Doggie Bag: This Week in Charlie

It was a huge week on the blog. Check out what you missed below:Chef Patty Canedo gave us another look into the life of a busy chef in her weekly column, Half Baked.Our list of 100 Favorite Dishes continued this week with Fort Lauderdale favorite Zona Fresca, Galanga sushi’s lobster…

Tacos at El Guanaco Have Salvadoran Flair

The tacos at El Guanaco sport made-to-order tortillas as thick as three normal corn tortillas pilled up. Order one and you’ll hear the chefs in the kitchen (separated from you by only a bit of tinted glass) pat and mold fresh corn masa by hand, then slip it on the…

I’m Eating What?! Smoked Mussels in a Can

After trying the smoked eel last week, nothing was gonna stop me from prying open a can of smoked mussels next. But after seeing the orangey-green oily film on the peeled-back lid, my enthusiasm was put on pause. Sure, the sound of the top popping and the “pssshhhhttt” pulling sound…

Got El Chupacabras Problems? Try a Burrito or Taco Offering

The Brooklyn neighborhood where I used to live had quite a few burrito/taco bars within walking distance from my apartment. They made obscenely large burritos in two sizes: huge and huger, which actually employed two tortillas. The assembly line offered a choice of marinated meats and a vegetarian option, though…

Sink Your Teeth into Martorano’s ‘Balls at the BubbleQ

So you shelled out $350-$450 for tickets to BubbleQ at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, eh? Well, if you want to get your money’s worth, we suggest you start with a visit to Steve Martorano’s table. Yeah, we know you’ve probably tasted his famous meatballs by now, and…

How Not to Make a Taco Courtesy of Rocco’s Tacos

How to make a taco: Take a quality tortilla (preferably freshly made); fill it with some sort of meat or meat-like substance (tongue, cheeks, stomach, rinds, you name it); and balance it with tart, spicy, grassy, tangy flavors (salsa, lime, onion, cilantro, etc.).How not to make a taco: Take stale,…

100 Favorite Dishes: Lobster Bomb From Galanga

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…

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival: A Short, Wacky History

The most motherfucking stars of any Spanish restaurant in the U.S.,” Mario Batali bellowed from the stage in what he thought to be an overly generous rating. The moment was noteworthy only because it occurred at last year’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival dinner honoring attendees King Juan Carlos…

Hits From the South Beach Wine & Food Festival

The SoBEWFF kicked off today, with glitzy food- and chef-driven events running through Sunday. While eager fans get ready to trek to Miami for grub, Clean Plate Charlie is prepping you with everything you need to know about the fest.We’ll start off the fun after the jump with a revealing…

Gratify American Gastropub Opens in West Palm Beach

Gratify American Gastropub debuted in earnest this past weekend, to ride the hoopla that was focused on yet another downtown West Palm rebirth — this time on the waterfront. Gratify replaces the old Spoto’s Oyster Bar on Datura.Chef Scott Helm returns to the downtown as its co-owner and chef –…

Cabo Flats Hopes for Late-Night Diners in Downtown at the Gardens

Cabo Flats, a Cali-Baja tequila bar and cantina-style Mexican restaurant, opened Friday after its initial night for family and friends. It replaces Rosa Mexicano, the successful-until-the-boom-bust-days chain that drew families and party groups to Downtown at the Gardens.Open till the wee hours, likely playing off its night-owl neighbor, the Yard…

Order Up: The Sordid History of the South Beach Wine & Food Fest

This week we’re putting off our normal restaurant review in favor of a guest column from Miami New Times’ own award-winning restaurant critic, Lee Klein. It’s a great read on the history of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, which kicks off in Miami tomorrow and runs through Sunday,…

Trata Greek Taverna Opens on Las Olas

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. For great people-watching without the worry of bare feet dancing tabletop next to your appetizer, pay a visit to…

Office Politics: Militello is 86’d in Delray Beach

Although David Manero’s Delray gastropub The Office only opened a month ago, New Times has confirmed that Chef Mark Militello has already left the building. Militello, who at one time presided over four namesake restaurants in South Florida, came to The Office after a short time as executive chef of…

Boeuf Bourguignon and Pinot Noir at Le Patio

A late-afternoon lunch of boeuf bourguignon and a glass of pinot noir was under $20 at Wilton Manor’s quaint little boutique eatery Le Patio. I sat outside among mismatched furniture in Le Patio’s tiny “backyard” at a table made out of an old New Orleans sewing machine. The beef dish…