The Dutch, white-hot New York chef Andrew Carmellini’s tribute to American flavors, is scheduled to open at the W South Beach this month, in time for Thanksgiving. Milos, known for serving quality Mediterranean seafood at exorbitant prices in New York, is also getting ready for its South Beach opening. These are no doubt high-profile restaurants, but whether they will make waves in Miami remains to be seen.
Five years ago, when Miami was largely a dining wasteland, the idea of any New York operator hitting the beach seemed exciting. But has anybody heard any buzz about Alfred Portale’s Gotham Steak at the Fontainebleau recently? Does anybody care that Philippe closed at the Gansevoort and is moving elsewhere in South Beach? (No? Anyone?)
Quality and value matter in Miami now, and the city’s seeing both young, hip chefs and old-school operators create a delicious dining scene, both on and off the beach. Here are 10 dishes to get you up to speed.
Bento box at NAOE Sunny Isles Beach
Kevin Cory’s sushi shrine is without question Miami’s most transporting eatery, where the baby-faced chef grates fresh wasabi root, carefully brushes each piece of Hokkaido uni with soy sauce and then urges you to eat with your hands. And while his raw fish selection from Japan is astounding, Cory can cook, too. Every NAOE meal starts with a $26 bento box, where he alternates specialties like grilled pike and a chawanmushi egg-and-seafood custard that tastes like the best of the farm meeting the best of the ocean. NAOE’s 17 seats are always in high demand, and it’s worth hurrying to make a reservation. Note: NAOE will move to Brickell Key, near downtown Miami, in early 2012.
Go 175 Sunny Isles Blvd., 305-947-6263
Fried chicken at Yardbird Southern Table & Bar Miami Beach
After making Miami late-night dining cool at Midtown’s Gigi, chef Jeff McInnis is taking his act to the beach. Yardbird offers everything from melons with grilled farm cheese and a braised short-rib “meatloaf” starter, to an extensive bourbon list and red velvet cake. A must-try is the juicy, “27-hour” fried chicken. It comes with a cheddar waffle and an irresistible sauce that McInnis admits is just Tupelo honey and Crystal Louisiana hot sauce. And why not.
Go 1600 Lenox Ave., 305-538-5220
Shepherd’s pie at Crumb on Parchment Design District
Michelle Bernstein’s new bakery/sandwich shop on the mainland (only open weekdays until 5:30 p.m.) has been playing around with a riff on shepherd’s pie. It has raisins, olives and cumin. It totally works.
Go 3930 NE 2nd Ave., 305-572-9444
Duck and waffles at Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill Midtown
This isn’t the first time we’ve plugged the highlight of Timon Balloo’s Latin/Asian/American fusion menu, and it may not be the last, either. You can come to this very fun restaurant for everything from crudo to organ meats to sushi and grilled robata dishes, but nothing sums up Balloo’s playfulness as well as his duck and waffles. Crispy leg confit, duck egg, mustard maple — savory and sweet and with some kick, too.
Go 3250 NE 1st Ave., 786-369-0353
Village pasta at Mandolin Aegean Bistro Design District
South Beach can have its ultra-pricey Greek food at Milos, which serves $135 fish soup for two in New York. We’ll be on the patio at Mandolin, a charmer of a restaurant in an old 1940s house near the Design District, enjoying Greek classics at a fraction of the price. You’ll do fine with the mezze, salads and grilled fish here, but when you want to indulge, go for the village pasta: noodles with ground beef and béchamel sauce.
Go 4312 NE 2nd Ave., 305-576-6066
Kimchi benedict at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink Design District
Sunday brunch with Michael Schwartz in the Design District is unlike Sunday brunch anywhere else. You order three to five small plates per person. There are amazing savory options including duck confit hash and a crispy rice cake with chorizo, rock shrimp and manchego cheese. And pastry chef’s Hedy Goldsmith’s sweets (including her versions of Pop-Tarts) are alone worth the trip. But there’s only one thing we’ve ordered every single time, and it’s something we’ll order on every future visit too: the kimchi benedict with pork belly on a toasted crumpet. If you doubt that brunch can be a thrill, you have not brunched here.
Go 130 NE 40th St., 305-573-5550
Orange and radish salad at Harry’s Pizzeria Design District
Michael Schwartz’s newest spot isn’t about traditional pizza. There’s a rock shrimp pizza with grilled lemon and manchego. The short rib pizza has aged gruyere. Not that there’s anything wrong with traditional. (The meatball starter is submerged in a fine bowl of red sauce, for example.) What might bring us back most, though, is a salad: orange and radish with green olives, shaved fennel, arugula and piave cheese. Ideal for those days when you’re in the mood for sweet and salty and bitter and intense, all at once.
Go 3918 North Miami Ave., 786-275-4963
Pork belly and scallion dumplings at Pubbelly
The crew at South Beach’s Pubbelly, who have just opened their Pubbelly Sushi spinoff, are obsessed with pork belly. These dumplings are a good way to see for yourself.
Go 1418 20th St., 305-532-7555
Grouper cheeks at Tudor House
Geoffrey Zakarian’s spot at South Beach’s new Dream hotel offers the type of fun (but skillfully prepared) American fare that the man behind the Lambs Club and the National in New York is known for. The roasted Florida grouper cheeks with cauliflower, pearl onions and romesco is an ideal taste of Miami: clean, well-seasoned and grown-up on a stretch of Collins Avenue that could use more of all three. Also, save room for the popcorn milkshake with salted brown butter, the kind of vacation indulgence that’s worth the stress on your bathing suit.
Go 1111 Collins Ave., 305-534-8455
Chow fun at Chow Down Grill Miami Beach
The new South Beach outpost of this Surfside mainstay opens until 5 a.m. every day, but the respectable rice bowls, dumplings and noodles are also great for dinner before a night of partying. This is Asian food with bold flavors and well-sourced ingredients in a hipster-friendly setting that’s more about cool than comfort. The fresh, heavy chow fun noodles come with your choice of protein (we like the organic chicken) plus “oriental kale” (also known as Chinese broccoli), and the balance of garlic and ginger is just right.
Go 920 Alton Road, 305-674-1674