Revales Italian Restaurant

revalesitalianrestaurant.com

My father had a tradition with his children once we turned twelve years old.  It was initiated with my twelfth birthday, and my two younger siblings were so anxious to experience that right of passage on their twelfth birthdays that the tradition became a family institution.  According to my father, once one of his children turned twelve he or she was well on his or her way to becoming a young adult, and it was a wise decision at that time to forgo having children's parties and begin going out to elegant dinners for our birthdays, like adults were supposed to do.  The idea was especially appealing to me.  Why have hotdogs and pizza rolls and play pin the tail on the Ninja Turtle with the 1/2 dozen school friends that I had when I could go to a fancy restaurant with my dad, order anything I wanted and perhaps have a glass of wine (restaurants back then were not so strict if they saw you were with a parent)?  The first restaurant I went to with my father was one that was owned by a friend of his named Claudio, and it was called La Bussola.  The Coral Gables establishment has been closed for many years now, but I can still vividly remember my first fine dining experience wearing a blazer and a red bow tie.  I ordered for both myself and my father, and remember a delicious plate of polenta cakes topped with a fricassé of mushrooms and sweetbreads, as well as a bowl of squid ink pasta with seafood fra diavolo.  I was also given a splash of red wine to taste, being that this was my first of many grownup dinners.  My father's friend then opened up another restaurant in Coral Gables called Claudius, and I remember going there for another birthday and having a plate of capellini with Florida Lobster and their Vesuvius dessert, a molten chocolate cake that is all-too-common these days but was quite novel to a 13-year old in the late nineties.  Those two restaurants will always be near to my heart not only for being the first fine dining establishments that I've been to, but also for giving me the first taste of fine Italian cuisine and impeccably homemade pastas.

Last year, in trying to decide upon a restaurant in which to celebrate my birthday, I had stumbled upon Revales, which was in that odd area where Shorecrest, Miami Shores, and MiMo meet.  Friends had told me that it was pretty good, online reviews were decent, menu selections seemed appealing, and the prices fit all of our budgets.  The real deciding point in choosing this restaurant, however, was an article stating that the chef running the kitchen at Revales had worked in the kitchen at La Bussola, which was apparently near and dear to many Miamians.  This was going to be great - a virtual recapitulation of a birthday dinner nearly 13 years ago with great friends!  The decision to dine at Revales was a wise one, and it has continued to become one of my go-to restaurants for inexpensive, exceptional Italian cuisine.

Revales is definitely more casual than La Bussola ever was, meaning that the menu options are nowhere near as exotic or luxurious as they were at La Bussola.  There are no sweetbreads and polenta cakes or black linguine here, but the menu offers a good selection of exceptionally-made Italian classics.  A veal saltimboca was juicy, had a crisp and light crust, a generous layer of prosciutto, melted mozzarella cheese, and a drizzle of a red wine demi-glace.  it was served with a purée of carrots, steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes on a plate that took up about a fourth of the table.  My partner in crime, Lucy's, fettucine carbonara strayed from the traditional preparation and, instead, came with an alfredo sauce studded with pieces of bacon.  Revales' version of the dish, despite its non-traditional preparation, is reason enough to come back, and while it had been over a year since I've been, Lucy had wasted no time in returning several times and introducing the almost hidden gem to her friends.  

Revales is one of the few Italian restaurants that I'm aware of that is open for lunch on a Sunday.  Most other independent Italian restaurants in the area are either close on Sundays or do not open until later in the evening for dinner service.  That being said, it was a no-brainer choice for a long overdue lunch with John, Lucy and myself this Sunday afternoon.  I was pleased to see that the restaurant was busy - always a good sign.  Lucy stuck with her favorite, the fettucine carbonara, while I opted for the the fettucine bolognese.  Lucy's dish was just as luscious as I remember it being, while mine offered all the bold flavors and meatiness that one would expect from a good bolognese sauce.  The fettucine were obviously made on premises and perfectly al dente - springy and toothsome!  Both gargantuan pasta dishes came out to $11 each.  John had opted for the veal parmesan ($15) that presented a plate with two large, beautifully breaded cutlets topped with a fair measure of red sauce and a generous amount of melted mozzarella.  The accompanying penne pomodoro dotted with pan-roasted slices of garlic and shreds of fresh basil was not bad, but in paled in comparison to the fettucine dishes.  For dessert, we all partook in a piece of a peanut layer cake consisting of moist layers of yellow cake interspersed with caramel butter cream laced with chopped roasted peanuts and topped with more butter cream and dulce de leche.   I was expecting a peanut butter pie flavor but was pleasantly surprised by its subtle peanut flavor.

A year after my first visit, Revales continues to satisfy returning patrons and impress first-timers, alike.  Along with Fratelli Milano in downtown Miami and Il Mulino in Fort Lauderdale, it continues to be one of my favorite places for affordable Italian food in South Florida, and I'm glad to see that it's still thriving. 

Revales

8601 Biscayne Boulevard  

Miami, FL 33138

(305) 758-1010

www.revalesitalianrestaurant.com

Cevichery Restobar, My New Favorite Peruvian Restaurant

Peruvians are a tough crowd to please when it comes with food.  We've been referred to as the French of Latin America, and with good reason.  Peruvian cuisine, apart from being on par with China for having one of the world's largest and most diverse cuisines, is also the most elegant and sophisticated in Latin America.  Don't believe me?  Just read what Auguste Escoffier and Ferran Adrià (both gods of the gastronomic pantheon) say about Peruvian cuisine.  Contemporary Peruvian cuisine is a cross between the culinary traditions of various Amerindian peoples, West Africans, Arabs, Spaniards, French, Italians, Chinese, and Japanese.  To paraphrase Peruvian celebrity chef, Gaston Acurio, Peruvian cuisine is the original fusion cuisine that occurred decades before trained chefs began toying with the concept.  Unfortunately, due to poor marketing and an almost psychological confusion of where to compartmentalize Peruvian cuisine (being that it's unlike what many people picture Latin American cuisines to be), most people are ignorant about it or it just gets shoved to the back burner as something akin to Mexican food but with more potatoes.  I hope to bring about a greater worldwide appreciation for this cuisine that inspired the likes of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa.

Anyway, Peruvians are demanding when it comes to their cuisine and eating at Peruvian restaurants.  I've seen Peruvians get upset over being served by a Colombian or Argentine waitress.  I've seen Peruvians return platters of ceviche because it was sitting in lime juice a minute too long.  And Peruvians in Lima are known to return whole platters of chicharron (fried pork) because "there's just a little too much gristle on this one piece and how dare you try to cheat me out of meat and serve me a bad cut of pork!"  As one Peruvian chef in Miami once told me, "our Peruvian customers are our most....'special' customers".  That being said, THIS particular Peruvian-American is very demanding when it comes to eating Peruvian food at restaurants.  Ironically, a lot of the Peruvian restaurants in South Florida are pretty deplorable, and sadly they've become the reference point for many non-Peruvians as to what Peruvian cuisine is like.  Up until now, there have been only two Peruvian restaurants worth going to in South Florida that I know about:  Cvi.che 105 in Miami and Bravo! Gourmet Sandwich in Broward County.  Along with Chifa Du Kang (a Chinese-Peruvian style restaurant known as a Chifa), these are considered to be the best Peruvian restaurants in South Florida.

I now have Cevichery Restobar in Miami Beach to add to that list.  The name of the restaurant is an anglicized play on the word cevichería, which is an informal place to grab drinks and eat ceviche and other Peruvian seafood appetizers.  It's like the Peruvian version of a sports bar, tapas bar, and sometimes even blues lounge all wrapped up in one.  This particular cevichería is located on the beautiful Española Way, which gives you the feel of being on a quaint side street in the chic neighborhood of Miraflores in Lima, and the décor, location, cuisine, and service make it much more than your average hole-in-the-wall ceviche joint.  Regardless of its elegant surroundings and outstanding and inventive cuisine, the prices are very reasonable, with entrées all under $18.

I went with my sister last night, and we started off with a mora (a South American blackberry that has a floral note) pisco sour and a kiwi pisco sour.  Although both lacked the traditional head of foamy egg white, our waitress informed us that the traditional pisco sour did include the requisite egg white froth and the dash of bitters.  Both cocktails really piqued our appetites for our ceviche shots that were brought to us just moments after being made to order.  Proper Peruvian ceviche is never left to sit and marinate, but is left to "cook" in the lime juice for just a few minutes before serving, demonstrating an appreciation for raw seafood that was taught to us by Peru's Japanese community.  My ceviche was spiked with a purée of fiery rocoto pepper, while my sister's was accented by the sweetness of fresh-squeezed orange juice and a chiffonade of fresh mint.  While mine offered all the traditional elements a Peruvian would expect, my sister's ceviche presented a well-balanced mixture of flavors that was very refreshing.  After our ceviche shots, we were brought a plate of conchitas a la parmesana, a nod to Italy's contribution to Peruvian cuisine.  Six scallop shells arrived topped with a golden-brown layer of melted parmesan cheese sealing a tender scallop nestled in a cream sauce infused with the scallops briny-sweet juices.  There was perhaps just a little too much cheese on each scallop for my sister's taste, but the sauce beneath the cheese was so good I found myself licking each shell clean.

For an entrée, I was recommended the pescado a lo macho (macho fish), which consists of a lightly breaded and fried fillet of white fish (I believe they used grouper) topped with a spicy cream sauce ideally containing a cornucopia of shellfish.  Cevichery Restobar's version is the absolute best I have had in all of South Florida, period!  The fish was perfectly cooked and the sauce was rich, thick, and offered just the right amount of kick from yellow ají.  The shellfish that dotted the "macho" sauce was so tender it could be cut with a spoon.  This was served with a side of fluffy white rice (perfectly desgranado) topped with a few kernels of choclo (Peruvian hominy).  My sister ordered the lomo saltado served with a side of quinoto.  Lomo saltado is a dish of Chinese-Peruvian origin and contains bite-sized pieces of steak (traditionally sirloin) stir-fried with red onions, wedges of roma tomatoes, soy sauce and other seasonings and is finished with a touch of chopped fresh cilantro.  If served with plain rice, the stir fry is topped with french fries.  The version my sister ordered this evening came with a side of quinoto, a more contemporary addition to the Peruvian culinary repertoire that is basically a risotto made with quinoa, a grain cultivated in the Andes since time immemorial.  Quinoa is ideal for making a risotto, as it naturally has a creamy texture and does not clump like rice does.  At Cevichery Restobar, diners have the option of having their quinoto flavored with  rocoto chile, pesto, or huancaina sauce.  On the waitresses suggestion, my sister ordered the huancaina option.  Huancaina sauce is a thick dressing for boiled potatoes originating from the Andean region of Huancayo, and consists of a purée of ají amarillo chiles, onion, garlic, fresh cheese, and milk (with a few other things, of course).  The combination of the spicy-creamy quinoto with the juices from the sautéed beef tips of the lomo saltado was heavenly - a perfectly conceived and executed dish!

We were able to meet the chef, who is Peruvian but apparently was raised in the United States as evidenced in his flawless English.  He therefore is true to his Peruvian roots, but has a firm grasp on the American market as well as diverse culinary influences that only eating and cooking in the United States can give.  He informed us that he just devised a completely new menu that will be revealed very soon - I was still reeling from the intoxicating food to pay remember whether he said tomorrow (which would be today) or the next week.  Our waitress informed me that if we loved that evening's dinner, we'll be blown away by the new menu.  I'm finding it hard to contain my excitement!  Anyway, after having chatted with us, the chef sent us over some complimentary shots of passion fruit pisco sours, which should definitely not be missed.  We rounded out our evening with a slice of lúcuma cheesecake (see here for a description of lúcuma), with a cinnamon and clove-spiced graham cracker crust.  The cheesecake, while being rich and flavorful was uncharacteristically light in body and was made with a bit of gelatin, making it almost like a cheesecake-panna cotta.  Speaking of panna cotta, they were sadly out of their chirimoya (sweet sop) panna cotta that evening, but I will be sure to order it next time.

And there will be a next time, especially considering that my sister and I were given 10% off coupons to come back and try their new menu.  Cevichery Restobar will not only be my go-to place while I'm on the beach, but also new destination for perfectly-made Peruvian cuisine in a beautiful setting.

Cevichery Restobar

440-448 Espanola Way 

Miami Beach, FL 33139

(305) 532-6620

www.cevichery.com

Best Pizza in South Florida

Some people, like my dad, refer to pizza as "pan con vomitao" (bread with vomit).  I'm sure he's a very small and very rare minority, because to many (myself included) pizza is one of the perfect foods.  Done right, it's actually a pretty balanced meal containing all the basic food groups and can actually be quite healthy if eaten in moderation.  Pizza is also one of those foods that even when it's not that great, it's still pretty good, and very few people that I know will throw out a pizza unless it's absolutely terrible to the point of being inedible.

Unlike other American cities - particularly those in the northeast - Miami really isn't blessed with a significant Italian community, which reflects in our pizzeria options.  Independent pizzerias are not that abundant, and even when you find one, it can be twice the price and actually half the quality of one of the commercial chains.  If you don't believe me, I have two words for you:  Rey's Pizza.  Miami people will know what I'm talking about.  There are a few good pizza places in Miami that are worth mentioning and have a strong local following, like Frankie's, Casola's, Miami's Best Pizza, Pizza Rustica, and Steve's.  They're all good places for pizza, but I wouldn't consider them the best.

A pizza that would be a contender for the best has to have the following:  1) a crust that is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside like a French baguette, 2) said crust must be able to withstand all the toppings without falling apart and turning into mush, 3) a sauce to remember, 4) good mozzarella.  Out of all the pizza places I've been to in Miami, none can hold a candle to Andiamo when it comes to these qualities.  On top of having a perfect crust, phenomenal sauce, and top quality cheese, Andiamo has the most well thought-out selection of specialty pizzas, a great salad, and a unique ambiance that is second to none.  Andiamo is actually one of my favorite places to just be in all of South Florida.  I can honestly just sit there and take in the scene without any food, and I'll be perfectly content.  Do you want to know where to find me if I've had a rough day and need to take a load off?  It's Andiamo.

Andiamo is located at the southern entryway to MiMo (Miami Modern District), which was my beloved home for one tumultuous year and one neighborhood that I hold near and dear to my heart.  It's location is known as the 54th Street Station, and is just a walk across the street from Soyka, the News Lounge (awesome happy hour 7 days a week), and Sushi Siam, as well as a salon, a gym, and several boutiques (including one that offers the best psychic reading I've ever had for the least amount of money I've ever spent).  Maybe now you're realizing why I love this place so much.  Andiamo's actual restaurant space is located in an old mid century car dealership, and it's the industrial-age design that will first captivate you.  Most of the seating is outdoors under a huge metal covering that used to protect the cars from the elements years ago.  You sill always find an eclectic selection of hipsters, models, families, artists, and just plain interesting people dining at Andiamo no matter when you go, but there is always a table available and hardly ever a wait to be seated.  Service is prompt, but never rushed, which is great because the people-watching here rivals that of Lincoln Road in Miami Beach.

Beer is the beverage of choice, but their iced tea is also great if you don't want to drink alcohol.  When I'm in the mood, I usually get a Peroni.  Andiamo offers breadsticks and a few other appetizers of which I can't remember because their house salad is probably one of the best ones you will have at any pizza place - a combination of romaine lettuce, cucumbers, red onions, kalamata olives, chickpeas, carrots, and wedges of tomatoes in a house vinaigrette.  The real draw to Andiamo, of course, are their pizzas.  You can have a simple Margherita or pepperoni pizza and have a pizza moment unlike any you've ever had in South Florida offering a perfect crust with just the right amount of char, a chunky and tangy sauce studded with torn pieces of fresh basil, and quality mozzarella that stretches about a foot with each bite you take.  However, you really should not pass up one of of their many pizza creations.  

A pizzeria's own topping combinations and unique creations can be quite frightening and usually end up being regrettable.  I've personally had a few situations involving mashed potatoes and chicken marsala that I wouldn't care to relive.  I can honestly say without a doubt that almost every pizza creation at Andiamo is perfect!  I say "almost" because I haven't tried all of them yet, being addicted to some of my favorites.  Reading the descriptions, though, it's easy to tell that a lot of thought - and maybe even trial and error - has gone into formulating each combination of toppings for each pizza, and no matter how many toppings are on an Andiamo creation, the crust never gives in and will always have that combination of crispiness and chewiness.  My favorite is the Portobello, which is topped with Andiamo's homemade sauce, portobello mushrooms, slivers of sun dried tomatoes, a chiffonade of basil, caramelized onions, goat cheese, mozzarella, and a drizzle of truffle oil.  When I want something different, I get the Genovese, which contains no sauce or cheese.  In its stead, it's topped with thin slices of rosemary roasted new potatoes, fresh garlic, caramelized onions, pancetta, and gorgonzola cheese.  Another favorite of mine is the Bella Bambina, which is topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, pancetta, caramelized onions, and gouda cheese.  Andiamo also offers one of the best barbecue pizzas in South Florida, containing a combination of BBQ chicken, BBQ sauce, gouda, red onions, and cilantro.

I have tried pizza joints before  tried Andiamo and many pizzas afterwards from Kendall to Boca Raton.  Tucci's in Boca comes close in quality but lacks in Andiamo's selection and creativity.  Every other pizza I've had just makes me wish I had gone to Andiamo.

Andiamo!

5600 Biscayne Boulevard  

Miami, FL 33137
(305) 762-5751

www.andiamopizzamiami.com

How do you get the taste of curry out of your mouth?

The answer is mukhwaas!

Every South Asian meal should end with paan, but if paan is unavailable, there should be mukhwaas.  This comes after dessert, after chai or coffee, when you've decided that dinner and drinks are officially over.

I rediscovered my canister of mukhwaas while rummaging through my cupboard looking for some spice I thought I had, and quickly took a break, sat down in front of the television, sprinkled some into the palm of my hand and had a blissful mouth-freshening moment.  Mukhwaas is a mouth freshener, and after paan (which is almost impossible to find freshly-made in South Florida, but practically omnipresent in NYC or Chicago), it is the most perfect end to an Indian/Pakistani/Sri Lankan/Nepalese/Bangladeshi meal.  There are countless varieties of mukhwaas with all sorts of secret breath-cleansing ingredients, but most mixtures that I've found contain, first and foremost, saunf - fennel seeds.  These can be plain fennel seeds, but are more commonly sugar or candy-coated fennel seeds, which have a slightly medicinal, licorice-like flavor, but with more of a "green" note to to them than licorice or anise seeds.  To the fennel seeds are added a myriad of other ingredients, which can include:  minuscule sugar candies, sprinkles, melon seeds, chopped dates, dried herbs, silver leaf, coconut, betel nut shavings, rose petals, and even little bits of sandalwood or sandalwood essence.  There is nothing that cleanses the palate better after a multi-course Desi (South Asian) feast than mukhwaas.

At any good Desi restaurant frequented by South Asians, you will find a bowl of mukhwaas at the entrance (or sometimes even a jewelry box-looking thing by the hostess stand) with a teaspoon.  Like probably most goras (non-Desis), I had passed by such bowls for years thinking that it was some type of potpourri.  It was only after seeing someone at an Indian restaurant sprinkle a spoonful of the stuff into his right hand and pop it into his mouth that I followed suit and had my post-Indian meal epiphany:  this is the ultimate breath-freshener, and pretty natural compared to all the breath mints and gums out there!

Mukhwaas can be purchased at almost any South Asian grocery either in large pouches for placing into your own bowl at home or in canisters.  My canister has about half a dozen different compartments, each with a different mukhwaas mixture - some consisting of nothing more than sugar-coated saunf, and others consisting of exotic and luxurious combinations of seeds, spices, and dried fruits.  There are also countless brands of single-serving mukhwaas sachets that make excellent additions to lunch boxes as a unique post-lunch refreshment.  So, next time you're at a South Asian restaurant, make sure not to skip the big bowl of mukhwaas.  You're mouth will rejoice...and your dinner date will thank you for it later, I'm sure!

The best place to get a huge selection of mukhwaas, as well as pre-packaged paan and any South Asian foodstuff you could ever want is:

Asia Grocery

785 Miller Drive

Miami, FL 33155

786-268-7700

Sunshine Indopak Grocery in North Miami Beach is probably the next most recommended South Asian grocery.

If you are simply physically incapable of driving down to Miami, Little Market is a less-than-satisfactory alternative in Broward County, although don't expect any help from the shopkeeper, and bring cotton to stuff into your nose as this place always seems to reek of sulfuric-smelling hing (asafetida)

New Restaurant in MiMo!

You might have heard it called The Upper East Side or MiMo.  Regardless of the name, that stretch of Biscayne Boulevard between NE 54th Street and NE 79th Street was where I called home for about a year, and although that year was fraught with headaches, I have really fond memories of that neighborhood.  Before the recession, it was scheduled to be Miami's next "it" 'hood with a lot of promising restaurants that focused on the food rather than the hype (as is common in other parts of Miami).  Good restaurants opened and closed, but the best ones stood their ground and continue to this day:  Michy's, Andiamo, Moonchine, East Side Diner, and a few others.  There were some that started with good intentions, but failed like Verdade's Taco Shop, American Noodle Bar, and Wine 69.  There are also one or two that changed owners and now have gone to crap, like Dogma (the founder's girlfriend turned him into a juice fasting hippy, convinced him to sell the business, and now there is no more mint lemonade and really crappy chili fries!)

After American Noodle Bar closed, I hadn't heard much about MiMo's food scene until I received a press release about a new venture on 63rd and Biscayne called Blue Collar...and trust me when I tell you that the menu looks a lot better than the name implies.  the Chef and owner, Daniel Serfer, has taken cues from his favorite haunts in NYC and brought the idea to Miami with a few local spins (vaca frita-topped tostones, for one).  Like a diner, the menu offers a little for everyone, but with a more gourmet taste profile, utilizing quality ingredients and interesting combinations.  Pork n' beans with Berkshire sausage, bacon, and a fried egg looks very promising!  Additionally, Serfer makes his own pasta in house, will offer daily barbecue specials, and supposedly celebrates Hanukah every day with latkes.  There's also a short, but well-selected beer and wine list.  The prices all seem pretty fair, too.

Blue Collar is scheduled to open this lucky Friday, January 13th.  Let's hope that if the food is good, Chef Serfer's choice of grand opening date isn't a bad omen for things to come.  Miami needs more casual neighborhood joints like the one he's promising.

for more information, including the full menu, check out the website:  www.bluecollarmiami.com 

South Florida Caterers

Just as my father taught me that Broadway singers were those who couldn't make it in a proper opera, I've come to believe that caterers are those cooks who couldn't make it in a restaurant kitchen.  Working in a doctor's office, we see about a dozen pharmaceutical representatives each day, and almost every day we get lunch catered by one of those representatives.  When I started working at my current job, most of our lunches resembled cheap wedding food: items that were inoffensive to most, and thus lacked in flavor, originality, and too often in quality.  Surprisingly, most of the reps thought the food was "faaaaaabulous", which lead me to believe that a lack of taste buds was a prerequisite for entering the pharmaceutical representative profession.  As a foodie, I had to put my foot down, and I joined forces with the other disgruntled employees to begin suggesting restaurants that we liked.  Our experience with caterers led us to believe that food from any caterer was automatically going to be subpar and more expensive than food from any restaurant, and this fueled us to lead reps away from caterers.  From my experiences, most caterers have no clue as to what they're doing and serve just plain bad food, although in the year that I've been working at this medical practice, I've come across one or two that are excellent and better than many restaurants I've been to.  Still, unless you're having a wedding for more than 50 people, you're better off saving money if you cook the food yourself, or get some relatives to make it for you.

Caterers to avoid:

• From Soup To Nuts
• Just atrocious food!  This is run out of somebody's home kitchen which is probably located in a trailer home somewhere in Davie.  They never bring chafing dishes or serving utensils, the food always arrives cold, and nobody should be partial to a spaghetti and egg casserole, a "moussaka" mystery loaf, or a tiramisu made with cool whip.  Yellow rice has streaks of food coloring in it and arrives as a cold, solidified block.
• Bakers & Grillers
• Inedible breakfast!  corned beef hash sits under 2" of grease, eggs are grayish-green, and almost everything else consist of deep-fried frozen breakfast items.  What's really ironic, is that this is the caterer of choice for a rep selling digestive medications
• Passable lunches.  The company is Uruguayan-owned, and they make a great Chajá cake.
• Corporate Caterers
• If you want a forgettable event, hire these caterers who specialize in forgettable food.  Grilled chicken can be used as a projectile weapon.  Their idea of chimichurri is laughable
• Douglas K Katering
• Just a notch above Corporate Caterers.  I can't really remember anything they serve, although I know they've been to the office several times because they print their logo on the water bottles they bring
• Exquisite Catering by Robert
• Along with the two above it, this one belongs in the category of "forgettable food".  They do, however, have impeccable presentation.
• Paisanne's Catering (or Payzan, or Paysanne, or Paisan, or Pyesan)
• This guy spells it in a creative way, and I just can't remember how, but you should avoid this caterer.  The office spent a weekend with food poisoning after a barbecue and soul food lunch that looked really great when it arrived.  Additionally, this guy's Italian food is a dry and flavorless joke. Breakfast consists of green scrambled eggs and the store-bought rolls.  The guy's well-meaning, but needs to polish up his cooking a bit.

Recommended Caterers:

• Joe Knows Lunch
• ...and boy does he ever!  This place is absolutely phenomenal and pretty affordable.  We had a hamburger lunch that included 1/3 lb burgers, freshly baked rolls, avocado slices, fresh mozzarella, havarti, vegetables, and a well-made salad, just to name of few of the toppings that it came with.  They also offer a mac n' cheese bar with countless toppings.  Their catered breakfasts far outshine anyone else's - oatmeal with a wide selection of toppings, soft scrambled eggs cooked in butter, real sausage links, thick cut bacon, fresh-baked bagels, Greek yogurt, and more.
• Stork's
• If you have the money to spend on it, it's worth it, but make sure you have a crowd that's used to European-style bread and European-style portions.  Their sandwiches are great, and their salads have a good proportion of greens to toppings. Almost everything is extra here, but do splurge on dessert...you won't regret it.
• Howard's Market
• This caterer is based in Boca Raton, and the food can be a little on the bland side (it's in Boca, go figure), but they do serve quality and it is a lot lighter than the greasy and heavy food a lot of the other caterers serve.  Their grilled chicken with lemon beurre blanc and julienned vegetables makes for an elegant meal, and their salad is great with a mixture of chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, alfalfa sprouts, and sunflower seeds.  Every order comes with freshly-baked bread, and the cookies are some of the best I've had from a caterer.

A word of warning to anyone ordering food from any caterer:  AVOID THE RICE!!!  Unless you're ordering from an exclusively Latino caterer, every caterer uses parboiled rice that has the consistency of driveway gravel.  Get potatoes or even pasta as a side.

Lúcuma Ice Cream Mix

Neopolitan ice cream usually is composed of three distinct flavors: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.  This is true in almost every country but Peru, where Neopolitan ice cream consists of chocolate, vanilla and lúcuma.  Lúcuma is a fruit that is native to Peru and has been prized since pre-Inca times as can be seen pottery motifs from that period.  It is related to the canistel fruit that grows in South Florida and is widely cultivated in Cuba and the Caribbean.  The flavor is hard to pinpoint and is something that brings warm and fuzzy feelings to most Peruvians just like peanut butter with Americans.  It is one fruit that, while sweet, has a great deal of umami that made me compare it in flavor to a very astringent tomato.  Of course, the idea a tomato-flavored ice cream is one that would be challenging even to the most adventurous eaters.  Upon tasting a ripe persimmon for the first time, I realized that the flavor was similar and both it and the lúcuma have an astringent quality to them.  Still, it wasn't quite the same.  The best description I've seen was first read in a Travel + Leisure article on the new Lima and its vibrant food scene, which described the taste of lúcuma as a cross between maple syrup and sweet potato.  Although much more complex than that, this seems to be the most spot-on description for American palates.

Fresh lúcuma, outside of Peru and California, is almost impossible to come by.  Frozen lúcuma pulp is available at most Peruvian groceries in South Florida, but costs anywhere from $7 to $15 for a packet.  Lúcuma ice cream produced by D'Onofrio is now readily available in most well-stocked Peruvian groceries, but are still about 3 times the price of their American Blue Bunny counterparts.  During my last trip to a Peruvian grocery called Mi Tierra in North Miami Beach, I found a sachet of instant lúcuma ice cream mix for a reasonable price made by Universal brand, which also makes other instant ice cream mixes like guanábana (soursop) and maracuyá (passion fruit). The instructions on the back of the packet required the use of an electric hand mixer to beat the powder together with one cup of milk until it becomes foamy and doubles in volume.  In effect, it creates a lúcuma mousse.   Given the lack of readily-available ice cream makers to the Peruvian middle and working class, the instructions then require you to fill serving cups with the mousse and leave in the freezer until it sets.  I decided to make a richer base with a combination of heavy cream and whole milk and froze it in a Cuisinart ice cream maker.  The resulting ice cream was rich and dense and tasted just like D'Onofrio lúcuma ice cream.  I recommend buying it if you're a fan of lúcuma ice cream or as a sweet finale to a Peruvian dinner.

Mi Tierra

16461 W Dixie Hwy 

North Miami Beach, FL 33160

(305) 947-1935

www.tiendamitierra.com

Haitian Indepedence Day & Soup Joumou

I can't believe that I had forgotten about Haitian Independence Day today, and most importantly, I had forgotten all about soup joumou!  True, I have never had soup joumou, but this is one Haitian tradition that is mandatory to partake in at least once for anyone who has a serious love of Haitian culture, and as some of you might know, I really love Haitian culture and its delicious cuisine.  So, what is soup joumou and why is it important today?

Soup joumou translates, basically, as pumpkin soup and is something traditionally eaten on New Year's Day, like black eyed peas in the American South.  However, it is more linked to Haitian Independence than to the new year.  Reportedly (although I've read different stories) joumou is a fragrant kind of winter squash - kind of like butternut squash or calabaza - that was off-limits to slaves under the French.  Additionally, the consumption of soup was said to be something only available to Whites, and African slaves (and freed Mulattos, as well) were prohibited from drinking soups.  After Haiti finally gained its independence on January 1st, 1804, this was the soup chosen to mark the Haitian people's newfound freedom, for it symbolized something that was unjustly off-limits to them but that they finally earned through their own hard work...and there was a lot of hard work involved.  Not only did Haitians have to overthrow their slave owners, but attacks from other European colonial powers who saw Haiti as free for the taking, as well as Napoleon's troops who wanted to annihilate the Haitians and take over France's lost colony.  It's not generally talked about, but Haiti's independence sparked the independence of other Latin American countries, and it was Haiti who helped liberate The Dominican Republic, aided Simon Bolívar in the liberation of South America and forced Latin America to enforce freedom for all its people and abolish slavery.

Soup Joumou contains joumou (pumpkin), beef, potatoes, any number of vegetables, and pasta.  Like most Haitian cuisine, it's filling and aromatic with scotch bonnet chiles, cloves, and thyme....but especially with this dish, I think a good measure of pride is added into the pot.  Sadly, I missed this delicacy in 2012 for lack of a Haitian manman (mother) and lack of planning.  If you want to try it next year and don't have a Haitian manman, yourself, I heard from a reputable source that Chez Le Bebe, known as the best Haitian restaurant in Miami (and renowned for its Legim) makes an exemplary rendition.

Happy New Year & Happy Independence Day, Ayiti cheri!

Chez Le Bebe

114 Northeast 54th Street

Miami, FL 33137-2416

(305) 751-7639 ‎

Something to look forward to in 2012: Mercadito's Lunch Special!!!

Of course there are great authentic and informal Mexican taquerias throughout South Florida, but Mercadito is perhaps the best sit-down, chic Mexican restaurant around.  I've been Rosa Mexicano and Cantina Laredo and even the short-lived Tacontento (thank God that place finally shut down!), and from what I've heard of other high-end places (i.e. Dos Caminos), I can safely assume that of all of the upscale Mexican restaurants in South Florida, Mercadito is the best and most authentic.  This international chain mostly specializes in botanas and antojitos, which are little snacks like tostadas, tacos, guacamoles, and ceviches, just to name a few, and their various locations are usually housed in a beautifully-designed spaces and cater to a well-healed crowd of expat Mexican elites, trend-seekers, and sophisticated gourmands.  Their Midtown Miami location is no different.

John and I "discovered" it in 2010 during Miami Spice and were instantly drawn to it by its very generous restaurant month offerings, which enabled diners to sample a good portion of the menu, including a cocktail.  A la carte, Mercadito can put a significant dent in your wallet, especially considering that your meal will consist mostly of "snacks".  However, they do have some pretty stellar deals, like their weekend brunch:  $18 per person for 1 cocktail each and three huge entrees served family-style, like a rich pozole rojo, addictive chilaquiles, and a unique selection of tacos.  They also had a weekday lunch special for $22 that included 1 cocktail per person, 2 types of guacamole, 2 ceviches, 3 types of tacos (1 of each type per person), 1 side dish, and 1 dessert to share.  This is how I introduced my mother (The Momster) to Mercadito, which turned into an instant love affair.  When I checked Mercadito Midtown's lunch menu a few months ago, it seemed as if they had gotten rid of their Veintidos prix fixe lunch.  However, when I checked their website this month, it looks as if it's back in for this upcoming year, which means that 2012 will definitely have its fair share of exquisite gourmet Mexican lunches that will include jicama and mango guacamole, roasted sweet plantains with chipotle cream, and steak tacos topped with crispy leeks, pears, and shaved brussels sprouts.  If you ever have a weekday off during lunch hours, this is a deal not to be missed!

Mercadito Midtown

3252 NE First Avenue
Miami, FL 33137Tel. 786.369.0430