A Peek Inside Todd English’s Wild Olives

You have to hand it to Todd English: the dude knows an easy mark when he sees one. That mark, of course, would be South Florida, now home to three of English’s restaurants, each having opened within the past year or so. Two more are on their way 2010. Perhaps…

Foodie Heaven in San Francisco

If you have a functioning taste bud anywhere in your body, a trip through San Francisco’s Ferry Building Marketplace is like ascending to heaven. Better, because you don’t have to die to get there.  The 121-year-old waterfront building with its replica of the 12th Century Giralda bell tower of Seville,…

Superlative Veggie Burger at J. Alexander’s

It’s hard to find a decent veggie burger. Many have a fall-apart texture and odd ingredients, others are dry and flavorless. But the veggie burger at J. Alexander’s, the Nashville chain with a few locations around South Florida, is actually very, very good. Even to a meat eater. I caught…

Order Up: LOLA Restaurant and Ultra Lounge

You can’t swing a bag of botox around South Florida without hitting an “ultra lounge.” The whole nightclub/restaurant concept has become so pervasive that it seems there’s one opening (and closing) almost every week. Although the idea of signature drinks, clubby atmosphere, and party food is a good one, many…

Bimini Boatyard Chef Dishes Up a Pair of Cookbooks

If you’re not a subscriber to our weekly Café Bites dining newsletter for Broward and Palm Beach counties, here’s a taste of what you missed this week. Click here to subscribe. Put the eclectic flavors of South Florida — the “New American Riviera” — on your own kitchen table with…

Annual Dickerdoodle Competition Is Back

Dickerdoodles are like snickerdoodles. Only there’s one big difference. Each year, web comic Penny Arcade holds a contest in which readers send in photographs of their own homemade dickerdoodles, holiday cookies that intimate much more than Christmas spirit. Essentially, it’s a baking contest with a little bit of photo composition…

Dish Deconstructed: Chimichurri Steak

Some steak sauces claim they’re “how steak is done.” But in my opinion, no steak sauce is better than chimichurri. With fresh herbs, garlic, and citrus, nothing brightens up the bold, earthy flavors of a steak quite like it. Not to mention it’s totally easy to make…

Been Drinking? Think Meat.

I’m relatively sure that I’m not the only person who, after an evening of cocktails with friends who recently headed home, has stood in his kitchen looking desperately for an easy, late-night, meat-based meal. But cooking abilities are questionable for someone who’s holding on to the fridge and freezer door…

Anthony’s Runway 84 Leftovers Improve With Some Syrup

This week’s restaurant review features a list of lackluster dishes I ordered at much-loved Anthony’s Runway 84. There’s the Italian Sunday Feast, above, a $29 pile of Italian staples that I’m pretty sure somebody could whip up in the time it takes Rachel Ray to complete a meal.But the worst…

New Owners Have Revamped Paraiso Cuban Cuisine and Sandwiches

Downtown day workers have been grabbing a quick lunch at this Cuban sandwich stand along Andrews Avenue for years, since it was known as Sury’s. But recently, the walk-up counter has been taken over by the property’s original owners, who have cleaned the place up and revamped the menu. Where…

Beer of the Week: Magic Hat #9 Pale Ale

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…

The Office to Make New Year’s Debut

The Office will open the New Year in Delray, and we don’t mean Steve Carell.   We do mean Mark Militello and David Manero, the original Mango Gangster and creator of Vic & Angelo’s and DeVito South Beach, who will debut their first collaboration in January in the Atlantic Avenue site…

More Worthy ‘Cue Out West: Art’s Barbecue in Coral Springs

A rib dinner at Art’s Barbecue in Coral Springs comes with two sides, cornbread, and a half-rack of tender ribs mounted on top of two pieces of white bread. The ribs sported a slightly pink smoke ring and had a the sort of soft-but-firm texture that drives rib afficionados wild…

Order Up: Anthony’s Runway 84

This week in Dish, a review from New Times editor Eric Barton, who had one crazy-as-hell meal at Fort Lauderdale’s longtime Italian-American haven, Anthony’s Runway 84. Turns out, the wait staff at the restaurant was in a bit of a hurry to turn Barton’s table, an effort that culminated with…

Cheap Wine That Doesn’t Suck

Let’s face it, if 2009 was a fish, most of us would throw it back. But if there is anything to celebrate come Dec. 31, it’s that this terrible, very bad, not so hot disaster of a year will very soon be outta here like last week’s garbage.     And, of…

Jupiter Craft Brewers Fest Tickets Now On Sale

I know, I know: The only drinking you’re thinking about doing at the moment involves the New Year, bubbly, and maybe a drunken text message or two. That’s great and all, but if you really want to be a proactive drinker you’ll hop over to jupitercraftbrewersfestival.com and preorder your tickets…

Dish Deconstructed: Fesenjan

I first wrote about the Persian dish fensenjan in a review for the now defunct Darius Palace in Fort Lauderdale. The slow-stewed walnut and pomegranate dish that Darius served reminded me of a version I used to enjoy at a childhood friend’s house. After an afternoon of playing Nintendo and…