Benchwarmers Closed, but Fries May Live On at Wood Tavern

Benchwarmers and Bizerq, the two midtown concepts by Wood Tavern’s Cesar Morales, have closed after just a few months in business. Morales, who issued a statement about the closing on Benchwarmers’ Facebook page, tells Short Order that although the restaurant/sports bar was doing well, it closed due to a few…

October 2014 Restaurant Openings and Closings

October in Miami is still considered a transitional month. Although the weather is getting better, many restaurants are still working on their progress, hosting family & friends dinners and putting the finishing touches on their menus in anticipation for a late fall opening in time for Art Basel and “season”…

Tamarina Opening on Tuesday in Former Lippi Space

Come Tuesday, the Brickell space where Lippi formerly operated under star chef Philippe Ruiz, will re-open its doors. The owners are the same, but the new restaurant will be called Tamarina. Owners Tunu and Yona Puri have teamed up with restaurateur Arjun Waney for a coastal Italian restaurant concept that…

Naked Taco’s Weekend Brunch: Eggs and Tequila Crush Your Hangover

Bored with the same old brunch? Tired of eating lemon ricotta pancakes while sipping mimosas? Think the whole breakfast/lunch combo thingy is just a little too twee? In other words: Ever wish there was a brunch with balls? Then check out Naked Taco’s weekend brunch, launching this Saturday, November 1…

Loba in MiMo Debuts Brunch This Sunday: Free Mimosas for All

Miami isn’t exactly overflowing with praiseworthy brunch spots, so we get unusually excited any time a cool restaurant launches a brunch program. This weekend it happens to be Loba, an intimate gastrobar in MiMo serving Latin and South American cuisine. The hybrid meal is owner Jessica Sanchez’s favorite, so to…

Pane & Vino in South Beach: Try the Pear Stuffed Pasta

There are few dishes that I remember with such fondness as a pear stuffed pasta that I once enjoyed at a trendy restaurant in Barcelona. The sweetness paired with sharp cheese in its soft doughy casing left a lasting impression. Imagine my surprise when a similar dish appeared on the…

Moye Opens in Brickell: House-Made Mozze and Rum-Spiked Granita

Brickell isn’t exactly a dining destination, but Tony Gallo and Pietro Vardeu hope to change that perception. If those names ring a bell, it’s likely because you’ve downed bowls of pasta at their South Beach restaurant, Sardinia Enoteca. Last week the duo quietly opened Moye in the center of Brickell,…

Ten Best Vegan Candies for Halloween

It’s Halloween week, which means there are bowls and bags and towers of candy greeting you everywhere you go — much of it laced with eggs and butter, which is totally worse than razor blades. (Kidding!) Luckily, there are plenty of “accidentally” vegan sweets out there — more than you…

Vicky Bakery Opens in Coral Gables Today

Vicky Bakery officially opens the doors today, October 29, to its Coral Gables location. This will mark the 13th location for the classic Cuban bakery, which was established in 1972. It will be the first to offer a full-service cafe, which will open in November. See also: Vicky Bakery and…

Miami’s Tacos Lead a National Revolution

At this very moment, we are in the throes of a taco revolution. It’s not a boom, as the New York Times so wrongly declared about chicken wings earlier this month. Neither tacos nor wings have experienced a decline in popularity. But while the advances in wing cookery have remained…

Vagabond Restaurant in MiMo: Art Is an Integral Part of the Menu

The Vagabond Hotel’s spectacular renovation will come full circle when the Vagabond Restaurant opens next month, just in time for Art Basel. Restaurant partners Alvaro Perez, Chris Wang, and chef Alex Chang are nearing completion on the space, which will incorporate art and the restaurant’s outdoor space with chef Chang’s…

Five Best Vegetarian Dishes to Try Before the Month Is Over

October is a festive month in Miami, full of celebratory eats and drinks. Beer for Grovetoberfest, candy for Halloween — pumpkin spice lattes as often as possible. And the 10th month is also all about vegetarian awareness — as good a time as any to start eating your veggies. October…

Jamie DeRosa to Open Izzy’s Fish & Oyster

Jamie DeRosa’s soon-to-open Izzy’s Fish & Oyster is a true family affair. The restaurant, scheduled to open late fall 2014 and named after daughter Isabela Grace, is an homage to New England seafood shacks. Coincidentally, it’s located on the same block as DeRosa’s Tongue & Cheek. Although the two restaurants…

This Halloween, Hail Seitan With the Vegan Black Metal Chef

Before the milquetoast ministrations of Thug Kitchen, there was a plant-based Prince of Darkness: the (faux) leather-clad culinarian known as the Vegan Black Metal Chef. The horrifying herbivore drew more than two million YouTube views for the first episode of his online cooking show, where recipes are roared, screamed, and…

Giralda Under the Stars Returns for Its Fifth Season

The Miami winter season has finally arrived and locals have started to taunt their northern friends. It’s time of to show off those scarves, jackets, and Uggs that have been accumulating dust for the past seven months. It is also an opportune time to start dining al fresco — in…

A Look Back at Tobacco Road (Video)

Imagine Tobacco Road as a human being. He (or she) has sold baked goods, illegal booze, played cards with gangsters, sheltered hookers, hosted dance parties, served cocktails, grilled burgers, had tomato fights, and listened to some of the best blues and rock music on the planet. That’s a lot of…

Carlos Dorado to Open the Lunchbox in Wynwood

Wynwood is getting a new restaurant (hopefully) in time for Art Basel madness. The Lunchbox, a new “neo-traditional” spot is opening some time in late November/early December at 78 NW 25th Street. Currently, the restaurant is in the construction phase…