As a kid, I used to watch old movies on television. I especially loved the scenes when Nick and Nora Charles would go to a supper club. They’d be having a wonderful meal and watching a singer or floor show when a waiter would come by and Nick would order, “Two martinis, please.” Myrna Loy, as his lovely wife Nora, would then look up at the waiter and say, “That sounds delightful, I’ll have the same.”

Many Americans, especially men and teenage boys, eat too much red meat, poultry and eggs, and should reduce their consumption, according to new federal dietary guidelines jointly released on January 7 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services. Reducing Americans' meat consumption will not only help improve public health, but reduce climate and water pollution from the meat industry.

The Oakland Park City Commission approved a conditional use request from One Plant, a medical marijuana dispensary, to open its doors in the city.

A capacity crowd squeezed into a restaurant in Wilton Manors, Sept. 1, to see City Commissioner Julie Carson recognized by Equality Florida. Carson, a lesbian, received the civil rights organization’s Community Partner for Equality Award.

During the pandemic, folks have been indulging in their guilty pleasures a little more than usual.

Penny’s at the Duke will hold its Third Annual Chili Cook-Off Sunday, Feb. 8 at 1 p.m. at 902 N Dixie Highway in Lantana. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Compass Youth Program.

In my last column I wrote about my first cruise with an LGBT tour group, the Pied Piper Post-Thanksgiving cruise. To my delight, it was not all about pretty boys in skimpy swimsuits (but there were plenty of those available). After a day at sea we reached our first port of call, and from then on, the pattern was; explore a port, board the ship and party while we sailed to the next island. Now let’s focus on the all the fun shipboard and at the Caribbean ports of call.

Boynton Beach may not have the LGBT presence that Wilton Manors has, but then again where else does? Located midway between Lake Worth and Delray, Boynton Beach is coming into its own. You can see signs of it everywhere, from the multimillion dollar homes popping up next to trailer parks, to the renovations taking place downtown.

Since South Florida is so full of people who have relocated from other parts of the country, you will invariably hear people from a region bemoaning the foods that they miss. Philadelphians miss authentic cheesesteaks, New Englanders yearn for authentic lobster rolls, and Californians crave In-N-Out burgers. However, it seems that those who moan and complain the loudest are Chicagoans.

Happy 7th anniversary SFGN! I am so proud to be a part of the SFGN family. I’ve been writing for the LGBT media for 30 plus years and SFGN is the most professionally run publication for which I’ve had the pleasure of working.

OK, I just survived my first hurricane. Not realizing that everything would be closed for days after the hurricane, I was ill-prepared. I thought, “If we’re without power, we’ll just dine out.” It never occurred to me that everyplace else would be without power, too. Hey, before this hair turned white, I used to be a blond!

It’s that time of year when the party invites start coming and you don’t want to arrive at the celebration empty-handed. Non-foodies will show up with a bottle of wine or some store-bought pastries. The truly lazy stop on the way and buy a bag of chips and some dip (unless they’re cheap, then they just buy the chips). You want to do more than that, don’t you? Here are some great dishes to bring to holiday parties that are easy to prepare and travel easily.

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but brunch is the most fabulous! The problem is that it is too easy to get the day off to an unhealthy start. When dining out, opt for a fresh fruit plate, poached eggs and dry toast, oatmeal with fruit or a salad. If you’re cooking at home there are so many healthy brunch recipes you have no reason to feel deprived. Here are a few of my favorites.

While “Taste the Rainbow” may be the catchphrase for Skittles commercials, this time of year you may want to co-opt it for your next Pride celebration. As I motor up to D.C. for the Equality March for Unity and Pride, here are a few of my favorite recipes for rainbow-themed dishes.

Skittles may use the phrase “Taste the Rainbow” to promote its candy, but it really should be used for LGBT Pride treats, and I ain’t talking about the boys in the underwear riding the floats!

This past Memorial Day I was reminded of when I was a kid and we lived up north. Memorial Day meant my father would drag out the old Weber Grill for the first barbecue of the summer. Never mind that in Chicago, snow is still a possibility until June!

Plunge Beach Hotel recently opened at the north end of El Mar Dr. in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea and the Backflip Beach Bar & Kitchen is already becoming a favorite among locals. It is perhaps the ultimate laid-back beach bar, serving local brews and rum-fueled cocktails that would make Hemingway smile. Its fresh juice-infused drinks have just the right amount of kick (many of which can also be ordered sans alcohol). Check out the Sharkbait; vodka with raspberry puree and ginger beer, the Tweet Me Ishmael with coconut rum and mango puree or an Aperol Fizz.

Like most businesses, the hospitality industry has been hit hard by the pandemic.

One of the first places I dined at after when I came down to Wilton Manors nine years ago looking to relocate was the original Mason Jar Café (on the land where the now-shuttered TooJay’s on Federal now stands).

One thing you can say about the South Florida dining scene is that it’s never boring.

Sistrunk Marketplace, which formerly housed the Eli Witt Cigar & Tobacco company, is now a 24,000 square foot food hall, mixed-use event space and retail concept.   

I prefer not to review a restaurant until it’s been open a few weeks, but Tulio’s, the latest place to occupy the corner of Wilton Dr. and 21st. Ct. had folks waiting for it to open for months.

A is for acclaimed. A is for affable. A is for accomplished. Finally, A is for Angelo, as in Angelo Elia, the Italian-born chef/restaurateur, whose impressive roster of dining establishments includes three Casa D’Angelo restaurants (Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and Paradise Island/Bahamas), as well as a growing chain of wildly-popular casual-chic Italian eateries – Angelo Elia Pizza, Bar, Tapas (Fort Lauderdale, Weston, Delray Beach and Coral Springs) and the Angelo Elia Bakery Bar.

It’s spring and that means the beginning of baseball season and I’ve visited two new restaurants. One hit it out of the park and the other struck out. And that’s about as far as I can go with baseball metaphors, so let’s focus on the restaurants.

So much about the restaurant industry is hype that you can’t really take it seriously when you read a “Best of…” list. A restaurant experience is ephemeral; servers and chefs have bad days, but, when a place is named to the city’s “Top 10” or “Best” lists time and time again, you can bet the odds of a terrific dining experience are in your favor.

As Barbie said, “Math is hard!” I couldn’t remember the math term for the equation that comes after squared (a number times itself) and cubed (a number times itself, then times itself again). It’s quartic and that’s the end of today’s math lesson, except for this equation 4 x B =? The answer is delicious; if B equals burgers, booze, beer and brunch, as it does at the two places we focus on today.

For quite some time, Cuba was a tropical playground for Americans looking for a quick getaway. Then came Castro’s Communist regime, followed by an American embargo and suddenly, Cuba was cut off from most of its suppliers. With little in the way of raw materials, the Cuban people made the best with what they had. Old American autos were kept running for years beyond their life expectancy. With limited agricultural resources the, Cuban people were equally resourceful.

No, I’m not suggesting you join me au natural (believe me, no one wants to see me naked), I’m referring to chef Ralph Pagano’s latest venture, The Naked Crab, which recently opened in the B Ocean Resort. Pagano has also opened Naked Taco in Miami and Wynwood’s Naked Lunch.

The cuisine of Peru, like many South American countries, reflects influences from the indigenous population, including the Incas, as well as cuisines brought in with immigrants from Europe (Spain and to a lesser extent, Italy and Germany).