MenuPages Blog :: South Florida

Pizza Volante Delays Opening One More Day

2009-05-20T19:45:39Z

Pizza Volante, the highly-anticipated pizzeria from Pacific Time's Jonathan Eismann, was set to open today, but the opening was pushed to tomorrow after a few products failed to arrive on time. As of tomorrow, the pizzeria will be selling its wood-fired pizzas from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day except Sundays.

Esquire Editor Comes To John Mariani's Defense

2009-05-15T19:42:24Z

Helen at MP: Chicago got wind earlier this week that Esquire food writer John Mariani, author of the magazine's Best New Restaurants list, was heading to a Chicago restaurant that night, and suddenly her e-mail inbox was flooded with messages from people in the food world who cannot stand Mariani. Among the sins of which he's accused: never paying for meals, sending a list of requirements to a restaurant prior to eating there, and carrying business cards with a daiquiri recipe printed on the reverse, which he hands to bartenders wherever he goes. Today, an Esquire editor comes to his defense in a message in which he corroborates the daiquiri story but denies that Mariani gets comped meals.

Also, a brief note about the allusions to free meals: John (and Esquire) took it very seriously a few years ago when accusations were made about him praising restaurants that comped him. John has worked very hard to make sure that if he even thinks he's eating at a place that might make our list, he pays the full bill. Believe me — I see his expense reports.

Check out the whole letter at MP: Chicago.

2009-05-15T18:21:23Z

Rack's Is A Hit: The early reports from Rack's Italian Bistro & Market have been very good — Miami Danny even suggested that the restaurant may make the best pizza in South Florida. And Frodnesor scrutinizes the menu and points out that for fans of DeVito's, some of the menu items may seem a bit familiar, in particular a meatball with Marzano gravy.

Sosta Pizzeria Opening Tonight

2009-05-15T16:59:26Z

We've been hearing conflicting reports about the status of Sosta, the new pizzeria from the Quattro Gastronomia Italiana folks. People kept saying it was open, but phone calls to the restaurant proved otherwise. But we just heard it from the mouth of a KNR Restaurant Group spokesperson: the restaurant is opening tonight at 6 p.m. It will be open just for dinner initially, but in a couple of weeks, expect lunch to be introduced.

We just got our hands on the menu, the full version of which is after the jump. Highlights, of course, are the pizzas, which are made in the special Italian-made Morello Forni rotating pizza oven. In addition to pizza, there's a selection of salads and a few pastas and paninis.

]]> Antipasti
Calamari Fritti $7.50
Mozzarella Impanata $7.50
Polpette di Manzo in Salsa Casereccia $8.50
Carpaccio All’Inglese con Salsa al Limone e Insalata di Rucola $7.50
Carpaccio di Tonno con Olio al Timo $8.50
Carpaccio con Capperi Senape e Pomodorini $7.50
Frittata di Zucchini Novelli Basilico e Parmigiano $7.00
Bruschetta Classica con Pomodorini Freschi $4.90
Tomino Avvolto nel Prosciutto alla Piastra con Rucola $7.50

Insalate
Caprese $9.00
Ortolana sm $4.90 / lg $8.50
Batman sm $5.90 / lg $9.90
Di Riso sm $5.90 / lg $9.90
Di Filetto sm $7.25 / lg $12.25
Tonno e Fagioli sm $5.90 / lg $9.90
Verdure alla Griglia sm $5.90 / lg $9.90
Sosta sm $5.90 / lg $9.90
Cobb sm $6.90 / lg $10.90
Matisse sm $5.90 / lg $9.90
Caesar $8.00 (with chicken, add $4; with shrimp, add $5)

Salumi – Charcuterie
Prosciutto Crudo di Parma $8.00
Bresaola $8.00
Mortadella $7.00
Salame $7.00
Culatello $8.00
Speck $7.00
Prosciutto Crudo e Mozzarella $13.00

Le Nostre Pizze Classiche
Marinara (tomato sauce, garlic, oregano) $6.90
Margherita (tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil) $8.90
Burrata (tomato sauce, burrata cheese, basil) $12.50
Carpaccio (tomato sauce, mozzarella, beef carpaccio, arugula, parmigiano) $12.50
Prosciutto Cotto (tomato sauce, mozzarella, ham) $11.50
Prosciutto Cotto e Funghi (tomato sauce, mozzarella, ham, mushrooms) $11.25
Quattro Stagioni (tomato sauce, mozzarella, ham, black olives, mushrooms, artichoke) $11.25
Capricciosa (tomato sauce, mozzarella, ham, mushrooms, artichoke, black olives, wurstel, spicy salami) $11.25
Diavola (tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy salami) $11.25
Gorgonzola (tomato sauce, mozzarella, gorgonzola) $11.50
Gorgonzola e Salsiccia (tomato sauce, mozzarella, gorgonzola, Italian sausage) $11.90
Napoletana (tomato sauce, mozzarella, anchovies, orégano) $9.90
Tonno e Cipolla (tomato sauce, mozzarella, onions, tuna) $10.50
Pugliese (tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmigiano, onions) $10.50
Ortolana (tomato sauce, mozzarella, grilled vegetables) $11.50
Bismark (tomato sauce, mozzarella, asparagus, egg) $12.50
Ciociara (tomato sauce, mozzarella, goat cheese, ham) $11.90
Sosta (sundried tomato spread, mozzarella, potato, gorgonzola, carpaccio of bresaola) $13.50
Trento (tomato sauce, mozzarella, speck) $12.50
Siciliana (tomato sauce, mozzarella, anchovies, capers, black olives, basil) $11.90

To Add On Your Pizza
Salumi $3, Bufala Mozzarella, $3 Burrata $3, Porcini $3, Parmigiano $3, Extra $2

Le Nostre Pizze Ripiene
Vulcano (tomato sauce, mozzarella, ham, spicy salami, mushrooms, egg yolk) $13.25
Calzone (tomato sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, ham, artichokes) $13.25

Le Nostre Pizze Bianche
Stracchino e Rucola (mozzarella, stracchino cheese, arugula, fresh tomatoes) $11.50
Bufala e Pomodorino (buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil, EVOO) $12.90
Recco e Prosciutto Crudo (stracchino cheese, prosciutto crudo di parma) $12.90
Salsiccia e Friarielli (Italian sausage, mozzarella, broccolini rabe) $12.50
Ligure (mozzarella, potato, steamed green beans, pesto, parmigiano) $12.50
Porcini (porcini mushrooms, mozzarella, parmigiano) $13.90
Brie e Salmone (brie, smoked salmon, mozzarella) $12.90
Affumicata (mozzarella, smoked scamorza, speck) $12.50
Formaggi (mozzarella, gorgonzola, fontina, cheddar) $12.90
Cotto e Mozzarella di Bufala (ham, buffalo mozzarella) $13.25

Paste
Linguine al Pesto $9.75
Rigatoni alla Norma $9.75
Penne alla Vodka $9.75
Orecchiette alla Pugliese $9.75

Panini - $8.25 all
Crudo, Mozzarella and Tomato
Ham e Scamorza
Speck e Brie
Pomodoro, Mozzarella e Rucola
Bresaola, Rucola e Grana

Le Nostre Focacce
Focaccia al Rosmarino $6.50
Focaccia al Parmigiano Reggiano $8.00
Bomba al Prosciutto Crudo $9.00

Contorni
Anelli di Cipolla al Mais $5.90
Zucchini in Pastella $5.90
Spinaci Saltati con olio d’oliva $5.90
Patatine Fritte $5.90

Mediavore: Fire Erupts At WPB Hooters This Morning

2009-05-15T15:31:22Z

• A fire at the Hooters in West Palm Beach caused some minor damage at the restaurant this morning. Police aren't sure how it happened. [Sun-Sentinel]

• It was an all-Florida final episode of Hell's Kitchen last night. Danny, the sous chef at Flip Flops Grill & Chill in New Smyrna Beach took home the grand prize over Paula of 3030 Ocean. [PopWatch]

• The Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival organizers decided to ditch the glam during this recession year and instead go for an eco-friendly theme. [Tampa Tribune]

• Hot on the heels of Massachusetts requiring calorie posting in chain restaurants, a bill has been introduced in the U.S. Congress that would require the same of those restaurants on a national scale. [UPI]

• Oprah is being blamed for the exponential increase in the wholesale price of antioxidant-rich acai berries. They were formerly a staple of the diet of the Amazonian poor, and now are too expensive for most to afford them. [Bloomberg]

Rodman Attempts The Dine And Dash Again

2009-05-14T22:28:40Z

Because his first attempt at skipping out on the check at Philippe went so well, Dennis Rodman apparently tried to give it another go the next night at the same restaurant with an even bigger tab: $1,500. A drunk Rodman, according to a witness quoted in Page Six, stumbled out of the restaurant followed by his friends. Once again, the bill was paid only after police showed up. Bet the management at the Gansevoort cannot wait until he heads out of town. [Page Six via Riptide]

2009-05-14T21:32:43Z

Go Joey!: Wynwood neighborhood favorite Joey's is mentioned in the June issue of Food & Wine among a group of "new pizza artisans." It's nice to see that the list isn't totally New York-centric — it's getting easier and easier to get great pizza outside of the Big Apple. [Food & Wine via Short Order]

2009-05-14T20:45:58Z

We're Go For Expansion: The Palm Beach city council gave Taboo permission yesterday to go ahead with its expansion plans. So we're looking at 36 outdoor seats, a new roof dining section and a second kitchen. The council waived the zoning requirement that would've forced the restaurant to add fourteen parking spaces and nixed any ideas of live entertainment in the patio for fear that it'll get too loud. [Palm Beach Daily News]

Budget-Friendly Wine Dinners Coming Our Way

2009-05-14T19:48:35Z

The American Institute of Wine & Food is launching "Recessionista Wine Dinners," a monthly series of reasonably priced meals paired with wines that benefit the institute's culinary scholarship program. The first one is set for Wednesday, May 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Wish and is priced at $65 per person or $55 for AIWF members. That includes tax and gratuity. The dinners will be held at a different restaurant each month through September. Check after the jump for the first dinner's menu.

]]> Wish
Three-course menu with paired wines
$65 per person, including tax and gratuity
$55 per person, including tax and gratuity, for AIWF members

Braised beef short rib ravioli
salsify purée, sour cherries, arugula
Frogs Leap, Zinfandel, from California

Pan-seared snapper
radish, patty pan squash, baby zucchini, fennel, olive tapenade, lemon-coriander foam
Les Charmes, Chardonnay, Macon Lugny, from Burgundy

Basil panna cotta
marinated strawberries, mint, balsamic reduction
Quady Essencia, Muscat, from California

The Other Critics: French, Italian And Some Sushi

2009-05-14T18:29:01Z

• The handmade pastas at I Corsini are excellent, although the hearty sauces "would be more appropriate for a ski lodge in the Apennines" than in a Miami Beach restaurant with a lush outdoor patio. [Miami Herald]

• We thought at first that it was a little too early to review Petit Rouge — it's barely been open two months — but it turns out they have the kinks worked out and are already turning out excellent French bistro fare. [Miami New Times]

• The food at Art & Design Café is "good, crowd-pleasing fare," and it comes set in an art gallery where almost everything, from the plates to the art hanging on the walls, is for sale. [Miami Herald]

• Check out the roast turkey sandwich with brie, arugula and cranberry mayo at Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering, a popular lunchtime spot in the Gables. [Miami Herald]

• The Sun-Sentinel gives the first glowing review of Bulldog BBQ that we've seen. The servers couldn't move any faster, the ribs were tender, the macaroni and cheese is great. [Sun-Sentinel]

• Gail Shepherd provides some excellent rules on how to order at a sushi restaurant to ensure that you get the best fish: pick one restaurant and stick with it, skip the appetizers, eat sashimi before sushi, ask for the chef's guidance, and be adventurous. [Broward-Palm Beach New Times]

• Farraddays' Steakhouse, inside the Isle Casino in Pompano Beach, dishes out fare you'd expect from a casino steakhouse: good steaks, baked potatoes and creamed spinach. [Sun-Sentinel]

• Tryst has potential to be a great neighborhood place, but it needs a bit of work in the service department before getting there. [Sun-Sentinel]

More Lawsuits For Burger King

2009-05-14T17:03:14Z

So now franchisees are jumping on the litigation bandwagon against Burger King. Can't really blame them either. The company is demanding that franchises fork over 40 percent of the money they get from soda companies annually for purchase and maintenance of soda machines and for local advertising. It's a huge chunk, and franchise owners aren't happy that the company is doing this without their consent. Enter lawsuit: the National Franchisee Association filed a class action suit on behalf of all 850 US franchisees.

Burger King intends to use the extra money to increase its national advertising budget. (Aside: how much bigger does this budget need to be? This is, after all, the company that sent a TV crew loaded with Whoppers to remote parts of the world to give "Whopper virgins" their first taste of the burger. When it comes to expensive and elaborate ad campaigns, that's got to be pretty far up on the list.) The money is supposed to go toward promoting new menu items, among other things.

Burger King stores fight to keep soda rebates [Miami Herald]

Mediavore: Fuddruckers Under Fire

2009-05-14T14:45:39Z

• Nearly 40 former employees of the Wellington Fuddruckers are owed two weeks' worth of pay, but the company is completely out of money and has nothing to give them. [Palm Beach Post]

• Several companies, including Pernod, are offering popular courses designed to teach bartenders how to become "master mixologists." [WSJ]

• Many well-intentioned urban gardeners don't realize that their soil may be full of lead. [NYT]

2009-05-13T21:49:02Z

Oldies But Goodies: Joe's Stone Crab is among the oldest restaurants in America, according to BusinessWeek. Not surprising, of course. What is surprising? The fact that crabs were 75 cents per handful when the restaurant first opened. Oh, how times have changed. [BusinessWeek]

Rum Renaissance Festival Begins Tomorrow

2009-05-13T20:07:49Z

First, we have to talk about this name. Rum Renaissance Festival? Is anyone else imagining ladies in large, corseted gowns swilling flasks of rum? Just us? Of course, this isn't a dress-up-in-period-costume Renaissance festival; it's a let's-make-rum-cool-again festival. To which we say: let's start drinking.

The festival begins tomorrow with a two-day rum tasting competition at the Delano, where judges will blind taste over 100 rums from around the world and award gold, silver and bronze medals to the best of the bunch. The main event is on Saturday, when the public will be allowed to sample rums from all over the Carribbean and beyond. Or you can check out one of the seminars like "Puerto Rico: Rum Capital of the World" and "Rum's Cocktail Revival." Tickets to the grand tasting — which include admission to the seminars — are $45 each. VIP tickets, which will get you into several parties in which the rum will be flowing freely, cost $150. The grand tasting will be held on Saturday from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the Shore Club Sky Bar and Red Room at 1901 Collins Ave in Miami Beach. For more information, check out the festival's website.

2009-05-13T18:32:20Z

Quattro In NYC: And while we're on the topic of Quattro Gastronomia Italiana, it seems the restaurant's New York outpost, slated to open in the Trump Hotel in SoHo, is running into a bit of trouble with the neighbors. The SoHo Alliance is afraid the restaurant will worsen the traffic situation. The Trump representatives disagree, and they say the Quattro menu is an upgrade for New York restaurants. New Yorkers are still skeptical. [Eater]