Local Food Chatter

The first Chipotle Mexican Grill opened just weeks ago in North Miami, and now a South Miami branch is being readied to premier in the former Krispy Kreme doughnut shop on South Dixie Highway....Two Chefs is heading the opposite direction, the landmark South Miami restaurant debuting a second shop in the old Blue Oyster Grill location in North Miami later this year. In the meanwhile, chef/owner Jan Jorgensen just released Two Chefs' new “Fourth Quarter” menu....North One 10 has announced that it has reopened for lunch (Tuesday through Friday), and will continue its Miami Spice menu through November.

October will be a busy month for the Biltmore Hotel as it hosts a half dozen special wine, spirit, and culinary events. It begins October 9 with an Old World vs. New World wine tasting (Argentina, Australia, and the U.S. against France and Spain), and culminates on the 24th with a Wine & Spirits Around The World Dinner featuring selections of Champagne, Chablis, Pinot Noir, and Amarone, and a “very special Rémy Martin Louis XIII Cognac moment”. Biltmore chef Philippe Ruiz will provide exquisite fare to pair (call 305-913-3203 for details).

Ten Miami restaurants (including a couple that have since closed) are spotlighted in a new cookbook …

with very long title, Impress for Less! Finally Terrific Recipes from the Finest Restaurants You Can Really Make at Home (John Wiley & Sons, August 2007). With the help of author Hope Fox, you can now clumsily attempt to recreate your favorite dishes from Azul, Norman’s, Pascal’s on Ponce, Cacao, Carmen the Restaurant, Chef Allen’s, Chispa, Ortanique, Talula, and Wish.....If you prefer gathering recipes and national culinary news over the internet, try the excellent site www.foodarts.com....

--Lee Klein