Miami Danny

more of.. spiced rum enough already... rum

The Roots in the City/Wholesome Wave Farmers Market has reopened at NW 2nd Ave and 10th Street. Chef Michael Schwartz is one of the major local supporters. Food stamps get double value and there are local vendors likeTroy Gardens, (from the Troy Academy who work with at-risk youth), as well as more traditional farmers like Teena's Pride and Bee Heaven Farms. Produce includes tomatoes, peppers, herbs, eggplant, carrots, lettuce, malanga, sugarcane, passion fruit, avocado, spinach, squash, starfruit, guava, mulberry, pigeon peas, tropical sweet potato, and much, much, more. Also the Michael's Genuine Food Cart has awesome healthy prepared food. Wednesdays and Fridays from 1-4PM.

more of... a nice sausage and peppers a la Manganaro's Enough Already... fey Italian, food bloggers

I was at a Banks-sponsored rum tasting last week, and I agree it is very good. It was both smooth and funky, and made a terrific daiquiri, swizzle, etc.

After several visits I have to say that this is the most disappointing upscale (or any-scale) restaurant food I have had in a long time. The chef mocks his former glory by serving overpriced, mediocre food. How do you mess up spagheti cacio e pepe? I was at Otto in NYC last Monday and even though it wasn't on the menu there, they made it for me. The portion was at least twice as big and it tasted a thousand times better. It seems Mr. Donna has attempted one comeback too many. ETA-Still love the cookbook, though

In tribute to Chef Donna's new/old venture, about to open any day now, I cooked the White Truffle Risotto from his classic cookbook, 'Cooking in Piedmont with Roberto Donna'. I recommend his cookbook highly, it is a seminal and straightforward working of traditional and modernized dishes from his home region. His risotto was the first I ever ate back in the early nineties at I Matti in Adams Morgan, cooked by the chef himself. Best of luck to the most famous alumnus of Romeo and Juliet!

1) So then you agree that AB's hate for Gael Greene and Alice Waters and vegetarians, and every other subject he's blanketed for ten years is personal. 2) So 10 years ago he ran a kitchen in someone else's restaurant with someone else's concept and recipes. How does that make his tedious and trite pronouncements any truer, Superman outfit or not?

Very good point. Perhaps that speaks directly to TB's evident self-loathing.

Tony is the most self-involved cliche-spewing hack out there. And as long as those middle-aged ladies from Des Moines and Jersey think they have a shot at him, he'll have a long and successful career as a vaudeville entertainer. The guy wrote half of a good book 10 years ago. What he had to say was important then, but simply repeating the same BS year after year doesn't show honesty but emptiness. Jumped the shark, indeed.

Certain things stand out from my visit to má pêche: 1) Philippe Patrick Starck is not dead-flowing fabric covers the walls; 2) The frisee dish-if you are expecting a take on the classic salad, this is not it. Although the dish consists of delicate tripe bits, tiny jowl croutons, and (over)poached egg, this was not a 'salad'. The frisee wilted and could not hold up to the other ingredients-okay and tasty just the same; 3) Cheapo wine pour-4 oz., tops; 4) Service was a bit overbearing but not obnoxious-of course, now that I've read the hours of operation, I guess it WAS getting late; 5) I also had the pate which was, as weinoo posted, perfectly serviceable but nothing extraordinary-the 'pickled' stuff was so slight as to be negligible; 6) The soft-serve, the salty pistachio/caramel swirl, was the best part of the experience. Next time, I will start with it. And maybe some pie.

The Passenger is a calm place on an early Saturday evening, and I have had Tom Brown's cocktails when I'm winding down my week. I've seen brother Derek carve ice into a diamond at the bar, but he seems to be mostly hosting events in the private Columbia Room in the back, as opposed to bartending. Great beers in cans, and of course the kimchee hot dog, which I haven't tried. Not a big fan of the $8 hot dog. But the shredded duck thing is pretty good for $13.

Look, whether or not Bruni gives another place four stars, the important thing to remember is that the Times has a chance to break away from their previous cluster of reviewers and to hire someone who will carry them through the next few years on the internet. Unfortunatley, I don't think they will do that. I believe they will hire another non-food writer, like Bruni, probably a woman this time (or Bruni in drag, as I previously mentioned), and create the fake controversy they did when they hired FB. That has lasted with him to this day, and the Times is not about to change their playbook, no matter how musty or old.

The 'secrecy' of restaurant reviewers' identities is an anachronism in 2009. Only reason to do it is to pretend that somehow your being there is so important that you have to go undercover. It is a conceit of big-time media restaurant reviewers, and will soon die a quiet, deserved, death. However, Bruni should be encouraged to continue reviewing restaurants, but perhaps as his recent alter-ego, Ms. Frannie Von Furstinshow. He can even go to all the restaurants in drag if he wants.

This will blow you away-while I'm OK with Anthony's, it is kind of mass-produced. The owner here-Gary Rack(!)-also owns Coal Mine Pizza in Boca. When I first saw this place I thought it was a take on Hooters!