Beer of the Week: Brooklyn Lager

Unrepentant beer drinkers, rejoice! Each week, Clean Plate Charlie will select one craft or import beer and give you the lowdown on it: How does it taste? What should you drink it with? Where can you find it? But mostly, it’s all about the love of the brew. If you…

Ron Duprat’s Top Chef Recap, Episode Three

Welcome back to the Ron Duprat Top Chef Las Vegas recap, folks. To take a peek back at episodes one and two, click the links. Otherwise, read on to find out what episode three had in store for our Haitian homeboy.Episode three:The show starts off with the cast commiserating on…

Going, Going, Gaoneras

Tag and bag Las Gaoneras, the modestly ambitious and thoroughly delightful Mexican restaurant across the street from the goliath Renaissance Commons complex in Boynton Beach. The first U.S. outpost of a Mexico-based chain, it didn’t even make it a year before folding.  A bit higher up the food chain than…

Oven Lovin’

Andrew Garavuso labors in front of the twin stone hearths in his restaurant, Sicilian Oven in Lighthouse Point. He’s thin and youthful, with a penciled mustache and a ball cap that covers his bald head. In one smooth motion, he flicks his pizza peel underneath a pie sitting near the…

Reviewing the Chains: Grilled Chicken at KFC

Today, I’m trying to “unthink” lunch. KFC launched a line of healthier grilled chicken options a few months ago, and it’s about time Clean Plate Charlie gives it a try. I’ve never been a fan of KFC. It’s chicken is always far too greasy, sitting under heat lamps for a…

Dogma Grill Goes Belly Up

I was never a fan of Dogma Grill in Fort Lauderdale. The “gourmet” hot dog joint prided itself on unique hot dogs made with a wide range of ingredients, from chili to feta cheese. But I just found its take on regional dogs a little uninspired, and frankly (har har)…

Gregg Easterbrook on Michael Vick and Animal Cruelty

Two weeks ago, former Atlanta Falcon’s superstar Michael Vick appeared on 60 Minutes to give his first interview after his release from jail. For those of you living under rocks and sustaining yourselves on grubs and nightcrawlers, Vick was charged in December 2007 with running an illegal dogfighting operation out…

Can Can Does Does

Cancan dancers in poufy white tutus, waitresses in red satin bustiers and butt-hugging short black skirts, a DJ station, two bars, a colorful wooden carousel horse suspended from the ceiling… Karim El Sherif is selling the grésiller along with the steak frites at his new Carousel Can Can Café, which…

Order Up: Sicilian Oven – Updated With Slideshow

The Perfect Pizza is an elusive animal. Mostly because everyone has his or her own idea of what makes a great pie. But I’d like to think of the pizza at Sicilian Oven as the Great Uniter; no matter what the preference — Napolitan or New York style, wood- or…

I’m Eating What?! Dried Betel Nut

This one didn’t work out so well. The boss went on a shopping spree a couple of weeks back at Little Market Indian Grocery & Spices (3062 N. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale). He picked up last week’s gem as well as a couple of bags of betel nut. I went…

Weekend News

Miami restaurateur and chef Michelle Bernstein opened her brand new MB Terrace at the Omphoy resort last Wednesday. The casual dining spot is the sister restaurant to Michelle Bernstein’s at the Omphoy, a Mediterranean-inspired, dinner-only resto that opened over the weekend. I will be giving my initial impressions very soon.The…

Food Fight: Battle Prosciutto Sub

Say what you will about Fort Lauderdale, but America’s Venice knows how to put together a sandwich. It’s not that there’s a higher concentration of sandwich joints than elsewhere; it’s just that what local places here are tend to make some badass, honkin’ big sandwiches. There are some great ones…

Dish Deconstructed: Hu Tieu Xao Ga

Pictured: Stir-fried rice noodles with chicken and asparagus (hu tieu xao ga).Chicken: Salt. Pepper. Fish sauce. Soy sauce. Rice wine vinegar. Olive oil. Hot pan. Sear.Noodles: Blanch.Asparagus: Salt. Pepper. Olive oil. Saute. Finish: Hot wok. Vegetable oil. Noodles in. Fish sauce. Soy sauce. Sriracha. Sliced onion. Sliced jalapeno. Shredded carrot…

Cheap Wine That Doesn’t Suck

There are many reasons to hate white Zinfandel.   For one, it almost always sucked. Not just sucked but inhaled through a screaming vortex hell-nozzle thousands of years of winemaking artistry only to spit them out as a sweet, insipid, pinkish turd, available cheap at your local giant-mega-super-dupermarket.   For another, it…

Doggie Bag: This Week in Charlie

Melted, fatty goodness was en vogue this week on Clean Plate Charlie. The above pic hailed from our post on the Big Bear Bistro Burger, New Times’ best burger of 2009. Check out what else you missed this week on CPC below. The Meatist returns again this week to talk…

Weekend Blog Watch

Although Clean Plate Charlie is the only blog you need to read every day, some people just can’t get enough. Here are some highlights of other food blogs.Burger Beast is fast becoming my favorite food blog, especially after this post on the Mc Gangbang.Along with great blogging and some great…

Reviewing the Chains: Angry Chicken Sandwich From Burger King

The advertisements for the “Angry” line of sandwiches at Burger King is foreboding. Filled with huge flaming letters and steam lines, they seem to promise punishment to anyone foolish enough to try one. I was feeling up to the challenge, so I pulled in the drive-through and ordered the Angry…

Upcoming Boozing/Dining Events

The looks like as good a weekend as any to enjoy a little bit of booze. Check out these alcohol, er… enhanced events. • The fall season is fast approaching, which means Halloween, Thanksgiving, and, more importantly, pumpkins. And the folks over at Shipyard are keen on that — they’re…

The Meatist Gets Funky With Aged Beef

Have you ever had one of those moments when you look in your fridge and see that beauty of a steak that you bought a few days ago and forgot about, and it looks a little… funny? And you think, “Well, maybe it will smell all right,” but you know…

Burger?! of the Week: Big Bear’s Bistro Burger

A serving suggestion for our Beer of the Week, Big Bear’s Witness: In June, we named Big Bear’s bistro burger the best piece of ground meat between two buns in South Florida. Why? Well, you can read about it here, but essentially, it’s a perfect combination of great ingredients and…

Beer of the Week: Big Bear Brewing Co.’s Witness

Unrepentant beer drinkers, rejoice! Each week, Clean Plate Charlie will select one craft or import beer and give you the lowdown on it: How does it taste? What should you drink it with? Where can you find it? But mostly, it’s all about the love of the brew. If you…