Gourmet Pleasures July 2019

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36 COVER STORY:

Obie Bermudez Critic for a Night at Novikov

JULY 2019

CEO’S LETTER

If you have followed my accounts @gourmetpleasures and/or @renegourmet you are well aware that I have numerous passions. One of my greatests is gourmet food, but I have always loved music and recently I had the amazing opportunity to actually realize my dream of having my song lyrics put to music and published by Sony Music Latin Division. I could not have accomplished this without the help of so many people, too numerous to mention here, but a very special thank you goes to my wife and children and my wonderful Gourmet Pleasures’ staff who must of thought at times that I had “deserted” them.

The very talented Latin Grammy Award Winner singer Obie Bermudez provided the vocals for my song “Mas Alla De La Frontera” and our cover story this month features him as our “Critic for the Night”. Although I hope that do not have any hurricane scares this year, as residents of South Florida we should always be prepared, so we have included in this issue some suggestions for gourmet foods to stock up on instead of just peanut butter and jelly and cans of tuna fish. Also, it is really getting hot outside and last night I prepared @mysexyveggies.com’s recipe for her refreshing Cucumber Ginger Salad and it was delicious.

I want to thank my followers for the great questions they asked me in a response to a recent Instagram story. I tried to answer as many as I could. Please keep asking and I’ll keep answering. Have a great summer. See you next month.

Rene Buroz CEO/Founder

Content: 2 GOURMET DIARY

My Followers’ Questions

6 CULTURAL CORNER:

54 RECIPE:

Cucumber ginger salad by My sexy veggies

Farofa Taste of Brazil

22RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH Matador Room

28 RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH: Boulud Sud

34 OPINION:

Miami Spice 2019

40 COVER STORY:

Obie Bermudez at Novikov

FOUNDER/CEO Gourmet Pleasures Rene Buroz (2019) Editor in Chief/ Creative Design Margie Castro

CONTRIBUTORS Gabriela Morales Alex Forster Hillarin Soto Matt Wagner Lili Tique Sally Schimko

Senior Editor: Ellen Rosenfeld

PUBLISHED BY Stage Wynwood LLC 2018

Editorial@gourmetpleasures.com

Head Office: 350 S. Miami Ave Ste. A Miami, Fl. 33130

PHOTOGRAPHY GP Photography @ReneGourmet @DroneProductions

FOR OTHER ENQUIRIES, PLEASE VISIT: www.GourmetPleasures.com © Copyright 2019 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

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Gourmet Diary

My follower’s Questions

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By @ReneGourmet

Recently in an instagram story I posted on @renegourmet, I invited my followers to ask me any questions that they had. I love the fact that this social media app allows for this entertaining interaction between the people posting and their followers. Within minutes of this post, I started to receive questions and before the “story” disappeared they numbered more than 100. I answered them one by one, being as explicit as I could within the limitations of the application. Some of the questions were personal, such as “Do you like your daughter’s boyfriend.” I later found out that the boyfriend’s mother was the one who asked this and I am so glad that my simple one word reply was “Yes”. Most of the questions were related to the world of gastronomy, which my followers know is my passion, or at least one of them.

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1.Would you open another restaurant?

No! No! No! 2.What is your favorite restaurant?

There are too many great restaurants for me to pick just one.

3.Which city has the best food?

There are still many cities I need to dine in for me to answer this, but Paris is high on the list 4.What is your favorite food?

Cheese 5.Are you a chef?

I have some training as a chef, but I do not consider myself one.

6.Do you pay for the food at the restaurant you review?

Absolutely!

I found all of these questions interesting, but the last one surprised me since I thought that I had addressed this numerous times in the past. I pay the check in every restaurant I dine in and I am very careful to make no mention of what I do when I am there. I do not announce my arrival prior to visiting, with the exception of making a reservation in my name, which is obviously not Rene Gourmet.

I want to experience each restaurant in a natural way and not feel as if I am receiving any special treatment because of what I do. I do not deny that sometimes I am offered a complimentary coffee or dessert, but I view this as a common courtesy that some establishments often show to a good customer. Unfortunately we now live in a world where many “influencers� take advantage of their status and abuse the system. That is not someone that I want to be.

I want to thank all who took the time to ask me a question as it has provided a guide to what you want to know and what content you want to see. I definitely will do more of these interactive stories in the near future.

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Cultural Corner

Farofa, Taste of Brazil

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Sweet Plantain

By @ReneGourmet

Gourmet Pleasures is always in search of restaurants that prepare the true gastronomy of the countries they represent, but it was quite by accident that we found Farofa, Taste of Brazil. After a business meeting in North Miami, we were starving and discovered this small spot located in a strip center. This is by no means your typical Brazilain restaurant often found in South Florida.

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Chimichurri

Forget the roaming Gauchos with their swords loaded with pieces of meat. This is a very small and modest establishment with just a few tables. The menu is located on the wall behind a counter where you do your ordering by selecting your meat and your sides, pay for your meal and then receive a beeper letting you know when your food is ready

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There is a large charcoal grill where the meat is cooked to order, a modest salad bar, a few dressing for the meats including an outstanding chimichurri and two refrigerators, one containing drinks, with some traditional Brazialian sodas, and the other contains desserts which included our beloved brigadeiros. There are six different meat choices, frango (chicken), linguica (sausage), picanha (top sirloin), alcatra (sirloin), fraldinha (flank steak) and pork loin. Since we take our job very seriously we of course ordered each cut, with the exception of the pork which was only recently added to the menu. Everything we ate was good but our favorite was the picanha.

It was delicious and cooked exactly how we requested and we appreciated the excellent flavors of whatever they used as their marinate.

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Grilled Pineapple

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Chorizo

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Each platter comes with two free side dishes which include mixed salad, french fries, rice etc. There are also some options that are available for a small additional charge. In addition to the brigadeiro, which were excellent, they offer other traditional Brazilian desserts. Now comes the most amazing part of the whole experience, the price. A platter including one meat and two side dishes starts at just $7.99 and the most expensive item is the “tudo ou nada” which is $13.99 and includes all of the proteins plus 2 side dishes. We want to assure you that just because the prices are inexpensive (we don’t like the word cheap) the portions are huge and the quality of the meat is excellent.

Try Farofa, Taste of Brazil. We promise you will thank us for the recommendation.

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Gourmet Pleasures recommends

Hurricane foods

Gourmet Pleasures thinks that South Florida is the most wonderful place to live in the United States and, considering the daily influx of new residents, we are not alone in our belief.

We have beautiful beach with easy access to the water and watersports, amazing dining opportunities, exciting cultural events, such as Art Basel, and almost perfect weather year round.

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Naysayers may complain about how hot it gets in the summer, but have you ever been on the streets of New York City in July where you can see steam actually rise from the sidewalks?

Last summer it was a bearable 90 degrees here while in Southern California many areas registered a temperature of 105 degrees. Of course, one downside to living here is that each year from June 1- November 30 it is officially hurricane season and we must live in constant fear of what might occur. We are bombarded at the beginning of each storm season by information warning us to prepare and one thing that is always emphasized is the need for us to stock up on non-perishable food items. When a hurricane watch or warning is issued for our area, the local supermarkets become a nightmare with people literally fighting over cans of food. We like to avoid this madness, so we do our shopping early, but we have come to realize that we are constantly buying the same items, most of which are not very appetizing and, unless there is an actual emergency, we rarely use. The most common items that we purchase are canned tuna, peanut butter and jelly, canned vegetables and the dreaded Chef Boyardee Spaghetti.

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Recently one of our staff members was organizing her pantry and saw how many cans of old hurricane “foods” were sitting in the back but she also noticed a can of pate that she was saving in case she needed something to serve at the last minute for unplanned guests. That started us thinking about buying more gourmet options in case of a storm; foods that we would not only enjoy during a possible power outage but also ones we could use year round.

We would like to take this opportunity to suggest some items that you should consider keeping as staples in your pantry.

First of all, there is absolutely nothing wrong with canned tuna. In fact we always have several cans on hand, not only for a weather or power emergency, but also for the “there is nothing to eat for lunch” emergency.

However there are many other fish and seafood items that are easily available, delicious and great to serve as hors d’oeuvre anytime of the year. Anchovies, sardines, clams, crab meat, mussels, octopus and smoked oysters are only a few of the items on the shelves at specialty food markets, Amazon,or even your local Publix Supermarket. Many people purchase spam for a hurricane, but we much prefer “dining’ on pate.

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Stuffed grape leaves can be enjoyed straight from the can as can artichoke hearts. During a recent trip to Fresh Market we were intrigued by the jars of cauliflower and beets,brussel sprouts, asparagus and crunchy carrots all of which were pickled. A canned ham has a shelf life of about 2 years, doesn’t need to be heated and is always good to have on hand for a last minute dinner. If you have never had Date Nut Bread you have really missed a delicious old fashioned treat that comes in a can and it is especially good with butter which is also available in a can and needs no refrigeration prior to opening. Many emergency food list include soup,but who really enjoys cold soup unless it is Gazpacho which is delicious and is not meant to be heated. We could go on and on with this list but we would like to end with two of our favorites, caviar and canned Bloody Marys. You might as well enjoy yourself while you wait out a storm.

Please remember to check the expiration dates on all canned products and be sure you have a manual can opener, not an electric one. Hopefully we will have no storms this season, but if we do stay safe and eat well!

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Restaurant of the Month

Matador Room

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By @ReneGourmet

Located in The Miami Beach Edition hotel is world renowned chef JeanGeorge Vongerichten’s marvelous restaurant Matador Room. The Miami Beach Edition is a luxurious five star boutique hotel that is the co-creation of Marriott International and hotel visionary, Ian Schrager, who is well known for not only his creative hotel concepts but also for his role as the co-owner and founder of the very famous Studio 54 nightclub.The hotel is located on the site of the former Seville Hotel which was built in 1955 and, although the space has been fully renovated, the architects were able to incorporate many of its original art deco designs while also adding some amazing amenities such as a private four lane bowling alley, a mini skating rink and the nightclub, Basement.

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The name Matador Room makes you instantly think the food is purely Spanish but in actuality the cuisine is a combination of the wonderful flavors of the Caribbean, Spain, Latin America and South American, with an emphasis on locally sourced and seasonal ingredients.

Matador Room’s menu is varied and includes many options including “snacks”, salads, fish, meat and pizzas. The restaurant offers two distinctly different areas available to dine in. The indoor dining room is both elegant and romantic with its sunken oval shape, perhaps intended to resemble a bullfighting ring.

The walls are adorned by beautiful photographs from Lucien Clerque’s matador series, but the focal point of the room is the amazing chandelier that remains from the days of The Seville. The whole room is very reminiscent of the glamour of a 1940’s or 50’s supper club. The other dining area is outdoors and, although equally inviting, has a totally different “vibe” with its hanging gardens and ocean view, providing a much less formal environment.

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We began our meal with the Crunchy Potato Nuggets with Rosemary Aioli. This dish was perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside and creamy in the center. We instantly knew that we were about to have an exquisite dinner. We followed this dish with Maitake Mushrooms with Goat Cheese and Fresno Pepper Vinaigrette. This type of mushroom is not well known and its texture is rather hard, but it is full of flavor and, with the addition of the goat cheese and vinaigrette, a very pleasing dish. We also tried the Chipotle Chicken Tacos and the Achiote Pork Tacos with pickled onions and cilantro. Both were very tasty, but we prefered the pork. As our readers know by now, Gourmet Pleasures is very fond of octopus and if it’s on a restaurant’s menu we order it. We are so glad that we follow this traditional because Matador Room’s Charred Octopus with Smoked Paprika, Guajillo Vinaigrette, served with crispy potatoes was so outstanding that we can’t stop thinking about it. At the suggestion of our very attentive and professional waiter, we ordered the Roasted Florida Snapper with Grilled Spring Onions and Glazed Peas. The chef prepared this masterfully with the skin of the fish served crispy, the flesh juicy and the seasoning done to perfection. We could not leave without having dessert since they offer Tres Leches, one of our all time favorites. Matador Room prepares their version with various fruits and combines them to balance out the sweetness of this treat. This is another dish that we have “sweet” dreams about. Prior to leaving, we enjoyed a delicious cocktail at the bar and continued enjoying the amenities of the hotel.

Matador Room has all of the components that are needed for a great dining experience; pleasing ambiance, noteworthy cuisine and a well trained staff.

We highly recommend it and that is why we consider it one of our Restaurants of the Month.

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Restaurant of the Month

Boulud Sud By @ReneGourmet

Gourmet Pleasures recently published an article about the importance of good restaurants in hotels. The JW Marriott Marquis in downtown Miami is the home of Daniel Goulard’s restaurant, Boulud Sud. Chef Boulud is extremely well known for his prestigious career with numerous accolades and many awards.

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Gold Elephant Installation

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Although Boulud Sud serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, is so much more than a simple hotel dining space and should not be overlooked by local residents looking for a gourmet meal. This restaurant is another example of Mr. Boulard’s awe inspiring creativity and talent in the kitchen. The decor at Boulud Sud is relaxing and casual, but also beautiful and high class at the same time.

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Cheese and walnuts platter

Boulud Sud’s food is Mediterranean inspired with influences from the flavors of France’s Cote d Azur, Spain, Italy, Greece, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Israel and Turkey, The menu is large with something for everyone and on our last visit there we tried to order as many different items as we could. We were pleased with every dish we were served but in the interest of saving time and space we would like to highlight our favorites.

The Octopus a la Plancha with Arugula, Marcona Almonds and Orange Segments was absolutely sensational. The staff of Gourmet Pleasures like to consider ourselves connoisseurs of Octopus and some in our party rated this preparation the best they have ever eaten. The meat was 32 | www.GourmetPleasures.com

extremely soft, with not a bit of the chewy quality we sometimes encounter. We devoured this within seconds of it being served and “needed” to order another portion immediately. Another incredible dish was the ShortRib Barbajuans with Swiss Chard, Black Pepper and Parmesan.

Barbajuans is the national dish of Monaco and is similar to a stuffed pastry or fritter. The stuffing in Chef Boulad’s dish is an extremely tender short rib with unparalleled flavor. This is a dish that you will remember fondly long after the meal ends. We followed this with the Mezze with Spicy Moroccan Hummus, Babagaoush and Herb Falafel which was also very good. As we are trying to eat as healthy as we can, for entrees

we ordered fish. The first was Seared Mediterranean Branzino with Artichokes, Freekeh and Apricot. The fish was prepared the way we love it, with a crispy skin and a soft and juicy flesh. For those unfamiliar with freekeh it is a green wheat that has been toasted and cracked and is an excellent source of protein. It was cooked al dente and introduced a wonderful texture to the dish.

The Roasted Grouper A La Marseille was prepared with tomato, fennel, potato, aioli and bouillabaisse jus. It was outstanding. Of course we couldn’t leave without tasting a dessert. We ordered the Dark Chocolate Zabion with Soft Pistachio Sponges, Raspberry Port Wine Compote and Cassis Sorbet. It was the perfect end to a perfect meal.

Our entire meal at Boulud Sud was flawless and that is why we are featuring it as one of our Restaurants of the Month.

Octopus

Main entrance

FIND THEM AT 255 Biscayne Blvd Way, Miami, FL 33131

(305) 421-8800

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Miami Spice 2019 By @ReneGourmet

The Gourmet Pleasures staff is trying to diet this month, which you can imagine is very difficult considering the subject matter we write about. We are hoping to lose a few pounds in preparation for one of our favorite dining events in South Florida, Miami Spice. Miami Spice takes place each year beginning on August 1 and ends on September 30. We did a cover article about it last year, but we think that this “dining opportunity� is worth writing about again, especially considering how many people are new to our area.

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During Miami Spice participating restaurants offer special menus with three course meals (appetizer, entree and dessert) for $23.00 for lunch and/or brunch and $39.00 for dinner. This event began in 2001 by the Greater Miami Visitors and Convention Bureau in hopes of encouraging tourism affected by 9/11. It also helps restaurants survive during the summer “off� season. In its inaugural year, approximately 50 restaurants signed on to be participants and in 2018 there were over 200 restaurants with Miami Spice menus. The list of 2019 participating restaurants will be announced on the Miami Spice website on July 5th. It is worth noting that not all restaurants are accepted as sanctioned sites. The restaurants must be Zagat rated and demonstrate to the Miami Visitors and Convention Bureau that they are offering a good value. The restaurants are also required to pay a fee to be included to offset the costs of promoting this event to the public.

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Miami Spice is a wonderful opportunity to try new places that you may have previously considered as too expensive or to just revisit your favorite spots for a great meal at a discounted price. There is no need to sign up or pay for any subscription, just choose a restaurant from the Miami Spice website and plan a visit. We want to share with you some hints for having a great experience.

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1. After choosing a restaurant we suggest that you visit its website to see when their Miami Spice menu is offered. Some restaurants do not have this menu on the weekends or offer both lunch and dinner options. Also, some places serve the same dishes throughout the two month event, while others frequently change their offerings. You should be able to find all these details on the individual restaurants website.

2. We encourage you to make reservations as many people take advantage of these excellent dining “deals” and can be very busy.

3. Not all restaurants automatically provide you with their Miami Spice Menu when you arrive, but will be happy to give it to you when asked.

4. Drinks are not included and what you thought was going to be a relatively inexpensive night can quickly become very “pricey” if you indulge too much.

Also, some items on this menu may have an upcharge causing your bill to be higher than you expected.

We encourage you to take advantage of Miami Spice. Although we do not know yet what dining establishment will participate, last year’s list included many of what we consider the top restaurants in Miami. Please write us and let us know about your favorite Miami Spice spots or any experience that you had in previous years.

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Critic for a night

Obie Bermudez NOVIKOV Obie Bermudez is a singer and songwriter who was born in Puerto Rico into a family that loved music. He immigrated with them to the United States when he was a young boy.

He has been nominated for the Latin Grammy Awards 7 times and in 2005 he won the award for Best Male Pop Vocal Album for “Todo el Año”. He is also the recipient of 6 ASCAP Awards. Throughout his career many of his songs have been included in the Top Ten Billboard list for popularity and sales. Three of these were for his album “Confesiones” and another three were for “Todo el Ano”. In addition to his six studio recorded albums, he participated in two special albums, one of which was “Songs of the Capeman” (with multi-grammy award winner Paul Simon). The other was “The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson” which was a Latin tropical music homage to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. His songs have been viewed millions of times on YouTube, with his song “Antes” receiving more than 82 million views.

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GP: Obie, one word to describe your evening at Novikov Obie: Adventurous GP: What did you order?

Obie: Our group shared Soft Shell Crab, Pork Skewers, Maki (Sushi) Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail Chirachi, Shrimp and Cilantro Dumplings, A5 Wagyu Foie Gras Gyoza, Peking Duck and the Novikov Black Cod. GP: What was your favorite dish?

Obie: It is a tie between the black cod and the soft shell crab. I can’t make up my mind because I haven’t stopped thinking or talking about either of these dishes.

GP: How was the service?

Obie: The service was great! The waiters were well informed about the menu and helpful. They were also extremely professional and friendly.

GP: Did the prices match the quality?

Obie: Absolutely! I would pay double for that experience any day.

GP: Would you go back to Novikov?

Obie: I can’t wait to return!

GP: As a songwriter, what type of song would you write to describe this restaurant experience you shared with Gourmet Pleasures.

Obie: A melody with a lot of “Clave” and “Sabor” GP: Any final thoughts?

Obie: Yes, can I be Critic For the Night every month?

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MASTRO’S OCEAN CLUB Mastro’s is a classic steak and seafood dining establishment with great ambiance and delicious food. Located in Ft Lauderdale (300 NE 32nd Avenue) they have their own marina and wait on you with first class service.

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Obie Bermudez Media Tour 2019

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GG’S WATERFRONT With many years of experience GG’s is an excellent option to visit by boat. They serve outstanding seafood and during the season their stone crabs are as fresh as you can get. They have a large marina and outside seating. (606 N. Ocean Drive, Hollywood ) These are just a few of the many options available to boaters. If you have a favorite that we have omitted, please write or message us so we can share it with our readers. Happy Boating!

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Sally Schimko

My Sexy Veggies CUCUMBER GINGER SALAD: INGREDIENTS : 6 SMALL- MEDIUM CUCUMBERS FRESH GINGER 1 LEMON ( JUICE & ZETS ) LIQUID AMINO RAW PINE NUTS 1TBS SESAME OIL 1TBS OLIVE INSTRUCTIONS: WASH CUCUMBERS WELL !

SPIRILIZE YOUR CUCUMBERS TOAST PINE NUTS WITH 1TBS SESAME OIL MEDIUM HEAT ( NONSTICK SKILLET) IN YOUR SALAD SHAKES OR MASON JAR COMBINE: LEMON JUICE, 1/4 CUP LIQUID AMINO, 1TBS OLIVE OIL, 2TBS GRATED GINGER ( OR MORE ) AND MIX IT WELL POUR DRESSING ON TOP AND GENTLY TOAST THE CUCUMBER NOODLES ADD PINE NUTS ON TOP GARNISH WITH LEMON ZEST & DRIZZLED OF OLIVE OIL ( OPTIONAL) I AM A GINGER LOVER SO I ADD MORE GINGER

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