Mofongo! It sounds like a battle cry. Actually, it's a word of African pedigree for a classic Puerto Rican preparation of mashed green plantains with garlic and pork crackling. Like many dishes from La Isla, as its children call it, mofongo has much in common with classics from Cuba (fufú) and the Dominican Republic (mangú).
MIAMI-DADE REVIEW
Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak is a coup for South Florida foodies -- at least those with wallets or expense accounts fat enough to cover tabs that effortlessly top 150 bucks per person. It's one of a dozen restaurants by Mina, an award-winning San Francisco chef with a reputation for keeping standards high as he has expanded his brand.
MIAMI-DADE REVIEW
Sazón aims high. Its menu is a designed piece: bound in wood, filled with big black and white photos of old Cuba and brief histories of classic Cuban dishes. This summer, the North Beach restaurant will add a full bar. And the music on the sound system is the real Cuban thing, from Beny Moré to Los Van Van.
We kept waiting for Cefalo's Italian Village to find its stride. With its wine shop, wine bar, market, deli and restaurant, it should have been one of the best things to hit Coconut Grove in a long time.
MIAMI-DADE REVIEW
You wouldn't expect to find authentic Spanish cuisine -- moderately priced, at that -- in a Pinecrest shopping center. But there it is on South Dixie Highway, Rincón Español (Spanish corner).
MIAMI-DADE REVIEW
Il Gabbiano is setting new standards in Miami for Italian food. Mind you, this is not the kind of refined meal you might be served in Piemonte nor the rustically simple ''cucina povera'' from Puglia nor even the luscious tapestry of Lazio's fare -- though you will definitely find delicious renditions of dishes from those regions and others.
MIAMI-DADE REVIEW
Poised on the shore near the bridge to posh Bay Harbor Islands, the one-time Mark's Place space fell on hard times after Mark Militello moved out a dozen years ago. A couple of dining enterprises gave it a whirl and failed. This time, however, Two Chefs Too has backup.
MIAMI-DADE REVIEW
It's Brosia, not ''ambrosia,'' as anyone familiar with Greek mythology or Southern fruit salads might think. ''It doesn't mean anything, but it sounds Mediterranean,'' says owner Scott Engelman.
MIAMI-DADE ROUNDUP
Despite its upscale demographics, Key Biscayne is not restaurant country. There are more and, to a large extent, better spots to eat in working-class neighborhoods. One must assume that hungry residents gun their luxury wheels toward the Gables and the Beach, or let the hired help cook their dinners.
MIAMI-DADE REVIEW
It's the hit of Homestead and proof that the area has more to offer than tacos and NASCAR races. Miyagi, named for a coastal Japanese city and the inspiring teacher in Karate Kid, is the kind of place any neighborhood would be glad to call its own.
MIAMI-DADE REVIEW
Portuguese food, like all matters Iberian, takes a back seat to its Spanish cousin. Still, South Florida has a handful of Portuguese restaurants, and the food is, as expected, not far from Spanish: lots of olive oil and garlic, fish, mollusks, sausage, beans.
MIAMI-DADE ROUNDUP
Food fans in town for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival will want to taste what's new beyond the tents and TV chefs. We're happy to report that in the past 12 months, several restaurants have hit the Miami scene with excellent food, knowledgeable service and winning vibe -- a rare South Florida trifecta.
MIAMI-DADE ROUNDUP
The 79th Street Causeway and the neighborhoods it connects are a demographic hodgepodge. On the mainland, the scruffy stretch between Biscayne Boulevard and the water demonstrates that the ''up and coming Upper East Side'' still has its down side.
