Eat & Drink

Who would have thought Miami's most luxurious shopping destination is also home to a happening weekly farmers' market? Well, it is, and you should go. It takes place every Wednesday from 4 to 9 p.m. The formerly rundown, crime-ridden neighborhood, which is now home to designer boutiques such as Tom Ford and Dior, hosts the Market #atMDD, a collection of more than 40 booths packed with sweet and savory goods such as fresh produce, artisanal breads, nuts, jams, teas, oils, and vinegars. Participating businesses include Creperia to Go, Mauricio's Fudge, Korean Kitchen, Sanctuary Teas, Two Guys Soaps, and Sandwicherie, giving shoppers on all budgets an opportunity to spend some cash. Snag samosas and curries from Nisha's Flavors of India or floral bouquets from local vendors. In the middle of the market, a rotating roster of performers, such as the French Horn Collective and DJ Nippy, adds life to the otherwise quiet luxury shopping area. And let's be real: We've all felt out of place walking through the Design District. Thanks to the Market #atMDD, the area now welcomes all South Floridians.

When Panther Coffee alum Camila Ramos announced the opening of her own java shop, we knew it would be something special. Nestled downtown between the Corner and Fooq's, her bright, expansive space is a welcome addition to the neighborhood's club-dominated scene. Inside, a simple neon board shows All Day's coffee varieties, including pour-overs ($5) and cortados ($4.25), along with more distinct brews such as Thai iced coffee with xocolatl mole bitters ($5) and a nitrogen-infused Brooklyn brew by Toby's Estate Coffee ($5.50, $7.50, or $9.50). Coffees come wet or dry, which is a sophisticated way of saying creamy milk versus a cap of froth. Curb your hunger with small and large bites such as French toast, soft-scrambled eggs, house-made pastries, and pan con croqueta ($10), a sandwich stuffed with ham croquetas, Gouda cheese, egg spread, and pickles.

Readers' choice: Panther Coffee

There is a food truck for almost everything: tacos, burgers, French fries, and doughnuts. Now there is one for coffee. Miami-based wholesale coffee purveyor Relentless Roasters is behind one of Miami's newest food truck concepts: cold-brew coffee on wheels. At C.B. Station, short for "Cold Brew Station," java is iced and put on wheels. Find a variety of flavor pairings made with two bases. Awaken and its sister brew, Awaken Nitro, which offers a creamier consistency similar to a Guinness beer, are blended with sundry ingredients, creating flavors such as raspberry-lemonade, an Arnold Palmer variety, and a classic milk-and-cream version. The truck serves two sizes — 12 and 16 ounces — priced between $4 and $5. To find out where the truck is parked, check its Instagram page.

Opened a little more than a year ago, Vice City Bean caffeinates Miami's not-so-sleepy Omni neighborhood. The café was founded by Roland and Eva Baker, who moved from Los Angeles, where they had recognized and enjoyed the sophisticated coffee culture. It's a perfect place to sip a cup of joe after a poolside live music session at the Filling Station Lofts or meandering through the stalls at the Miami Flea. Large street-facing windows fill the industrial space with warm light. It's located within walking distance of Wynwood's kaleidoscopic murals, but this café's vibe is far less pretentious than anything you'll find over there. An easygoing vibe fills the space and local artists' illustrations hang on the walls. There's plenty of seating for anyone to buckle down with a laptop for a few hours. The menu includes everything from crisp empanadas to rooibos tea latte. The highlight, though, is the specialty coffee from Madcap Roasters of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

While the rest of America goes to Starbucks, Miami heads to its neighborhood Cuban spots. Of course, born-and-bred South Floridians will always have a difficult time deciding on their favorite ventanita, but it comes down to who makes the best coffee: the strongest cortadito, the most authentic cafecito, or the smoothest café con leche. If it's the last you're searching for, look no further than Tinta y Café, a tiny Coral Gables coffee shop and eatery open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Located on Ponce de Leon Boulevard, it's a small slice of home for anyone who wanders in from the street to relax. You can sit in the lounge space, adorned with mismatched furniture, or line up at the outdoor window. Inside, a small bar peddles all manner of caffeine, including a version of the cortadito made with evaporated milk ($2.25) or without ($2). It's like café con leche on steroids. But it's the traditional café con leche ($2.95 to $3.25 depending upon size, plus 60 cents extra for a double shot) that's won the hearts of many. Maybe it's the perfect balance of dense foam and warm, creamy milk that mellows out the dark, rich flavor of the espresso. The final touch: expertly crafted leaf- or heart-shaped latte art so beautiful it's a shame to ruin it with your first sip.

This light, airy juicery is all about the positive vibes. If you forget to turn your frown upside down before entering, an array of inspirational signs will remind you. And if all else fails, the prices are sure to put a smile on your face. Cold-pressed juices in a rainbow of hues cost only $8 each — maybe Miami's tastiest cheap drink. Try the Got the Beet, an infusion of beet, carrot, celery, apple, and lemon. Down the Love Potion #9, a concoction of pear, pineapple, beet, chia, and ginger. Or sip the Essential, a verdant mix of green apple, cucumber, celery, kale, spinach, ginger, lemon, and spirulina. And liquid magic isn't the only thing on the menu. Smoothies ($8) contain exotic ingredients such as dragon fruit and maca. Check out a zoodle (zucchini noodle) bowl ($9.50), avocado toast ($5.50), green vegetable soup ($4.50), or a superfood salad ($9.50). The juice bar is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. At Roots, you'll drink the rainbow, eat the rainbow, live the rainbow.

Despite the growing number of vegan bodybuilders and cruelty-free athletes, some people are still under the impression that plant-based foods lack protein. That's a myth, however. Just ask Miami Instagram all-stars Vegan Thor and Badass Vegan. If you want to follow in their footsteps and avoid animal products while pumping up your protein intake, Raw Juce's E3 Green Monster smoothie ($13.50) is everything your muscles need. This buffed-up drink is a mashup of pineapple, banana, almond "mylk," green apple, kale, spirulina, E3Live algae, and Vega sport protein, all topped off with chopped almonds, bee pollen, and raw honey (which you can leave off to keep it 100 percent vegan). It's all of the muscle building with none of the artery clogging or animal abuse.

It's Sunday morning, and you're still a little drunk from the night before. As you peel yourself from the bed, you're amazed that this zombie-like husk of a body still holds a beating heart. There's one thing that can cure all your ills: a proper bloody mary. So you pull yourself together long enough to make it to the Grove Spot. This tiny Coconut Grove establishment is a locals' secret spot for solid fare and cheap drinks. You sidle up to the bar and order a bloody mary ($9). The first sip of the libation, made with tomato juice, Stoli, and a house-made recipe of spices, brings color flooding to your cheeks. A second sip and you're on your way to becoming a person. As you order another bloody, text your friends to meet you for breakfast here even though it's late: The Grove Spot serves the morning meal daily until 3 p.m.

Monday through Friday, you do the whole egg-whites thing. But today is Sunday, and your brunch needs the three s's: soulful, sinful, and Southern. The Local's brunch covers all the bases, from grits to lamb-belly pastrami to a bitter green salad. Every brunch item is upped with decadence (and usually a touch of bourbon for good measure). Take, for example, the French toast made with thick Sally Lunn bread, served with bourbon maple syrup ($13), or a Benedict where the Canadian bacon is replaced by pulled pork and then drizzled with hot sauce and hollandaise ($14). The Local will even up your chicken-and-waffles game with fried chicken and cheddar-rosemary pancakes served with (what else?) bourbon maple syrup ($17). Want more? Top anything with homemade Cheez Whiz or an egg, just because it's Sunday. And forgo the usual lame mimosa and go straight for one of the Local's crafted cocktails. Because real ballers drink whiskey with brunch.

Readers' choice: The Biltmore

Break your morning açai-bowl-and-cold-brew routine. Wagons West specializes in the country breakfast, the kind that has powered the workin' man and woman through hours of backbreaking labor for decades, if not centuries. And you've got to be eager to get it. This Pinecrest spot begins filling up shortly after opening around sunrise, and asserting your place in line is the only way to get a table. Once you're seated, the job is far from over. Will it be twin pork chops with a pair of eggs and crisp hash browns ($15.25) or perhaps the catfish and eggs ($14.25) on the so-called lighter side? "What'll it be, hon?" a bespectacled waitress in a bright-pink shirt calls to you while passing your booth. Make up your mind, and quick, because everyone here has somewhere to be.

Readers' choice: GreenStreet Cafe

Warm and doughy, with a slightly crisp exterior and a thick smear of cream cheese, these New York-style bagels are close to perfect. Roasters 'n Toasters boasts four locations across Miami-Dade: Pinecrest, Aventura, Miami Beach, and the Falls. This deli has been whipping up fresh, flavorful rings of dough that are not at all chewy since the '80s. Taste aside, they also happen to be ridiculously cheap, about $1.55 each, but prices double with the addition of a chunky coating of cream cheese. Make it a meal by ordering a nova platter ($14.50), where slices of smoked salmon, onion, and capers are layered on a bagel, giving it a little more oomph.

Readers' choice: Bagel Emporium

A small brown box is left on your front doorstep. Inside the package awaits an assortment of chocolate chip cookies, double-chunk brownies, colorful macarons, and maybe even a chocolate-covered cannoli. No, you're not dreaming. It's from Jarly, a Miami-based startup that each month delivers a box of baked goods to your home. Through Jarly, customers can choose one of two subscription plans: a box delivered once a month ($20) or twice a month ($40), plus a $5 delivery fee. Each box is filled with five to seven items from a different featured baker each month. Every treat is prepared fresh that day — and Jarly suggests they be eaten within three to four days. Previous boxes have included dark-chocolate cookies, red velvet cupcakes, pistachio crisp muffins, honey cakes, triple-chocolate brownies, and sweet and soft blueberry scones.

Readers' choice: Zak the Baker

As bars and restaurants sprout up across Miami Beach, one of the area's oldest and most beloved diners still holds its place. Since 1992, the quaint, Airstream-style aluminum façade, which dates to the '40s, has endured hurricanes, floods, and a profusion of Pitbull album releases. Its shiny red booths remain intact, and its menu is current. Come for a Monte Cristo ($10.25), where grilled ham, Swiss, and turkey are sandwiched between slices of French toast, or a Crabby Patty ($11.50), which places fried crab cakes and homemade tartar sauce on a roll. For more typical diner fare, opt for country fried steak and eggs ($11.99); the farmer's scramble ($9.99), served with vegetables and cheddar cheese; or the "3 pair" ($11.25), which includes two eggs, two pieces of bacon or sausage, and two pancakes or French toast.

Readers' choice: Big Pink

Sandwiched in a nondescript strip mall on West Dixie Highway, Lettuce & Tomato gives North Miami Beach the chef-driven gastropub it has long awaited. The small restaurant, owned by Argentine-born Roy Starobinsky, fuses Latin American flavors with Asian, American, and French influences. The menu jumps from huevos rotos ("broken eggs") — a large bowl of hand-cut garlic French fries, sofrito, serrano ham, three fried eggs, and a pinch of sprouts — to Asian-inspired steam buns stuffed with short rib or pork belly and drizzled with a homemade ají aioli. Salads, burgers, and fish are available too. Most of the plates hover around $15. The restaurant is known to draw large crowds at dinnertime, so plan accordingly.

Palme d'Or is, without a doubt, the grande dame of Miami's dining scene. The shining jewel of the Biltmore's crown, it sparkles in shades of gold. This restaurant, which offers a $115, six-course dinner or a $155 chef's tasting menu, is the place for 50th-anniversary celebrations and other important affairs. But because of Gregory Pugin, it is much more. The Michelin-starred, James Beard Award-nominated chef has opened restaurants around the world, from Paris to Tokyo. All of that global experience, including time at Joël Robuchon's L'Atelier in New York and Le Cirque at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, has given Pugin a style of his own. It's reflected in dishes that combine traditional techniques and local ingredients to transform the classics into modern and exciting interpretations. Compared to a round-trip ticket to Paris, the price to dine here is quite reasonable. Indeed, Palme d'Or is a good reason to break out the dressy outfit and celebrate for no reason at all. How very French.

Readers' choice: Eating House

Forget the queen of England. Miami has its own royalty: Gloria and Emilio Estefan. This golden couple is the very soul of Miami. If you need proof, hop a plane or boat to the farthest reaches of the planet and mention Miami to some random stranger. They'll start singing "Conga." At Estefan Kitchen, chef Odell Torres plates refined versions of recipes passed down through generations of Estefans, such as vaca frita ($22), paella ($70), and even lechón flatbread drizzled with truffle oil ($15). Of course, the Estefans are best known for their music, so expect a nightly showcase of music and performances in a colorful setting. The cabaret setting is fun without veering into Disney-tourist-trap territory. Frequent sightings of the Magic City's royal couple add to the excitement.

Readers' choice: Michael's Genuine Food & Drink

When Scott Linquist moved to Miami to take over Coyo Taco's kitchen, he was already an accomplished chef who literally wrote the book on Mexican cuisine. Sure, his tacos are fantastic, but Coyo didn't allow the chef to show his full potential. When Linquist opened Olla at the far west end of Lincoln Road, he let his culinary talents soar. The restaurant, named after the traditional earthenware used to both store food and cook it, is filled with soulful items. Menudo, a heady tripe stew ($12), cures everything from hunger to hangovers, and a duck breast with mole ($24) is served with tortillas for a hands-on experience. If your idea of Mexican food is guac and queso with chips, don't worry: Olla has you covered so you can gently ease your way into the more exotic. After a few margaritas made with your choice of 50 kinds of tequila, you'll find yourself blissfully digging into a jar of chapulines ($8).

Readers' choice: Yardbird Southern Table & Bar

If you think all barbecue has to be ribs on a grill, allow Kyu to change your view. First off, you'll find no smiling piggies or drinks served in a mason jar. The sparse yet gorgeous industrial setting allows the food to be the center of the spotlight. The restaurant, a collaboration between Michael Lewis and Steven Haigh (both Zuma alumni), is a mashup of Japanese robata grilling methods and good old American techniques. That marriage translates into a Wagyu brisket ($40), prepared with Japanese sea salt and black pepper and smoked for 12 to 14 hours until it melts in your mouth. Kyu also offers an assortment of produce to round out your diet. One bite of the roasted cauliflower with goat cheese ($16) will make you wonder why you ever gave Mom a hard time about eating your vegetables.

Look around at the diners seated next to you at Bombay Darbar and you'll think you're in the real Bombay. The Coconut Grove eatery has long been the place for Miami's Indian community to seek an authentic taste of home. The restaurant's owner, known simply as Danny, serves traditional Indian cuisine at more than reasonable rates. A fragrant biryani is cooked with herbs, nuts, raisins, and spices with your choice of chicken, lamb, shrimp, or vegetables ($13.95 to $18.95). The chicken tikka masala ($16.95) sees tender pieces of chicken bobble in a broth of tomato sauce and the Indian spice blend of garam masala. The spice level of each dish can be customized: mild, low-medium, medium, high-medium, hot, or superhot. But take the advice of your wise server when he or she warns you against going all out — the chef packs quite a punch. Put out that fire with a few Kingfisher beers, and all is right with the world. Bombay Darbar is open for lunch Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. and dinner Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 6 to 11 p.m. It's closed Tuesday.

Readers' choice: GreenStreet Cafe

The delight at this downtown Italian place frequented by lawyers, developers, and the rest of Miami's Masters of the Universe commences before menus are even opened. After you're seated, a waiter sporting a dinner jacket will roll a hulking wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano up to the table. The salty, musty fragrance of the cheese is enough to knock even the fullest-blooded Italians out of their seats. A few jabs of a heart-shaped knife dislodge some jagged bits of the cheese, and soon everyone is digging in. Next, another waiter swoops in to drop a fist-size knot of razor-thin zucchini slivers fried to a snappy crisp. Somehow a sweet, tart pool of tomato sauce lands nearby. Then comes fluffy bread and dashes of good olive oil and balsamic vinegar. That is the last free thing you'll enjoy. But don't worry: You're already in such a delightful stupor the $45 price tag on the filet mignon Florentine will hardly register.

Readers' choice: Komodo

When Aniece Meinhold and Cesar Zapata (along with a third partner) opened a little pop-up in an office building in downtown Miami, the city went wild for the concept and the food. In what might have been the Magic City's first true pop-up, the partners would turn the space into a restaurant each day and serve Vietnamese cuisine tinged with Zapata's Texan and Latin American influences. The two, who later opened the Federal in a Biscayne Boulevard strip mall, would occasionally resurrect Phuc Yea for special events and dinners to enthusiastic turnout. Last year, Phuc Yea returned with a permanent home. The restaurant, set amid a host of glowing Chinese paper lanterns, boasts several rooms and an outdoor garden. Starters such as the mama roll ($8) — filled with Chinese sausage, jícama, dried shrimp, and peanuts — are sharable and flavorful, but the Cajun/Vietnamese hot pots (market price) are a must. A steaming crock arrives at the table filled with corn, potatoes, and your choice of Florida shrimp, clams, crawfish, or other water creatures. Gloves accompany the dish, but go ahead and get your hands dirty for the real experience.

Edge is everything that every restaurant in Miami should be. Chef Aaron Brooks and his crack team turn out dozens of thick, fantastically bloody steaks each day and do so without the pretense or price of most places. Don't miss the Wagyu New York strip ($30) or the grass-fed rib eye ($55). Your server will offer you a house-made steak sauce. We're not talking A1. We're talking beef jus fattened up with Malbec, a three-peppercorn sauce that can put any au poivre to shame, or a house chimichurri. Get them all. But don't stop there. Edge isn't just a steakhouse. Plump lobster slicked with kohlrabi rémoulade ($17) makes this fine establishment feel like a seafood shack (but one in the Four Seasons), while the spiced lamb sausage called merguez ($10), served with sesame yogurt and marinated turnips, seems straight off the streets of North Africa. The point isn't even how alluring the food is. It's that Edge's kitchen executes dishes with a level of style, service, and culinary ingenuity that should make any restaurant, in a hotel or otherwise, aspire to do better.

No table at this beloved Salvadoran spot should go without chef and owner Napoleon Moreno's sopa de res ($4.95/$6.95). Mondays and Fridays, the kitchen turns out this intensely beefy bright-yellow soup packed with hunks of carrot and potato and rich knots of tender beef. On Tuesdays, it's the sopa de gallina ($4.95/$6.95), in which an old hen is magically transformed into a tender, succulent delight. It's work Moreno and his family have done for decades, earning the adulation of the surrounding community and cementing El Atlacatl's position as one of the neighborhood's favorite restaurants. Don't miss the pupusas ($2.75), made of thick cornmeal patties encasing a luscious blend of salty cheese and the spice mixture called Pipil, named for indigenous tribes of the region; this is a potent combination of annatto, clove, allspice, and black pepper. Two of the savory corn rounds work well any time of day, and don't be surprised if you find yourself back later for seconds.

Behold, the house that bacalhau built! Did you know Portugal conquered the world thanks to the stiff milky-white cod fillets preserved in salt? Better known as bacalhau to Portuguese-speakers, the stuff has a whole page of the menu dedicated to it at the white-tablecloth Teixeira Portugal Restaurant. The kitchen grills, shreds, boils, fries, and stews the fish that's also called "fiel amigo" (loyal friend) into a bounty of dishes. For the bacalhau com natas ($22.99), the cod is shredded into shards with onions and potatoes and then whipped into a rich cream sauce fortified with garlic and topped with a white cheese that's melted until it forms a crisp brown shell. Teixeira isn't open for breakfast, but its bacalhau a bras ($20.99) is well suited for mornings. Supple shreds of the fish are scrambled into eggs, crisp potato strands, and sweet sautéed onions. Try the bacalao northern-style ($24.99), in which the fish is deep-fried, lathered in a creamy pumpkin-hued garlic sauce, and sandwiched between two heaps of mashed potatoes. Had enough yet? Of course not. Now you're ready to hop a ship and sail the seas with nothing other than the wind and bacalao fueling the voyage.

Readers' choice: Chef Adrianne's Vineyard Restaurant & Wine Bar

"When you're here, you're family," was once Olive Garden's very catchy slogan. That catch phrase also applies to Sardelli's, a significantly more upscale Italian steakhouse in Hollywood. Whether it's your first or 100th time coming here for dinner, the staff will treat you like a regular. Contributing to this convivial atmosphere is the fact you're eating in a four-story house that underwent a $3 million renovation five years ago and is now both cozy and contemporary. What's more, the eatery is a family-run business, and owner Fulvio Sardelli Jr. is also the chef. How nice not to have to decide between pasta and steak. At Sardelli's, it's practically a must to order one of each. Get the cavatelli with braised veal shank in a truffle-butter-and-veal broth ($16 for a half-portion or $32 for full) as your primo, and order a USDA Prime certified Black Angus eight-ounce filet mignon for your secondo ($36). Another one of Sardelli's hits is the fried calamari in a delicious spicy tomato sauce ($15). There's nothing pretentious here, only homestyle cuisine in the most inviting of settings. Sardelli is open Monday through Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m.

Readers' choice: Point Royal

Screaming Carrots is all about organic, plant-based cuisine, the type of food that's meant to nourish the mind, body, and soul. If you're skeptical of this place because of its name, don't be. The food is so tastefully composed it won't matter if you're a vegan, meat-eater, or pescatarian. It's all thanks to chef/owner Guy Braverman, just an average joe who began living a 100 percent plant-based lifestyle three years ago to boost his health. After plenty of trial and error, Screaming Carrots now offers customers many of his favorite organic, whole-food, plant-based recipes. Open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and till 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, the restaurant allows you to start your day with steel-cut oatmeal or a tofu scramble ($12): organic sprouted tofu griddled and tossed with baby spinach and mushrooms, topped with pine nuts, and served with a salad, house-made bread, and jam. For lunch, go for a bowl of Braverman's mushroom and coconut soup ($9): portobellos simmered in a fragrant coconut milk broth with peppers, onion, and cilantro, topped with a spoonful of coconut cream, and served with an optional side of rice. Meat-eaters will love the house schnitzel ($12): a savory soy-and-wheat-breaded tofu patty stuffed between two slices of fresh baguette with a generous slathering of homemade hummus and a heaping portion of chopped vegetables. For dessert, a Middle Eastern-style pudding ($6) will hit the spot; dairy- and gluten-free, it's made with refreshingly light coconut cream and chia seeds flavored with rose water and garnished with slivers of pistachio. Wash it all down with the house cinnamon-and-hibiscus-infused iced tea. Then sit back, relax, and rest assured absolutely no animals were harmed in the making of your meal.

After 17 years of running a sushi and ramen business in the heart of Miami, chef/owner Seiji "Ike" Ikemizu moved his Mikan Japanese Restaurant (named for the honey tangerine) to Pembroke Pines in 2014. And Broward County residents are thankful he did. Originally from Tokunoshima, a small island in southern Japan, Ikemizu prepares an authentic menu that is one of the best around. The sushi, sashimi, and composed plates are truly outstanding, but it's the soups that have generated the most hype. Choose from several styles (and a few of the chef's own quirky creations), including curry, vegetable, or nabeyaki udon — big, fat noodles bobbing in a flavorful broth. The ramen is prepared in a number of ways too, from traditional tonkotsu and miso to everyone's eventual favorite, the kimchi ramen: a spicy orange broth that's packed full of slow-roasted pork and homemade kimchi.

Take a trip to Brazil at Regina's Farm, where the evening's hosts — Brazilian natives Regina Rodrigues and Elizeu Silva — invite you to a communal feast at their Fort Lauderdale home with open arms and warm, wide smiles. Anyone nostalgic for the homestyle fare of Brazil's southern region will feel perfectly at home alongside Rodrigues, who began cooking large, family-style meals for friends and church members in 2010, first to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions. As time went on, the events became so popular that she and her husband began accepting contributions to help buy the necessary provisions. Today a $25-per-person donation will get you a feast to remember at their fazendinha — "little farm" — an alfresco pop-up restaurant that takes place every Saturday from 5 to midnight, weather permitting. The experience transports guests to a miniature, more rustic version of Rodrigues' hometown in Minas Gerais for an all-you-can-eat dinner. There's free water and plenty of coffee, but no liquor; guests are welcome to bring their own wine or beer. But, of course, it's the food they're after. Served buffet-style, selections are laid out across the massive outdoor iron-topped stove. They start with baskets filled with steaming-hot pão de queijo — tiny balls of doughy Brazilian cheese-stuffed bread — and soup like caldo verde, a popular pale-green Portuguese classic with the consistency of porridge and made with potatoes, kale, olive oil, onion, and salt heated over a campfire. Around 7:30, the line begins for the main courses, everything from roast chicken with okra and moqueca de peixe (fish stew) to Rodrigues' specialty, feijão tropeiro, a Brazilian staple. The meal ends with ten or so desserts, such as a traditional coconut-and-condensed-milk-sweetened bolo de coco pegamarino ("cake to catch a husband").

Readers' choice: Coconuts

Approach the larb ($9.95) with caution. The verdant, chilled ground-beef salad is everyday fare in parts of Southeast Asia such as Thailand and Laos, and it's Panya Thai's specialty alongside the yellow curry noodle soup called khao soi ($10.95) and the cinnamony pork-intestine-and-tofu stew called guay jab ($10.95). The larb, which bellows the aroma of cumin, star anise, and cloves, pulls no punches in the heat department. As soon as the stuff passes your lips, your whole mouth goes aflame with the heat of Thai bird chilies. Your nose might run. Your eyes might water. Little beads of sweat might gather on your forehead. Despite your screaming nervous system, you can't help but plunge your chopsticks back into the mound for another go.

Every Thursday, pasta prince and Italian wunderkind Michael Pirolo offers more than a half-dozen of his pristine handmade noodles for merely 10 bucks a bowl. This should be reason enough for you to visit every week. But there's more. Pirolo spent years traveling and cooking at Michelin-starred temples in Piedmont, Lombardy, Bologna, and Campagne. When he returned to the United States, he linked up with Scott Conant, eventually leading the opening of Scarpetta at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Pirolo's arsenal is as vast and precise as that of a championship basketball team. The veal and pork meatballs he calls polpettine ($11) are lighter than manna from Heaven. The Mediterranean octopus ($18) is soft as filet mignon, and the concentrated tomato sauce it's paired with lends just the right amount of acidity and sweetness. So while you're getting your fill of pasta, it's a good idea to peruse the everyday menu and decide what'll be on your plate tomorrow.

An izakaya is a traditional Japanese establishment that serves small, intensely flavored plates that can stand up to a deluge of beer and sake. At this Gables spot, don't be afraid to call out your order for any one of the dozen and a half daily offerings scribbled on a chalkboard opposite the sushi bar. If it's any motivation, dishes such as the sweet vinegar-marinated yellow jack called aji nanban zuke ($6.50) sell out quickly. You'll also want to claim your hamachi or sake kama ($14) as fast as possible. They emerge from the kitchen sizzling hot, with a faint aroma of the fish's natural oils. But don't be fooled: This amorphous cut holds some of the juiciest flesh in the ocean. When the time comes for that second round, be sure to pair it with the hybrid omelet/fritter called okonomiyaki ($15.95). Sticky Japanese mountain yam is blended with egg and grilled into a crisp pancake that's topped with spicy mayo and gossamer shards of cured tuna loin. Finish it off with a carafe of sake. Kampai!

In the luxurious enclave that is Coral Gables, husband and wife Gabriel and Shannon Castrec run a place that can only be described as like walking into someone's home kitchen. Some days, you'll find pristine potato leek soup ($8) and a skillfully seared fillet of Florida pompano (market price) prepared with care and skill. Gabriel ensures your meal is as precise as any you'd find at a more formal establishment while doling out hugs and glasses of wine. The menu is an ever-changing affair and scrawled onto a chalkboard wall. Across the way are bowed shelves bearing dozens of bottles of French wines. The place is the closest thing Miami has to the inviting bistros of Nice, Lyon, or Paris. But what brings it home here is the relaxed atmosphere. No need to worry if the verdant shallot-and-herb butter covering escargots ($11) runs down your chin. And that spot of Gruyère on the table from your croque-monsieur ($12)? Ce n'est pas important.

As soon as you settle at a table, the server hands you a large card. Here's what you should do: Slam down the green side, emblazoned with the words "Yes, please." Then sit back and enjoy the procession of piping-hot, juicy grilled meats — flank steak, lamb, ribs, and picanha — until you can't eat anymore. Then you flip the card to the red side, which reads, "No, thanks." It's almost like having a meat-eating contest with your guests and the other patrons taking part in the all-you-can-eat Brazilian buffet. It's hard even to make room for the delicious sides such as yuca fries, sweet plantains, and Brazilian cheese balls. For $27 per person, the buffet is a bit pricey, but Steak Brasil often offers Groupon deals that allow a party of four to eat for less than $100. Aside from offering grilled meats, the menu also lists traditional Brazilian dishes such as moqueca, a steaming saltwater stew made with fish, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and coriander cooked slowly in a terra cotta casserole; and feijão tropeiro, a savory mishmash of beans, sausage, collard greens, eggs, and manioc flour from the southeastern region of the country. Customers also receive a parking rate discount at the nearby Total Bank lot for three hours. Cost: $1. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and weekdays except Monday, when the restaurant closes at 5 p.m., and Sunday noon to 7 p.m.

Forgo that expensive plane ticket to Argentina and try one of the three locations of Baires Grill. Grilled meats are plentiful, and best sellers are a Black Angus skirt steak ($29) and a tender flap steak ($27). The indecisive can try them all with an order of a parrillada ($55), which includes skirt steak, flap meat, short ribs, chicken, sausage, and sweetbreads on a flaming gridiron for two or three diners to share. House-made pastas ($18) include butternut squash gnocchi doused in a blend of blue cheese sauce, Malbec reduction, and caramelized figs. There are beef, chicken, and spinach empanadas too ($4.50), as well as dozens of wines by the glass or bottle. The atmosphere is relaxed, with a patio nestled between high hedges and topped by glimmering lights.

Ever stop by a Cuban abuela's house and the first thing she says is: "¡Mi hijo! ¡Pero estás tan flaco!" Before you can protest, she's serving you a heaping pile of ropa vieja on top of black beans and rice with a huge slice of yuca on the side. Well, that's what ordering a plate at Maruch is like. This Hialeah culinary institution doesn't know how to serve delicious Cuban dishes any other way. A lunch or dinner for one runs about $15 with a soft drink. For the adventuresome foodie, order the riñonada, calabaza, and fufu de plátano. The sweet flavor of the pumpkin and plantain provides a nice contrast to the steak's salty succulence. Or go for the rabo encendido, the Cuban version of oxtail soup, which patrons gobble up on sight. For diners seeking a safe pick, Maruch serves large slices of chuleta de puerco (pork chop) and palomilla steaks that can be paired with moros (black beans and rice) or cristianos (red beans and rice) for less than $12. A cantina-style restaurant just a few blocks from the City of Progress' administrative building, Maruch is also steeped in political lore. Don't be surprised to run into city gadflies and forgotten politicos in the dimly lit back dining room. You might even catch a crash course in the city's salty civics. Four years ago, erstwhile mayor-for-life Raúl Martínez had a run-in with Glenn Rice, a former Hialeah cop working behind the scenes for the current alcalde, Carlos Hernández. Rice snuck up on Martínez and began recording him. That prompted Martínez to jump out of his seat and accuse Rice of being a "pedophile" and "a man without a life and without a woman." So if you enjoy a side of Hialeah politics with your vaca frita and colada, head to Maruch. The restaurant is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Readers' choice: Versailles Restaurant

"This'll be quick," your friend assures you. "Just a pan de bono and a Postobon, that's it. Promise." Two hours later, you've slugged down who knows how many shots of the fermented rice drink masato, and your clothes bear the thick scent of grilled meat and fried pork belly. If you're looking for someone to thank for this Colombian sandwich oasis located between a Subway and a car wrap shop, give praise to Margoth De Horta, who persuaded her four children to open a place with her so the far-flung family members could be together again. Hence, today you can stop into Manantial for fresh blood sausages, a few quinoa-studded arepas, and a heaping bandeja paisa ($13.25) replete with grilled steak, chicharrones, smoked sausage, rice, red beans, avocado, and a tomato. Eat it up, and you're sufficiently prepared to head back out into the blistering sun and face whatever the world throws your way.

"Enough!" you exclaim after sitting through 20 minutes of traffic on Doral's NW 25th Street. After 30 and then 40 minutes, you're on the verge of tears. But hold on — what's that? You spot the sign for Mi Lindo Ecuador, nestled in a brick-red shopping center. You've plundered Peruvian fare, carved through Colombian cuisine, and annihilated Nicaragua's culinary delights. Ecuador is new territory, and because you're not moving in this traffic, you might as well stop for a snack, right? Smart move. Behold the bolón ($6). In the morning, find it in a breakfast that includes salty white cheese and crisp shards of chicharrón alongside a fried egg and chopped flat steak. At night, order it as an appetizer or side dish with an empanada de verde con queso ($6). For this four-biter, a single unripened plantain is pounded as thin as dough and wrapped around a sturdy rectangle of salty white cheese. A glimpse outside reveals the traffic is still thick as morning fog. Might as well settle in for a bowl of caldo de salchicha ($9), in which a fragrant broth sucks all the deliciousness out of fat blood sausage links while simmering bits of heart and tongue. It's all freshened up with plantain slices and green onion. Now, properly fortified, you'll enjoy a smooth ride home.

Kohlrabi, lovage, and celtuce are not the most popular baby names of 2017; they're delicious edibles grown organically at Dania Beach's Harpke Family Farm. Built by the soil-stained hands of the enlightened and dedicated Claire and Tamer Harpke, the enterprise began with Tamer growing microgreens in the couple's backyard. They were a hit on the restaurant scene, so the two expanded their business to fill a full farm, complete with friendly pups, regular foodie visitors, a chickee hut for gatherings, and an impressive community-supported agriculture (CSA) program, which delivers weekly bounties of fresh, locally grown produce for $25 to $40 a week (depending upon the size of the share you'd like). Even if you can't make it up to Dania Beach, you can still try the Harpke's handiwork at some of Miami's best restaurants, such as the James Beard Award-winning Alter and Kyu.

Gallo pinto can mean either spotted rooster or a perfect mixed rice-and-bean concoction. If you want the former, you're out of luck. But nowhere prepares this Central American delicacy more deliciously than Fritanga Cocina de Doña Angela. Off Bird Road a bit west of Tropical Park, this Nicaraguan restaurant will fill you up on side dishes that cost $2 or even less — from gallo pinto to maduros (sweet fried plantains) to queso frito (fried cheese) and curtido (a cabbage salad similar to coleslaw). But don't gorge yourself too early. The $8.99 entrées of carne asada or carne desmenuzada also come with a generous heap of gallo pinto that will sate tu apetito. Chow down here for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Fritanga Cocina de Doña Angela is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

These days, everyone has an eye peeled for the next great bite to come out of a gas station. Most of it is thanks to this paper-plate-and-plastic-fork spot that for years has dished out flaky corn tortillas packed with succulent shards of al pastor ($2.45) made with tender pork shoulder dampened with an intense chile arbol sauce that's brightened with a tangy hit of pineapple. The tongue and tripe tacos ($3.95) are just as skillfully griddled, with the former offering tender, almost milky shreds of the offal and the latter as delicate as 48-hour-braised short ribs. The beating heart of the place is a humble-looking salsa bar that each day offers no fewer than a half-dozen sauces ranging from a scorching habanero to a tangy tomatillo. Don't be afraid to pack some into little to-go cups and slather it over everything in your refrigerator.

Start with the taso kabrit ($12). If you're with friends, expect the succulent bits of goat meat to disappear from your Styrofoam container faster than soursop juice ($4) in July. Apouchy seems to put a little extra into all the Haitian standbys. The pikliz is spicier, the stewed vegetable dish called legume ($8) seems richer and more full of substance, and the shrimp in coconut sauce ($14) seems to burst with fat crustaceans. But it's the soup joumou ($8), served every Sunday, that has you thinking about this place in the middle of the week. The stuff is the symbol of Haitian freedom and is what the island nation's enslaved freedom fighters snacked on after ousting the French. Slaves weren't allowed to eat soup, but with their long-awaited and deserved freedom, they devoured the rich, pumpkin-infused broth sweetened with bell peppers and enriched with cuts of beef still attached to marrow-filled bones. Soup joumou is everything to Haitians, and after one slurp, it will be for you too.

When searching for a traditional Chinese restaurant, Western diners often take the presence of Chinese customers as a good sign. West Miami-Dade's Chinese Guy is beloved by the countless Chinese students who attend the University of Miami and Florida International University. The eatery's owners are Tianjin natives Kun Bao and Yanan Cai, who just happen to be PhD students at FIU. When Bao arrived in Miami in 2010, he and his Chinese classmates quickly realized there was no place serving the food they grew up on. A few years later, that problem seems a distant memory. Northern Chinese dishes such as slender shreds of braised pig ears doused in ripping-hot chili oil ($7.95) come flying out of the kitchen. Buttery lobes of tilapia ($11.95) are poached with wood ear mushrooms, leaving the pearly-white flesh soft and floating in a pool of seasoned oil punched up with a hint of rice wine. A handful of scallion slivers and grated ginger are thrown in at the last moment, offering a pop of spice and nose-tickling perfume. The delights never seem to end: Corn or pumpkin cubes are fried in rich, salty duck egg batter ($12.95); sticky pig trotters are braised in sweet soy; and a heap of meaty rib tips come perched atop sticky rice ($8.95). This Chinese Guy will leave you begging for more.

Readers' choice: Tropical Chinese

Think about Chinese food and you'll probably picture mounds of breaded, fried meats covered in thick, brightly colored sauces that taste like someone dumped a pound of sugar into a vat of chicken Jell-O. And maybe that's fine, because you're not thinking about your arteries or cankles when you pick up food in your pajamas. But it's nice to have options — and that's what China Gourmet provides. Yes, this Palmetto Bay eatery serves sesame chicken ($9.99) in an orange glaze and jumbo portions of fried rice that far exceed a quart, and hands out fried egg rolls as if they were fortune cookies, but that's not the point. The salt-and-pepper chicken ($10.99) is surprisingly light while maintaining a peppery bite, and the dumplings ($6.35) put soggy, paper-thin, and tasteless ones to shame. So by all means, leave the six-pack on the coffee table and the pile of blankets on the couch, and avoid eye contact for the duration of your carry-out transaction — you can have your deep-fried cream cheese krab Rangoon ($4.50) and authentic egg foo yung ($8.55). China Gourmet is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 10:30 p.m.

When it comes to serving fast Chinese food, House of Chang doesn't hold back. Not even hurricane warnings stop this joint from cranking out take-out orders. Try the moo shi: shredded cabbage, wood ear mushrooms, golden needles, bamboo shoots, scallions, and eggs with your choice of meat wrapped in thin pancakes. For large orders, you can't go wrong with the boneless spare ribs, the house special fried rice, and the house special soup. The soft and lean rib meat is cooked in a succulent, sweet sauce. The house rice is loaded with fresh, tender cuts of beef. The special soup comes loaded with shrimp, white-meat chicken, roast pork, broccoli, snow peas, baby corn, leafy greens, and mushrooms. Stop by between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to take advantage of the 25 lunch specials for $6 or less. Combo plates with fried rice and an egg roll run about $8. House of Chang is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. It's closed Monday.

Greek cuisine is rooted in simplicity and quality ingredients. At Estiatorio Milos in South Beach, there's something new to discover on every visit: The fish selection changes daily depending upon what fishermen haul in. The day's catch is prepared to your liking and priced according to weight. There's nothing newfangled here, but when it comes to topnotch seafood, Milos is in a league of its own. One of the restaurant's specialties is melt-in-your-mouth charcoal-broiled octopus, seasoned with white balsamic vinegar and olive oil produced by the owner's sister in Greece ($29). Another signature dish is the tomato salad, with cucumbers, green peppers, onions, kalamata olives, and feta cheese ($29). Prices are justifiably high, but Milos offers a daily twilight menu between 5:30 and 7 p.m. (and all evening Sunday), when diners can enjoy a three-course meal for $39. The homemade Greek yogurt dessert is so thick and creamy you'll never believe you're eating something that's good for you. Open Sunday through Thursday from noon to 3:30 and from 5:30 p.m. to midnight, and Friday and Saturday from noon to 3:30 and from 5:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Nestled in the back of a Key Biscayne strip mall somewhere behind an anonymous Starbucks sits a spot for fine Iberian dining. For the past few years, Kebo Restaurant has offered a varied and delicious selection of Spanish cuisine. It serves nearly everything you would want to eat after flying into Madrid, including tapas, paellas, fish, and meats, as well as a diverse vegetarian menu. Though the entrées are pricey, the weekday $24.99 executive lunch special from noon to 4 p.m. gives you a chance to affordably sample the menu. The special includes appetizer choices of gazpacho, eggplant cake, or black ink squid rice; pork loin, veal, or tuna as a main dish; and a dessert of almond cake to sip over with a glass of wine, beer, or sangria. They are open Sunday to Thursday noon to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from noon till 11 p.m.

Pisco is a city in the Ica region of Peru that's famous for its grape brandy of the same name. Nazca is a desert town on the southern coast of Peru, which is also known for its production of pisco. Put them together and you get the Spanish saying "entre Pisco y Nazca," which in slang means "drunk." Indeed, whether you eat at the Doral or Kendall location of Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar, a good time is practically guaranteed. Return time and time again to revel in the lively atmosphere and assertive flavors of chef Miguel Gómez. The toque worked at venerable Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio's San Francisco outpost, La Mar Cebichería Peruana, before a colleague coaxed him into moving to Miami. The leche de tigre of his traditional ceviche ($9 to $16) achieves the perfect balance of sweet and tart, and the flounder isn't overly firm. There is much to like here, including the empanadas filled with a spicy chicken stew ($8), as well as a trifecta of beef heart skewers called anticuchos de corazón ($11). They're laced with a bold ají panca sauce, but they're flavorful enough without it. Pisco y Nazca isn't reinventing the wheel with its cuisine. Rather, the eatery is doing something more enticing: offering bold-tasting Peruvian fare at affordable prices.

Oh, Wynwood, with your deconstructed, gluten-free, four-course, impossible-to-pronounce menu items. Your ambition might have earned a few James Beard Awards, but the truly hungry should venture beyond the murals and cross NW 29th Street, where the venerable Nadine Patrice will place a menu in front of you and help you select from an array of the top Jamaican and Caribbean dishes in town. Start with some fresh juice before moving on to the main event. Pro tip: If it starts with the word "jerk" or "curry," it's worth ordering. The jerk chicken meal costs only $10.50 and comes with two sides. If you have a few extra singles in your pocket, splurge on the $15 oxtail meal. Just be sure to wipe that delicious sauce off your face when you're done, because Miss Nadine often stops by to snap photos of her patrons. If you're lucky, you'll end up on her Instagram page (@palatinojamaicanrestaurant), an adorable catalog of bloated yet insanely satisfied customers.

What exactly do vegans eat? Roots and tree bark? Sprouts and celery? Water and air? Hardly. If they're eating at Atlas Meat Free Deli, they're chowing down on an impossibly meaty menu. This Little River food truck and soon-to-be brick-and-mortar deli is "vegan food for carnivores," in the words of owner Ryan Bauhaus. The menu is stacked with towering sandwiches and sizable specials. There's smoked "pastrami" topped with barbecue sauce, crisp onions, and slaw piled onto a pretzel bun ($11); hearty deep-fried chik'n topped with cheddar "cheese," slaw, pickles, and creamy garlic aioli ($11); and chik'n wings ($6 for three), double-fried and tossed in the customer's choice of sauce. Plus there are burgers, loaded fries, mac 'n' cheese, and more. This is too-big-to-fit-in-your-mouth, sauce-dripping-on-your-clothes, food-coma chow. It's stereotype-busting, protein-packed, and the furthest thing from rabbit food. Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

Readers' choice: Plant Food + Wine

The term "veggie burger" might have once conjured an image of a dry, tasteless hockey puck, but that was then. This is now. At Wynwood's Love Life Wellness Center Cafe, the staff boasts the "best veggie burger in America" thanks to an epic victory at last year's Seed Food & Wine Festival's burger battle. Love Life's creative concoction beat out plant-based burgers from across the nation. Imagine sinking your teeth into this: a magical superfood-infused patty topped with homemade guacamole and pickles, marinated kale (an easy way to eat your greens), cilantro aioli, and plant-based cheddar on a pretzel bun topped with Hawaiian lava salt. At $14, it's not cheap, but it's colorful, satisfying, and oozing with complementary flavors. Consider it the veggie burger reborn. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Picture yourself in Wynwood, strolling the streets in apropos hipster gear, perusing the newest murals, and sharing supercute snaps of yourself with your fave artwork. As usual, the humidity is killer, so you're dying of thirst and need some nourishment. Enter Jucy Lu, a charming spot in the back of Wynwood Block whose colorful edibles are ideal subjects for your carefully curated social media feed. Sip a rosy passion punch ($9.50) made with orange, strawberry, mango, pineapple, lime, passionfruit, cucumber, and apple. Color-coordinate it with the fresh and green forbidden rice salad ($11), complete with cucumber, click peas, cilantro, mini radishes, kale, coconut, pistachio, cashews, and vinaigrette. Or try the "2not" sandwich, with chickpeas, carrots, capers, and tahini paste ($10.50). Don't forget dessert: How about the mango passion coconut pudding with hibiscus and chia seeds ($5)? Choose your fave and indulge accordingly. This is vibrant, aesthetically appealing food that'll maintain your killer bod — and your IG image. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Order the burger ($17) at this Japanese-anime-themed noodle spot hidden away in the basement of the Townhouse Hotel, and the only thing to decide is whether you want French fries or tater tots. Just let the kitchen do the rest. This beast of a burger is bookended by slices of sturdy yet tender brioche bun that's as soft as a Martin's potato roll but won't mush up or let you down. It's a double-patty affair, and each one of the pair is round, has a slightly pink center, and boasts a woody char. There's also some sweetness courtesy of caramelized onions and a hit of acidity from a thick slice of tomato. A blend of American cheese mingles sensually with a house spicy sauce that cascades over each bite. If some is left on your chin, so be it. Such is the price of entry to burger heaven.

Readers' choice: Kush

It's a crime this North Beach eatery left the word "fries" out of its name — almost as bad as making a movie and not saying Scarlett Johansson is in it or throwing a music festival and not mentioning Radiohead is playing. Sure, Burgers & Shakes serves the meaty and milky stuff (along with beer and hot dogs), but the main attraction is the French fries. Served in a paper cup for $3.45, they are crisped to perfection in a vat of peanut oil right in front of your hungry eyes. If you want some color in your side dish, sweet potato fries are available for the same price. And if you're really feeling wild, get chili on the fries for an extra dollar. Bonus: The place is open till 4 a.m. daily.

Hellboy ($18) is your friend. The kitchen crew at this Brooklyn pizza transplant has figured out how to get a crisp, oven-charred crust on this foot-wide pie despite Miami's unrelenting humidity. The crust is delicate and tender at the center, and a pockmarked ring surrounds grated tomatoes and milky, fresh mozzarella. But the real lure is the salty, hot soppressata made with Berkshire pig meat, the holy of holies when it comes to swine. Then a drizzle of spicy honey is liberally applied, giving each bite an alluring flavor contrast that makes it disappear from your table faster than the pizzaiolo can pull another one from the 900-degree oven. Of course, don't get too distracted, because you won't want to miss this former Chinese restaurant's other prized possession: the pie called Cherry Jones ($20). Here, it's Gorgonzola, prosciutto, sour cherries, and honey that are more overpowering than a blotter sheet of acid. You might just want to lock yourself in the bathroom and never come out.

Readers' choice: Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza

You might know Miami Smokers for the bacon, but it's the Floridian ($9) that will lure you back to this Little Havana smoke spot. It begins with a baguette and continues with a wild boar sausage culled from Okeechobee pigs. It's a smoky, rich affair that's like a Middle Eastern merguez, a British banger, and a piece of juicy lamb leg all rolled into one. Then come spicy mayo and orange segments, which cut the richness. Avocado purée brings some of it back. Pickled peppers temper it all just right, while a flutter of cilantro provides a final tropical accent. It's more Miami than driving home a Noche Buena pig from an illegal Hialeah slaughterhouse in a rented Ferrari with the top down.

This shrine to Argentine eating has long been lauded for its panoply of empanadas with paper-thin crusts wrapped and baked in-house daily. But you only need to examine a carne cortada ($3) to understand the kind of excellence you're dealing with. Go ahead — split it open. Notice something? There's no ground beef here. No picadillo-like filling flecked with vegetables and filled out with who knows what bits of beef. Nope. At La Estancia Argentina, splitting open an empanada is like digging into a prime steak. The filling is little more than cubes of meat that maintain a magical medium-rare, while the crust warms and crisps to a golden brown. Be careful, though: Once you try one of these, you'll never look at another empanada the same way.

Your first choice for a seat at any respectable sukibiyashi should be at the sushi bar. Mind your manners. Offer your itamae a slight bow. At Stephen Starr's Makoto, nestled into the pricier-than-you-can-afford Bal Harbour Shops, you'll find yourself seated before a glacial-looking block of Himalayan pink sea salt. A verdant leaf is laid on top, and soon a chef presents your wasabi and pickled ginger. Request omakase and hope he obliges. If so, you'll be inundated with wave after wave of ultrafresh fish, much of it sourced directly from Japan and doled out according to whatever is best. Perhaps it'll be a piece of silky, sweet hotate ($18), better known as scallop. Then comes the golden eye snapper called kinme dai ($14), followed in rapid succession by medium fatty tuna, or chu-toro ($16), and the lean tuna known as akami ($12). How many pieces is up to you, but whatever you do, don't miss a bite of meaty orange clam ($12).

Readers' choice: Pubbelly Sushi

Behold the five stages of croquetas. Stage 1: croqueta de queso. Filled perhaps with goat cheese, it is otherwise a glorified mozzarella stick. Stage 2: croqueta de pollo. Now we're talking! Meat, baby! Stage 3: croqueta de jamón. This is where most of us live day-to-day. Good, but it could be better. Stage 4: croqueta de chorizo. All the delights of ham, with an additional hit of smoke that is the signature of this Spanish sausage. Stage 5: croqueta de bacalao. This is it. You have arrived, especially with one of Old Lisbon's bolinhos de bacalhau ($10.99). These empowering little fritters forgo the breading of their Cuban counterparts and include meaty bits of Portugal's beloved salt cod in a slightly sweet batter. With one in hand, there's nothing you can't do.

With so many Italian places strewn across town, it's amazing it took so long for a proper one like Antonio Vecchio's to pop up. Now going strong for more than a decade, Gusto Fino Italian Café is a regular haunt for cops, Gables office types, and everyone in between who's in need of some on-the-go nourishment. Vegetarians can rely on the eggplant fresh ($8.95), made with grilled eggplant, roasted red pepper, provolone cheese, greens, and pesto. Vinny Boombatz types can't resist the Italian job ($9.95) and its pile of Genoa salami, Parma prosciutto, and provolone. Vecchio is also on hand taking phone orders and encouraging you to come up with your own creation. It's still a free country, isn't it?

Some people spend years driving down South Dixie Highway before realizing this Middle Eastern bakery and café is there. It hides in plain sight. And like the more-than-four-decade-old place, Daily Bread's falafel ($5.95 sandwich, $7.95 platter) are magic. Some falafel boast emerald-green interiors fragrant with parsley and sumac. Others perfectly balance a crisp shell with a fluffy interior. Still others include both velvety puréed chickpeas and toothsome bits of the whole legume, creating a delightful textural contrast. Daily Bread hits the sweet spot on all three targets via golden-brown, slightly oblong fritters that are so good you won't even notice when you burn your mouth because they've just been pulled from the fryer. The platter is the way to go if you're looking for the most varied falafel experience. Take some bites with the lemony tabbouleh overflowing with grassy parsley. Or just add a touch of vinegary onion. Whichever way you go, the result is always the same: pure, meat-free delight.

This Coral Gables restaurant has long been the spot to watch belly dancing while chowing down on delicious Middle Eastern cuisine. But Maroosh's hummus is excellent enough that it's worth taking it to go even if there won't be any hips shaking nearby. The $5.95 hummus appetizer plate is a sublimely blended mix of chickpeas, tahini, and lemon juice garnished with olive oil and paprika. For $8.95, the menu offers meat with your hummus, and for $7.95, you can have the hummus with foul (which is basically hummus with the chickpeas substituted for fava beans). The hummus goes well with the warm pita bread Maroosh serves, but if you're going light on carbs, try it with falafel or tabbouleh — with or without belly dancers. The place is open Tuesday through Saturday and is closed Monday.

A proper burrito is excessive in all the right places. A soft tortilla is stuffed with all the delicious opulence of Mexican-American fare. It's a marriage of meat, carbs, and vegetables that makes for one hefty food bomb. No wonder the name means "little donkey" in Spanish; the burritos at La Gringa Taco Shop perfectly describe the appearance of the bedrolls that donkeys carry. Flagler Street might not be the first spot on your list to find a well-crafted burrito, but you'd be remiss to overlook these. For $7.50 apiece, burritos come with the same meats used to stuff tacos: braised carnitas, marinated pollo, smoky barbacoa, tender carne asada, al pastor, and spicy chorizo. From there, it's pretty straightforward. The meats are mixed with melty cheese, a spice-infused rice, and your choice of salsa and/or guacamole. No crazy add-ons. No overbearing sauces. Just a straightforward, simple preparation, and that's probably what makes them so good.

There are many places to get a great taco in Miami, but Lolo's Surf Cantina has an especially satisfying and interactive experience. The restaurant, owned by Richard Ampudia (hailed as the godfather of Mexican street food), offers straightforward Baja fish tacos, but you must order the whole fish for the most viscerally authentic experience. A whole snapper is lightly fried and presented intact. Once you've taken your Instagram photos of the creature, it's filleted upon request and served with fresh, warm tortillas and a host of accoutrements: fresh salsas and sauces made in-house, avocado, and an herb salad. Dig in and make your own creations. Priced at $29, it's more than enough for two — and so much more fun than a trip to the Taco Bell drive-thru. Lolo's opens daily at 8 a.m. for coffee and offers tacos from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Readers' choice: Coyo Taco

Finding a solid Caribbean restaurant in Miami is about as easy as stepping out your front door and ambling to the nearest street corner. But making truly authentic mofongo — a dish of mashed fried plantains and crunchy pieces of pork shaped into a ball — is an art form not many have perfected. El Conuquito Restaurant looks like something straight out of the islands. This colorful, family-run café has been serving Dominican and Puerto Rican classics for more than 12 years. The menu offers three varieties of the Latin comfort food, beginning with a traditional mofongo con masitas de puerco ($12). Soft, subtly sweet green plantains are mashed and rolled with tiny nubs of pork sausage and molded into a massive sphere before it's given one last dip in the fryer and served. There's also mofongo de longaniza ($12), the same dish topped with a creamy, seasoned, gravy-like caldo made from chicken stock. The dish looks more like a melting snowball than a garlic lover's dream. But the best seller by far is the mofongo de camarones ($16), served chunky with small pieces of pernil buried like treasure. It's topped with a single tender shrimp and doused in a sauce similar to the traditional al ajillo. Pro mofongo eating tip: Ask for a lemon wedge for an acidic kick and a side of bread to help soak up the extra shrimp and garlic sauce.

Decades ago in the city of Medellín, Isabel Amaya's grandmother used to prepare arepas on a wide metal plate, spreading the batter thin before popping it into an ad hoc oven made of stacked logs. The result was almost a pancake. "It was crispy and tender, the perfect bread for eating anything," says Amaya, whose family has run this Colombian restaurant and takeaway spot since 1997. The bumpy white arepas the kitchen grills are the next best thing to her grandmother's. They look more like biscuits than the traditional fried corn dough rounds that Colombians have created to suit Americanized tastes. They're the perfect vessel for plowing through one of Macita's homemade morcillas. There's something about the creamy, fatty blood sausage studded with rice that — when combined with the tender-inside, crunchy-outside arepa — makes each bite an escape from the noisy dining room.

Dagoberto Estevill's frizzled potato strings place him far above Miami's frita kings and magicians. The tiny strands are like little crisp, salty capsules holding puffs of air that crunch the second you touch Dago's frita cubana ($4.50). They come showered over a perfect patty with just enough Spanish paprika to fill your nostrils with their smoky aroma — and enough grease to tie each bite together. Then the julienned potatoes come on like a summer afternoon squall, soaking up the patty's seasoning while dancing around the scattered chopped onions. How does Dago make them? He won't say. "¿Pero, te gustaria más?" he inquires from behind the chest-high counter inside his pastel-blue cafeteria, Fritas Domino la Original. "Claro," is the only reply. Pop a few sticks into your shirt pocket for a snack later on.

At first blush, there doesn't seem to be a thing wrong with a baleada for breakfast, particularly when for five bucks you can snag one of the thick whole-wheat tortillas from this compact North Miami Beach cafeteria where women rightly rule. Yet consider the history of this breakfast benchmark. The chewy, pillowy tortillas are thought to have first appeared in the early 20th Century near the banana plantations of Central America. Women pushing ramshackle carts would sell them to farmworkers striking out in the hot sun for a brutal day's work. For many, the thick tortilla with perhaps a smear of black beans was all they could afford. Jennifer's Cafeteria takes some of the sting out of the story via gently fried eggs, refried black beans, and — if you like — an ultrafragrant and spicy chorizo tangled up with melty cheese. Be sure to give thanks to those who paved the way.

Ceviche bowls abound in Miami's restaurants. But finding the tastiest and least fishy mixture of raw fish and seasoning is a challenge. We'll make it easy for you: Go to Doa. The Lat-Asian restaurant on Collins Avenue in South Beach specializes in Peruvian fare paired with traditional Japanese, Chinese, and pan-Asian plates. The name is pronounced dow-ah, and the place is run by restaurateur Arjun Waney, who's known for concepts such as Zuma and Coya. The traditional ceviche ($16) blends dashi — a Japanese broth — with the citrus-based marinade leche de tigre, creating a fresh flavor to cleanse your palate. A generous serving of crunchy choclo — Peruvian corn — is served alongside, giving the dish a slight smoky taste. While you're there, try the ceviche maki roll ($14), which takes the flavor of the bowl and transforms it into that of a sushi roll with leche de tigre cream drizzled on top.

Readers' choice: My Ceviche

You haven't experienced gastronomic perfection until you've tasted Tatel's truffled potato omelet: a simple mixture of eggs, thin-sliced potato, and fresh-shaved black truffle. The dish, concocted by Tatel Madrid executive chef Nacho Chicharro, is drool-worthy. And now you don't have to travel to Spain, the restaurant's birthplace, to try it. Tatel Miami recently opened at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, where owners Enrique Iglesias and two of the most important athletes in Spain's history — tennis legend Rafael Nadal and two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol — have partnered to bring the famous tapas restaurant stateside. Here, expect to find plenty of high-end, imported European products used to create the dozens of mouthwatering dishes that have made the Madrid restaurant world-famous. To carry on the tradition stateside, Tatel Miami hired former Nobu Miami executive chef Nicolas Mazier to head the kitchen. He trained for months alongside Chicharro at the Madrid location in order to deliver the secrets of Spanish cuisine to Miamians. That means dozens of hot and cold tapas, from freshly sliced gourmet Ibérico ham ($65) and Gallego-style grilled octopus ($20) to dozens of homemade Spanish desserts, including flan de queso ($11): Brie flan served with caramel and whipped cream. Be sure to try Mazier's own dishes, unique to the Miami restaurant, such as miso-marinated black cod ($38) and lightly sautéed red prawn with Spanish extravirgin olive oil and fresh garlic ($32). And, of course, you'll want to check out that world-famous potato and truffle omelet, also known as tortilla trufada ($24).

Though its name translates to "the Juice Palace," El Palacio de Los Jugos offers more than just freshly squeezed fruit drinks. The restaurant, with locations across South Florida, is known for a sandwich counter that makes the most authentic Cuban sandwich in town. Made with real Cuban bread — the kind whose dough is topped with a moist leaf from a palmetto frond before it's baked — and pressed with a plancha, each sandwich is packed with ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, and mustard. It's cheap too, ringing in at just under $10 for a Cuban and a juice. The restaurant serves a variety of other low-priced Cuban eats, including lechón asado, pescado de aguja with yellow rice, and pollo asado with a fried sweet potato. Depending upon when your craving for a Cuban strikes, prepare for El Palacio to be jam-packed. It's worth the wait, though.

This is fried chicken food porn at its finest. After all, you are sinking your teeth into a golden breast or thigh, crisp on the outside, moist and juicy on the inside. What could make it even more sensual? A tingle on the lips. Richard Hales' obsession with Nashville hot chicken led him to bring the craze to Miami Beach at his Bird & Bone inside the Confidante hotel. But unlike the original iteration that turns up the fire, Hales knows it's best to tease. His chicken is brined for a day and then fried to order before being coated with a special blend of spices and peppers. Finally, he drizzles honey on the bird. The result is pure pleasure: a sweet top note gives way to a sultry warmth as your teeth penetrate the flaky crust to get to the tender flesh. Go ahead — let out a low moan. The finest porn stars always do.

Readers' choice: Yardbird Southern Table & Bar

Shuckers' deck tragically collapsed in 2013, sending more than two dozen people to the hospital. Then, in 2016, the restaurant and adjacent hotel were sold to a Montreal-based holding company. Yet unlike so many other iconic hangouts that have been purchased and died, Shuckers can't be stopped. Perhaps it has something to do with the wings. Order a dozen of them ($15) for your wing-fanatic friends and they'll agree there's no need for frying or vinegary hot sauce. Shuckers gets the job done with a secret seasoning that includes the perfect amount of salt and heat. A dance on a hot grill chars the outside, providing a crisp exterior encasing luscious meat. Of course, these wings are made even better by the sun, the salty air, and the sound of waves gently lapping against the seawall of a place that time seemingly can't beat.

A good bowl of pho isn't hard to find, but a great one is. Pho, in general, is a gift from the heavens. It's difficult to mess up rice noodles swimming in a deliciously complex broth with your favorite cut of meat playing hide-and-seek beneath bean sprouts and leaves. What sets a bowl of pho apart from the rest, though? Authenticity. Saigon Cuisine serves a piping hot bowl of pho that is as close to a plastic stool on the side of a Ho Chi Minh back street as one can get without a plane ticket. Saigon Cuisine's pho comes in many shapes, sizes, and forms (cup for $4.75, extralarge bowl for $11.30). You can order chicken, beef, seafood, or veggie varieties. The common denominator in each variation is the deep-flavored broth. The husband-and-wife team of Dung and Mai Lan are from Vietnam and have spent the past two decades perfecting their recipes in America. If the pho isn't enough to make you feel like you've taken a day trip to Southeast Asia, the decorative traditional Vietnamese atmosphere, complete with a full band on a stage, will. When it comes to pho, the closest you'll get to the real thing is right on 441. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday; the restaurant is closed Monday.

It's hard to mess up mac 'n' cheese. Indeed, some of the biggest food snobs will admit (after some coaxing) that even Kraft makes a pretty decent version. But decent and excellent are worlds apart, and Prime One Twelve's versions of the all-American classic are nothing short of perfection. The modern steakhouse serves both a five-cheese truffle mac ($13) and a lobster mac 'n' cheese ($25) for those looking to indulge. The macaroni is always cooked just right, the cheese is of the highest quality, and that final layer of crunchy breadcrumbs is simply irresistible. And you know what goes great with mac 'n' cheese? Steak, of course. Order a 12-ounce USDA Prime dry-aged filet mignon ($55), and prepare to be satisfied. Finally, whether you dine for lunch or dinner, don't leave without at least one bite of the signature fried Oreos with French vanilla ice cream ($15). Since opening in 2004, Prime One Twelve has repeatedly made the list of highest-grossing restaurants in the nation. The caliber of the steakhouse's food and service is topnotch, and it's fair to say this locally owned restaurant deserves every penny.

Whether it's Christmas break or the dead of summer, Carpaccio's restaurant is packed every day from 11:30 a.m. till 11:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. Saturdays). This long-standing anchor tenant of the upscale Bal Harbour Shops is beloved by locals and tourists alike for its affordable and unpretentious Italian fare and flawless service. From the moment you're seated (try to snag a spot on the lovely terrace), the staff brings a rack to hang your jacket, shopping bags, and handbag. What other eatery in Miami does this? The waiters here are trained to deal with even the finickiest of customers, to the point that if you wish to have your Margherita pizza ($13.95) with the tomato sauce and cheese on the side, they'll find a way to make it happen. They aim to please without being over-the-top about it, and food is always brought out in a timely matter. Try the grilled calamari ($11.95), followed by the signature pasta, "pennette Harry's Bar" ($16.95), named for the restaurant in Venice, Italy. Penne pasta is tossed with garlic, fresh spinach, tomato sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and pine nuts. And although it's not listed on the menu, some of the best people-watching in town always accompanies a meal at Carpaccio.

Miami is known for its opulent restaurants — the more extravagant, the better. But sometimes less is more, and South Beach's Forte dei Marmi is proof. The rustic Italian restaurant from Michelin-starred chef Antonio Mellino and his son Rafaelle was designed by Chad Oppenheim and Milan-based Henry Timi. Their goal was to bring the essence of the beach inside, creating a tranquil oasis. Clean, simple lines and a focus on natural materials define Forte dei Marmi's aesthetic, which allows the sophisticated organic cuisine to shine through. The space is awash in shades of beige so that the Enzo Enea garden and landscapes can truly pop. Once you peel your eyes off the stunning decor, indulge in the homemade tagliolini with Alaskan king crab ($28) and the perfectly cooked glazed veal chop with duck-fat potatoes ($49). The restaurant is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 6 to 11 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 6 to 11:30 p.m., and Sunday from 6 to 10 p.m.; it's closed Monday.

Every food spot boasts its cuisine is the freshest, most locally sourced. It's as if cows saunter up to their drive-thrus, asking to be burger-ized. And it is baloney. But there's at least one restaurant South Floridians can rely upon for actual farm-to-table dishes: Market 17. Opened in 2010 at Portside Center in Fort Lauderdale, it offers an enticing array of culinary experiences, including a blind tasting menu with Dining in the Dark and more than 600 bottled wines curated by in-house sommeliers. Youthful and talented chef Lauren DeShields chooses from a wide range of organically grown produce, humanely raised meats, and wild-caught fish to create food that is unforgettable. Try the awe-inspiring house-made charcuterie. If you want to meet that pig on your plate, visit the restaurant's website to check out the local farms that Market 17 patronizes.

Café Roval's coral house is a charming structure. But that cute little building is just the half of it. If it's romance you seek, you'll find it in the restaurant's outdoor garden. Everything about it screams "happily ever after" for the couples canoodling over wine, caviar (market price), and mussels ($23). Tables are strewn around a grotto with waterfalls and statues. If it looks familiar, it's because it's straight from The Little Mermaid's big showstopper. As tree frogs croak quietly along with the soft sounds of clinking glasses and giddy laughter, it's as if you can also hear Sebastian the crab beckoning you to "kiss the girl." The opportunity is too good to pass up. Go for the smooch.

Miami is known for its gorgeous coastal beaches, fishing, and proximity to the Florida Keys. Yet for all of this waterfront bliss, there are surprisingly few places to get fresh, affordable seafood. Enter the Spillover. The Coconut Grove eatery is owned by Matt Kuscher, the man behind Lokal and Kush, which serve burgers and beer with a strong commitment to procuring the freshest and most local meat and produce. What Kuscher has done for beef, he's now doing at the Spillover for seafood. Conch salad ($13) is sourced from 58 miles away, and a whole fried local fish ($28) is caught daily from fishermen who work the waters from Pompano Beach to the Keys. There are even gator ribs ($22) from Clewiston. Pair your meal with one of more than two dozen ciders that range in taste from tart and tangy to rich and funky.

Smith & Wollensky is not only a venerated institution for steak, but it also has one of the loveliest views in the nation. The restaurant is located in South Pointe Park, on the southernmost tip of Miami Beach. That piece of real estate happens to overlook Government Cut, the shipping channel that leads to PortMiami. The restaurant recently completed a major renovation, which means more outdoor space and a second-floor alfresco bar. So while you're enjoying your USDA Prime boneless New York strip ($50), you can wave to the happy cruisers setting off for points south. If you're on a budget, try the steak sandwich, made with the same prime beef, for a wallet-friendly $19.

Readers' choice: Rusty Pelican

Ask Tyrone Johnson for one of his sweet-and-sour-glazed racks of ribs ($16 for a half-rack, $23 for a full) that have been sitting in a far corner of his grill for three or more hours. The color has morphed from reddish amber to deep, chocolatey brown. The meat slips off the bone with little more than a hard stare. But before you can make this request, you have to find his family-run barbecue operation, the Mustard Seed. Begin by heading south on SW 107th Avenue toward West Perrine; then turn left on 176th Street and left again on 105th Avenue. Yes, you're in a quiet residential neighborhood, and, yes, you're in the right place. Notice the smell of meat in the air? Keep going, and keep your eyes peeled for a parking spot. They're hard to come by on weekend evenings when Johnson and his extended family roll out the barrel grills, coolers, and noisy fans that help keep the crowd cool. When you spot the floodlight illuminating a bellowing column of smoke, you're in the right place.

Readers' choice: Shorty's Bar-B-Q

Forty-three-year-old Javier Ramirez led a charmed childhood in Caracas. His parents were both physicians, and he earned an economics degree from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, then took a job in Venezuela's vast, insanely profitable oil industry. He would have stayed in the country if strongman Hugo Chávez hadn't swept into power in 1999. The move pushed Ramirez abroad, first to London and eventually to Miami, where a lifelong obsession with food became more serious. It was so serious, in fact, that he now has a hand in Wynwood's Alter and Cake Thai, as well as Brickell's Bachour Bakery + Bistro. There's little doubt the three restaurants are among the city's most exciting. Alter's Brad Kilgore has claimed armfuls of awards, including Food & Wine magazine's Best New Chef nod in 2016. Cake Thai serves the city's best traditional Thai fare, and Bachour sells a sugary feast for the senses. Ramirez has no plans to slow down.

Not long after opening Michael Schwartz's very first Harry's Pizzeria in 2011, Manny Sulbaran struck out on his own and headed for the glamorous thoroughfares and wide avenues of Doral. To this fair city, now inextricably linked to President Donald Trump thanks to his ownership of its famed golf course, Sulbaran brought a simple, flavorful sensibility founded upon the same ingredient-centric ethos that made Schwartz so successful. Hence, the place brings in whole yellowfin Atlantic grouper, mangrove snapper, yellow jack, or other fresh-caught fish before dishing out perfectly cooked fillets with everything from black bean fried rice ($5.49) to roasted cauliflower, zucchini, and squash doused in pungent salsa verde ($5.49). Those same fish also form the foundation of an ever-rotating list of ceviches ($6 small, $11 large) that you might find topped with watermelon radishes, basil, and ají amarillo. Of course, don't forget the bubble tea flavored with fruits, lychee jelly, and many other ingredients. And while you're deciding, try the tea made with the Asian tuber called taro. It's slightly nutty and sugary like a sweet potato and leaves the drink an alluring lavender.

Readers' choice: Pincho Factory

There are dozens of reasons to visit this cash-only Indonesian spot downtown. There's the barbecued eel dish called belut bumbu kecap ($10.50) that comes over a mound of sticky rice and is topped with a nest of pickled carrots and cucumbers. Had that too many days in a row? Opt for the soto betawi ($8.50), a creamy beef stew fortified with mounds of grated ginger, sweet soy, and a pop of lemon. But the crown jewel of Bali Café is the multicourse tasting menu called rijsttafel ($14.95). It starts with a miso soup and one of the thin fried rollups called lumpia that are ubiquitous in Southeast Asia. At Bali, yours could be filled with anything from beef and vegetables to a briny shrimp paste. Crackers called emping ride alongside supple chunks of fiery beef rendang and chicken legs slowly braised in rich coconut milk. The meal continues with stir-fried vegetables, fried fish, and a white rice side. When it's all over, just be happy you live in Miami, where a colada is never far out of reach. You'll need one to make it through the afternoon.

Zak Stern's deli is what might have happened had Eastern European Jews first arrived in South Florida rather than the concrete jungles of New York City. Chef Melissa Sosa, age 25, has a notebook full of recipes but an empty ingredient checklist. After all, there is no pike, cod, or similar white-fleshed fish that is required for so much of Jewish cuisine in the waters off Miami. But with a little digging, some glimmers of hope have appeared. Sosa uses the little-known species blue runner from purveyor Trigger Seafood to make a fish salad that is just as smoky and salty as anything one might pull from the North Atlantic. And the sandwich ($13) it yields is nothing short of miraculous. Dill fronds and flecks of celery help accentuate the fish and provide crunch alongside a verdant fan of butter lettuce. The kitchen is also toying with Florida grass carp, a native species found in the state's bountiful wetlands that might work to make gefilte fish. For the unadventuresome, the corned beef sandwich ($16), which brings thick slices of cured brisket piled onto slices of horseradish-mustard-slicked corn rye, will never be a bad choice.

You know the evils of red meat and the havoc that cows wreak on the environment, but tonight is a special occasion. It's worth it, because it's Wolfgang's. Here's how it goes down: Take a seat in a dining room with more mahogany than a Southeast Asian jungle. Demand a table by the window. This is Miami, after all, and dining within eyeshot of a few palm trees and the glittering bay is your birthright. Begin with the sizzling Canadian bacon ($4.95). A slab of the cured stuff is cut extrathick, so thick your cardiologist at her Pinecrest home miles away knocks over her Pellegrino because she senses it. If you must have a salad, make it the Wolfgang salad ($13.95). It's loaded with shrimp and bacon batons cooked until crisp. Then comes the main: a porterhouse for two, of course. Even if you're a party of one, you want the porterhouse for two. It's all about the sizzling plate popping and sputtering with melted beef fat. It's the ruby-red slabs of meat, each encased in a rectangular shell of char that can be achieved only with the kitchen's 1,600-degree oven. Creamed spinach is a good accompaniment. The German-style potato ($11.95), cooked with enough clarified butter to grease an airport runway, is better. Whatever dessert you choose, make sure it's topped with a tall mountain of rich whipped cream. That is how you steakhouse.

Readers' choice: Prime 112

What's better than fast food? Colombian fast food on wheels. Specifically, Colombian fast food prepared by Perros Express, the Miami-based food truck specializing in the South American country's colorful, street-food-style hot dogs, burgers, and late-night eats. The dogs and burgers served here are the real deal, genuine delicacies where more toppings equals more hype. It's the type of food you need to chow down when you're starving, stoned, drunk, or hung over. In other words: Colombian fast food at its finest (and most gaudily dressed). At first glance, the menu's biggest, baddest signature hot dog, the Super Paisa Perro, appears garishly overgarnished with an amalgam of ten colorful toppings. So just what is all that stuff? Basically, a steamed dog with melted mozzarella-like white queso and a smorgasbord of toppings. It begins with a heavy drizzling of garlic mayo, pink sauce, a secret "showy" sauce, mustard, and ketchup. All of that dream-cream is followed by a hearty helping of diced bacon and crushed potato chips, then capped off with a final swipe of golden pineapple purée. And watching it being made is almost as much fun as dismantling it.

Readers' choice: Ms. Cheezious

Since 1990, Graziano's has been known as the top spot for Argentine fare in South Florida. Indeed, several other locations, including outposts in Hialeah, Doral, and Weston, have popped up since. They all began with Buenos Aires-born founder and longtime butcher Mario Graziano, who today is proud to have been among the first to bring the cuisine and culture to Miami. The family started off small at the first market off Coral Way and then expanded with a small menu of traditional Argentine grilled meats. Today the largest location, in Coral Gables, has also evolved into a casual eatery serving prepared foods and offering seated dining; it began as an informal parking-lot dining room where soda crates were used as chairs. Open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays and midnight on weekends, the market has a dedicated meat counter that offers high-end cuts of Argentina's finest steaks, the aisles are stocked with Argentine-sourced items, and breads and pastries are handmade by bakers who learned the craft in Argentine towns. But the best might be the steaks, prepared in-house over the quebracho-fueled fire; this red wood grows mostly in Argentina and southern Brazil and lends an unmistakable flavor to the meats. There's also an extensive wine selection sourcing small, family-run vineyards. And for a corkage fee, any bottle can be popped and poured on premises to enjoy after shopping, during lunch, or for happy hour from 5 to 9 p.m.

Located in the SLS Brickell Hotel & Residences in downtown Miami, the 210-seat Bazaar Mar specializes in the bounty of the ocean, with a seasonal emphasis on items sourced from Miami and the Caribbean. As its name implies — mar is Spanish for "sea" — the restaurant offers everything from executive chef José Andrés' take on "sea snacks" like ceviche and tiradito to whole fish prepared almost any way you can imagine. But the real gem here is the raw bar, where guests can select from a number of sashimi and crudo selections that vary based on what's in season. It's not uncommon to find offerings such as greater amberjack from the Cantabrian Sea alongside local rainbow runner or yellow jack, and rare finds like ora king salmon belly, Japanese hamachi, and kampachi from Hawaii. A massive mollusk tank allows the chef to keep a variety of exotic live sea creatures, including geoduck (saltwater clams), abalone (large sea snails), and sea urchin (the ocean's hedgehog), sourced from all over the world and kept live only to be split open — the animal still wriggling — and cut sashimi-style just moments before serving. Ask for Andrés' favorite raw bar dish: geoduck served displaying the skirt and the siphon, braised with soy and aromatics to create a briny sauce.

When you want to dine on the water, you want something special. And what's better than breakfast, lunch, or dinner presented by former Hell's Kitchen contestant and one of the region's foremost culinary darlings, Paula DaSilva? In 2016, DaSilva announced she'd become executive chef of Artisan Beach House, the newest restaurant to launch at the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour. The eatery reunites DaSilva with nightlife concept creator and restaurateur Seth Greenberg, who first teamed up with the chef at the now-defunct 1500 Degrees at the Eden Roc. The place marks her return to the Miami culinary scene after taking a seven-month hiatus from the kitchen to travel and spend time with family. From the open-air patio or bright, beach-themed dining room, you can see boats passing through the inlet leading to the Atlantic Ocean. The view also comes with a choice of dishes inspired by DaSilva's travels and 20-plus years of culinary experience. That means you can find everything from her Italian riff on baked farm eggs ($12) — toast with salted, cured fish-roe-topped chicken eggs — to the very French country-style foie gras torchon ($14) she plates with bacon, grain mustard, and house-pickled vegetables.

While most of the country waits months to dine outdoors, Miamians are lucky to have the option year-round. And because a good cocktail and a fancy meal taste even better while gazing out across a majestic view, why not head for a rooftop where you can take in the sights of the Magic City's skyline by day and night? Juvia, perched atop the parking garage designed by Herzog & de Meuron since 2012, is just the spot for such an outing. The restaurant boasts 10,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor space, offering patrons magnificent panoramic views that stretch from Miami Beach to mainland Miami. Don't just go for the location, however; the food is topnotch too, thanks to a trio of chefs including Sunny Oh (formerly of Nobu South Beach), Daniel Boulud protégé Laurent Cantineaux, and pastry chef Gregory Gourreau, who spent time working alongside Alain Ducasse and François Payard. Together, they offer guests lunch and dinner menus that blend the cuisine of Asia and South America with classic French technique. That means you can order everything from Maine lobster ceviche ($25) and sea scallop a la plancha ($33) to duck foie gras terrine ($29) and a 32-ounce bone-in rib eye ($85). Juvia also serves one of Miami's best brunches, so come Saturday and Sunday, you can enjoy a prix fixe with bottomless mimosas, bellinis, or prosecco ($50) to end another sun-soaked week, all while taking in that breathtaking city skyline.

It's all in the family at Milam's Market, a true Miami-born small chain owned and operated by a family of 305 natives. The first Milam's was founded in 1984 on Bird Road by Allen Milam and his father Thomas. At the time, it was part of the Piggly Wiggly franchise, but later it was rebranded with the owners' name. Today Milam's stands as a third-generation family business employing dozens of relatives and has grown from that first store on Bird Road to five locations, including Miami Springs, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, and Sunny Isles Beach. So what makes Milam's better than your average Publix or Winn-Dixie? In addition to carrying all the typical grocery staples at reasonable prices, Milam's made it a point to specialize in areas that matter most to many of its customers: a great wine selection, grouped by varietal and country of origin; top-quality, humanely raised meats; ethically sourced seafood; and a tantalizing array of prepared foods. Throw in some classical music playing in the background and old-fashioned, mom-and-pop customer service, and you have a grocery-shopping experience worth forgetting those big chains.

The pigs are sweet inside this opulent Chinese spot adorned with pictures of gilded dragons and glistening lacquer paintings of intricate zodiac symbols. These are no normal pigs. A bite into one reveals not flesh, but fluffy steamed dough ($3.60) wrapped around a warm, slightly sweet egg custard. It's an ideal dessert after assaulting your body's water content with swollen soup dumplings filled with crab and pork ($4.50). Of course you can't stop there. Luscious pork ribs luxuriate in a fragrant fermented black bean sauce ($3.60). Then come the pasty taro fritters ($3.10), whose puréed tuber is encased in a crackly web of a crust, followed by meaty strands of beef rolled into supple, slightly translucent rice flour crêpes ($4.50). By the time the sweet pig buns arrive, you'll have had more than your fill. But how could you resist the adorable pink snouts and curly tails so precisely affixed to the sweet treat? All that's left to do is keep your eyes open for the drive home. Then, and only then, can you collapse into a dream world filled with sweet pigs marching by.

The fact that it takes two weeks to get a reservation at South of Fifth's Upland should come as no surprise. The man running the menu is Justin Smillie, a Jonathan Waxman acolyte who made his bones cooking ultraclassic Italian fare. With Upland, Smillie has broken away from all of that. Restaurateur Stephen Starr helped him develop an eclectic, meat-and-veg-heavy menu that pulls inspiration and ingredients from all corners of the globe. The roast duck ($38) takes tropical flight thanks to mango and pomegranate that are an order of magnitude better than the orange or apple compote that often flies with the bird. So pick up the phone or check OpenTable now, because waiting is the hardest part.

Point Royal represents a seafood-centric return to South Florida for Chopped judge and Iron Chef winner Geoffrey Zakarian, who's chef/partner at the Lambs Club and the National in New York City, as well as at the Water Club at Borgata in Atlantic City. The celebrity chef might be best known in these parts for his famous lobster roll, also the item worthiest of a trip to his new restaurant, Point Royal, which opened in February 2017 at the Diplomat Beach Resort on A1A where Hollywood meets Hallandale Beach. A whole Maine lobster is steamed, sectioned, and reassembled neatly to look like a lobster out of its shell and set into a massive potato bun soaked in so much butter it tastes almost like a croissant. From there it's dipped in Zakarian's signature Coleman's mustard-spiked butter sauce, kicked up a notch with a hint of lemon juice and sriracha. Like most dishes on the menu, it's a perfect reflection of a restaurant that bills itself as coastal American, the type of place where you can stop by for a burger and beer or for some oysters and a glass of wine. The decor evokes Old Florida, Cuba, and the galley of a yacht. Tables are etched with compass designs, and a tropical vibe comes courtesy of massive potted trees and plants that arch over tables and doorways. Point Royal really hits its stride in the more entrée-like dishes, from a stellar shrimp-and-grits main course to ricotta agnolotti with a Florida blue crab fondue. For dessert, try a piña colada. Whole pineapples are cored, pressed, and paired with a house coconut cream and potent dark rum for what is arguably the world's best take on this classic frozen drink.

Would you expect anything less than excellence from French culinary titan Daniel Boulud? Since opening this sleek downtown eatery in 2010 inside the JW Marriott Marquis, Boulud has set a new standard for big-name chefs with forward bases in Miami. He changes the menu with a devout, almost obsessive regularity tied to the seasons. Here's the proof: In fall and winter of 2016, the menu listed diver scallops with a squash-and-root-vegetable succotash, alongside pumpkin agnolotti with chestnuts, sage, and Brussels sprouts. In spring 2016, executive chef Clark Bowen rolled over the menu to house-made spaghetti with sweet spanner crab perfumed with fennel and saffron. There was a Swank Farm bean salad with peas, guanciale, and pecorino, as well as roast pork with fried green tomatoes, spicy cabbage, and mustard jus. Just a few months ago, the menu was again reinvented, this time with addictive fried rice balls called arancini plumped with sweet corn and mozzarella ($8). Cauliflower with coconut, cashews, and carrots ($14) came to light along with lamb dressed with spring onions and fava beans ($36). Clearly, every season provides a new reason to return to DB Bistro Moderne.

The clock strikes noon, and the downtown lunch options are endless. Or so it seems. Those in the know make a beeline for Camila's. Step into the stark white dining room, and immediately your ears are flooded with the silky patois of Brazilian Portuguese. Famished tourists come here to dish themselves juicy pork chuletas doused in garlic oil and the pipino salad littered with crisp cucumber curve, red onion, and punchy vinaigrette. Meanwhile, the business crowd shoves its way in to dine, devour, and dash. The sound of cell phones filling with emails and buzzing against white metal tables hums in the background, but take your time. Camila's all-you-can-eat buffet ($14.95 per person) offers no fewer than 20 dishes that are continually replenished throughout the bustling lunch service. Be sure to fill one plate with carne moída: a picadillo-like stew studded with olives and sweet green peas permeated by the fragrance of smoky paprika. The place's black beans are a master class in legumes; each bite comes with meaty bits of pork knuckle and thin ovals of sliced sausage. Yes, the urge to rush back to the office or beach grows more powerful by the moment. But resist! Grab a cup of rice pudding dusted with cinnamon and dotted with coconut strands. Now you've enjoyed lunch like a proper Paulista.

With Miami's favorite Aussie, the lunch bell could bring a satanically rich blood cake (Brits call it black pudding) fried in a fist-size knob of good butter. Perhaps your plate will boast Wagyu bacon, cured in-house at Edge Steak & Bar. Or maybe it'll be a plate of freshly made corzetti pasta, imprinted with the fleur de lis pattern that chef Aaron Brooks picked up during a recent jaunt through Chicago. And that's just lunch. At dinner, he and his crew will serve you the expertly browned and basted beef they always have, but only after you dig into kangaroo empanadas ($6), chorizo and cheddar croquetas ($9), and a Sicilian pork and pistachio terrine ($13) that will likely soon be swapped out for some other mind-boggling charcuterie. And while all of this is good and well, Brooks' main mission is to delight. This consummate chef is just as happy to let his pâté poach while whipping up pancakes at 8 p.m. on a Saturday or eggs Benedict at noon on a Tuesday.

Readers' choice: José Andrés (the Bazaar and Bazaar Mar)

The clatter of colliding pool balls rings out. You don't know how many games of nine ball you've lost, but your friends haven't forgotten your tab. You're down. Way, way down. "How's about you start working it off with a pizza?" your pal suggests. The vote is for the veggie ($13): a crisp-crusted pie scattered with woody artichoke hearts, mushrooms, peppers, black olives, and goat cheese. But when you reach for a slice, your hand is promptly slapped away. "This ain't yours, man," your foe interjects. "This is your payment." And so it goes. You don't see one shred of rib eye off the South Philly cheesesteak ($10) nestled in a puffy Amoroso bun flown in from the city that birthed the Republic. You can't even have one crunch of the spicy pickle ($2), brined in-house and the perfect chaser for whatever shot fits your fancy at 4 a.m. Maybe next time, you'll actually be able to sink a shot and get something to quiet that gurgling gut.

Readers' choice: Bodega Taqueria y Tequila

No place is more Miami than the Miami River. Its mouth, which empties into Biscayne Bay, was the cradle of the indigenous Tequestas and birthplace of the modern city. Today a combination of creaky, rusty cargo haulers and luxury megayachts gurgles up the waterway. River Yacht Club's manicured lawn filled with crisp white tables and chairs is the perfect place to see it all happen as the Brickell skyline rises before you. In the meantime, you never know what you'll find upon opening the menu, which seems to drastically change every three months. At one point, it was Philippe Ruiz, formerly of the Biltmore's Palme d'Or, running things. Shortly after that, it was the now-rebranded Vagabond's Alex Chang. Most recently, it's a refined Japanese concept called Dashi overseen by Shuji Hiyakawa, former executive sushi chef of Kuro at the Seminole Hard Rock. This is one club worth squeezing inside.

Swiss chard was this sandy-blond 35-year-old's gateway vegetable, leading from the world of hobby gardening into something more serious. Two years ago, Chris French leased a one-acre tract of land in Homestead and began sprouting everything from tomatoes to greens. Almost instantly, Miami's sophisticated chefs began buying up everything he could grow. His field was at one time almost completely dedicated to Alex Chang's Vagabond. Today French's gorgeous handiwork can be found at Pinch Kitchen, Mandolin Aegean Bistro, Matthew Kenney's Plant Food + Wine, and Matthew Sherman of Jugofresh's Paradigm Kitchen. French's work has also inspired some chefs to push their own boundaries. When his tomato crop contracted a disease earlier this year, Melissa Sosa from Zak the Baker Deli took hundreds of pounds of green tomatoes that would've otherwise been ground into the dirt. The result was some of the city's best pickles. French is just what Miami needs: a young farmer eager to do the back-breaking work to make the city a better place to eat.

Freddy and Danielle Kaufman began their meat careers selling single-pound packs of their custom sausages at South Florida farmers' markets. In early 2013, they had gained enough momentum to open their own cozy butcher shop in Miami Shores. Four years later, anyone with a passing familiarity of tubed meats knows there is simply no better sausage (about $12 for four links) in town than the ones you'll find at Proper Sausages. The beloved butchers have also branched out to ribs, bacon, and other delightfully marbled slabs of meat, as well as fresh to-go sandwiches that make for the perfect lunch break. Butcher shops are experiencing a resurgence in America but still need a lot of help. Luckily, it's not difficult to support Proper Sausages. Any carnivore with at least one working sense owes this place a visit. The Kaufmans have a pretty liberal policy on staring and drooling.

It's true that Miami's beer scene is exploding. But what makes Concrete Beach tap into the city's community is its taproom, called the Social Hall — and rightly so. The brewery is a spot to not only refresh with a pint or two but also meet people. A robust calendar of events includes art shows, live music, contests, and beer-release parties. The brewery even hosts a monthly run where joggers loop around Wynwood for three miles and are rewarded for their efforts with discounted pints. It's this interaction with the people of Miami that makes Concrete Beach more than a place to drink beer. It's also a place to make new friends. Call it Wynwood's version of Cheers.

Readers' choice: Funky Buddha Brewery

If you're hunting whalez, look no further than Union Beer Store. Here, it's open season year-round. You're probably thinking, A craft beer mecca on Calle Ocho? Yes. Except this isn't just a beer bar and neighborhood taproom where you can find 20 unique brews on draft served alongside a variety of snacks. It's also a suds market, where refrigerated cases hold a rotating selection of hard-to-find bottles and cans (even some made in Cuba, alongside random public tastings from the owner's personal cellar). Plus, it's a growler bar, allowing you to fill to-go growlers with whatever is on tap to enjoy all that Union Beer Store bounty wherever your craft beer-loving self desires. The rotating tap list changes more often than you can count and includes beers on nitro, cask ales from a beer engine, and local stuff you won't find anywhere else (J. Wakefield Brewing even created an IPA especially for this place). It's all thanks to the husband-and-wife team of David and Cici Rodriguez, both longtime supporters of Miami's craft beer scene. David started at Lokal in 2011 and became manager/partner of the Coconut Grove restaurant's Wynwood sibling, Kush. Cici founded Miami Brew Bus. Together, these two know their brews and share that passion and knowledge with Miami via Union, which opened in February. Fashioned after a half-market/half-bar place they stumbled across in California, it's their interpretation of craft beer heaven. Any self-respecting beer aficionado would agree with them.

What makes a great wine bar? Is it the selection, the knowledgeable staff, or the prices? You can find all three in perfect unison at Bin 18, the chic urban bistro near the Adrienne Arsht Center that presents a classy selection of European food and drink items with a specialization in vino. The wine bar offers a dazzling array of affordable, quirky wines alongside a short (but ambitious) small-plates menu. These aren't typical wines, certainly not by the glass, but the selection is appropriate for wine nerds and casual drinkers alike. Sipping here is a pinch-yourself treat, with choices of stunning rarity and age, bottles you might count yourself lucky to stumble upon thanks to a restaurant that's been collecting for more than a decade. From a Scaia Rosso baby amarone to a La Liebre y Tortuga albarino, there's always something unique. With around 150 bottles to choose from and about 15 rotating varietals by the glass, it's best to try as many as possible during the weekday happy hour, where you can get half-priced glasses of wine and draft beer from 5 to 7 p.m. Or try the pre-theater menu: $39 for one glass of wine paired with a prix fixe of appetizer, entrée, and dessert.

For a proper martini, you first must have the proper surroundings. There's no other place in Miami that exudes a more elegant, Old-World vibe than the classic Biltmore Hotel. A dark lounge decorated with pictures of actors on the red carpet in Cannes houses the room's focal point: a lushly carved wooden bar that looks like it belongs in a chic Parisian hotel. Your bartender hands you a leather-bound book of beverages, but you came here for the most regal of cocktails, so you don't even look. The classic martini (starting at $15) is the preferred libation of the likes of Winston Churchill, Dorothy Parker, and James Bond. Whether you choose vodka or gin is, of course, a matter of preference. If you take gin, you'll be rewarded with an ice-cold drink made with Martin Miller's London Dry gin (the house spirit) and topped with three olives. Forget the house-made bitters, bacon-infused bourbon, and cocktails in cans. There's a reason why the martini has stood the test of time, and this one is clear perfection in a glass. The Biltmore Bar is open Tuesday through Saturday from 4 to 1:30 a.m. and is closed Sunday and Monday.

Readers' choice: Diplomat Prime

Barman Leo Holtzman put himself on the Miami map with the Cocktail Collection, a speakeasy above the sorely missed Tobacco Road. There, Holtzman entertained guests with sleight of hand and refreshed them with his drinks. Holtzman is now a partner at SoCal, where he mixes the Gardner's margarita ($11). Instead of having the usual light-green hue, this cocktail is a gorgeous shade of blush. The secret is the red bell peppers muddled into the drink. Holtzman then uses cucumbers for freshness and serrano peppers for a slight tingle. Containing a liberal amount of Herradura tequila and garnished with peppers and a spiced-salt rim, this margarita is a delightfully fresh iteration of the classic and a much more sophisticated version than the frozen kind poured from blenders. SoCal is open Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday from 5 p.m. to midnight, Thursday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m.

A well-kept secret doesn't stay that way for long, which explains why so many people know how to find Wynwood's newest hidden tiki bar. The clandestine beach-themed place popped up in December 2016 for Art Basel, but creator Cesar Morales — owner of Wood Tavern and Bar Next Door — never closed the doors. Instead, his pop-up, dubbed Miami Mojito Company, has gained impressive popularity. Accessible only through the Plant the Future corridor on the side of Wood Tavern off NW Second Avenue in Wynwood, the back-alley bar fashioned into an island tiki hut was conceived after a trip Morales took to Brazil, where he saw carts and stands peddling fresh mojitos and caipirinhas on the beach. His idea: Bring a true taste of Brazil to Miami. Today Miami Mojito Company is open seven days a week from noon till midnight or 2 a.m. And the only menu item at this 20-seater is the mojito. It starts with fresh sugar-cane juice prepared barside using a large metal contraption that presses stalks of sugar cane into a waterfall of cloudy juice. From there, it's nothing but whole mint leaves muddled in fresh-squeezed lime juice and shaken over ice with a few shots of Don Q rum. The resulting drink is not syrupy-sweet like the ones at so many tourist traps on Ocean Drive. Instead, these are blissfully refreshing, accented with just the right touch of lime and a hint of sweetness from the raw sugar-cane juice. Order them in several flavors, including blackberry, tamarind, passionfruit, and raspberry ($10 to $12). Then sit back, relax, and let the sounds of samba transport you from the streets of Wynwood to the beaches of Brazil.

Readers' choice: Ball & Chain

Miami and flan go together like San Diego and fish tacos or New York City and hot dogs. It's just part of the culture. But deciding which flan is made just the right way can be a point of contention. And the version made at Tuto's Place is arguably the finest. First things first: Don't judge this place by its decor. Forget the Southern-pride signs and bumper stickers on the walls (and the Confederate flag) and the fact that it looks more like a greasy spoon than a Cuban restaurant. This cafeteria-style eatery serving mainly breakfast or lunch from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. gets it all right, from desayuno to postre. And though the Cuban sandwich and pan con bistec may be the two most Instagrammed dishes here, the real star is the flan ($2). Just like abuela used to make, the custard is tinged a golden brown on the top and bottom from caramelized sugar. When it's turned over to serve, the jiggly flan cracks at the edges, and an ooey-gooey deluge of that liquid sugar cascades over the sides and hardens into a crystalline candy shell at the edge of the plate. If you're lucky, Tuto himself will serve it to you. The convivial old Cuban guy is most often found behind the counter.

When word came out that the Persian sundae at Fooq's included rosewater and lavender gelato churned by Midtown's Latteria Italiana, it was obvious Miami had something special on its hands. Yes, indeed, the interior of this pocket-size spot is cute as a button, with oversize blue-and-white Cuban tiles and little faded black-and-white pictures of Italian street scenes. But it's the gelato that takes you away. At first, a whiff of the pale-green pistachio flavor fills your head with a nutty aroma. But a first bite reveals the concoction has been filled with salt and pepper, making each bite like a handful of the nuts themselves. There's been candied chestnut for the holidays, along with coconut and key lime because, well, it's Miami. Owner Antonio Carrozza ventures into uncharted waters with pear and ginger, and the nutty, earthy Japanese green tea called matcha. He's even been in talks with nearby gyms to churn out a high-protein, low-sugar treat. Just call Carrozza the gelato genius.

This artisanal cookie purveyor peddles 28 varieties, including cheesecake, lemon cloud, Oreo crunch, and salted double chocolate filled with Nutella. Owned by Cindy Kruse, a local baker with more than 25 years of pastry experience at restaurants such as Barton G. and Gigi, Cindy Lou's molds and decorates every cookie by hand. The treats, priced at $3.50 apiece, are baked around the clock, and toppings and fillings are made in-house too. Her Little River storefront is open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Panther Coffee, Jimmy'z Kitchen, and Vice City Bean also carry her creations.

Hidden inside the Design District's Palm Court is Ella, a collaboration between venerable Miami chef Michael Schwartz and his daughter Ella. This bright, industrial space offers a variety of café items, including avocado toast, Greek yogurt, salads, sandwiches, and juices. But at the bottom of the seasonal menu is something even sweeter: a rotating doughnut special. Expect flavors such as brown sugar, cinnamon, and white chocolate; brown butter and orange; and melted chocolate and toffee. Each treat costs $3 and comes crowned with a decorated doughnut hole. All doughnuts are unique and made individually by hand. Ella stays on trend with fashionable flavors too: She's created varieties topped with matcha green tea icing, caramel, or cocoa.

Readers' choice: The Salty Donut

The belief that everything tastes better with a little booze inspired Lola Rivera to begin experimenting. As Miami's craft beer scene flourishes, she has created an assortment of alcohol-and-sweets pairings, including vanilla rum, chocolate stout, and Tortuga rum bite-size cupcakes. Most of them can be made gluten-free — and vegan too. Lola the Baker, which does not have a storefront, operates on a made-to-order basis. Nicknamed "Cupcakes on Tap," her business allows customers to order by the dozen ($10 to $20). To contact Lola the Baker, email info@lolathebaker.com.

You might have seen a photo of a rainbow-sprinkled cookie-dough ball oozing creamy liquid chocolate on Margo Wolfe's MDoughW Instagram page. Wolfe, the creator of Miami's first cookie-dough dessert company, rose to social media fame through gluttonous postings of rich, cream-filled dessert mashups. Her fans are located around the world, but Miamians can enjoy MDoughW treats (around $25 to $30) on UberEats. That's right. Flavors such as Funfetti, cookies 'n' cream, rainbow cake, and chocolate-chunk dough stuffed with a brownie can be ordered and delivered across South Florida. That way, you avoid MDoughW's online shop and the need for shipping. The brand is also known for inventive collaborations, including cinnamon-sugar-infused cookie dough wrapped around a half-portion of a Knaus Berry Farm roll, and a guava pastelito from Versailles stuffed inside flavored dough. When limited-edition collaborations are available, they can also be ordered on UberEats. Each treat begins with a cookie-dough base and is then filled with another sweet. The blend allows Wolfe to dream up the craziest and tastiest confections Miami has ever savored.

Readers' choice: Fireman Derek's World-Famous Pies

Martha Stewart's recipe for key lime pie calls for condensed milk, egg yolks, key lime juice, and a touch of zest to be whisked together. For Paula Deen, it's those same ingredients, plus a touch of cream. But if you want to get South Florida's most famous pie right, you should probably start with advice from Miami's own phenom baker, Debra Allen, owner of Sweet Delights, housed in a tiny but whimsically spray-painted building that would be more at home in the artsy Wynwood than it is in the Goulds neighborhood of South Miami-Dade. (The bakery will move July 1 to 28838 S. Dixie Hwy. in Homestead.) Her customers know her as the vivacious and smiling Miss Debbie, but you can also call her the pie queen. For Allen, the ultimate key lime pie filling ingredients are a well-kept secret, one she's guarded since she began making the pies in 2010. The only ingredient the self-taught baker will divulge: fresh, hand-squeezed key lime juice. Her treats cost $5.50 for a slice, $12 for a half-pie, and $23 for a whole. They are available in a rainbow of flavors, from tamarind, guava, and ginger to mamey and mango. She's even made an eggnog key lime variety for the holidays. These additions are just enough to lend a hint of color and tinge of flavor but not overwhelm the delicate key lime. Allen's traditional, meringue-topped key lime pie remains the most popular: A hefty slice of creamy, pudding-like custard is cradled in a paper-thin butter-and-graham-cracker crust and crowned with pearly meringue whose fluffy peaks glimmer a golden brown. You can opt for a slice with or without the meringue. It's the stuff dreams are made of.

Cream Parlor is much more than a spot to snag sweet, frozen scoops. Think of it as your home away from home, stocked with delights such as creative ice-cream flavors, flaky pastries, and knickknacks that offer a sense of comfort. Cream Parlor, a sky-blue hole-in-the-wall ice-cream shop and café that opened on Biscayne Boulevard in August 2016, is the creation of husband-and-wife duo Johnny and Ainsley Tsokos, who dreamed of sharing their favorite foods with the public in a quaint space with a vintage vibe. The eatery caters to all diets, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free, and prices range from $2.95 to $10.95. Sandwiches come on Zak the Baker bread, and the selection of house-made ice creams is varied and playfully named. Try a few scoops of the Prince-inspired flavor, Purple Rain, covered with berries and dark chocolate, or the pastel rainbow of Unicorn Poop, topped with Lucky Charms marshmallows.