Order Up: The Living Room

This week in Dish: The Living Room, a cozy little pub/restaurant in West Boynton Beach. With a quirky, decorative touch and plenty of mismatched tables made to look like miniature living rooms, it’s the kind of restaurant you can really feel at home in. Sometimes too much so. Check out…

East Coast BBQ Brings Modern ‘Cue to Pompano Beach

There’s no shortage of good barbecue restaurants opening these days. With places like Sheila’s Famous BBQ Conch and More in Lake Worth and the second installment of Texas Hold ‘Em coming to the Gateway in Fort Lauderdale, there’s good ‘cue within reach of just about everyone. Now add East Coast…

Which “Famous” Chef Wrote This Crazy Craigslist Post?

We were cruising Craigslist this morning (for “friendship,” we swear) and stumbled across this mighty odd post from a supposedly famous chef in need of an attorney (preferably female). Any guesses on this person’s identity?Lawyer Needed for Public Figure: I was told I’m supposed to be a famous chef. People…

Where Are We Eating?

Not going to get much in the way of hints here, folks. All I can tell you is that it’s a partial service restaurant, and this is the front counter.Click on the image to make it larger. Just don’t try any CSI-type maneuver and “enhance” the pixels until you can…

Doggie Bag: This Week in Charlie

The new World of Beer in Coconut Creek has made quite a splash since opening. Check out our inside look into the place, and read about how its lack of a proper kitchen is making a big impact on Promenade businesses. Cheap lunch is just around the corner at Mr…

Scarfone’s Coal-Fired Pizza Needs a Little Work

High-heat, coal-fired ovens have lit up all over South Florida, bringing charred crusts and specialty toppings to just about every strip mall. Among them is Scarfone’s, a modern pizzeria in the mold of Anthony’s that recently debuted its second location in the Promenade at Coconut Creek. The cavernous bar and…

Breyers Contest: Make the Next Best Ice Cream Sundae

​Sure, you can slop a few scoops in a bowl, add some peanuts, and call it a sundae. Sometimes, if you’re feeling fancy, you’ll twirl some whipped cream on top. That may be good enough for your family, but Breyers says, “No go!”The company is looking for the next best…

World’s Most Expensive Hot Dog Lands in New York

You’ve heard of ultraluxe burgers made with braised short ribs and foie gras selling for $100 a pop — in fact, a similar burger made news when it debuted at the Old Homestead Steakhouse in the Boca Raton Resort & Club in 2006. But supped up hot dogs costing nearly…

Order Up: Martorano’s Italian-American Kitchen

This week in Dish, we take a look at the maestro of meatballs that is Steve Martorano and his latest restaurant in Seminole Paradise at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. This third incarnation of his restaurant is bigger and glitzier than the original Cafe Martorano on Oakland Park. But…

$10 Lunch: Mr. Nick’s Sub Shoppe

The deal: This blue shack is little more than a takeout window with a modest porch and a few patio tables, but it gets packed during the week with area workers looking to grab a quick lunch to go. It’s been open in Fort Lauderdale since 1975 and is famous…

Guess Where I’m Eating?

No, seriously… guess. It’s a chain restaurant. It is not located in a strip mall. Yet it is on a busy street. The booths are rather cramped, and if Kevin Smith had a tough time getting his fat ass onto a plane, he’d have trouble squeezing into the leather labyrinth…

Doggy Bag: This Week in Charlie

Huge week on the blog:Ceviche is easy and tasty with Whole Foods’ new MSC-Certified swordfish.Part 2 of our interview with this season’s Top Chef front-runner, Kenny Gilbert.Pompano steak house and cabaret NY Strip shuts its doors.Johnny V’s casual eatery Smith & Jones closed for good, and the fallout has been…

What Warped Tour Rockers Eat

We here at Clean Plate Charlie are usually too busy judging the judges on the Food Network, puréeing foie gras for our little baby Emeril, or just generally stuffing our ding-dangled faces to get out to any concerts these days, but we were excited to live vicariously through our sister…

How to Order Sake (and Five Can’t-Go-Wrong Options)

Down at SUSHISAMBA dromo in Miami, beverage manager Mackenzie Parks added sake knowledge to her vast repository of wine smarts. Since pairing sake with sushi (and other foods, for that matter) is a true art, Parks has done her research into helping New Times recommend five bottles that’ll never do…

National Cheesecake Day, Susser Does Brooklyn, Wine Diner at Mancini’s

• July 30 is National Cheesecake Day; can you guess which restaurant is celebrating? (Hint: The name starts with “Cheesecake” and ends in “Factory.”) Anyway, on July 30 that place will be offering “any slice, half price,” a promotion that’s fairly self-explanatory. Comers can try the chain’s new Reese’s Peanut…