We were first introduced to lomo saltado by a Peruvian-Japanese woman who gave us a wonderful recipe for it. The dish, popular all over Peru, is a stir fry of beef, garlic, onions and peppers topped with French fries. The particular version of the dish featured above is from Aromas del Peru. Here are a few other places where you can try it:

• Chalan on the Beach comes well-recommended by MenuPages users. The menu is very seafood-heavy, but the restaurant features a $10 lomo saltado entree. Pair that with a ceviche, and that could be a pretty satisfying meal.

• Las Totoritas on NW 36th St serves a $8.85 lomo saltado. They also have an appetizer of "leche de tigre," which is described as a glass of ceviche juice. We're intrigued.

• At La Granja Parrilla in Hollywood, you can get a single portion of lomo saltado for $11.95 or a family-sized portion for $29.

Aromas del Peru [Official Site]
Chalan on the Beach [MenuPages]
Las Totoritas [MenuPages]
La Granja Parrilla [MenuPages]

Photo: Masala Cha [Flickr]

Baseball season is in full swing and the Marlins are sitting pretty in first place in the NL East. (Enjoy it now — that is sure to not last long.) We've become a big fan of a newcomer to the smallish world of Marlins blogging called Bright Orange Seats. It's written by Adam, who grew up a block from the stadium but is only now fully embracing the Fish. We asked him a few questions about his food preferences before, during and after ballgames.

Name: Adam Smoot
Age: 26
Occupation: Art Director/Graphic Artist
City: North Miami (but my heart is still in Miami Gardens)

MP: You grew up a block from JRS/Pro Player/Dolphin Stadium. Where do you recommend eating before/after Marlins games?
Adam: With Denny's being the only restaurant close to the stadium (and even that place is fairly new), my suggestion instead would be to make an entire day/night of the game, if you can. If you're going to grab something to eat beforehand, my suggestion is any outdoor restaurant at Bayside Marketplace. It may be a good distance from Dolphin Stadium, but there's something about spending an entire day outdoors (eating, shopping and then a ballgame) that really seems to make for the perfect baseball experience.

If you're looking for a place to go after the game to grab something to eat, my suggestion is South Beach. Sure, many of the restaurants are over priced, but after a game the last thing you want to do is go home and sleep. Might as well go out and enjoy the Miami nightlife. And at the very least, you might run into some of the players from the visiting team. (I once bumped into a drunk Martin Brodeur while on my way to a Sugar Ray concert at Cameo. And I can't believe I just admitted to attending a Sugar Ray concert...)

MP: Have a favorite sports bar?
Adam: Smokey Bones in Plantation

MP: What kind of food would you like to see served at the new ballpark, assuming it actually gets built?
Adam: Even though I'm not all that into that particular kind of food, I'd love to see the organization embrace the Spanish community and go with a little more of a Latin flavor. It'll give the park an identity, similar to the way they serve sushi in L.A.

MP: Favorite hot dog in the area?
Adam: Whatever kind they're serving at the stadium is great. It's the size of my arm and has a pretty good flavor to it. I've always been partial to ballpark food anyway. I think it's the atmosphere of the game that makes it taste so good... I'd imagine the quality of the food isn't all that amazing, but it still tends to win me over every time I'm there.

MP: When choosing food that can double as both sustenance and ammunition against Mets fans at the ballpark, what do you pick? We're thinking cheap and messy, enough to annoy but not injure.
Adam: Believe it or not, I'm a good old fashioned sunflower seed kinda guy. You get about a half million per pack, it only costs you a couple bucks and you can annoy someone for the entire length of the game. Some people would say that this isn't an annoying enough option, but those people need to work on their accuracy. There isn't a more rewarding moment in life than landing a sunflower seed in the small opening between the collar of someone's shirt and the back of their neck, from three rows away. The best part is, they're easy to conceal, so the person you are bothering keeps turning around to see who it is, but has no chance of ever finding out that it's you.

Look at the color on that thing. All sorts of seafood and rice in a gorgeous broth. You'll find this moqueca, a Brazilian seafood stew, at Sushi Samba Dromo on Miami Beach, where it comes with shrimp, squid, cod, crayfish, coconut milk, cashews, dende (palm) oil and chimichurri rice. The restaurant offers a lunch portion of the stew for $20 (it's $24 at dinner time). Cacao Restaurant in Coral Gables also features a lunchtime moqueca for $15. And for $14, you can get the catch of the day cooked moqueca-style at Oba Oba in Coconut Creek.

Moqueca [Wikipedia]
Sushi Samba Dromo [MenuPages]
Cacao Restaurant [MenuPages]
Oba Oba [MenuPages]

Photo: Masala Cha [Flickr]

We got a hold of Kris Wessel by cell phone yesterday to talk about his new restaurant Red Light on the premises of Motel Blu on Biscayne Boulevard; it's set to open as soon as he gets everything straightened out with Tallahassee. You might remember him from Liaison on South Beach and Elia in Bal Harbour, neither of which is still around. He also helped launch Paninoteca on Lincoln Road.

MP: What's with the delays?
Kris: I’m actually being held back by Tallahassee on the food license. They lost the application in December. It’s a big issue with us and the regional inspection office. We’re still about three weeks out from serving food.

I’m pissed, needless to say. I’ve written my local commissioners. They’ve now held me up for a month and a half. I don’t have time to get into lawsuits and things like that. I’m at the mercy of the state. Not only do I find a restaurant in a beaten-down drug and prostitute motel, but now at the end of the road the state is giving me this surprise.

MP: Speaking of the motel, how did you decide on this location?
Kris: I was driving my daughters home about three years ago, and I looked out of the corner of my eye at this motel with broken windows. And I saw three letters and “restaurant.” It was a jungle of iguanas, manatees and turtles. At least that’s what my daughter saw. What I saw were crack addicts and prostitutes in this old abandoned Chinese restaurant. Now that I’ve pulled everything together, I’m noticing the manatees and turtles more.

MP: Manatees? Seriously?
Kris: It’s one of the largest migrations of manatees in South Florida. And they turn around at the dam, so I get them going in and going out. The manatee association sent me brand new manatee signs. They love me. And the birds from the El Portal bird sanctuary — they fly and inhabit this river. All on Biscayne Boulevard!

MP: What will the food be like?
Kris: I call it regional dining in the sense of the region of the southeast, but if you look at the southeast from the South, to Florida, to the Caribbean, to South America — everything that influences this region. That, blended with a dominance of organic foods. And all the menu categories will be subdivided into technique and protein and veg, and any starch will be on the side. I also have a little red smokehouse down on the water, and I have a section on the menu of smoked proteins. Lots of tropical fruit that is very easily had will be all over the menu. It won't be so overly Florida — it's a regional organic-driven restaurant.

A few extra details we learned about the restaurant: there will be a raw bar down by the water, a main bar upstairs, and eventually a lounge. Wessel has also set up lots of riverfront dining, so you can watch the manatees (manatees!) swim by. Valet parking will be free. The bar will be open in two weeks, from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m., but there won't be any food until the license from Tallahassee comes through, and that will likely take at least three weeks.

Photo: James Beard Foundation

We just stumbled upon this photo of the coconut creme brulee at Dolores, but you can call me Lolita, and we were reminded of just how much we adore creme brulee and its Spanish cousin crema catalana. Most of the creme brulees at restaurants are pretty standard versions, but we looked around and found a few interesting takes on it:

• Max's Grille in Palm Beach Gardens serves a mixed berry creme brulee in pie form. We're not quite sure how that works.

• At Prime One Twelve in Miami Beach, the Tahitian vanilla creme brulee comes with a stack of peppermint brownies.

• Talula in Miami Beach serves a sweet potato creme brulee with burnt marshmallows.

• And if dessert isn't quite your thing, Le Bistro serves a dinner entree of sea bass creme brulee that's caramelized on top with champagne cream underneath.

Dolores, but you can call me Lolita [MenuPages]
Max's Grille [MenuPages]
Prime One Twelve [MenuPages]
Talula [MenuPages]
Le Bistro [MenuPages]

Photo: Flickr

For $15.95, you can get a fair amount of food at Kaiyo in Islamorada, provided you show up between 5 and 7 p.m. Start with a miso soup or a salad of greens with gorgonzola, Asian pear and citrus dressing. Dessert is a chocolate torte or vanilla ice cream. Entrees can be any one of the following:

• Tuna Trilogy: yellowfin tataki, maguro sashimi, and bigeye sushi
• Grilled pork tenderloin with black beans, rice and plantains
• Shrimp with Thai red curry sauce and jasmine rice
• Sushi Plate: chef's selection of sushi, sashimi and roll
• Chicken teriyaki, jasmine rice and stir-fried vegetables
• Macadamia hogfish filet with mango sauce, jasmine rice and broccolini

Kaiyo [MenuPages]
Kaiyo [Official Site]

The first time we tried mousse de maracujá, or passion fruit mousse, was at the house of a friend who'd immigrated from São Paulo a few years before. We stopped by with a few other friends, and her mom just happened to have some homemade passion fruit mousse in individual portions in the fridge. Some of the others tried a spoonful and declared it too sweet; we, on the other hand, laughed at the idea of anything being too sweet and made sure to scoop up every last drop of mousse from that bowl.

It's not too hard to find in this area; most Brazilian restaurants serve it regularly. Try checking Varanda's Cafeteria in Miami Beach, Feijão Com Arroz in Pompano Beach, Boteco in Miami and Deco Gourmet in Weston.

Varanda's Cafeteria [MenuPages]
Feijao Com Arroz [MenuPages]
Boteco [MenuPages]
Deco Gourmet [MenuPages]

Photo: Flickr

Spring training games at Roger Dean Stadium kick off on February 26 with the now-annual Marlins-University of Miami game. We're hoping the fish can duplicate their win from last year.

Both the Marlins and the Cardinals play at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, which means that when they play each other, they take turns being the home and away teams. If you're headed to a game this spring to see either (or both!) teams play, here are a few places you might want to consider for a meal nearby. The most obvious place to eat is the Abacoa Town Center, which is pretty much next door to the stadium and hosts a number of restaurants:

• JJ Muggs, a sports bar that serves the usual wings, burgers, nachos and sandwiches.

• Thai Grand Palace lacks atmosphere, but the food is solid, and they offer a lunch special under $7.

• If you're looking for an Irish-themed pub, Rooney's Public House is a good bet. They've got some tasty-looking burgers and a good selection of fish sandwiches.

• Jumby Bay Island Grill is a good place for drinks, if you're into the loud, raucous crowd, which you very well might be after a good ballgame.

JJ Muggs [MenuPages]
Thai Grand Palace [MenuPages]
Rooney's Public House [MenuPages]
Jumby Bay Island Grill [MenuPages]

Photo: Flickr

It's one of our favorite times of the year, when pitchers and catchers report to ball fields across Arizona and Florida, and the promise of another baseball season is on the horizon. Spring training has arrived, and very shortly, the games will begin. And for Marlins fans, given the sheer number of rookies on the roster, it's going to feel like spring training all season long!

We're fortunate enough to have two stadiums, which host three teams, right here in South Florida. The Baltimore Orioles train at the Fort Lauderdale Stadium, while the St. Louis Cardinals and Florida Marlins split time at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. Of course, if you're going to the game, you'll have to eat, and while a fourth-inning hot dog is great, sometimes you just need a bit more than that. If you're headed to see the Orioles play in Ft. Lauderdale, here are a few ideas for pre- or post-game grub:

• Frog & Toad Pub uses categories like "pond water," "little leaps," and "the whole lily pad" to separate its menu items. We find it quite charming. In addition to staples like spinach dip, quesadillas and chicken fingers, they've also got a number of traditional British items on the menu. Think bangers 'n' mash, sheperds pie, and Guinness-marinated beef.

• If it's pizza you're craving, Gino's Italian Ristorante isn't too far away. There's pizza, with all the usual toppings, pasta, and meat and seafood dishes. Gino's also makes a number of hot and cold subs that we're thinking could fit easily into a purse or other bag to take into the stadium.

• Where there's a stadium, there's a Hooters not far away. Wings, beer, cleavage, short shorts -- you know what to expect here.

• Head to the Moonlite Diner for burgers, melts, egg creams and or one of the 29 different milkshakes. We can't think of a better way to end an afternoon of baseball than to indulge in typical Americana diner food. The fare can get a bit greasy here, but the burgers and shakes are solid.

Tomorrow, we'll go over some restaurants closer to the Marlins' and Cardinals' spring home: Roger Dean Stadium.

Marlins pitchers and catchers start workouts [Miami Herald]
Frog & Toad Pub [MenuPages]
Gino's Italian Ristorante [MenuPages]
Hooters [MenuPages]
Moonlite Diner [MenuPages]

Photo: Flickr

We're sure most of you have heard that Rick, formerly of Stuck on the Palmetto, is back today with the launch of the South Florida Daily Blog. To celebrate, we thought we'd ask Rick to be the first victim of our new feature*, one in which we ask local bloggers and other folks about their dining preferences. He gamely agreed, and here's what he had to say...

Name: Rick
Age: 46
Occupation: If I told you I would have to...oh, nevermind
City: Pembroke Pines

MP: What's your favorite South Florida restaurant?
Rick: I have to say Cafe Ragazzi in Surfside. I went there probably 15 years ago and just recently returned for the first time since then. Same energy and great Italian food makes it a memorable experience.

MP: What's the South Florida meal you crave the most?
Rick: Simple rice, beans and chicken with fried sweet plantains. Chicken Kitchen or Pollo Tropical will do.

MP: Which long-departed restaurant do you miss most?
Rick: Marino's @ Riverwalk in Lauderdale. It was good, solid food served at reasonable prices. I used to hit that place when I had to work in downtown Fort Lauderdale every now and then.

MP: A while back, our colleague at MenuPages Boston asked each of us what we'd want for our "last supper." If you could have anything at all for your final meal, what would it be?
Rick: My mother's Hungarian Goulash with a big slice of her blueberry cream cheese pie. She used to make that for my birthday every year.

MP: Strangest thing you've ever eaten?
Rick:Cow brains in Germany when I was a teenager. I wasn't told what they were until I was half done with them. Tastes like chicken.

MP: Will there be more food/restaurant coverage on The South Florida Daily Blog?
Rick: Well, I do plan on commenting on and covering almost all the blogs in South Florida, including the foodie blogs, so certainly that will be part of what I'm doing with SFDB. Don't look for any of my own personal reviews, however. I can't stand writing restaurant reviews. I'll leave that up to folks like yourself.

* We're kind of stumped in the naming of said feature. "Six Questions" is a little boring, and it locks us into a certain number of queries. We're uncomfortable with that. So we're asking for your help. What would you name this feature? The winner gets to be our next victim in the second installment.

Every year, sometime in February, our parents would drive us down to the Homestead area to pick tons and tons of strawberries. We'd usually get two big boxfuls of red, juicy berries, most of which wouldn't even last past dinner that night. We were just thinking about those wonderful berries today, so we thought we'd make a few calls and find out if the strawberries are ripe yet. Turns out that they are, at every single farm we called. Lots of local farms have strawberries, but unfortunately fewer and fewer are doing U-Pick, likely because of higher insurance rates. Most u-pick farms also let you pick other fruits and veggies, like tomatoes, lettuce and eggplant. Here's a good list with which to start:

• Knaus Berry Farm 15980 SW 248th St in Homestead, 305-247-0668. Our personal favorite, if only because you can finish an afternoon of berry picking with a sticky cinnamon bun and a thick strawberry milkshake. The u-pick strawberries are $2.25 per pound.

• Beefy U-Pick Farm 9865 Boynton Beach Blvd in Boynton Beach, 561-441-9721. U-pick strawberries are $2.10 per pound.

• Hydro Delight U-Pick Farms 15550 Okeechobee Blvd in Loxahatchee Groves, 561-792-4800. The strawberries here are organic and grown hydroponically, which means they're kind of stacked one on top of the other. It uses less land, less energy and less water, and involves a lot less stooping and crouching for the picker. (We couldn't get someone on the phone, so we don't have any idea about the price.)

• The Girls Strawberry U-Pick 14466 S Military Trl in Delray Beach, 561-496-0188. When we called and asked if the strawberries were in, the person on the phone chuckled and said, "We've got a ton of them." These are also hydroponic, so no bending necessary. (On the site, it's advertised as "senior citizen friendly.") Berries are $4.99 per pound.

UPDATE: JD told us about another u-pick place, which seems to be smack-dab in the middle of Kendall. It's called U-Pick Fresh Produce, and there are two locations: at 137th Ave and 95th St and at 167th Ave and Kendall Dr. They have an ad in The Miami Herald, and if you can find it and bring it in, you get a 10 percent discount on the produce.

Photo: Flickr

To the right are hallacas, the Venezuelan Christmas specialty that often shows up at our table on Nochebuena. They're made of a corn-and-meat filling (you might also find raisins, nuts, olives and hard-boiled eggs) wrapped tightly in a banana leaf. Our mom is a huge fan. See, her aunt and uncle moved to Caracas after Castro's takeover of Cuba, and their housekeeper, who left with them to Venezuela, learned how to make hallacas better than anyone else. Or so says our mother, who has since searched far and wide for hallacas that could meet that standard. (Unsuccessful so far.)

Hallacas are incredibly labor intensive, so it's rare to find someone who goes the homemade route. Our mom usually orders from a friend of a friend who spends the weeks before Christmas carefully making hallacas. At this time of year, almost every Venezuelan bakery will have some. We went ahead and did some of the legwork for you:

• Don Pan Every branch of this bakery will have hallacas for $5.99 each. They've got plenty now, but there's no guarantee there will be any left on the 24th. If you need a big order, it's best to call ahead and reserve some.

• La Crema de las Empanadas (10674 SW 24th St in Miami; 305-485-9360) The hallacas are $6 each here, and the same rule applies -- if you've got a big order, reserve some.

• European Corner They're $8 each here. The bakery is open until 8 p.m. on Dec. 23 and until 3 p.m. on Dec. 24.

• Moises Bakery (7310 Collins Ave in Miami Beach; 305-868-0548) Hallacas are $6, and you should really order them now, we're told. They've got a limited supply. If you order now, you can pick up on Christmas Eve.

Photo: Flickr

We recently got a chance to exchange e-mails with Norman Van Aken, who is currently busy launching his biggest project yet: Tavern-n-Town at the Beachside Resort & Conference Center in Key West. Tavern is open, but Town's opening has been delayed until early January. We asked the local culinary legend a few questions about the new project and how it feels to be back in Key West.

MP: Norman’s in Coral Gables. Lots of people miss it. What was the reason for closing? Did you feel you needed to do that to focus on the Key West restaurant?

Norman: The Key West project was the biggest of my career from the standpoint of number of outlets. We operate two restaurants, the pool bar restaurant, room service and banquets for up to 400. I don’t think we could have accomplished it by visiting it alone so moving was necessary. We had the greatest 12 years imaginable in Coral Gables. Perhaps one day we will return in a “five star hotel” as we are in the Ritz Carlton in Orlando with Norman’s there.

MP: Key West is where you got your start in the culinary world, if I’m not mistaken. What has it been like going back and opening a restaurant there? What’s been the community response?

Norman: Key West is where I got the calling to be a Chef. I did have one job as a cook in my native Illinois but I hitchhiked to Key West in 1973 and started cooking at an all night barbeque place called The Midget. I remained learning my craft for the better part of the next 15 years. Then it was on to Miami for 17 years. To come back to Key West has been wonderful. I missed the water and the architecture of the Keys. The community has responded with genuine warmth and appreciation about my decision to return. We have high season just ahead of us and I look forward to all of the Key West citizens who love good food to join in with the visitors to make “Tavern N Town” a fantastic addition to the island.

Continue reading "Ask The Chef: Norman Van Aken" »

Yes, readers, we scour the Craigslist hospitality ads so you don't have to. Here we present the best of the bunch:

• We chuckle when we read "FOH" and "BOH." They just look funny to us, you know? Anyway, Brosia Miami, a soon-to-open Design District restaurant, is looking for positions in front of and in the kitchen. You should all check out the restaurant's website too; the website will offer you a virtual glass of sparkling or flat water with or without water while you wait for the restaurant to open. You get refills too!

• Calling all gauchos! Seriously! A Brazilian steakhouse in Islamorada needs you. The ad is in Spanish, but the restaurant is Brazilian, so we're guessing they need gaúchos (ga-OO-shos) instead of gauchos (GAO-chos). Anyway, they'll train!

• Bourbon Steak, the upcoming Michael Mina restaurant in Aventura, is hiring. And they offer benefits! Medical, dental, even a 401K! Also, travel discounts. We're not sure what that means, but we like the sound of it.

• Or, you could bypass all of the long hours in the kitchen and try out for The Next Food Network Star, which will be holding a casting call in Miami tomorrow.

Ah, Facebook. It's become an invaluable tool for stalking former classmates, all of whom seem to be getting engaged/married now. Each time we logged on this summer, we were greeted by another blushing bride in a veil and white dress. Today, thankfully, we encountered only photos of Halloween costumes, plus several groups for South Florida restaurants and chains that people hope to bring to SoFla. (Note: the links will only work if you're a Facebook member.)

ANDU Restaurant/Bar Miami Fl. FAN CLUB: We blogged about this one before in September; sadly, nothing about the group has changed since then. The same construction pictures are still up, and the same notes about liquor licenses and permits are there. Either something has gone terribly wrong with the restaurant, or the owners are far too busy for the 455 devoted members who keep leaving messages like "Cuando abre esta Wiga?!?!?! I'm hungry!"

Petition to Bring Sonic to Miami: We didn't realize Sonic had such a following. Several of the 117 members complain about seeing the Sonic commercials while being unable to partake of the on-screen deliciousness. (See what a good ad campaign does? The kiddies start clamoring for your product.) One member says that it's worth the drive to Ft. Pierce or Fort Myers for a Sonic; another describes a visit to an Orlando Sonic as "amazing." We've eaten at Sonics before, and while we cannot agree with the "amazing" assessment, we'd like to point out that there's a Sonic in Boynton Beach, significantly closer than the others mentioned.

Flanigans is the best restaurant ever: Members of this group (just 18) "wish that they would open nation wide." Don't they know that quality gets diluted when you're so big?

We want a Krystal in Jupiter, Fl: These poor folks (48 of them) are unhappy that they have to drive all the way to Ft. Lauderdale for a Krystal burger. Best comment left on the wall: "I NEED IT. SO I CAN GET 20 BURGERS FOR MY MUNCHIEEEESSSS."

Karu-Y Restaurant Miami: Not much going on here. The most interesting part is the "Related Groups" section: "Victoria Secret Fan Club," "The French-speaking people who live in Miami and around!" and "I wish my life was a Disney movie!" Don't we all?

Students returned to South Florida campuses recently, so we thought we'd help the freshmen out with a little guide to where to go to escape dining hall food. This is the final post in a series of six that cover each local university. This time: Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.

Pizza: If proximity is a priority, check out Ruby's, which offers your basic salads, subs, and pizza, both by the slice and whole pie. If you've got a bit more time, Red Rock Coal Fired Pizza is a short drive from campus and offers some of the best pizza in the county. There's not much besides pizza, and it's pricier than your average pizza joint, but they've offer more than your standard toppings to layer on that thin crust.

Late Night: Not too many options nearby, but there is Nippers Restaurant & Lounge (21069 S Military Trl, 561-338-4111), where you can get subs, pizza and bar food until 5 a.m. And they deliver until 3:30 a.m.

Cheap Eats: Señor Burrito is nearby, cheap and filling. Oh, and it's tasty. Yeah, that's important. There are also 50 different varieties of burgers for under $7 at Lindburgers.

Chinese: Gary Woo Asian Bistro comes highly recommended, and while the prices are reasonable, it's definitely not the type of place you'd go to looking for take-out. For that you've got House of Cheung and Mai-Mai.

On Mom & Dad's Dime: You get seven delectable courses for $90 at Six Tables, where, naturally, there are just six tables, there's only one dinner seating each night, and it's reservation only. Or try Positano for some good Italian.

Students return to South Florida campuses this week, so we thought we'd help the freshmen out with a little guide to where to go to escape dining hall food. This is the fifth in a series of six posts that will cover each local university. This time: Nova Southeastern University, the main campus.

Pizza: Definitely check out Pizza Loft on University Drive, along the western border of campus. It's the best pizza in the area, barring perhaps the Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza in Plantation.

Late Night: Not far from Pizza Loft on University Drive is Luke's Place, where you can get sandwiches (think roast beef, tuna melt and burgers) and bar food like wings and mozzarella sticks until 4 a.m. Not late enough for you? There's a 24-hour Steak 'n Shake a short drive away.

Cheap Eats: Char-Hut. So it's about a 10-minute drive away. It's a Broward institution. Stick to the burgers, all-beef hot dogs and fries, and you'll have a full meal for less than $10.

Chinese: Nearby Orient Chef has gone the trendy route and added sushi to the menu, but you should probably stick to the Chinese offerings. For Chinese in a slightly nicer setting, there's Wings Chinese Restaurant just a mile from campus. And they deliver anywhere in a three-mile radius.

On Mom & Dad's Dime: We've heard excellent things about Vienna Cafe & Wine Bar, which offers an interesting mix of northern European cuisine.

Students return to South Florida campuses this week, so we thought we'd help the freshmen out with a little guide to where to go to escape dining hall food. This is the second in a series of five posts that will cover each local university. This time: St. Thomas and Florida Memorial University, located just a few blocks from each other.

Pizza: You have two options: Tony's Pizza Cafe, which offers New York-style pizza, and Vita Nova, which makes more of an Argentine-style pie.

Late Night: Sadly, there aren't too many options in the area. Looks like the best bet is the Miami Subs Grill on 167th street and 43rd avenue, which is open until 2 a.m.

Cheap Eats: Definitely try Jerk Machine, a local chain of Jamaican restaurants, where you can fill up on jerk pork or curry goat for under $7.

Chinese: Pickings are pretty slim, but you've got two options fairly close to campus: China City and Chop Suey for your standard lo mein and hot-and-sour soup.

On Mom and Dad's Dime: The Mahogany Grille, an upscale soul food restaurant owned by Andre Dawson, has gotten great reviews and was awarded Best Sunday Supper this year from the New Times. It's definitely worth a visit.

Students return to South Florida campuses this week, so we thought we'd help the freshmen out with a little guide to where to go to escape dining hall food. This is the second in a series of five posts that will cover each local university. This time: Barry

Pizza: If you haven't tried Argentine-style pizza, you should; luckily you have a Che Sopranos Pizza & Pasta nearby where you can do exactly that. We heartily recommend a dinner of empanadas, beer and pizza; that's pretty much what we lived on during our study abroad program in Buenos Aires.

Late Night: You've got one option in the area, but it's a tasty one: Cliff's, a West Indian restaurant open until 3 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. You can get everything from curry goat to stewed conch here, and on the weekends, there's live reggae too.

Cheap Eats: Head over to Esther's on 103rd Street for classic American favorites. You can't beat breakfast for $4, lunch for $1 more.

Chinese: Aurora Restaurant is both Cuban and Chinese, and they deliver. So you can have maduros with your honey chicken. Or fried rice with your bistec de palomilla. The combinations are endless!

On Mom & Dad's Dime: North One 10, just over in North Miami, is definitely worth a visit. Chef Dewey LoSasso, one of the original Mango Gang members, creates traditional American dishes with a Florida twist.

Students will be returning to South Florida campuses next week, so we thought we'd help the freshmen out with a little guide to where to go to escape dining hall food. This is the second in a series of five posts that will cover each local university. This time: FIU

Pizza: Jerry & Joe's is closer to the Tamiami campus and they deliver, but we think Frankie's Pizza is worth the short car trip. Those of you taking classes at the Biscayne campus in North Miami have an Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza not too far away.

Late Night: The recent opening of a 24-hour Sarussi within walking distance of the Tamiami campus must have been a great boon to the late-night studying crowd at the library. Cheap, filling, delicious, and available at any hour of the day or night. What more could you ask for? Not far from the Biscayne campus is Steve's Pizza, open until 3 a.m. most nights and 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

Cheap Eats: Natural Chicken Grill in the shopping center across the street from Publix is good for a good, inexpensive lunch, and of course, there's always Pollo Tropical. But for really cheap eats, go to Blue Sky Food By The Pound, where two can happily eat from their portions for one.

Chinese: The Canton on 97th and Tamiami Trail is serviceable, and they deliver. In North Miami, you've got two Bamboo Gardens, one on 163rd street and 13th avenue and the other on Biscayne and 132nd, within a short drive of the campus.

On Mom & Dad's Dime: If you're in Westchester, we suggest going with steak. Want flashy? Go to Texas De Brazil at Dolphin Mall. Want something more intimate? Try La Porteña, tucked away in a shopping center on Tamiami Trail. And if you're at the north campus, definitely head to Chef Allen's.

This thread at Chowhound (yes, we spend a lot of time over there) got us thinking about the Elena Ruz sandwich, which we've seen on menus all over South Florida but never really thought much about, maybe because we're not such huge fans of the sandwich. For those who don't know, the Elena Ruz is made with turkey, cream cheese and strawberry preserves on toasted medianoche bread. What caught our eye was foodiesleuth's post about Elena Ruz, claiming that she was a young Cuban socialite and that she is alive and well in Miami now. So we started doing a little research ourselves...

Continue reading "The History Behind The Elena Ruz Sandwich" »

A few days ago, our Boston counterpart surveyed the staff about Chinatowns in other cities for a blog post about Boston's rapidly changing Chinatown. We replied that while Chinese restaurants abound in South Florida, there aren't any densely Chinese areas.

Today, we learned that we were wrong on that count, thanks to an article in the Herald. North Miami Beach has become an "Asian town" of sorts, with Chinese, Filipino, Thai and, as one commenter pointed out, South Asian businesses, all centered around 167th Street just east of I-95.

Continue reading "Miami's Chinatown Is Shaped Like A Dragon. Sort Of." »