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NDTV
6 hours ago
- General
- NDTV
All About French Onion Soup : A Dish That Feels Like A Hug
There is something universally comforting about soup. No matter where you are in the world, soup has a place at the table - warm, nourishing, and endlessly adaptable. It is a dish that does not follow strict rules but instead reflects the flavours, ingredients, and traditions of the people who make it. From the spicy complexity of Thai tom yum to the rustic charm of Italian minestrone, soup is both an everyday staple and a culinary art form. And among the world's great soups, one stands out for its blend of humble beginnings and rich, indulgent flair. It starts with onions and ends with a flourish: French onion soup. Also Read: This Thai Soup Has Made It To UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List From Humble Roots To Haute Cuisine: A Brief History French onion soup is a perfect example of how simple ingredients - onions, broth, bread, and cheese - can come together to create something extraordinary. According to Alexandre Dumas in his Grand Dictionnaire de Cuisine (1873), the soup gained popularity at the royal court of Versailles in the 1700s. The story goes that King Louis XV's father-in-law, the exiled Polish King Stanislas, tasted the soup at an inn, loved it, and insisted on learning the recipe. That early version was incredibly simple: just fried onions, water, and croutons. Another recipe from the same era added a spoonful of lean broth for extra flavour. Interestingly, these early versions did not include cheese or the golden, bubbly top we associate with the dish today. Because onions were cheap and widely available, the soup was often referred to as "peasant-style". It was considered poor man's food - until its rich, caramelised flavour won over even the most refined palates. Over time, it evolved into the luxurious, cheese-topped version we know and love. Also Read: Mulligatawny Soup: Is It India's First Soup? What Is It Made Of? Photo Credit: Pexels What Makes French Onion Soup So Special? At first glance, the ingredients are modest. But together, they create something deeply satisfying: 1. The Onions: Caramelising onions slowly is the soul of this soup. It is a patient process that draws out their natural sweetness and transforms them into golden, melt-in-your-mouth strands. It takes time - but it is worth every minute. 2. The Broth: Traditional recipes call for a rich meat stock, which gives the soup its deep, savoury base. Some modern versions use chicken or vegetable broth, but beef remains the classic choice for its bold, umami flavour. 3. The Bread: Slices of baguette or rustic country bread are toasted until crisp, then floated on top of the soup. They soak up the broth and add a hearty, satisfying texture. 4. The Cheese: Gruyere is the star here - nutty, melty, and perfect for forming that irresistible golden crust when broiled. It is the finishing touch that turns a simple soup into something truly special. Find the detailed recipe for French Onion Soup here. Also Read: Chicken Vegetable Soup Is The Protein-Rich Winter Dinner Recipe You Were Looking For The Final Sip: French onion soup is more than just a dish - it is a connection to centuries of tradition, to cosy kitchens and bustling Parisian cafes. It is proof that with a little time, care, and a few humble ingredients, you can create something deeply comforting and undeniably elegant. So, the next time the weather turns chilly or you are craving something nostalgic and hearty, remember the magic that happens when onions meet broth, bread, and cheese. Advertisement About Somdatta Saha Explorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call herself. Be it in terms of food, people or places, all she craves for is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio pasta or daal-chawal and a good movie can make her day. For the latest food news, health tips and recipes, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and YouTube. Tags: French Onion Soup Italian Food Global Cuisine Show full article Comments
Wall Street Journal
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
‘Taste and Traditions' Review: Marvelous Menus
The quick-response code, or QR code, infiltrated American restaurants in 2020 as we emerged from the Covid-19 lockdowns and began, tentatively, to eat communally again. For diners, the advantage was that the codes were supposedly more hygienic. We simply pointed our phones at the postage-stamp-size hieroglyphs, pulled up the menu and, sometimes, could even place our orders. No need for human contact or touching a potentially contaminated menu. Originally invented in 1994 to help speed up Japanese car production, QR codes appealed to restaurants because they did away with printing costs and could even help expedite food ordering and delivery, leading to quicker table turnover. However, something was lost in this transition. In 'Tastes and Traditions: A Journey Through Menu History,' Nathalie Cooke elucidates the value of the traditional restaurant menu. More than a list of dishes, it is a medium that can amuse, flatter, educate and tantalize diners, elevating the restaurant experience. Ms. Cooke's copiously illustrated book is filled with color images of menus both ancient and modern, including a bill of fare made up solely of emojis (from a boundary-pushing 'immersive dining' restaurant in Bangkok). Some of the most over-the-top examples were designed by artists whose illustrations helped prepare diners for the meal to come. One of the earliest, a 1751 menu for a feast at Louis XV's 'country retreat' (read: palace), is bordered with hand-painted vines, musical instruments and little hunters chasing wild boars, signaling that wine, music and game would be part of the meal. The artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's 1896 pre-Christmas menu for Paris's Le Suisse promised a holiday spree with tuxedoed gentlemen drinking champagne and carousing with scantily clad women. As technologies evolved, menus began to include photographs and then, for the ultimate in realism, sculptures of each dish, as in the startlingly accurate food models displayed outside eateries in Japan. Restaurants have long realized that their menus can serve as advertising. Ms. Cooke, a professor of English at McGill University, includes a 'souvenir menu' from Manhattan's old Shanghai Royal, which the restaurant promised to mail to any address the diner liked. In this case, one Bernie Marlin sent the menu to a pal in 1946 with the enigmatic notation 'First date—home 3:30.'
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Best Men And Women's Skeleton Watches At 2025 Watches And Wonders
The Bell & Ross BR-03 Skeleton Lum Ceramic The skeletonization of a watch is a specialized technique requiring hours of chiseling and metal trimming by a skilled watchmaker to remove non-essential components of the movement. What remains is the 'skeleton' of the movement, such as the intricate gears, bridges and other essential parts. The same person often adds decorative engravings or other embellishments. To view this detailed work of artisan craft, the dial is either significantly reduced or entirely removed. French watch and clock maker, Andre-Charles Caron, who was the resident clockmaker to King Louis XV, is credited with crafting the first skeleton watch in 1760. As already mentioned, skeletonization process is traditionally handcrafted. However, with advancements in computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD-CAM) this technique can be replicated to produce skeletonized designs that would have been impossible to create by hand. Even in the modern era of watchmaking, it is the unique pieces crafted by hand that are most valued by collectors. The best examples are often presented by the most prestigious brands and independent watchmakers. They are prized not only for for their artisan skill but the artistic representation of the movement. A skeletonized watch can be a thing of beauty. The recently concluded Watches and Wonders horology fair saw many examples of skeletonized timepieces this year for men and women. Below are some of the best. Armin Strom One Week Titanium Skeleton FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder What was already an openworked timepiece is now fully skeletonized to reveal all the mechanics. The small seconds dial is skeletonized, revealing the power reserve level and the escapement wheel. The mainplate and the barrels are also skeletonized. Because of this full skeletonization, the seven-day power reserve indicator is highlighted as well as the cone mechanism, 'reminiscent of ancient pocket watches,' the brand said. A sapphire caseback provides a view of the entire Armin Strom Manufacture caliber ARM21-S, a manual-wound movement with a seven-day power reserve. The movement is housed in a 41mm case made of lightweight grade 5 titanium. The watch is limited to 100 pieces. Bell & Ross BR-03 Skeleton Grey Steel Bell & Ross, the brand that specializes in square aviation watches, introduced the BR-03 Skeleton at Watches & Wonders. To reinforce the skeletonized concept, Bell & Ross redesigned the entire watch around a specific X-shaped structure and enhanced the luminescence. The watch is powered by the new BR-CAL.328 caliber, an automatic three-hand movement without a date, with a 54-hour power reserve. The upper bridges form an X with four double arms, each connecting to one of the four bezel screws. The movement is designed by and produced for Bell & Ross. There are three distinct references of this new timepiece. They are: The BR-03 Skeleton Black Ceramic, which has a 41mm black ceramic case constructed from smoked sapphire crystal. The dial has applied black 'baignoire style' indexes filled with green-emitting white Super-LumiNova (SLN). The hour and minute hands are skeletonized and filled with green emitting white SLN, while the seconds hand is black with a white tip. The BR-03 Skeleton Grey Steel with a 41mm satin-polished gray steel case. Everything on the watch is designed to reflect light, including the faceted indexes and the faceted ruthenium treated cut patterns on the open-worked dial. This model is limited to 250 pieces. The BR-03 Skeleton Lum Ceramic that features green luminescence on the edges of the openworked black dial. A green Super-LumiNova outline traces the cutouts of the dial, which is housed in a 41mm black ceramic case. This model is limited to 250 pieces. Chanel J12 Bleu X-Ray Chanel made waves at Watches and Wonders by introducing an entire line of its well-known J12 watch collection in a distinctive blue ceramic. One of the pieces from the collection was further distinguished for a couple of reasons. The J12 Bleu X-Ray features the skeletonized Caliber 3.1 Swiss-made manual winding movement with a 55-hour power reserve. The luxury brand chose colorless sapphire for the plate and the two bridges, which gives the appearance of floating gears. This impression is further enhanced by a bridge in a colorless sapphire, adorned with 12 baguette-cut bright blue natural sapphire indicators. The skeletonized movement is really the secondary innovation of this watch. The first is that the case and bracelet are crafted from a block of blue tinted sapphire that took 1,600 hours of work to create, Chanel said. The links and bezel are made of white gold and set with 196 blue baguette-cut natural sapphires with the edges framed by black trim that creates a contrast with this endless sea of blue. The watch is numbered and limited to 12 pieces. Charriol Navigator Caliber Skeleton 41mm Charriol's Navigator Caliber Skeleton 41mm is an extension of the 36mm version launched last year. Coralie Charriol, CEO and creative director of the brand founded by her father, Philippe Charriol, originally designed this for women when she introduced it in 2024. She says there is demand from men and women for a larger version of the timepiece. Coralie worked with Swiss caliber manufacturer, Soprod, to produce the 'Charriol Skeleton Caliber 41' automatic movement, created from the SOPROD M100 movement 11 ½. It details the hours, minutes, a sweeping seconds hand, and has personalized bridges and oscillating weight, and a 42-hour power reserve. The dial features two brushed steel inner rings with a minute track with 12 super LumiNova index points and 12 faceted indexes in polished steel with a dark blue finish. The dial and movement are housed in a 41mm steel case with a bezel engraved with a double Charriol lettering and decorated with 2 screws. It's limited to 41 pieces. IWC Big Pilot's Watch Shock Absorber Tourbillon Skeleton XPL This watch marks the first time that IWC used its patented 'SPRIN-g PROTECT' shock absorber system to protect the tourbillon in the watch against shocks. The cantilever spring was redesigned and adapted to accommodate the IWC in-house 82915 caliber with a flying minute tourbillon. To reduce the mass of the movement and maximize the system's performance, the plates, bridges and the rotor are skeletonized, which provides a better view of the mechanics and the bulk metallic glass (BMG) shock absorber spring inside. It's housed in IWC-proprietary Ceratanium case and crown. It is fitted with a black patterned rubber strap. Norqain Wild One Skeleton 39mm Mint Norqain, launched in 2018, produces watches primarily for younger watch enthusiasts with active lifestyles. The watch brand is known for its skeleton watches. Among the new releases at Watches and Wonders 2025, are four Wild One timepieces, each with a unique and vibrant color and a smaller 39mm case size that can be worn by men and women. The color scheme for each watch is on the rubber shock absorbers, the crown guards, the inner bezel ring, and on the Super-LumiNova on the hands and hour markers. The rubber straps are in the same color as the rest of the watch. The colors are Hyper Pink, Mint, Ice Blue and Sky Blue. Sapphire crystal on the front and caseback provides a full view of the skeletonized caliber N086 automatic, skeletonized, COSC-certified chronometer movement. Parmigiani Tonda PF Skeleton Slate Green Like all Parmigiani watches, this skeletonized timepiece is an elegant and refined thing of beauty. The green color is inspired by the architectural palette of Swiss-French architect and designer, Le Corbusier. The PF 777 automatic caliber has a total of 187 components, presented in a fine latticework with beveled finishes, and an openworked barrel, where the mainspring can be seen. The white gold oscillating weight bears the Parmigiani logo under a sapphire crystal disc on the caseback. The skeletonized movement is housed in a 40mm platinum case with a knurled bezel. Its thickness is 8.5mm. The watch is limited to 50 pieces. The Ulysse Nardin Diver [AIR] It's impossible not to include the Ulysse Nardin Diver [AIR] among the best skeleton watches released at Watches and Wonders even though I recently wrote about it in a story prior to the fair. The extreme skeletonization of the new UN-374 caliber was one of the techniques used to create the world's lightest dive watch. The movement is made of lightweight and high strength titanium, and uses a triangle design structure that provides the integrity to withstand 200 meters of water resistance and an impact of 5,000 grams.
Miami Herald
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Dinner in a cave or castle? See 7 of the strangest restaurants in South Florida
South Florida has seen some strange restaurants through the years. If you think eating in a tropical rain forest at a discount mall is bizarre, you have never eaten in bed. Or been handed a menu with wild boar and kangaroo specials. Or grazed from a salad bar under a hut. Or seen a menu with all prices ending in 2. Or had a waiter place seltzer and chocolate syrup on every table. Or eaten steak in a cave or a castle. Dominique's, The Ark, Famous, El Cid, Jimbo's, B.E.D. and The Caves are long gone from the local dining scene. But old-timers in South Florida may remember them, and newcomers may enjoy reading about them. So, let's comb through the Miami Herald archives for a look back at the most bizarre places to have a meal. A review from Dominique's Published May 18, 1984 Dominique's, that plushy, much-discussed restaurant in the Alexander Hotel in Miami Beach, may have had its shakedown problems, but its only 'fault' today is its tendency toward overkill. The food today is extraordinarily good and prodigal. There's a tendency not to take owner Dominique D'Ermo and his cuisine seriously for several reasons. One is his seeming penchant for immodest hype. The front part of his menu - a veritable tome - lauds him and his accomplishments ad nauseum, and there are photographs of him holding up big fish in all too many areas of the hotel. Other pages of the menu are comical and sometimes a turnoff with graphic sketches of rattlesnake, kangaroo and buffalo, calling attention to dishes made with these unfortunate species. All this gimmickry gives an impression of more showmanship than substance; in fact, there are only a minimum of these dishes. Instead, one finds French cooking at its most complex and wondrous best. Sauces are exceptional. Seasonings are positive and savory. The restaurant, like the hotel in which it is housed, is dazzling. Long wooded and glassed-in walkways, looking out upon terraces and gardens, lead into the restaurant, a marvel of polished, carved woods, Oriental rugs, Louis XV chairs and impeccably appointed tables. The soft pink of the tablecloths is stunningly accented against green-rimmed china. In the kind of backdrop that breeds pretension, captains and waiters are surprisingly relaxed and friendly; they also are professional and alert. One dines on such sophisticated and opulent appetizers as smoked salmon ravioli (a special on a recent night, $10), which were fat puffs of pasta stuffed with salmon and seasonings. The ravioli were topped with a heavenly lobster sauce, which was scattered with bits of salmon and lobster. Another special, the seviche ($10), combines impeccably fresh seafood in a coriander-scented sauce of lime and oil. And don't let the notion of buffalo meat turn you off. Though not that commonplace on restaurant menus, buffalo meat tastes much like beef and is available to restaurants specializing in game. Dominique's buffalo sausages ($5.75), served in a superb bordelaise sauce with mushrooms, and garnished with whole baby carrots, broccoli flowers and fresh- cooked spinach, are wondrously coarse in texture, redolent with pungent flavors and infinitely satisfying. Entrees are equally spellbinding and a bit overwhelming. A special of the evening, for example, was thick veal scallops ($28), cooked to tender pink perfection, topped with generous slices of goose liver, placed over firm fettuccine and enfolded in a creamy peppercorn sauce. It's an inspired and delicious culinary masterwork. Even more complex and skillfully executed was the cailles roties ($17.50), a serving of three roasted quail, each topped with soft fried quail eggs, and placed over a piquant honey and raspberry vinegar sauce liberally scattered with chanterelle mushrooms. Grilled salmon ($18.75) on the other hand, fairly floated with lightness, the fresh meat cooked to creamy perfection, the accompanying watercress and dill sauce airy and aromatic. Five vegetables accompany each entree, and on this night there were crisp-cooked, tomato-laced string beans, tiny whole carrots, broccoli and cauliflower florets and a pudding-like potato square that layered thin multi-slices of potato with cream and cheese. Now you understand what I mean about excess. Even the desserts are unremittingly sumptuous. Blackout cake ($4) is at least six inches high, dense and sandwiched with thick, rich chocolate butter cream. It is, without doubt, the best chocolate cake you'll ever taste. Another dessert, which the name-dropping Dominique says in the menu honors his friends Farrah Fawcett and Liz Taylor, combines chocolate-dribbled whipped cream with chocolate truffles ($5.95). Apple tart is layered high with apples and raisins over a rich, thick crust. Dessert portions are abundant. As one might suspect, there is not an abundance of modestly priced wines here, but there are a few in the $15 to $20 range. Our choice was an eminently drinkable 1982 Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages, priced at $16. As it stands today, Dominique's is one of South Florida's great restaurants. The Famous Published Aug. 7, 2006 'I can't believe I ate the whole thing:' A popular commercial's slogan or the chorus you heard from sated customers lined stuffed belly to rump outside Famous Restaurant on Washington and Sixth for the Miami Beach landmark's 36-year-run, which ended in 1981. Oy, the food! Famous specialized in Jewish meals, at its peak serving a million kreplach and three million knishes a year. Like North Miami's Rascal House today, Famous filled you up before the entrees arrived with cole slaw, pickles, sour tomatoes and breads, but to all that Famous added a bottle of seltzer and chocolate syrup for each table. Famous faces filling up there included Jackie Gleason, Ed Sullivan, Sophie Tucker and Jimmy Durante. But by the '80s, the young were getting into the nascent aerobics craze and balked at overeating. The elderly feared the area's rising crime rate and Famous flung its last plate of pastrami duck. The site, at 671 Washington, will soon be the Gem lounge. The Ark Published Aug. 9, 1996 South Florida restaurants are big on themes. You can eat like the Flintstones at The Caves in Fort Lauderdale or grab a grass skirt and go Polynesian at nearby Mai-Kai. Fifties diners, country cookeries, Mexican cantinas - you name it, we've got it. At The Ark in Davie, for instance, you don't just go out to eat - you have a 'dinner voyage.' The early bird meal is 'Noah's olive branch for early doves.' And the only beasts you'll find here (aside from the animals on print upholstery) are the cuts of meat, from pussycat to lion-size. But it's not just a playful gimmick that has kept The Ark, at least, afloat (sorry, we couldn't resist) for 18 years. This is a crowd-pleasing family restaurant that takes pride in its food - and the community. Look around and you'll see little signs posted here and there. Customers pay $100 to put their names on these wooden plaques, and all the money goes directly to the Children's Cancer Caring Center, heavily supported by owner James Kleinrichert. Broward pioneer A. D. Griffin was the first person who wanted a sign above his regular booth. Then came former Davie Mayor Irv Rosenbaum, Cooper City Mayor Suellen Fardelmann and so on. But the place draws tourists as well. Your Aunt Agnes from Omaha will love it. And this is not a bad thing: When we wanted a restaurant for guests ranging from 8 to 80, it fit the bill. There is a children's menu and classic favorites - prime ribs, steaks, seafood, chicken - along with more sophisticated daily specials. And the bill won't bust your wallet either. Most entrees range from $9.52 to $14.92 - everything comes in twos, naturally (prices higher for lobster and bigger cuts of meat). Considering that each entree includes the salad and bread bar ($6.92 if ordered alone), and a choice of baked or sweet potato, french fries, linguine, rice or vegetable, this is reasonable for the budget-conscious. Even better, early bird meals also include soup, dessert and nonalcoholic beverage, along with rice, vegetable or whipped potatoes (baked potato or linguine, extra). The salad bar, which sits under thatched roofs in a room with a jungle motif, features the usual selection of chilled veggies and macaroni and potato salads, notable for their freshness, along with a prepared Caesar with a mild but flavorful dressing, delicious marinated mushrooms and some of the best tomatoes we've had locally. At the bread bar, scoops of butter are piled high - strawberry (with bits of real berries), herb and cheese, garlic, and regular (choices vary). Slather on sliced rye, white and raisin challah. We most liked the German dinner rolls, crisp to the bite but soft and warm inside. Then load up on sliced melon and big, juicy strawberries. You will have to yank your 7- year-old away from this table. Save your bread to savor with a cup of soup. The choice this day was barley ($1.92), homemade and hearty, with chunks of beef and lots of veggies, well-seasoned without being too salty. Other choices are clam chowder ($2.22, $2.92), French onion ($2.92). Dining with the early birders (OK, we can't pass up a good deal), we strayed from that menu of 16 entrees to select a special of filet tips pasta ($14.92). Tender chunks of the filet mignon, succulent shrimp, just-crisp broccoli and sliced mushrooms are tossed with the meat's natural brown gravy on a plateful of angel hair pasta. It's a winner. Some of us attacked our early bird entrees with less zeal, probably because we were as stuffed as our stuffed sole ($9.92 early bird, $10.52). The light, flaky sole is a nice filet not overly cooked or overly buttered, wrapped around a rich stuffing of pureed seafood including shrimp, lobster and scallops, melded with breadcrumbs. A side item of rice pilaf was fluffy and moist. Golden fried shrimp ($10.52; $12.92) are in a tempura light batter, tufts crisp and airy, not greasy, shrimp cooked with care. The same was true of the scampi ($14.52 any time). A half- dozen shrimp (still partially in their shells) retain their delicate flavor and thankfully are not too buttery. Accompanying linguine, however, was a bit overcooked. The same was true of chicken breast almondine ($10.52). A big portion, the chicken was just a little overfried, but we liked the nut crust, as well as the side of homemade, skins-on, real-lump whipped potatoes. If you possibly have room for dessert, there are choices like Black Forest cake and chocolate mint mousse. We had the bread pudding (all desserts $3.92) and it was scrumptious, warm and rich, with icing creamy but not cloyingly sweet. One of the early-bird picks, strawberry shortcake, comes in a parfait glass and is light and refreshing. When you leave The Ark, you'll feel like you've eaten like a pig. Make that 2 pigs. The Caves Published Oct. 27, 1995 A place where the waiters and waitresses are dressed in faux fur outfits a la The Flintstones is bound to appeal to the kids, right? But Fort Lauderdale's The Caves, where diners hunker down in sculpted, cavelike alcoves, draws as many adults as it does the junior set, including romantic couples who like the privacy, plush cushions, dim lighting and the ability to control the volume of piped-in music. Yes, some of us might be overgrown kids who get a kick out of the unapologetically funky atmosphere. When we ask about the faux stone tablets that used to serve as menus, now replaced by standard laminated paper menus, our waitress waxes nostalgic. The gimmicky menus helped customers get into the lighthearted spirit of the place, she says. Spoken like a true cave woman. And our waitress, like other servers we have had at The Caves, is a cut above those at most restaurants because she cares about her customers. The food - good, substantial fare - is a constant as well. We choose from an appetizer list that includes shrimp cocktail ($7.50), escargot ($6.95), fried mozzarella ($4.95) and a combination of items that range from $4.95 to $6.95 if ordered separately: bay shrimp, grilled mushrooms, fried zucchini and baby back ribs. We try this sampler, which costs $16.95 and would easily satisfy a party triple the size of our twosome -- the platter boasts at least a half-dozen of each item. The fried mushrooms and zucchini are particularly tasty with a crunchy, parchment-thin coat of golden-fried, rice-flour batter; the ribs are meaty and not at all greasy; the mushrooms are huge and juicy. Entrees are about evenly divided between classic meat and seafood dishes. Steaks are a staple at The Caves, with nine cuts, ranging from a baby filet with mushrooms for $14.95 to a large filet mignon called the 'Cave Man' for $21.95, to a luxe steak Diane, cooked tableside for $23.95. Chicken comes in many styles, too, from marsala ($13.95) to tempura served with a brandied plum sauce ($14.95). Nine seafood dishes are also offered, including salmon ($14.95), dolphin ($14.95), shrimp tempura ($17.95) and baked stuffed shrimp ($19.95). The fish dishes can be order cooked in a variety of ways, from broiled to Francaise. I opt for a lobster tail (market price this day of $24.95) and a baked potato. The tail is so plump and succulent I have room for but a bite or two of the handsome potato. The lobster is served with drawn butter in a candle-lit warmer. Meantime, my dining companion makes short work of the Cave Man filet, a delicious behemoth served with grilled onions and a mound of fluffy white rice, garnished with chicory and orange and lemon wedges. All dinners include a trip to the soup-and-salad bar plus rice or potatoes. The salad bar is one of the better ones we've seen, with sweet homemade Bahamian bread and cream of broccoli soup plus plenty of fresh, raw greens and vegetables. The iceberg tossed with baby greens and fresh-cooked and chilled peas and radishes also excels. Desserts include carrot cake ($3.95), chocolate beast ($5.25) key lime mousse pie ($3.95), cheesecake with raspberry sauce (4.95) and ice cream ($2.95). Despite some reservations, we try the key lime mousse pie. When the pretty piece of fluff was placed in front of us, we were still skeptical that any altering of the Florida classic was tempting disaster. But it was love at first bite. The properly pale filler is light and tart; the crust is a sensational blend of graham crackers and coconut. Topping off the treat is a buttermint garnish. We do not miss the 'stone carving' menus with unsightly Band-aids taped over -- or dangling at half-mast from -- items the kitchen was out of. Even Bedrock can benefit from a little modernity. But kids (of all ages) will still find plenty to enjoy at this place that calls chicken chunks for the kids 'fried pterodactyl' and fried bay shrimp 'sea monsters.' As for us, throw another shrimp on the barbie, Barney. El Cid Published July 8, 1999 Like victorious barbarians in a war between the present and the past, bulldozers this week tore into the towers and walls of a Miami castle that once housed El Cid restaurant. As the demolition progressed, few details about the future of the lot at 117 NW 42nd Ave. were revealed. 'We cannot release any information about the property,' said Stacey Barker, an administrative assistant for the Coral Gables law firm Bared & Associates. Public records show the Le Jeune Road castle deed was purchased for $1.8 million in 1996 by the Fleece Group. Bared & Associates represents Fleece Group. The eccentric, medieval-mimicking structure had presided over Little Havana for as long as the memories of many of its residents stretch back. 'It must have been built 40 or 50 years ago,' said Felipe A. Valls Sr., the Little Havana restaurant mogul who co-owned El Cid for many years. 'I came in 1960 and it was already there. The actual building was done by an artist named Jose de la Guerra.' The building housed an Italian restaurant called the Red Diamond when Valls bought it in the mid-1970s. He and a partner, Juan Garrido, remodeled the 19,000-square foot castle to look more medieval and reopened it as the Spanish restaurant El Cid. It would become a landmark in Little Havana. 'I never really liked the place on the inside,' said Valls, who sold his stake in the restaurant several years ago. 'The atmosphere was very cold. It felt like being inside a dungeon. But outside it was a unique place.' Not all restaurant lovers in Miami agreed. In 1988, former Herald food critic Lucy Cooper described its interior with relish: 'This place will overwhelm you,' Cooper wrote. 'I'm hardly an authority on medieval castles, but with its curved, cavelike ceilings and walls made of stone, wrought iron gates and grillwork, stained-glass windows, rough wood-hewn chairs and tables set with brocade cloths, well, it certainly seems real. Simulated pewter water goblets and heavy earthenware plates clinch the mood.' In 1992, El Cid Campeador paid $2 million to acquire the property from Jugarri Investments. In 1996, the doors to the restaurant closed and it filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which means the property was liquidated. Valls offered $1.3 million just for the real estate under the castle, but that was rejected by federal Bankruptcy Trustee Jim Feltman as too low to pay off its debts. Feltman eventually sold the entire property, including the building's contents and its liquor license, to Fleece Group for $1.8 million, and the new owners remodeled the facility and briefly opened the short-lived discotheque known as Excalibur. Valls, whose family also owns Versailles and La Carreta restaurants, acknowledged that he was saddened to see the building demolished. 'It's always that way when you had a place before,' he said. Dinner in B.E.D. Published March 23, 2008 Talk about having fun in bed. The youngest and newest club owners in South Beach are using their 20-something insight as a means to attract both the younger and older demographic. Last year, Miami Beach native Lance Tinkler, 24, and Boston-born Lee Lyon, 25, acquired B.E.D., one of SoBe's most popular nightclub destinations. The first-time club owners and lifelong friends talk about what it takes to survive the SoBe entertainment and hospitality industry. The restaurant and nightclub business is very competitive. Has this venture proved tougher than you ever imagined? Lyon: 'It is tough. It's a business that starts in the morning and ends 20 hours later. You learn not to sleep anymore. It is back-to-back meetings with people [promoters, vendors, distributors, media]. Some people think that because we are young they can take advantage of us. Not so. Age is just a number, but our age gives us an advantage in knowing what people our age want. In SoBe you earn your respect by working hard every single day. You have to be two or three steps ahead of everyone else.' Ocean Drive magazine photographed you with some hot models. Do you guys really live large like Hef? Tinkler: 'We would be lying if we said we lived that lifestyle. We wish! The first month was a good party; then it became a business where every day involved planning and more planning. We are already charting out what we plan to offer Memorial Day weekend.' What makes your version of B.E.D. better? Both: We make it an one-stop shopping experience. Where else can you begin your night with a gourmet dinner, and then watch the entire mood change to an amazing party all from your private bed? We offer theme nights such as our staple Monday night Secret Society, which attracts the hip-hop crowd, celebrities and athletes. Tuesday is an open format party, usually featuring a fashion show. Thursday caters to the house music crowd, which are mostly European. And Friday and Saturday nights are live acts and rock and roll.' When you are not working, what are your favorite things to do in South Florida? Lyon: 'We are both huge sports fans. Going to a Heat game is our idea of fun.' Jimbo's Published July 1, 2016 James 'Jimbo' Luznar, who founded the famous fish shack Jimbo's Place on Virginia Key - where mayors and the destitute sat side-by-side for house-smoked fish and beer - died Wednesday night of Alzheimer's disease complications, his daughter said. He was 89. Luznar, born in Eckhart Mines, Maryland, in 1927 had famously operated the shack on public park property since the 1950s without a lease or legal agreement - only a handshake until he handed it back to the city in 2012. Over the decades, the city looked the other way as it became a popular television and movie backdrop, a setting for model shoots, and a long-running dive bar where smoked fish and beer brought everyone from drifters to movie stars such as Jack Nicholson for a pint and a cigar. But Luznar was the heart of Jimbo's, the city's custodian for the land, the one Nicholson drank with, who models posed with (and ended up in a Lucky Brand Jeans billboard ad over Paris), who threw a party every year around his April 6 birthday that brought thousands. 'He led a full life, a colorful life,' daughter Marilyn Fujarczyk said. A former Merchant Marine, Luznar came to Florida in the late 1940s to work on shrimp boats from Oakhurst to Daytona Beach. He started his own shrimping business in South Florida with an uncle and ran it out of a bayside dock near the MacArthur Causeway and the site of the former Miami Herald building. To make way for development, the city came to a handshake agreement to let Luznar move his shrimping business to public land on a picturesque cove in Virginia Key near the city's sewage treatment facility at no cost and with no formal lease. There Luznar raised his five children, who remember playing in and around the Australian pine woods, boys and girls alike learning to be handy, Fujarczyk said. She remembers him teaching her, a real estate agent, how to fix a leaky sprinkler pump with an improvised gasket made out of a Frosted Flakes box. 'He raised the girls like he raised the boys,' she said. 'He taught us the right way to use a screwdriver and a hammer.' He worked the shrimping boat with two of his sons, James Jr. and Bobby, fishing mostly for bait. His children rode all over Miami with their father as he sold the bait to local fishing and tackle shops. Local workers ferried from his inlet spot on Virginia Key to help build nearby Fisher Island into a luxury area, a once-virgin land where Luznar's family used to go camping. Luznar loved to tell the story of how Florida banker and businessman Charles 'Bebe' Rebozo, who developed Fisher Island with former President Richard Nixon, approached him about selling beer, said Robert Burr, 60, a longtime friend of Luznar's. That way, the workers would hang out at Jimbo's after work instead. But Jimbo's application for a license was denied. 'The story, as Jimbo told it, was that Bebe Rebozo then called his friend Richard Nixon, who pulled a few strings,' Burr said. 'Next thing you know, Jimbo had a liquor license and could sell beer. And he's buying beer by the truckload and his little shack became a hangout.' Beer license taken care of, the spot quickly drew all walks of life. And with its lush setting, Jimbo's Place soon caught the attention of film and television crews. It became a backdrop starting in the 1950s for shows from Flipper and Gentle Ben to Miami Vice,Dexter and the Arnold Schwarzenegger film True Lies, among others. Every time a new production built a set, they left behind parts of facades that only added to Jimbo's charm: old shacks, a broken-down Volkswagen bus. There was even the time Hollywood stuntmen blew the roof of the shack for a Porky's movie. Luznar was the cog that held Jimbo's together. He had small speaking parts in films, rubbed elbows with everyone from Nicholson to Mariah Carey and was pictured with a model in a Lucky Brand Jeans ad that ran in Details and on that billboard in Paris. Luznar's youngest son David, who died several years ago, called from Paris when he saw his father's smiling face next to the model. Luznar continued running Jimbo's well into his 80s, throwing an annual party around his birthday that thousands attended. Even after the jerry-rigged (and totally illegal) electrical setup caused a fire that burned down part of the building in 2009, Luznar rebuilt and went on with gas-powered generators for three more years until his health failed. In March 2012, the family handed control of the land back to the city and the building was razed. Wynwood's Gramps took over hosting Luznar's annual party. While he wasn't healthy enough to attend the last two, old friends and customers still did, sharing drinks and memories and posing with a life-size cutout of Luznar, hands outstretched with a cigar between his fingers. On July 17, Gramps will host another party in Luznar's memory. 'Jimbo the guy, and Jimbo the place are sort of intertwined,' said Gramps owner Adam Gersten. Luznar's health took a final downward turn in February when surgery left him unable to come home. He died at Hollywood's Kindred Hospital with his family by his side.
New York Times
30-03-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Baccarat Looks to the Future With Renovations and Restaurants
The fire lit in 1764 — part of King Louis XV's order establishing the Baccarat glass works factory in France — has burned continuously for centuries. And last year the French house, which has been making pieces such as the Zénith Chandelier Black by Philippe Starck and the Baccarat x Virgil Abloh Crystal Clear collection, marked its 260th anniversary by installing a state-of-the-art furnace at the factory, enabling it to improve energy efficiency and produce its first lead-free crystal. But that was just one of the changes at the French heritage brand. In 2020, its management was taken over by several debt management funds led by Tor Investment Management, after its owner, Fortune Fountain Capital, lost control of its business to creditors. (Baccarat Hotels & Resorts is operated by SH Hotels & Resorts, an affiliate of Starwood Capital, through a license.) Since then, Baccarat, which does not disclose its annual revenue, has shifted its operating focus from products to a broader embrace of the art of hospitality, spending 60 million euros ($65 million) on the effort over the past three years. 'Experiences are at the heart of Baccarat's DNA,' said Laurence Nicolas, who became the house's chief executive in February. 'What we have achieved is an incredible transformation into a lifestyle brand.' That transformation — which began under Ms. Nicolas's predecessor, Maggie Henriquez — started with the September opening of a gourmet restaurant, Ducasse Baccarat, overseen by the Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse, and a cocktail bar called Midi-Minuit. A museum space upstairs in the Baccarat flagship on Place des États-Unis in the 16th Arrondissement was renovated for the new venues. (There also are plans for Jardin, a garden restaurant and bar, to open this summer.) 'We have a magnificent space in this house of great tradition,' Mr. Ducasse, who also collects antique Baccarat crystal, said during an interview in Paris. 'We are here to create something new, designed for today's clients, that is chic but informal.' He said the restaurant was styled to entice customers. 'Clients come here for the pleasure of tasting, not because they are hungry,' he said. 'They are curious, fickle, over-informed, rushed and stressed. We want to surprise them and make them want to come back.' Its three set menus reflect Mr. Ducasse's modern take on traditional French cuisine: 'Less animal protein, more vegetables, smaller portions and higher quality.' The dining experience is shaped as much by the surroundings as by the food. In the restaurant, Baccarat's creations are represented in the stemware on the tables and the suspended droplet lighting fixtures, a deconstructed take on the house's classic chandelier. And the room is lined with floor-to-ceiling wood shelves displaying small human figures carved from natural oak, the work of Jean-Guillaume Mathiaut, a French sculptor and architect. 'We have preserved Baccarat's heritage, but added our own touch of modernity,' said Mr. Ducasse, who chose Mr. Mathiaut for the décor. With the museum's closure, Harry Nuriev, a Russian-born architect and furniture designer, was invited to reimagine how some of its creations would continue to be displayed in the store. His solution: industrial refrigerators. 'The refrigerators in the lobby are a nod to the restaurant upstairs,' Mr. Nuriev said during an interview in Paris. 'But they are also a fun twist on the idea of preserving archival pieces. Their oversized glass doors are a screen through which visitors can admire the precious crystal pieces.' He also has transformed the flagship's entrance gallery, which leads to the lobby, by adding words such as Passion and Temptation and drawings, including a sketch of some glass blowers, on the limestone-lined walls. 'The stone is carved like modern graffiti that tells the story of Baccarat,' he said, adding, 'Graffiti has been a form of self-expression since cave paintings.' In collaboration with Baccarat's crystal artisans, Mr. Nuriev designed a chandelier reflecting what he calls Transformism, challenging viewers to see things in new ways. The piece, to be unveiled in the fall, combines traditional Baccarat crystal with found objects and everyday items such as small key chains and ordinary beads. 'In the future, as I see it, crystal will become rare, and factory-made pieces will be less common,' Mr. Nuriev said. 'This means that all luxury items will have to be sourced from new channels, objects will be repurposed and found materials will replace factory-made components.' He said that working with Baccarat's artisans was a special experience: 'The way they move in silence, in a perfect choreography, was almost cosmic.' In the flagship's boutique, new creations for sale include the New Antiques collection by the Dutch designer Marcel Wanders, inspired by Baccarat's exhibits at past World's Fairs. It features pieces such as a human-size standing vase; a portable clochette-style lamp with a built-in wireless lighting system; and a round table with a marble top and an illuminated crystal central leg equipped with a battery and a USB port. Some design changes also are being rolled out to the 70 Baccarat boutiques worldwide in a renovation plan led by the French architects and interior designers Bruno Moinard and Claire Bétaille. Reflecting the theme of fire, the new boutique concept incorporates black and red tones, charred cedar with textured surfaces, steel ribbons and molten crystal. Ten renovations are planned for this year. 'We have used bold, contrasting materials and precise lighting to evoke the essence of fire and embers,' Mr. Moinard said in an interview in Paris. 'These materials, shapes and textures reflect the spirit of the Baccarat manufacture, and create a modern visual language in the boutiques.' As for its manufacturing site, which employs 600 workers, it is in the town of Baccarat, along the Meurthe River in the Lorraine region of eastern France. The installation of Furnace F, as the new equipment is called, required a yearlong reconstruction of a building. Baccarat said it was equipped to convert 18 tons of molten material a day. 'We have upgraded not just our production tools but also the security of our facility, and this year, we are enhancing our water purification systems and reviewing our water usage,' Ms. Nicolas said. 'We are also focusing on our work force, which includes some of the most talented craftspeople in France, including 12 Meilleurs Ouvriers de France.' She was referring to a national award given to artisans, who are chosen through a competition every four years. Ms. Nicolas said Baccarat's new lifestyle orientation would be sealed with a new slogan. 'For a long time, our tagline was 'Everything is better in Baccarat,' which focused on our products,' Ms. Nicolas said. 'We have made a subtle change.' 'Life is better with Baccarat,' she said. 'And we want to share our know-how with those who want to indulge, take time together and enjoy life.'
