Modern American in Miami

223 NW 23rd St. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

305-573-5996

Modern American, American, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Slideshow, Readers' Choice

At Alter, chef/owner Bradley Kilgore serves some of Miami's most exciting food. Come for the five- or seven-course creative tasting menus, featuring seasonal dishes and signature creations such as soft egg with sea scallop espuma and truffle pearls with Siberian caviar. Here, the 2016 Food & Wine Magazine best new chef has given Wynwood a welcoming restaurant that doesn't trade refinement for the neighborhood's cool factor. Alter defies all expectations in light of its surroundings: The restaurant has a spare industrial feel, and everything from reggae to rock blares over the sound system, but that says little about the quality of the dishes, such as smoked duck served with spring berry, kaffir lime yogurt, purple kale, and Marcona almonds. Insider tip: Take your visit to up a notch by booking the chef counter experience, a seven- or nine-course meal that places you in the middle of Alter's action. Brace yourself for a long and indulgent night.

74 articles

Ariete

3540 Main Highway Coconut Grove

305-640-5862

Modern American, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Slideshow, Essentials

Chef Michael Beltran's Ariete adds an air of refinement to Coconut Grove not seen since the days when industrialist James Deering caroused its shores. Ariete serves dishes like foie gras with smoked plantains, but there's something more than fancy amid the elegance offered by Beltran, who trained under chefs Norman Van Aken and Michael Schwartz. The Little Havana native twists bits of Cuba and France into every dish, just the way his grandparents taught him. In 2022, Beltran's culinary craftsmanship earned Ariete a Michelin star.

63 articles

Bachour

2020 Salzedo St. Coral Gables/S. Miami

305-203-0552

Modern American, Bakery, Best Of, Readers' Choice, Essentials

Bachour, the namesake restaurant and bakery from Antonio Bachour, is an oasis of the Instagram-worthy pastries that made the Puerto Rican pastry chef a national sensation. The clean, industrial setting is the perfect backdrop for the brightly hued pastries, cakes, and other confections. Open for breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner, Bachour's all-day menu of salads, sandwiches, and hearty entrées earned the restaurant a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation in 2022. A meal can range from an egg sandwich or eggs Benedict to heartier fare, including a steak sandwich, lomo risotto, and fettuccine in a housemade pomodoro sauce. Be sure to grab a box of bonbons or macarons to take home. Since opening in Coral Gables in 2019, Bachour has added a location in Doral.

12 articles

Basil Park

17608 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles Beach Aventura/North Miami Beach

305-705-0004

Contemporary, Health, Modern American, Organic, Smoothies, Menu

Basil Park is Tim Andriola's healthful, long-awaited followup to his Mediterranean mainstay, Timo. For the bright, airy bistro, he partnered with Tamer Harpke, a farmer with tracts in Hollywood and Dania Beach that produce the restaurant's microgreens and soon up to 30 percent of its produce. But beyond Basil Park's farm-to-table aspirations and "intact foods" philosophy is an actual restaurant using sophisticated techniques and balance that set it high above your favorite vegan café. "Dairy" items here are surrounded with quotes for a reason: There's no dairy at all. All beef is grass-fed, and the succulent, crisp-skinned chickens twirling in the rotisserie hail from Joyce Farms. What makes it all worthwhile is not even that it's good for you and leaves you feeling great. It's that the generous plates, with all their healthful mumbo jumbo, are simply delicious.

15 articles

Bayshore Club Bar & Grill

3391 Pan American Dr. Coconut Grove

305-209-1200

Modern American, Seafood, Best Of, DrinkHere

It's not that the site has a ton of history beneath its barstools, including serving as the base for Pan American World Airways' flying boats (AKA Clipper planes). It's not that the decor brings to mind the golden age of burgeoning global travel. It's not because you can watch boats being brought from dry storage to the water and vice versa — a fascinating process that goes on all day. It's not even the terrific sunsets you can view over the bay with a drink in your hand. It's that all of these things together make Bayshore Club our favorite place to toast one other as the salt breeze adds a tinge of our maritime surroundings that were here before we arrived and will endure long after we're gone.

3 articles

Beachcraft

2395 Collins Ave., Miami Beach Mid/North Beach

305-604-6700

Mediterranean, Modern American, Seafood, Recommended, Menu, Slideshow

It seemed inevitable Tom Colicchio would open a place in Miami. He’s been eyeing the city since David Bouley’s Evolution vacated the Ritz-Carlton South Beach in 2007. But there was little hint the smooth-domed chef whose face is a fixture everywhere from television to Capitol Hill would take on a project as large as the 1 Hotel South Beach. The hotel's eco-friendly obsession jibed with Colicchio's longstanding culinary sensibility, which revolves around sustainably raised produce and proteins. Here, he asked Michelle Bernstein and Michael Schwartz to set him up with local purveyors. Some dishes fade from memory not due to any fault but because of their almost ascetic simplicity. Occasionally there are moments when you have to remind yourself that sourcing factors into the high cost. Nevertheless, an organic vegetable plate is one that should be on every table. The raw bar breaks from the usual with a pair of razor clams served side-by-side heaped with sliced meat. The Atlantic variety used here, also called Jackknife clams, are at once sweet and savory. Pastas have become a fast signature and mostly revolve around semolina varieties extruded daily. The simplest is toothsome garganelli twists tossed with thick shreds of braised rabbit that are reminiscent of a winter stew, with elegant carrot spheres, bitter greens, and crushed pistachios for an earthy crunch.Read our full review.

19 articles

Boia De

5205 NE Second Ave. Little Haiti/Liberty City

786-209-6310

Modern American, Italian, Essentials

This hip Little Haiti spot run by chefs Luciana Giangrandi and Alex Meyer offers an ever-changing lineup of pastas designed to comfort and enchant. Look for pappardelle "Alla Lepre" — unctuous shreds of braised rabbit tangled with wide ribbons of pasta. It's not all about noodles here, however. Boia De offers plenty of non-pasta delights, including meat and fish dishes and crisp potato skins filled with milky stracciatella cheese, caviar, and a hard-cooked egg. The editors of Florida's first Michelin Guide took note, awarding the strip-mall standout a star.

11 articles

Buns & Buns

5478 Sunset Dr., South Miami Coral Gables/S. Miami

786-216-7754

Bakery, Bistro, Comfort Foods, Fast Food, Fusion, International, Modern American, Recommended, Menu

Buns & Buns wants to bring good bread back. Owner Alexandre Zibi and chef Reuven Sugarman spent three weeks traveling the world in early 2013 in search of recipes and techniques from the globe's greatest cooking cultures. They brought back steamed buns from China, naan from India and the Middle East, and brioche from France. At their South Miami fast-casual spot, every dish -- from slow-cooked brisket to lamb ribs to chili-marinated shrimp -- is accompanied by a soft, chewy helping of bread. "Rip it, dip it, or stuff it" is the motto here, and the choice, along with a handful of heavy yet satisfying options, is all yours.Read our full review.

18 articles

The Café at Books & Books

1300 Biscayne Blvd. Downtown/Overtown

786-405-1745

Modern American, Retail, Recommended

The food at most bookstore cafés usually encourages more fear and loathing than great expectations, but the cute little Café at Books & Books is actually a casual, inexpensive, unpretentious garden of earthly delights. The menu covers all the expected soup-salad-sandwich bases but also offers a few more adventurous options. Try the guava-glazed pork tenderloin with boniato mash, as well as coconut-crusted seared raw tuna with mango-pepper slaw. And save room for luscious cream cheese-coconut flan for dessert.

17 articles

Cena by Michy

6927 Biscayne Blvd. Miami Shores/Biscayne Park

305-759-2001

American, Modern American

If lack of popularity was ever a problem at Michelle Bernstein's namesake restaurant, it isn't anymore. The 55-seat dining room at Cena by Michy fills to capacity with loyal fans throughout the week. The almost-iridescent purple-blue hue that once lined the ceiling and floor has been stripped away, along with the white tablecloths and ornate chandeliers. The menu also received a face-lift. Half-portion options were axed and vegetable offerings vastly expanded. Still, the fare doesn't stray far from Bernstein’s refined, homestyle comfort zone, and many classics remain. Her sweetbreads — a nod to her Argentine heritage — are creamy nuggets repurposed into tacos with a funky huitlacoche cream and pickled cabbage. Her iconic short ribs are still culled from a center-cut 18-ounce portion braised in a hearty stock of calves' feet and lamb bones. The liquid is reduced to a lip-smacking, savory demi-glace that sauces the plate. It arrives atop an ever-changing root vegetable purée that one night featured earthy celeriac and sunchokes. The $39 price seems extreme for the secondary cut of meat, but it’s the lengthy preparation that pushes its cost into the dry-aged realm. “I don’t make that much on it, but I have to have it on the menu,” Bernstein says.

24 articles

The Continental

2360 Collins Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

305-604-2000

Continental, Eclectic, Modern American, Recommended, Slideshow

For years, Stephen Starr had an eye on Miami Beach's Motel Ankara and even once considered buying the art deco grande dame. The chance arose when Starwood Hotels purchased the Collins Avenue property and embarked on a $100 million makeover. The only thing that could go inside, he said, is the Continental. The retro-chic restaurant helped establish his Philadelphia-based empire but today seemed a risky proposition with out of vogue items like cheesesteak in egg roll form and hyper-Americanized Chinese food. Yet thanks to the kitchen's deft hand, every sweet has a bit of salt, and the Continental succeeds where so many others could fail. Korean lettuce wraps pop with sweet, galbi-marinated beef and fizzy kimchee. A whole fried snapper with tostones and an avocado-tomato salad is a perfect homage to Miami, where having fun at dinner is OK again.Read our full review.

29 articles

Dune by Laurent Tourondel

2200 N. Ocean Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

754-900-4059

Seafood, Modern American, Best Of

8 articles

Eating House Miami

128 Giralda Ave. Coral Gables/S. Miami

786-580-3745

Modern American, Italian, Critics' Pick, Slideshow, Essentials

As one of Miami's first true pop-up restaurants, Eating House stands as a culinary gem not just for its creative riff-style menu, but also for its ability to pivot and expand without losing sight of its ethos: delivering simple, well-executed fare. When Miami native and Chopped champ Giorgio Rapicavoli opened in 2011, the popular Coral Gables restaurant introduced diners to dishes that are now cult classics. While Rapicavoli's rotating specials continue to offer edible exploration, mainstays have become forever favorites. Take the heirloom tomatoes prepared with a fish sauce vinaigrette, peanuts, and coconut milk. Or the housemade tater tots complemented by a Coca-Cola-spiked ketchup. And you can't scroll the Eating House Instagram feed without a glimpse of the bucatini carbonara: a warm egg yolk mixed tableside into a generous bowl of dente pasta coated in a black pepper cream sauce flecked with nibs of heritage bacon and black truffle — it's a dish that will haunt you with cravings months later. Pro tip: Don't sleep on the weekend brunch.

74 articles

Elastika

191 NE 40th St. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

305-209-3100

Modern American, Essentials

Helmed by acclaimed executive chef Joe Anthony, the modern American restaurant is located on the first floor of the Moore building and was named after the iconic Zaha Hadid sculpture, Elastika, which is suspended throughout the four-story atrium above the restaurant's dining room. Atmosphere aside, what sets this spot apart is that Chef Anthony works with a range of local farmers, including Tiny Farm, French Farms, Swank Specialty Produce, Paradise Farms, Gratitude Garden Farm, and Harpke Family Farm to create the menu. Standouts include a delicious tomato gazpacho with pickled tomatillo and avocado, housemade gnocchi with sardines, and roasted Ora King salmon with forbidden black rice. Plus, don’t miss the tropical sundae with mango-passion fruit ice cream and a seasonal selection of cookies and ice cream.

Glass & Vine

2820 McFarlane Rd. Coconut Grove

305-200-5268

Modern American, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Slideshow

The menu at Glass & Vine eschews plate sizes and is split into four sections: Snacks, Garden, Sea, and Land. To start, opt for the barbecued spiced nuts that recently included cashews and walnuts tossed in a meringue spiked with garlic and onion powder, paprika, brown sugar, and complete seasoning. Left out to dry, the savory nibble takes on an ear-shattering crunch when eaten. Nearly all dishes arrive on black plates, which make for eye-popping and sometimes ominous presentations. Charred cauliflower is roasted and then fried until the florets take on a dark-chocolate tone. Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli isn't hesitant to say it was inspired by a meal at Michael Solomonov's Zahav in Philadelphia. The slick of tahini, along with crushed dried chickpeas and olives, makes a decent complement.

33 articles

Hillstone at Bal Harbour

9700 Collins Ave. Surfside/Bal Harbour

786-260-6651

Modern American

Krüs Kitchen

3413 Main Highway Coconut Grove

786-518-3998

Modern American, Wine Bar, Essentials

Perched atop Sebastian Vargas' acclaimed Los Félix Mexican restaurant in Coconut Grove, bright and airy Krüs Kitchen does double duty as a sister restaurant and a wine market. Here Vargas, a veteran of stints at Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana in Italy and Eleven Madison Park in New York, taps into his global travels and local farm finds to create an evolving menu that mirrors the seasons. Within the concise list, seafood dishes stand out, highlighted by the smoked coconut rice entrée that delicately layers the grain with grilled crab and trout roe. Among the vegetable-based dishes, grilled oyster mushrooms are meaty and tender, artfully arranged like a crown atop a foam made from aged Parmesan and topped with a runny poached egg.

Lightkeepers

455 Grand Bay Dr. Key Biscayne

305-365-4156

Seafood, Modern American

24 articles

Michael Mina 74

4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach Mid/North Beach

305-674-4636

American, Fusion, Modern American, Tapas, Critics' Pick, Slideshow

Michael Mina 74 -- the tony late-night spot at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach -- might remind you of a nightclub. Inside the cavernous dining room, bachelorettes clink glasses of champagne, men in suits chat over stone crabs and Vieux Carrés, and EDM beats pulsate incessantly through the speakers. If you've heard of Michael Mina, this liveliness shouldn't come as a surprise. The James Beard Award-winning chef oversees 20 restaurants across the country, including his Michelin-starred namesake in San Francisco. Here, Mina blends nightlife and cookery. There are old-school extravagances such as a lobster potpie and a Russian royal osetra caviar service worth hundreds of dollars. But you can also try the pasta laced with Florida lobster, uni, and lemon beurre blanc; Mina's signature tuna tartare with Asian pear and Scotch bonnets; and a grilled quail coupled with foie gras. His late-night menu adds exuberance to Caribbean cuisine. At 4 a.m., after a wild night of partying at LIV next door, you can try Mina's Cuban sandwich. Condolences to the abuelitas of Miami: It's packed with foie gras.Read our full review.

33 articles

Michael's Genuine Food & Drink

130 NE 40th St. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

305-676-0894

Modern American, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Readers' Choice, Essentials

The Design District's dining OG — Michael's Genuine Food & Drink — continues to impress. Restaurateur Michael Schwartz's strategy can be summed up in six simple words: Serve fresh food, prepared with care. That philosophy earned him a James Beard Award back in 2010. Though he has since assembled a small restaurant empire, Michael's Genuine remains the purest expression of the chef's culinary ethos. The menu changes seasonally, but expect classics such as wood oven-roasted octopus, slow-roasted short rib, and plenty of vegetables supplied by local farms. Schwartz's consistent, "genuine" approach won the restaurant a 2022 Michelin Bib Gourmand tag.

194 articles

Pinch Kitchen + Bar

8601 Biscayne Blvd. Miami Shores/Biscayne Park

305-631-2018

Modern American, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Slideshow

Pinch Kitchen owners Rene Reyes and John Gallo met while working at Casa Tua. They spent years together at various Pubbelly operations before realizing their shared dream and opening a cozy spot just north of the MiMo District in 2015. Pinch Kitchen + Bar offers elevated versions of standard fare: barbecue pork belly, croquetas, a crisp salad. The proof is in the quality of the ingredients and the care that goes into each dish. Take, for example, the "Pinch Burger," an eight-ounce patty made from a custom blend of ground beef, topped with caramelized onions and Swiss: a simple creation, prepared to perfection, and one of the best burgers to be found in all of Miami. The selection of local craft beers and thoughtfully curated wines evidenced a similar level of attention.

19 articles

Prime 112

112 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach South Beach

305-532-8112

Steakhouse, Modern American, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Readers' Choice, Essentials

There's much more than beef at this inventive New American steakhouse. Guests can also dine happily on creative entrées featuring poultry or on cold-water oysters and other pristine raw-bar selections. That said, the USDA Prime dry-aged steaks are superb, and so are the à la carte sides. They include upgraded versions of steakhouse classics — vibrant-green creamed spinach with crisp shallots, cornmeal-crusted onion rings, and the like — plus unique creations such as sweet potato and vanilla bean mash. Reserving weeks in advance is wisest. Insider tip: Not only are the portions Instagram-worthy, but Prime 112 is also a hot spot for celebrity sightings. On any given night, Ferraris and Lamborghinis pull up to valet, and their doors open gracefully to reveal stars such as Miami Heat players and the Kardashians.

52 articles

The Sarsaparilla Club

1 18th St., Miami Beach South Beach

305-341-1400

American, Appetizers, Comfort Foods, Contemporary, Fried Chicken, Modern American, Southern, Critics' Pick, Menu

There are many places in Miami that serve Chinese dim sum, but only one restaurant offers an American version: the Sarsaparilla Club at the Shelborne Wyndham Grand South Beach. During the appetizer portion of the meal, apron-clad waiters approach each table with pushcarts containing an assortment of American-inspired bites and small plates. The chefs behind the rustic poolside restaurant are power couple Janine Booth and Jeff McInnis. They met on the line at Gigi's in midtown Miami and were reunited at Yardbird Southern Table & Bar in 2011. In 2013, they opened a Root & Bone in Manhattan and earned rave reviews for their elevated Southern fare. The Sarsaparilla Club's dim sum selection contains eight or so items that change frequently. Try the sweet corn simmered in a corn stock and drizzled with a cornbread butter. Each order features half an ear of corn topped with lemon popcorn and cornbread crumbles. The citrus notes of the popcorn — though slightly odd at first — balance out the sweetness of this rich and thoroughly original dish.Read our full review.

22 articles

Seagrape

4041 Collins Ave., Miami Beach Mid/North Beach

786-605-4043

Contemporary, Market, Modern American, Seafood

At the Thompson Hotel's 2-month-old restaurant, Seagrape, the executive chef is Miami's culinary darling, Michelle Bernstein. Glamorous and bohemian, the spacious Florida brasserie is centered on fare sourced from local purveyors. Cocktail preparation is directed by the much-sought-after Julio Cabrera, and the dinner service is run by Steven Rojas, a Michelin-starred chef. One dish likely to appeal to myriad taste buds is the organic lacinato kale salad. Luscious greens are paired with multitextural accents such as pomegranate, toasted walnuts, and Asian pear. The anything-but-boring vegan starter is then finished off with a vivid pickled-raisin dressing. The braised short rib with cornbread foam is best saved for last. The entrée is rich but not cloying. The glossy, juicy meat, cooked in copious red wine and veal stock, is fork-tender and dissolves upon the first bite. It could very well be the finest short rib in Miami. Bernstein, the Iron Chef America champion (she beat Bobby Flay), says she wants her latest venture to appeal to locals and tourists, young and old, and complex and simple palates -- hence the affordable $5 valet parking, a children's menu, and offerings that range from uni toast to pasta with tomato sauce and burrata.Read our full review.

18 articles

Seawell Fish N' Oyster

660 Washington Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

305-534-9600

Seafood, Modern American, Best Of

1 article

STK Miami

1100 Biscayne Blvd. Downtown/Overtown

305-722-7888

Steakhouse, Modern American

10 articles

Traymore Restaurant & Bar

2445 Collins Ave., Miami Beach Mid/North Beach

305-695-3600

Modern American, Seafood, Best Of

21 articles

Union Kitchen & Bar

2309 N. Dixie Highway Wilton Manors

754-216-0143

Modern American

Italy and Peru might seem worlds apart, but at Union Kitchen & Bar, the spirit of each is equally accessible. At their restaurant tucked away in Wilton Manors, husband-and-wife team Christie Tenaud and Roberto Colombi aim to unite the best of both cuisines with a menu that marries Colombi's Northern Italian heritage with Tenaud's South American sass. Inspired by their love of savoring a meal — especially that special union that takes place with loved ones sharing good food and wine — the couple has created an ambiance inspired by love. As executive chef, Tenaud's seasonally inspired menu shines with selections that change with the best of what's available, complemented by Colombi's thoughtfully curated wine list. Highlights include a bounty of local produce that makes its way into garden-inspired salads, modern American takes on tacos and arepas, and handmade pastas that spotlight seafood, meats, and vegetables. Oh, and decadent housemade desserts.

1 article

Upland

49 Collins Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

305-602-9998

Modern American, New American, Contemporary, American, Bistro, Comfort Foods, California, Vegetarian, Italian, Best Of, Slideshow

Stephen Starr has a new Miami Beach eatery, Upland. The modus operandi is "to make guests feel like [the restaurant is] lucky to have them, not that they're lucky to be here," explains Upland's top toque, Justin Smillie. Before linking arms with Starr to open the original Upland in Manhattan two years ago, Smillie earned accolades for his take on Italian cuisine at the popular Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria. Miami could certainly use more convivial and unpretentious bistros such as Upland; however, it's difficult to get truly excited about a restaurant where half the dishes are merely mediocre. Still, when all is said and done, this is a Starr-and-Smillie production, and the chances of improvement are high.

18 articles

Modern American in Miami

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