Oct 5: Foodie Fest

We all like to eat. But some people live to eat, to create and explore and savor cuisine. For these folks, food is more than sustenance, it's a lifestyle. I know this all too well because my girlfriend is a foodie and a serious one at that. (Yes, I've learned there are foodie categories, ranging from "Hmm, I wonder if that's coriander in the soup?" on the lower end of the spectrum up to "I bought pink Hawaiian sea salt today" in the middle range and then beyond at the upper levels to something like "I spent the entire evening grinding and mixing Chinese herbs for the dumplings I'll wrap by hand tomorrow night.") As it turns out, right now is a most excellent moment for foodies in South Florida.

I realized this on Friday when a close friend took me to lunch at a lovely upscale restaurant and paid next to nothing for our meals. We hadn't known that there was a two-for-one lunch special, though I think many nice places throughout town have similar deals available. But the best bargains anywhere around are for dinner - and believe me, now's the time to snap some of them up.

Each fall for the past few years, Dine Out Lauderdale has helped showcase some of this community's finest cuisine. The dining promotion lasts from October 1 through November 12, offering serious foodies a serious foodie fest. I've enjoyed these Dine Out meals the past couple years and plan to do so again in the coming days. Needless to say, my foodie girlfriend will help me pick out the restaurant. There are over 35 high-end places to choose from, including By Word of Mouth, Cero Restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale, Johnny V, Sublime, Café Vico and the Capital Grille. Among others of pretty much equal local renown and quality. For a bargain-priced $35, you can become more familiar with Greater Fort Lauderdale's fine dining scene by ordering three-course meals that go way beyond samplers. These are real dinners, from appetizers to dessert, and my experience has been that they're both filling and memorably delicious. You'll find details on this website at http://www.sunny.org/dineout, with the full list of participating restaurants and other info. Like I said, autumn is a terrific time to be a foodie in South Florida. As for me, nope I'm not a serious foodie but, sure, I like to eat good food. I'm sort of on the lower end of that spectrum, I guess. I might ask about the coriander in the soup but no way will you find me wrapping Chinese dumplings.