​On a past episode of Food Network's Chopped, Ronnie Vincent lost a closely matched dessert round. The executive sous chef at Joe's Stone Crab comes from Overtown. Despite the loss, his appearance has since brought him many accolades.

Raised by a single father who worked three jobs to support his family, Vincent saw drugs and violence -- the rough life -- growing up but has always maintained a positive attitude. His own brother was shot five times but survived.

Once he graduated from high school, his athletic prowess earned him a scholarship to play football for Glenville State College in West Virginia. Running 4.48-second 40-yard dashes and majoring in education, he was well on his way to having a robust football career. After tearing his ACL and having his first child during his sophomore year in college, he decided to not pursue football but instead focused entirely on his culinary career, reading books, teaching himself, and practicing cooking in his own kitchen.
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We might equate tequila with lime chasers, tropical cocktails, and a hazy night or two. But to Francisco Gonzalez, president of the National Chamber of the Tequila Industry, it means a taste of Mexico, even when he's far away from home.

Home for Gonzalez is Los Altos, the highlands of Jalisco, a state in western Mexico. There, blue agave plants abound and are used to create the official spirit of the area. Not to mention, it's the only place in the world where tequila can be produced, according to Mexican law.

But the Mexican liquor is becoming more and more popular in the United States, especially in Florida. According to the National Chamber of the Tequila Industry, 80 percent of the industry's exports come to the United States and of those 11.6 million cases, 670,000 are sold in Florida.

We met up with Gonzalez and went over some more important tequila statistics, as well as what it's got to do with grape soda, tourism, and minibars.
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Bitchin' Camero

​Melissa Camero has been chronicling her home cooking on her blog, Bitchin' Camero, for four years. Her homey recipes -- the guava and cream cheese French toast she prepared recently is just drool-worthy -- and beautiful photos will make you want an invite to her home or at least to get into your kitchen. Here's what she had to say about her approach to cooking and her favorite recipes

Name: Melissa Camero Ainslie

Blogging since: January 2007 though those old posts are downright embarrassing.

Day job: VP Production at AgencyNet. We make websites, apps and other internet stuff.

Hometown: Miami

Reason for blogging: Originally started as a way to share and keep track of what I was making for dinner. Somehow people found my little site and now blogging helps keep me creative in the kitchen.

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Chat Chow TV sprung onto the web in mid-April, bringing weekly video interviews with the people behind Miami's restaurant industry. The site is run by Giovanny Gutierrez, a local web developer, his fiancée Lauren Bernat - who became a hit on YouTube a few years ago when Gutierrez posted a video of her doing the hula on Wii Fit - and the couple's friend, Emely Jimenez, who has a desserts blog.

So far Bernat has interviewed Ortanique's Cindy Hutson; Michael's Genuine bar manager Ryan Goodspeed; Wayne Eldred, Tarpon Bend's general manager; and Bernie Matz of the Cafe at Books & Books. A new video is posted weekly.
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Modomatic via Flickr

​Tea is a beverage, much like beer, that brings people together. It defines a cultural experience in China, where well-preserved, intricate, and elaborate ceremonies take place. These wonderful expressions -- which have become long-standing traditions, meditations, and social events -- involve preparation and appreciation.

The International Chinese Fine Arts Council is bringing together art and drink at Tea Tuesdays with Jason Shelton. The next ceremony will be held tomorrow, May 3, at 6:30 p.m. and includes instruction on feng shui with Sylvia Lu. New Times asked Lexïng Zhang to explain more about the traditional ceremony. Her gallery, Art Lexïng, is cohosting this month's celebration of Chinese culture, "Access to China."
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Rioja Grille

The seafood cioppino at Rioja Grille

Rioja Grille, featuring tropical Latin cuisine in a Spanish setting, has opened at the Doubletree by Hilton Miami Airport Convention Center Hotel, helmed by chef Michael Meuse.

Rioja replaces 777 Steak and Pasta, which is still listed on the hotel's website. The hotel's front desk was at first unaware that Rioja was open when we called yesterday. After a brief period on hold, we were transferred to Chef Meuse, who assured us the restaurant is serving dinner.

A large hotel restaurant has its challenges -- serve "hotel" food or try to cater to locals. Meuse might be trying to err on the side of hotel guests. "Basically we are inside a major hotel, so we deal with a vast variety of people. We try to appease everyone," he said.

Asked about the menu, Meuse said, "The restaurant has a warm Spanish feel. I put my little take on Spanish and Mediterranean flavors. I try to put a creative spin on favorite dishes."

Creative spins on classic dishes include a steak-house wedge salad with fried chorizo instead of bacon, and skewered chili lime prawns with mango chunks.

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Ali Lauria

​For the past year, Ali Lauria has been the "forager" at Michael's Genuine Food & Drink. She doesn't like the word. She describes herself more as a good buyer.

"It's not like I'm out there hunting for mushrooms," she says.

Lauria, a 30-year-old native of Argentina, began working at Michael's three years ago as a hostess. She eventually moved to head the reservations department and one day found herself in Homestead, falling in love with seeking out great, local products for the restaurant's kitchen. She juggled both jobs for a year and recently launched her own business, called Farm to Kitchen, to bring local produce to Miami restaurants and markets.

I met with Lauria at the Liberty City Farmers Market, where she was picking up local mulberries and white carrots for Michael's, to talk about foraging and her new business.
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Jeremy and Paola Goldberg of Route 9

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Photo by Christina Villamor

​Ever since we discovered the food blog Gastronaut Jones, we've been intrigued. Not only do we love the name, the blog chronicles some interesting kitchen experiments. Think pork skin cannoli, pig's tongue confit and more approachable dishes like butternut squash gnocchi. The man behind it all: Jarrett Hann, vocalist and bass player for the local band Animal Tropical. We talked to him about his blog, cooking and Miami's food scene.

Name: Jarrett Hann

Blogging Since: April 2009

Day job: Genius Administrator at the Apple Store and freelance musician.

Hometown: Born in Miami, El Portal. Grew up in North Miami, both West of I-95.

Reason for blogging: Feedback, documented passion, comparison, shared knowledge, community. Showing those who don't already know that food is more than sustenance. It should be treated with the same respect as art or music.

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