The James Beard Foundation has announced the semifinalists for the 2014 Restaurant and Chef award categories today, and a smattering of Miami culinary professionals made the list. The total number of South Florida semifinalists for 2014 is five, down from last year’s seven. The announcement took place at Orlando’s East…
Most of Miami knows Pamela Wasabi as the edgy, stylish and eternally surprising firebrand behind Wasabi Fashion Kult. But since becoming a mother, Pamela’s embarked on a new journey that has less to do what’s on our bodies than what’s going in them. Pamela is officially closing WFK and saying…
If you are looking for an authentic Sicilian bakery, head to a different island of sorts. Dolci di Sicilia on Normandy Isle has the goods. Easy parking, friendly service, delicious coffee, and exquisite pastries have made this month-old caf� a neighborhood hot spot. Both an Italian flag and an American…
Grab your sunscreen and your cameras and make plans to head out to the beach this Thursday for a once-in-a-lifetime sighting: A bevy of Sports Illustrated swimsuit models taking on a group of celebrity chefs in what we’ve coined, “The SOBEWFF Cheesecake vs. Beefcake Beach Volleyball Bonanza.” Tomorrow, February 20,…
There’s nothing worse than driving around aimlessly and starving on a Sunday afternoon. You want to steer clear of the brunch crowds and at the same time find something filling and affordable. On a recent Sunday, I thankfully found Jennifer’s Cafeteria in North Miami Beach. I walked into a pretty,…
When food enthusiasts from around the world descend on Miami Beach for the SOBEWFF festivities, it would be a shame not to partake in the events of local chefs. When in Miami, eat and learn from the locals. Hedy Goldsmith, Sam Gorenstein, Antonio Bachour, and Michelle Bernstein will all showcase…
Top Chef mentor/judge Tom Colicchio will officially join the roster of celebrity chefs with Miami Beach eateries when his new restaurant opens at the 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach this fall. The chef cofounded Gramercy Tavern with Danny Meyer in 1994 and then opened Craft in 2001. He also…
It appears that Aventura is fast becoming the burger capital of Miami-Dade. With restaurants such as BurgerFi, Five Guys, and Bulldog Barbecue and Burger (in neighboring North Miami), there’s no dearth of burgers in this northeasternmost part of the county, but it seems there’s always room for one more. Enter…
Michael Symon might be best known for his cohosting stint on the ABC daytime show The Chew, but the Cleveland native is also a James Beard Award winner who was named one of the ten best chefs in America by Food & Wine magazine. Symon is a South Beach Wine…
Hard as we try, it’s tough to avoid Big Ag. Even if we stick to whole foods (the actual eats, not the store), most of the produce aisle is GMO-ridden. And living in this densely populated paradise, it’s unlikely most of us have access to garden plots. Enter Earthbox, the…
You’ve probably experienced this before: You’re dining at a fashionable restaurant, the kind where miso-glazed black cod coexists with liquid-nitrogen ice cream, and servers introduce themselves by saying, “Everything is served tapas-style.” Perhaps there’s hamachi jalape�o or pork offal on the menu. You’re familiar with this vibe, these flavors. But…
Find a yellowtail jalape�o roll at your neighborhood sushi joint and compare it to the one served at Lure Fishbar. They look similar enough: Coiled nori and rice are crammed with wasabi-spiked fish and then topped with jalape�o. But inside the grand Loews Miami Beach Hotel, the yellowtail tastes different…
The South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s sold-out Burger Bash might just be the hottest ticket in town. After all, who wouldn’t clamor for the opportunity to sample 31 burgers from some of the best chefs in the country? The conundrum each year, however, is strategy. Most people tackle the…
Trisha Yearwood is country music royalty. Married to superstar Garth Brooks, the Grand Ole Opry member shot to fame in the early 1990’s and has since sold over 12.5 million albums worldwide, won three Grammys, three Country Music Association Awards, and performed at the White House during President Bill Clinton’s…
An homage to both the striking patterns the designer is known for, as well as the man himself, Cavalli Restaurant & Lounge is visual overload. Zebras, leopards, and flowers play together on the tables, seats, and servers’ uniforms. Roberto Cavalli’s image is plastered all over the walls, and giant bottles…
In its 13th year, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival is bigger than ever. Even the most fit fan will likely get exhausted just reading the roster of 70 seminars, parties, and dinners — up from last year’s 50 or so offerings. How does one choose from the extended…
For anyone who thinks veganism is for pansies, Rip Esselstyn is the manly man you need to meet. This former professional athlete and Austin firefighter got his fire station hooked on plant-based eats several years back in order to help a fellow ladderman’s health. Known as the Engine 2 Diet…
The South Beach Wine & Food Festival will enter its 13th year when it kicks off this Thursday, February 20. Termed “spring break for chefs” by celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, the event attracts culinary A-listers and some 60,000 fans to Miami Beach for a weekend of parties, dinners, and drinking…
Dessert is always a luxury. However, there is a line, when that cherry on top of the dessert becomes just plain over-the-top. Miami, a town known for extravagance, is so indulgent in sweets that we are actually leaving out the Guinness World Record-holding $1,000 Golden Opulence Sundae at Serendipity 3…
If you were ever an avid attendee of Sweat Records’ vegan Sunday brunches, you’ll be stoked to know they’re coming back. But this time, the meatless spread is headed to Gramps. This Sunday, Francesca Lacuesta (formerly of Mac’N food truck fame) will be cooking up her ever-popular Southern fried tofu,…
Within five minutes of starting a conversation with any chef, you can tell how he or she views the craft. New executive chef at SushiSamba David Sears views cooking as a spiritual exercise and an art form. “You have to remember, something died for you to be able to create…
Most people’s idea of meat replacements extend only as far as veggie burgers and tofurky. Faux fish rarely makes the radar. After all, seafood is superhealthy, right? Who needs a substitute? Well, with restaurant fish bait-and-switch, radioactive seas, and mercury issues (not to mention overfishing, extinction risks, etc.), seafood is…
