First Look: Miss Saigon on South Beach

As we reported last week, Miss Saigon is now open for business on South Beach. Locals are familiar with the Vietnamese restaurant from its Coral Gables and Pinecrest locations. The menu is similar here, although the emphasis is weighted more toward take-out; there are just six seats in the petite…

Stephen Starr Opening Japanese Restaurant at Bal Harbour Shops in 2011

Word has been leaked that award-winning restaurateur Stephen Starr (you know him from Buddakan, Morimoto, and Steak 954 in Fort Lauderdale’s W Hotel), will be debuting a new 200-seat Japanese concept restaurant in Bal Harbour Shops early 2011.A press release mentions “expansive sushi bar offerings and modern takes on traditional…

Sneak Review: Otentico Fresh Food Restaurant

A small bite of the upcoming Cafe review:Otentic is a clean, bright, contemporary bistro that looks out of place on this fast food stretch of Washington Avenue. Most everything at Otentic is slow: The cooking of food, the movement of workers, seemingly time itself. Yet after you finish off a…

Cheez-It: Your July 4 Cracker

It’s a holiday weekend and time to hit your local grocery store to stock up on party supplies. For most Americans, July 4 means burgers, hot dogs, ribs, coleslaw, and ice cream. And it seems everyone is jumping on the holiday discount bandwagon. A visit to a few local grocers…

Miss Saigon Opens Today on South Beach

Miss Saigon, the popular veteran Vietnamese restaurant from Coral Gables, quietly opened a second, smaller branch on Washington Avenue today — less than an hour ago, actually. The space is quaint, the menu extensive — including bánh mì sandwiches, which should prove popular in this neighborhood. Also on the menu…

Graeter’s Ice Cream Available at SoBe Scoops

The ice-cream industry is really pushing the National Ice Cream Month promo this year, but in South Florida, every month is ice-cream month. That’s probably why local hotels are finally getting into the act with a new focus on inventive ice-cream offerings. (Riki “off-my-cleanse-diet” Altman featured La Marea’s selection yesterday.) A…

Pizza Ice Cream Served Via Sommelier at La Marea

Today marks the official start of National Ice Cream Month (thank you, President Reagan, for acknowledging this frozen treat deserves not just a day, but four weeks’ worth of celebration), and the folks at La Marea gave us the chance to sample not one, not two, but more than two…

Crazee Olive’s Late Night Falafel On South Beach

How can it be that a new falafel joint opened almost a year ago and nobody told me? I had to sniff it out myself while riding by last night on Washington Avenue. Crazee Olive Mediterranean Grill is actually more than just a falafel joint — it offers a pretty…

Top 5 Miami Gas Stations to Eat At

Sure, there’s that pesky oil spill dumping hundreds of millions of gallons of deadly crude into our fish basket. But when all the seafood is dead or infected, we can find sustenance in the industry that put us in this situation.Besides, gas station food is awesome at 3 a.m. or 3 p.m…

Fin Is In

With all the hubbub over the Norman’s 180 debut, perhaps you missed the news that Fin, Jonathan Eismann’s local, sustainable seafood restaurant in the Design District, opened its doors last night. Last December, Short Order sampled some of Fin’s dishes, including a delectable Palm Beach Spanish mackerel with broccoli rabe (in photo)…

A Preview of Norman’s 180 in Coral Gables

As Lee Klein reported earlier today, chef Norman Van Aken’s new restaurant, Norman’s 180, will open in Coral Gables tonight. It’s a homecoming of sorts for Van Aken, whose return to the neighborhood has been highly anticipated. And he’s very happy to be back. Short Order got a peek of…

Fourth of July Ice Cream and Pie at Bee Heaven Farm

Forget the burgers this Fourth of July. Start your day with a tasting of locally made, tropical-fruit-flavored ice creams at Bee Heaven Farm. July is, after all, National Ice Cream Month.We’re talking white sapote, lychee, passion fruit, mamey, South Florida peach ice cream, and others. They’re all prepared by local…

Flapjack Flip-Off X: Bagel Emporium

The decade has seemingly flipped by faster than a griddlecake in midair: The Tenth Annual Mrs. Beeton Flapjack Flip-Off is just around the corner (Mrs. B. being our patron saint for her prescient in-print assertion, made 101 years ago, that pancakes “must be regarded as somewhat beyond the capabilities of…

Norman Who?

Seems this fella named Norman Van Aken is debuting a restaurant in Coral Gables tonight. It’ll be called Norman’s 180. Lord knows Coral Gables can use a boost. Too bad Van Aken didn’t try this a decade ago, when the neighborhood was one of the best around for dining. Would…

Meatless in Miami: A Master Cleanse Diary, Part Two

Click here to read part one of the Master Cleanse diary.Lemonade Day 6I skipped the tea/saltwater today because I stayed up too late and had early meetings to attend.  I’m going to free yoga at Bayfront Park later which will be interesting because usually after a hot, sweaty yoga class…

Drexel Irish Pub Coming to South Beach

It’s been a success on South Miami Avenue, and now Brickell Irish Pub, which was voted Best New Bar/South in our recent Best of Miami 2010, is getting set to debut a sister spot by Española Way in South Beach. The actual address is on Drexel Ave., so the new…