Ask the Chef

The Grateful Palate's Executive Chef, Hector Lopez, Shares His Recipe for Kangaroo Pithivier

By Nicole Danna Wed., Apr. 3 2013 at 8:00 AM
Categories: Ask the Chef
The Grateful Palate Salmon Tartare Photo Credit Andres Aravena.jpg
Andres Aravena
The Grateful Palate's salmon tartare.

If you're looking for a reason to be grateful for good food in Fort Lauderdale, be sure to stop by the Grateful Palate. With a colorful global menu and inspiring up-and-coming chef behind exotic, creative small plates, it's an unexpected treat hidden amid the businesses that make up the city's bustling 17th Street yachting district.

The Grateful Palate's executive chef, Hector Lopez, oversees all of the operations of the restaurant, including the restaurant's busy yacht provisioning department. Unlike most chefs, Lopez's responsibilities include developing recipes and designing the restaurant's seasonal menu, as well as coordinating the purchasing of some very hard-to-find products from all over the world.

Here, it's not unusual for customers to request offbeat ingredients including guinea pig and kangaroo.

More »
Email to Friend
Print Article
Ask the Chef

Sweetwater Bar & Grill: Executive Chef Alberto Diaz Revamps His Menu

By Nicole Danna Mon., Feb. 11 2013 at 6:21 AM
Categories: Ask the Chef
albertodiaz.jpg
Nicole Danna
Alberto Diaz at Sweetwater in Boynton Beach.
Sweetwater Executive Chef Alberto Diaz has always enjoyed cooking. Originally from Puerto Rico, he was always looking to perfect his craft at home, preparing standard Latin cuisine for his family.

"I was always trying to make the perfect mofongo, the best braised pork shoulder, or the quinitessential rice and beans," Diaz said.

It never occurred to him that one day he'd switch from a career in communications to becoming a full-time professional chef. 

Diaz's kitchen career began at Apicius in Lantana, a high-end Italian eatery that closed in late 2011. His passion grew alongside chef Mario Molliere -- a French-born chef who has cooked for a three-star Michelin restaurant -- from whom Diaz learned to cook like the best of them. 

Today, Diaz executes dishes that balance flavor, texture and color to match the hand-crafted cocktails served alongside his food at Sweetwater Bar & Grill in Boynton Beach.

See Also:

More »
Email to Friend
Print Article
Ask the Chef

When a Restaurant Experience is Horrible, Is It Ever OK Not to Pay?

By Aaron Merullo Thu., Jan. 24 2013 at 8:19 AM
Categories: Ask the Chef

CPC Serving-food-at-busy-rest-0011edited.jpeg
Laine Doss' report in New Times yesterday regarding the alleged shoddy treatment of a foodie blogger in a newly opened establishment in Miami brought to mind painful memories of a similar experience I had years ago, and begs the question, at what point during a "horrible" dining experience is it OK to get up and leave? Or, is it never "OK" to bolt without paying? The line, if there is one, is blurry at best. We have all had bad experiences in restaurants before. Poor food quality, bad service, cleanliness issues, you name it -- there are many opportunities for restaurants to lose our business. Have you had an experience that was so bad, that you left without paying, even after attempting to make it right with management?

More »
Email to Friend
Print Article
Ask the Chef

Saigon Tokyo In Greenacres Is Truly a Hidden Gem

By Aaron Merullo Mon., Jan. 14 2013 at 5:03 AM
Categories: Ask the Chef
saigon_tokyo_pho.jpg
When I am feeling guilty about my recent eating habits, I like to head over to Saigon Tokyo in Greenacres. Nothing gets me back on the right track like eating a huge bowl of pho, and Saigon Tokyo prepares it consistently well. First off, please don't judge this place by appearance only. It looks like any other strip mall variety "sushi-Thai" joint that you have seen in South Florida, swarming with retirees looking to use two coupons at the same time, but you have to see this menu! I have not found a better Vietnamese restaurant anywhere in Palm Beach County.More »
Email to Friend
Print Article
Ask the Chef

Napoleon Bakery in West Palm Beach: Homemade Sausage, Spanish Tapas, and Canned Oysters

By Aaron Merullo Mon., Dec. 24 2012 at 8:29 AM
Categories: Ask the Chef
inside-the-cafeedited.jpg
Trip Advisor
I have driven past Napoleon Bakery about 870 times and never given it a second glance until the other day, when upon the urging of my friend Steve, we stopped in.

The facade of the building looks a bit Disney-esque, like a candy "shoppe" in Fantasyland circa 1970. Clapboard covered windows, flower filled window boxes, and a cheesy orange and pink color scheme complete Napoleon's look, two stories of homemade goodness on an otherwise desolate stretch of Dixie Highway.More »
Email to Friend
Print Article
Ask the Chef

Last Desserts: Michael Mercogliano, Owner of Mike's Pastry, Dies

By Aaron Merullo Fri., Dec. 14 2012 at 7:15 AM
Categories: Ask the Chef

mikes-pastry-bostonedited.jpg
Athena Chang

If any of you guys have followed my foodie blog at ps561.com, you would know a few things about me, one of which, is that I grew up in the Boston area and have an unhealthy obsession for some traditional New England favorites that I am unable to acquire living down here in South Florida, one of which being pastries from Mike's in the North End...



More »

Tags:

boston, Michael Mercogliano
Email to Friend
Print Article
Ask the Chef

Sunrise Considers Food Truck Ban: Is the Hype Justified?

By Aaron Merullo Wed., Dec. 5 2012 at 7:29 AM
Categories: Ask the Chef

sunrise_foodtrucks_banned.jpg
Unless you have been living under a rock, or north of West Palm Beach, you may have noticed the rise of the gourmet food truck scene in South Florida over the past two years. The popular rolling cafes are often credited with revitalizing underused land parcels and parking lots in many cities by holding weekly or monthly gatherings. As a food truck owner, I have a vested interest in seeing the movement progress, but as a professional eater, frequent diner, and friend of many in the local restaurant biz, I see both sides of the coin.

More »

Tags:

food trucks
Email to Friend
Print Article
Ask the Chef

Meet Johndavid Hensley, the New Chef at Delray Beach's Prime

By Tricia Woolfenden Sun., Nov. 25 2012 at 5:01 AM
Categories: Ask the Chef, Restaurant News

Chef JohnDavid Hensley_Headshot.jpg.jpg
Courtesy photo
Chef Johndavid Hensley is loving the beach life.

Chef Johndavid Henlsey -- the new chef at Prime in Delray Beach -- made his name in the culinary scene in New York City and the Hamptons, in such places as the Russian Tea Room and Indian Cove. But the lure of a slower, less pretentious lifestyle and a beachside existence convinced him to ditch New York state and relocate to South Florida.

"I fell in love with Delray; the town, the lifestyle," Hensley said.

See Also:
- South Florida Restaurant News: Wicked Awesome Snackbar Changes Hands and Prime Delray Gets a New Chef
- Prime Delray Opens on Atlantic Avenue
- Delray Beach Named "Most Fun Small Town in the United States": Celebrate at Deck 84


More »

Tags:

Delray Beach, Johndavid Hensley, new chef, Prime, restaurant news
Email to Friend
Print Article
Ask the Chef

Lovely Fall Recipe: Pear and Maytag Blue Cheese Frittata with Applewood Bacon Jam

By Nicole Danna Mon., Nov. 19 2012 at 11:46 AM
Categories: Ask the Chef
pearnbluecheeze.jpg
Pear and blue cheese: the ultimate fall food pairing.

Chef Wes Bonner has been with the Aprons Cooking School for the past several years, where he instructs people on all levels of cooking, from simple basics to entire Thanksgiving meals.

See also:

Bonner was kind enough to share a favorite recipe: a pear and Maytag blue cheese frittata with Applewood bacon jam:



More »

Tags:

blue cheese, pears, recipe
Email to Friend
Print Article
Ask the Chef

Chef Wes Bonner Talks about High School Cooking Classes and This Weekend's Boca Wine & Food Festival

By Nicole Danna Fri., Nov. 9 2012 at 8:41 AM
Categories: Ask the Chef
Wes_Bonner_publix_chef.jpg
Unlike most chefs, Wes Bonner didn't grow up cooking with his parents, or experimenting in the kitchen at home. Instead, it was school -- not culinary school, but a high school cooking program -- that would help him develop a passion for cooking.

Today, 28-year-old Bonner has done a lot over the course of his 9-year career, traveling across Florida -- even overseas -- to cook for some high-profile hotels like The Ritz Carlton, Mandarin Oriental and the Four Seasons, just to name a few. 

Most recently, Bonner has stepped into a teaching role with South Florida's favorite grocery chain, Publix, as a chef for one of the grocery retailer's two local area Publix Apron Cooking Schools. 

Although he began in Boca Raton, Bonner now heads the team at the Plantation cooking school, where customers can learn to cook gourmet meals with their seafood, meats, produce and products.

A true South Florida chef, Bonner will also be joining the team of local culinary professionals participating in this year's 3rd annual Boca Raton Wine and Food Festival, taking place this weekend, November 9 through November 11. Hailed as one of the largest outdoor culinary events in South Florida, the festival will be a three day, multi-sensory affair that brings together over 100 of South Florida's top chefs for a weekend food pairings, tastings and dinners. 

This year, Bonner will be heading a culinary team that will be preparing dishes for the festival's food pairing event known as Perfect Pairings, where a panel of chefs will be executing dishes meant to be paired with various wines on Saturday, November 12. 

For the Q&A with Bonner, keep reading:


More »

Tags:

Cooking schools
Email to Friend
Print Article
VOICE Daily Deals

From the Vault

 

Slideshows»

Restaurants

More >>

Links

Choice Eats


National Blogs

©2013 New Times BPB, LLC, All rights reserved.
Loading...