By John McCartney Miami Beach doesn’t have to many choices for Bar-B-Q. There is Bar-B-Q Beach, Hogzilla’s, wait… Those were the same place. Thanks to the new tenant Austen’s, third times the charm. Austen’s features some of South Beach’s tastiest Q, in a warm atmosphere that anyone can enjoy. If you’re like me, you have [...]
By John McCartney Special to the SunPost Chef Michael D’Andrea inspires me. His Facebook page is basically a daily journal of cars, travel, horoscopes, coffee, music, etc. But what most inspires me, the thing that really makes me envious, is his passion for cooking. For well over 10 or so years Macaluso’s has been serving [...]
By John McCartney Special to the SunPost What do you get is you add a Hollander + Indonesian cuisine? Indomania! Indomania dwarfs other restaurants. Not in size, as it is smaller them most, except its biggest rival. The restaurant owner Peter is a storyteller. His outlook on traveling home to Amsterdam is so delightfully unorthodox [...]
By John McCartney I’ve heard a lot about The Federal, be it via twitter, Facebook, or just about any other social media outlet. I’m usually hesitant to go to any place that everyone is talking about. I can’t stand where the masses dine, like certain fried chicken spots on Miami Beach, where head chefs are [...]
By John McCartney Special to the SunPost My father rates restaurants in three ways. Its either Good, Great, or it Sucks. Puerto Sagua is Good. Being “Good” must be the reason this Miami Beach Cuban restaurant has been around for so long, 47 years to be exact. Before today it could have been 25 years [...]
By John McCartney Special to the SunPost Close your eyes, imagine yourself sitting on the island of IOS, Greece at Drakos Far Taverna. On your left is the legendary artist Pamela Plant, drinking tin after tin of Retsina, going on and on about Electric Yannis, Billy and Molly and what have you. The food on [...]
By John McCartney Special to the SunPost On Tuesdays I spend the day with my grandmother. She’s a foul mouth old crow but knows her food. If she likes something, she will repeat herself in telling you about it for at least a week. She really like Morgans on the beach, and hasn’t shut up [...]
By John McCartney Special to the SunPost Can anyone tell me why the world is drinking designer Mojitos? Or the reason why ceviche has become a staple in restaurants likes Le Bernardin in New York. How about why Chefs like Aaron Sanchez, Jose Garces, and Alex Garcia are now on TV and making waves across [...]
By John McCartney Getting it right from the start is tough, especially in the restaurant business. When you open for the very first time to paying customers, you have to be on the ball. I usually never go to a restaurant on the opening week. Everything will be predictable. Servers going over their newly scripted [...]
By John McCartney Special to the SunPost I Sat down with Keith Menin, Owner of the Shelborne Hotel (Menin Hotels) 15 years ago when he was working check-in for his family there. Check that. We were driving up Collins Ave. both dreaming of becoming Hoteliers. He did that exactly. Most locals on Miami Beach have [...]
La Locanda’s Consistency and Homemade Touches Continue to Flourish By John Zur Eating Italian is not about scenic posture. Eating Italian is about feeling. It’s how you feel about the food, the ambiance, the company, and the hospitality of the establishment. Care, craft, and feeling go into the best Italian restaurants, and nowhere on South [...]
Chef Bernie Matz Offers Health-Conscious Latin American Cuisine on Alton By John Zur The “L.A.” in Bernie’s L.A. Café stands for Latin American. We’re not talking about that greasy, afterhours Latin American you’re seeking to ease a night of drinking. We’re talking refined, health-conscious Latin American cuisine with borrowed influences from a variety of origins, [...]
