Miami Food Blog

Jackie Sayet

Seeing Double: Can you tell the difference? We did when we tasted both. La Sandwicherie had the decency to shmear a bit of mayo on the bread, which actually made a huge difference. And they didn't forget the olives.

​La Baguette, the sandwich counter that recently opened up shop at 427 SW Eighth Street on the outskirts of Brickell, may be new, but its concept isn't. So says Olivier Farrat, owner of South Beach's La Sandwicherie, a favorite of New Times restaurant critic Lee Klein. Farrat says the new restaurant is a ripoff of his business model, down to the vinaigrette.

"Shame on them. It's not really fair to copy like this. They have no decency," explained Farrat in a phone conversation this morning." They did not come to me, but I found out a couple months ago... They did it behind my back so they could get away with it."

It doesn't take a sandwich expert to notice the obvious overlaps.  On the surface, both sandwich offerings consist of identical:

• bread
• topping selections
• vinaigrette
• sandwich-making stations (down to sandwich-filling technique using tongs!)
• sandwich wrappers
• late night service (La Baguette is 24 hours; La Sandwicherie, 22)
• open-air counters
• similar French names
• logos (La Baguette employs the Arc d'Triomphe; La Sandwicherie, the Eiffel Tower)

Photo by Riki Altman

Where my Oreos at?

​Last night, the monster magnet lodged at the end of my shopping cart dragged me, yet again, directly to the cookie aisle. I gazed in awe at the vast selection that lined the shelves, wondering where my favorite cookie jar filler could be found. Panic overrode the incessant drooling when I realized the ugly truth: Oreos have morphed into so many incarnations that I could hardly recognize the original.

Isn't it fair to say a brand can only stray so far away from its roots if it wants to keep its audience loyal?

It was then I started to question what exactly an Oreo is. One envisions a small, round, triple-tiered treat: two crisp, dark-colored chocolate cookies with a layer of cream inside. This center layer should be visible from the side and should match the cookie's circumference.

www.limefreshmexicangrill.com

​Few things are more depressing to us than diluted condiments. So imagine the head-scratching when on a recent visit to Lime Fresh Mexican Grill in midtown Miami, rogue ice chunks are found inside the containers in its chilled salsa bar.

Why on Earth water down these zingy batches of house-made condiment fun?  And with the same cubes on the ice bed in which they rest?  Convinced it is a mistake, the misfires of a well-intentioned refilling trip, we immediately approach the manager on-site for some answers.

"We place them inside on purpose to keep the product to temperature, required by law to be 40 degrees," he responds. "They're the same cubes on the bed, but fresh from the machine in the back."

Incredulous, we later call the only local corporate-owned store, on South Beach, and speak to Director of Operations Roy Parker for some clarification.

"Thanks for letting me know," says Parker. "We ice down the outside of the salsa containers to maintain the appropriate temperature. It's not a brand policy to place ice inside salsa containers, as yes, that would water them down. I'll be making a phone call to the midtown store immediately after this one."

You're welcome Mr. Parker.  And thank YOU for putting a stop to the insanity.

Lime Fresh Mexican Grill
Midtown Miami
The Shops at Midtown Miami
3201 N. Miami Ave., Suite 100
Miami, FL 33127
305-576-5463  Fax:305-576-5499
Mon-Sun 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

South Miami Beach
1439 Alton Rd.
Miami Beach, FL, 33139
305-532-LIME (5463)  Fax: 305-532-5676
Mon-Sun: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

North Miami Beach
14831 Biscayne Blvd.
North Miami Beach, FL 33181
305-949-8800  Fax: 305-949-8804
Mon-Sun 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Lime Fresh Mexican Grill is franchising locations. For more information, please e-mail: franchise@limefreshmexicangrill.com

image via scottfeldstein's flickr

Yellow bellied bastard

​Break out your plastic containers, glass jars, and individual size serving packets of that funky yellow condiment America loves. Today is National mustard day.

Soon Biscayne Boulevard will be engulfed in a roaring flood of that French's. Dijon fights will erupt spontaneously in parking lots across Hialeah. Kids all over Cocoplum will load their Supersoakers with Grey Poupon and blast each other into oblivion. Old folks in Sunny Isles will load their pastramis on rye with extra spicy brown and then pass mustard gas.

We called some local restaurants out of our extensive database to see what they had lined up for the holiday. Here's what they had to say...

The Oceanaire Seafood Room

Bar chum?

The Oceanaire Seafood Room is trying to stay afloat in dangerous waters.  Despite its parent company filing Chapter 11, the sole Miami location of the Minneapolis-based upscale seafood chain will remain open, says senior vice president of operations Tim Whitlock. The announcement came last Monday, forcing the closings of four of its 16 locations in an attempt to restructure. 

"It's actually performing very well, considering how rough it is out there," Whitlock explains of the Miami location.  "Mary Brickell is the fourth best-performing company-wide, and was the fastest-growing in the network when it opened two years ago.  Miami's a really good market for us.  Chef Sean [Bernal] is from Miami...  He's one of our best chefs."

image via SqueakyMarmot's flickr

Fox Broadcasting

The Sun-Sentinel reports that Gordon Ramsay is in town visiting three South Florida restaurants for Kitchen Nightmares, his popular restaurant intervention series on Fox. The world renowned chef/multinational restaurant owner, cookbook author and TV personality is known for animated outbursts with knucklehead restaurant staff as he attempts to jump start their struggling operations.

We placed a call to Fleming: A Taste of Denmark, the lone Miami target of the great Scot's strange breed of sweet nothings, and reached a voicemail recording:

"We will be closed for vacation beginning Monday, June 29 and returning Friday, July 10.  If you'd like to leave a message please do so at the tone, and we'll try to get back to you as quickly as possible."

Tricky bastard. We left a message. 

If this episode follows the usual recipe, Ramsay will no doubt try to restore some of Fleming's authentic Danish charm and give the owners a reality check in the process.  They may need a good scolding. At Surme salon next door, proprietor Janilla Khavar says lately the restaurant just hasn't been up to snuff.

"They're not as busy as they used to be," she notes.  "I've always highly recommended it. We go there; our customers go there."

image via lacofradia.com