Born and raised on a farm in the Transvaal Province of South Africa, Big Easy Winebar & Grill (Brickell City Centre, 701 S. Miami Ave., Miami) executive chef Maryna Frederiksen has fond memories of her father raising cattle and sheep for the country’s minister and eating vegetables fresh from her family’s…
Burgers might be the most democratic of meals. Just about everyone likes them, and there’s a burger for every taste at every price point. From veggie burgers and $1 sliders to expensive affairs topped with foie gras, the hamburger is America’s favorite sandwich. And one of Miami’s favorite burgers is none other than Shake Shack’s ShackBurger.
Next winter, the team behind Delray Beach’s Cut 432 and Park Tavern will bring its successful Mexican soul-food restaurant and tequila bar, El Camino, to Fort Lauderdale. Owned and operated by partners Brandon Belluscio, Anthony Pizzo, and Brian Albe, El Camino’s Broward County outpost will be one of several Florida locations the…
In 1998, Mark Soyka was driving somewhere between Miami Shores and Aventura on Biscayne Boulevard when he spotted a familiar hooker. Until just a few months earlier, she had worked in the empty lot next door to the then-54-year-old’s eponymous restaurant at the nexus of Little Haiti, Morningside, and the…
Snagging a taste of every buzzy hot spot that opens in South Beach is close to impossible. But when Arjun Waney, the restaurateur behind concepts such as Zuma and Coya, unveils something new, it’s worth a visit. Doa (pronounced dow-ah), located at 2000 Collins Ave., is now open for brunch and dinner, bridging the gap between Peruvian fare and traditional Japanese, Chinese, and pan-Asian plates.
Despite the abundance of Mercedes-Benzes and million-dollar condos, not everyone in Miami is part of the one percent. Head to parts of downtown or Overtown, and it’s clear that way too many locals are falling through the cracks, unable to access housing, food, or health care. Local vegan Kevin Bodniza saw the problem and wanted to do something to help — something different from what’s already been done. So he launched the program Happy Bellies, a food share that offers nourishing, plant-based eats to the city’s homeless.
The time has come again: Verde’s executive chef, Kaytlin Dangaran, has debuted her latest exhibit-inspired menu. Celebrating Pérez Art Museum Miami’s display of Argentine artist Julio Le Parc’s work, Dangaran presents South American cuisine in a playful and interactive way.
For years, doughnut shops in Miami have been few and far between. That is until 2016, when an influx of booze-filled, cream-topped sweet treats invaded the 305. Most notable, last year marked the emergence of the Salty Donut, Miami’s first artisanal doughnut shop known for innovative interpretations of the traditional pastry, such as sticky bun and cannoli variations.
Life is too short for fake wine, fake cheese, and fake people. It was a sentiment held by Leor Barak, founder of Wilton Manors-based New York Grilled Cheese Co., until recently. Over the past few years, the restaurateur says, he’d been harassed by his very vocal clientele for not offering a vegan alternative of his popular grilled cheese sandwiches.
Dessert Wars, the largest sweets event in South Florida, returns this Saturday, January 21. Think of it as a pop-up version of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. From Sweet Melody ice cream to Happylicious cookie dough and Nummies baked goods, more than 30 vendors that specialize in all things sugary will compete at this third-annual festival.
No place in Miami serves Chinese food quite like Chinese Guy. It’s clear the moment you step inside the compact 30-seater, which is nestled in a dark corner of a far-flung West Flagler Street strip mall. On nearly every table, plates are piled high with neon-orange pumpkin wedges and sunflower-yellow…
“Charter boat!” Sig Ozols barks when he answers his cell phone. For years, the burly 50-year-old with the long blond hair of a Viking (even though he’s Latvian) has run a 48-foot sport fishing boat out of Coconut Grove’s Dinner Key Marina. He began fishing nearly three decades ago after his dad, fresh from a divorce, asked him to drive his car and some clothes to Florida from Indianapolis. He was hooked immediately, like so many from the frozen North lured by the swaying palm trees and balmy breezes. “He just asked me to check it out, and I never went back,” Ozols says.
For the past several years, Pamela Wasabi has worn many hats in the Miami community: fashion blogger, pop-up shop owner, art director, health coach, plant-based chef, cooking instructor, and more. Now the ambitious entrepreneur is adding two new titles to the list: author and vegan baker. Wasabi’s book has been in the works since she decided to dedicate herself to a career as a plant-based chef in 2014.
American Harvest, a healthy, fast-casual concept, has opened at Brickell City Centre.
If there is one restaurant line worth waiting in, the grand-opening party for the Halal Guys’ first South Florida location (2268 S. University Dr., Davie) would be it. The New York City-based chain has announced it will throw a daylong celebration beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 21.
When Melissa Sosa and Zak Stern thought about a fish salad sandwich for Stern’s Wynwood bakery, which opened with a limited menu on Wednesday, they ran into a problem.
Scott Linquist — best known for Miami’s favorite taqueria, Coyo — debuted Olla in December 2016. The new eatery swaps tacos for multiregional Mexican dishes such as moles and pork belly cochinita. Less than two months later, Olla (pronounced oi-ya) is ready for brunch.
Near the left corner in the lobby of the Townhouse Hotel in Miami Beach, a dim light leads down a flight of stairs. A few steps later, find an entryway surrounded by walls lined with obscure anime drawings. As of November 2016, K Ramen Burger Beer has made this small space its home, whipping up an eclectic batch of dinnertime plates.
You won’t hurt Judy Czerenda’s feelings if you tell her the veggie burger she serves tastes exactly like a McDonald’s cheeseburger. “It’s not at all offensive,” says Czerenda, who runs the two-month-old Now Burger booth at the Yellow Green Farmers Market. “There’s a reason McDonald’s is one of the biggest restaurant chains in the country. They spent millions to create their burger, and if mine tastes just as good without any bad ingredients, it’s not disparaging. It’s great.”
Remember that warm cinnamon bun from Knaus Berry Farm that was stuffed inside fluffy 24-hour brioche dough from the Salty Donut? It’s back. Beginning January 17, visit the Salty Donut for its legendary sticky-bun doughnut. Drowned in a roasted-pecan-toffee-rum glaze and topped with a caramelized pecans, the cinnamon-roll/doughnut mashup will be available through January 29.
Brimstone Woodfire Grill is opening its first Miami-Dade location at CityPlace Doral this week, one of 20 eateries set to launch at the new mixed-use retail complex located at 3450 NW 83rd Ave. It joins restaurants such as Cooper’s Hawk Winery, Baires Grill, and the Rusty Bucket Restaurant & Tavern.
Doughnuts proved to be one of Miami’s strongest food trends in 2016. Last year saw quite a few openings, including the Salty Donut, Honeybee, and Mojo Donuts & Fried Chicken, as well as the revival of Velvet Creme. It also saw the launch of Donuts!, a festival where hundreds gathered at the Wynwood Yard for coffee, booze, and dozens of variations on the classic doughnut. (Think guava and cheese, Kentucky bourbon bacon, and a vegan treat made with shredded coconut meat.)
