Interview: Philippe Chow Gets the 10

The battle of the Chows didn’t start in Miami Beach, but when Mr. Chow and Philippe by Philippe Chow opened mere footsteps away from each other, down came the machetes. Both gents may share the same last name (and, it seems, some similar recipes–more on this later), but so there’s…

Sneak Review: The Unofficial SBWFF Highlight Reel

Next week, in place of our restaurant review will be an overview of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Here’s a taste:”The most motherfucking stars of any Spanish restaurant in the U.S.,” bellowed Mario Batali from the stage in describing what he thought to be an overly generous rating…

Sushi Maki Rolls Out a Restaurant at MIA

The “sushi-roll cutting” ceremony took place on Wednesday, so it’s now official: The omnipresent Sushi Maki (restaurants, universities, Whole Foods…) has just opened a 2,000-square-foot, full-service Japanese restaurant in Concourse D of Miami International Airport. It also features a Grab-and-Go counter where customers short on time can pick up sushi…

New Altamare Food Photos

Altamare is now open for business, replacing Altamar next door. New executive chef Simon Stojanovic is redefining the immensely popular South Beach restaurant with sustainable and organic menu items. Look for contemporary combos such as Fuyu persimmon salad with heirloom tomato, toasted pumpkin seed, Swank farms petite fennel, and pear…

Miami Street Food Fest Rolling Into Town this Spring

The Miami Street Food Fest could one day be bigger than the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, but it’ll have to get its wheels on the road first.This spring, the first annual Fest will welcome carts, trucks, vendors, tents, and the people who love them to some as yet…

Burger Bash Sneak Peek at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach

As the host chef of South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s Burger Bash, Thomas Connell has a leg up on the competition. Not only are all of the 27 burgers in contention prepared on-site at his kitchen at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, but he also helps the contestants with their…

Morena Restaurant Lets You Name Your Own Price

Partners Hernan Caporasohe and Alejandro Maya (also from Lincoln Road’s Maya Tapas and Grill) last week opened their new Morena Restaurant & Lounge. Morena brings Maya chef Hector Diaz, an Argentine/Spanish menu, Argentine/Italian wines, and — get this — a “name your own price” promo through February 28. Mention the…

Baru Urbano Up and Running

Colombian partners Nicolas Hoyos and Juan Carlos Pardo proudly introduce Baru Urbano, “an experience that will seduce the senses through art, décor, music and cuisine.” The Brickell neighborhood restaurant/club touts an eco-conscious bill of fare with locally sourced ingredients. According to the press release, the menu “has been created with…

Looking to Attend the SoBe Wine & Food Fest? You Still Can

Food Network personalities, high-profile chefs, and food fans from all over the world will descend over Miami next week for the 2010 South Beach Wine & Food Festival from February 25 to 28. You locals should consider yourself lucky: In years past, you’d be hard pressed to find a ticket…

Ariston Greek Restaurant Is Closed

Drove past Normandy Isles’ Ariston Restaurant on 71st Street the other night and noticed that it is no more. Don’t know when this happened, but it’s a shame — we liked the place enough to name it our Best Greek Restaurant last year.From the website:Regretfully, Ariston has closed it’s doors…

Café Barcelona Goes Bohemian on Wednesdays

Yes, all the info you need is in this ad. No, we are not getting paid to run it. I’m just posting it because I like Café Barcelona — it’s a cozy, local spot that works hard to provide a good time for its patrons. I like Bohemians, too. Honestly,…

Top 10 Hypothetical South Beach Wine & Food Fest Media Disasters

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival is almost here, and that means an orgiastic horde of mostly out-of-town drunks on the shores of Miami Beach concerned with nothing but food, drink, sex, celebrity, their cell phone cameras, and Twitter.With that in mind, here’s our Top 10 list of hypothetical disasters…

Interview: Chef Brian Cantrell Gets the 10

Ever met Brian Cantrell, A Fish Called Avalon’s executive chef and general manager? He’s no stranger to South Florida, though he grew up hunting and fishing in the Blue Ridge Mountains near his farm home in Hendersonville, North Carolina. [Editor’s Note: He still claims Lexington barbecue is the bomb diggety.]
At…

Burger & Beer Joint Expands to Brickell

The burger craze is heading south, with the expansion of the wildly popular Burger & Beer Joint to Mary Brickell Village. Although B&B has been open for less than a year on Miami Beach, they are on the move. Co-owners Buzzy Sklar and Ron Garcia just signed the lease on…

Q&A with AltaMare Executive Chef Simon Stojanovic

For the past three months, executive chef Simon Stojanovic, has been working in the kitchen of longtime local favorite AltaMar developing dishes for the restaurant’s sister, AltaMare, expected to open next week. Claudio Giordano’s AltaMar will close its doors the day AltaMare’s doors open, just half a block from the…