Aventura
305-936-8555 If you're looking for authentic hand-rolled bagels New Yorkers are always raving about -- we're talking real bagels and not those dense, giant softball-like beasts other places sell -- then Mo's is the place to be. They've got fourteen golden-crusted and chewy varieties, with a nice mix of the salty and the sweet to serve up with your favorite smears. Mo's Bagels is open Monday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Tuesday through Sunday 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Aventura
305-936-8555 If you're looking for authentic hand-rolled bagels New Yorkers are always raving about -- we're talking real bagels and not those dense, giant softball-like beasts other places sell -- then Mo's is the place to be. They've got fourteen golden-crusted and chewy varieties, with a nice mix of the salty and the sweet to serve up with your favorite smears. Mo's Bagels is open Monday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Tuesday through Sunday 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Pinecrest
305-666-5979 For very old and very expensive Bordeaux, you can go to The Forge. For big names from Old World and New, visit Norman's or Mark's South Beach. For an eclectic and sophisticated inventory arranged by taste, try North One 10. In fact at any of South Florida's top restaurants you can expect to find a first-rate wine list, often with interesting geographic concentrations -- California, Europe, South America. But this year as last we must bestow our award on Bill "the Captain" Bowers, owner of Captain's Tavern. This 33-year-old fish shack is not the sort of place you'd expect to encounter a list offering more than 500 wines, much less at prices guaranteed to be lower than any other restaurant in the area. Simply put, Bowers loves wine, a passion he wants to share with his customers. Unlike nearly every other restaurant on the planet, the sale of wine at Captain's Tavern is not expected to be a principal revenue source. Historically Bowers has never charged more than twice wholesale price for any bottle, and the more expensive the wine, the less the markup. Plus he regularly features specials that are sometimes priced at or below his cost. Couple that with the freshest seafood in town and you have a winner. Again.
Readers´ Choice: The Forge
Pinecrest
305-666-5979 For very old and very expensive Bordeaux, you can go to The Forge. For big names from Old World and New, visit Norman's or Mark's South Beach. For an eclectic and sophisticated inventory arranged by taste, try North One 10. In fact at any of South Florida's top restaurants you can expect to find a first-rate wine list, often with interesting geographic concentrations -- California, Europe, South America. But this year as last we must bestow our award on Bill "the Captain" Bowers, owner of Captain's Tavern. This 33-year-old fish shack is not the sort of place you'd expect to encounter a list offering more than 500 wines, much less at prices guaranteed to be lower than any other restaurant in the area. Simply put, Bowers loves wine, a passion he wants to share with his customers. Unlike nearly every other restaurant on the planet, the sale of wine at Captain's Tavern is not expected to be a principal revenue source. Historically Bowers has never charged more than twice wholesale price for any bottle, and the more expensive the wine, the less the markup. Plus he regularly features specials that are sometimes priced at or below his cost. Couple that with the freshest seafood in town and you have a winner. Again.
Readers´ Choice: The Forge
Coral Gables
305-444-2348 The décor may need updating and the place may be a bit too dark, but the air is redolent of fragrant spices, and the overall ambiance is pleasant. At lunchtime the first thing that catches your eye is the buffet table. Grab a warm plate and start off with a desi salad, exploding with red onions and chili and tart with lemon juice. Add a delicious chicken or paneer (cheese) pakora, and spoon yourself some tamarind, mint, or tomato onion chutney for dipping. Save room for the heavy stuff. Vindaloo, curry, korma, tikka masala, rogan josh, tandoori -- so many of the varied cooking styles of India are represented here. The beautiful thing about a lunch buffet is that curious and exotic food skeptics can try small pieces of the things they haven't had before. A small spoon of curried eggplant, a piece of vindaloo lamb, a scoop of dal gosht, and some warm, fresh nan bread make for a plate worth tackling. As soon as the tandoori chicken runs out, an employee heads off to refresh the supply. Vegetarians rejoice! House of India offers a lengthy list of dishes that feature vegetables, ranging from cauliflower and okra to black lentils and chickpeas.
Readers´ Choice: Raja´s Indian Cuisine
Coral Gables
305-444-2348 The décor may need updating and the place may be a bit too dark, but the air is redolent of fragrant spices, and the overall ambiance is pleasant. At lunchtime the first thing that catches your eye is the buffet table. Grab a warm plate and start off with a desi salad, exploding with red onions and chili and tart with lemon juice. Add a delicious chicken or paneer (cheese) pakora, and spoon yourself some tamarind, mint, or tomato onion chutney for dipping. Save room for the heavy stuff. Vindaloo, curry, korma, tikka masala, rogan josh, tandoori -- so many of the varied cooking styles of India are represented here. The beautiful thing about a lunch buffet is that curious and exotic food skeptics can try small pieces of the things they haven't had before. A small spoon of curried eggplant, a piece of vindaloo lamb, a scoop of dal gosht, and some warm, fresh nan bread make for a plate worth tackling. As soon as the tandoori chicken runs out, an employee heads off to refresh the supply. Vegetarians rejoice! House of India offers a lengthy list of dishes that feature vegetables, ranging from cauliflower and okra to black lentils and chickpeas.
Readers´ Choice: Raja´s Indian Cuisine
North Miami
305-892-2812 Captain Jim's will leave your stomach and your wallet full. And what Jim's lacks in location (a homely strip of shops in North Miami) and décor (fish nets, rudders, shells, and other nautical accessories) it makes up for with the menu. Manager Ryan Harper says that he couldn't very well give away the secret recipe to their amazing smoked fish, or any of their award-winning seafood recipes for that matter, but he did offer a tease: "We put about 27 herbs and spices into a brine -- brown sugar, honey, A-1, parsley, to name a few -- and then slow-smoke the fish for eight to twelve hours." Grab a filet -- whatever the special of the day happens to be -- to take home from their fish market (the place used to be only a seafood wholesaler), or take a seat in the restaurant and put your package of plastic utensils to good use.
North Miami
305-892-2812 Captain Jim's will leave your stomach and your wallet full. And what Jim's lacks in location (a homely strip of shops in North Miami) and décor (fish nets, rudders, shells, and other nautical accessories) it makes up for with the menu. Manager Ryan Harper says that he couldn't very well give away the secret recipe to their amazing smoked fish, or any of their award-winning seafood recipes for that matter, but he did offer a tease: "We put about 27 herbs and spices into a brine -- brown sugar, honey, A-1, parsley, to name a few -- and then slow-smoke the fish for eight to twelve hours." Grab a filet -- whatever the special of the day happens to be -- to take home from their fish market (the place used to be only a seafood wholesaler), or take a seat in the restaurant and put your package of plastic utensils to good use.
North Miami
305-899-9902 Chinese take-out joints are like auto mechanics. It's one of the first things you look for when you move to a new town; you have to try a lot of duds before you find a good one; and once you find one you can trust, you're loyal for life. The residents of North Miami who have lived in the neighborhood long enough to be in the know make their Friday night Chinese take-out runs at Bamboo Garden II. On any weekend night, the tables may be sparsely occupied -- as with most Chinese restaurants, the décor is simple -- but the phones are ringing off the hook and there's a bench full of waiting patrons eager for brown paper bags full of steaming-hot food hustled out from the kitchen. What sets Bamboo Garden II apart from the countless other (mediocre) restaurants of its kind is the freshness of the ingredients. Whether it's pan-fried dumplings or vegetable rolls you seek; moo goo gai pan or beef chow fun you love; or moo shoo pork or any of a number of black-bean-and-pepper-sauce creations you choose (the latter highly recommended), the ingredients are fresh. The vegetables are crunchy, never overcooked; the meat is tender, not gristly; and the food is as light and nongreasy as Chinese take-out could ever possibly be.
North Miami
305-899-9902 Chinese take-out joints are like auto mechanics. It's one of the first things you look for when you move to a new town; you have to try a lot of duds before you find a good one; and once you find one you can trust, you're loyal for life. The residents of North Miami who have lived in the neighborhood long enough to be in the know make their Friday night Chinese take-out runs at Bamboo Garden II. On any weekend night, the tables may be sparsely occupied -- as with most Chinese restaurants, the décor is simple -- but the phones are ringing off the hook and there's a bench full of waiting patrons eager for brown paper bags full of steaming-hot food hustled out from the kitchen. What sets Bamboo Garden II apart from the countless other (mediocre) restaurants of its kind is the freshness of the ingredients. Whether it's pan-fried dumplings or vegetable rolls you seek; moo goo gai pan or beef chow fun you love; or moo shoo pork or any of a number of black-bean-and-pepper-sauce creations you choose (the latter highly recommended), the ingredients are fresh. The vegetables are crunchy, never overcooked; the meat is tender, not gristly; and the food is as light and nongreasy as Chinese take-out could ever possibly be.
BEST JAMAICAN RESTAURANT
Miami Herald
Miami International Airport
Miami Herald
Miami Herald
Miami International Airport
Miami Herald
BEST JAMAICAN RESTAURANT
Miami Herald
Miami International Airport
Miami Herald
Miami Herald
Miami International Airport
Miami Herald
