Chat Chow TV (HD)

Florida is having a spirits renaissance thanks in part to the St. Augustine Distillery. Chat Chow TV sat down the distillery’s president and founding partner Philip McDaniel to found out more about the new craft distillery, its historic location and how it is stepping up St. Augustine’s “cool” factor. The distillery is the brain child of McDaniel and his fellow founding partner Ryan Dettra who were looking for new projects to take on in their adopted hometown of St. Augustine. They were intrigued by the idea of bringing a distillery to the area and went around the country researching and discovering the best practices on how to do so. They partnered up with Master Distiller David Pickerell, who has more than 30 years of experience in the distillery industry under his belt with brands like Maker’s Mark, and used some of Florida’s abundant produce like sugarcane, corn and wheat, to create their spirits. The first one created was vodka, followed by the recently released gin along with rum that will be coming in early 2015. Bourbon is also in production and once released will be Florida’s first bourbon. The distillery is housed in the historic FP&L Ice Plant right in the heart of the historic St. Augustine beach area. It is easily accessible by trolley and tour buses and provides free tours daily where guests can learn more about the plant, its process, sample some product and purchase it if so desired. Curious who Ella and Bessy are? Or what goes into the distillery’s signature Florida Mule? Find out all that and more in the video above.

With ocean views, a celebrity chef and the freshest seafood available, Lure Fishbar inside the Loews Miami Beach Hotel has quickly gained a large following since its opening in December 2013. Chat Chow TV sat down with Josh Capon, the Executive Chef and partner, to learn more about Lure, how it stacks up to the NYC outpost and what he has in store for Miami. Lure Fishbar has been an institution in NYC for more than 10 years — it’s so popular in fact that their was a social media outcry when rumors circulated that it may be closing. While the original outpost is still very much in business, the owner of the Lowes had been a big fan of the restaurant and convinced Capon and his team to come down to Miami. “We thought the space, the timing and location was perfect,” notes Capon. “And I think we’ve created something really special here.” While the restaurant’s menu has many similarities to its NYC sister location, such as fresh seafood towers, sushi and its famous Bash Burger, the menu also features unique dishes that showcase European and Latin flavors like Seared Diver Sea Scallops with Steamed Clams and Chorizo and Steamed Red Snapper with served Veracruz style. Heading up the bar program is bartending veteran Robert Ferrara, who has created a menu featuring creative cocktails filled with fresh ingredients that are perfect for its Miami Beach setting. Capon himself is a big fan. “He’s constantly coming up with new, inventive seasonal cocktails that blow people away,” adds Capon. “He’s a huge talent, an absolute pleasure, and we’re very lucky to have him.” Capon has plenty of exciting projects in the works, most notably his new half hour food competition show titled “Frankenfood” which just began to air on Spike TV this month. Want to learn the secret to Capon’s award-winning Bash Burger? Or find out how to get yourself a (possibly) complimentary drink? Watch the video above to find out all of that and more.

Blackbrick Chinese is the newest restaurant in the growing Midtown Miami neighborhood from Richard Hales, the chef and owner of Sakaya Kitchen and Dim Ssäm à gogo. The restaurant serves classic Asian dishes with the distinctive twist that Hales has built his reputation on. The food at Blackbrick is inspired by Hales’ Filipino, Irish and Italian heritage, along with his travels throughout Asia and his time spent in New York City’s Chinatown. He tells Chat Chow TV that his main goal of his restaurants is to bring good Asian cuisine to Florida. He stresses that Chinese food should posses a whole palate of flavors — not just spicy and sweet — and that is what he tries to showcase in his cuisine. While his other restaurants are more fast casual, Blackbrick Chinese is a return to Hales’ roots offering full service and bar. The menu offers an array of dishes from the classic egg rolls, dim sum, homemade noodle dishes, along with a newly launched brunch featuring breakfast fried rice, hot pockets, and fortune cookie waffles served with Korean fried chicken. For desserts, Hales enlists his wife to make homemade fortune cookies and pastries, served with a side of Azucar Ice Cream. The funky interior, designed by Hales himself, showcases portraits of his heroes in Russian general attire, graffiti walls, and bright red light fixtures hanging from the ceilings. A nod to the fun, laid back vibe of the restaurant. Wonder why the restaurant goes by Midtown Chinese? Or want to learn more about his chefs “Real Deal” and the “Chili Master?’ Watch the video above for all the delicious details.

Dolce Italian offers a contemporary take on Italian classics in the heart of Miami Beach. Located on Collins Avenue inside the Gale Hotel, the restaurant appeals to locals and visitors alike with its refined cuisine and approachable atmosphere. Chat Chow TV sat down with Dolce’s Director of Food and Beverage, Kevin D’Antonio, to learn more about the restaurant and its recent anniversary. Dolce prides itself on preparing its cuisine in true Italian fashion complete with pastas made in-house, mozzarella that’s pulled to order and pizzas prepared in a wood burning oven. “One of the best things about this restaurant is the moment you walk in you get a little smell of that wood burning oven,” says D’Antonio. The year-old restaurant just added plenty of new items to its menu to celebrate its first anniversary including a new “grill” section, revamped appetizers, an expanded wine list, and a new family style Sunday dinner with dishes meant to share between four and six people. D’Antonio feels that the Gale Hotel is a “one stop shop” and encourages guests to have a complete night at the hotel with drinks at The Regent, dinner at Dolce and then dance the night away downstairs at Rec Room. Curious when brunch service will start at Dolce? Or what some of D’Antonio’s favorite dishes are? Check out the video above to find out that and more.

Daniel Boulud needs little introduction. The legendary French chef has won every culinary accolade known to man and owns and operates some of the best restaurants in the world. Chat Chow TV recently had the opportunity to sit down with Boulud to learn more about his delicious cuisine and newly released cookbook. For his Miami outpost, db Bistro Moderne, Boulud envisioned a classic French bistro that guests could frequent often with light, approachable fare. Along with the delectable food, Boulud notes that service is a very important element at all his restaurants and he and his team spend a lot of time training the wait staff so guest’s experience goes smoothly. While DB Bistro Moderne has only been open a few years, his famous three-starred Michelin restaurant Daniel just turned 20. To celebrate the anniversary Boulud released his newest cookbook DANIEL: My French Cuisine. The book features unaltered recipes from the restaurant along with essays, beautiful photography of his classic dishes, and his favorite items to cook at home. Curious what Boulud thinks of people photographing their food at restaurants? Or what his favorite candy is? Find out all that and more in the video.

The food truck that started the craze in Miami, Latin Burger and Taco, recently opened the doors on its first ever brick and mortar location in the heart of Coral Gables. Chat Chow TV sat down with owner Jim Heins to find out more about his new restaurant, its menu and its famous burgers. Guests can find the iconic look of the truck throughout the restaurant with the bright pink walls and black detailing. Decorating the walls is custom pop art of Heins’ favorite artists eating burgers, which is a nod to the restaurant and to Heins love of art. The restaurant’s menu stays true the cuisine found in the Latin Burger and Taco trucks but serves a larger variety of offerings including more upscale tacos, and according to the Heins the burgers still remain king. “Being from Texas and loving the taco tradition, I said we’re going to do an upper-end taco,” notes Heins. “We hired chefs and everything and our hamburgers are still outselling our tacos.” There’s good reason for that as his Latin Macho burger has won many accolades including recently being named the “Best Dade County Burger” at the 2014 Burgie Awards. The burger is made with an Angus patty mixed with Argentine chorizo and special spices, and then topped with caramelized onions, Oaxaca cheese and a special red pepper mayo. The burger is so good in fact that it landed on the Joe’s Takeaway menu — the first item from an outside vendor to do so in more than 100 years. Curious what inspired Heins to get into the food truck business to begin with? Or why he chose Coral Gables for his first location? Find out all that and more in the video above.

Seasalt and Pepper is the hot new Mediterranean seafood restaurant garnering buzz around the Miami for its delicious cuisine and star clientele. Chat Chow TV sat down with co-owner Carlos Miranda to learn more about the inspiration for the space and its unique vibe. The restaurant is prominently located on the Miami River inside of Howard Hughes’ former seaplane hanger. Miranda explains that it’s actually two concepts in one with Seasalt Brasserie serving as the restaurant and soon-to-be opened Pepper that will house a bar, lounge and members club. Throughout the elegant industrial space, patrons can not only soak up beautiful waterfront views but also admire unique pieces of art work made just for the restaurant. The show stopping installation hanging in the main dining room was created by Miami artist Carlos Bentacourt and features more than 1,000 items that can be found on the Miami River. Seafood is the star of the menu, which was created by seasoned Executive Chef Alfredo Alvarez. Featuring seafood casseroles cooked in 900 degree wood-burning ovens, a fresh raw bar, homemade pastas and pizzas, the cuisine highlights flavors found throughout the Mediterranean. Curious what Miranda’s favorite dish is? Or which celebrities have already been spotted at the restaurant? Find out those things and more in the video above.

Giardino Gourmet Salads offers guests custom-made salads that are prepared to order with more than 70 fresh toppings and condiments to choose from. The original location opened in Coral Gables in 2004 and the restaurant has since expanded to eight more locations throughout South Florida. Chat Chow TV spoke with owner and founder Ody Lugo to learn more about the concept. At Giradino’s guests can choose to have a salad “My Way” starting with four different types of greens, a choice of four toppings, then dress it with one of the 25 choices of dressing options and homemade baked croutons. They also offer a great selection of suggested combinations, with the Mama Mia salad being the most popular choice. Salads aren’t the only thing guests can dine on at this popular spot – wraps, sandwiches and soups also fill up the menu. Diners even have a deli on-the-go option where they can get one of Giardino’s prepared salads, such as tuna or chicken salad, served as a sandwich. Hungry for more? Check out the video above to learn more about Giardinos and wide their large array of healthy and delicious offerings.

Badmaash in Downtown Los Angeles is an Indian gastropub that has quickly made a name for itself by serving contemporary Indian cuisine in a fun, approachable manner. Chat Chow TV sat down with owners Pawan, Nakul and Arjun Mahendro to learn more about the restaurant and its menu. The concept for Badmaash came about when they realized there wasn’t a “cool” option for Indian food in LA. The Indian restaurants they encountered weren’t very approachable to most people. They sought to change that and remove the stigma around Indian food. “Instead of having 3,000 items on a menu,” joked Nakul. “We picked the six the most popular traditional items – and instead writing the menu in Hindi, we write it in English.” On the menu you can find an assortment of different dishes from the more contemporary such as Spiced Lamb Burgers, Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs, and the Spiced Mango Pork Belly, to classic Indian fare like Chicken Tikka Masala and Ghost Chili Lamb Vindaloo. The menu even pays homage to Canada, the country the younger Mahendro’s were raised in, by including a chicken tikka poutine made with masala fries. Rounding out the Badmaash menu is an assortment of unique beverages including 100 percent Indian glass bottle sodas, Bombay cutting chai inspired from the popular Indian drink found on the streets of Bombay, local wines and beers. Curious what Badmaash means? Or what the owners favorite dishes are? Find out all that and more in the video above.

Wolfe’s Wine Shoppe, located in the heart of Coral Gables on Miracle Mile, has made a name for itself by carrying hard-to-find, hand selected wines chosen by owner Jeffery Wolfe. Chat Chow TV sat down with Wolfe to find out more about the store, its selections and the great promotions the store offers locals. When people arrive at Wolfe’s Wine Shoppe, the first conversation they have with Wolfe is paramount. Since the store only carries small batch wines that you can’t find everywhere, Wolfe makes it a point to find out what the customer likes so he can guide them in the right direction for their purchase. “There aren’t any rules in wine,” Wolfe states. “Whatever you like, whatever you’re enjoying, if you want to have it something and you think it works – then it works.” The store hosts plenty of events and in-store promotions throughout the year for its loyal customers. Every Friday the store hosts a wine tasting, it sends out weekly emails to its ‘Wolfpacker List’ filled with specials and deals, it participates in cross promotions with local restaurants, and it even hosts an annual Christmas party for its guests. For the holidays, the store makes it easy for patrons to shop at any budget. The Wolfe’s Wine Shoppe releases its annual “Top 10’ list filled with its favorite wines of the year. The store also offers customizable gift boxes, gift wrapping and case deals for everyone on your Christmas list. Wonder why they call their email list the ‘Wet Noses Group’? Or what Wolfe recommends to buy for your boss or someone you’re trying to impress? Find out all of that and more in the video above.

Located in the middle square of Mary Brickell Village, Toscana Divino unites all things Tuscan. The gorgeous restaurant features classic dishes found throughout Tuscany along with seasonal ingredients and items directly imported from the region. Chat Chow TV sat down with Executive Chef Julian Baker to learn more about the menu and the restaurant’s unique Italian heritage. Toscana Divino was built from the ground up in partnership with the Italian consortium of leading Italian businesses of Wine and Fashion in Florence. Because of this partnership, the restaurant showcases Italian producers throughout the space with the art work, leather handbags, olive oils, wines and even their glassware, all coming from Tuscan purveyors. Baker tells Chat Chow TV that he worked in Italy by chance and while being there really began to enjoy what Italy and its cuisine had to offer. Those classic Tuscan dishes and techniques can be found throughout the menu in items like the Ribollita, a twice cooked Tuscan vegetable soup, the ‘Fiorentina’ steak cooked standing on the grill, and the house made pastas and decadent desserts. Toscana Divino offers guests an array of special events and discounts, in addition to its popular daily happy hour, it hosts wine seminars once a month, a discounted ‘Dinner at Dusk’ menu, and a weekend brunch. Curious about the restaurant’s decadent truffle offerings? Or its expansive wine list? Learn all of that and more in the video above.

Pilar Alexander Contributed by Julio Cabrera • 2oz Papa’s Pilar dark rum • 1oz White crème de cacao • 1oz Heavy cream • Fresh nutmeg Combine ingredients into shaker with ice, then strain into a coupe glass. Grate fresh nutmeg on top.

Located in the W Hotel Los Angeles in LA’s Westwood Village, NINETHIRTY Restaurant brings modern American cuisine with global influences to locals and visitors alike. At the helm of the restaurant is Executive Chef Dakota Weiss who made a name for herself in 2011 on Bravo’s “Top Chef Texas.” Chat Chow TV sat down with Weiss to learn more about the restaurant, some of her favorite dishes and her popular popcorn venture. Weiss notes that she used to consider cooking, “opening up a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese,” and has come a long way since then. She now experiments with food and has become much more adventurous with her dishes – but says her parents still jokingly give her a box of macaroni and cheese for every birthday. At NineThirty the menu changes with the season but some of her favorite dishes include the Drunken Mussels and Squash Carpaccio. Her surprise hit, though, has been her popcorn. Weiss served the popcorn during her Valentine’s Day dinner this year and it was so popular with the guests that many asked where they could buy it so she started “Pop Parlor” to sell her unique popcorn creations. Curious about how her time on “Top Chef” was? Or what she plans to serve on the restaurant’s Thanksgiving Day menu? Find out all that and more in the video above.

Pasion del Cielo, located in the heart of Coral Gables, is on a mission to provide its customers with a completely unique coffee experience. Chat Chow TV met with the Pasion del Cielo’s operations director Fernanada Salinas to learn about the shop and its interesting selections. What sets this four-year-old coffee shop apart from others is its diverse amount of coffee choices. Pasion del Cielo carries 11 different varieties of organic coffee beans, which are carefully selected from some of the world’s most exotic countries. When ordering guests can also see a comparative chart that describes the levels of aroma, flavor, body and acidity in each coffee. In addition to the wide range of coffee choices the shop also serves up pastries, sandwiches, wraps, salads and different sweets. If guests enjoy the coffee, they can buy the coffee beans in-store to use at home or order them online at the Pasion del Cielo website. Syrups, mugs, and even artwork can also be purchased on their site and shipped throughout the country. Decorating the shop’s walls is a rotating collection of artwork. Pasion del Cielo enjoys supporting the local art community by hosting an “artist of the month,” where each month they choose a different South Florida based artist to exhibit their artwork on the walls of the store in order to help them gain exposure in the area. Wonder what Salinas favorite coffee bean is? Or how Pasion del Cielo’s coffee can be compared to wine? Find out all that and more in the video above.

Chew On This / Napa Valley Grille’s Crab Cake