Florida Agenda

By CAMERON O’CONNOR

Gay news anchor Charles Perez claimed he was fired because he is gay

A Miami court has dismissed claims by former television anchor Charles Perez that he was fired from his job for being gay.

Perez, who co-anchored the evening news at WPLG channel 10 out of Hallandale Beach, filed a complaint against the station in July 2009 with Miami-Dade County’s Equal Opportunity Board. Perez, whose duties at the station were scaled back which included removing him as a weeknight anchor, was going through a nasty public breakup with an ex-boyfriend at the time. He insisted he was demoted by station executives because he was gay, which led to filing of the complaint and his firing shortly thereafter.

I have satisfactorily resolved all my differences with the company,’” said Perez, who recently self-published a memoir of his life titled, “Confessions of a Gay Anchorman.” “My professional life and my being a gay man were two cars on the road headed for collision. I was supposed to be a product with the least amount of liabilities and being gay was a liability.”

In his complaint, Perez, 47, stated that, “given my age and position, their [WPLG] action would kill my value, marketability and reverse my career trajectory, not based on my abilities or on their financial situation, but because of their discomfort over the increasingly high profile of my sexual orientation.”

WPLG News Director Bill Pohovey, who is also gay, has denied that Perez was fired due to his sexual orientation.

“This is an outrageous accusation,” said Pohovey said in response to Perez’s complaint. “As a gay man myself, I can safely say the station does not discriminate against gay people. Charles’ claim that the Station discriminates against gay people is untrue and offensive.”

Perez, 47, has not found an anchoring job since losing his position at WPLG, but he has been doing some freelance journalist work with The Huffington Post. And besides finishing his book, he and his partner Keith Rinehard married last year in Connecticut. The couple, who live in Miami, also adopted a baby girl named Madeline.

“After the Channel 10 experience, I felt a deep need to tell my story,” Perez says. “It came from the fact that there were gay men on the air, especially if they were in traditional anchor roles – after ‘Will and Grace’ and Ellen and Rosie – who were still closeted,” Perez said. “At the end of the day I did my due diligence. Truth is the best defense. As long as what you said is true, you’ve got no problem.”

Move brought on by 2007 incident in Miami

By CAMERON O’CONNOR

New federal regulations regarding patients’ hospital visitation rights went effect Jan. 18 that require all hospitals participating in Medicaid and Medicare programs – virtually every hospital in the country – to permit patients to designate visitors of their choosing and prohibit discrimination in visitation based on a number of factors, including sexual orientation and gender identity.

Moved by the tragic story of an LGBT family – Janice Langbehn, Lisa Pond and their children – who were kept apart as Lisa lay dying in a Miami hospital, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum in April 2010 directing the Department of Health and Human Services to develop regulations protecting hospital visitation rights. The president personally called Langbehn to express his concern and outrage over the situation, a move she said was “blown away” by and a situation that Langbehn did not even expect the White House to react to.

“Every day, all across America, patients are denied the kindnesses and caring of a loved one at their sides – whether in a sudden medical emergency or a prolonged hospital stay,” said Obama said after issuing the directive last year.”Uniquely affected are gay and lesbian Americans who are often barred from the bedsides of the partners with whom they may have spent decades of their lives – unable to be there for the person they love, and unable to act as a legal surrogate if their partner is incapacitated.”

While the president’s order came in April, it was in 2007 that Pond died at Jackson, resulting in an unsuccessful lawsuit brought by Langbehn. The hospital has since changed their policies, and the word “family” now includes gay and lesbian couples. Langbehn and Pond had been together for 17 years when Pond collapsed on aboard the Norwegian Jewel from a brain aneurysm.

The couple, along with their three adopted children, were about to set sail from Miami as part of a R Family Vacations Cruise, which was founded by Rosie O’Donnell and her partner Kelli. “LGBT people experience discrimination in many aspects of their lives, but it is perhaps at its worst during times of crisis,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “We thank President Obama and HHS Secretary Sebelius for recognizing the hardships LGBT people face and taking this important step toward ensuring that no one will be turned away from a partner’s hospital bedside again.”

Pond and Langbehn were taking their family on a cruise out of the port of Miami when Pond felt ill and collapsed. She was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital where she died with no comfort from Langbehn, even though the lesbian couple had all their papers in order that gave each other power of attorney.

According to Langbehn’s website, JaniceLangbehn.com, she has spent the last three years fighting for the hospital to release Pond’s records from the day of her admission and they refuse. A judge ruled that Jackson Memorial did nothing wrong and does not need to release the records, however the same judge said, “the treatment [the] family received was unbecoming for a respected facility such as Jackson Memorial Hospital.”

Since the tragedy, Langbehn does not give many interviews, but is a constant publisher of her blog and likes to refer to herself as an accidental activist.

“I know I will never hear ‘I’m sorry’ from Jackson Memorial Hospital,” Langbehn wrote, “but I can hope that one day the top administrators can acknowledge how horribly they treated Lisa, our kids and me. A Personal “thanks” to all of the organizations and individuals who made this day possible. A special thanks to my family and friends who stood by my side when change seemed impossible. Now … exactly one month shy of the four year anniversary of this tragedy, I can proudly say we did it! I am grateful beyond words.”

gigi restaurant addictive for the palate

photo: Chef Jeff McInnis, Courtesy, 944.com

By CAMERON O’CONNOR

His long flowing blonde locks, sensual smile and carefree attitude forced many a gay man and straight woman to swoon over Chef Jeff McInnis when he appeared on season five of “Top Chef.” But it turns out this craftsman from the kitchen is more than just a pretty face. McInnis, along with several successful restaurant partners, opened his own joint in Miami’s finally arrived Design District.

Just like it’s executive chef, gigi, 3470 North Miami Avenue, looks amazing but it’s the substance of the food that’s been driving drones of people to this fast casual noodles, BBQ and beer joint.

McInnis toiled away for several years at the Dilido Beach Club inside The Ritz- Carlton, South Beach, before opening gigi, which offers cutting-edge, high-performance, communal comfort food for the discerning palate.

Earth-conscious, stark and whimsical, a handpicked team is committed to making gigi’s signature dishes–impeccably executed noodles, buns, dumplings, BBQ, & salads–totally fun and astronomically addictive.

Begin with a nice draft beer ($2-12), a fine bottle of sake ($5-32) or a smooth bottle of wine ($18-22). These prices are not a misprint, as you’ll see a theme of frugality throughout the entire menu. Amazing culinary creations don’t have to cost the same as a mortgage in Cleveland; they can be had for the same price as a night of parking in South Beach.

To begin, a not to be missed appetizer sensation is the gigi buns ($7), which come in roasted pork, pulled chicken or shitake mushroom flavors. Try all three, it’s worth it.

If in the mood for exotic, try the BLT ($9) with pork belly as the B and a slight hint of pickles. It is pure genius to put the soft stomach of the pig in this all too familiar diner dish.

McInnis and his sous chefs focus on finding local ingredients, so its not a surprise that on the snack menu the sweet local corn with tofu shmeer ($3) screams of freshness, while homemade avocado and tomato salad featuring citrus, hearts of palm and crunchy rice ($9) was most likely grown in one of the small co-op warms in the Wynwood area.

For a little fried comforting goodness, the crispy chicken skin with Asian romesco ($3) hails as a southern delight and the chicken drumsticks fried in mustard seed and honey ($5) feels like a marriage between the culture of miso and Mason-Dixon.

For the main entrée’s gigi offers several selections of noodle and rice bowls. For the spicier palate, check out the Caribbean shrimp pad Thai noodle bowl with bean sprouts, omelet and peanuts ($15) or the slow braised curry duck leg rice bowl with coconut risotto ($12). Both dishes really put a wallop into your nasal cavity and clear up any sinus issues in a hurry. Mix it with the spicy mayo aioli that sits on the table, and you may need to call 911, because shortly after you will have a fire burning in your mouth.

For those looking for more substance and less spice, order the steak chow fun noodle bowl with mushroom, eggplant and cabbage broth ($16). The steak is a highquality meat that comes out tender and juicy, while the mushroom shitake variety provides a nice flavor of rare earth.

Open till 3 a.m. on weekdays and 5 a.m. on weekends, serving fresh artisanal dishes that start at $2, gigi’s mission is to explode the food landscape of Miami. Whether you leave with an orgasmic feeling in your stomach, or a hard-on in your crotch from staring into McInnis’s eyes for too long, gigi will do all it can to make sure you leave satisfied.

By CAMERON O’CONNOR

Living the life of a jet-setting foodie is a passion that many people pursue. While we all wish we could devour a $50 steak, we know that’s not going to happen. Enter the new restaurant genre known as “fast casual” These new hole-in-the-walls are popping up all over, offering amazing food for incredible deals.

One of these soon-to-be-famous joints is

American Noodle Bar, 6730 Biscayne Blvd., in Miami’s Upper East Side district.

Founded by Executive Chef and Proprietor Michael Bloise, American Noodle Bar is a hip, quick service restaurant that offers delicious American-Asian inspired noodle dishes and street foods as well as beer and wine. Bloise is the former executive chef at South Beach hotspots Tantra and Wish, and is a local product of the culinary school at Johnson & Wales University.

Located adjacent to a somewhat seedy motel, the main feature at American Noodle Bar is the $7 noodle bowl. Patrons choose the saucy broth the noodles are cooked in (choices include: basil butter; bacon sauce; roasted shallot; smoked lobster sauce; lemongrass; beef broth; vegetable broth; sriracha butter; or brown sugar ginger) and get their pick of one protein mix (pork shoulder; braised oxtail; shrimp; Chinese sausage; smoked duck; pulled chicken; garlicky pork meatballs; deep fried egg; or BBQ tofu).

Besides the unique flavors and interesting mix-in’s offered, American Noodle Bar boasts a staff that is not only knowledgeable about the Asian-fusion dishes, but offer smiling faces and great service with indoor and outdoor seating.

Besides the namesake noodles, American Noodle Bar also offers a unique selection of aperitifs. The fried cheeseburger dumplings ($5) cannot be found anywhere else in town, while the hush puppies ($4) have a new flavor inside of them every day. The grilled short ribs ($9) and chicken wings ($6) bring out the BBQ side of the orient while Big Mama’s pork egg rolls ($3) seem to be a tribute to the matriarchal figure that first got Bloise into the kitchen as a child.

For something a little bit on the lighter side, check out the miso Caesar salad ($7); a mixed greens, tomatoes, onions, jalapeño vinaigrette & pork belly croutons salad ($7) or the BBQ pork roll with zesty slaw ($6). Beer and wine selections change on a daily basis.

For more information visit, www.americannoodlebar.com

By CAMERON O’CONNOR

Photo:Courtesy, Cameron O’Connor

Traditionally, New York culture is slow to come to South Beach because, frankly, many want to be the anti Big Apple. However, this trend is being defied in the Foodie World as more and more New York hot shot Chefs are opening their own South Florida locations.

Ah, and then there is the hamburger – another food trend that has inexplicitly taken off. No longer is the burger condoned to fast food floozies, this is a gourmet succulent meal that goes for thousands of dollars at some of the world’s best restaurants.

When you combine these two trends you get South Beach’s newest patty joint, Shake Shack.

Located at the base of the architectural explosion that is 1111 Lincoln Road (really just a fancy parking garage with shops, restaurants and a bank on the ground floor), Shake Shack is taking SoBe by storm by revolutionizing the causal dining environment that is the largest tourist trap in South Florida.

For a mere $4.25 you can try the original Shake Burger, which includes American cheese, lettuce, tomato and the special secret Shake sauce. Make it a double for $7.25. This burger may be the best piece of patty this side of In N Out. The juices roll out oh so delectably, and whatever is in that Shake sauce is as addictive as nicotine.

For those interested in the less-meaty route, try the ‘Shroom Burger ($6.75), which includes: crisp-fried portabella mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheeses and topped with lettuce, tomato and the aforementioned special Shake sauce.

Can’t decide between the two? Why not try the Shake Stack ($8.75), which combines the meat patty with the portabella mushroom in one ridiculously tall feast. Save room for a side of cheese fries ($3.75). These golden-fried (with zero trans-fat) Yukon potatoes are just the side dish to make you feel full and fat.

If hot dogs are more up your ally, Shake Shack offers four varieties, including a chicken hot dog that will have you clucking for more. The most creative is definitely the Second City Bird Dog, which includes chicken sausage with mustard, relish, onions, cucumbers, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, sport pepper and celery salt ($5.75).

Need something to wash it all down? Order specialized ShakeMeister Ale from Brooklyn Brewery ($5.25 for 16 ounces), a Shake Chord from California ($6) or a Shake Shiraz from Eastern Australia ($6.50).

In NYC, the original Shake Shack is exactly what the name says, a shotty house-like structure in the middle of Madison Square Park. The lines stretch all the way through the park, especially on nice and warm summer afternoons, because the only thing that tops this place’s burgers is the frozen custard creations. My favorite is the Shark Attack, frozen chocolate custard blended at high speed with peanut butter, chocolate truffle cookie dough, chocolate sprinkles and chocolate pearls. Cost of the frozen creations ranges from $4.50-6.75.

Not impressed by this review? Well then you should know that Shake Shack’s burger has won awards at both the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival and the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

Shake Shack is part of the Danny Meyer Union Square Hospitality Group, the same company that owns famous eateries Tabla and Eleven Madison Park in New York. Meyer will be hosting the Danny Meyer Shake Shack Burger and Wine pairing seminar at the 2011 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival on Feb. 26. Meyer has taken the concept of modern day roadside stand and transformed it into the place see and be seen.

For more information, visit www.sobefest.com.