I don’t deny having visited two recently opened Mexican joints with shot-glass-half-empty expectations. I mean the local track record concerning cantinas, taquerias, and the like is abysmally predictable: sombreros on stucco walls, margaritas in fish-bowl-size glasses, chips, dips, wretched Tex-Mex fare, and, after a short period of time, adios! Plus…
Since biblical times, bread has been referred to as the staff of life. According to Psalm 104, bread “strengthens man’s heart.” Although my grandmother never went quite as far as King David, she always insisted the family eat the crust, claiming it promotes strong teeth. On a gut level these…
Il Migliore’s chef/owner Neal Cooper is really a chef: Trained at a prestigious culinary institute, he’s knowledgeable in gastronomy, gastropods, gazpacho, gastriques, gas burners, the effect of garbanzos on the gastrointestinal system, and everything else pertaining to running a restaurant. Meaning you’re going to enjoy dining at his quaintly appointed…
Judging by appearances, Sushi Chef is definitely plain-Jun. On a charmless stretch of that tree-lined drag strip we call Coral Way sits an unassuming storefront, its drab façade giving no clue that this little place is anything other than one of those yawn-and-you’ll-miss-it South Florida sushi bars that have the…
Not too long ago an unflattering review of Baleen’s brunch adorned these pages. The oak-paneled, forest green, chandelier-sophisticated dining room (curiously themed with monkeys) didn’t bother me, nor did the circular, fully foliaged outdoor patio, whose Biscayne Bay backdrop makes Baleen one of the area’s most romantic locales. Rather it…
If Merrick Park were a real village, then Villagio would be a real Italian restaurant. Wait a minute. Villagio is a real Italian restaurant. Is it possible? Can this fashionable village of presumptive consumption — whose inhabitants drive shiny new Mercedes, glide around on Manolo Blahniks, and gorge on designer…
If you’re in the vicinity of the Village of Merrick Park and aching for a big, thick, juicy steak, you most likely head to the Palm. Should you be more in the mood for dazzling, contemporary Latin-inspired cooking, you choose Chispa. But how many folks simply can’t decide between the…
Getting old is a bitch. Take Grass, for example. When it first sprouted two years ago, the open-air space in the heart of the Design District was the hottest, coolest kid on the block. It became instant flypaper for all the self-anointed hipsters — the celebrities and big shots, models…
Flapjack Flip-Off Five fittingly flits our way in the fifth month of the new millennium’s fifth year and, as always, promises to be as ebullient as bubbling blini batter. Grab on to your griddle as new twists and unexpected thrills spill like faux maple syrup as a quintet of unwitting…
To someone accustomed to urban walking neighborhoods like Manhattan or South Beach, the prospect of living in Miami’s Upper Eastside has always seemed claustrophobic. Yes, there were beautiful homes and condos in the residential neighborhoods, but no pedestrian-friendly places to which residents could stroll for a cup of coffee in…
Most folks will have to head north on Biscayne Boulevard to arrive at Plein Sud, whose translation “far south” apparently references France. This is, after all, a new 50-seat French bistro (formerly inhabited by Luba Café and Café Bella Donna) plunked down in a small, obscure strip mall next door…
Among life’s eternal mysteries is this: Why are turkey dinners served only twice annually, at two holidays not even a month apart? Another is this: Where do clothes dryers hide all the missing socks? The latter mystery continues to puzzle, but I discovered the answer to the former the first…
Doesn’t it seem sometimes that half the restaurants in Miami are yelling at you? “We’ve got the wackiest-ass décor on the Beach!” “Our food is so cutting-edge it doesn’t have to taste good!” “Some dipstick movie star threw up in our bathroom!” The noise is endless. It’s enough to make…
Nestled within the cozy nautical confines of Haulover Marina, Solo on the Bay couldn’t have a lovelier setting. Almost all the 400 seats are located on a spacious outdoor deck boasting billowy white curtains and an aesthetically pleasing vista of the Intracoastal Waterway. It’s a serene spot for breakfast or…
Of all Asian cuisines, one of the most difficult to find well represented in the U.S. — to find at all, actually — is that of the Philippines. Odd, considering how relatively accessible, compared to Japanese or Thai food, most Filipino dishes would be to diners, especially here in Miami,…
The Forge is something of a time machine. The faded colonial-style gray-and-white facade is fronted by tall, black, nineteenth-century-inspired gas lamps. Inside the Miami Beach institution is a group of eclectically rococo dining rooms, though to call the décor eclectic is like saying Michael Jackson is a little odd. Still,…
No one should know more about preparing great seafood than people who live surrounded by the sea, on an island, like Cuba. And in fact I’ve had some fantastic Cuban fish dishes — pargo Alicante in wine-enriched brown sauce, garnished with crisp lemon-marinated shrimp; pescado de Obatala e Inle with…
Editor’s note: Periodically we will publish capsule reviews like those below in addition to our weekly full reviews. Contributors to this installment include Lee Klein, Pamela Robin Brandt, Bill Citara, Greg Baker, and Karen Figueiredo. More than 450 capsule reviews of local restaurants can be found at www.miaminewtimes.com. 13823 N…
Resplendent in polished wood, Italian marble floors, Biedermeier furnishings, and silk damask drapery, the 126-seat Bizcaya restaurant exudes the classic Ritz-Carlton refinement, comfort, and taste. The space is divided into two similarly decorated dining rooms, though the one closest to the entrance has prettier salt and pepper shakers, and votive…
The nice thing about reviewing chains, even small three-shop operations like Tarpon Bend Raw Bar & Grill, is that they come packaged with a mission statement that makes evaluation more facile. Tarpon Bend number three opened in January on Miracle Mile, following the splash of the first two fish-themed restaurants…
Island Delight is a delightful island. It’s not actually a patch of land but rather a small generic space in a huge generic shopping mall. To get there you brave not the sea but the sea of cars that rises up to swamp the streets of Kendall with teeth-grinding regularity…
Since its inception on Brickell Key in 2001, Azul has been a gastronomic gem glimmering alongside the exquisite Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Miami native Michelle Bernstein helmed the Mandarin’s signature dining establishment from the start (the underrated Café Sambal is located downstairs), and though she had held executive positions at Red…
