(The Miami Herald 9/4/2009)
I can't spend $22 for lunch. And $35 is a full tank of gas, so dinner at Bond Street Lounge is out, too. What's a Miami Spice reject to do -- cower between stale caprese salads and shrimp tempura globs? Here's a gourmet grunge dining guide for the white truffle-underdogs.
(The Miami Herald 4/3/2009)
Bread is not evil. It is a vilified muse -- one that has faithfully inspired oral ecstasies born from simple slices of buttered toast. You have pruned your diets for years, subjecting your digestive system to bun-less burger binges. This week, The Palate reunites you with celestial carbohydrates.
(Wine Spectator 11/24/2009)
So, I ran into Anthony Hamilton at Cafe Sambal, and he talked about how he could take a bath in Pinot Noir...
(The Miami Herald 10/11/2007)
In a city with acrobatic bartenders, hot pink cocktails and 10-foot-tall garnishes, one often wonders where the spirit has gone. How can the genteel cognac breathe in a sea of syrupy liqueurs? The Palate explores drink menus one's grandfather can appreciate.
(The Miami Herald 7/5/2007)
Where and what one eats the morning after tragedy strikes -- whether it's to grieve the loss of a job or finding oneself on dontdatehimgirl.com -- is as important to one's spirit as the gospel.
Which brings us to diners, which are the come-as-you-are eateries of the culinary world.
(The Miami Herald 4/14/2009)
Oreo, Oreo, wherefore art thou, Oreo?
Is it me or does the Oreo cookie taste, well, different? It is a question I have pondered for years. For many of us, the Oreo cookie was cookie perfection -- the deep chocolate fix that once blackened our tongues and defined our childhood culinary highs.
(The Miami Herald 11/11/2008)
I will be the first to admit that dating a food femme fatale is not easy.
The first date is usually the one to impress your date's palate. The second is supposed to seduce the palate. But the third decides whether you can keep the palate's interest.
(The Miami Herald 5/17/2007)
They kneaded dough, handled delicate ingredients, cruelly giggled at their comrades' blunders and tried to get their professors' approval. No, this was not Bravo's Top Chef. This was a bunch of 3rd and 4th graders.
(The Miami Herald 9/13/2007)
There's nothing more annoying than ordering that fabulous-sounding dessert only to discover that it's an average, microwave fix -- a box-mix sell-out disguised in poetic food jargon. Here are some local sweet-tooth sanctuaries...
(The Miami Herald 2/4/2010)
I created these original dip recipes to capture Miami's multicultural terroir. The Nutella plantain dip is my favorite, though the chorizo egg dip is equally yummy. And there are no Tostitos here. Found many of these rare chips at the gas station...
(The Miami Herald 9/24/2007)
There are three types of sushi lovers: sashimi snobs who have a didactic approach toward their love for raw fish (California rollers, be damned); the ''McSushis,'' sushi skanks who like everything tempura and doused in Japanese mayonnaise and eel sauce...
(The Miami Herald 2/7/2008)
The chocolate molten cake is so passé. Chefs keep it on their menus because it's a sure seller, but the one-time hotbed of chocolate has become, well, lukewarm...This Valentine's Day, I dare chocolate-molten groupies to step out and discover chocolate desserts that unravel on the palate like poetry.
(The Miami Herald 12/25/2008)
Food Snob. Crouton Crusader. Pompous Palate. You name it, I've heard it.
I challenge every spinach dip spinster to surrender his or her snobbery and take an unexpected journey into pedestrian restaurants to see if there are gourmet dishes even you can say ''Ho-Ho-Ho'' to.
(The Miami Herald 4/28/2009)
''Those stupid bags of spring mix piss me off!'' howled a dieting woman in the movie Phat Girlz. Salads are diabolical dishes. Bowls of organic spinach and frisse are fatless, right? Not when crowned with blue cheese, smoked bacon and candied fig. Sorry.
(The Miami Herald 4/2/2008)
With longtime staples like North Miami Beach's Franco's Pizza shutting down after 31 years, it's easy to assume that savings sleuths are condemned to dining at the golden arches. What's a finicky palate to do? This week The Palate offers Part II of Miami's $10-and-under dining guide.
(The Miami Herald 10/4/2007)
A misfiring chocolate fountain could be a disaster for unseasoned caterers, but Les Dames de Chocolat kept their cool. This is
a profile on a group of teenagers who are running a chocolate catering business.
(The Miami Herald 1/20/2009)
For many Miamians, our parents dragged us to Opa-Locka-Hialeah Flea Market so they could save a few dollars on everything, especially produce and vegetables. The scene is a rhythmic Caribbean poem set in a food shanty town...
(The Miami Herald 10/23/2007)
What single doesn't envy those E Harmony-ites twirling around euphorically on television screens, transforming the infamous ''blind date'' into a chic way to meet people? This week, The Palate recommends exotic Miami locales for prowling foody prospects who want to dazzle their foody matchups on the first cyber-less blind date.
(The Miami Herald 1/6/2009)
This holiday season you quietly endured a second-degree burn from the oven when you removed the roasted turkey. So this week, toss the apron and become the line in Derek Walcott's poem Love After Love: ''Sit here. Eat. You will love again the stranger who was your self.''
(The Miami Herald/ Miami.com 9/1/2011)
As you figure out ways to control the Miami sweat oozing from unmentionable crevices, entrust your wine choices to me...
(The Miami Herald 11/22/2007)
The worst part of Thanksgiving dinner is feigning orgasmic reactions to the mother-in-law's string bean casserole with the canned cream of mushroom topping. Then, there's complimenting the dry stuffing and the even drier turkey breast; it can get pretty intolerable...
(The Miami Herald 8/5/2008)
In the West Indian community, mangoes might as well be traded on the floor of The New York Stock Exchange. Supple, firm mangoes are like fat gold coins; slightly bruised mangoes are silver...And if you have a mango tree, you are the mango maharaja with surreal power...
(miami.com 2/23/2010)
An honest, candid review of South Beach Food & Wine Festival. Too much wine can turn the most elegant of Diamond Creek-chasers into unabashed guzzlers.
(miami.com 2/22/2010)
It's difficult to swallow what happened in Haiti, and for some closet beer lovers, it's difficult to swallow the 2005 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Chardonnay.
(The Miami Herald 11/8/2007)
Vegetarians can be so self-righteous. Everyone has that friend who sings sanctimonious odes to seitan (pronounced say-tahn). You know, the tofu-titan who sneers as the damned carnivore tears through tender slices of Kobe...Friends on opposite sides of the Epicurean stratosphere can dine together.
(The Miami Herald 11/25/2008)
You hate turkey. For you, it's a symbol of a contrived history. Plus, the damn bird is too dry. But your inner Pilgrim is craving the smell of pumpkin pie and, yes, that venerable bird. But even if you can't fully embrace the marshmallowed yams, your palate still has a reason to give thanks today.
(The Miami Herald/Miami.com 1/13/2012)
One of Miami's most interesting wine professionals gets into a motorcycle accident but not before he hooks me up with an amazing Merlot.
(The Miami Herald 5/10/2007)
Three indicators that a West Indian takeout joint is worth one's dime: a weathered glass jar filled with some peppery concoction instead of generic hot sauce; a crowd of men, accents flaring in what sounds like an argument, but is, in fact, friendly banter; and, an open kitchen. B & M has all three.
(The Miami Herald 12/27/2007)
Was 2007 more fried fish than foie gras? There's still a chance to close out the year with maximum flavor and style. This week, The Palate offers a few options for food lovers to bring in the New Year, so raise your Champagne flute and thank God you still have a chance to spice it up in 2008.
(The Miami Herald 6/12/2008)
Where's my child support check? doesn't sound as bad when the mind is be-foamed in tasty bubbles. The Palate offers sparkling wine adventures for all kinds of fathers. Whether he's been holding down the family fort, putting up with PMS and unruly children or he's entering Janet Reno's Baby Daddy Hall...
(The Miami Herald 1/24/2008)
My 65-year-old Jamaican mother says Cuban-style black beans and rice has no taste. My Haitian-American friend says Jamaican rice and peas is too dry. Miami's longest-standing culinary battle is which culture has better rice and beans.
(The Miami Herald/ Miami.com 11/1/2011)
Planning a Thanksgiving feast can make you want to scream. How does one democratize a menu for guests who range from born again vegan to turkey tyrant?
Dessert.
(The Miami Herald 7/8/2008)
The book Pretty Little Mistakes is like a literary vending machine...However, unlike Heather McElhatton's do-over novel, you only get one chance to spend your rebate check. This week The Palate offers rebate-spending ideas that might add a little twist to your summer menu.
(The Miami Herald 8/5/2010)
Blanche: People in their 70s and 80s have great sex.
Sophia: Yeah, with people in their 70s and 80s. Put me in a room with Tom Cruise and you'll be peeling me off the ceiling. For years, Blanche, Dorothy, Rose and Sophia, the comical quartet known as The Golden Girls, have made us laugh, cry -- and eat.
(The Miami Herald 12/9/2010)
Let me be your guide on a food and wine journey that will take you from a Jewish diner where an unassuming prosecco waltzes with whitefish salad to a North Carolina roadside grill where tangy ribs sop the soul from a semi-sweet sparkling red.
(The Miami Herald 2/10/2011)
Chocolate hearts make for sedate seduction. This year, lubricate your Cupid menu with sweet wines that are so naughtily rich you can drizzle, dip, dab or lather them on just about anything.
(The Miami Herald 3/17/2011)
From Guinness Punch to Front End Lifter, Jamaica enjoys a liquid and libidinous Irish legacy.
(The Miami Herald 5/12/2009)
You just lost your job, your (wo)man or, maybe, even your column. Thoughts swarm around you like bees attacking a honeycomb. This week, we take an evening culinary jaunt to quiet the ravenous mind -- because even though this chapter has ended, your palate will live on.
(The Miami Herald 2/5/2009)
Chinchillas and Jimmy Choo-style knee-high boots -- one would think we were in Gstaad. Still, the sometimes cool Miami breeze opens the door to stews, pastas and porridges that snug our senses like a fur coat...
(The Miami Herald 6/7/2007)
Whether it's a grimy take-out shack, chic cafe or sit-down family restaurant, Haitian cuisine has become to Miami what Chinese take-out is to New York City -- part of the city's culinary identity. Here's a literary jitney traversing some of the area's Haitian culinary destinations.
(The Miami Herald 5/27/2008)
A penny can buy a thought, but a dollar can buy a can of smoked herring fillets from Germany and a jar of garlic cloves marinating in chili pepper-infused sunflower oil. Like chefs who work with seasonal ingredients, dollar store gourmands work with whatever curiosities bloom from the shelves...
(the Miami Herald 5/21/2009)
On weekend evenings, a drive down Northwest 22nd Avenue beginning at 119th Street is a Deep South barbecue symphony. Old smokers sit outside antique churches, homes and forgotten buildings, their smoky psalms winding toward the firmament.
(The Miami Herald 8/14/2007)
Sometimes dining alone at a romantically lit restaurant can make one feel like there's an invisible ''L'' (for loser) beaming from one's forehead. Not to worry, this week the Palate focuses on places where you can get light, tasty fare, which perfectly balances the heaviness of bonding with oneself.
(The Miami Herald 10/29/2008)
Nothing warms the soul like cold lasagna for breakfast...However, after having the dish for three straight mornings, I was beginning to think I was a little bizarre...What I discovered is that in foody wonderland, any dish can become a breakfast fetish...
(The Miami Herald 8/2/2007)
This week's barbecue trail begins with a Waycross, Ga., bishop on North- west 22nd Avenue whose secret barbecue recipe metamorphoses meat into entities as tender and as juicy as sin, and veers into Miami Beach where Frank and Andrea Curto-Randazzo do wicked things with quail and Cascabel chile.
(The Miami Herald 11/1/2008)
These are sensitive times, when heated political conversations can sour the best of dining experiences.
That said, here are some locales offering spicy dishes to balance those heated moments when politics and promiscuous palates leave very little room for your foot to fit in your mouth.
(EBONY.com 4/25/2012)
Includes Easter Jamaican brunch recipes like bun-n-cheese teasers and Guinness Punch (a Jam-Irish ice cream shake for adults)
(EBONY.com 7/10/2012)
Here's a taste: I'm a traitor. I've become a spoiled wine brat. I used to be the $15-and-under wine adventurer who proudly lived on Côtes du Rhône, Monastrell and whatever amazing Bordeaux Superieur just went on sale at my favorite Miami Beach wine boutique. But times have changed.
(EBONY.com 5/28/2012)
Here's a taste: Long courtships can be magical. But most of us, microwave-minded Americans, wouldn't know that. Sauvignon Blanc has courted me for years, but I've been evasive, secretly snubbing the Sancerre bottles colleagues have deemed royalty. I'm a Viognier-girl. But I've changed.
(Miami.com 2/21/2013)
I covered the House of Mandela dinner and Guy Fieri and Ziggy Marley's close out concert. The HoM reserve chardonnay was papaya-funky. Ziggy brought fiya (fire) to the stage. But where was the Red Stripe?
(Wine Spectator 7/31/2012)
This is a profile on Kenny G who talks about his passion for Bordeaux. He also talks about having alternate options for guests to guzzle down like grape juice.
(The Miami Herald 12/13/2007)
Friends can be so thoughtless. Don't you hate when lifelong pals give you those Hickory Farms-style food baskets with the log of sausage that tastes like wood and the triangle of cheese that tastes like glue? This week, The Palate offers Christmas-basket ideas for for finicky food-and-wine lovers.
(The Miami Herald 9/29/2011)
Azucar sits on the hip of Calle Ocho. Inside, sugar is family. On this Saturday afternoon, swirling couples swap besitos as melting ice cream drizzles down cones.
(EBONY.com 9/28/2012)
This article includes a macaroni and cheese recipe inspired by Haitian cooks' macaroni au gratin. Here's a taste: For years, I was a macaroni misfit as it seemed every recipe I tried ended in a dry, hard concoction. It's taken eight whole years to master the art of making a creamy mac-and-cheese.
(The Miami Herald 11/29/2007)
Jim Harrison's Sept. 6, 2004, article in The New Yorker gives an account of a 37-course meal he savored at Marc Meneau's L'Espérance in Burgundy, France. When discussed in the context of a fancy French restaurant, the all-you-can-eat experience is the object of poetic ruminations, but God forbid...
(EBONY.com 5/21/2012)
Article includes an interview with Gina and Pat Neely during the South Beach for and Wine Festival. Gina talks about loving her booty. Pat talks about loving Jack Daniels. Includes recipe for peach spritzer.
(The Miami Herald 12/29/2005)
Pairing Jamaican food with wine
(miami.com 10/12/2009)
Generally speaking, I don't like wine fairs. They're flea markets - hagglers and hustlers trying to get your dough, which is fine if the sales rep knows a little about the grape, the winemaker, the region, the microclimate, the soil type, and/or the appellation (if it applies)...
(EBONY.com 7/2/2012)
Here's a quick whiff: Ever walked by someone and thought, "Damn, she smells good?" Or maybe you just felt spectacularly drawn to someone's natural odor? The magic of each bottle lies in its aroma. If I'm not intrigued by the smell of the wine, it's not likely that I'll enjoy the flavor.
(Wine Spectator 4/22/2005)
Profile of wine bar in downtown Brooklyn, NY
(The Miami Herald 2/21/2013)
Nelson Mandela's daughter and granddaughter launch House of Mandela Wines at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Here is a clip from our interview:
"Look at the vine. It doesn't grow in a straight line. It winds around, which is really about the challenges of life," said Makaziwe Mandela.
(The Miami Herald 1/8/2008)
This column describes edibles one can carry and enjoy while taking a pensive, after-holiday stroll.
(The Miami Herald 11/15/2007)
For many of us, grammar school social status was determined by the contents of one's lunch box; Whoppers and Big Macs immediately landed you at the top of food chain. Mommy's homemade hamburgers meant instant peonism. In adult food culture, the all-American burger is the one category where no matter how it's dressed, it's still a burger and everyone has his or her favorite.
(The Miami Herald 8/30/2007)
So is it worth the hype? Should folks be scrounging around their couches for loose change to pay the Spice tabs? For this week's column, the Palate visited four major Miami Spice players.
(The Miami Herald 3/20/2008)
Ribbed crystal goblets and ceramic plates don't sound like the typical trappings of an everyday Caribbean restaurant, but Joseph Owanikin and Edline Pierre-Owanikin, owners of Nikin Café, are serving everyday Haitian and Nigerian dishes with aristocratic flair.
(The Miami Herald 8/19/2008)
I really miss the Gourmet Conch Cooler Dude. Whenever I stopped to wash my car at the Exxon on Northeast 119th Street and Second Avenue, I saw a man in the lot wearing a Panama hat and toting a red cooler that held slightly blackened conch pearls. It was the best conch in town...
(The Miami Herald 9/2/2008)
It seems some Miamians have grown an affectionate anticipation for nicknamed rainstorms. ''I bet Fay won't even do any real damage,'' muttered a disgruntled Publix shopper as we stood in the checkout line. ``I'll be eating canned soup 'til I'm 90.''
I guess still having a roof has its setbacks...
(EBONY.com 6/6/2012)
I taste a highly anticipated bottle with one of Miami's premiere wine experts, and not only are we disappointed, but this didactic wino implies that I stored the bottle incorrectly.
(EBONY.com 2/22/2012)
An ode to the unsung plantain, a Caribbean favorite, that includes a recipe for a Chocolate Plantain Ice Cream Sundae (Sorry banana split).
(EBONY.com 6/18/2012)
This article discusses why wine lovers must befriend the wine dude (or the sales guy). Here's a taste: The Fortune Teller: The wine dude knows the store's best values for the wines you love. Sure, you may have $50 to spend on that epic Napa Cabernet. But wouldn't you rather spend $30?
(The Miami Herald 4/15/2008)
For true fiends, the Caesar salad's romaine lettuce is an incidental detail. Give or take an ingredient, Caesar dressing is a proselytizing potion of garlic, Parmesan cheese, anchovies, lemon, egg yolks, olive oil... spiked with croutons... and when it's done well, strange things happen.
(The Miami Herald 7/19/2007)
Can enjoying a bottle of Barolo at the right wine spot smooth the awkwardness of breaking up? As the old Latin proverb goes, in vino veritas (``in wine, truth''). Whether it's a split worthy of Ike and Tina or the quixotic ''just friends'' parting of ways, here's a wine guide for the bruised...
(The Miami Herald 10/2/2008)
For the discerning palate, everyday lunch breaks can be moments in Palate Pandemonium... Palate snobbery and paycheck preservation can make unhappy bedfellows, so this week, The Palate offers an adventurous guide for closet lunch snobs.
(The Miami Herald 3/20/2008)
Recession blues can bring out the dark side of people's appetites. During one recession, I caught a militant, carrot-toting vegan in a grimy diner with a half-pound cheeseburger in his mouth. Lucky for Miamians, no matter what your dietary affiliation, our city is a harem of $10 luxuries.
(miami.com 5/3/2010)
In this episode of Wino Confidential, I describe my conversation with Heaven who is really tramautized by the Tiger-incident, the convo as drab as the petite sirah we're drinking. Then I read and comment on New York mag's exposé on Bottle Ho Culture...
(The Miami Herald 9/16/2008)
I know it's football season when I find a lifetime supply of Heineken, Tostitos, cheese dip and Tyson Buffalo Style Hot Wings in my fridge. ''Where's my Greek yogurt?'' I ask my football-food nemesis.``Oh, I needed to make room, so I put it in the freezer.''
Sigh...
(The Miami Herald 12/9/2008)
Curry is the belly dancer of the seasoning world, its charm lying in an earthy flavor profile that spans the globe. For me, Jamaican curry conjures up images of my mother's curry-stained Dutch pots bubbling over with thyme and garlic- infused oil...Enjoy a curry guide through Miami.
(The Miami Herald 1/8/2008)
This is a profile on downtown Miami's Philippine buffet annexed to a sushi cafe. Here's a taste: When discussed in the context of a Halloween surprise at Ben & Jerry's, ''chocolate blood'' sounds delightful. But when used as a description for a savory meat stew it sounds, well, intimidating...
(The Miami Herald 5/1/2008)
The truth is, mothers are ball-busters. They'll sour-up a good hair day in a matter of seconds and if they don't like your companion or career choice, you'll get ''the look'' for the rest of your life. This Mother's Day, The Palate offers menu options...
(The Miami Herald 3/17/2009)
A friend recently forwarded me a link regarding a Boynton Beach Burger King customer who called the police because the drive-through worker denied him lemonade. The customer was given a notice to appear in court for misusing 911.
(The Miami Herald 12/3/2009)
Still sending baskets of pasteurized cheese and dusty sausage for the holidays? Shame on you. With a little thought, you can create unique baskets filled with thoughtful South Florida treats that capture the individual tastes of those fussy foodie friends.
(The Miami Herald/ Miami.com 12/1/2011)
When most of us think of pink wine, we think of White Zinfandel magnum bottles sweating in neighborhood bodegas. But rosé run deep.
(The Miami Herald 2/21/2008)
Not everyone can be a sandwich sage. Unlike the sandwich dilettante, the sandwich sage understands the following: there's no such thing as a microwavable sandwich; deli meats should never be served ice cold and mayonnaise is not evil.
(The Miami Herald 2/17/2009)
The after-work glass of wine is usually the epilogue for a long day. For the wine wanderer, there's nothing like sitting in a relaxed space, communing with your Sancerre in a guise of rejuvenating conversation or meditative ecstasy...
(The Miami Herald's miami.com site 3/23/2010)
Here I am with my colleague, Fred Tasker--a knowledgeable and well-respected wine columinist, sampling some decent wines (except for the Prosecco and Chandon sparkling wine), and all I can think about is...well, what vain women think about lol And yes, I designed the "Color Me Cabernet" t-shirt.
(The Miami Herald 5/13/2008)
While figs and fried alligator chunks might be interesting toppings, sometimes you just want meatballs and pepperoni. This week The Palate celebrates local pizza options you can really groove to.
(The Miami Herald 7/2/2009)
No offense, Fudgie the Whalers, but Carvel is so passé. So, is Mr. Frosty. So what's a sweltering South Florida waffle coner to do? Flee to the icy, cream-capped cones of Nicaragua, Haiti, Peru, Brazil and Jamaica to enjoy a trendy, tropical ice cream experience without leaving home.
(Moët with Medusa 7/20/2010)
In this episode of WC, I am telling a fellow wine-buddy about my scary experiences working as an Enumerator for the Census Department. There's murder, mayhem and yummy Italian red.
(The Miami Herald 3/3/2009)
You left your wallet -- somewhere. And you're starving. You've managed to find about $4 and change in the car, yet you have the audacity to be picky. Luckily, we live in a city that is a palace of satisfying selections for just a few bucks.
(The Miami Herald 6/18/2010)
In Miami, wine gives you gas. In Hollywood, wine comes with pearls of morbier. In Fort Lauderdale, wine comes with quality, grape jabber. This may not be wine country, but South Florida offers imaginative wine adventures for a myriad of wine lovers.
(The Miami Herald 12/29/2009)
Reflections on 2009--Tom & Jerry, Michael, Farrah, murder, mayhem and a bottle of Vision Cellars Pinot Noir.
(The Miami Herald 11/9/2009)
Wine tastings are tricky. And they can become tetchy, intellectual jousts, if you let them. The scene at W Wine Boutique that fateful Friday night was no different, but of course, there's a story.
(Wine Spectator 6/8/2010)
This profile is on Grammy award-winning jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson who talked with me about why her recording sessions are like food and wine tastings...
(The Miami Herald 7/23/2008)
People forget that Miami is part of the deeeep south, that there are families who migrated here from Georgia, Alabama and other parts of Florida with barbecue recipes hidden between the books of Psalms and Proverbs...
(The Miami Herald 3/6/2008)
If you don't know what Cabernet Sauvignon is, walking into a wine store can feel like you're caught in the movie Babel...The bottom line: Different wine stores appeal to different wine consumers...Also find suggested pairings specific to the flavors of Miami's gloriously multicultural food scene.
(Uptown 1/1/2011)
Sommelier Dinkinish O'Connor says the trick to matching up holiday fare with wine is to "EF" it, meaning "Earth" and "Fruit" it. She offers amazing pairing ideas for crazed hosts.
(EBONY.com 5/8/2012)
A wine article that talks about roguish winemakers. The piece highlights the 2006 Brian Carter Cellars Byzance. Here's a taste: You can smell the careful, expert blending of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre through the wet soil, wet cellar and animal funk.
(Miami New Times 4/2/2009)
Profile on recession friendly joint offering free half-shells for Happy Hour.
(The Miami Herald 6/21/2007)
In a city known for svelte yogi frames and chiseled Adonis types, openly enjoying ice cream seems almost sacrilegious. But when temperatures edge toward 100, nothing soothes the overheated palate like a soothing, creamy, frozen dish.
(The Miami Herald 11/8/2006)
Imagine being served Champagne while you wait on those Jimmy Choo heels. Doesn't seem real, but Morgan Miller's servin' up design 'em yourself sandals for us, heel whores (south beach style, of course)
(The Miami Herald 3/19/2008)
Alessandra Feio's relationship with her boyfriend didn't seem to be going anywhere, so she accepted a job transfer with a market research company and moved to Brazil. A year later, Feio's boyfriend traveled to Rio de Janeiro to put a ring on her finger, and she returned to Miami to design rings and other glamorous accessories with her best friend, Erica Pacey. Together they formed Nügaard Designs.
(The Miami Herald 12/5/2007)
What does a $15,000 prayer box look like?
It's a medallion with a Buddha hand carved in turquoise, with rubies, emeralds and 4-karat diamonds. It also contains blessed Tibetan prayer beads, and hangs off the neck like a rosary.
(The Miami Herald 1/16/2008)
Even though ''cocaine and caviar'' is reminiscent of Andy Warhol and the hip hangers-on at The Factory, the words convey a far different message when stenciled on Hassan Pierre's T-shirts: a straight-up, middle-finger to today's logo-driven crowd.
(The Miami Herald 7/12/2006)
a 25 year old boutique owner from Honduras transplants a successful 4-year old online venture into a fashion haven on land.
(The Miami Herald 5/31/2006)
Profile on a south beach boutique that boasts indigenous clothing and accessories from India to Guatemala...also the acute fashion fiend can find a Calvin Klein-style dress as well.
(The Miami Herald 1/17/2007)
In a world where Heelys and Nintendo distract even the most obedient children, the simplest task -- like getting their little feet measured -- can turn into a challenge even for the most stalwart of parents. Kicks is a children's footwear boutique in south Miami's high-post, Sunset enclave.
(The Miami Herald 1/24/2007)
Profile on homemaker-turned-prolific fashion designer, Penny Stamler, 52.
(The Miami Herald 7/27/2006)
Sick of working for "the man,"
mother-daughter team goes to Asia and becomes inspired to develop accessories line.
(The Miami Herald 10/18/2006)
Fashion week coverage in south Beach, Miami:
Only Richie Rich and Trevor Raines can stick pretty boys in tight, 1-2-3, A-B-C-printed pajamas and pass it off as fashion...
Delivery-boy-turned-couture-designer, Gustavo Cadile, spawns a Spring 2007 collection doused in South American romance.
(The Miami Herald 12/20/2006)
Fabulous fashion finds for little fashionistas and their moms. From Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B and Harajuku lovers to more cotillion-style, frilly dress motifs, this is a funky little new addition to the North Miami area.
(The Miami Herald 12/27/2006)
Profile on south beach's Oyuki boutique which boasts an eclectic mix of boutique Latin and European designers.
(The Miami Herald 12/13/2006)
Profile on a chic women's boutique in Fort Lauderdale. The clincher: clients get styled too.
(The Miami Herald 12/6/2006)
Profile on big dude who designs his owns clothing (women's, too) while moonlighting as a bailiff.
(The Miami Herald 4/4/2007)
The Vagabond Hotel, designed by B. Robert Swartburg and built in 1953, is rumored to have once been the spot where Sinatra and friends hobnobbed with showgirls...Fashion vagabonds willing to brave the concrete jungle will find it worth getting their Miu Miu's a little dusty.
(The Miami Herald 2/22/2006)
Profile on Hair Salon-Clothing Boutique fusion in North Miami Beach
(The Miami Herald 11/24/2009)
Is it possible to design freedom? At first glance, Ema Koja's pieces seem to celebrate the girly girl. But when you speak to the designer, whose company name is Ema Savahl, you realize that her hand-painted English gardens and elves illuminated with glitter and sequins tell a deeper story...
(The Miami Herald 1/11/2006)
Profile on fashion boutique in Hollywood
(The Miami Herald 2/22/2006)
My hot picks: fashion pieces that make this boutique distinctive
(The Miami Herald 8/29/2007)
A thong that reads "breathe;" Comfortable sportswear made of Tencel and perfect for small A's and double "D's".
(The Miami Herald 4/23/2008)
Can a stripper pole inspire family fun and spiritual epiphanies? Anything's possible at Splurge Studios -- Miami Lakes' new, one-stop vanity shop where clients can get anything from six-inch pumps and an airbrushed tan to an occasional religious tract.
(The Miami Herald 4/25/2007)
Brooms shaped like crucifixes, golden figurines like chicken's claws, baroque chairs with army fatigue upholstery, Vivienne Westwood dresses and a Louis Vuitton couch -- one never knows what one will find at Base Annex.
(The Miami Herald 10/1/2008)
Flavour Saviour is like a funky Alice in Wonderland. Set in a warehouse behind the Haitian Cultural Arts Alliance in Little Haiti, it's the sort of place you just stumble into.
(The Miami Herald 2/14/2007)
Profile of jewelry designer, Victoria Casal---
Whether you're recovering from a Lifetime movie-style heartbreak, playing it cool solo or with girlfriends, nothin' boosts a gal's ego like a trip to the diamond store -- especially if lover boy fell short on a V-Day gift.
(The Miami Herald 2/21/2007)
Hasan Seyhun said he was a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City on 9/11. He was so moved, he dropped out of school to join the Army.
(The Miami Herald 2/21/2007)
Quick blurbs about the most dynamic pieces in the boutique. Here's an example:
What we love: Netted ballerina dress (private label for Stage), $99.
Why we love it: Betsey Johnson fun for lunch at Sushi Samba.
(The Miami Herald 1/3/2007)
Bored with African boutiques that are redundant odes to Bob Marley, shea butter and incense? This piece is about North Miami Beach-based Shades of Africa, a boutique profound in its representation of the continent's individual states and their creative pieces.
(The Miami Herald 4/29/2005)
Profile men's couturier and a tailor
(The Miami Herald 1/3/2007)
Blurbs about the most interesting pieces the boutique has to offer. Example:
What we love: Nigerian crocodile bag, $2,500
Why we love it: Not for the faint of heart, it's an artistic piece that will safely guard your MP3.
(The Miami Herald 1/10/2007)
Profile on a clothing label called Wilster, a luxurious line of practical clothes redefined by lush draping.
(Krik! Krak! Catwalk! 11/5/2009)
Profile on Haitian Fashion show happening in Little Haiti, Miami.
(The Miami Herald 6/28/2006)
Profile on a designer/ boutique owner who creates looks reminiscent of Tracy Reese, but without a Tracy Reese price tag.
(The Miami Herald 8/30/2006)
a list of quick blurbs, regarding the best pieces in this collection
