in Miami proper are in the works, though it’ll be at least a year before any open. Conway Commercial Real Estate and Urban Atlantic Group (Disclosure: I rent shared office space from the two) are planning…
When executive chef Blair Wilson thinks about brunch, he pictures a menu that’s approachable, relatable, and utterly delicious. Fancy, over the top creations are nice, but Wilson believes embracing the simplicity in the meal is most important. “I think people get carried away,” he says, “By trying to outdo the next…
