​"I was hearing from customers that our salsa just wasn't hot enough," said Joseph Parsons, chef at Jo-Jo's Tacos in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. "So I decided to make a salsa from the hottest stuff I could find." More >>

​When given the choice between Italian sausage or hot dogs, in my past it had been no brainer. Despite that they're both made with animal innards, pork and pork fat is more of a delight than beef parts--or whatever's inside hot dog casings. Italian sausage also arrives on better bread, the crusty Italian roll. More >>

​Las Olas Gourmet and Wine tucks around the corner from the main drag, though you wouldn't know it. A respectable eat-in option, it's a lunch spot and after work stop-off that remains below the radar, despite that it opened in 2003. More >>

​Only two more days until Clean Plate Charlie Night at PL8, during which diners at the restaurant between 6 and 9 p.m. on Thursday can weigh in on menu items to help determine the final cut.

At dinner, you'll receive this ballot, on which you can rank delicious dishes a 5, which equals
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​A few weeks ago, at the start of September, I hit up a favorite little oyster bar back in D.C. only to be served a dozen that bathed in opaque milky liquor. Milky oysters aren't a sign that they're bad, but it is a sign they're spawning: a sure bet they'll be thin and flaccid, their flavor diminished. Since they were less-than-ideal, I sent them back.

Oyster season is one I adhere to religiously, despite More >>

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Tuna tartar is among the more photogenic bites to make an appearance at this year's event.

​As we're counting down to the New Times Pairings event this Thursday at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, I've been perusing lineups as they're posted over at Wine Watch. Some trends so far: Restaurants are counting on pork buns, sliders, meatballs, and tacos to please crowds. Lamb makes an appearance as a slider and as a coffee-braised cheek dish. Ceviche, tartar, and sushi are offered up aplenty. Big reds pair with beef raviolis or pasta and sausage dishes. And from what I gather, beer pairings weave throughout the event, something I've been wanting in restaurants around town but have found very little of on everyday menus (special events are another story). Some teasers after the jump.
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​I've been told that Sushi 1 is the best takeout sushi in the area. That it's Japanese-owned and jam-packed at lunch are confirmations.

The three times I've been I've found the sushi to have been... fine. I miss ginger-colored ginger as opposed to the neon-pink kind and rolls made with real crab. Still. When I'm hit with a sushi craving, I'll take what I can get. And I want to love it here. (I'll keep trying.)

In the past, I've gone by this loose list of takeout criteria for picking sushi places that offer the most flavorful fish, but I'm thinking that I'll have to abandon a couple of them here. I know I'm likely one of those people whom sushi chefs hate, though I don't use wasabi, I eat pieces with my hands, and I agree that (overfished) tuna usually sucks.

On to the list.

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​Lauderdalians with a hankering for jerk have been fortunate to have Jerk Machine, Catherine and Desmond Malcolm's take out joint that offers up rustic Jamaican fare. What it lacks in pretty it makes up for in flavor.

I'd become a jerk fan by accident in DC, when a friend had come across a recipe he'd perfected that called for a half cup of all-spice and some

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​A rooftop panorama, a jacuzzi, lounge beds, and a window into underwater goings-on accompany lunch at the W Hotel's rooftop pool, open to the public on Sundays. Depending on how you look at it, your afternoon may be a feast for the eyes orMore >>

​This week's review by the inimitable Lee Klein is the flapjack flip-off, the pseudo contest in its tenth year. In the article he gives a nod to Old Fort Lauderdale Breakfast House, where I've managed to become a regular. As much as I like the pancake, I'm a fan of poached eggs so fresh the yolk is orange, served with a slice of Gran Forno bread for mopping. A little yogurt and fresh fruit on the side, and I'm sated for the day.More >>