The Low-Down on Le Bon

If you caught this week's episode of Check, Please! South Florida, you probably noticed a departure in format from other shows.  That's because one of the restaurateurs, who intially agreed to be featured on the show, changed his mind and declined to appear.  Grazziano Sbroggio, owner of Le Bon, is planning to revamp the concept of the restaurant.  Due to these upcoming changes (details of which have not yet been disclosed), he did not wish to be interviewed on the show.

Calling All Florida Foodies!

Hello out there....wait, let me pick up my bullhorn...HELLO ALL YOU FOODIES OUT THERE.  I know you're out there.  Let me hear you.  You know I'm talking to you.  In your group of friends, you're known as "restaurant 411."  You're passionate about trying new restaurants and wonder why everyone doesn't share you're same enthusiasm.  LET'S TALK.

For me, it started as a quest to find the best Thai food in South Florida.  I moved to South Florida about five years ago from Chicago.  Now, if any of you have ever been to Chicago, you know you are surrounded with great food.  I'm talking about food that was prepared by someone who wants you to dream about their food until you come back for more. 

A Discovery in the Green Room

My appearance on Check, Please! was scheduled just before our long-awaited trip to VinItaly.  If there is a world's fair of wine, VinItaly is it.  Imagine a Super Walmart sized building filled with hundreds of vintners, each in their own booth pouring their wine.  Now, imagine 14 buildings just like it.  That's VinItaly.

Liana's Picks

Greetings Check, Please! fans.  I'm excited about the new June episodes -- not only because it's a great show, but because I had the fortune of being a guest reviewer.  I am still pinching myself for getting the chance to review my favorite restaurant -- and getting to gush about it to Michelle Bernstein!  I hope you like my pick as much as I do.  While we wait for upcoming episodes, check out my blog: http://eatdrinkgo.blogspot.com/ where I review some of South Florida's best eateries.  I hear there's some buzz about my South Florida sushi entry (http://eatdrinkgo.blogspot.com/2008/05/best-sushi-in-sofla.html) So enjoy!

Mangia,

Liana Sucar, Guest, Episode 107 

Our own Top Chef!

Our own culinary queen and host of Check, Please! South Florida, Michelle Bernstein was recognized with a coveted James Beard award this past weekend for Best Chef in the South.  (And if you've ever enjoyed a dinner at Michy's, you know why!)

In weeks leading up to the award ceremony, Michelle joked that she would likely be the Susan Lucci of the culinary world.  But not so!  This was her year to shine.  Check out the recent Sun-Sentinel blurb.

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/features/food/restaurants/blog/2008/06/michelle_bernstein_one_of_amer.html#comments

The Spirit of Dining

I work in the spirits industry for St. Germain, Delice De Surreau, (Elderflower Liquor).  I am frequently in restaurants and can immediately tell what type of establishment it is by scanning the bar to see what is offered in terms of spirits.  Then, I scan the cocktail menu, not to see what kinds of cocktails are offered, but to see what kinds of ingredients are in those cocktails...i.e. fresh, local, high-end/high-quality spirits, liqueurs, etc.  I am a very simple Caribbean/Southern girl, but spend a great deal of time in higher-end establishments because of work.

Recession-Proof Your Dining Experience

Working on my www.RecipeExchange.com website, judging for the American Pie Council, and creating the Sand Sifters Beach Clean-Up organization, my time is limited.  The last thing I want to do is have a disappointing restaurant experience. I am so glad that I found "Check, Please!"  It enables me to view and listen to comments on restaurants that I have never dined at before.  I can then determine whether this would be an enjoyable experience for me without wasting my time and precious resources.

As a home cook, my recipe repertoire is very large.  Watching "Check, Please!" introduces me to new culinary creations that I can try in my own kitchen.  It is a marvelous way to bring to the table dishes that you may never have served to your family before.  I simply visit the restaurant, order the dish, and if I love it, create it at home.  I am proud to say that I have added numerous recipes to my home menu from watching the show.  I hope that you have a great experience, too!

-- Gary Solomon, Guest, Episode 105

I'm Not a Waiter; I Just Play One in Real Life

I love to dine out. In fact, I would call myself a "foodie." Foodie is a term I've heard more and more often in recent years. I suppose my entrance into foodie-dom happened about ten years ago in Yountville, California. It was there I had a life-changing meal at the French Laundry. I can remember actually feeling awareness heighten because of the cuisine I was enjoying. It was probably the closest thing to a spiritual experience I've ever had without Jesus.

So with my newfound awareness, I was shooting off to Charlie Trotter's in Chicago and Gunter Seeger's in Atlanta, and any other place that earned the title, "Mobil 5 Star." These places became my mecca, and I their pilgrim. As this was happening, I also began searching for any local out-of-the-way place to find interesting cuisine. And Saturday morning always included a trip to the green market down the street to pick up the week's vegetables and fruits. Success for me was finding a local taqueria where nobody spoke English with amazing Chile Rellenos. Tripe tacos were always a bonus.

Why Dine Out?

In these days of economic downturn - read: diminished dining out for most of us -- local restaurants are obviously suffering. As our production crew visits these spots that will be featured in the upcoming season of Check, Please! South Florida, it's especially sad to see young, promising South Florida chefs with empty dining rooms and quiet kitchens. Even in this tourist town, the trend of frugality over frivolity, and home-cooked meals over on-the-town treats, can be witnessed in restaurants across South Florida -- from the large, corporate celebrity-chef-driven spots to local family-run joints.

As we produce these brand new episodes of Check, Please!, we are hopeful that restaurants will stick it out. We know that once word gets out about their incredible food, viewers will throng to the place, in search of a truly unique (and sometimes unbelievably bargain-priced!) dining experience. We're talking about places where the owners and chefs truly appreciate the fact that you chose to patronize and support their restaurant.

Great Dining 101

Good Day, South Florida Foodies!

While all of us do not generally go into a restaurant with intentions of actively critiquing it, we do always hope to have a great dining, lunching, brunching or breakfasting experience. But, how exactly does one guarantee a memorable, positive culinary experience? Thinking back to the best times I have had at restaurants, I am surprised by how much was based on what I brought to the experience, rather than by the restaurant itself. I have always been a proponent of the idea that great eating is something that changes a person in some way- making their day fuller or their palette more experienced. However, is the change something that is already instilled in a person before said culinary event? It’s like the age-old question: Which came first; the chicken or the egg? In this case, I am beginning to think that enjoying the chicken and the egg depends heavily on what culinary attitude one brings to the experience. If I were to narrow down the factors that have ensured great, memorable eats, they could easily be counted on one hand.