Over the last 12 months I've been doing a lot more traveling and eating out, and in the process have begun to create a pretty solid food map of my hometown. About 90% of the thanks is due to various expense accounts, but after a celebratory dinner last night with the girlfriend at a newish restaurant near us in Miami Shores I've decided to create a new feature that records my food finds. Feel free to add to the conversation with your own opinions.
Unfortunately, several of these places are actually just too expensive for me to feel OK expensing a dinner for 2 (me and an assistant, etc. - maybe its just me?) on most of my editorial jobs... but lawyers, doctors, lobbyists, etc., who may be reading this and are tired of another fucking steakhouse, have at it! In Miami there are a lot of great restaurants, but most of them do seem to fall into the expensive to über-expensive range, with the mid-range places being squeezed out by the insane amount of chain restaurants which pop up in each new strip mall and sub-division.
Reimbursed meals | Miami, FL
Notes: Miami's development boom has brought a wave of new restaurants over the last 5 years, mostly located either in South Beach (Collins Ave. south of 30th St.) or on the Biscayne Blvd./Brickell corridor. A lot of the new places are in that vague New American/French/Asian fusion/seafood-y genre that blends together everything from traditional bistro standards to spicy takes on Peruvian ceviche... a good example of the Miami scene is Michelle Bernstein's newest shop Michy's (6927 Biscayne Blvd.) which could just as easily be at home in one of the boutique hotels along Ocean Drive.
Miami has its specialties which are widely available and not worth trying to find the best of in my opinion (because there are so many good places). So, if you are looking for great seafood while in South Florida, its a no-brainer... drive towards the water and buy whatever was caught that day locally. Same with Cuban food. If you see a sign that says "Cuban food" stop there and get some ropa vieja... it'll probably be great.
8 1/2 - $$$ - 821 Washington Ave. / South Beach
One of the few hotel restaurants in Miami Beach that I really, really like and have been back to multiple times for lunch and dinner. The very strong menu describes itself as global and features seasonal ingredients and a nice mix of culinary influences (Middle Eastern/Asian/Pan-American/French). I'd recommend diving into one of their tasting menus (you can also create your own), but the 7-course menu (with paired wine flights) will easily put you on your ass (portions way too large for that many courses). Their wine pairings and list could be a little stronger and deeper and they should lose the flat screen TV above the bar, but otherwise it’s a perfect small place that is a safe walk-in bet. For the money, it’s one of the better choices in Miami Beach.
8.5/10
Cacao - $$$$ - 141 Giralda Ave. / Coral Gables
Probably one of the 2 or 3 best upscale Latin/South American restaurants in Miami (which is saying something) with food that is not only exceptional but also very creative in conception and presentation. The tasting menu (which comes in 5 or 7 courses) was good, but not as impressive or well matched as some of the flavors of their individual entrees and very deep wine list heavy on South America. Cacao is very expensive, but on some nights it’s food is some of the best to be had in Miami. (A lot of the reviews I read praise the decor, etc., of the restaurant... it's nice, but not really nice, or that important to the experience.)
9/10
Capital Grille - $$$$ - 444 Brickell Ave. / Downtown
If you want a giant, dry-aged, perfectly seared steak and want to eat it while surrounded by the asshats who still consider that steaks are the beginning and end of American fine dining, then you can’t beat Capital Grille, which now has dozens of locations around the country. You already know what each of them looks like… the giant open room, the dark wood, the mounted animals and stuffed suits, the annoying over-sized menus with 12 different cuts of steak on them in 34 serving sizes, the old-school wine list (which is surprisingly not as marked up as I expected, unlike Tampa’s famous Burn’s, which is reportedly crazily jacked), and the a la carte side dishes. And about once a year, I want exactly that, and it’s always there to please with very solid service.
6/10
Duo - $$$ - 1421 S Miami Ave. / Downtown
Simply put, Duo is the best restaurant in Miami in my opinion. A diverse and fresh menu which balances French/Italian/New American/Latin influences with superb technique and respect paid to clean flavors, which is matched by one of the most incredible wine lists I’ve seen (not because its huge (which it is) but because it’s filled with wonderful small vineyards producing amazing wines. In talking with our waiter (who could have been more attentive actually), the really sad part is that apparently Duo is never really that busy (partly because the downtown/Brickell area is still very much a 9-5 type of area). Miami needs to wake up and support this very special place that is worthy of a long trip and large bill.
10/10
Les Halles - $$ - 2415 Ponce De Leon Blvd. / Coral Gables
If you love French bistro food (and I do) then this place will not disappoint the tongue or surprise the wallet, as one of the satellite locations of the venerable Bourdain franchise. The Miami version of L.H. feels a little toned down to me, and I was upset to find out that they no longer serve a charcuterie plate because (so says our waiter) there was not enough demand (fucking tourists). If, however, you don’t truly like the whole animal approach (guts and hooves, baby!) and hear “French” and can’t think past duck confit and seared foie gras with some pomme frites, then you probably should go elsewhere. Regardless, a better non-chain option in a way easier to get-to and park-in neighborhood is Charcuterie.
6/10
Lost & Found Saloon - $ - 185 N.W. 36th St. / Wynwood
Glory of glories, Judy and I’s favorite neighborhood (during our loft days) lunch spot is now finally open for dinner! This small Southwestern themed spot has great and incredibly inexpensive food with friendly service. The best time to stop by is during the festive monthly 2nd Saturday art gallery walks. Try the soups and forget the salads (which are a downer). Fingers crossed that the restaurant is able to survive Wynwood’s tremendous growth and construction and reach its potential.
7/10
Michy's - $$$ - 6927 Biscayne Blvd. / Miami
This is one of those tough calls. On the one hand here is a restaurant and a chef who is inventive and has a dramatic personal vision for food and the dining experience, and in a new up-and-coming location on Biscayne that will certainly help the neighborhood mature (which I really appreciate since we live very close now). On the other hand, the experience of going to Michy’s (which love it or hate it is nearly always packed) is un-even, pretentious, and awkward. The menu takes too long to digest and the portions are so small that it takes a lot of very expensive plates to get a full meal in. But buried within the average service and tables of loud Miamians (this place attracts a certain crowd who should have stayed in New York/Jersey), are some truly wonderful flavors and technique (especially the ceviche). If you are a true foodie you should give Michy’s a chance, even though I warned you.
6/10
North 110 - $$$ - 11052 Biscayne Blvd. / Miami Shores
Nah. That’s my full opinion. Nah. This is a place for people who like to spend too much money on average food in a strangely decorated interior (which ranges from dim to dark). The menu gets its only spark from the appetizers (especially the crab cake), but falls completely flat in the main courses which remind me of a Sunday afternoon at a Country Club (they have all of the right options, but none of them are quite right or quite what you want, and so you settle on braised short ribs, which are also not nearly good enough for $31). The prices are high and also strangely broad (entrees range from $17-45ish… why?). Maybe this is just a case of one restaurant trying to be too many things to too many people, and failing at most of them; though I’m sure that there are a lot of senior citizens who love this place (its yours!). Great service though, which is way too fucking rare in South Florida.
4/10
San Loco - $ - 235 14th St. / South Beach
It’s 3 a.m. and you are drunk, very hungry, and somewhere in South Beach... what do you do? You go to San Loco and get yourself some great fucking tacos, that’s what! This 24-hour joint has wonderful fresh Mexican fare even though the steady stream of tourists keeps the prices slightly higher than they should be. Make sure you stop at the ATM before you go; they only take cash.
7.5/10
Shoji Sushi - $$$ - 100 Collins Ave. / South Beach
Even though there are problems with the service (a problem all around South Florida), this is my favorite sushi place in Miami (which unfortunately is tucked away in SoFi – which is the stupid new name for the area of South Beach that is south of 5th St). The sushi is great, smart, and well executed, the sashimi is incredible and fresh, and the ceviche (you have no doubt noticed that it’s a very popular staple of the Miami scene, thank God) is somehow even better. It’s expensive and very popular, so it’s rare that we get down there for dinner, but if you go very late or early it’s worth the trip. I suggest just going for broke and getting a triple combo of sushi, sashimi, and ceviche – you will be very happy.
8/10
Sushi Samba Dromo - $$$ - 600 Lincoln Rd. / South Beach
The girlfriend and I keep meaning to branch out and go other places when we find ourselves on Lincoln Road (a pedestrian shopping area in the thick of South Beach), but again and again we gravitate towards Sushi Samba, even though it’s a chain, because its just really, really yummy, fresh food. The tag line of the restaurant, which offers some ridiculously great people-watching when you get one of their dozens of outside tables, is Japanese/Brazilian/Peruvian fusion cooking, and the menu has a ton of different types of things to try (many of which are overpriced but delicious). The big must tries is the ceviches, calamari appetizer, tiraditos, and the moqueca mista (which they sometimes combine with a whole roasted snapper for a special).
7/10
Talula - $$$ - 210 23rd St. / South Beach
Rounding out volume one of this little guide to some of Miami’s best offerings is another of my girlfriend and I’s favorite spots on the north side of South Beach. Talula’s has somehow managed to stay pretty local and their food (New American/Latin influences) is just a couple of steps short of perfect. This is a great place to bring visiting family for an upscale dinner that inventive and smart without also being pretentious. The portions are generous, especially so in the tasting menus which when matched with optional wine pairings becomes close to illegal. (My dad and I were served no less than 9 wine flights during a 7-course tasting menu, and each flight was more than 5 oz., which is truly ridiculous. We should have received t-shirts.) Don’t miss the tamale appetizer and the venison special (when available).
8.5/10
So that’s a small glimpse, unfortunately skewed towards the upscale end of the spectrum. There are many other places that I’ve neglected to mention or that we just haven’t gotten to yet. A few places that I’m eager to try soon are: Nemo, Bond Street, David Bouley Evolution, and Ola.
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