CHEF’S TABLE – Café Pastis
CHEF Owner Philippe Jacquet RESTAURANT Café Pastis FACTS A native of Marseille, Chef Philippe received his culinary training in Paris, and worked in the Caribbean, in New York City (under Chef Daniel Baluc), and in San Francisco, before moving to Miami in the late 1980s. He always is an activist for fresh, flavorful simple food ... Read more
CHEF’S TABLE – Café Bonjour
CHEF Ernst Pierre RESTAURANT Café Bonjour 6222 South Dixie Hwy | 305.665.6261 FACTS A Bahamian native of Haitian descent, the chef received his culinary training at Ferry State College in Michigan. He has worked with Ahmed & Veronique Youbi for the past two years. The French café has now been open for six years on ... Read more
CHEF’S TABLE – OLD LISBON
CHEF/Owner Rui Martins, General Manager & Executive Chef Daniel Roman RESTAURANT OLD LISBON FACTS The restaurant is celebrating its 5th year anniversary: Februrary 2015. Chef Roman has worked at Old Lisbon since the beginning; the prior 16 years he was chef at Brasserie on Brickell. SOMI kitchens Recipes from our Town Center Chefs INGREDIENTS Serves ... Read more
WINE AND SPIRITS – HOLIDAY CHEER COCKTAIL RECIPES
Here are three suggesting for entertaining guests this holiday season, courtesy of Food Network and chefs Trisha Yearwood, Bobby Flay and Tyler Florence. Gingerbread Martini Ingredients: 4 ounces Irish cream liqueur, such as Baileys 4 ounces vodka, such as Kettle One 2 ounces coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua 2 ounces Gingerbread Syrup, recipe follows 2 ... Read more
CHEF’S TABLE – LA CREPE BISTRO
CHEF/Owner Owner Florence Riguidel & Chef Marie Dana Jean-Charles RESTAURANT LA CREPE BISTRO FACTS Florence Riguidel acquired this quaint bistro earlier this year. The chef has been with La Crepe Bistro for many years serving up specialties known at La Crepe SOMI Kitchens Recipes from our Town Center Chefs INGREDIENTS Serves 6 – 8 persons ... Read more
WINE AND SPIRITS – MIX-OL-O-GY
THE COCKTAIL AS A CULINARY ART FORM Odds are you’ve heard the phrase “craft cocktails” at a bar or restaurant recently. It’s such an in vogue term, that often comes however with very little explanation, even when found on a menu. Basically, a “craft cocktail” is one in which all elements are handmade or made ... Read more
CHEF’S TABLE – CEVICHE VERDE
CHEF/Owner Ze Carlos Jiménez RESTAURANTTHE MEXZICAN GOURMET FACTS A native of Cuautla Morelos, Mexico, Chef Ze Carlos Jimenez has over twenty years in the kitchen and hosts a regular cooking show on Utilismia Fox, Hogar Express. He opened his restaurant in late 2011 in the historic Dorn Brothers (Harvey Amster Properties) building. SOMI kitchens Recipes from ... Read more
SOMI CELLAR – CORK BOARD MEMORIES
While brainstorming the topic for this article, I found myself staring at the humongous corkboard hanging on my living-room wall. Many corks were reminders of personal memories, while others had no significance, and oddly enough those had the most meaning. I’ll explain. After years of working in the wine industry, I had collected quite a ... Read more
FILTERED VS UNFILTERED*
I am often asked about the differences between filtered and unfiltered wines, and which are better to drink. Although the debate over filtered versus unfiltered remains unresolved with little scientific research, there are questions to consider before making an informed decision, such as: 1) What is filtration?, 2) How does the process affect wine?, and ... Read more