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Chili's introduces $20 three-course meal for two

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:18:00 -0500

Forget coupons and buy one get one free deals. Chili’s Grill & Bar has upped the ante in the restaurant chain wars.

Starting this week, Chili’s is offering a three-course meal for two for $20. Diners share one appetizer and one dessert.

Starter choices: Skillet Queso, Bottomless Tostada Chips & Salsa, Half Order of Texas Cheese Fries, Onion String & Crispy Jalepeno Stack or Eight Kickin’ Jack Nachos.

Choose two entrees: Fire-Grilled Bacon Ranch Chicken Quesadillas, Fire-Grilled Jalapeno Steak Quesadillas, Fire-Grilled Chicken Fajita Quesadillas, Bacon Burger, Oldtimer, Mushroom-Swiss Burger, Big Mouth Bites, Chicken Crisper Bites, Half Rack of Ribs, Chicken Tacos, Country-Fried Steak, Grilled Shrimp Alfredo, Quesadilla Explosion Salad, Boneless Buffalo Chicken Salad and Mesquite Chicken Salad.

Dessert choices: Molten Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Molten Cake, Cheesecake, Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie or Sweet Shots.

PHOTO: Chili's new two for $20 menu includes these Big Mouth Bites

Whole Foods Market Aventura Saturday fundraiser

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:00:08 -0500

Ever hear of the FEED 100 cloth shopping bag?

Each bag sold provides 100 meals to school children in Rwanda.

From noon-3 p.m. Saturday at Whole Foods Market in Aventura, bags will be personalized by Miami artists Jordan Thompson and Katiana Quinones, from Fine Print Silkscreen of Miami. The bags cost $25 each.

Thompson and Quinones have created design overlays specifically for the event. One design features sea turtles, in support of another Whole Foods program with the Sea Turtle Hatchling program at the Museum of Discovery & Science in Fort Lauderdale. Another design has a Florida gator in the sun.

More information on the FEEd bags at feedprojects.org.

PHOTO: The FEED 100 shopping bag

Kitchen Nightmares in Boca Raton

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:08:00 -0500

Fox TV’s Kitchen Nightmares continues to remake South Florida restaurants. The crew was at Anna Vincenzo's in Boca Raton on Thursday.

SUP reader Toby Srebnik of North Lauderdale was there where he watched a pizza competition between three teams: Bill Lindsay and Randy Moller, the radio broadcasting team of the Florida Panthers; James Jones of the Miami Heat and four Miami Dolphins players including cornerback Nate Jones and wide receiver Anthony Armstrong.

Srebnik said Ramsay gave each team three minutes to create a pizza which was then brought inside for a quick ride in the oven. The winning pizza - which Fox doesn't want revealed - was a special for the restaurant's relaunch taping. The episode won’t be seen until the next season starts this fall.

Srebnik, an account executive at Tilson Communications in Boca, said parts of the pizza competition will be used in the episode featuring Anna Vincenzo's makeover.

"It was exciting to be that close to Gordon Ramsay and to share in the experience, as our last trip to the restaurant itself ended in disaster," Srebnik said in an e-mail. "About three years ago, we had a bad experience because they wouldn’t come down on price for a kid’s portion of noodles. We will absolutely give them another try!"

PHOTO: Anna Vincenzo’s owners with Gordon Ramsay (Courtesy Michael Katz)

Meet Ingrid Hoffmann at CityPlace Friday

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:51:08 -0500

If you happen to be at CityPlace in West Palm Beach Friday evening, Food Network chef Ingrid Hoffman wil be there 5-10 p.m. on behalf of Bryers ice cream

There will be samples of the new Breyers Smooth & Dreamy ½ the Fat Ice Cream. Hoffmann will also sample her Creamy Mojito Shake recipe and sign copies of her cookbook, Simply Delicioso: A Collection of Everyday Recipes with a Latin Twist (Clarkson Potter, $32.50).

Breyers will be set up on Rosemary Avenue near Italian Oven Cafe, where Hoffmann will make periodic appearances throughout the evening.

PHOTO: Ingrid Hoffmann is now working with Breyers

The iPhone meets Pizza Hut

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:00:08 -0500

This is very cool.

iPhone and iPod touch users can now download a free Pizza Hut application that makes ordering a pizza more like....well... a video game. It's the first pizza with an iPhone app.

You can watch a YouTube demonstration here.

The new app allows you to choose your crust and then drag toppings to your creation. You tilt your phone left or right if you only want the toppings on one side. You even get a visual represenation of your completed pizza before you actually order.

With chicken wings, you choose between boneless, crispy bone-in or traditional and then you choose between sauces. Shaking your phone shows what the sauced wings will look like.

There's even a game to play - Pizza Hut Racer - while you wait for the pizza to arrive.

The new app is available from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at itunes.com/appstore/

PHOTO: The screen for the new Pizza Hut iPhone

Cookbook sales helps the hungry

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 06:58:00 -0500

U.S. Foodservice, among the largest restaurant food distributors in the country, is selling a cookbook to raise money for Feeding America.

In some cities, food bank demand is up more than 100 percent. During summer, food donations go down, but needy kids don't have access to school breakfast and lunch programs.

The 336-page book, Recipes from the Heart, has close to 400 recipes supplied by employees of U.S. Foodservice. The introduction was written by Paula Deen.

The book normally costs $24.99, but it's just $14.99 (plus shipping) through October 15. All proceeds go to Feeding America, which supplies more than 200 food banks nation wide, including South Florida's Daily Bread Food Bank.

You can preview and order Recipes from the Heart on-line. The recipes tend toward the homey with everything from Brunswick Stew and fried chicken to banana bread and cobbler.

PHOTO: The cookbook cover

Gyros: Everything you ever wanted to know

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:08:00 -0500

There's a great story in today's New York Times about gyros.

(By the way, they're pronounced YEE-ros, Greek for “spin,” according to the story.)

If you've ever wondered about this apparent mystery meat, the Times takes you on a tour of a Chicago factory that is the largest producer of gyros in the country.

Who knew that gryos were recession proof? Or that they were invented by a guy from Milwaukee?

You can read the entire story here, although you may have to register on the site.

PHOTO: Gyros with tzatziki sauce (Sun Sentinel file)

$100: dinner and Fuerza Bruta

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:08:00 -0500

Seems like everyone's talking about Fuerza Bruta, the Argentine import that combines dance, acrobatics and aerial tricks. A friend calls it "art in motion." The show runs through August 9 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.

Now the show has teamed up with several restaurants to offer a $100 per person deal on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. (Yes, a "deal" is a relative thing.)

Here's how it works. Make a reservation at any of the restaurants below and mention the $47 per person Fuerza Bruta prix-fixe menu.

Show tickets are discounted $10.75 to $53. Use the code DINNERSHOW when ordering on-line, by phone or at the box office ot receive the discount.

If you're at the restaurant before the show, mention the special. If you're dining after the show, just bring your ticket stub to the restaurant.

Here are some of the participating restaurants:

660 Mediterranean Kitchen - 786-594-5888

Badrutt’s Place – 305-415-0070

Emeril’s at Loews Miami Beach Hotel - 305-695-4550

Fratelli Lyon -305-572-2901

Gotham Steak – 877-669-5007

Indigo at the Intercontinental Hotel - 305-577-1000

Lido Restaurant at The Standard - 305-673-1717

Meat Market - 305-532-0088

Red The Steakhouse – 305-534-3688

Restaurant at The Raleigh - 305-534-6300

Smith & Wollensky -305-673-1717.

PHOTO: A scene from Fuerza Bruta.

Wednesday Freebies at Arby’s

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:28:00 -0500

On Wednesdays all summer long, Arby’s is offering a free menu item with purchase.

To receive the freebie, just purchase the accompanying item.

Here's the schedule for the rest of the summer.

Wednesday, July 15: Free Regular Roast Beef with soft drink purchase
July 22: Free Roastburger with soft drink purchase
July 29: Free Iced FruiTea with sandwich purchase
August 5: Free Regular Roast Beef with soft drink purchase
August 12: Free Roast Chicken Club with soft drink purchase
August 19: Free Iced FruiTea with sandwich purchase
August 26: Free Regular Beef ’n Cheddar with soft drink purchase

Most Arby’s are participating, but call ahead just to be sure.

Wine dinner Thursday at Himmarshee Bar & Grille

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:58:00 -0500

Fort Lauderdale's Himmarshee Bar & Grille has teamed up with Ferrari-Carano for a special Wine Dinner Adventure starting at 6 p.m., Thursday, July 16. It's $69 per person and includes wines hand selected by Himmarshee owner Dave Nicholas.

For more information, call 954-524-1818 for reservations or check the Web site. The restaurant is at 210 SW 2nd St.

Here's Chef Youssef Hammi's menu with the Sonoma wine pairings.

Fume Blank Sonoma 2007 with passed hors d'oeuvres.

Pinot Grigio Russian River 2008 with Yellow Fin Tuna Cru, Citrus Vinaigrette

Charondonnay Alexander Valley/Russian River 2007 with Herb Smoked Black Mission Figs, Smokey Oregon Blue Shaved Parma Ham

Sienna Sonoma 2006 with Seared Diver Sea Scallops, Oxtail Braise, Leek Potato Puree, Cinnamon-Star Anise Reduction

Prevail-Back Forty Alexander Valley 2004 with Worcestershire Lacquered Short Ribs, Vanilla Sweet Potatoes, Creamed Swiss Chard

Eldorado Noir Russian River 2007 with Triple Chocolate Sundae, Poached Cherries, Chantilly Cream

PHOTO: The exterior of Himmarshee Bar & Grille

Free wings Wednesday in Coconut Creek

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:58:00 -0500

When the doors open at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Buffalo Wings & Rings in Coconut Creek, the first 300 customers will receive a free order of chicken wings.

There are 9 different sauces and 5 different customizable levels of heat.

This is the 49th location for the Cincinnati-based chain. The 251-seat restaurant boasts more than three dozen 52-inch high def TVs with sports on every screen. There are also arcade games and a big bar.

The restaurant if at 4443 Lyons Road, Promenade at Coconut Creek, Coconut Creek, 954-978-9688.

Free McCafe Mocha every Monday

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 08:00:07 -0500

The coffee wars have come to a boil.

From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every Monday through August 3, McDonald's is giving away free samples of it's new McCafe Mocha.

There's no purchase necessary to receive a freee 7-ounce iced mocha or 8-ounce hot mocha. The line of coffee was introduced in May.

Do you think Mickey Dee's can really give Starbucks a run for its money? Has anyone noticed how Starbucks has reduced the prices of its baked goods?

Discovering Cafe Martorano on the eve of its 16th birthday

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:48:38 -0500

Cafe Martorano turns 16 in September.

As I write these words, I imagine there are readers who are already getting their ire up. What is it about Cafe Martorano that ignites such angry reaction? Each time I post a Cafe Martorano celebrity sighting, I can count on a handful of nasty comments. And the same number of comments from people who love this place.

So at last I decided to dine at what I now believe is Fort Lauderdale’s most important restaurant. Pardon me for being so late to the party.

Cafe Martorano is important because Steve Martorano invented a way of dining that has since been copied across the country. You come here to eat, to party, to dance, to drink. It's truly a night out, but a night centered around very good food.

When he and wife Deborah and their sons Joey and Steve, Jr. arrived from Philadelphia, all Martorano knew was that he wanted to leave Philly behind. Fortunately for us, he couldn’t leave behind the potent mix of Italian-American-meets-Philly-fare that his mom Lil fed her family. He opened a four-table cafe at the corner of Oakland Park Boulevard and A1A where he played music, showed movies and served meatballs and grilled sausage, cheese steaks and pasta.

Think about it. In 1993, how many restaurants featured music —originally just a mixed cassette tape and now a state-of-the-art sound system—as part of the dining out experience?

Cafe Martorano grew. Twice. But there are still just 14 tables. There's room at the bar for more diners. There's a much bigger Cafe Martorano in Las Vegas. But as in the beginning, Martorano has never taken a cooking class. He’s never been to Italy. He just soaked up years of watching his mom, who lives with the Martoranos in their home not far from the restaurant.

This is much more than an Italian restaurant. It's uber Italian. Gourmet magazine said his meatball ($20) “may be the best meatball in the world.” He serves them with a nice Romaine-based salad dressed in a classic Italian vinaigrette. Shrimp scampi ($22) comes in a buttery sauce that includes cherry tomatoes and crunchy croutons—perfect for sopping up that sauce. Then he sends out something like Fried Calamari Bibz-style ($18). Imagine tender rings with a subtly spicy, sticky Asian sauce. Do they have anything to do with Italian? Probably not.

Naturally, there’s a Philly cheese steak ($18) on the menu, and as with everything here, it's the details that count. The roll it's served on is perfectly chewy and it comes to the table steaming hot.

I covered much of the menu and don’t recall a single clunker. Pasta? Try the bucatini carbonara ($28) or Orecchiette with hot and sweet sausage, escarole and beans ($28). Perfection. If you’re hesitant about broccoli rabe, try the tender garlicky version served here.

During service, the ripped, tanned and tattooed Martorano stands in the outside corner of his open kitchen checking every plate. There’s a statue of the Virgin Mary in front of him. His five jarred Cafe Martorano sauces ($9.99), now at Publix, are also on display. Perched across the room as the elevated hostess stand is wife and co-owner Deborah.

Eating here feels like being invited into the home of a most hospitable family. A family who likes to play their music loud while movies play on multiple screens in the background. A family who changes the decor once a year and invites people to dance if they choose to.

By early 2011, six Cafe Martorano salad dressings will be sold in stores. Then there’s a cookbook, tentatively called Yo Cuz!

I’m told that “Yo cuz!” is a typical greeting between friends in Philadelphia. I was born in Canada, so it doesn’t exactly roll off my tongue. But after spending an evening at Cafe Martorano, I think I understand.

Cafe Martorano, 3343 E. Oakland Park Blvd., is open daily for dinner. Call 954-561-2554. But the restaurant only takes reservations for parties of six or more.

PHOTO: Steve Martorano, co-owner of Cafe Martorano

$20 discount on tickets to Miami Taste of the Nation

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:08:00 -0500

Miami's Taste of the Nation fundraiser is set for Thursday July 30 and there's a $20 discount on tickets when ordering on-line.

Just enter the code VIP20FTL when you checkout.

Tickets are $100 for general admission and $200 for VIP -- less $20 with that code. The event starts at 6 p.m. for VIP ticket holders and 7 p.m. for others. It's at The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, 455 Grand Bay Dr.

As usual, it benefits Share Our Strength, which aims to end childhood hunger. This is the 22nd year for the Miami event, spearheaded once again by Chef Allen Susser of Chef Allen's in Aventura. More than $22 million has been raised in Miami since its inception.

Here are some of the participating restaurants: 1 Bleu, Alta Mar, Andu Restaurant, Area 31, Asia de Cuba, Au Pied De Cochon, Bar Rosso, Blue Door at Delano, Bourbon Steak Miami,
Bulldog Barbecue, China Grill, Fratelli Lyon, Joe's Stone Crab, Lola's on Harrison, Ortanique on the Mile, Prime Italian, The Grill on the Alley, Timo and Wish at The Hotel.

It's an excellent way to sample some great Miami restaurants in one night.

Participating wine and spirits providers include Boisset Family Estates, Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery, Freixenet USA, Hpnotiq, Sagatiba Cachaça and Trinchero Family Estates.

Free screening of Food. Inc.

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:50:08 -0500

Chipotle Mexican Grill, the chain with the “Food With Integrity” philosophy, presents a free screening of Food, Inc., the documentary that exposes the country’s food compromised food supply.

It's at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 16 at Sunrise Cinemas Gateway, 1820 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-763-7994. Admission is free until the theater is full. First come. First served.

Fort Lauderdale is one of 32 cities nation wide - and the only South Florida location - where Chipotle is screening the film.

"I hope that all our customers see this film,” Steve Ells, founder, chairman, and co-CEO of Chipotle said in a press release. "The more they know about where their food comes from, the more they will appreciate what we do."

More information on Chipotle's Food, Inc. Web site.

PHOTO: The poster from Food, Inc.