The Sarsaparilla Club
Photo Courtesy of The Sarsaparilla Club
Miami’s restaurant scene has boomed this year, and it’s already heating up for the second half of 2016. A lineup of hotly anticipated eateries for all types of discerning diners awaits. Here are just some of the new “it” spots you’ll want to put on your must-dine list this summer.
Caviar Russe, Photo Courtesy of Caviar Russe
Caviar Russe
As the name suggests, you’ll find fancy fish eggs here, alongside lots of bubbly and vodka. Hailing from New York City, Caviar Russe — restaurant, bar and retail boutique — is located on the ground lobby area of Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Four Seasons Hotel Miami. The downtown newcomer showcases a menu with caviar, a raw bar and crudo-inspired dishes — there’s also a chance to go all out with the multi-course Caviar Tasting Menu ($395 per person). The wine and champagne list includes distinct vintages like Dom Perignon Oenotheque, and there’s an extensive vodka menu with more than 20 varieties. Décor is just as opulent at the 35-seat restaurant — caviar-inspired Italian leather custom-tailored seats, hand-blown glass bubbles hanging from the ceiling, Calacatta marble tables and gold Bernardaud plates. Now open.
PB Station
The Pubbelly Boys, led by five-time James Beard Award nominee José Mendín, just pulled into Langford Hotel with their latest venture, PB Station. With a striking traditional train station as its backdrop, the new American-style, seafood-meets-modern-steakhouse takes diners on an expedition. Start with hearty seafood charcuterie (octopus pepperoni, rock shrimp mortadella and Thai lobster sausage) and raw bar. At the “First Stop,” savor barbecue dates, bone marrow and nori pappardelle with house pastrami. “Grand Central” serves up a PB Station Burger topped with bacon confit and Gulf swordfish. Also find an ode to the now-closed PB Steak in dishes such as the eight-ounce Florida wagyu filet mignon and the 18-ounce Kansas City steak 1855 dry aged prime. To wash it all down, a robust wine, beer and cocktail list is aptly categorized to complement each dish — from light, fruity and refreshing to complex, cured and aged. After, head upstairs to the rooftop bar, Pawn Broker, sip on a classic cocktail while taking in the epic skyline views. Now open.
The Sarsaparilla Club
Top Chef alums Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth are back from New York City in South Florida with The Sarsaparilla Club, a dim-sum-meets-comfort-food spot located at the Shelborne Wyndham Grand South Beach. A street-side vintage VW bus leads the way into the cozy indoor-outdoor poolside retreat. The name of the 130-seat club pays homage to the sarsaparilla root — saddle up to the bar and you’ll see it in many of the concoctions. Go by way of selecting small plates from dim sum carts like beet and short rib dumplings and house-made steamed buns with pork belly bacon. Or, order off the a la carte menu — the Thai-influenced Sarsaparilla green curry fried chicken is where it’s at. Now open.
Bachour Bakery + Bistro, Photo Courtesy of Gourmandj
Bachour Bakery + Bistro
The collaboration between James Beard Award semifinalist Antonio Bachour (who hails from the Five-Star The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort) and chef Henry Hané (of local favorite Eating House) showcases the best of this dream duo’s sweet and savory talents. Bachour presents a selection of freshly made morning pastries and flaky croissants, and desserts like bonbons, macaroons and petits gateaux. Hané concentrates on breakfast and lunch for the bistro with a rotating menu of leafy and grain-based salads, open-faced sandwiches like smoked salmon and duck confit, house-made soups and veggie-heavy main dishes. The 1,700-square-foot, modern-feeling space has indoor/outdoor seating for nearly 70. Industrial yet warm and inviting, the eatery has rustic orange metal lighting fixtures that hang from the exposed, high-vaulted ceiling and stone walls that are garnished with bits of moss or adorned with copper and rose gold sculptures. Come by right before dusk, when the massive uncovered windows perfectly frame the flawless sunset. Now open.
Quinto La Huella
Opening inside the new EAST, Miami hotel in Brickell City Centre, Quinto La Huella (meaning “footprint”) is an offshoot of a popular beachfront restaurant in Uruguay, Parador La Huella, with dishes centering around the parrilla grill. Located on the fifth floor of the new hotel, the restaurant will feature indoor/outdoor seating, a stone oven hearth and a sushi bar. While the menu is still under wraps, you can expect lots of seafood and meat delivered in simple, non-fussy plates. With 359 seats throughout, guests can choose to dine inside in the expansive dining lounge which boasts a large central bar or outside on the charming patio which frames spectacular looks onto Brickell City Centre’s 1,000-foot-long Climate Ribbon canopy and the restaurant’s signature parrilla. We suggest dining on the outdoor terrace to take in the brilliant vistas. Slated to open May 31.
