So much has been written recently about the exciting growth of the Miami food scene. The talented chefs, creative use of ingredients and fresh local produce, upscale ethnic flavors and emerging neighborhoods have garnered much praise and numerous James Beard nominations.
But how about where we live? How about that good meal for under $100 per person? MIAbites is proud to feature our favorite local spots “down the street or around the corner” from where we all live.
Read MoreEach week, MIAbites features the Weekly Nibble, a listing of curated upcoming food events in Miami. Schedule is subject to change so please check ahead to confirm at details and pricing.
Jaya at The Setai is offering a three course Peking Duck menu to celebrate the Chinese New Year. One dish featured is the Peking Duck Wrapped In Bamboo Leaves with a Tangerine Marmalade and Bok Choy. Executive Chef Mathias Gervais and Executive Sous Chef Vijay Veena also feature desert truffles with Duck Bacon and chocolate. The menu will be available Saturday, January 28- Saturday, February 4th for $95 per person. Jaya at the Setai 2001 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Read MoreHow often do you go with your gut? And I don’t mean: did you get that feeling inside that helped you decide between bacon dates or duck-fat fries on the menu. As if you could pick just one. I am, however, referring to the health of your gut. The stomach. The belly. That part of us we fill with all the noms and other goods. Did you know a healthy gut is the first step to overall wellness?
We caught up with Susan Duprey, creator of Radiate Apothecary and a nutritionist, whose passion for gut health began with her clinical work in the human microbiome. Susan knows there are extreme benefits from maintaining the balance of healthy bacteria in the stomach. From hormonal imbalances, diabetes, rosacea and even depression and anxiety, most of it stems from the gut.
One of the ways to begin restoring the balance in the gut is by eating fermented foods aka probiotic foods. And as much as we love pork belly on a stick, every now and then it’s important to keep things in check. Susan is your girl. At her pop-up inside The Wynwood Yard, she is providing a one-stop source for healthy eats like cultured vegetables, nuts and traditional condiments as well as kombucha popsicles.
Read MoreEach week, MIAbites features the Weekly Nibble, a listing of curated upcoming food events in Miami. Schedule is subject to change so please check ahead to confirm at details and pricing.
Thursday January 19th- Celebrate the grand opening of Bàcaro, Miami Beach's newest wine and food destination by acclaimed international chef, Carlo Bernardini. From 8pm to 11pm, the Venetian-inspired eatery and wine bar will offer guests complimentary hors d'oeuvres, along with an open bar of house wine and bubbles. Music will be provided by DJ Nuny Love, and European flair will fill the air at Bàcaro's grand opening experience. RSVP required. Free admission, 3-hour open bar and hors d'oeuvres will be offered only to guests who reserve in advance. To RSVP, email rsvp@bacaromiami.com. Bàcaro Miami is 1625 Michigan Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139.
Read MoreIt has been only a little over a year since Chef Julia Doyne took over as Executive Chef at the iconic Forge Restaurant replacing Michelin starred chef, Christopher Lee. The classic steakhouse has benefitted greatly from her passion and commitment to providing top-notch food and service, and recently she added her own touch with some new menu items to the classic "Steaks and Bone-Ins".
No stranger to fine dining, Chef Julia has worked alongside top chefs, Marcus Samuelsson at Aquavit in NYC, and with Chef Lee at Aureole NYC before joining him as Chef de Cuisine when he moved to Miami Beach’s legendary steakhouse.
We caught up with Chef Julia recently to pose a few questions and sample a couple of the new items on her re-imagined Forge menu:
Read MoreDid you know there’s a farm in the Redlands called Patch of Heaven Gardens, that’s single handedly foresting and producing cacao? Cacao is the purest form of chocolate you can consume, and refers to the beanlike seeds from which cocoa, cocoa butter, and chocolate are made.
Cacao doesn’t typically grow in our backyards here in Florida, but the ambitious people at POHG have paired up with our friends at Cao Chocolates to make it happen anyway. Last weekend I was invited on a tour of the property complete with a five course dinner and wine pairing – the best part – each dish was made with cacao!
We arrived at the farm mid-afternoon right after a crazy Florida rainstorm blew through, and blew through it did, as a tree fell and knocked the power out on the entire 20 acre property. In a hurry to be able to use what daylight we had left, we rushed to the fields for a quick lesson on how to pick the cacao and then over to the Chocolate Bar Tasting area for dinner. Let it be known that I will definitely be back to check out the rest of the property, I hear there’s an amazing barn that’s almost complete.
Read MoreMiami Beach has certainly gone through many changes in the past few years. Hotels change owners and names, restaurants come and go and while The Art Deco hotels and restaurants on Ocean Drive in South Beach have lost much of their luster, new hotels and restaurants have opened further North in what is now called Mid Beach. Beginning around 20th Street and Collins, the W Hotel, 1 Hotel , EDITION, and Faena have attracted a more upscale visitor and a more discerning diner.
Just North of Faena and South of The Fontainebleau sits The Confidante, an upscale boutique hotel in the Hyatt Hotel group, that was formerly owned and operated as The Thompson. The rebranding of the hotel includes the addition of Bird & Bone, Miami Chef Richard Hales first foray onto Miami Beach with some Southern and very American home cooking.
Chef Hales, who is best known for his Sakaya Kitchen and Blackbrick Chinese in Midtown, has embraced the Southern roots of American cuisine, bringing authentic down home cooking and supporting local fisherman, farms and artisans including Zak The Baker, Swank Farms, local cheeses from Winter Park, Florida and even ice cream from Azucar in Little Havana.
Read MoreEach week, MIAbites features the Weekly Nibble, a listing of curated upcoming food events in Miami. Schedule is subject to change so please check ahead to confirm at details and pricing.
Thursday January 12th- Five years ago, on January 12th in 2012, Blue Collar opened its doors in the MiMo District in Miami, FL. Chef/Owner Daniel Serfer took a gamble on himself and the neighborhood, when he conceived his home-style menu in comfortable surrounds. To celebrate the restaurant’s 5-year anniversary, Blue Collar will give a 100% guaranteed-to-win scratch-off ticket to every table and take-out order on Thursday, January 12th until all 1,200 tickets have been distributed. Prizes include Blue Collar coffee mugs; gift cards; a free Blue Collar side dish plus the restaurant’s ‘dailies’; an order of Ribs, Braise Parm. Blue Collar 6730 Biscayne Blvd Miami, Florida 305 756 0366
Friday January 13th- LDV Hospitality’s Regent Cocktail Club celebrates their first live musical act of 2017 with a night of themed cocktails and a performance by the nine-piece electronica band, Latin Grammy nominees, Spam Allstars who will provide a unique blend of improvisational electronic elements alongside other Latin, funk and hip hop rhythms that they’ve originally dubbed electronic descarga. To enhance the lively evening of Latin funk, Regent’s skilled mixologists have developed a specially handcrafted cocktail menu inspired by the music stylings of the talented musicians. Regent Cocktail Club Gale South Beach 1690 Collins Ave. Miami Beach, FL 33139
Read MoreThere’s no doubt that brunch has become Miami’s favorite meal in the last year. Sunshine while eating outdoors, day drinking, and breakfast foods - it really doesn’t get much better than that. There’s a decent list of contenders in the brunch scene these days, but in early December we got one that, dare I say, might be my current favorite spot for brunch.
Scott Linquist, you may know him of Coyo Taco fame, opened Olla (pronounced Oi-Ya) on Lincoln and the bay side of Alton Road. This is not your typical "taco joint", as Chef Linquist creates authentic Oaxacan Mexican fare in an upscale, yet cozy spot. Think four types of mole rather than those Combination plates.
Read MorePhoto Credit: Instagram images from Antonio Bachour and Soraya Kilgore
Saturday Sweets is back for 2017! New Year, Same Me, More Desserts! Along with a new year, new trends always seem to come along. Last year was very clearly the year of the donut as we all saw with the takeover by the many donut spots all over the city, including The Salty Donut, Honeybee Doughnuts, the second location of Mojo Donuts, Donut Fest being held in Wynwood Yard, etc. I’m excited to see what 2017 will bring to the decadent world of desserts.
I asked a few of my favorite pastry masters around the city what they think will be the next big thing in this sweet world we are living in and here’s what they are predicting:
Read MoreThe newest outpost of Chef Sam Gorenstein and Roger Duarte’s fast casual seafood spot, MyCeviche in The Shops in Midtown, is also it’s largest with the most extensive menu of ceviche bowls, salads, tacos, burritos, Poke and fresh sides.
Strictly by accident, I happened to stop in on the very first day the doors were open during their Art Basel Pop Up and got to see Sam in action behind the counter teaching and watching his eager staff assemble the poke bowls, salads, burritos and ceviches.
A clean bright spot, with the signature hi top communal tables, creative murals and plenty of add in salsitas and fresh cut lime wedges, MyCeviche Midtown offers healthy options for the lunchtime shopping crowd and the midtown residents looking for alternatives to wings and burgers.
Read MoreStart the year off with the right bite! Let’s admit it, 2016 was a pretty great year for dining in Miami. Past favorites expanded and gained new fans, new places opened in Wynwood, Brickell, Downtown and on Miami Beach and our local talented chefs challenged our taste buds with creative takes on donuts, Thai food, Mexican and even pizza. Even the tableside Caesar salad made a comeback.
Stephen Starr is the shining “star restaurateur” right now. His New York City, Le Coucou has topped all of new restaurant lists, and in Miami we have been lucky to boast three Stephen Starr restaurants, Makoto, Le Zoo, and The Continental.
Now, his most anticipated and ambitious Miami restaurant, Upland, joins that list with it’s opening at 49 Collins just this past December. Chef Justin Smillie, helms both Upland NYC and the new Upland Miami and brings his California roots to the creative and flavorful cuisine.
Charcoaled and wood fired grilling is his signature style and the dishes which range from wood oven pizzas, rustic and seasonally influenced fare, seafood and charcoaled steaks and short ribs are well prepared in full view of diners in the bright open kitchen.
Read MoreAs 2016 comes to an end, I am taking time to reflect on an amazing year filled with even more amazing sweets. It’s safe to say this was my sweetest year yet! I’ve made my way through kitchens all over Miami and gained wonderful new friends along the way. Here are my top five favorite desserts of 2016 - in no particular order because having to pick only five was hard enough!
Read MoreLooking for something fun and different to do with the kids this next holiday week? How about a visit to The Burger Beast Museum, curated by Miami comfort food expert, Burger Beast? Amber Love Bond reports on the museum's grand opening earlier this month.
About eight years ago, I found myself on a Google search for the best burger in Miami and I stumbled upon a newly started blog, called Burger Beast. Sef Gonzalez was on the same mission as I was, except he was documenting and sharing with others. He was one of the very first food blogs in Miami and the moment I found him, I instantly added his link to my bookmark bar – think pre-Facebook and Instagram days.
Flash forward to December 2016 and Sef has spent the last 7 years collecting over 2,000 pieces of burger and comfort food memorabilia that now fill his 1500 square foot Burger Beast Museum space. The history in the museum spans decades and Sef is eager to share it with everyone. On my visit I chatted with Burger Beast for over an hour learning about restaurants I had never heard of and talking about ones I missed from my own childhood. There were even a few that I had been to that he hadn’t, and I was able to share my memories of them with him.
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