New Chef Aaron Taylor Puts Stamp On STK’s Menu

About a month ago, we watched Aaron Taylor defect from Meat Market to take the top spot at STK, after Ralph Pagano went off to the races. And since a new chef usually means new menu items, you can look forward to a taste of something different next time you…

Wine Vault Opens In Midtown

Psst. Did you hear about Wine Vault, the new wine and tapas lounge that just opened in The Shops at Midtown? Well, neither did I until I eavesdropped on a conversation yesterday afternoon.Turns out owner Michael Shapira wants it just that way. He opened Wine Vault, a 1,300-square-foot lounge featuring…

At Mare Nostrum, They’re Flying It In From Spain

Brickell’s newest fish and seafood emporium, Mare Nostrum, is importing everything from the chef (Pedro Gallardo moved here a little over two months ago from Murcia, Spain) to the tuna, which has to be frozen at minus sixty degrees Fahrenheit in order to make the trip, but more on that…

The Villa by Barton G.: Dining for the 1%

The wealthiest 1 percent of Americans take home 24 percent of all national income, own 40 percent of the country’s total wealth, and are most likely to be seen dining in any restaurant where Jeff O’Neill is the chef.O’Neill, who cut his chops in the masterful New York City kitchens…

Lolita Cocina Seduces in SoBe: Taco Window Coming!

SoFi’s latest addition, Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar, recently surfaced in the old Nemo space. Aiming to bring sophisticated Mexican food with street cred to Miami, the CB5 Restaurant Group — which operates two other Lolita Cocinas in the Northeast — is also hoping to pick up patrons from area…

A Printer That Can Print Cupcakes?

Using a printer to bake cupcakes sounds as crazy as using a jigsaw to cut a meatloaf, but the technology is out there and could provide the answer to your laziness. One of the many techie-foodie goodies recently unveiled at the Consumer and Electronics Show in Las Vegas is the…

Food Trucks Compete in Tobacco Road Breakfast Cook-Off February 4

Everyone knows food trucks meet at Tobacco Road every first Saturday of the month, but February 4 is different because the trucks will convene to celebrate National Hot Breakfast Month.It’s good to see that some people are taking unofficial food holidays seriously.Twelve trucks will compete for the title of breakfast…

Mai Tardi in Design District Celebrates With Closing Party

When a Miami restaurant closes, it usually slinks away in the middle of the night, leaving only note on it’s door as a reminder of all the good times you had together.Not Mai Tardi, the lively design district eatery known for beautiful al fresco dining. The restaurant will be officially…

Rusty Pelican: From Ruby Tuesday to Gem of an Eatery

Right off the bat, we have a confession: We never ate at the former Rusty Pelican before the recent remodeling. We feared it would be musty inside and found it an ordeal to trek out to Virginia Key. Also, the menu didn’t look any more appealing than a Ruby Tuesday’s…

CheeseMe is Gone….For Now

Back in December, Short Order announced that Latin Burger would acquire the CheeseMe name. Ever since, CheeseMe by Latin Burger has been on the road selling grilled cheese alongside macho burgers and tacos.  Now some CheeseMe partners are demanding Latin Burger stop using the name. And they plan to send out…

The Dome: Miami’s Only Truly ‘Green’ Restaurant?

There aren’t any caviar bars in Coral Gables, but Rachel Dominguez is changing that when on January 28 she opens The Dome Bar and Lounge on Miracle Mile in the heart of The City Beautiful. Other than The Restaurant in Setai Hotel in Miami Beach, The Dome will be the only…

Rice Paper Wraps: The Best Food Ever

So I may be a little late to find out about these amazing foodstuffs, but the funny round plastic-like rice sheets have so infiltrated my daily diet that I can’t help but share my enthusiasm for them.Sure, I’ve eaten spring rolls before, at plenty of Asian restaurants. But I never…

Azul at the Mandarin Oriental Leaves Us Feeling Blue

At Azul, guests arrive to the sound of water trickling rain-like alongside a marble-and-tile-clad open kitchen. This peaceful, feng shui welcome has been in place since the restaurant premiered at Miami’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel in December 2000, and so has the interior: a softly lit dining area with linen-draped tables…

Metro Organic Bistro Has Gone to the Dog!

Well, actually it’s the other way around: the dog went to the Metro Organic Bistro. And this, ladies and gentleman, marked a first in his just-past-the-puppy-stage life.Heretofore, the only restaurants where my darling dining doggie has accompanied me have been in the vain of sit-down, fast food variety. Woofing a…

Latin Burger, Ms. Cheezious Film Local Television Shows

Latin Burger and Ms.Cheezious were the stars of some local television shows as film crews for Livin’ La Vida and Deco Drive featured local food trucks for their show segments.Livin’ La Vida stars Stella Vidal and Stuart Warren Dansby were on the Latin Burger truck to film a cooking segment…

The Federal’s Opening-Night Dinner (Photos of Pig Wings)

Every once in a while, we come across new eateries that wow us to the point where we can’t wait to go again — so we sneak in a mere two days after our first visit. That’s what happened at the Federal Miami.Described by opening-night patron Nina Stack as “friendly…