It was a Friday night, and my fiancée and I were getting ready to go out to SoLita, an Italian-themed restaurant and “ultra lounge” on Las Olas. I rummaged through my dresser drawer and pulled out a gold chain I hadn’t worn since high school. I slipped it around my…
Deerfield Beach is loaded with Mexican restaurants, but none is as original as Casa Maya Grill. The restaurant focuses on authentic dishes from the Yucatan Peninsula, which means you’ll find specialties beyond the ordinary burritos and tacos. Cochinita Pibil — pork marinated in annatto seed and sour orange juice —…
I had a terrible weekend in the south-central Florida town of Arcadia one time. I’d been drawn principally by the name — but the place turned out to be far from paradisal: restaurants closed at 8 and were mostly dry. The villagers were like something out of a creepy M…
All hail the fat-ass restaurant hamburger. Is anything better than an inch-thick patty of carefully blended, freshly ground beef, char-grilled and bleeding all over the bun? These hulking sandwiches are the star attractions at the lowliest of dive bars and the stateliest of steak houses and everything in between. And…
As a countdown to the Best Of Broward Palm Beach 2010, coming in May, Clean Plate Charlie is serving up a hundred of our favorite dishes in South Florida. Send your own nominations to john.linn@browardpalmbeach.com.No. 28: Pupusas Revueltas from El GuanacoPupusas are essentially two thick corn tortillas that have been…
Now that the Sunshine State has actually seen a couple of weeks of sunshine, all those fruits and veggies that were hiding out for our wretched winter are now, well… blossoming. And with our weekend farmers’ markets in full swing and such full-time produce markets as Harvest Time (4361 Hypoluxo…
Michael Bennett, currently executive chef at Bimini Boatyard — home of the famous Bimini Bread — will sign copies of his cookbook — with the adventurous title In the Land of Misfits, Pirates, and Cooks — at the Fort Lauderdale outpost of Barnes & Noble (2051 N. Federal Highway [U.S…
As a countdown to the Best Of Broward Palm Beach 2010, coming in May, Clean Plate Charlie is serving up a hundred of our favorite dishes in South Florida. Send your own nominations to john.linn@browardpalmbeach.com.No. 29: Hummus and Pita from Bash Wine CafeSometimes, it’s little innovations that make a world…
If you’re still wondering why the cast of MTV’s Jersey Shore is filming in South Florida, pay a visit to SoLita on Las Olas. The new Italian restaurant/nightclub started by a bunch of ex-Cafe Martorano employees is so full of Guidos and Guidettes that you’d think you were back on…
A fried seafood combo costs just $20 at Papa Hughie’s Seafood World in Lighthouse Point. The platter comes with three fat diver scallops, three jumbo shrimp, three conch fritters made from homemade batter, and four thick wedges of local hog snapper. Each piece of seafood is lightly coated in a…
As a countdown to the Best Of Broward Palm Beach 2010, coming in May, Clean Plate Charlie is serving up a hundred of our favorite dishes in South Florida. Send your own nominations to john.linn@browardpalmbeach.com.No. 30: Chopped Beef Brisket from Tom Jenkin’s Bar-B-QThere’s a reason Tom Jenkins’ Bar-B-Q has become…
Just up the road from the Mennonite Tourist Church, on a street where women in white bonnets and blue dresses pedal their bikes to the store, is a time capsule of a restaurant.Inside, the abundantly cheerful waitresses wear flowered aprons with frilly white trim. Checkered cloths adorn simple, wooden tables…
This week on the blog:Substandard produce got you down? Cure your depression at Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market in Boynton.We updated our interview with Big Bear Brewing Co. brewmaster Matt Cox to include a slideshow of behind-the-scenes shots.Our 100 Favorite Dishes this week include tacos al pastor, smoked fish dip, and…
As a countdown to the Best Of Broward Palm Beach 2010, coming in May, Clean Plate Charlie is serving up a hundred of our favorite dishes in South Florida. Send your own nominations to john.linn@browardpalmbeach.com.No. 31: Burger from Brass Ring PubThe Ring has been open, run by the same family,…
Thanks to a hairstylist-in-training Crystal Amos from Aveda Institute in Davie (who not only does a wicked blowout but also happens to be the daughter of the Jamaica House Restaurant owners), I found that the pasteurized processed cheese spread in a can I almost dismissed as a useless food item…
As a countdown to the Best Of Broward Palm Beach 2010, coming in May, Clean Plate Charlie is serving up a hundred of our favorite dishes in South Florida. Send your own nominations to john.linn@browardpalmbeach.com.No. 32: Smoked Marlin Fish Dip from Hurricane AlleyHurricane Alley is only blocks from the beach…
• There’s plenty of vin to go with the American bistro fare at Cesare Palazzolo’s new Vin 21 Bar & Grill (251 U.S. 1, Jupiter, 561-743-7743, vin21barandgrill.com). Some 60 wines are offered, along with classes and monthly tastings geared to all levels of oenophilia. And no, that’s not a disease…
The burgers at this retro, West Coast-style joint come wrapped up in wax paper like a classic ’50s burger shack. Not only is it cute but functional: The paper keeps the grease from dripping down your hands, allowing you to enjoy your fully decked-out, double-patty sandwich without getting too messy…
The place settings at the Office in Delray Beach are littered with profound — or is that profoundly unprofound? — quotes about food printed on them. One line in particular caught my attention: “Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.” The…
Rib Bizz, the Boynton Beach barbecue shack transplant from Marquita and Curtis Houston, made its debut a couple of weeks ago in Boca Raton. And already it’s off to a smoking start, hawking slow-cooked ribs and pulled pork out of its bigger, better storefront in North Boca. I stopped in…
As a countdown to the Best Of Broward Palm Beach 2010, coming in May, Clean Plate Charlie is serving up a hundred of our favorite dishes in South Florida. Send your own nominations to john.linn@browardpalmbeach.com.No. 33: Bimini Bread from Bimini BoatyardThis sweet, white Bahamian bread has been served at Fort…
I did it. In the interest of the blog (and curiosity), I tried the new KFC Double Down. The “sandwich,” featuring fried chicken breast strips in place of buns, is being marketed as an excessive, meaty, egregious offering. And it is. I ate one for lunch yesterday, and it was…
