Posts in Restaurants
Summer Ceviche Recipe:  My Ceviche Shrimp & Watermelon Ceviche

In case you didn't know, June 28th is National Ceviche Day and lucky for us,  My Ceviche, and Zuuk Mediterranean owner Sam Gorenstein shares this cool and refreshing summer ceviche recipe featuring Key West Shrimp and Watermelon. Make it today, for July 4th festivities or any day to cool off from Miami's heat.

My Ceviche, which currently has six locations including in Midtown and at MIA Airport, prides itself on using fresh local fish in a variety of ceviches, poke, tacos, burritos and bowls.  Each location offers both eat in and take out in a casual "beach shack" setting. Order online to skip the line or schedule delivery. Or stop by and try the current shrimp ceviche tossed in Ponzu Shoyu sauce with Watermelon, Thai Basil, Red Onion, and Cilantro.

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South of Fifth’s Cibo Wine Bar

Cibo Wine Bar Charcuterie Platter

Cibo Wine Bar is one of the biggest Italian restaurants on all of South Beach. The 12,000 square food space is impressively large with a blend of old world rustic charm and industrial chic modernism.  With six Cibo locations in Toronto and Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Liberty Entertainment Group prides itself on authentic Italian cuisine in beautiful settings.

If the 60ft open kitchen counter isn’t enough to draw your attention immediately, then maybe the 3500 bottles of wine in a soaring two-story award-winning wine room equipped with harnessed wine angel to retrieve your favorite bottle. Yes, a WINE ANGEL – that’s her job title.

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Smart Bites: Urban Farming and a Healthy Café

In the quadrant between I-95 and The Dolphin sits the Allapattah “ Healthy” District, a mixture of sparkling glass medical centers and empty warehouses and lots.  On a corner of NE 20th visible with its bright green awning is Smart Bites, a small storefront café that is run by Mari Vila and features healthy soups, salads, burgers (including a Bison Burger!) wraps, sides and fresh juices.

 

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The Wynwood Yard: Della’s Bowls-A Morning Refuge

As Miami continues to embrace healthy eating, MIAbites is pleased to introduce a new weekly feature; Wellness Wednesdays. Each week we will share our discoveries of new and not so new spots offering local ingredients, plant-based and healthy dining options. 

By now most of us are familiar with The Wynwood Yard, the open air space for creative dining, drinking and community gatherings, created by Founder and CEO Della Heiman in 2015.  Her personal project, della test kitchenoffers healthy, fast, casual dining popular at lunch and dinner.

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Lobster Bar Sea Grille Opens In SoFi

Just around the first of April, Lobster Bar Sea Grille opened in the spot on Washington Avenue and 5th Street that will forever be known by locals as “the old China Grill spot.”

The seafood restaurant is the newest concept from the national award-winning Buckhead Life Restaurant Group of Atlanta, Georgia, and owners of the popular Chops Lobster Bar and City Fish Market in Boca Raton and sister restaurant Lobster Bar Sea Grille in Fort Lauderdale.

Guests are meant to enjoy a sophisticated atmosphere complete with modern-contemporary nautical touches. Management says they really want it to be all about the service and would love to be considered a fancier version of Cheers!, for locals to have a regular dining spot where "everyone knows your name".

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A Taste of Baja at Lolo's Surf Cantina

Lolo’s Surf Cantina in the Stanton Marriott on Ocean Drive is the newest spot to celebrate and enjoy the food of our Southern neighbors in Mexico…. before The Wall gets built.

Chef Richard Ampudia of Cafe Habana and La Esquina in New York has brought a piece of Baja California to Miami Beach’s SoFi neighborhood. With a clientele who’s sophisticated and a beach that's only steps away, SoFi felt like the ideal location for his newest outpost.

“I think Mexican Coastal food is a perfect fit for the city and its laid-back, healthy lifestyle,” Chef Ampudia said.

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20 Places to Eat in Miami on Christmas

Over the river and through the woods… or more like over the causeway and through the traffic... to delicious restaurants we go!  From Miami Beach to Downtown to MiMo and Wynwood some of Miami area’s best restaurants are hosting holiday festivities on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day itself.  Be sure to make your reservations early and check ahead to confirm hours and all details.

Miami Beach:

The Continental- Playing off a fun Japanese tradition of eating fried chicken with champagne and chocolate cake for Christmas, and their global influences, Continental will be offering a Korean Fried Chicken Special. The complete meal will feature a green salad, Continental’s famous Korean Fried Chicken, a glass of bubbly and a slice of Millionaire's Chocolate Cake. The Continental 2301 Collins Ave. Miami Beach FL 305 604 2000

Juvia- Enjoy Christmas above the city in the penthouse of Juvia with family and friends! Juvia is offering a special Yule dessert (with a variety of flavors to choose from) every day starting Dec. 20 through the 31st. What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than indulging in this dessert along with their regular dinner menu.  Juvia 1111 Lincoln Rd. Miami Beach FL  (305) 763-8272.

Jaya at The Setai- On Christmas Day, Jaya at The Setai will be serving their signature Christmas themed buffet with two seatings at11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.  Priced at $125 per person and $63 per child, festivities will include live jazz featuring Christmas carols and a special appearance from Santa Claus. Jaya at The Setai 2001 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139 (855) 923-7899   

The Dutch- On Christmas Eve, the $50 per person (excluding tax and gratuity) dinner will include a traditional Caja China Pig Roast, along with other savory Latin dishes prepared by Executive Chef Adonay Tafur. The Dutch is located inside W South Beach, 2201 Collins Avenue, in Miami Beach, Florida, 33139 (305) 938-3111

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The Art of Plating: Chef Bradley Kilgore of Alter

Has it really been only a year since Chef Bradley Kilgore opened Alter?  Today's announcement from the James Beard Foundation that not only is Alter a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant, but that Chef Brad is semifinalist for Rising Star Chef has Miami celebrating, as for the first time in years, the James Beard Foundation has recognized that something very special is happening in the Miami food scene. And never before two noms for both the chef and restaurant!

The following is a reprint of a MIAbites feature from December 2014, on Chef Brad, before Alter and while hosting pop up dinners in Wynwood during Art Basel.  It shares his vision and passion for creating unique and innovative dishes and is what has made Alter the best restaurant in Miami...and on March 15th when the winners are announced...hopefully the whole country!

 

Miami is still recovering from the over 50,000 art enthusiasts who clogged the roadways, causeways, buses, Metromovers and trolleys during this month's Art Basel and Miami Art Week,  and made getting even a simple dinner reservation next to impossible.

The creativity and art seemed to be everywhere and even though many of the talented artists may have packed up now and left the area, one artist has remained and set the bar pretty high during Art Basel / Miami Art Week for his creativity and artistic ability…in creating food!

Chef Bradley Kilgore, all of 27 years old, garnered some excellent reviews for his unique PopUp Dinners hosted at Miam Café and Boutique in Wynwood.

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NOMA: The Traveling ErGagit

ErGagit checks off another spot on the “Foodie Bucket List”….noma!

A little food history to set the tone: 

In November 2004, on the initiative of the Danish chefs René Redzepi and Claus Meyer of the then newly opened noma restaurant, chefs and food professionals from all the Nordic countries met in Copenhagen to discuss how best to develop what they called the "New Nordic Cuisine." In particular, they sought to emphasize the need for what they described as "purity, simplicity, and freshness" as well as increased use of seasonal foods. Restaurants were encouraged to develop traditional dishes making use of ingredients benefitting from the local region's climate, water, and soil. This included edible flowers, moss, hay and other local ingredients foraged and taken from the land.

10 years later, noma has gone on to not only set the standard for New Nordic cuisine, but also to lead the movement towards sustainable dining and garner Top Restaurant awards from multiple publications for its unique dishes and dining experience.

The Gagit’s and friends have been to noma before, but we believed its Number 2 rating in 2012 would become number 1 again for 2013, and it did.

Noma is not only the number 1 restaurant in the world it is also the toughest reservation in the world. However, thanks to our connection on Twitter, Gagit just asked @ReneRedzepiNoma and the requested reservation was secured (hint hint). We secured a reservation to dinner this trip and as we walked in we were warmly greeted by Rene, as shown, and welcomed back to his “home” for a five hour experience of food and drink, service, and friendliness. This is what noma is all about.

We are seated by the hostess and introduced to our lead server of the night Cat, although by the end the night we might have met the whole staff of 50.

We order our first bottle of wine and a member of the staff, both chefs and servers begin the nights experience.

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