Summer 2012 Burger Awards

Following up on last year's Burger Awards, here is this summer's list of the best Burgers I've had.

Starting with this beautiful Bacon & Cheddar Burger with Jalapenos and Red Onion from Bill's Bar and  Burger in New York: I loved the generous amount of Jalapenos as well as the overall texture and taste of this one!

Bacon cheeseburger at The Corner Bistro: Although this burger was good, I must admit it didn't live up to the hype of being The best burger in New York City. I, later, learned that the chef that used to prepare this rumored excellent burger doesn't work at The Corner Bistro anymore which might explain my relatively disappointing experience:

The Bazaar At SLS Hotel Review (South Beach, Miami)

The recently opened SLS Hotel in South Beach offers two great dining options: Katsuya and The Bazaar by José Andrés. As I had already dined at Katsuya's in L.A., I opted for the Bazaar.

First off, I have to say I really like the overall design of the hotel. You can see Philippe Starck's touch everywhere and although it is not as original as it once was, it still is very pleasing to the eye.

The Bazaar is supposed to be less adventurous in the molecular gastronomy field than the chef's signature restaurant Minibar in Washington, DC. It, however, doesn't cease to surprise.

One great example is the cocktails menu. I ordered a "clean and dirty Martini" as a pre-dinner drink and was not disappointed. The salt air (the foam on top) combined with the liquid olive at the bottom made for a very original taste for this classic cocktail:

Morgans Hotel Group Global Card Review

Here's a breakdown of the perks that Morgans Hotel Group Global Card holders are supposed to enjoy:

 Dedicated concierge to assist you with all of your needs before and during your stay
· Complimentary night at all of our new hotel openings around the world
· $100 in US Hotels or £100 in UK hotels for a standard room if available after 10PM
· Upgrades to the best available hotel accommodations upon arrival which include specialty suites
· Invitations to exclusive Global Card events, openings and special events throughout the year

· Access to all of our pools and beaches
· 20% discount at our Agua Spas
· Complimentary In Room Internet
· Complimentary Local Phone/Fax
· Late Check out
· Early Check-in
· Priority Check-in
· Direct escort to room
· Express check out
· Pre arrival email for Special Requests
· Customized Room
· Arrival/Welcome Gift
· Morning Newspaper
· Complimentary Gym Access
· Online Profile Management
· Access to Redemption Partners
· Access to Exclusive Offers
· Reservation Guarantee
· Direct Access to CEO

Fine Dining: Hakkasan Restaurant At Fontainebleau Hotel in South Beach - Miami

The famous Fontainebleau Hotel, where both Goldfinger and Scarface were filmed, was recently remodeled and it does seem to be in the same league than a Las Vegas Hotel. I must say that this property does look very sleek and features fabulous restaurants.

As one of those restaurants is the much hyped Hakkasan, we had to try it out. Keep in mind that  this restaurant offers a Miami Spice Menu on certain dates (for more information click here) which is undoubtedly a great value. We were amazed by the setting of the restaurant, its vibe, the service and of course the food. We had the chance to be welcome by the manager (thanks to our friend Mihai at the Delano Hotel) and had a fabulous and perfect dinner there.

Here are some pictures of the food that we had:

Perfect Dim-Sum (the best we had in our lives):

Their signature dish: Peking Duck with Caviar: a very inventive and divine combination. Here is a picture of the caviar:

The Peking Duck:

Peking Duck and Caviar combined in a pancake (my personal advice would be not to use the accompanying sauce and go easy on the cucumbers and scallions):

If it were not for the food, the whole restaurant decor would be worth a visit. So, it does qualify as a must-go place on a trip to Miami!

Fine Dining: Meat Market Restaurant - South Beach (Miami)

When you are on vacation for two weeks in the same city and you go twice to the same restaurant in two days, I think it tells a lot about how satisfactory the food must be.

This is what happened to us at the Meat Market restaurant on Lincoln Rd in South Beach, Miami. We did take advantage on our first dinner of the Miami Spice Menu. For those of you not familiar with it, let me explain what Miami Spice is all about. Every year in August and September, most of the best restaurants in Miami offer on certain days a set menu priced at US$ 22 for lunch and US$ 35 for dinner. This is, in most cases, an absolute bargain. Of course, we found it to be extremely valuable at Meat Market where the food as well as the setting and service are close to perfection.

We so much enjoyed our Miami Spice menu that we had to go back the following day although we knew the Miami Spice menu wasn't available. Here are pictures of the great food we had there:

Kobe Beef Sliders (one with cheese, the other one with Foie Gras):

Kobe Beef Skewers:

Lamb Chop Duo:

20 Oz. American Kobe Beef with Mac & Cheese (not on the Miami Spice Menu):

Key Lime Pie:

On the must-go scale from 1 to 10, this restaurant is a solid 10!

Food Porn & Cheese Bukkake At Their Finest

What better way to represent food porn than with this beautiful Philly Cheesesteak that can be had at Van Dyke Cafe in South Beach, Miami. The cheese Bukkake explosion featured on this plate couldn't be linked to anything else than food porn!

Barton G. & The Nitrogen Martini

Can you imagine a better Martini than this one?

It can be had in Miami at Barton G. if you order the in-Sation liquid nitrogen Martini : Nitrogenized Absolut Vanilla and Rose Petal Nectar Topped with Champagne!

Breakfast Focus

As you might have guessed, the foodist in me isn't indifferent to the beauty and taste of a perfectly executed omelet for breakfast. You are thus welcome to drool over the pictures of a Delano-made Spanish Tortilla above or three-egg omelet below!

Let us not forget to mention Johnny Rockets and their breakfast special:

The Simple Yet Beautiful Blue Door Burger At The Delano Hotel In Miami

I've just stumbled across this beautiful picture taken last August at the Delano Hotel in Miami. Its simplicity yet awesomeness struck me as a piece of art that I had to share. I like the way the melted cheese looks, its thickness is mouth-watering and the fries just look perfect alongside! Behold and enjoy!

Restaurants I like In Miami, Fl.

On a slightly lighter note, here's a list of great restaurants that I like in South Beach Miami:

- Sushi Samba: http://www.sushisamba.com/
- Vix Restaurant @ Victor Hotel
- Nobu @ The Shore Club
- The Blue Door @ Delano Hotel
- O Asian Grill
- Quattro
- Social @ Sagamore Hotel
- Barton G
- The Restaurant @ The Setai

My favorite hotel in Miami is definitely The Delano. Last month, my family and I stayed at The Setai & The Delano. The Delano is way cooler and has such a cool vibe...