You’ve done just about everything for that special event — booked a venue, hired a band or DJ, arranged for exotic flowers. But somehow you just can’t shake the feeling that you’ve overlooked some detail. Ice Occasions (2800 SW Fourth Ave., Fort Lauderdale, 9547670607) knows what it is. You’ve forgotten…
Years ago I used to wander into an eclectic shop called the Culinary Bazaar, on Ponce de Leon Boulevard in Coral Gables. Located next to Caffe Baci, it was the ideal place to wile away a wait for your table (and there was always a wait at Baci). Culinary Bazaar…
Short of robbing a liquor store, when and where can you even imagine having the opportunity to taste more than 100 wines in one sitting? On March 6, that’s when, at the Holiday Inn on Fort Lauderdale Beach (999 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale). That’s when Share Our…
When it comes to steak houses, one fact is immutable: The primary focus is beef. Every restaurant has its own way of serving it (à la carte or accompanied by side dishes), its own methods of pricing (inexpensive to horrifyingly exorbitant), and its own ethnic accents (American to French to…
So the Terrace Oceanside (1960 S. Ocean Dr., Hallandale Beach, 954-454-9444) offers dishes such as potato gnocchi with smoked duck sausage; rib steak marinated in bourbon and juniper berries; and frozen macadamia nut soufflé with fresh tropical fruit. Big deal in this age of fusion-global-interplanetary cuisine, right? Well, yeah, if…
A couple of years ago, the Japanese girl-group Shonen Knife put out a CD called Happy Hour. The disc has several songs about food on it, including “Gyoza,” “Banana Chips,” and “Hot Chocolate,” so of course I bought it. I figured at the least it’d be an amusing dinner-party piece…
A lot of patrons frequent Sloan’s (112 Clematis St., West Palm Beach, 561-833-3335) for its roughly 30 flavors of gourmet ice cream. Some like to check out the four shades of sorbet, the three types of yogurt, or the soup of the day. And a few even go for the…
Bid farewell to American fusion cuisine, that tired trend, as you know it. Say hello to Latin fusion cuisine because, well, you’re going to get to know it. The place where you’ll begin to get acquainted, folks, is the Samba Room on East Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. The…
This winter Las Olas Riverfront is looking to the past to create a future for itself. As of February 6, the Riverfront features a weekly Farmers’ Market (300 SW First Ave., Fort Lauderdale, 954-522-6556), celebrating the era when farmers and craftspeople would traverse the New River, bringing their products to…
Used to be when you wanted good, cheap eats, you went ethnic: Chinese, Thai, Indian. The problem was that the reasonably priced food was usually accompanied by a distinct lack of décor. The meal might’ve been tasty, but the experience, for serious diners, wasn’t really complete. In recent years, though,…
I find it easy to laud Atlanta Bread Company (301 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-522-0888). Not because the gourmet breads are baked fresh daily, though they are. Not because the meats and cheeses they use for their sandwiches are prime quality, though they are. Not because the soups…
My sister-in-law had an interesting experience at Darrel & Oliver’s Café Maxx in Pompano Beach the other week. She and her husband had gone to celebrate her birthday. They ordered a three-course meal and then, not feeling up to wine or champagne, decided to have a beer. But they changed…
Is it possible the culinary ghost town Hollywood has become is about to be reincarnated? Check out the newest soul on the block: Ginger Bay (1909 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 954-923-1230), an upscale pan-Caribbean joint owned by Jimmy Banks and his chef-wife, Sharon Banks. The menu includes some expected dishes, such…
The phrase “90 miles” needs no explanation in Miami. Anyone from Elian Gonzalez, the Cuban boat/poster boy, to Toni Takarada, the infamous restaurateur who was recently fined thousands of dollars for discrimination against an African-American diner, knows what it means. But if you toss around those words in any other…
Drop into Michael’s Kitchen (433 E. Sheridan St., Dania Beach, 954-926-5556), and there’s no doubt who wears the apron in the restaurant — chef-proprietor Michael Blum. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Blum has shunned the high-profile kitchens of other chefs in order to make his own name,…
So despite the hype and fuss, Y2K came and went, and basically it was glitch-free. The only trouble I noticed was a brief power outage in my neighborhood that kept the traffic lights from functioning on New Year’s Day. Bet those survivalists camping in bunkers feel pretty stupid right now…
I’ve come up with a great new diet for taking off the holiday five. It’s called diversion: Don’t feed yourself, feed your dog or cat. Craving a Reese’s peanut butter cup? Head over to Bone Appetit (3045 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale, 954-565-3343), a dog-and-cat bakery, and pick up some…
To qualify as an authentic raw bar, a restaurant must meet certain criteria. Décor should be limited, ambiance rugged, and furnishings as worn as a mother of four, even if they’re relatively young in years. It has to offer a water view, be it only a manmade lake or a…
Think the Y2K thing has been a letdown? Think there’s nothing to look forward to now? Think again, and do it on the Dine-and-Ride Express (954-761-3543). The TMAX trolley is offering free transportation every weekday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Hop aboard, ride to Las Olas Riverfront, have your…
Under the “there are two sides to every argument” heading comes the following question: How important is it to know the race/ethnicity/sexuality/politics of the proprietor of a restaurant? Not at all, I usually think, other than for a passing note of interest. I don’t really care if a native Italian…
If you thought car dealerships were good for only one thing — selling automobiles — then you haven’t been to Ragtops (2119 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach; 561-655-2836). This vintage-car dealership, specializing in convertibles, is also a special-events facility. Catered affairs take place in the second-floor showroom, which requires…
You can find lots of fascinating dictionary definitions that start with the word Texas. For instance a Texas citrus mite is a red spider that causes injury to the leaves of citrus trees. Texas fever is a disease suffered by cattle and transmitted by the cattle tick. A Texas leaguer…
