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Scott Conant, Paula DaSilva & Daniel Boulud
are among Miami's celebrity chefs |
Turns out LeBron isn't the only super star bringing his talents
to South Beach. The FoodTV Network's annual South Beach Wine and Food
Festival fills local hotels, restaurants and bars with the biggest names
in the culinary industry, making South Florida the center of the
Celebrity Chef Universe for one delicious February weekend.
With live cooking demonstrations by day and star chef's dinner parties
and midnight champagne bashes by night, the myriad opportunities for
foodies to get up close and personal with their favorite TV stars drives
the event's success.
Much like a rock star's concert tour, online ticket sales for the a
la carte events are announced in early fall and most of the programs
sell out months in advance. Once the chefs arrive on South Beach, truly
dedicated fans (with a little high tech ingenuity) can follow their
favorite chefs on Twitter, which makes it easy to find the stars out
drinking, dancing or dining at the Raleigh Hotel pool.
Reality cooking shows like "Chopped" on FoodTV, BravoTV's "Top Chef" and
Gordon Ramsay's "Hell's Kitchen" attract millions of devoted viewers to
a genre that used to be considered one notch below soap operas on
daytime television.
When Julia Child first started demonstrating her French cooking
techniques on public television in 1963, the show was largely regarded
as an afternoon diversion for suburban housewives. By the 1980's,
caterer-turned-cookbook-author Martha Stewart rocketed to the top of the
New York Times Bestseller List, appearing on "The Oprah Winfrey Show"
and "Larry King Live" to promote her publications before taking to the
airwaves with her own lifestyle program in 1993. By the time the 1995
cover of New York Magazine named Stewart the "Definitive Woman of Our
Time," the notion of a global culinary brand name was born. Martha
Stewart Living Omnimedia - which became a publicly traded company on the
New York Stock Exchange in 1999 - currently covers cooking, crafts,
catering, wedding planning, home & garden design, organizing tips and
branded housewares, all neatly promoted through her successful magazine,
merchandise catalogs, popular website and syndicated television
programming.
Today's celebrity chefs like Rachel Ray host popular daytime chat shows,
prime time cooking competitions and nighttime travel series where chefs
Tony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern roam the world in search of unique
ethnic foods. Their faces beam from the covers of best selling
cookbooks, tell-all memoirs and glossy magazines. Their pricey cookware
gleams on department store shelves and their name brand restaurants fill
posh resorts from Las Vegas to Dubai.
Oddly enough, some of the most
recognizable chefs on television today find their schedules so filled
with book tours and personal appearances, there is little time left for
actual cooking (unless there is a camera on the scene). Miami foodies
have a passion for celebrity chef culture and flock to restaurants where
the chefs work on site or have helped to develop the menus.
For travelers who love to watch their favorite chefs on television, here
is our quick guide to the top ten toques cooking up some big name chow
in Greater Miami right now. As Julia Child would say, "Bon Appétit!"
Geoffrey Zakarian
Tudor House at the Dream
1111 Collins Avenue, South Beach
The recent re-launch of the Dream Hotel on South Beach added some
summertime heat to the celebrity chef scene when it was announced that
TV's favorite "Chopped" judge, Geoffrey Zakarian (chef for the Lamb's
Club and The National) will oversee the menu at the Tudor House
Restaurant. Named for the original Collins Avenue property, the Tudor
House and Palmer House hotels were carefully combined to create the
boutique Dream Hotel. Serving American comfort food, a great breakfast
and divine sundown cocktails on the terrace, this dream-like bistro
features gleaming chrome chairs, potted palms, retro terrazzo floors and
a decidedly Rat Pack vibe. While Zakarian will not stick around to
supervise day-to-day operations, news of his involvement with the menu
definitely puts the Tudor House on the map.
Paula DaSilva
1500 Degrees at the Eden Roc Renaissance Hotel & Spa
4525 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
Following a $220 million dollar renovation, the landmark Eden Roc Hotel
recruited Gordon Ramsay's "Hell's Kitchen" alum Paula DaSilva to run
their farm-to-table steakhouse overlooking the breathtaking
infinity-edge seaside pool. Turns out 1500 Degrees is the ideal
temperature setting for a truly effective grill.
While Miami Beach
steakhouses seem an easy formula for attracting tourist dollars, DaSilva's menu starts with perfectly seared beef and moves quickly
forward with a toothsome variety of fresh seasonal veggies and
Florida-fresh seafood. The 160-seat wood and leather accented dining
room provides a view to the open kitchen, but on a balmy night the
poolside patio is the real draw. DaSilva offers a daily chef's tasting
menu, a variety of seasonal small plates and a pristine selection from
the raw bar.
With the glitz and glamour of so many South Beach
steakhouses and the Vegas-style firepower of the Fontainebleau Resort
just next door, 1500 Degrees still manages to turn up the heat for Miami
Beach diners who appreciate the efforts of a celebrity chef who survived
"Hell's Kitchen" to get where she is today.
Scott Conant, Alan Yau & Alfred Portale
Fontainebleau Resort & Spa
4441 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
One of the perks of celebrity chef stardom is the lucrative opportunity
to lend your name to a rich variety of restaurants that stand in support
of your worldwide brand. Celebrity chefs are some of the most important
draws in Las Vegas and the triple threat of Scott Conant, Alan Yau &
Alfred Portale make the dazzling updates at the fully renovated
Fontainebleau Resort all the more significant.
Five star dining is the
hallmark of a luxury travel experience and guests at Miami Beach's
largest resort can enjoy the breathtaking two-story Gotham
Steak, the sleek and sexy Asian oasis Hakkasan or the rustic simplicity
of Scarpetta's signature Italian bistro.
Portale's landmark Gotham Bar
and Grill stands as the New York inspiration for his modern American
steakhouse by the sea where fresh seafood, specialty cuts of meat and a
500-bottle wine list attract hotel guests and loyal locals year round.
London's first Michelin-starred Asian restaurant makes it's US debut at
the Fontainebleau serving upscale riffs on traditional Chinese dishes
including a wildly popular weekend dim sum brunch that's the best in
town.
Chef Scott Conant has attained super star status for his humble
pastas in New York City where great Italian restaurants are easy to
find. Recognized everywhere for his role as a judge on FoodTV's
"Chopped," Conant's mushroom polenta, braised short ribs and signature
spaghetti with tomato and basil are now stars in their own right at his
elegant seaside dining room.
Always popular with celebrities and
socialites, the Fontainebleau makes it easy to taste these world famous
chef's dishes at some truly elegant restaurants.
Jean-George Vongerichten
J & G Grill at the St. Regis
9701 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour
Jean-George Vongerichten (JoJo, Vong, Prime Steakhouse, Spice Market)
will open his first endeavor in South Florida at the tony new St. Regis
Bal Harbour sometime in 2012. J & G Grill will be patterned after his
successful ABC Kitchen in Manhattan which was recently named Best New
Restaurant of 2011 by the prestigious James Beard Foundation.
ABC serves
fresh, organic and local ingredients in an artfully designed dining room
under the daily direction of Executive Chef Daniel Kluger. Designed by
the ABC Home creative team, over 70% of the menu comes from within 90
miles of the busy kitchen.
Showcasing local produce drives Miami's best
new restaurants like Michael's Genuine Food & Drink and Midtown's
Sustain to great success, so this formula will surely make J & G Grill a
top spot in Bal Harbour in the new year.
Jean-George's Fern Restaurant
takes pride of place at the St. Regis' luxurious Bahia Beach Resort
property in Puerto Rico. Built from the ground up on the original site
of Morris Lapidus' Americana Hotel, the Bal Harbour property will
comprise both luxury oceanfront residences and upscale hotel rooms.
Makoto Okuwa
Makoto at the Bal Harbour Shops
9700 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour
There's no doubt a pretty daunting shadow cast by Iron Chef Masaharu
Morimoto as he vanquishes his opponents at TV's Kitchen Stadium season
after season. Standing right by his side for 13 episodes, Sous Chef
Makoto Okuwa went on to help Morimoto launch successful Japanese
restaurants across the globe.
Working as an executive sushi chef, Makoto
recently kicked off another venture in Los Angeles before taking the
spotlight at restaurateur Stephen Starr's 200-seat haute Japanese
venture at the Bal Harbour Mall.
Finally taking center stage, Makoto's
menu showcases modern riffs on cooked Japanese dishes plus his own
signature sushi creations, boutique sakes and a full robata grill. The
indoor/outdoor space is sexy and sophisticated, but definitely designed
to keep the focus on the food. Standing by Makoto's side during the
opening months, Top Chef All Star Dale Talde serves as the Director of
Asian Concepts for the Starr Organization where he and Makoto helped to
open Morimoto together in New York. Chef Makoto remains on site as his
first eponymous restaurant develops a strong Miami fan base.
Daniel Boulud
db Bistro Moderne at the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel
255 Biscayne Boulevard Way, Miami
Downtown Miamians in need of a little extra lunchtime
pampering were recently thrilled to learn that celebrity chef Daniel Boulud's db Bistro Moderne has added a gourmet sandwich bar serving
upscale $15 soup and sammie combos including a house made bratwurst, a
mojo-roasted pork "Croque Señor" (think Cuban sandwich with a French
twist) and a Cape Cod-worthy lobster roll.
This latest innovation from
Miami's exciting new Franco-American bistro adds a bit of wiggle room to
the 5 star dining experience which spans a lofty main dining room, a
stylish bar and lounge space as well as a street level terrace facing
the busy Miami River.
Popular for lunch, Sunday brunch, and the Lucky
Seven Happy Hour (where everything is $7), db Bistro captures the sizzle
of Miami but never loses sight of our decidedly casual lifestyle.
Appealing to the working man, the pleasure cruiser and a growing
Downtown residential population, db Bistro Moderne knows how to gain
traction in the highly competitive Miami restaurant scene.
Micah Edelstein
NeMesis Urban Bistro
1035 North Miami Avenue, Miami
After a whirlwind season on BravoTV's Top Chef, Micah Edelstein landed
an executive chef gig at the Design District's Grass Lounge where her
innovative tropical menu captured the imagination of foodies and fickle
hipsters for a little while.
In the past few months, she took to the
pages of FaceBook to document the development of her own venture on a
quiet corner of Downtown Miami where she and business partner Harald
Oechsner have crafted a quirky dining room with vintage chairs,
reclaimed church pews and mixed Indonesian batik prints.
The eclectic
decor is meant to evoke Edelstein's culinary wanderlust. She's crafting
a brief set menu inspired by her world travels and then adding a daily
roster of specials driven by the local markets and her own sense of
whimsy.
She hopes to make guests feel like they've come to her house for
dinner - an idea that will hopefully warm up the rather desolate stretch
of Downtown Miami that NeMesis Urban Bistro calls home.
Michelle Bernstein
Michy's (also Sra. Martinez, Crumb on Parchment)
6927 Biscayne Boulevard, Downtown Miami
Miami's fashionable upper east side is home to Chef Michelle Bernstein's
popular neighborhood bistro where she and husband David Martinez serve
friends and families from a quirky small plate menu.
Tucked away in the
city's former red light district, Michy's celebrates the efforts of
local farmers and fishermen who fuel the chef's creatively crafted
"luxurious comfort food." Bernstein hosts a local public television
program called "Check, Please!" in which Florida foodies review their
favorite restaurants and is also a frequent contributor to BravoTV's
"Top Chef" where she often serves as a rather prickly guest judge. When
former Talula Top Chef Andrea Curto-Randazzo joined the prime time
cooking competition, her encounters with Bernstein at the Judges' Table
were nothing short of electric.
Capitalizing upon her success on
television and behind the stove, Bernstein has expanded her culinary
operations in Miami to include Sra. Martinez tapas restaurant (Martinez
is her married name), and the brand new Crumb on Parchment bakeshop
where she showcases the talents of her very favorite chef - her mother!
Future Perfect...
In recent years, star chefs like David Bouley, Emeril Lagasse,
Allan Susser and Norman Van Aken have opened and closed some pretty serious
restaurants here in South Florida. For dedicated foodies, it is easy to
see that time and tide wait for no (hungry) man.
Some of the most
promising restaurants on the culinary horizon are still in the talking
stages. Most promising dining rooms for 2012 include a second Jose
Andres Bazaar Restaurant at the still-to-be-restored Ritz Plaza Hotel,
which will become Sam Nazarian's SLS Miami Hotel, and a brand new branch of the popular Atlanta
Flip Burger Bar run by BravoTV "Top Chef All Stars" winner Richard Blais.
First off the dock may be Season Five "Top Chef's" Jeff McInnis who is
bouncing back from his recent successful launch of GiGi Restaurant in
Midtown to open his own Yardbird Southern Table & Bar just south of
Lincoln Road Mall on South Beach. Meanwhile, stay tuned to your favorite
foodie TV shows to see who might be cooking in Miami next year!
And don't forget, the 11th Annual Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival takes
place Thursday, February 23 through Sunday February 26, 2012
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