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Has this happended to you? You walk into a restaurant and you’re greeted by someone who seems to be doing you a favor to seat you, or this one is a my pet peeves, they ask you to go to the bar to wait for your table – and this can be at least a half hour wait. Why do these happen? What goes on behind the scenes at a top-rated restaurant and how can we get the most out of a restaurant visit?

In an interview with Phoebe Damrosch author of Service Included: four-star secrets of an eavesdropping waiter she gave us tips on how to get the best out of your restaurant visit.

Don’t try to bribe the host. If there’s no table, there’s no table.

“Do you know who I am?” is a very unattractive question.

Don’t send something back after eating most of it.

Please do not ask what else we do. It implies that a. we shouldn’t aspire to work in the restaurant business even if it makes us happy and financially stable, b. that we have loads of time on our hand because ours is such an easy job, and c. that we are not succeeding in another field.

Consider storing your handbag under your chair where we won’t step on it.

We are happy to split your check, but it helps when you tell us up front. You’d be surprised at how complicated it can be to make changes on some scmputers.

Do not touch the waiter.

When you don’t like something, don’t get mad at your waiter. He didn’t make it

Kitchen Confidential meets Sex in the City in a delicious memoir by the first female captain at the Thomas Keller’s prestigious Per Se restaurant.

Service Included is the story of that year:

her obsession with food; her love affair with a sexy sommelier; and a voyeuristic glimpse into the highly competitive and frenetic world of fine dining.

October 25, 2007, The InterContinental Hotel in Miami will be transformed into a wine and food mecca at the Signature Chefs and Wine Extravaganza presented by Miccosukee Rersort and Gaming. 

Celebrity chefs, incredible wine and fabulous auction items will make this an extraordinary evening.  All proceeds will benefit the March of Dimes.

Chefs confirmed to join Celebrity Emcee, Jackie Nespral of NBC 6 are Chef Founder Allen Susser of Chef Allen’s, Chef Chair Cindy Hutson of Ortanique on the Mile, and Presenting Chef Jose D. Rios of Miccosukee Resort & Gaming as well as: Chef Patrick Duff of Acqua at the Four Seasons Hotel, Chef Michael Gilligan of Atrio Restaurant at Conrad Miami, Chef Clay Conley of Azul at the Mandarin Oriental, Miami, Chef Willy Hernandez of Caramelo, Chef Jesse Souza of Chispa Restaurants, Chef Alex Patout of Christabelle’s Quarter, Chef George Fistrovich of Cioppino at The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne, Chef Giancarla Bodoni of Escopazzo, Chef Pierre Saussy of Evolution, Chef Hiro Terada of Doraku, Chef Tom Azar of Emeril’s Miami Beach, Chef Ryan Delré of Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Chefs Jorge Montes and Andres Alarcon of Gourmet Creations, Chef Michael Jacobs of Grass restaurant & lounge, Chef Alexander Feher of InterContinental Miami, Chef Andre Bienvenu of Joe’s Stone Crab, Chef Alberto Cabrera of Karu&Y, Chef Jean Paul Desmaison of La Cofradia, Chef Alberto Fuentes of Macchiato Boutique Restaurant, Chef Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, Chef Kurtis Jantz of Neomi’s Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort, Chef Dewey LoSasso of North One 10 Restaurant, Chef Philippe Ruiz of Palme d’Or of The Biltmore, Chef Gordon Maybury of Preston’s at the Loews Miami Beach, Chefs Andrea Curto-Randazzo and Frank Randazzo of Talula, Chef Jeff McInnis of The Dilido Beach Club at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach, Chef Jacob Durham of The Food Gang, Chef Sean Bernal of Oceanaire, Chef Tim Andriola of Timō Restaurant, Chef Jan Jorgensen of Two Chefs Restaurant, Chef Dominique Beckers of We Take the Cake, and Chef Michael Bloise of Wish at The Hotel.

Tickets for the event are $150 per person in advance, $175 per person at the door.  Tickets for the exclusive The DYL Group VIP Champagne Reception are $250 per person and are limited.  The InterContinental Miami is located at 100 Chopin Plaza in downtown Miami.  For more information, call 305.477.1192 or visit marchofdimes.com/florida.

Miami is one of 20 cities for the James Beard 20th anniversary festivities to be held on September 28. Cocktail and dinner for just 100 ($240 each) people will be held at Azul Restaurant and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.  The 4-couorse menu is by local James Beard award winners, Mark Militello, Norman Van Aken and Clay Conley.

The next day, at Williams-Sonoma, there will be host appearances by Conley, Van Aken and Gabriele Marewski of Paradise Farms.

For more information go to www.jbftasteamerica.com.  To purchase tickets to the Azul dinner, contact ATorres@mohg.com or call 305-913-3840.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Daily Bread Food Bank.  

 Michael Mina’s BOURBON Steak to open at Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort and Club:

This coming winter, James Beard Award winning chef Michael Mina will open his first South Florida location. BOURBON Steak’s extensive menu will features a wide array of beef, seafood, and new twists on classic American dishes. Beef choices include American Kobe, Japanese Kobe, and certified angus steaks. Seafood selections feature east and west coast oysters, Alaskan king crab, and Maine lobsters. Decadent accompaniments and side dishes of grilled foie gras, duck fat fries, and steamed king crab enhance the menu’s already extravagant main dishes. Mina’s “Modern American” classics such as whole-fried organic chicken with truffled mac and cheese will also be available. BOURBON Steak will be a standout at the resort not only because of its menu, but by its design. The 7,600 square foot space is entered through a twelve foot high glass box entrance and features several different dining spaces, including a private, “glass box” dining room.

BOURBON Steak, A Michael Mina Resaurant
The Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort and Club
19999 West Country Club Drive
Aventura

James Beard Foundation holds first-ever national food festival:
On September 28-29, 2007

Miami will be one of the twenty host cities to the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America Festival. Local celebrity chefs, Norman Van Aken, Clay Conley, Mark Militello, Cindy Huston, Michael Bloise, and Malka Espinel will create dishes for the festival’s gala cocktail and dinner on September 28. The gala, will be held at 7:30 pm at Azul at the Mandarin Oriental on Friday, September 28. Tickets are $240 per person, including gratuities, and are limited to 100 diners. The festivities continue on Saturday, September 29 with a free event at Williams-Sonoma at the Village of Merrick Park featuring cooking demonstrations, a book signing by Van Aken, children’s activities, and tastings of products by local artisanal farmers. The event begins at 11:30 am and goes until 4:30 pm. If you go:
Gala:

Azul at the Mandarin Oriental,

500 Brickell Drive

Tickets can be purchased via email Atorres@mohg.com or by calling 305-913-3840.

Free event:

Williams-Sonoma, Village of

Merrick

Park350 Avenue San Lorenzo
(305) 446-9421

Ishq Indian restaurant opens on

Ocean Drive Sham and Kavita Kalami have brought a taste of India to

South

Beach. The restaurant, Ishq is named after the Indian word for “love” and features authentic Indian cuisine, complete with two tandoors in its open kitchen. Ishq also offers breakfast and an array of tapas-style dishes, in addition to a full bar. Designed by Charles Benson and Associates and McBride Co., Ishq has indoor, outdoor, and bar seating.Ishq Restaurant

530 Ocean Drive

305-532-4747
 

Beach Dining Re-invented at Michael’s Kitchen:
Chef Michael Blum is set to open his highly anticipated second eatery in the former home of Sunny Isles’ Newport Pub. Corned beef reuben spring rolls, chimichurri skirt steak, and black bean sesame glazed Asian spareribs are just a few of Blum’s innovative spins on traditional beachside favorites. Michael’s Kitchen Newport Beachside Resort is slated to open in November, but reservations are already highly recommended. 

Michaels Kitchen

Newport Beachside Resort

16701 Collins Avenue

305-749-2110

www.michaels-kitchen.com

Pinecrest’s Two Chefs open uptown:
Local Pinecrest favorite Two Chefs is opening a second location in

North Miami. Set to open later this month, Two Chefs Too will offer popular menu items from the original Two Chefs and will also showcase new dishes. They will also offer an extensive selection of artisanal cheeses and an expertly chosen wine and spirits selection.
Two Chefs Too

2286 NE  123 Street

305-895-5155

www.twochefsrestaurant.com

I interviewed radio host, columnist and cookbook author, Dolores Kostelni, about her latest book, 51 Fast and Fun Packaged Dough Recipes.  Here are her tips and a recipe for Chocolate Chip Caramel-filled Bars.

 Keep refrigerated packaged doughs cold.  If doughs become warm, they’ll be sticky.

Preheat  oven as directions suggest.  The hot oven encourages the most rise in your breads and muffins and crisps up the crusts.

Flash freezing is a great way to freeze baked goods for later use.  Place the thoroughly cooled items – cookies, scones, cupcakes, muffins, even frosted cakes – on a baking pan and freeze, uncovered, until rock hard. Then place them in an air-tight freezer container, storage bag, or cake saver until needed.

Chocolate Chip Caramel-Filled Bars

2 (18-ounce) packaged refrigerated dough for Big Deluxe Classic Chocolate Chip cookies

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

10 (1.3-ounce) or 5 (4.5-ounce) caramel-filled milk chocolate bars

Position the rack in the lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray.  Spread 1 package of the dough to fit the pan.  Use a smooth jar, glass, or your fingers to roll out the dough evenly into the corners.  Bake the dough for 15 minutes.  Break the second package of dough into pieces and place in the food processor.  Add 2 tablespoons flour.  Pulse on/off to mix the dough with the flour and make crumbles of different sizes.  Remove the pan from the oven.  Place the candy bars side by side over the hot dough — in some instances, breaking the ars to fit the space.  Sprinkle the crumbles evenly over the candy.  Return the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Allow the bars to cool completely, then  lift up the foil and remove the bars from the pan.  Cut into small squares.

51 Fast and Fun Packaged Dough Recipes by Dolores Kostelni, Collectors Press, $7.95