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OCTOBER 2018
Cover story
Florida Stone Crabs
32 GUILTY PLEASURES: 6 MIAMI’S TOP TEN: 4 FOOD & FITNESS: 3 star Michelin Restaurants The Bazaar
Eat, race, win.
CEO’S LETTER
Unfortunately the end of September means the end of “Miami Spice” and it will be ten long months until we are again able to enjoy our favorite restaurants at an extremely affordable price. Luckily South Florida offers many other excellent adventures in the coming months ahead. October 15 is the start of Florida Stone Crab season and what could be better than that? I hope you enjoy our cover story this month which focuses on this wonderful seafood delicacy. Other events we can look forward to are Art Basel Miami on December 6-9 and the South Beach Wine and Food Festival which takes place from February 20 - February 24. February may seems very far away, but tickets to the various events go on sale to the public on October 22 and sell out quickly. If you are interested in this amazing culinary experience, we strongly encourage you to buy your tickets early. You are probab ly aware that there are many excellent food magazine available online. You may wonder why we consider ourselves different. Gourmet Pleasures contains no advertisements, nor do we solicit them. This may be hard to understand since most people would assume that I must have some financial motive for publishing monthly. I created Gourmet Pleasures as a “labor of love”. I appreciate and enjoy gastronomy and I want to share my experiences with you, the reader. All costs associated with this publication come directly from my pocket and I spend this money each month with pleasure. I personally take at least 85% of the photos we use and I do this with my simple iphone 8. I know that my pictures are sometimes not the best, but my photography skills are a “work in progress” and I hope I am improving. If you live in the South Florida area and would like to join me and my staff as a “Critic for a Night” please email us and tell us a little about yourself and why you think you would be a good candidate. As always I would like to thank my faithful readers for your support and encouragement. I hope you enjoy this month’s edition of Gourmet Pleasures.
Rene Buroz CEO/Founder
Content: 2 CULTURAL CORNER:
24 CRITIC FOR A NIGHT:
4 FOOD & FITNESS:
28 CHEERS:
Mo’s Bagels & Deli Eat, race, win.
Mastro’s Ocean Club with Elena C. Old Fashioned
6 MIAMI’S TOP TEN:
32 GUILTY PLEASURES:
The Bazaar
3 star Michelin Restaurants
12 COVER STORY:
36 GOURMET DIARY:
Florida stone crabs
Brucnh at the SLS hotel Beverly Hills
18 RECIPE:
Mustard sauce
20 TRAVEL:
Sobrino de Motin Madrid FOUNDER/CEO Gourmet Pleasures Rene Buroz (2018) Editor in Chief/ Creative Design Margie Castro Senior Editor: Ellen Rosenfeld Assosiate editor: Oswaldo Pisfil Editorial@gourmetpleasures.com PHOTOGRAPHY GP Photography @ReneGourmet @DroneProductions
CONTRIBUTORS Gabriela Morales Alex Forster Hillarin Soto Matt Wagner Lili Tique PUBLISHED BY Stage Wynwood LLC 2018 Head Office: 350 S. Miami Ave Ste. A Miami, Fl. 33130
FOR OTHER ENQUIRIES, PLEASE VISIT: www.GourmetPleasures.com © Copyright 2018 Gourmet Pleasures. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein. @GourmetPleasures
Email: Contact@gourmetpleasures.com
OCT 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 1
Mo’s Bagels & Deli By @ReneGourmet
G
ourmet Pleasures, in our continuing search for different culinary cultures, visited Mo’s Bagels & Deli located in Aventura, Fl. Mo’s is a “kosher” style restaurant with an extensive menu featuring items for dining in, as well as a take out department. Several of the members in our dining group where totally unfamiliar with the “Jewish” deli experience so we followed the suggestions of our resident “expert:” and tried a vast assortment of dishes. The minute we sat down, our very pleasant waitress brought bowls of coleslaw and a plate of assorted pickles to the table. We started our adventure with a bowl of piping hot Matzo Ball soup with noodles, often referred to as “Jewish penicillin” The broth was flavorful and the baseball sized matzo balls where light and 2 | www.GourmetPleasures.com
Hot Corned beef sandwich
fluffy. We then tried the homemade blintzes. Blintzes are similar to crepes with a cheese filling. Served with a side of sour cream, they had a touch of sweetness and were very good. We followed this with two traditional deli sandwiches; a hot corned beef sandwich on rye with russian dressing and coleslaw and a hot pastrami and cheese on grilled rye bread. Both sandwiches were huge and full of flavor. Even though our sandwiches came with a generous portion of french fries, we felt compelled to try the potato pancakes, also referred to as latkes. Even though they were fried, they were not at all greasy and the grated potato centers were well seasoned. They were accompanied by fantastic applesauce. We must mentioned that Mo’s Menu does contain some light and healthy options and we did order one. We had an
Cultural Corner excellent Israeli salad served with a vinaigrette dressing and topped with amazing tuna salad. The salad, as well as all of our dishes, was gigantic and we left the restaurant with many bags of tasty “leftovers”. Mo’s is spectacular in representing the best style of a New York deli; simple and delicious with large portions and attention to style and tradition It is a must visit. Mo’s Israeli salad
Matzo Ball Soup
Assorted Bagel
2919, 2780 NE 187th St, Miami, FL 33180 (305) 936-8555 mosbagelsdeli.com
Pickles
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EAT. RA CE. WIN. By Ellen Rosenfeld
C
urrently streaming on Amazon Prime is the very interesting, entertaining and informative docuseries “Eat. Race. Win. It is about two subjects that Gourmet Pleasures is passionate about, food and cycling. The 6 part series follows the Australian pro-cycling team, Orica-Scott for the 23 days of the Tour de France held in 2017. The emphasis is not only on the cyclists, but on the food they consumed during this grueling 3 weeks race. The meals were prepared by their head chef Hannah Grant “The Queen of Performance Cooking”. Hannah and her two member team traveled along the cycling route in two food trucks, stopping at various spots to source local ingredients for the athletes’ dinners. Ms Grant. graduated from culinary school in 4| www.GourmetPleasures.com
Copenhagen. Denmark, After apprenticing at Michelin star restaurants, The Fat Duck in England, and Noma in Copenhagen, she found her passion for nutrition. Her philosophy is that the riders need mental nutrition, so the food must not only be good for them, but also be delicious to boost their spirits. In the series she said that “working with pro-athletes has been a dream come true”. It is also a challenge, since feeding the 9 riders a single meal is like feeding 27 regular people. The first episode is titled “You’ve Got to Be in it To Win it”. Hannah first visited an absinthe “farm”. Here the owners grew the botanicals needed and distilled them to produce this highly alcoholic beverage. Hannah toured the facility and used some of the absinthe to create a sauce to accompany
Food & Fitness
Hannah Grant
the evening meal. We found this very interesting, since you would think that alcohol would not be acceptable in an athlete’s diet. Wine was also served with this dinner. We also learn that on the morning of the time trials, the ideal time for the cyclists to eat breakfast is four hours prior to racing. “I Pushed the Limit and I Found It” is the title of episode two, which begins at the breakfast before the time trials. Hannah served a massive amount of eggs, rice, smoothies, water and a lot of coffee. She compared performance food to car batteries. While the cyclists were racing, Hannah visited a local strawberry farm and then a ranch where sheep are raised and slaughtered for meat. Hannah left the ranch hauling a huge piece of lamb that she planned to prepare for the athletes’ dinner that night. The
viewer gets to see some of the interaction between the cyclists and their coaches, who drove along the racing route in cars, and were constantly radioing instructions. It was particularly interesting to see how the riders were handed water and snacks during the incredibly fast and complicated race. The titles of the other episodes are: (3) “Here are the Golden Words: You are What You Eat”; (4)“This is the Nitro Boost of Energy”; (5) “ Just Want to Click Out and Go Home’; and (6) “What’s For Dinner?”. “Eat.Race,Win” is a must see for not only serious cyclists but for anyone interested in sports, nutrition or just a good documentary series. You can find it now on Amazon Prime. OCT 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES |5
MIAMI’S TOP TEN:
The Bazaar By @ReneGourmet
No list of top American chefs would be complete if it did not include the name Jose Andres.
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Spicy tuna cone
OCT 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 7
Key Lime Pie
Poquillo relleno de Caña de Cabra
Iberico sliders
B
orn in Mieres, a municipality of Asturias in the northwest area of Spain, his early career included studying under the great chef Ferran Adria at the restaurant elBulli. The two men later went on to teach a culinary class together at Harvard University. Today Mr. Andres has several restaurants across the United States and we are very fortunate that two of them are located in South Florida The Bazaar by Jose Andres is located in the lobby of the SLS Hotel in South Beach. The restaurant has three distinctly different areas. The first is the bar with its eclectic decor 8 | www.GourmetPleasures.com
highlighted by the mounted head of a hooded bull and candlesticks embellished with melted wax. The main dining area is both minimalistic and elegant. There is also a terrace area featuring tapas, which is not unexpected since Mr. Andres is often credited with introducing “small plates” to American diners. All three areas share a romantic vibe. The restaurant has an extensive menu showcasing the chef’s Spanish influence coupled with Asian inspirations and ingredients. Our first appetizer was the Spicy Tuna Cones which was a delicious and expertly seasoned tuna tartar. From the section of the menu title
“Singapore Connection” we ordered the Kueh Pai Ti, which is a popular Singapore street food of shrimp, peanuts and chili sauce. It was presented in small crispy edible baskets. The appetizer we enjoyed the most was the Iberian Ham Croquettes. They were perfectly crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside with small chunks of ham. This was so good that we immediately placed our order for a second helping. Wanting to try as many different dishes as possible, we also had the Piquillo Relleno de Cana de Cabra featuring goat cheese, plantains and mojo verde, and the Iberico Sliders which were outstanding. For an entree, we
enjoyed the Fish in Papillote with a caper sauce and crispy quinoa. The presentation of this dish was amazing. The fish was brought to the table wrapped in cellophane paper tied with black ribbon, almost resembling a present. Our server cut it open tableside releasing the tantalizing aromas. The fish was extremely soft and the quinoa was an ideal accessory. Another spectacularly presented dish was the the Dragon Fruit Ceviche composed of tuna, pecans, lemon and hibiscus and decorated with dragon fruit foam. Each ingredient provided a palate pleasing sensation. Our dessert selection was deserving of an award. We had the Key Lime Pie. This was not your everyday version as it was served deconstructive, allowing us to experiment with mixing the cream, biscuit crumbs, meringue and citrus foam. We will long remember this extraordinary dessert. The service we received was as good as the cuisine. This combined with the food and atmosphere make The Bazaar by Jose Andres deserving of our “Gourmet Pleasures� award.
Dragon fruit ceviche
Kueh pai ti
FIND THEM AT
1701 Collins Ave suite 100, Miami Beach, FL 33139 (305) 455-2999 OCT 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 9
Fish en Papillote
Fish en Papillote
Poquillo relleno de CaĂąa de Cabra
Croquetas
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This Month’s Award We had the pleasure of presenting The Bazaar with the Gourmet Pleasures Award for being one of the top ten restaurants in Miami. Congrats from our team!!
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OCT 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 11
Florida Stone Crabs
12 | www.GourmetPleasures.com
By @ReneGourmet
Although we may be sad to see September end, since it means that we have to say goodbye to Miami Spice, the good news is that we can count the days until the start of Florida’s Stone Crab season. This season traditionally begins on October 15 of each year and lasts until May 15.
OCT 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 13
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T
he catching of stone crabs is strictly regulated by The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Most stone crabs are caught in traps, which must meet certain specifications, although some brave souls enjoy diving for them. The Commission has established regulations regarding the minimum size of the crab claws that can be collected. The claw of the crab from the joint of the “elbow” to tip of the claw must be at least 2 3⁄4 inches long in order to be “legal”. The “fishermen” break off one or both claws from the crab and then return the crab to the water. This may seem deliberately cruel but stone crabs are the ultimate “green food” as they have the ability to regenerate their claws, usually within a year. Nature changes them from predators to scavengers during this time period and most are able to survive and thrive, especially if only one claw was removed. They are the only species of shellfish that are not killed after being caught. The meat of the Florida Stone Crab is fibrous with a certain sweetness,not unlike lobster, and is high in protein. The most common, and preferred, method of cooking them is in boiling water. Once cooled you then lay then flat and gently crack them with a mallet or hammer in three places; the 1st knuckle, 2nd knuckle and center of the claw. This method takes a little practice but ideally you should be able to peel the shell off like you peel a hard boiled egg. Now it is time to enjoy this exquisite treat either on its own or using a dipping sauce such as melted butter or mustard sauce. In next month’s issue we will give our review of some of the best places to enjoy this amazing local delicacy. OCT 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 15
Stone crab trap
Traditional Fishing Boat 16 | www.GourmetPleasures.com
Stone crab cracker
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MUSTARD SAUCE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon Colman’s dry mustard, or more to taste, 1 cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons Worcestershir 2 tablespoons light cream salt PREPARATION Place the mustard and the mayonnaise in a bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 2 minutes. Add the Worcestershire, cream and a pinch of salt and beat until the mixture is blended and creamy, Chill the sauce. 18 | www.GourmetPleasures.com
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OCT 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 19
Sobrino de Botin Re
Almejas Botin 20 | www.GourmetPleasures.com
estaurant D
By @ReneGourmet
uring my recent trip to Madrid, Spain, I had the opportunity to dine at Sobrino de Botin Restaurant, considered by many sources, including The Guinness Book of World Records, to be the oldest restaurant in the world. Opened since approximately 1725, the restaurant had retained its old world charm with its wood decor. A collection of city permits and certificates from throughout the years are on display, as well as letters of recognition, including a thank you letter from First Lady Nancy Reagan, written on June 19, 1985, for the hospitality she enjoyed there while dining with Her Majesty Queen Sofia. The menu is simple with classic Spanish cuisine. We thought it was only appropriate to start our dining experience with a jug of Sangria, which was loaded with fruit and delicious. For appetizers, we ordered the Rioja style salad and the chicken and ham croquettes. The croquettes were perfectly prepared, crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. We then dined on the garlic prawns, which were served in a traditional clay basin. They were soft in texture with just the right amount of garlic. For our main course we ordered the Clams Botin. The clams were cooked in a wine reduction and were very flavorful. We could not resist ordering the Roast Suckling Pig, which is listed on the menu as their specialty. The meat was tender and juicy. The skin was crunchy and, for us, perfect. We wanted to end our menu with something sweet so we ordered the Catalan Cream. It was a satisfying end to our satisfying dinner. We must be honest and tell you that our dinner at Sobrino de Botin wasn’t the best culinary experience we had in Madrid, however we did appreciate and enjoy this restaurant’s historic significance.
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Croquetas de pollo y jamon
Aceitunas Ensalada Botin
Cochinillo asado 22 | www.GourmetPleasures.com
Langostinos al ajillo OCT 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 23
Mastro’s Ocean Club With ELENA CHRISTIE
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Lemon Drop
Critic for a Night
Oysters Rockefeller
By @ReneGourmet
This month’s “Critic for a Night” is Elena Christie. Elena has been a resident of South Florida for over 20 years after relocating here from North Carolina. She is a real estate agent, specializing in both residential and commercial properties. Gourmet Pleasures dined with Ms. Christie at the recently opened Mastro’s Ocean Club in Fort Lauderdale, an upscale steak and seafood restaurant with over a dozen locations across the United States. GP: Elena, one word to describe your evening at Mastro’s Elena: Great. GP: What did you order? Elena: Our table shared appetizers of Spanish Char Grilled Octopus, Oysters Rockefeller and a warm Spinach Salad. For my entree I ordered a bone-in filet. We shared side dishes of Shoestring Potato Fries and the Alaska KIng Crab Black Truffle Gnocchi. For dessert we shared the Butter Cake, a specialty of the restaurant. I must mention the Lemon Drop Martini. One of the guests at our table ordered this cocktail and although I do not drink, I was so jealous. It looked amazing and according to the person who drank it, it was! GP: What did you think of the menu? Elena: I think the menu had a good variety of options to choose from. GP: What was your favorite dish?
L-R/ Elena Christie, Ellen Rosenfeld, Hilarin Soto, GP CEO Rene Buroz
OCT 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 25
Elena: The bone-in filet is my number one pick. I really love filets but I had never had the bone-in and ordered it at the suggestion of my host. It was absolutely fantastic. If you allowed a second favorite, I would undoubtedly say the butter cake. It was unlike anything I have ever eaten before and it was delicious. GP: How was the service? Elena: It was “first class” service. We had two servers and I am so sorry I don’t remember their names as they were unbelievably attention. One member of our group dropped her napkin on the floor and then picked it up. Our server noticed and immediately brought a replacement.. GP: Did the prices match the quality? Elena: Honestly, I didn’t look at the prices. I am sure the meal was very expensive, but that is expected at such an upscale restaurant. GP: Would you go back? Elana: YES!!! GP: Elena, you are a realtor and often deal with clients who are new to the area. Would you mention this restaurant to them? Elena: I absolutely would. Beside the excellent food. I was so impressed by the atmosphere. Dining outside we had a magnificent view of the intercoastal and in the interior dining area live music was being played. I would also mention to them that they MUST order the Butter Cake. GP: Do you have any final thoughts or comments? Elena: Thank you Gourmet Pleasure for this very enjoyable experience. Can I be “Critic of the NIght” again?
Bone in Fillet
Chilean Sea Bass
Porterhouse
Signature warm butter cake 26 | www.GourmetPleasures.com
Spanish Char Grilled Octopus
OCT 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 27
The Old Fashioned The cocktail that has not gone out of style By @ReneGourmet
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For about a decade a very strange phenomenon has been taking place in drinking establishments around the world. Classic cocktails have been gaining in popularity. We have no explanation for why this is occurring and it is certainly not because of the lack of talent or creativity of our bartenders and mixologists, especially considering the constant appearance of new ingredients and bar “machinery”. According to the latest statistics, 6 out of 10 of the most popular cocktails being requested currently have been in existence for more than half a century. Alcoholic beverages such as the Gimlet, Sidecar, Spritz, Negroni and Old Fashioned are currently outselling most of the newer drinks. Surprised? So were we. The number one cocktail in sales is the Old Fashioned and it has held this top position for the last four years. The origin of this beverage goes back to the late 1800’s. A bartender at The Pendennis Club, a private “gentlemen’s” club in Louisville, Kentucky is believed to be its “inventor” and created the drink in honor of James E. Pepper, a prominent Bourbon distiller. It quickly found its way to the world renowned Waldorf Astoria Bar in New York City. In 2015 Louisville proclaimed this drink it’s official cocktail and every year during the first two weeks of June it is celebrated around the city. So on your next visit to your favorite bar don’t be shy and try this classic or make it yourself at home following our recipe.
Ingredients: One sugar cube Two dashes of Angostura bitters Splash of club soda 1.5 oz Whiskey (Rye or Bourbon) Orange slice Directions: Place a sugar cube in a tall glass and add two dashes of Angostura bitters. Muddle until dissolved. Fill the glass with ice and then add whiskey and stir. Garnish the glass with a slice of orange and serve with a swizzle stick. Remember the old adage “Everything old is new again”. There is nothing old fashioned about an Old Fashioned. Cheers!
OCT 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES |29
Three Star Michelin Restaurants Expensive? Yes Worthy? Absolutely ... By @ReneGourmet
Yellowfin Tuna Carpaccio 30 | www.GourmetPleasures.com
Guilty Pleasures
T
o be a gourmet not only requires knowledge of ingredients, methods of preparation, environment and service but it also requires the economic resources necessary to be able to dine at the different culinary options available to us, Good food, of course, can be found at many different price points but this cost is most often dependent on ingredients, location and popularity. There are specialized restaurant guides books and one of the most recognized and respected worldwide in the Michelin Guide. This guide uses anonymous and experienced inspectors who
evaluate restaurants based on a wide criteria including quality of ingredients, price and service. Depending on what they find they, along with others, then decide if the restaurant is deserving of a star. One star means a very good restaurant; two stars means excellent cooking and three stars are given for exceptional cuisine. Obviously a three star rating is almost always linked to the high price a diner will have to pay to eat there. But are these restaurants worth it? In our opinion they are. The experts employed by Michelin have carefully studied all aspects of the meal and, OCT 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 31
in our experiences, their recommendations are extremely dependable. The chefs at these Michelin three star restaurants have the highest knowledge of cooking techniques, use only the best ingredients and are constantly changing their menus to offer the newest gastronomic alternatives. We suggest that if you are fortunate enough to be able to dine at one of these restaurants, you should not hesitate. You only live once.
Coffee Caramel Cremeux
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Prime Rib
Some of our favorite three Michelin star restaurants that we have been to are: Le Bernardin, 155 W, 51 st. 10019 New York. Per Se, 10 Columbus Circle, 10019 New York. Eleven Madison, 11 Ave. Madison, 10010 New York. Alinea, 1723 N. Halsted St. 60614 Chicago. The Inn at Little Washington, 309 Middle St. 22747 Washington. Masa, 10 Columbus Circle, 10019 New York. OCT 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 33
Brunch at the By @ReneGourmet
W
hile visiting Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to enjoy brunch at Tres located in the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills Hotel. This is a beautiful space designed by the well known French designer Phillip Stark. Tres is a Jose Andres restaurant, as is Bazaar located in the same hotel. Chef Andres is a Spanish-American chef who has won numerous awards for his amazing food. He recently got a standing ovation at the Oscars for the millions of meals he served to Puerto Ricans post Hurricane Marie. He is now busy serving meals to thousands affected by the California wildfires. This gourmet brunch was sensationally presented and, although it didn’t have a many options as some other brunches, the food definitely excels in quality. Their American Paddlefish caviar, fresh oysters and exquisite and juicy crab claws, all with amazing dressings, were our first choices and we were not disappointed. Being cheese lovers, we really appreciated their selections, with varieties to satisfy many different palates. It was difficult for us to not fill up with the freshly baked assortments of breads and pastries. There was a beef station where chefs cut our selections to order. I don’t know where to begin about their desserts, which looked as good as they tasted. I need to make special mention of the chocolate mousse and the “Polvorosas” which are delicate and crumbly cookies. I had to have seconds so that I would be sure to remember these amazing desserts. This restaurant is led by an excellent team of professionals that make sure you have a wonderful experience from start to finish. Next time you’re in LA visit Tres 34| www.GourmetPleasures.com
e SLS Hotel
Gourmet Diary
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