When the summer of ‘07 gets discussed years from now, it may very well be recalled as being the season that set the Miami dining scene back a decade. In January of 2003, the Spanish deconstructionist restaurant La Broche opened on Brickell Avenue, signaling that our town was ready to…
Question: There are 57 peaches hanging from a tree. Four of them are beautiful and ripe; 53 of them are rotten. True or false: All 57 of the peaches on this tree are rotten, so the tree is fruitless. If you answered “true”, a career in journalism may be awaiting…
The summer heat is really starting to kick in, making it sometimes difficult to brave the outdoors. Unfortunately, pesky household tasks such as lawn-mowing require a trip to the front yard. Lawn-mowing not only subjects innocent eyes to the bare chests of old men sweating away on Sunday afternoons, but…
Another city-ranking study was released Monday, and this one casts Miami in a bad light (again). According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, Miami ranks 49th — second to last — among the nation’s largest cities when it comes to volunteering. Residents of Midwest and Northwest cities were…
It was about 7:00 a.m. on June 19, and Robert Monk’s tenth wedding anniversary when he found himself on the stoop of his Miami Beach house in his skivvies with three strangers. They were two big, gruff guys and a blond with a badge. They all stood there for a…
Whoah, Jem! That outfit is truly outrageous. Truly, truly, truly outrageous – from the chunky Jersey shore highlights to the bongo shorts, this outfit is anything but glamour and glitter, fashion and fame. I’m assuming the original intention for the ‘do was Gwen Stefani inspired, but with an apparent overdose…
More proof that these guys weren’t Al Qaeda material: when one of them, Naudimar Herrera, was questioned by the FBI last year, he asked the agents if he could have a “rub” of the marijuana in his pocket. ”Herrera said that he needed the substance to calm his nerves. …
Forty-six public meetings and nearly two million bucks in, Miami 21 got canned last Thursday to be reconsidered for 90 days, during which Miami can look forward to – surprise surprise – more meetings, and more costs. So, the Bike Blog decided to do its part and reconsider how Miami…
Danny is an addict. “He first experimented with marijuana and nitrous oxide when he was thirteen,” says his ex-girlfriend Jessie, a petite, curly-haired brunet with a tender voice. “He graduated from cocaine to crack in his late teens and hasn’t stopped since.” Since 1999, Danny has been arrested six times…
With a sudden burst of energy, fourteen-year-old Jason Draper lunges toward his older, more accomplished opponent and brings his sword crashing down. There are two minutes left in the match, and the five-foot four-inch, hazel-eyed teen faces an almost insurmountable challenge. He’s down fourteen to eight. A mere arm’s length…
On a Plexiglas stage illuminated by fuchsia-tinged television spotlights, the seated hosts of Paparazzi, a Spanish-language gossip talk show, fiddle with their clothes and adjust their earpieces. A makeup artist applies a final dusting of powder to cheeks painted thick with foundation. Photos of Latin American celebrities flash on monitors…
Slinging Mud in the Land of Sand
Jim Defede for CBS4 News remarked that there have been more and more scandals in Miami lately, all of which seem to follow the same formula: An individual comes along vowing to help the people of the inner city, but in the end the only person he ends up helping…
Money Magazine has released its list of the top 500 foreclosure zip codes in the country. Florida registers a whopping 72 zip codes on the list, more than any state except California. The hardest hit zip in the state? 33160 in North Miami Beach, which made the top 20 with…
Those who braved the rain-soaked streets of South Florida over the weekend and ventured along the manicured suburbs of Alton Road no doubt saw it: At 30-feet long by four-feet high, it was hard to miss the banner slapped across the front of 4760 Alton: “God created Adam and Eve,…
Last week’s Supreme Court decisions have stirred up lively debates on the state of our judicial branch. The Bong Hits 4 Jesus case earned national media attention, and has had everyone questioning the limits of free speech. Steve Klotz responded angrily to an article by Jonah Goldberg, in which he…
Santo Restaurant & Lounge has just appointed Cory Smith, former sous chef at Pacific Time, to be their executive chef. The new menu will debut this Saturday, July 7th. The Back Story (maybe):A couple of weeks ago I met John Mariani, longtime food editor for Esquire Magazine, at Santo Restaurant…
Pick a pair Gabriele Marewski’s Paradise Farms, a five-acre organic lot in Homestead, is rarely more paradisiacal than right about now, as summers’ bounty of nectar-laden fruit is coming into bloom. Marewski, who has a BS degree in agronomy from the University of Maryland, drives her farmed goods — which…
Lots to do! First, the pan-activist group Emerge Miami, the Liberty City-based community nonprofit Weed and Seed, and the City of Miami Police Department will be hosting a kids’ bike ride this Saturday. David Chiverton, CEO of Weed and Seed, describes the ride as an attempt to bring together kids…
Alright, that looks like a nice bike. But it looks like he’s wearing goggles. Also, I’m not sure why bikers insist on wearing bandanas. They don’t make you look cool. Actually, you just look stupid because you’re not wearing a helmet. Being safe is always in style…
Sometimes this town can make you feel like a garden snake trapped in a viper pit. Life can be frustrating and hard and dangerous. It is times like these that you need to go have a fucking milk shake… and look at some fucking monkeys. Head out to Florida City…
The formal public hearing for Miami 21 started at about 10 a.m. Thursday, with a packed commission chamber and an optimistic and sunny address by Mayor Manny Diaz. “This is not just a pretty picture on paper,” he said. “It is not a perfect plan … but this will make…
