By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Miami’s Who’s Who with an affinity for fried chicken and all of its accompanying comfort foods gathered on the beautiful bayside terrace of the Pérez Art Museum Miami on Tuesday, May 27 for the celebration of South Beach Wine and Food Festival founder, Lee Brian Schrager’s second cookbook, Fried & True: More Than 50 Recipes for America’s Best Fried Chicken and Sides.  The scene was set for a gorgeous evening of family style indulgence with oversized wooden tables and benches, covered with all the fixins, including gourmet corn on the cob, collard greens, carrots, coleslaw, biscuits and decadent mac and cheese; catered by Stephen Starr Events, which incorporated the recipes from Schrager’s book.  Food stations offering every variety of fried chicken imaginable were set up throughout the terrace, including offerings from Michelle Bernstein, Paula Dean, and our favorites:  Asha Gomez’s Keralan fried chicken and cardamom waffles and Yotam Ottolenghi’s seeded chicken schnitzel with parsley-caper mayonnaise.  All of the recipes from the evening appear in the book, copies of which were signed by Schrager – personalized for each guest.   Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida Shore 

Chef/restaurateur Oscar Manresa hosted the official launch of Brickell’s newest hotspot, Perfecto Gastro-bar, his first U.S. restaurant location on Tuesday, April 8, with an over- the-top party filled with A-listers music and unforgettable food and drinks. 

From small plates with huge flavors, to larger dishes, guests experienced a Barcelona-inspired feast that included Catalonian hard sausage and grilled bread with rubbed tomato, marinated tomato tartare, roasted chicken croquettes, grilled octopus, fried calamari and angel hair seafood paella.  Rounding out the evening was a decadent dessert of Catalan cream.  We couldn’t help but return the following night to try other signature dishes such as the crab-avocado cannelloni, signature shrimp and wild mushroom ravioli, the perfect fillet with truffle fries and the chocolate ganache- prepared with olive oil and sea salt- there is truly nothing like it!  Read the rest of this entry »

Zuma, Zuma, Zuma!

London’s award-winning restaurant, Zuma boasts an internationally acclaimed style of modern Japanese cuisine with a “WOW” factor that’s been gaining international attention for over a year. The brainchild of German chef Rainer Becker, Zuma offers sophisticated Japanese cuisine in an informal Japanese dining style called Izakaya.  Becker honed his skills and developed the concept behind Zuma during his six year tenure in Tokyo, before launching the first Zuma restaurant in London’s Knightsbridge.  Such was the enormous success of the restaurant with London’s international clientele, that demand supported the development of additional Zuma restaurants across the globe.  Since then, Becker has opened Zuma restaurants in Hong Kong, Istanbul and Dubai before bringing it to Miami. 

Zuma Miami’s success results mainly from its perfect dishes, which are served in a sleek, stylish and spacious setting. The menu is categorized to satisfy the pickiest palate, and the servers are well-versed when interpreting the chef’s specialties.  The best thing on the menu, by far is the marinated black cod wrapped in a hoba leaf.  Even those, who, like us, are NOT fish fans are sure to find the cod, to quote SNL’s iconic, Linda Richman to be “Like Buttah!’”  “Discuss!”  Other favorites include: Gyu no tataki or seared beef with soy, ginger, lime and coriander; Gyuhire sumbiyaki karami sauce zuke or spicy beef tenderloin with sesame, red chilli and sweet soy; and the sushi, which is outstanding.  The desserts at Zuma seem to have been inspired by the name of the building, as they are “epic.”

Enjoying Zuma’s atmosphere and delicious food since its opening: local VIPs, including:  The Heat Players, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Tui Pranich, Gary and Dana Shear, Walid and Susie Wahab, Gisela and Diego Lowenstein, the Dascal family, Gabriella Arango and family, Elizabeth and Mitchel Taylor, Belkys Nerey, Frank Amadeo, Ingrid Casares, Deborah Wecselman, Norma Quintero, Maria Celeste Arraras, Marysol Patton and Louis Aguirre, who are regulars. Internationally, Zuma has a significant celebrity following, including regulars such as: Will Smith, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, Lady Gaga, Tony Blair, Beyoncé, Jay Z, Victoria and David Beckham, Sarah Ferguson, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Antonio Banderas and Keith Richards among many others. To make reservations for Zuma, call: (305) 577-0277.

On South Beach, where steakhouses abound, Red, The Steakhouse stands strong as THE place to get a perfect steak cooked to perfection.  While several other SoBe steakhouses are bigger on scene than on steak, (including brand-new, fellow 3-letter contender which shall remain nameless), Red is all about the food, not that the excellent service and wine selection (over 500 varieties) are anything to scoff at.   If you want a perfect steak, go to Red, period.

Tucked away in the South of Fifth neighborhood, Red exudes owner, Brad Friedlander’s zeal for perfection in the kitchen, which is exceeded only by his intense passion to please his guests.  “We’re passionate about what we serve. We are consistently dreaming up ways to exceed our guests’ expectations and thrilled to bring our unique style to an exciting and vibrant city like Miami.”   That “style” includes a décor that is anything but stuffy, right down its polished wood floors, red banquettes, black bar, white brick walls and glass-enclosed private dining room.  There’s also a rooftop area perfect for watching fireworks on July 4 and New Year’s Eve and throwing a bash or two. Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

CRAVE

CRAVE restaurant in the Village of Merrick Park in Coral Gables is known for its gorgeous 9,000 square-foot space, which includes an expansive dining room, sprawling outdoor terrace, vibrant atmosphere and terrific food. CRAVE’s fresh and innovative cuisine and impeccable wine selection compliment the chic, yet casual ambience with an extensive menu at a value-driven price point, with items ranging from a full sushi bar and Certified Angus Beef steaks to fresh seafood, pastas, salads and fire-baked pizzas that are continually re-mastered using the freshest seasonal ingredients.

One of the not-so-hidden secrets to Crave’s success is Hell’s Kitchen alum, Executive Chef Joshua Wahler whose resume includes work at Gramercy Tavern, Spice Market and Nobu and the (sadly) now defunct, Symcha’s.  Wahler’s passion, expertise and love of food are reflected in every dish- which he excitedly describes as if he were talking about a work of art. He is so charismatic and fun to be around that we repeatedly asked him to join our table. We wouldn’t be surprised to see him hosting a show on The Food Network.

Wahler creatively incorporates fine ingredients to create dishes such as a giant house made meatball, stuffed with mozzarella cheese, which must turn out perfect (without any oozing cheese) for it to make it to the table. Other standouts include: the Red Miso shrimp, grilled Ceviche, and Kogi beef tacos. The cashew crusted Mahi swimming in coconut curry and the perfect sliders were other favorites.  Read the rest of this entry »