Miami Food Blog

• A South Dade man wants to build a soccer stadium between two farms in the historically agricultural Redlands. [RedlandRambles]
• Lee Klein is not the only guy who hates Mr. Chow. So does Anthony Bourdain. [AllPurposeDark]
• Cooking banana flowers Sri Lankan style. [BeeHeaven]
• Daily metro paper writes article about guy who eats hamburgers. [Herald]
• Swensen's in South Miami: ice cream and American food. They've been doing it forever, and they're still doing it. [BurgerBeast]
• Apples, oysters, truffles. The country's best seasonal offerings. [Chowfather]
• Making fun of critics is fun. [FoodForThought]
• Free oysters on deck at Area 31. [@Critchley]
• Simply Italian kickoff party at Fratelli Lyon, $10 = a drink + canapes. [DineMag]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/opoterser/ / CC BY 2.0

20 eyes in my head.

​Anybody feel Hurricane Ida roiling through the Ocean last night? Hurricane season is not over folks, stay prepared. Here are some recent local posts from throughout the food community.

• Ever wish your fast food was faster, less personal? Go to Japan. [BurgerBeast]
• Blogger claims best burger in South Florida can be found in Aventura. [Chowfather]
• Go Greek on the Upper East Side for old style cooking that'll make you say Opa! [FoodForThought]
• Chef Allen 2 Go to open in the Ft. Lauderdale airport. [DineMag]
• Fast food style dim sum on Bird Road served all day every day. [EatLocal]
• Check out a message board for organic, grass fed, pastured, wild, unprocesed, tropical, whole, natural foods. [MiamiRealFood]
• Local farm documents their heirloom tomato planting, check it out, take notes. [RedlandRambles]
• Hey, Martha Stewart, you old ass-backwards, prison bologna eating aristocrat! Florida does have its own artisan cheese. [EatingLocalInTheTropics]
• A local-food Miami social network. [LocalFoodMiami]
• A very cool post on harvesting hearts of palm and making kimchee and slaw out of it. [BeeHeaven]

​Good news Miami! Food site Eater has deemed us worthy enough of our very own section on its site. Helmed by Miami Herald gossip columnist Lesley Abravanel, the Miami section of Eater is sure to keep us in the loop of the Magic City's foodie scene. Plenty of local blogs have also gotten some link love including Food For Thought, Mango & Lime and, of course, Short Order. In fact, critic Lee Klein is even has his own tag.

But what does Eater mean for Miami? Who better to answer that question -- and more -- than Abravanel.

New Times: Why do you think Eater chose to expand to Miami? Do you think it reflects on Miami rapidly growing restaurant and food culture?

Lesley Abravanel: First off, it's about time! But really, think about it. It's a natural progression. Eater has been  a presence in the usual suspects--NY, LA, San Fran. When they decided to launch nationally they couldn't ignore Miami, a place where people are willing to go into foreclosure to eat at the latest 'it' restaurant. Just kidding--sort of. But really. It seems as if a new bar or restaurant, big name or mom and pop, is opening on a weekly basis down here despite the economy. We've got edible stimulus going on and yes, Eater's entry into Miami is absolutely a reflection on our emerging restaurant and food culture. People are tired of always hearing about what we don't have down here. Eater is here as the cheerleader of what we actually do--and will--have.

Photo via albertoalerigi's Flickr / CC2.0

Aaaah! A plate.

​Some people are saying this recession is over. Maybe it started when "they" gave us back some time (sorry Arizona), literally. Fall Back dropped early Sunday morning. We're pretty sure that has something to do with farming. Here are some freshly produced local blog posts.

• Miami family eat at Ted's Montana Grill in Naples. [BurgerBeast]
• "All 850 bottles of wine on their epic list are fifty per cent off on Mondays." [AllPurposeDark]
• An old, but awesome gourmet Monday Night Football tailgating post. [BrickellLife]
• Tim Andriola guest blog for Sun Sentinel online on cooking in Rome. [Sup]
• Dog Fish Head Shelter cases make their way to South Florida. [SouthFloridaBeerBlog]
• "Wonderful dinner at Red Light Grill- Kris Weisel puttin out some really grt food." [Lee_Schrager]
• "Mandarin Oriental on Tuesday. Enjoy Coconut Lobster Tails with Pineapple Chutney and more." [DineMag]
• "Menu changes done.. pictures tomorrow..." [ChefCritchley]
• "Taking the day to test recipes for "Norman's 180". The sun is now down in Key West by 6:30 so the familiar anchor of cooking balances life." [NormanVanAken]

New Times is looking for bloggers with interest in food/drink/restaurants and some professional writing experience to contribute to our award-winning coverage. Please email Chuck.Strouse@miaminewtimes.com with a resume and three or four of your best clips. No phone calls please.  

Wow, look at all those blogs.

​Is it really 52 degrees out right now? That's damn near freezing. What's next, snowballs on South Beach, ice chains on the Turnpike, county workers salting down US1, sledding down Mount Trashmore, ice skating in Kendale Lakes? Cold weather's for the birds, and our streets are already starting to flood with them and their stupid shorts and smug expressions, let's get tourist money. Here are some recent posts from other local blogs.

• Ever seen a Dade County grown pink mushroom? They'll be on your restaurant plates soon. [ParadiseFarms]
• Here's your first look at the Cape Cod Room, Ken Lyon's new restaurant on the beach. [Mango&Lime]
• Fritz and Franz Bierhaus, a beast's eye view. [BurgerBeast]
• Florida blogger eats "chedder risotto with green apples, crispy bacon and cheez-its" in Chicago. [Chowfather]
• A South Beach based roving reporter takes trip to Colorado for new Sustainable Suppers book. [SustainableSuppers]
• Extra butternut squash and charred poblano peppers? Here's what you can do with them. [Foodalogue]

via anonymous9000 flickr

Who's watching who?

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via pondspider's flickr

Who you lookin at?

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via wikimedia commons

Hey, look, a blog.

​Short Order knows we're not the only game in town. That's why we take this opportunity to highlight some other local voices in the community. Here are some recent posts from folks around the way.

• South Beach Restaurant Authority isn't....they're Chapter 11 after doing nothing. [FoodForThought]
• Taverna Opa celebrates a year in business. Guess who showed up to the party. [DineMag]
• Chef Dean James Max from 3030 Ocean writes about Oktoberfest in Germany. [Sup]
• Mackerel and pesto pea risotto looks green. And yellow. [Foodalogue]
• Wendy's new Bacon Deluxe review. [BurgerBeast]
• Miriam's Cuban home cooking presents fricasse de pollo. [CubanFood]
• How to make an easy $25 with a food blog....maybe. [Meater]
• Our sister blog in Broward is full of good stuff.[CleanPlateCharlie]

Joseph-Noël Sylvestre

Ein guter Tropfen! (A good drop!)

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Frank Flack

Forest Service image via Wikimedia Commons

image via wikimedia commons

​Oi! Blogs ahoy. Here are some recent posts from the local foodisphere.

• A new pizza oven at Focaccia Rustica in the Grove? That's news? Yes. Yes it is. [Grapevine]
• One guy's top ten reasons why he eats at Michael's Genuine Food & Drink on a weekly basis. [BlindMind]
• A professional South Florida blogger makes sausage without a grinder, casings, or fatty meat. How did she do it? Chicken and a Magic Bullet. [Foodalogue]
• "One look around and you know you're in a down-to earth -feel-good-gimme breakfast now kinda place and I'm not talking about Cafe con Leche. I'm talking pancakes, french toast, and grits!" [EatLocal]
• Lunch Week takes you inside the cafeteria at St. Patrick Parish School in Miami Beach for "veggie heavy and mostly organic meals." [MiamiDish]
• Check out this cool slideshow shot (and captioned) from a Chef's eye view. It will keep you clicking next. [Chadzilla]

Jacob Katel

On point like an Immokalee mutt.

​ Labor Day's passing means that Summer's over and it's time to get serious. Stick with us as we put our nose to the grindstone and bring you and the South Florida massive into the fold as we explore Dade County food stories. Here are some links to other blogs in the community. Enjoy.

• Groveside pajama pub crawl recap. [Grapevine]
• Beast and cronie holler at The Bar in Coral Gables for food and drink. [BurgerBeast]
• Garlic, ginger, shiitake mushrooms, rice, Chinese sausage, Chinese bacon, clay pot rice. [TinkeringWithDinner]
• Bullfrog's life in food and music. [@chefjeremiah]
• French Fry Fairy goes to Rosie's in Ft. Lauderdale. [FrenchFriesForAll]
• DineMag goes TasteCasting at Secrets Piano Bar. [DineMag]

via wikimedia commons

Me in 30 years.

​ Creeping into 3rd quarter 2009 and things may be starting to look up for the economy, maybe even in Florida, possibly even Dade. Could be the thought of Summer's heat subsiding, but the the streets are talking, and there's optimism in the air. Recent South Florida food blog posts reflect it. Check these out.

• It's got no eggs in it, so why do they call it an egg cream? Who cares, order one and see what the big deal's all about. [Grapevine]
• Despite several points of contention, South Beach's Burger & Beer Joint survives one critic's gauntlet. [EatitMiami]
• South Florida's own self employed, professional food blogette talks August favorites. [Foodalogue]
• Stuffed breasts, in pictures, with do it yourself guide. [ShotChef]
• The Burgies are coming, the King is watching, the Beast is waiting. [BurgerBeast]
• A family's eye view on Hakkasan. Order lemonade. [FoodForThought]
• It's Lunch Week at MiamiDish. What's that mean? Send a picture and you could win a, you guessed it, free lunch![MiamiDish]
• A tropical locavore's humorous rancor with Florida Avocados. [EatingLocal]

We've got eyes on the back of our head.

​Where are you going, where have you been? It's not just a Joyce Carol Oates story, it's a question that blogs answer for a worldwide audience. Here are 7 recent ones from South Florida.

• Chicago's Steakhouse and Tavern forming a social club for Notre Dame and Bears fans. [Grapevine]
• Vacation blog, San Francisco, Dim Sum, Yank Sing & Great Eastern. [FoodForThought]
• Vito's Gourmet Pizza in Ft Lauderdale, Sicilian slice review. [WorstPizza]
• Learn to make a crispy chickpea and tuna salad. [TinkeringWithDinner]
• Blogger contacted by restaurant marketing department for review of Moonchine Asian Bistro on Biscayne. [Foodtastic]
• Exploring ingredient sources for menu items at Area 31. [MiamiDish]
• A real top chef microblogs his life in words and pictures. [@NormanVanAken]

• Sign up for free Mars chocolate products. [MiamiCheap]
• Ukrainian Independence Day celebration featuring traditional food and music. 17200 Collins Ave. Free. [Herald]
• Crown Wine Tasting Event - 50 wines for $15. 12555 Biscayne Blvd. Saturday, August 22. [SouthFloridaTraveler]
• Friday happy hour 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. Two for one cocktails at the National Hotel. 1677 Collins Ave. [SouthFloridaGourmet]
• Fine wine and live music at Wine 69. 6909 Biscayne Boulevard. Friday. [LocalWine]
• Cooking class with Cindy Hutson at Ortanique in Coral Gables on Saturday, August 22. [Examiner]
• Free food at Annual Bookbag Giveaway & Health Fair. Gwen Cherry Park. 7099 NW 22 Ave. [SFLTimes]

www.frenchfriesforall.com

The French Fry Fairy celebrates all things French fry on her new blog, and here at Le Bouchon

​Whether he likes it or not, the Burger Beast may have found a co-host for his burger awards event, The Burgies, in September.  The French Fry Fairy, Beth Swanson of South Beach, is a new specialized food blogger on the scene, and she's no small potatoes. This morning NBC 6 gave this triple F threat a shout out, and she's only been on the block a month!

But who doesn't like a fry? Since beginning her crisp quest July 14 ("Welcome to my World Filled with Rainbows, Sunshine and FRENCH FRIES!" she writes,) Swanson has tackled 19 different kinds, from Cracker Barrel to Le Bouchon du Grove, and even developed a ranking system using potatoes to assess the goods at the end of each post, accompanied by a helping of advice ("Good deeds will always come back to you tenfold."), like a positive affirmation or lesson learned on the outing.  In a gesture to local cultural diversity, this enthusiast even tried yucca fries from Versailles ("What the Heck is a Yucca?"): They received a respectable four potatoes.

Given the universal appeal of these tasty tubers, it's not surprising that the French Fry Fairy has garnered a healthy dose of comments, all positive from what we can tell, from both local and out of town readers. But the response is also deserved: the blog is well done, fun to read, and from all accounts spot-on with its appraisals thus far.

www.frenchfriesforall.com

Five Guys fries receive a starchy high five!

​Visit Swanson at www.frenchfriesforall.com or www.frenchfryfairy.com, follow her on Twitter @frenchfryfairy, or on Facebook.

image via LordKhan's flickr

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Jacob Katel

Burr's Berry Farm in South Dade

​In light of our current economic turmoil going-green is rooting out the red tape as conscientous local governments realize the benefits of urban farms on public property.

Today the AP released a story that details the explosive growth of community agriculture and volunteer farms that is occurring across urban areas of the United States.

The image above is from the historic and pioneering Burr's Berry Farm in South Dade (12741 SW 216th St), a commercial enterprise. The urban farms that are sprouting up are not for profit, provide produce for local food pantries, and feed their volunteers with the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor.

LocalHarvest.org will tell you where to find these farms and give you the contact info to get involved yourself. Click here to start your research.

Jacob Katel

The kitchen at Bistro One LR at the Ritz Carlton South Beach

​Nothin' better than a weekend at the bottom of the map, long as there are no hurricanes. Somthing's brewin' off the coast of Africa though, so get ready. Here are some weekendish posts from some neighborhood food blogs.

• South Florida Beer Blog travels to Tequesta and visits the Corner Cafe and Brewery.
• Chowfather goes solo at Yakko-San, orders too much, loves every bite.
• Natalie at Will Jog For Food goes koo koo for cous cous, got any recipes?
• Carlos Miller breaks down Miami slider history with a Royal Castle Hamburger Chain Meetup.
  
• The Burger Beast has got free fast food coupons for you for McDonald's fries and a medium drink.
• Mango&Lime visits Hakkasan for Miami Spice, but opts for regular menu when she gets there. Here's her review.
• Food For Thought recaps the first "Cobaya - Gourmet Guinea Pigs" dinner at Talula.
• Chadzilla talks South American fish ribs, served on the bone of the Pacu fish, a relative of the piranha.

Jacob Katel

​Welcome to another edition of Weekend Blog Watch, where Short Order links to recent posts from other Miami food blogs. This week we present our roundup in a rhymeup, but to kick things off, here's a food haiku:

Some eat just to live
Others simply live to eat
Me, I photograph

Here's the blogwatch:

image via RandySonOfRobert's flickr

​Open wide, Short Order's serving up a mouthful of local media from South Florida's food blogosphere. Here are some recent updates from across the internets:

• Foodalogue has a mushroom tasting dinner. No mention of melting walls or seeing the colors in a song.
• Former New Times food critic Kavetchnik is a specials specialist. Follow her twitter for the latest updates.
• Mango&Lime drives 200 miles for an $8 basket of mangos, tours Erickson Farm, in pictures.
• Dinemag introduces you to Ferran Adria's Inedit, beer in a wine bottle.
• I Shot The Chef's recent triumphant return via Asian chicken photoblogology.
• Eat It Miami is boycotting Waxy O'Connor's on South Beach. Find out why.
• Food Of Miami step by steps pan fried dumplings so you can DIY.

Jacob Katel

image via foodofmiami.com

Kafa Cafe Ethiopian food in MidTown

Penny-pincher! Cheapo! This kind of name-calling is welcomed by Teresa Mears. Caught in the Miami Herald downsizing crossfire last summer, she made lemonade out of lemons and launched a web destination for all things frugal: Miami FL on the Cheap. 

"Everyone -- including me -- is looking for deals now. I'm just trying to make it easy for people to find them," says Mears, a local of 30 years who has made it her job to help both residents and tourists alike find daily deals on things like dining, events and activities. "The national companies always do a better job about getting the word out, but it's harder to find out what local businesses are offering."

We follow her on Twitter @miamicheap, and if you like finding out about free stuff, fast, so should you!

"In South Florida, the winter is more about events," adds Mears, who also edits and publishes editions for Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Florida Keys and Florida.  "Summer is all about the food discounts."

With that in mind, here are some ways to score free food over the next 24 hours, courtesy of our favorite mistress of thrift in town.

Jacob Katel

Jacob Katel

get money

Jacob Katel

Stay Tuned...This Week Short Order Goes Behind The Line at Neomi's Grill

Jacob Katel

Meanwhile back in subvert city

image via worstpizza.com

Short Order has your back for all things food and local, but it doesn't mean we're the only dog at the hydrant. Here's what some other blogs have been writing about.

- Worst Pizza hits up Spris on Lincoln. Pizza garners almost perfect rating.

- The Faux Foodie breaks it down with her Menu Plan Monday.

- All Purpose Dark goes mango mad with mango bread and mango margaritas.

- Meatless Miami is still your go to guide for meat free dining in South Florida.

- Miami Dish goes for a Por Fin no res Saturday. Welcome to huevos.

- Tropical Fruit Photography shows you all about mangos, live from South Florida.

Tags: Weekend Blog Watch