At MenuPages, our legions of users submit reviews regularly for their favorite (and often least favorite) restaurants. Some make it onto the website, others don't. Here, we'll go over the week's best and worst reviews.

We got a few great ones this week. And by great, we mean that they made us laugh; nine times out of ten, reviews that make us laugh don't make it onto the site, because they generally make us laugh for the wrong reasons. Here's a great example, for Jeff's Beach House & Grill under the title "marthas vineyard and nantucket is here":

love the food and the atmosphere loved the staff very family friendly from the minute you enter the parking and the hostess to the owners are handson.That is a rare commodity in todays world . must go enjoy

As we walked in to a room of empty tables, we were seated at a high top table. We asked for a normal table and were told that the table next to restrooms were available...

What is up with this place? Racist? Stupid?

All Residents of Broward stay away...

And now, for this week's winner, from JD who wrote about Dogma Grill:

I think the hot dogs are good gourmet hot dogs. The buns are not just plain hotdog buns you get in any supermarket. The sausages were good. I'm not sure if this location is better than the other locations. But, either way, I really enjoy eating my Cali dog - it's the one with avocado and bacon. Their garlic fries are good too.

As for prices, hot dogs are cheap, but while these are a little bit more expensive than most hot dogs, they're still cheap! Cheap enough for me to keep going back!

There's also Chicago hotdogs and that's not too easy to find in New York's sixth borough!

This location in particular only has sheltered outdoor seating, but with a hip vibe.

Remember 8 1/2? You might not. It was a blink-and-you-miss-it place that got good reviews but just didn't make it. Well, the chef from 8 1/2, Jason McClain, now has his own place called Jason's at the Harrison on Miami Beach.

We just got the menu up today; it's certainly eclectic. There's tamarind braised oxtail with pickled papaya and yuca chips, beef carpaccio with ratatouille vegetable salad and Florida day boat grouper (which, given recent news, may either a) not be around for long or b) skyrocket in price). McClain also seems to be making an effort to use local ingredients, Homestead tomatoes for example.

Jason's at the Harrison [MenuPages]
Jason's at the Harrison [Official Site]

Oh man, we want one of these. We fear it might taste a bit too perfumey, as can sometimes be the case when working with flowers in the kitchen, but just look at that thing. It is so pretty. We're thinking that might be just right for Valentine's Day.

And now, we promise no more photos from Andú. At least not until it actually opens.

Andú Restaurant & Lounge [Official Site]

• As expected, there are tons of Super Bowl recipes in today's food sections. They're not reviews, and they're not terribly exciting (at least not to us...), but you know, they're there. If you need some help with the food for that game day party, check out any of the three major dailies.

• There's excellent Italian food to be had at Cantina 27 for half the price of the stuff you get on Ocean Drive. [Miami Beach]

• Lemon Fizz Cafe's wraps are a hit. Did you know that the other locations of the restaurant chain are in Damascus, Syria? Also, they have free wireless internet! [Miami Herald]

• Another Italian review, this time for Il Gabbiano. The food there, according to Lee Klein, should silence the New Yorkers who whine on and on about the lack of quality Italian food here. (Although we have to say, it doesn't help that the owners spent 26 years in New York City.) [Miami New Times]

• Unlike most other local crepe places, the new Crepe Lounge on Key Biscayne might actually stick around. [Miami New Times]

• Mozart Cafe is kosher, but open on Saturdays. The owners are Israeli, the chef is Caribbean-American, and the menu skips over the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Middle East. Intriguing mix, and it apparently makes for some great dishes. [Miami Herald]

• Christine's just might be the perfect place to take your sweetheart on Valentine's Day. [Broward-Palm Beach New Times]

• Charles Passy checks out The Counter, a burger chain from California and describes it "comfort fare with flair -- and heart." Sounds good to us! [Palm Beach Post]

As we know, fishermen aren't happy about the proposed gag grouper fishing restrictions. We just thought we'd add a few more quotes from an article we found today:

Madeira Beach, Florida - The commercial fishing boat Martiza is just back after 10 days in the Gulf. The crew caught 5,000 pounds of fish, mostly brown grouper.

"That will go to the restaurants, the local restaurants," said Dean Pruitt who owns the Martiza.

Pruitt also owns three other commercial fishing boats. He's against federal regulators proposals to reduce gag grouper fishing in the Gulf by 45 percent, which would shut down the grouper fleet the last three months of the year.

"It's going to be a big impact on the restaurants, the people that work in the restaurants, the commercial fishery, the fish house, just anybody that want to eat the grouper," said Pruitt.

Fishermen speak out against proposed gag grouper restrictions [Tampa Bay 10]
And The Grouper Saga Continues [MP: South Florida]

Check out these interior photos of the soon-to-open Andú Restaurant & Lounge. If the food is as sleek as the decor, this place is going to be quite a hit. We kind of like those big white designs on the walls. They remind us of bubbles.

We just learned that Andú will be opening its doors on Monday, February 11, which is well after "late December" as we were told earlier, but you know how these things go. The sample menu items we've seen are the same ones we posted about last time, so we won't bore you by repeating them, but we will repeat that we are incredibly excited about a mac 'n' cheese with a manchego crust. YUM.

Also, we should note that the restaurant is hiring servers, so if you're in need of a job, check out the ad.

Andú Restaurant & Lounge [Official Site]
Andú photos [Mike Butler]
Andú Restaurant & Lounge Will Open Doors Sometime Before The New Year [MP: South Florida]
Andu Restaurant Lounge - Servers Wanted [Craigslist]

Photo: Mike Butler

At least that's what we think this article says. It's all restaurant-industry business speak. But we think there will be BK-branded chips in vending machines and BK restaurants:

The Inventure Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNAK) today reported that vending channel test marketing results for Burger King brand salted snacks exceeded managements' expectations in the fourth quarter of 2007. Based on these results, Inventure intends to pursue a national rollout of the brand into the vending channel. Inventure expects this national channel expansion to improve capacity utilization at its Bluffton, Indiana manufacturing facility, where all Burger King snacks are produced.

Test marketing in convenience store, drug store, and grocery store channels beginning in the first quarter of 2008 have generated significant retailer interest. Mass merchandiser and club store tests are expected to commence in the first half of 2008. Burger restaurants are scheduled to test the Ketchup & Fries snack product throughout the first quarter of 2008 in certain markets in Ohio and Florida.

Inventure is developing additional new items for the Burger King snack brand for potential test marketing in the second half of the year to complement the Ketchup & Fries and Flame Broiled items.

Burger King to Test Branded Chips [QSR]

Miami Beach has a gastropub: The Smoking Rabbit, which occupies the former space of departed seafood restaurant 510 Ocean. It hasn't been open for long, but already it's got two reviews on Yelp. Here's one of them:

Daily Candy called this an English inspired "gastropub," but I saw no sign of pub-ish-ness in the place. First of all, no English brew whatsoever. We were told that it was just the soft opening and they planned to have some English beer soon, but there is no tap behind the bar, so I'm not sure that it will make much of a difference.

We were just having drinks, but we took a look at the menu for future reference. A few things sounded interesting, but I'm not sure I'd spend the money.

The owner was there, strutting around the place, looking proud of himself. A handful of the beautiful people were eating; I got the impression they were friends of employees. The rest of the patrons consisted of some very confused looking middle aged tourists.

The music was basically what would happen if you put my entire iTunes playlist on random. It went straight from Billie Holiday to Billy Joel. I am not making this up.

We haven't received a menu yet, but we hear it changes daily. Also, you should know that the phone number we've seen listed everywhere appears to be a cell phone number, so unless you want to leave the owner a voicemail message, you might want to try the restaurant number instead (305-531-2100).

The Smoking Rabbit [Yelp]

Florida grouper prices are on the rise, as everyone knows, for a number of reasons, one of which is the dwindling supply of the fish in the Gulf. Studies show that gag grouper (also called black grouper on some menus) are being fished at unsustainable levels, so the feds are stepping in to curb that:

Federal regulators took preliminary steps Tuesday to reduce gag grouper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico by 45 percent, a severe cutback that could cripple commercial fisherman and the charter boat industry.

The proposed restrictions would close down recreational grouper fishing for three months in the winter, just when tourists arrive.

Commercial fisherman would face a quota on gag for the first time, with limits tight enough to shut down the entire grouper fleet every year by October or so -- forcing restaurants and consumers to rely on imports.

The cuts would spill over to other grouper species as well, because grouper swim together, and it's impossible to protect one species without inadvertently cracking down on others.

"This will cost the state of Florida $300-million in direct expenditures,'" said Dennis O'Hern, director of a recreational advocacy group called the Fishermen's Rights Alliance.

With a bag limit of only one gag and only nine months to fish for any kind of grouper, anglers will not sink $20,000 or $30,000 into offshore boats and spend hundreds of dollars in fuel to go bottom fishing, O'Hern said. Tourists will not spend $1,000 to hire a charter boat.

"This is going to kill us," said Tarpon Springs charter boat captain Ed Walker. Migratory fish like king mackerel, cobia and tarpon hang out in warmer southern waters during the winter, he said. Red snapper, another popular offshore bottom fish, is already under tight restriction because of dwindling stocks.

"Essentially they have left us nothing to fish for during the peak tourist season," Walker said.

Here are the nuts-and-bolts of the proposals:

Recreational anglers could not bottom fish for grouper from Jan. 15 through April 15, which spans the peaks of both the red and gag grouper spawning seasons.

During other months, recreational anglers would be limited to three grouper per person, per trip, down from the current "bag limit" of five. Only one of those grouper could be a gag.

Commercial fisherman would face a new gag quota of 1.2-million pounds in 2008, which would rise slightly in subsequent years as the stock rebuilds.

New rules will kill us, grouper fishers say [Saint Petersburg Times]

Photo: Flickr, because we cannot resist a good grouper photo

Ochopee is just a wee bit out of our coverage area, but we enjoy a little snark on a chalkboard in a restaurant as much as the next gal. This chalkboard comes from Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe on Tamiami Trail in Ochopee, just down the street from the smallest post office in the nation. We've driven by this place countless times en route to Sanibel (where our godparents live), but we've never stopped to eat there. Specialties of the house are blue crabs, of course, gator nuggets and strawberry milkshakes. Yum!

Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe, 39395 Tamiami Trail in Ochopee, 239-695-2682

Photo: Flickr

Dogma Grill owners Jeffrey and Lisa Akin, who are described as "hot dog hipsters" in the press release, whatever that means, are launching a catering division. Need 50 hot dogs for junior's 10th birthday party? Or a lot more than that for a company picnic? You can get anything from the Dogma Grill menu; they'll set up a miniature grill on site to cook the dogs.

It's pretty crazy how quickly they seem to have become the hot dog authority in the area. According to the release, they've only been around since 2002, and while there are just three locations (although in under five years, three locations isn't shabby), they seem to always be in the news somehow. We, sadly, have not yet tried the hot dogs at Dogma, but we'd love to hear what you guys think about them.

Dogma Grill [MenuPages]
Dogma Grill [Official Site]

Photo: Flickr

We have a pretty great system of gathering menus, but sometimes, we just can't get some of them, for a variety of reasons. And we have only so much time on our hands to canvass the large area from Jupiter to Key West asking for menus, so this is where you guys come in. If you happen to dine at one of these establishments and can send a menu our way (fax 561-892-5771), we'd appreciate it. A lot.

• Cafe Frankie's, 640 E Ocean Ave in Boynton Beach
• Abacoa Snack Bar, 105 Barbados Dr in Jupiter
• Acapulco Restaurant, 10419 Southern Blvd in Royal Palm Beach
• Swampgrass Willy's Smokehouse, 9910 Highway A1A Alt in Palm Beach Gardens

We should be more invested in the political process than we actually are, for a number of reasons, but ... we're not. That doesn't mean we don't do our civic duty on election day. But anyway, today is primary day in Florida, even if a) tons of people have already voted via absentee ballots and b) the Democratic primary doesn't count. Still, Floridians are flocking to polls; we imagine that's because of the property tax issue that's on the ballot.

So, go vote. And check out the citrusy recipes posted by Leila over at MP: Boston, who is properly excited about the primary season.

Candidates trade charges as Floridians flock to polls [Miami Herald]

Amuse Bouche: Orange You Glad You Can Cook? [MP: Boston]

• Which, would you say, is the best burger in Fort Lauderdale? [Chowhound]

• Michelle Bernstein is the best part of Check, Please! South Florida. [Spangdish]

• These photos of lunch at The River Oyster Bar are making our mouth water. [All Purpose Dark]

• Canistel, heirloom tomatoes and fresh handmade mozzarella at the farmer's market. Yum! [Daily Cocaine]

• Deborah hosts a dinner party! [From the Test Kitchen]

• More tomatoes, plus strawberries and spiny chayote at the South Florida Farmers Market in Pinecrest. [mango&lime]

We got our parents a CSA trial share for Christmas, and they have loved it so much that they're continuing for the rest of the season (well, splitting with our aunt and uncle). Our mom's really enjoyed scouring the internet for ways to use the new fruits and vegetables that appear in her CSA inbox. This week, canistel (or "eggfruit") was a bit of a challenge, as she'd never seen it before, but after a little research, she learned that it's related to mamey and would work well in a milkshake. I'll let her take it from here:

In the process of making the shake I discovered that if I left it very creamy, pudding like, and served it in a small dessert dish, it is like eating a light yogurt. This definitely can be made into ice cream. I poured them into dessert dishes and placed in the refrigerator to get cooler and will serve them after dinner today. Very, very yummy!

Canistel "Pudding"

• about 2 c of canistel pulp from two very, very ripe canistels
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 c demerara sugar
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• lowfat milk
• cinnamon, to taste

Place all of the ingredients into the blender. Add as much milk as necessary to get a pudding-like consistency. Mix until rich and creamy. Pour into dessert cups. Place in refrigerator until cool. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon when ready to serve.

Photo: Flickr

The Pier Coffee Shop, which has sat on Anglin's Fishing Pier in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea for 46 years, closed its doors yesterday after a whole lot of drama between the restaurant's manager and the landlords.

Nancy Pisarzewski, 62, the diner's longtime manager, had been battling with the building's owners over extending its hours past 3 p.m. and other issues. The last straw was their dispute over who had to pay a $3,515.25 water bill in December.

''I thought, that's it -- I'm not going to take it anymore,'' Pisarzewski said.

Its closing will end a long chapter in the pier's history at the end of Commercial Boulevard.

Once known as Tony Calderone's Pier Coffee Shop, it brought in snowbirds as well as regular locals. Calderone, the original owner, died in 2001, leaving the business to his son.

During high season, snowbirds migrated to the five outdoor booths or took a seat at one of the 10 bar stools or three booths inside.

''How good is life when you can sit on a pier, stare at the ocean and eat a wonderful breakfast?'' said Judy Swaggerty, executive director of the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Chamber of Commerce. 'Everybody now is like, `What are we going to do?' ''

Pisarzewski said her decision to close comes after three tense years with the landlords, who recently added $1,000 to her $3,000-a-month rent.

Brothers Spiro and Louis Marchelos, the diner's landlords who also own the nearby Athena-by-the-Sea restaurant, said Pisarzewski went three years without a rent increase and that they have done their best to accommodate her.

They wanted her to extend the diner's hours past 3 p.m., to see the place use its potential.

The Marchelos brothers were passing out fliers outside the restaurant on Thursday, giving their side of the story.

''Rather than accept the increase or even discuss it, the Pier Coffee Shop has, with great drama and angst, and with the spreading of much misinformation, elected to leave the pier,'' the flier read. ``We regret their leaving but we cannot be held hostage by their failure to adapt to changing time and to take advantage of new opportunities.''

Landmark diner in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is shutting down [Miami Herald]

We apologize for being a bit slow on the blogging front; we've been doing lots and lots of work on the site, updating menus, and adding new ones. Here are a few that we've added just recently:

• Good Eats Deli, 645 NE 79th St in Miami, 305-757-2731

• Metronome, 5090 PGA Blvd in Palm Beach Gardens, 561-775-1919

• Foxy's Ice Cream & Dessert Cafe, 12 SE 5th Ave in Delray Beach, 561-276-9379

• Five Guys, 7268 W Atlantic Blvd in Margate, 954-975-4818

• Cafe Le Glacier, 7295 Biscayne Blvd in Miami, 305-754-6551

Well, five-star service according to Mobil, which released its annual hotel and restaurant rankings today. The only five-star hotel is the Ritz-Carlton in Palm Beach, and no restaurants received the highest rating. According to Mobil inspectors, while a lot of restaurants and hotels have the facilities to provide a five-star experience, the service isn't quite up to par. Which isn't exactly news around here. The good news is that there are a few four-star restaurants in the area: Blue Door, Wish, Azul and Palme D'Or.

Five stars elusive for S. Florida hot spots [Miami Herald]

We'd been keeping an eye on
Bonefish Grill, which has been expanding at a breakneck pace. The newest location, in Boynton Beach, was supposed to open last fall, but you know how these things go. We have yet to see a restaurant open anytime near its scheduled date. But we did just learn that the Boynton location will be open for business at 1880 N Congress Avenue on February 11.

Bonefish Grill [Official Site]

Busy weekend for foodies! Not only is there the International Chocolate Festival, but there's also a stone crab picnic on Saturday at the Coral Gables Farmers Market hosted by Slow Food Miami. Here's what Paula, of mango&lime, wrote about the even in the SunPost:

The picnic starts at noon, but you may want to arrive early to watch Chef Roberto Ferrer, of Cohiba Brasserie in Coral Gables, demonstrate how to prepare a stone crab and avocado dish, from 10 to 11 a.m. And while you await your stone crabs, you can check out booths with organic produce, local honey, French pastries, spices and fragrant tea blends.

At the picnic, you pay for what you eat. Stone crabs will be sold for $10 per pound and provided by Judy the “stone crab lady,” who has been bringing seafood from Everglades City to the market for several years. Pick up some healthy sides from Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering at an adjacent booth. Then head over to the picnic tables and join your neighbors for seafood and wine. Reno recommends a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, but it’s up to you. Oh, and don’t forget your crab tools. The stone crabs will be cracked, but you’ll need some utensils to eat the yummy crustaceans.

International Chocolate Festival Is This Weekend [MP: South Florida]
Slow Food Miami [Official Site]
Come On, Get Crabby! [SunPost]

• MP: Philadelphia tells us about a marshmallow cookbook. Yep, a whole cookbook about marshmallows, which include honey and cardamom marshmallows, champagne marshmallow wedding cake, and blood orange, rosemary and zinfandel fluff. Seriously. We're kind of excited.

• MP: San Francisco is a little surprised by a proposed alcohol ban in a nightlife-heavy district of San Francisco.

• Colony Collapse Disorder distresses us. We like honey, and when bees get disoriented, they don't produce honey. MP: Boston is also concerned, and she provided us with a trailer of an upcoming documentary of CCD.

• These lemons provided by MP: Chicago look so damn tasty.

Hey! That's our waiter! We recently went to Le Tub, and we were happy to see the same man who brought us our cheeseburgers and fries in this Plum video. Those burgers are huge. We tried valiantly to finish, but couldn't. About two-thirds of the way through, we dumped the bun and focused just on the ground sirloin, but even then, we couldn't finish those last few bites. Next time, we might share. But, we definitely agree that it was tasty.

Get in Le Tub [Plum]
Le Tub [MenuPages]

• Sara has fun with food from Ikea. [All Purpose Dark]

• The neighbors are complaining about the noise coming from Fritz & Franz Bierhaus, and Tere asks exactly what the noise expectation should be when one lives in a downtown area. [Coral Gables]

• Deborah weighs in on the tuna and mercury problem. [From the Test Kitchen]

• Miami Danny runs down this week's restaurant reviews. [Press Chops]

It's taken the Virginia legislature 74 years to come to its senses. That's how long it's been illegal to mix wine or beer with spirits. So ... no sangria.

Since 1934, the state has prohibited mixing wine or beer with spirits. Frances McDonald, vice president of La Tasca Spanish Tapas Bar and Restaurants, found that out the hard way when his Alexandria location was cited for violating the sangria ban in 2006 and fined $2,000.

McDonald and managing partner Shana McKillop appealed their case to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on Thursday before going to the Capitol to urge legislators to pass a bill legalizing the red wine, liqueur and fruit concoction.

McDonald said his business received no warning about the ban. He said he was unaware of the prohibition and had he known about it would not have located any of his five restaurants in Virginia. "It's like not being able to serve tequila in a Mexican restaurant," he said.

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Department agent who cited La Tasca even ordered restaurant employees to pour its sangria - about 40 liters - down the drain, said Shana McKillop, managing partner at the Alexandria restaurant.

A ruling on the La Tasca's appeal should take two to four weeks, said Kristy Marshall, a spokeswoman for the ABC Department. In the meantime, the restaurant has taken to modifying its sangria recipe. The brandy has been eliminated and the triple sec replaced with a nonalcoholic orange liqueur.

"It's still sangria but not as authentic as we'd like to offer our guests," McKillop said.

Bill would end Virginia's sangria ban [Miami Herald]

At MenuPages, our legions of users submit reviews regularly for their favorite (and often least favorite) restaurants. Some make it onto the website, others don't. Here, we'll go over the week's best and worst reviews.

This week's reviews were about 50/50, in the sense that about half got validated and went online. We'll start with a few of the ones that didn't quite make it onto the site, like this one for Marios Latin Cafe:

THE BEST CHURRASCO

My husband and I have been going to this restaurant since it opened. Mauricio, the owner greets his guest with a caring smile on his face. He wants to make sure everyone has an excellent experience. My favorites, the Sea Bass! All fish dishes are cooked to perfection and accompanied with fresh vegetables and mashed potatoes. We have yet to try something we have not been 100[%] satisfied with. The portions are perfect. You'll even have room for dessert and at Cafe Portofino, that is a must. Mauricio came up with what I call the specialty of the house, a "Warm Guava & Cheese Pastry with Ice Cream". Everything on the menu is outstanding, not to mention thier nightly specials.
If I had to mention one negative thing about Portofino, it would be that the best kept secret is getting out. The last couple of months that we have been there, we have ran into celebrities, top South Florida utives, and even very successful Food & Beverage business owners who enjoy eating at Cafe Portofino.
I highly recommend it. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

The good ones this week weren't so great, but we've got a winner regardless. This one is for Yard House:

We have eaten at the Yard House on numerous occassions. The food is always excellent. The service can vary from good to fantastic depending on the time and the waiter/waitress. The atmosphere is very relaxed. Great place to take the family. Great outdoor seating as well!

Did you know that cacao's scientific name, Theobroma cacao, means "food of the gods?" So very apt, don't you think? There's lots more interesting trivia to learn at the second annual International Chocolate Festival at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. There's a screening of Like Water for Chocolate tomorrow evening, and over the weekend there will be tours of Fairchild's rainforest, plant sales, cooking demonstrations, and lectures on the history of chocolate and how to make it. If you're a member of the garden, the event is free. If not, it's $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, and $10 for kids 6-17 (under 5 enter for free).

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden [Official Site]
Chocolate festival program [pdf file]

Photo: Flickr

We all know that tuna has lots of mercury, but wow, these reports that recently emerged list some scary-high levels of the stuff in tuna. The New York Times wrote about it recently, comparing the mercury levels of tuna in a number of Manhattan restaurants. Today, the Miami Herald lists the levels for a few restaurants in our neck of the woods:

At Su-Shin Izakaya in Coral Gables, the level of mercury in a piece of tuna sashimi was 1.2 parts per million. At 1.0 parts per million, the FDA can take action to remove the fish from the market.

A sample taken from a Publix in Coral Gables registered mercury levels at .93 parts per million, just under the FDA limit. A Publix in St. Petersburg had the highest levels of all grocery store samples -- 1.8 parts mercury per million.

Samples from Publix stores registered seven of the 10 highest mercury levels in the grocery store group.

Publix spokeswoman Maria Brous said the company needed to review the study with its suppliers before determining what action it might take.

''We work with our suppliers to ensure the quality of our fish,'' Brous said. ``We have very high standards for the freshness and quality of our products throughout our store.''

Kazuhime Abe, whose family owns Su-Shin Izakaya, found the study results ``very disappointing and upsetting.''

''We'll definitely press our purveyors to check their sources and see if there is a better way,'' Abe said.

Though tuna is one of the restaurant's top sellers, Abe says she already tries to persuade regular customers to try other fish.

''This is a call to consumers to open up their palates and try different things,'' said Abe, whose family also owns Lan Pan Asian Cafe in South Miami and Yuga Restaurant in Coral Gables.

Oceana's findings reinforce other studies that show more expensive tuna usually contains higher levels of mercury because it comes from bigger fish, which accumulate mercury from the smaller fish they eat.

High Mercury Levels Are Found in Tuna Sushi [New York Times]
Mercury danger found in fresh tuna [Miami Herald]

• Victoria Pesce Elliott visits Alta Cocina and finds that the Trinidadian dishes and salads are great, but the other dishes can be underwhelming. [Miami Herald]

• What is Cuban pizza? Enrique Fernandez explains. Think toppings like picadillo, plantains and chorizo. [Miami Herald]

• Domo Japones is declared a winner. Everything sounds fantastic. [Miami New Times]

• There's great Cuban-inspired fare at Havana's on the Bay. [Miami New Times]

• Ask for your server's opinion on a cut of meat at Las Brisas in Hollywood, and he might just bring out a large slab of raw beef for you to examine. [Miami Herald]

• Gail Shepherd suggests visiting Takeyama with only enough cash for your meal and a good amount of restraint, because with so many great options, it's easy to spend. A lot. [Broward-Palm Beach New Times]

• Sunrise Pita & Grill is a good place to stop for hummus and falafel. Just don't ask for tuna salad with your shawarma -- the owners are Orthodox Jews. [Broward-Palm Beach New Times]

• So, there's a Craft Brewer's Festival this weekend in Jupiter, and the Beer Guy, of course, is here to tell you all about it. [Palm Beach Post]

• The dim sum is great at Grand Lake Chinese Cuisine in West Palm Beach. [Palm Beach Post]

• A roundup of South Florida burgers. [Sun-Sentinel]

We just finished reading this article, about winter in the coldest city on earth: Yakutsk, in Siberia, where the temperature can, and often does, fall to -50 degrees Celsius (-58 Fahrenheit). We read the whole article, and we're still trying to imagine exactly what -50 feels like. We can't, even with the help of the author's description:

In Moscow, which has been my home town for four years, it's only hit minus 30C once, in early 2006, and the mercury rarely gets lower than anything a good, solid winter coat won't protect you from. So, before venturing outdoors in Yakutsk for the first time, I have decided to don a suitcase's worth of clothes to protect me against the cold.

Starting from the feet and working up, I'm wearing: a pair of cotton socks, with a pair of thermal socks over them; a pair of ankle-high Gore-Tex boots; a set of thermal long-johns; a pair of jeans; a thermal undershirt (a present from a worried family member); a long-sleeved T-shirt; a tight-fitting cashmere jumper; a fleece; a padded winter coat with hood; a thin pair of woollen gloves (so that when I take the outer pair off to take photographs I won't expose naked flesh); a pair of gloves made of wool and Thinsulate; a wool scarf; and a woolly football hat.

Lumbering from my hotel room like the Michelin Man, and already breaking into a sweat due to the hotel's industrial heating system, I decide that I'm ready to face everything Yakutsk has to throw at me. I stride purposefully out of the hotel door and... well... it really isn't that bad. The small oblong of my face that is naked to the elements definitely registers the cold air, but on the whole, it feels fine; pleasant, even. As long as you're dressed right, I think, this isn't too bad.

Within a few minutes, however, the icy weather begins to assert itself forcefully. The first place to suffer is the exposed skin on my face, which begins to sting, and then experience shooting pains, before going numb, which is apparently dangerous, because it means blood flow to the skin has stopped. Then the cold penetrates the double layer of gloves and sets to work on chilling my fingers.

The woolly hat and padded hood are no match for minus 43C either, and my ears begin to sting. Next to succumb are the legs. Finally, I find myself with severe pain all across my body and have to return indoors. I look at my watch. I have been outside for 13 minutes.

Yakutsk: Journey to the coldest city on earth [The Independent]

Via Chow

Top Chef doesn't premiere until March 12, but Bravo's giving us a chance to get to know the cheftestants early. This time around, there's only one with a South Florida connection: Andrew, who's from Fort Lauderdale and is a graduate of Johnson & Wales in North Miami. He lives in New York City now, where he's a sous chef at an unnamed restaurant. But here's the info on him from the press release:

AGE: 30
HOMETOWN: Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – currently resides in New York City
PROFESSION: Sous Chef in NYC
CULINARY EDUCATION: A.S. Culinary Arts, Johnson & Wales, North Miami
FAVORITE SIMPLE SUMMER RECIPE: Diced strawberries, mango, tomato, cucumber, and jicama. Thai dressing (sugar, lime juice, fish sauce and siracha). Thai basil and mint chiffonade.

For the past two years, Andrew has studied everything from the French cuisine of Raymond Blanc to the molecular gastronomy of Ferran Adria. With food influences that range from African, Spanish, French and Thai to Vietnamese, Japanese, Latino and Indian, Andrew prides himself on being diverse in the kitchen. When Andrew isn’t working, you can find him researching cuisines at a bookstore or shopping for spices that are uncommon and of multicultural influences to adapt to his cuisine. He believes in translating the flavors and techniques from different cultures into innovative interpretations that do not stray far from their origins. His goal is to leave a legacy like the chefs before his time, which shaped him and his fellow chefs minds and refined their techniques. He says he doesn’t make food for mere sustenance, but to create an experience that impacts the soul.

Andrew - Top Chef [NBC Universal]

Our counterpart in Chicago steered us toward this site, which says that Miami may be seeing yet another steakhouse within the next year. Which is exactly what we need. According to the site, Gibson's Steakhouse plans to open a South Beach location in fall 2008 or early 2009. Of course, this could just be a rumor, but given the current steakhouse trend, we wouldn't be surprised if it were true. While we're sure that Gibson's is an excellent steakhouse, we're just up to our ears in large slabs of read meat down here, and quite frankly, we're bored by it.

Gibson's heads South for the winter [312 Dining Diva]
Gibson's Steakhouse [MenuPages]
Gibson's Steakhouse [Official Site]

Photo: Flickr