South Beach just got even cheekier. Over in the South of Fifth neighborhood, collaborators Jamie DeRosa and Michael Reginbogin are reconstructing our notions of what constitutes a contemporary American dish.

“Tongue & Cheek to me is whimsical, it’s fun,” explains DeRosa. “We have a play on words on a lot of things. We have a pudding pop on the menu that’s a popsicle. It started out as a chocolate popsicle and someone said, ‘This is better than a Bill Cosby pudding pop.’ And that became the name.”

Other mouthfuls on the menu include a Beef Cheek burger that arrives sans the usual trappings (no lettuce, no tomato). “No frills, no thrills,” as DeRosa says. Of course, DeRosa and his team are serving up plenty of cheek and tongue variations, including a poutine.

Even the cocktail names are creative. Try a Bourbon for Apples, with bourbon-soaked apple ice cubes floating in a cooling concoction, or the strawberry-and-gin-based Walking Dead (DeRosa is a fan of the AMC television hit). Like any good South Beach establishment, Tongue & Cheek also features a molecular margarita with an overflowing liquid nitrogen preparation.

“I think the name and the ambiance and the more welcoming vibe that you get when you come into Tongue & Cheek matches the food,” DeRosa explains. “For us it was important to have art and music and food and service be one.” It’s all in an effort to keep Tongue & Cheek a neighborhood hangout that appeals to locals. For instance, every day at 5pm, guests can sit down for a family-style meal of comfort-food morsels like grilled cheese and hoagies. It’s Tongue & Cheek’s way of giving back to the community.

Check out the video above to get a glimpse of the restaurant’s witty art by local Miamian Claudio Picasso and hear what’s on the daily-rotating family meal menu. Then stop in and grab a seat at the snack bar serving nostalgic bottled sodas and made-to-order small plates presented in old-school cafeteria trays. They have tongues wagging.

Here in Miami, we get a lot of spillover from New York. Catch Miami, a new addition to Collins Avenue located in The James Royal Palm, can be included in that category—the restaurant’s flagship is in Manhattan. One meal, however, and it’s hard not to get a taste for this location’s noticeably distinct South Floridian flair.

Chat Chow TV sat down with Hung Huynh, Top Chef Season Three winner and executive chef of Catch Miami, to discuss what, exactly, makes this version uniquely Miami.

“Catch Miami is located in an Art Deco building which is landmarked in the Shorecrest building,” for starters, he explains.

Downstairs guests are welcomed by a calming sea-foam-green ambiance, the raw bar and a cocktail bar featuring creative concoctions like the Iris (Grey Goose, lime juice, and a champagne topper) and the Dirty Bastard, a Jameson-based beverage served in a copper mug. For dinner, venture upstairs into an exposed-brick-lined room with oversized sienna globes descending from warehouse-tall ceilings.

“It kind of resembles New York but in a smaller, more intimate space. But yet, it’s still very relaxed and the colors are a little Miami,” he notes of the South Beach venue.

The menu is where diners will notice the big, fresh-Florida-flavored difference. Locally inspired dishes include the Rich Little Po’boy, a Southern fried oyster topped with caviar; the short crust roll packed with spicy tuna, avocados and pico de gallo; tater tots of yucca and plantains; and the key lime doughnut (watch the video above to see why you should definitely save room for this dessert).

Beyond Florida, chef Huynh prepares plates with a global seafood influence, taking inspiration from classic American and Asian dishes and making each innovation approachable. Miami sure is lucky to have him—he’s a real catch.

It seems 50 Eggs Restaurant Group can do no wrong. The gustatory geniuses behind South Beach successes Yardbird and Khong River House have taken their winning recipe to Coral Gables. Enter Swine Southern Table & Bar, your next downhome dining favorite.

Chat Chow TV talked bacon and bourbon with Swine bar manager, Robert Ferrera.

Swine’s cocktail program focuses heavily on its own on-site barrel-aged rums and ryes.

“We’re actually creating our own original cocktails here,” explains Ferrera. “We have a full-sized Buffalo Trace barrel and right now we’ve got Cabajisco, a nice, beautiful, white spirit; Dolin Blanc Vermouth, so as that changes, it’s going to fortify and change; and Mandarine Napoleon, an orange based cognac liqueur.”

Prefer your spirits a little lighter? Not to fret, there’s something for everyone on this drink menu. Expect local, just-ripe ingredients from Homestead and creative applications (a glass misted with Mezcal for a hint of smokiness, in-house Swine bitters). And of course it all complements the sink-your-teeth-into-it fare.

Although Swine shares some food inspiration from Yardbird (you’ll find the succulent Shrimp & Grits on both menus), Ferrera describes Swine as Yardbird’s tougher, younger brother. Chalk that up to Swine’s competition-winning rib rub, massive smoker in the kitchen, and wood-burning grill. Try the fall-off-the-bone Memphis Smoked Ribs, or gather a group and go to town on a whole hog, communal-table style.

Now, while your mouth waters, watch the video above to figure out why fat washing makes rye tipples tastier (it’s a good thing, we swear) and find a new reason to drink rum (as if you needed one).

Newest to sprout in South Beach is the Regent Cocktail Club, a classic cocktail bar located at the back of the revamped Gale Hotel.

Interested to hear about this new concept, Chat Chow TV schmoozed with Joshua Wagner, Miami’s after-hours aficionado and managing partner of Regent Cocktail Club, over Manhattans and Mint Juleps.

“Everyone is jazzed up about new trends, food and beverage, everything along those lines,” Wagner observes. “But I think we also need to make the standards of what our basics are, what our pars are, what our standards are as a city. So classics, back to the core, create the standard of what it should be and just really get back to the basics.”

And the locals are loving it. Regent draws a mixed crowd, attracted to the venue for its unique recipe of curated cocktails and vintage vibe.

“It’s all about approachability,” Wagner says of the atmosphere. “We don’t want this to be pretentious. You walk in here, it’s Fats Waller, it’s Ella Fitzgerald, it’s John Coltrane. It’s a conversation and a cocktail. […] We have got 25-year-old young people inhere to 60-year-old couples that are coming to enjoy great music, great conversation and fundamentally great cocktails.”

Club-goers can expect the libation basics to be perfect, with nightly shake-ups in its live music lineup (think Havana Nights or live jazz singers). Daily drink menus shift as well, with six new specialty cocktails to try each evening. Don’t like what’s on-menu? Wagner highly suggests engaging with your barkeep about your spirit preferences—it’s part of the experience. Serious sippers can keep tabs on their favorite tried tipples with Regent’s passport, a VIP amenity for the bibulous barfly that also grants access to exclusive member-only events.

Check out the video above to see why Regent exudes a cool-kid Al Capone quality. Then stop in and get your passport stamped.

Yes, South Florida does need another Cuban joint. That is, if it’s delivered by chef and owner Albert Cabrera. Luckily, Cabrera is cooking up a new twist on Miami’s most ubiquitous recipes at Bread & Butter in Coral Gables.

Chat Chow TV saddled up to Bread & Butter’s counter with the culinary genius for a second time (because he’s just that good) to discuss what he’s up to.

Having coined the phrase “gastro counter” (a homey hybrid of a gastro pub and a Cuban cafeteria), Cabrera thinks Miami’s ready for a new take on Cuban food.

“Cubans, you know, we’re very traditional when it comes to our food,” he reflects. “But what I think I set out to do was create something that had a base of the traditional in it. Everything that we create—for instance, our flan mágico de queso, we use harina tierna, and we make sure that we use a very authentic recipe. We just give it a different look, a different take, by using things like oxtail instead of pork in it—things like that. So, we’re trying to keep the foundation there, so we can bring both the old and the new together, in peace, love, and harmony, at Bread and Butter.”

Watch the video above to see why you should order the pan con lechón (and why it can easily be described as funkadelic).

As if the dinner dishes didn’t blow your mind, lunch is revolutionary. “The idea here is that lunch is more of a sandwich shop,” explains Cabrera. “When I hired my kitchen staff, I tell them, this is a think tank. It’s not about me, it’s about coming in and being creative as a team. Everybody has a little bit of say in what we’re doing.”

Join in the fun. Shake it up with a nitrogen-infused cortadito (Cuban coffee) concoction topped with sea salt, or choose from other sweet treats like the deliciously dulce merenguitos. You’ll be adicto in no time.

via ChatChowTV

Each year come February, the food and beverage industry’s best and brightest convene in Miami Beach for The Food Network’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Foodies from every corner flock to join them for four days of guzzling, gastronomy and pants-loosening.

One of the weekend’s, well, best event, is the SOBEWFF’s Best of the Best held at the iconic Fontainebleau hotel, where 47 of the nation’s best restaurants serve up samples of their signature dishes.

Fontainebleau Executive Chef Thomas Connell let Chat Chow TV in on his managerial style, and explained just how major this mouthwatering SOBEWFF experience is and what exactly those fortunate event attendees are in for.

“We’re very lucky to be able to host [this event] because truly, to me, this is one of the, you know, not to use the pun, it’s the best of the best,” Connell gushes. “It’s really the best of the Food and Wine Festival in my opinion.”

“We bring together 82 wineries and 47 chefs from all around the world that all come together. […] We partner up every chef with two wineries so we have a couple of different wines to balance with the product that they are serving, and it’s a great flow throughout the night. People go around and get interaction with the chefs, the chefs are all there cooking and it’s really a very poised and educated group.”

It makes sense that powerhouse Fontainebleau plays host for an event of this caliber. The famous hotel contains some of Miami’s most notable restaurants, including the four-diamond-rated Hakkasan, Gotham Steak and Scarpetta.

Check out the video above to see how this award-winning, mega meal-making venue pumps out the perfect plate every time (hint: there are 4 miles of underground food and spirit storage involved, including a chocolate room). Then, if you’ve got tix, find us at the event — we’ll be the ones stuffing our faces.

This Valentine’s Day, trade in the box of chocolates for chocolate paint. Pastry chef Yannis Janssens at Lee & Marie’s Cakery Company highly recommends it with strawberries.

Named for owner Andy Travaglia’s daughter’s grandmothers, Lee & Marie’s Cakery is a bakery-café hybrid that’s serving up a sweeter side in South Beach. Chat Chow TV shared an éclair with chef Janssens and talked sugar and spice, and everything nice.

“Lee & Marie, both of them were famous for baking, of course,” explains Janssens. “Lee is famous for cheesecake and Marie is famous for the German chocolate cake. We still sell those. They’re actually our top-seller cakes. You can buy the whole cake or you can buy by the slice.”

Pair your pastry (try the Heath-Bar fudge éclair) with Panther Coffee served in antique cups and saucers, a nod to the quaint shop’s comfy-chic charm. While Lee & Marie’s main masterpiece is the sweet, they offer a savory menu as well.

“We do have lunch and a breakfast menu,” Janssens admits. “It’s not super large, it’s whatever’s available at the farm. These are the ingredients that we use and then we make salad, sandwiches with [them] and in the mornings we make croissants with [them] and croissant sandwiches.”

If you’re feeling guilty about the caloric intake, know that your purchase is going towards a good cause. Lee & Marie’s actively supports those affected by autism by employing and providing housing for autistic adults.
Check out the video above to see why Janssens’ Belgian roots make for one extra-decadent cupcake, why pop-cones are heavenly, and what other Valentine’s Day gifts are available.

Carlos Larcada of Pao Town, an increasingly popular Asian fusion joint in Coral Gables, has some solid suggestions about how to scrumptiously wok-toss Brussels sprouts and why dry chicken wings are just better. And who doesn’t take the advice of a gentleman in a bowtie? Chat Chow TV pulled up a seat next to Larcada to discuss.

“Pao Town really came out of food that everyone loves to eat,” Larcada explains. “We like to joke here that it’s the kind of food that you need to take into a corner, take your shirt off and eat every privately.”

And yet, there’s nothing exclusive about Pao Town’s exotically familiar feel. Pao Town takes a cheeky tone, from its kitschy name to Korean video girls looping on flat-screens throughout. Couple that with communal tables, lived-in reclaimed décor, and dishes that Larcada refers to as “’Noms” (because you just wanna munch ‘em all up), and you have an experience that’s anything but taboo.

Larcada explains what he was going for: “It goes back to that kind of food you love to eat. We really wanted items that you can come [eat] for lunch with coworkers, but you can also bring your lady on a Saturday night and not make her feel like you’re taking her to grab-n-go chicken.”
Complementing the food menu is Pao Town’s well-edited list of libations, from curated craft beers to complex cocktails, like the Sake Sangria (junmai sake, pomegranate and lychee juice, and green and oolong teas blended with fig, lychees, mango, and pineapple).

Watch the video above to get a sense of Pao Town’s laid-back vibe, Larcada’s favorite menu item (there’s wasabi ranch involved), and when you can show up for $1 drafts.

The Pubbelly boys are back at it again. In this episode of Chat Chow, we sit with PB Steak Executive Chef, Jose Mendin.

This time they are branching out to include beef to their empire. A steakhouse with a difference. “PB Steak is a small-plate joint where you come in with your friends and have a variety of dishes. It’s not going be your steakhouse with bibb lettuce, new york strip and Creme brûlée. Steaks are meant to be shared. And we have extensive raw bar w/ different oysters, crudos, lobster, king crab, stone crab and more. We want you go to home and wonder ‘What happened to me’?”

PB Steak is their 5th concept was built together as a team for the locals in the area. Joining Mendin are two female leads – Ashley Dean shaking up some killer cocktails. Mendin’s favorites are The Roquette and Chef’s Old Fashioned. And Maria Orantes, pastry chef who has been baking it up for all Pubbelly restaurants with desserts such as the PB&J Panna Cotta, Cinnamon Bun Bread Pudding and Jose’s favorite – Apple Pie.

And they aren’t’ stopping there, they already have a another project in the works. Watch the video above to learn more about PB Steak and what’s to come.

Jose Mendin / PB Steak from Chat Chow TV on Vimeo.

Chef Bee / Khong River House from Chat Chow TV on Vimeo.

From the owners of Miami Beach’s southern-style eatery Yardbird comes Khong River House in Miami Beach.

The inspiration for Khong River House emanates from founder John Kunkel’s passion for the celebrated foods prepared in the rural villages and city markets of Thailand, which he became enamored with while living and traveling extensively through its northern provinces.

Chat Chow talks to Executive Chef Piyarat Potha Arreeratn (known as Chef Bee) who hails from the small town of Ban Sankhohiang in the Chiang Rai region. The cultures from Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and other surrounding countries are the influence behind Khong River House’s Northern Thai cuisine.

“Everybody has sticky rice,” says Chef Bee. “But we serve Burmese Sticky Rise that is soaked overnight with turmeric and salt. So its nice and yellow. The next day it is steamed with flash-fried garlic. The smell and aroma is beautiful.”

A Thai temple in Homestead, Florida is importing all the produce, giving a new meaning to farm-to-table. Even the decor at Khong River House is authentic with license plates and a tin roof. The restaurant was even blessed by Thai Monks. “Traditional Thai people want somebody with a beautiful mind, beautiful heart, someone superior to give you a blessing.”

Watch the video to learn about Chef Bee’s favorite dishes including Curry Boat Noodles, Pork Belly Curry and the eponymous “Killer Bee” cocktail.