Around Miami : miami dining

Texas de Brazil

carolynk — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 21:24:00 GMT

Things are getting even beefier on South Beach. The latest arrival in the battle of the steakhouses is Texas de Brazil, located on the water at Miami Beach Marina. Loosen your top belt loop, grab your knife and fork and get ready as waiters in gaucho garb roam table to table carving up an array of sizzling meats, including Angus beef, lamb, pork chicken and Brazilian sausage. Non-meat eaters can enjoy fresh lobster or shrimp or the vast salad bar, which offers more than 50 seasonal selections. Texas de Brazil’s elegant interior decor features an octagonal shaped wine cabinet at the entrance, marble counters, ruby red walls and a soaring ceiling with iron chandeliers. Take out and catering services will be available soon, and there’s a covered parking lot across the street in addition to valet service. Reservations: (305) 695-7702.

Ready, set, eat!

carolynk — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:13:00 GMT

I’m making dinner reservations for August. Sound strange? Not really.

August kicks off Miami Spice Restaurant Month, and folks who are familiar with this annual citywide dining promotion like to plan ahead. This is the time to check out Miami’s hottest restaurants – and still have money left over to pay the babysitter.

During August and September, the Miami Spice promotion lets you savor fantastic three-course meals for just $22 for lunch and $35 for dinner. Think about it – three courses for just $22! These are some of the best chefs in the country. Are you hungry yet?

The Miami Spice restaurants are an all-star roster of top chefs and Zagat-rated dining establishments. Some new, some old – all dishing out tantalizing cuisine at prices that won’t scare your date – whether it’s a Man Date, First Date, Blind Date or plain ol’ Dinner Date.

Old favorites include Chef Allen’s, Mark’s South Beach, Azul, China Grill, Blue Door at Delano and Christy’s. Spice newcomers include Table 8, South Beach; David Bouley Evolution; Food Gang; Michael's Genuine Food & Drink; The Oceanaire Seafood Room; GNU Restaurant & Lounge and several more places that I simply can’t wait to try.

Every year at this time, my office pals and I start chatting about our favorite restaurants. We plot, we plan, we compare notes.

“I want to go back to Azul. Remember how good it was when we went last summer?”

“Oooh, the Caesar salad at Christy’s… It’s as delicious as their steaks!”

“We ate and Chef Allen’s and the dessert was to-die-for!”

“Who has a birthday coming up? We need an excuse to take a long lunch during Miami Spice Month.”

And so on.

For lunch, we venture to places close to the office. For dinner, we make plans with friends and significant others who really appreciate fine dining. Don’t waste a Miami Spice meal on your Aunt Mabel who’s back on Pritikin. It’s much too special for her.

This year’s presenting sponsor is American Express. If you’re a cardholder, you can get advance reservations at the participating restaurants. Another cool thing: several of the Miami Spice restaurants offer special food and wine events, including themed dinners, wine tastings and cooking classes. At Talula’s Forks & Corks Fridays, you can sample four-course wine dinners with catchy themes like Tuscan Nights, Vino Latino and Tour d’France. On Tuesday nights, Chef Allen’s offers cooking demonstrations using exotic spices from Southeast Asia, North Africa, the Caribbean and elsewhere.

Like my cubicle-mates, you should appreciate Miami Spice Restaurant Month for the culinary gift that it is. Many of us (myself included) get too busy at certain times of the year to make time for the finer things in life. In Miami, summer brings a more relaxed pace – and eating out offers a few distinct advantages over busier seasons. On South Beach, nobody’s barreling at you 90 mph trying to steal a parking space. On the mainland, there’s no snooty Maitre d’ telling you how impossibly booked they are for the next 12 weeks. Valet lines? Nothing like Boat Show weekend, that's for sure.

So now’s the time to get gussied up and get out on the town. Browse the Miami Spice menus, pick a few favorites and get ready indulge yourself.

Remember to tip well.

For information, visit www.ilovemiamispice.com

French Twist

carolynk — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:11:00 GMT

At least four of my closest friends are vacationing in France this summer. And with a list of home improvements as big as the Eiffel Tower, you can guess where I’ll be. Right in my own backyard, that’s where.

So today’s blog is devoted to all things French. The only catch is that they are all right here in Miami. No expensive plane flights or feeling Euro-poor for me. I plan to savor the flavor of France without even packing a bag.

Let’s start with cuisine. Miami’s French restaurants may not compete in number with say, Italian, Cuban or Argentine parrillada joints, but they do exist. And they will make you happy. When I’m craving a big ol’ plate of steak and frites, I head for Brasserie Les Halles in Coral Gables. The waiters are unfailingly pleasant and the ambience makes you feel as if you’re at a bistro along Boulevard St. Germain. Menu items include brasserie standards like coq au vin, poulet roti (roast chicken), cassoulet and a decent crème brulee. Another plus: they are nice to children. This is something that always elicits a generous tip from moi.

My favorite French hang is pricey, but still cheaper than a night in Paris. La Goulue is an upscale new bistro located in the equally upscale Bal Harbour Shops. Need a fromage fix? This is your place. The bread is crusty, the house rosé rocks, and the waiters are only slightly less haughty than the mall’s shopkeepers. The food here, quite simply, has captured my stomach in a big way. I pine for La Goulue’s lobster and cheese croque monsieur, their heavenly pesto-smothered escargot, seductive salads and sinful lemon tarte. La Goulue means “the glutton” – and it is easy to turn into one here. I don’t mind forking over the big bucks for food like this. You may even spot a celeb or two. I saw Shaq stroll by on Valentine’s Day. He was carrying a jewelry bag (perhaps with some nice ice?) for lucky Mrs. Shaq.

If it’s French culture you crave, then it’s Alliance Francaise to the rescue. This French cultural center offers language courses, films, concerts, wine tastings and other special events throughout the year. Alliance Francaise is located close to downtown Miami, and is great place to meet other Francophiles.

Fête de la Musique, a worldwide celebration of summer held each year on June 21st, originated in France. This year, Miami’s Fête de la Musique will take place at Gusman Center for the Performing Arts and will feature a world music concert and other fun activities. Fête de la Musique is sponsored by the French Consulate, which is an excellent local resource for information about France, including visas, passports, studying and working abroad and more.

If creating a delightfully French home environment is your goal, I can recommend two places. Country French, on Red Road in South Miami, is a beautiful home decor store offering French table linens, candles, soaps, fragrances, antique furniture and knick-knacks. A new store just opened on MacFarlane Road in Coconut Grove called the French Way (or something similar). From my drive-by peeks in their window, I've seen candles, lavender sachets, jacquard linens, olive oil and other cool stuff for Francophiles. You can’t miss the store – it’s catty-corner from CocoWalk, the Grove’s big outdoor mall. Now try saying “catty-corner from CocoWalk” ten times fast…

Some final French tips before I sign off: check out the newly opened Cefalo’s Wine Cellar & Spirits to sample flights of French wine; try getting a table at Café Pastis in South Miami (I have never been able to – the place is packed around the clock and friends rave about it); stop in for a bite at Le Bouchon du Grove (another extremely popular bistro in the heart of Coconut Grove); engage in multi-course haute cuisine heaven at La Palme d’Or, the Biltmore Hotel’s très élégante (and expensive) French restaurant. And for Bastille Day fun this July 14th, head over to Les Halles or Hotel Sofitel and hoist a glass of Champagne.

One final thing, if you decide to go to La Goulue, please take me with you!

Kon Chau

carolynk — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 19:59:00 GMT

The alternative to pricier Tropical Chinese, Kon Chau offers no-frills dim sum all day long. Tucked away in a strip mall off Bird Road, patrons check off their orders from printed lists and the dim sum comes straight from the kitchen (rather than being pushed around in steaming carts). Items start at $1 and you can also order regular menu items. Kon Chau, 8376 Bird Rd., Miami, FL 33155; tel: (305) 553-7799.

Directions: Take Bird Rd. west to 83rd Ave. The restaurant is between 83rd and 84th avenues on the south side of the road, in the Lucky’s Oriental Market shopping center.