Hi-Life TC Party Pix!

Here are a few pix from the first two Top Chef parties at my restaurant.

NYC Launch Party Pix!

As promised, here are some pix from the launch party in NYC. You will recognize some faces from TC season 1 & 2. Very heady seeing my pic in subway stations and on buses all over New York!

Lychees - This Year's Pommegranite?

First of all, it is great being on a winning team. Everything seems and feels so much different. Poor Otto, I really like and believe in him. He is an honorable man and excused himself to save the team. BTW...how did those lychees get inside the car? I believe video reveals it was a shop employee.

Through the magic of editing you don't see Carlos waking up cuz it was too funny. Cameras walk in the room...Carlos jumps out of bed...and exclaims "I can't go to the fish market, I just ordered room service!"

Congrats to Betty. Sure wished she had thanked Sam & Mike for helping her create the refresher...

BTW...what is up with not showing my quick fire challenge dishes. My flambee from episode 1 was a shrimp, jalapeno & fresh tomato with slivered garlic and Spanish brandy. Not a single bad angle on that plate, except for the garnish which was OPTIONAL NOT NON-FUNCTIONAL!

Sushi--(What you did not see)--Triple play--The roll was marinated scallop & enoki mushrooms with mango. Those were the three sweet components. For crunch, cucumber and spicy sambal sauce all rolled together and topped with Salmon roe. It was accompanied by a small salad mirroring the rolls components. When Chef Shima saw and tasted my dish, he said it was the first of 6 that actually looked like sushi and that the three main ingredients were something that he had not seen in sushi before, but after tasting proclaimed it reminded him of Japan!

One more link - The Miami Herald ran a follow-up feature yesterday. Many thanks to them for their continued support and coverage.

For anyone local, Deco Drive ran a televised interview from the Hi-Life Cafe last night. That is the Miami version of Extra. Thanks Elizabeth!

Stay tuned...

Help Me...I Can't Breathe!

We are just out of control here at Hi-Life Cafe! This was the busiest October weekend in our 11 year history. (That is why you still don't have those party pix...stay tuned for those.) We have ordered our Hi-Life Cafe "It's Not Crap On A Plate!" tee shirts and will let you know when they are in and can be ordered. Hopefully we can get Bravo to sell them on their web site as well. If you are around, stop by Wednesday night for Top Chef Party #2. This week's theme is White Hot Wednesday and we are asking everyone to wear white. We will have fun drink specials and an after hours menu on hand as well as truffled popcorn. And check out the link Top Chef 2 They Cook. We Dish. on the right side of the page. The gals who run the blog are terrific and have a great sense of humor. Until tomorrow.....stay tuned.....

Miami Herald Review

Click Here to link to the 4 star review that the Miami Herald published. As you will see, Rochelle Koff has incredibly good taste! The Hi-Life is oficially off-the-wall busy! Launch party pix to come sometime this weekend. Stay Tuned...

It's Not Crap On A Plate!

The concensus is that this will be my new catch phrase......let's get those t-shirts ordered!

A SPANKING!

I got spanked last night, but I survived! It was so much fun watching the premiere last night. The other cast members and I gave them so much material, it was cool to see how it was edited.
This morning's Miami Herald food section reveals a wonderful glimpse of the Hi-Life Cafe and another 4 star review....take that Josie!!
More dish on last nights episode to follow....BTW the party at Hi-Life Cafe was a blast and we will rock on next week. Stay tuned....

IT'S SHOWTIME!

We partied last night with the cast and crew from Top Chef Seasons 1 & 2. What a blast. Very cool getting to shoot the breeze with some of last seasons cast and hear some of their experiences. Several of us were shocked to see how small that cast was. Season 2 cast seemed gargantuan next to them! The party was at Chef Tom's CraftSteak in New York. Gail Simmons was an absolute delight and it was just great to get to see several of the cast members in a more relaxed setting.
Chuck & I flew back to Ft. Lauderdale this morning and preparations have been underway for our own Top Chef party here at the Hi-Life. Each Wednesday we will feature different featured drinks and of course Top Chef nibbles. Hope you can join us for one of our parties...we have a 42" plasma tv we brought in just for the show!
In the meantime, I welcome your comments. Stay tuned......

NYC

Wow! In New York for the launch party for Top Chef 2...We partied last night with Sam, Josie, Marissa, Cliff and Mike at Stereo club in Chelsea...What a great time we had. I really miss NYC! Pictures will be posted in a couple of days. Stay tuned...

The Buzz

I can really feel the buzz starting to swirl in the air. The Miami Herald ran a blurb about me in yesterday's edition and they are out this afternoon at the Hi-Life to take pictures. John from the Sun-Sentinal is running a story on me slated for next Wednesday's premiere of Top Chef 2. And I am making preparations to go to New York City on Monday for the launch party of TC2 at CraftSteak on Tuesday night. Very exciting times! Stay tuned........

Hello!

Welcome to my personal blog. It is a very exciting time here at the Hi-Life Cafe. The energy is high and the specials are HOT! I can tell you this much, the first show is gonna be a shocker. Stay tuned.......

If you are in Ft. Lauderdale, make sure you stop by for our Wednesday night Top Chef Parties.

Hi-Life Cafe, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Interior Shot of Hi-Life Cafe.