Food Halls Planned for Little Haiti, Wynwood, Downtown Miami

A handful of food halls all located within a stone’s throw of Biscayne Boulevard in Miami proper are in the works, though it’ll be at least a year before any open. Conway Commercial Real Estate and Urban Atlantic Group (Disclosure: I rent shared office space from the two) are planning…

Miami Diners at Risk for Credit Card Fraud at Landry’s Restaurants: Morton’s, Bubba Gump, Oceanaire Involved

Landry’s, Inc., the giant restaurant company that owns over 500 different eateries under 40 different brands like Morton’s The Steakhouse, McCormick & Schmick’s, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., and Rainforest Cafe, has finished an internal investigation of widespread credit card fraud. In December 2015, Landry’s issued a press release acknowledging there…

Awa Kava Lounge in Miami: Stress Relief in a Bowl

To David Bonilla, a kava bar is much more than a business. “It’s more about a lifestyle and creating a community of like minded people, ” the Awa Kava Lounge partner says. The lounge (3930 NW 2nd Ave., Miami) soft opened a few months ago in an old 1940’s house in Buena…

Bal Harbour’s Le Zoo Does Stephen Starr Proud

Conventional profiteroles can be among the most uplifting desserts. Just one bite of the dressed-up cream puffs drizzled with chocolate sauce conjures fond childhood memories or romantic sojourns in Paris. At Le Zoo in Bal Harbour Shops, executive pastry chef Kelli Payne’s profiteroles are guaranteed to stir your emotions too,…

January 2016’s Miami Restaurant Openings and Closings

Just one month into the new year and already Miami’s restaurant landscape is changing. Ariete, the Coconut Grove restaurant by Michael Beltran and Jason Odio, opened to much buzz in Coconut Grove. Ariete will be joined by several more Grove restaurants including Glass & Vine, The Spillover, and Spasso, making a…

French 27 Brings Parisian Romance to SoFi

While Miami restaurants are gearing up for Valentine’s Day dinners, French 27 softly opened with romantic dining and French fare in SoFi. The restaurant takes over the old Porfirio’s space at 850 Commerce St. The dining room, already a stunning structure, has been transformed into a sea of fresh red…

Ichimi Ramen Shop Opening in Coral Gables, SoBe Location Coming Soon

Ramen fans in Coral Gables can look forward to a steaming bowl of goodness once Ichimi opens this Friday, January 29. Ichimi, Japanese for “dedicated to”, will feature modern takes on traditional ramen, gyoza, and izakaya dishes, while still paying respect to classical Japanese styles. The 2,000 square foot restaurant,…

PETA Supporters to Protest Whole Foods Market, Claim Supplier Abused Pigs

When consumers shop at Whole Foods Market, they expect high quality products. Willing to pay a little more, shoppers search out organic produce, sustainable seafood, and antibiotic-free meat from animals raised in humane conditions.  The grocer’s website lays out its five-step animal welfare rating system that provides standards for how…

Pearl App Lets You Seek Out Miami’s Best Oysters

  Over the past decade or so, smart phones have completely changed the way we communicate, get directions, or make restaurant reservations. Now, it’s the best way to source fresh oysters. The newly launched Pearl app allows users to find oysters in restaurants, mark their favorites, and check in to…

Serendipity Makes Artisanal Ice Cream in Wynwood

What started as a rogue pop-up has become a permanent Wynwood fixture. Serendipity Creamery & Yogurt Cafe (421 NW 26th St.) is the neighborhood’s first artisanal ice cream shop, offering kosher-certified ice creams, frozen yogurts, and sorbets.  The small Wynwood outpost, about the size of an extra-large walk-in closet, is nestled between…

Omakase Sushi Truck Myumi Reveals the Key to Perfect Rice

It’s around 3 p.m. onboard Myumi (56 NW 29th St., Miami; myumifoods.com), the six-seat omakase truck that parks on Wynwood’s northern boundary. Inside the drab, gray cart, Ryo Kato, age 34, dumps about four quarts of California’s short-grain Koshihikari rice into a metal mesh bowl. He fills it with water…

City Hall Restaurant in Edgewater Closes UPDATED

City Hall, Steve Haas’ Biscayne Boulevard restaurant has closed. The restaurant closed after dinner service yesterday evening. A day before, City Hall’s Facebook page posted the following message to fans: The two-story 6,000 square foot establishment was a tribute to Art Deco design, but instead of the ice cream colors…

Nobu Reemerges in Miami Beach for an Exacting Crowd

Deep inside the 3-month-old Nobu Miami at Eden Roc, a German tourist sporting a salmon-hued pullover stands in front of the sushi bar. His back is stiff and his arms are crossed. “How many years did you apprentice?” he asks an itamae who’s busy forming a knob of snowy rice…

Tap 42 to Open in Coral Gables in March

Tap 42, the Ft. Lauderdale gastropub famously known for its 42 different beer taps, is finally opening in Coral Gables. The large 6,350 square foot restaurant will open at 301 Giralda Ave. Suite 1 in Coral Gables in March 2016, seating more than 200 people. Tap 42 will also feature a…