Sneak Review: Soleá at W Hotel South Beach

A teeny sneak preview of the New Times restaurant review for next week. Starters, excepting soups and salads, range from $14 to $20; the two pastas are $18 and $24; excepting chicken and salmon, entrees run $38 to $50. Diners don’t expect to get up from the table at a…

Steve Lieber of Rack’s Italian Bistro Wins American Pizza Championship

Miami stand up! Steve Lieber, Director of Operations of Rack’s Italian Bistro and Market in North Miami Beach won the American Pizza Championship. Steve Lieber is officially the American Pizza Champion.He won the recent competition in Orlando with his black truffle pizza. Steve went pie to pie against nine other…

Acufest at The Biltmore Includes Organic Food & Wine Tasting

People get stabbed on the streets of Miami all the time, why not pay to learn about the non violent version at Acufest 2009.The first annual festival promises a day of “acupuncture and healthy living” that includes an organic food and wine tasting with gourmet organic food and over 40…

Miami International Wine Fair Descends On The Beach This Weekend

Legions of frenzied minions of Bacchus, purple lip stained white shirts, orgiastic, drunken trade folk, and 85,000 square feet of organized mayhem. Ok, so mayhem probably isn’t accurate, but it is time for the 8th Annual Miami International Wine Fair, this weekend September 26 – 27 at the Miami Beach…

R.I.P.: Marcel Escoffier

I was sad to learn that Professor Marcel Escoffier passed away last Tuesday. Escoffier was associate professor of Management at Florida International University’s School of Hospitality Management. He taught courses in Food and Beverage Operations and Control, and wrote several books, including co-authoring the influential Management by Menu text. He…

MIA At Biscayne – Food Porn and Other Pictures

MIA at Biscayne (20 Biscayne Blvd., Miami) is a brand new resto-club-lounge on the corner of Biscayne and Flagler with the feel of South Beach in downtown and the look of a millionaire’s playground. MIA at Biscayne’s executive chef Gerdy Rodriguez helms the kitchens, which put out what the restaurant…

R.I.P. “Pepe” Ortega Founder of Sazon Goya

Sazon Goya is to everyday cooking in Miami as water is to the ocean. Give thanks and Rest In Peace to Jose Antonio Ortega Bonet for teaming up with the Unanues family, founders of the Goya food company, for bringing the world a line of products that find daily use…

Sneak Review: Mr. Yum Asian Cuisine

A teeny sneak preview of the New Times restaurant review for next week — Mr. Yum Asian Cuisine on Calle Ocho.Pad Thai, the dish that launched a million lovers of this cuisine, validates its’ popularity via a flawlessly balanced tangle of flat rice noodles, tender chicken, scallions, sprouts, ground peanuts,…

La Estancia’s Excellent Empanada

Went to renew my drivers license at the Coral Gables DMV the other day. The office is located right by Village of Merrick Park, and so is a branch of La Estancia Argentina. The lunch menu looked tempting, with some decent deals on hand — grilled skirt or flank steak…

Behind the Line at Oceanaire Seafood Room in Brickell

The Oceanaire Seafood Room is a classy joint in Brickell with a partytime atmosphere. It’s not at all stuck up, lame, pretentious, or boring. At high velocity the kitchen operates like a well oiled machine. At least that was the case when Short Order stepped in last Thursday night for…

Critchley, Bodini Finalists for New Times’ Iron Fork in October

Last night, New Times held the pre-chef challenge for its Iron Fork event at La Cuisine Gourmet in Coral Gables. Four chefs competed: executive chef Maria Manso of the Blue Door at the Delano, executive chef John Critchley of Area 31, executive chef Sean Brasel of Meat Market, and executive…