Why Popular Music Needs to Become Political Again

Like it or not, Pharell Williams’ “Happy” is likely to be the top-selling single of 2014. And yes, its buoyant ’60s soul vibe and simple, positive message is modern pop perfection. But scanning the rest of this year’s biggest hits, one is struck by a consistent theme: All of these…

The Great of Miami Spice 2014, Part Two

Miami Spice’s can’t miss menus have two things in common: value and creativity. They offer interesting ingredients in combinations that make you eager to learn more and share them with friends. They’re also a steal. You’re looking for good range of selections at restaurants where a single course can run…

The Good of Miami Spice 2014, Part One

Another steamy summer, another Miami Spice. The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau is back with the oft-beloved, sometimes maligned dining deals that help fill restaurants during the slow summer months and give less well-to-do diners a way to eat in the city’s most lavish spots at a fraction of…

The New York Times Is Wrong About Jumbo’s

Last week, when Liberty City soul food restaurant Jumbo’s closed its doors, it was big news. The New York Times’ Frances Robles wrote a front-page story documenting how the joint went from discriminating against African-Americans to becoming a black Miami landmark. The Miami Herald and others followed. I, for one,…

Reader Mail: Florida Deserves Medical Marijuana

Vets’ Neglect Every vet is different: The first part of your feature about a local vet who died of neglect at Miami’s VA hospital is very nicely written (“Hell on the Home Front, Part 1,” Michael E. Miller, July 24), but there’s more going on than the unfortunate death of…

River Oyster Bar Moving Out of Brickell in 2015

David Bracha’s River Seafood & Oyster Bar will make its long awaited move out of Brickell sometime in 2015. Bracha, who also owns Oak Tavern in the Design District, has leased spaced on the ground floor of the rising Flagler on the River Apartment Towers being built by Argentine developer…

In Defense of Rick Ross

It’s hard being the Bawse. 

Just ask Rick Ross. Miami’s most famous rapper is no stranger to controversy. Between his 18-month stint as a correctional officer at the South Florida Reception Center and those “U.O.E.N.O.” lyrics about a molly sex assault, it’s pretty easy to throw hate in Ross’ direction…

New York Times Is Wrong About Jumbo’s

Uncle Luke, the man whose booty-shaking madness made the U.S. Supreme Court stand up for free speech, gets as nasty as he wants to be for Miami New Times. This week, Luke says good riddance to a restaurant that didn’t serve blacks. Last week, when Liberty City soul food restaurant…

Mugshots Friday: Ol’ Snake Eye

Every Friday, Riptide brings you the most eye-catching mugshots taken the previous week (or thereabouts) in Miami-Dade County. Yes, there is some mockery of bad neck tattoos, but also adulation directed at perps who just plain look more badass than we ever will. This is the italicized intro to that…

Pepe Billete to Host National XM Radio Show

It’s official, y’all. Pepe Billete’s gone national. The Cuban puppet with a mouth like a sailor speaking Spanglish is no longer just “Miami famous.” He announced on Twitter this afternoon that XM satellite radio has offered him his own national sports talk radio show…

Reader Mail: Boating Deaths Can Be Prevented

Deadly Boating All too common: Unfortunately the deadly Fourth of July boating accident that killed four, like many of the boating fatalities you wrote about (“Blood on the Water,” Trevor Bach, July 17), is a combination of the most unlikely events happening at the same time. The boat that was…

At AQ in Sunny Isles Beach, Dewey LoSasso Gets Fancy and Fanciful

Dewey LoSasso likes to have fun. At AQ by Acqualina, the stylish restaurant that opened in a towering, Venetian-style Sunny Isles Beach hotel-condo this past April, the mustached chef plays with dishes such as green eggs and ham. A 20-minute wait precedes a bubbling martini glass layered with sweet mascarpone…

Mugshots Friday: Goatee Tattoo

Every Friday, Riptide brings you the most eye-catching mugshots taken the previous week (or thereabouts) in Miami-Dade County. Yes, there is some mockery of bad neck tattoos, but also adulation directed at perps who just plain look more badass than we ever will. This is the italicized intro to that…