Fans of the former Old Siam and Pom’s Thai Bistro take note: Chef Pom Souvannasoth’s new restaurant is now open at Tapestry Park.

After opening quietly a couple of weeks ago, Pom’s Signature Restaurant added weekday lunch service this week.

Souvannasoth’s name is synonymous with Thai food in Jacksonville, dating back to the openings of Old Siam in Jacksonville Beach in 1996 and Pom’s Thai Bistro in San Marco in 2001. (He closed Old Siam and left the San Marco restaurant in late 2008.)

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Your Evening Sift
01/03/2012

Wow. The SoFla blogosphere was buzzing today. I have a lot of ground to cover and it's later than usual so off we go with your evening Sift.

A- Brickell Life's condo balcony garden is coming along fine.

We're learning as we go, but proving that you can grow sustainable and organic produce more than 100 feet in the air on a balcony. It just takes some planning and dedication. We're looking forward to the first harvest in a few weeks and some fun cooking with our own veggies in the kitchen.

The killings at Bee Heaven Farm started a few years ago, and increased in the past several months. In an earlier attack back in October, feral dogs tried to get at chickens that live inside a mobile coop called a chicken tractor, but the dogs didn’t succeed. Farmer Margie lost dozens of chickens in similar previous incidents this year and last, and as a result egg production is way down. Animal deaths on the farm are not only heartbreaking but also have an economic impact.

The real Ronald Reagan was replaced, almost from the day he left the White House, with "Ronald Reagan", who never raised taxes, never compromised, never signed an abortion bill in California, and never knocked back a Scotch with Tip O'Neill. It didn't hurt that Mr. Reagan himself was incapable of correcting the record, and the GOP has always had the amazing ability to rehabilitate people who at one time singlehandedly destroyed the party and turn them into frontrunners without missing a step; vide Richard Nixon and Newt Gingrich.

The Dolphins will hire John Gruden as coach, and still go 7-9. It’s called lipstick on a pig, Mr. Ross.

Next in my favorite ranks was the Pumpkin Swordfish Tataki. The sear was perfect and the fish was sliced perfectly so that it remained tender. Some people made a comment that the pumpkin gelee on the plate set too firm and I had the same problem.

But will we see ice?

Along the coast, probably not, but I'll put out a bowl of water just in case. Further inland and up peninsula they are buckling down for a hard freeze. That means that the farmers will be spraying down their crops with water.

- Traditional Anti Gun groups will become more strident in their advertising on their way to their much deserved grave. Slowly but surely they are realizing irrelevancy is swallowing them. They cannot claim they are mainstream and they look really silly saying gun ownership is down when we had the two biggest sale days in history within the last 2 months (Black Friday & December 23) plus more and more news outlets are reporting defensive uses of firearms without the demeaning cliches of old. It was bound to happen, specially when women are finding out that guns are more relaxing and less taxing than Yoga plus the added benefit of defending themselves. No means No is properly reinforced with the visual of the muzzle of a gun aimed at the face of the rapist/killer.

Miami Beach's Sleepless Night - They don't always have it (it is usually held in November), I hope they do this year, everything -- all night -- is free! You can't do better than that. In 2011 I went to see a free concert at the Colony Theater featuring the choral group, Seraphic Fire. I also went to a free mini-concert at the New World Symphony's $160 million dollar home. What a treat. It is an intimate concert hall and the sound is terrific. The only thing you pay for during Sleepless Night is food. Even the transportation is free.

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I apologize for being a little late on this one, readers. So this Post of the Week covers the week of December 18th and the one that appears in the next day or two will be for last week of December. Then we'll be caught up and ready for the December Post of the Month and the granddaddy of them all, the SFDB Post of the Year for 2011. First things first...

Runners-Up: Food for Thought did their usual good job of describing the latest Cobaya dining experience with great narrative and a nice array of images. The Burmese python's migration south into the Upper Keys was given some special attention in a well-composed post from Sex and the Beach. It's not every day that legendary Miami Herald crime reporter Edna Buchanan gives an interview which makes Miami Beach 411's chat and accompanying video with Ms. Buchanan so special.


Winner: Most of the time you'll find Transit Miami venting their frustrations about all things transit in South Florida but every now and then they find something that gives us all hope that the government transportation bureaucrats are finally starting to get it. Such was the case when they recently stumbled upon a couple bike racks that had been installed in a Metrorail car.  I have always maintained that a good blogger has their camera readily available at all times and it appears that Transmit Miami did as they were able to take a nice series of photos that they included in the post. To top things off, Transit Miami commenters loved what they saw and responded enthusiastically in the comment section. Metrorail ‘Bike and Ride’ Gets a Boost With New Hanging Bike Racks is a solid post that may document the beginnings of a bike and ride program involving Metrorail and for that it gets SFDB Post of the Week recognition.


'Til next time, people, keep on blogging!

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I made some resolutions this year. Go back to work: we need the money. Less time on teh internets. More sunscreen (sorry, Tanya) — those last few surgeries were plain nasty and there’s more in store if that painful sh*t [Ed.] on my forehead is what I think it is. Start thinning the landscaping: it’s futile to maintain a rain forest in the back yard. Play more music. Make sure Guido is happy because if she isn’t, nothing else is worth worrying about.

D- Things are drying out in the 'Glades and Go Hydrology! has the photo to prove it.

E- Mike LaMonica is discovering that time moves too fast as you get older.

F- Eye on Miami questions whether retired basketball legend Michael Jordan really lives in Kendall.

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01/03/2012

As you might imagine, not a lot going on in the South Florida blogosphere this New Year's Day morning. Take a couple aspirins with your coffee this morning and enjoy your first Sift of 2012.

A- Happy New Year sentiments from Some Blogging Guy, 305, and The Reid Blog.

B- Is the Miami Heat ripping off Miami-Dade residents, Eye on Miami wonders.

The Miami Heat basketball team, in a 1997 agreement with the County, agreed to pay 40% of their profit above $14 million to the County. Well guess what, the Miami Heat since 1997 has NEVER paid the County a penny, claiming they never made over $14 million.

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01/03/2012

The last night of 2011 is upon us. Whatever you're doing, stay safe so that you'll be able to spend 2012 with the rest of us. Here's your New Year's Eve evening Sift.

A- New Year's sentiments from South Florida Lawyers, Go Hydrology!, Justice Building Blog, and Wide Lawns and Narrow Minds.

B- Bark Bark Woof Woof makes a personal assessment of 2011 and mentions SFDB so...you know.

C- Coconut Grove Grapevine posts some photos from today's King Mango Strut.

After the Strut, people hung out around the Grove and enjoyed themselves. I stuck around the end of Commodore Plaza with my friends at LoKal, the new burger place, and The Loft, next door, where Yvonne and Michael always treat us like family. I was exhausted and I didn't even march or strut. I hung out there for a long time enjoying seeing all the people who were enjoying the Grove. If only it could be like that all the time around here! Restaurants and bars were packed from one end of the village to the other.

D- Valentine's Day paraphernalia is already dominating the store shelves, according to Some Blogging Guy.

E- The305.Com continues with his 2011 Best Of selections including Beached Miami as "Website of the Year."

Either way, BeachedMiami is a mix of local music, local politics, funny “Jay Leno styled Jay Walking” type videos and tons of original content and original commentary. You can truly see quality in their content and the hard work they put into creating it. You have to be blind to not see that they’ve gone the extra mile to give a good reporting of South Florida current events.

F- Oh boy. The Reid Blog tells us about another Republican getting weepy on camera. These guys cry more than a roomful of 2-year-olds whose toys have been taken away from them.

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A- PhinPhanatic comes up with 10 Top Ten Moments [Good and Bad] in 2011 for the Dolphins.

Number 8: Channing Crowder – Crowder was released from the team on August 29th and he took to the broadcast booth locally and immediately charged against GM Jeff Ireland and QB Chad Henne. Crowder became as brash on the radio as he was on the field. The holdover from the Nick Saban era condemned the choices of Ireland and criticized his ideology for building a franchise winning team. His criticism of Chad Henne ignited a fan fury that carried over into open to public practices.

B- 27 new photos are up at The Street.

C- The Burger Beast manages to combine a rant directed at those who live in Broward and Palm Beach counties with a quick review of the Bird Road Cafeteria in Miami-Dade.

When I was in high school in the late 80s, there was a popular bumper sticker that read: “Will the last American to leave Miami, Please take the flag?” It was a lame redneck sentiment popularized by white flight jerks who were so lazy that they moved to Broward and Palm Beach instead of say, Kentucky, where their world view would have fit right in. Their 1-2 county retreat was laughable, if the Latin population didn’t drive and wouldn’t follow their dumb asses to the cheap(er) housing and long(er) commutes 30-50 miles away.

D- The Chowfather issues his final rankings of Miami-Dade restaurants for 2011.

E- Bark Bark Woof Woof reviews his predictions for last year [he did pretty good] and makes some new ones for 2012.

Barack Obama will narrowly win re-election against Mitt Romney. It will be a campaign of fear, loathing, excess, and outrage... and that's just on the GOP side until the inevitable coronation of Mr. Romney. The amount of money to be spent on both sides will be enough to run several mid-sized countries. Re-election campaigns are, of course, a vote on the performance of the incumbent, and Mr. Obama will have to defend his record, but the Republicans have, by their own actions, inactions, and lurch to the right in response to their hatred of all things Obama, made the choice in the election pretty clear. The stated GOP agenda has been to deny Barack Obama a second term, but other than that, they have offered nothing of substance if they win the election. That's not surprising; they never do.

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E- Obalesque takes the long road to deliver up a political rumor he secretly thinks could happen.

F- Photographic evidence of Belle Isle's development from 1962 through 1975 can be viewed at Belle Isle Blog.

G- It's all about 2011's Best Of's today at The305.Com.

2011 Blog Of The Year

Its hard to keep track of them, and I just couldn’t pick one. But all those random Tumblr accounts that focus on Miami and all things #305, are like the greatest thing ever. Search “Miami” and “305? in Tumblr and you’ll start finding them all.

H- Go Hydrology! reveals himself.

I- Florida Keys Girl samples dinner on luxurious Little Palm Island.

Little Palm Island is outrageously expensive (dinner for 4, over $400) and well off the beaten path. Located at mile marker 28.5 you need a reservation to board the ferry. There are plenty of restaurants that are really expensive, but Little Palm Island is totally, 100% worthwhile. It was a wonderful dining experience in addition to having amazing food and service.

J- The Sketchy Holiday Party Video is up at Beached Miami.

K- Homestead is Home wonders why the Homestead PD is not filling vacancies.

Mayor Bateman scolded City Manager George Gretsas for Homestead being short 30 police officers during a recent December meeting. The City of Homestead Employment Opportunity postings does not reflect that shortage. Did Krispy Kreme stop the Mayor and tell him business is down? How would he know and not the City Manager?

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A- Your Only in Hialeah moment of the day at Sweet Home Hialeah.

B- The Reid Report examines Mitt Romney's lame attempt to cast President Obama as some kind of person of entitlement and wealth.

But...well...Mitt Romney comparing Obama — the guy who was raised by a single mother and then by his grandparents, whose mom died haggling with health insurers and who experienced having his family live on food stamps when he was a kid and went to college on scholarship — he compared that guy, to Marie Antoinette, who inherited her wealth from the Austrian royal family and then married the king of France.

C- The Chowfather lists his Best Meals of 2011 which is different from his Best Dishes of 2011 in that it takes into account "every facet of the meal" versus just "the dish"...I guess.

D- Eye on Miami thanks their readers.

I want to especially thank the "insiders" of local and county politics who sometimes post comments and sometimes give us information and insights -- albeit anonymously-- that helps to fill out the true picture of our community.

E- Random Pixels looks back into Miami Hurricane history of the mid-'80's.


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A- Sun-Sentinel: Jason Taylor retires.

He knew when he arrived in the locker room, knew when he approached midfield for the coin toss, knew from the first tackle he made, knew when he saw Dan Marino wearing a No. 99 jersey on the scoreboard, knew when Vernon Carey asked for his shoes in the final huddle and knew when his teammates lifted him up and carried him off the field.

"I asked them three or four time to put me down," he said after the Dolphins' 19-17 win against the New York Jets. "They wouldn't do it."

B- Sun-Sentinel: Winter is coming.

The coldest part of the week is forecast to be Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, when temperatures will drop into the 30s.

C- WPTV: Bobcat on a telephone pole.


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