Food

First Look: Leku Restaurant, A Big Thumbs Up

July 6, 2020
By Karen Escalera

It’s about time Miami had a restaurant featuring the famed Spanish cuisine from the Basque Country in the tradition of star chefs including Juan Mari Arzak (Arzak) along with Martin Berasategui and Pedro Subijana ( Akelarre). And, thankfully, now it has what promises to have a worthy showcase with Leku Restaurant Miami in the Rubell Museum. Plus, kudos to the owners for opening at this time, when heaven knows, we can use some new culinary excitement that isn’t about cooking at home. I went with friends last week on opening day and we were all very impressed, plotting our return visit before we even left. They have outdoor seating, too, which is a bottom line for me. Here’s a report on my first look at Leku Restaurant and the culinary standouts.

Food

A Best Miami Find: Artisanal Pastries and Cakes

June 30, 2020
By Karen Escalera

OMG, the pastries and pie at the Miami based Doce e Salato Home Bakery. With several of the pastries I thought I was at a café in Vienna or Budapest, and with the apple pie it could have been the best bake shop in apple country. Plus, there’s homemade pasta too.

Food

Best Pizza in Miami

June 23, 2020
By Karen Escalera

I’m a fan of pizza, but it hasn’t been one of my favorite foods until now, thanks to a recent find, courtesy of Dave Portnoy's One Bite Pizza review channel. I’ve discovered easily the best pizza in Miami Beach and arguably in Miami.

Food

Outdoor Dining in Miami, More Top Picks

June 16, 2020
By Karen Escalera

Good news on two fronts about outdoor dining in Miami. First, thanks to the Miami-Dade Restaurant Recovery Act, restaurants in many parts of town are able to spread out on sidewalks and parking lots to temporarily add or expand outdoor dining space. Happy to report on more outdoor dining picks with different cuisines and price points, and a charming Italian spot with great deals on wine and food. If you missed the post with my first list, click here.

Deals, Food

Updated: What’s New for Miami Spice 2020

June 13, 2020
By Karen Escalera

Have you noticed how your food bill has increased? Ditto the price of wine (couldn’t believe how wine prices at Costco have increased! See my tip below on that). So it’s welcome news that Miami restaurants are not only still offering Miami Spice 2020, but also, that it’s four months this year, starting now through September. Here are the details and list of the restaurants that have already kicked off their offerings along with links.

Food

Updated: Outdoor Dining in Miami, 7 Top Picks

June 3, 2020
By Karen Escalera

Happily, more restaurants are starting to reopen and retool with safety protocols. Wherever possible, they're looking to add space for outside dining, since surveys show that at this point diners prefer to eat outside. And, to that point, I've laid out my seven picks for outdoor dining in Miami. They offer different kinds of cuisine at varying price points. If you're still on the fence about in- restaurant dining, don't miss my post last week on a my first experience dining out since the onset of COVID-19. Click here for the post. IMPORTANT NOTE: Yesterday there were problems with the email program so the post didn't go out to everyone. It's about the Best Miami Fresh Fish Markets, one you don't want to miss. To read it, click here.

Food, Sidebar

Updated: Best Miami Fresh Fish Markets

June 2, 2020
By Karen Escalera

With staying at home and many of us cooking a lot and doing one's fair share of drinking wine, it's hard not to put on weight. So lately I've been eating a lot of fresh fish, and on the lookout for delicious, easy recipes with few ingredients. You would think it's easy to buy a great piece of fresh fish here, and that there's a good variety. Yes, there are a lot of fish markets, but not many really good ones. Here are my picks of the best Miami fresh fish markets, how to choose the freshest fish, and a great new recipe I've made a few times already.

Food

Eating Safely at Restaurants in Miami: My Experience

May 29, 2020
By Karen Escalera

Are you ready to dine in in a restaurant? Heaven knows I am. Even with delivery, there’s still work to do in the kitchen, and then you miss the pampering. After a day of beauty (mani/pedi, blow dry), I set off for the first time since early March to a restaurant. My friend and I were giddy with excitement, though we had special important criteria. It had to be a place with an outdoor patio or terrace, a restaurant operator I could trust to follow the safety protocols, and of course, since it was a risk/reward proposition, the reward (the food) had to be great. I chose a restaurant favorite. Here’s my experience, and what you need to keep in mind for eating safely at restaurants.

Food

Best Miami Restaurant Delivery: Top New Additions

May 11, 2020
By Karen Escalera

Back in March with the onslaught of restaurants closing, I featured a list of the best Miami restaurant delivery and takeout available at the time. Now, as the stay at home rules continue, and more restaurants get on board, here is Part 2. I've included a number of Miami's finest restaurants (and some of my favorites) like La Petite Maison, Zuma, Amare, Novikov, Stubborn Seed and Mandolin. And since many of us are watching our budget, here are new entries with the best comfort food. If you missed Part 1, click here.

Food

Mother’s Day in Miami: The Splurge

May 7, 2020
By Karen Escalera

You deserve it. So much cooking, cleaning the kitchen, scouring pans. So here's Miami's Mother's Day splurge. It's my favorite menu having seen others around town, and it's from one of my favorite restaurants. It's pricey, but there's a lot of food. And maybe you can get a few people together to split the cost. A bonus -- you get a bottle of Louis Roederer champagne included.

Category: Food