April represents sunshine, renewal, and fertility. It's all about freshness and lightness, budding plants, cherry blossoms, and Easter eggs. These restaurants, many of them new, are perfect for Easter brunches, spring celebrations, Earth Day, and anytime.
Celebrate spring with "la cuisine du soleil" – the bold, vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean, highlighting seasonal ingredients – and the timeless allure of the Côte d’Azur at Claudie (305-990-1101) 1101 Brickell Ave., Miami. The elegant new French-Mediterranean restaurant is by the Riviera Dining Group (RDG), the team behind Mila and Casa Neos.
RDG, founded by Gregory Galy, and led by an executive team native to the South of France, is renowned for vibrant, beautifully designed spaces. Claudie's menu is under the guidance of RDG’s head of culinary, Chef Michaël Michaelidis – noted for earning an amazing total of 26 Michelin stars for his work in restaurants in Cannes, Hong Kong and Singapore, including key roles at Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse a l'Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, working with Ducasse for four years.
The menu offers indulgent dishes like caviar linguine and table-side Gazpacho, expertly crafted to transport you to the French Riviera, as well as classics such as pâtes aux langoustes, escargots, and entrecôte-frites, alongside indulgent dishes like truffle toupie macaroni and a crustacés seafood tower. Savor desserts such as the Tropezienne tart or the Menton lemon tart, fig cheesecake, and chocolate mousse made with Guanaja dark chocolate.
(Courtesy Toro Toro)
Toro Toro's Easter tablescape
Indulge in a lavish Easter Brunch at Toro Toro (305-372-4710) 100 Chopin Plaza, 255 Biscayne Blvd. Way, Chef Richard Sandoval’s Pan-Latin steakhouse at the InterContinental Miami in Downtown. Brunch is priced at $119+ per person; $50+ per child ages 5-12. The brunch experience features stations including a salad bar; a traditional breakfast station with favorites like omelets, waffles, and assorted fruits; a cevicheria bar with ahi tuna, cobia, shrimp and hearts of palm ceviches; a rodizio station featuring grilled lamb chops with mint gremolata, Chilean sea bass with chipotle ponzu glaze, raised short ribs with pickled shallots, Cuzco chicken airline breast (skin and wing joint are left attached), a drumstick with salsa criolla aioli chorizo Argentino; and a raw bar offering shrimp cocktail, east and west coast oysters and mussels.
Save room for the decadent dessert bar featuring a variety of Pan-Latin cakes and a fun cotton candy station. There is face painting for children, photo ops with a selfie station and an appearance by the Easter Bunny. Easter brunch reservations can be made on OpenTable.com
(Courtesy Salty Flame)
Salty Flame's Ube French toast
Celebrate Easter Sunday or any Sunday with a leisurely brunch at Salty Flame (305-563 8972) 1414 Brickell, Miami. Soak up the sun on the outdoor terrace, or enjoy the lively ambiance inside the dining room, where the music never stops, thanks to the DJ's rockin' spinovation. Salty Flame offers the perfect backdrop for fun weekend celebrations, serving up the ultimate indulgence with $50 Bottomless Moët & Chandon on both Saturday and Sunday, along with a curated selection of craft cocktails.
A steakhouse with an Asian influence, Salty Flame's menu balances a fusion of flavors that delights steak enthusiasts as well as Asian food lovers. For appetizers, try the crunchy chicken Bao, or spicy tuna pocket. Share a perfectly grilled ribeye and New York strip which come with pickled cucumbers on the side. If you prefer brunch fare, the menu features classic eggs Benedict, crispy Korean fried chicken, and the visually stunning Ube French Toast – a must for any brunch enthusiast. For dessert don't miss the housemade chocolate cake.
NEW OPENINGS
(Courtesy Wyn Wyn)
Wyn Wyn table spread
Wyn Wyn (786-522-6600), 110 NW 26th St., Miami, a new dining hotspot recently opened at the Arlo Wynwood Hotel, is the perfect place to celebrate Earth Day. Helmed by Hawaiian-born Chef David Robbins, Wyn Wyn offers healthy dining with vegan and vegetable-forward options, featuring Asian flavors and Chef Robbins' influences from Peru, Polynesia and Southeast Asia.
Try the superfood packed cocktails, such as the wheatgrass-infused Green Goodness, or the Date Night, a date caramel espresso martini. The menu's “bites” feature shareable small plates, like beet tartare with mango “yolk” – a fun twist on classic beef tartare served with ancient grain crostinis; handheld steam buns packed with ginger soy short rib; and the indulgent lobster causa served with yellow potato, aji amarillo crema, (made from aji amarillo chili peppers and queso fresco), smoked salmon roe and rice crips.
The stars here are the banana-leaf wrapped local snapper with purple sticky rice; and Korean fried chicken, marinated in gochujang, finished with fermented garlic honey sauce. The hibachi grilled grass-fed prime beef, inspired by chef Robbins’ upbringing in Hawaii, lets you grill glazed meat tableside, accompanied by bok choy and Okinawa purple yams.
(Courtesy Donna Mare)
Donna Mare table spread
Donna Mare Italian Chophouse at the Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club (305-673-6273), 3921 Collins Ave., Miami is a must-try for traditional Italian cuisine, featuring handmade pasta, wood-fired pizza, and aged steaks. Executive Chef Luigi Iannuario celebrates Italy’s culinary traditions, focusing on farm-to-table ingredients, and master sfoglina Elena Montanari, a traditional pasta artisan from Italy, showcases her craft from her workshop overlooking Collins Avenue. Guests marvel as she transforms flour and egg into art – as she learned from her family in Italy, preserving a centuries-old practice.
Menu highlights feature mortadella pizza, with creamy burrata sourced from Puglia, nutty pistachio pesto, and fragrant basil atop a perfectly crisp, wood-fired crust; and lobster chitarra, housemade pasta paired with tender Maine lobster in a sauce simmered for 12 hours. For a heartier indulgence, the 45-ounce Fiorentina steak, dry-aged and seared to perfection, is ideal for sharing. The veal cotoletta alla Milanese features a milk-fed veal accompanied by arugula and tomato. Donna Mare chicken parm is made with organic chicken and a rich five-cheese blend, embodying a “nonna-influenced” approach.
Design District pioneer, Michael's Genuine (305-676-0894), 130 NE 40th St., Miami, by James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Schwartz, has just celebrated its 18-year anniversary. In 2007, Chef Michael put the Design District on the culinary map with his genuine, ingredient-driven cooking philosophy, spearheading a new wave of dining for Miami. Since opening, the haute spot has received many accolades including a Bib Gourmand by Michelin Guide and named "Best New Restaurant” in 2008 by The New York Times.
On Easter Sunday, Michael's Genuine is making brunch an all-day affair: From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., diners can experience dishes such as the Rachel omelet filled with pastrami, pickled cabbage and gruyère; or French toast topped with cinnamon sugar, chocolate. and banana. Pastry chef Marlena Bella's desserts include Frosted Flake flan with caramel, brown sugar cornflakes, and strawberry crème; or roasted Tahitian vanilla bean gelato drizzled with Piro olive oil.
(Courtesy Voodoo Doughnuts)
Voodoo Doughnut's Voodoo dozen
Coming soon to Miami: Voodoo Doughnut! With more than 22 locations across seven states, Voodoo Doughnut is known for queues that stretch out the door and around the block. While no opening date has been announced, we'll soon be seeing those lines in Wynwood (645-241-4666) at 2401 NW 2nd Ave., Miami, when the cult-favorite doughnut shop opens with its legendary flavors and iconic pink boxes. Wynwood, renowned for its colorful murals, cutting-edge galleries, and buzzing nightlife, provides the perfect backdrop for Voodoo Doughnut’s whimsical creations.
Portlanders and friends Kenneth “Cat Daddy” Pogson and Tres Shannon collaborated on the creation of Voodoo Doughnut when they discovered that downtown Portland lacked a doughnut shop. They found a small storefront in Portland's Old Town in 2003 and opened their first Voodoo Doughnut shop. They joked about their ambition to achieve “world doughnut domination,” but it turns out it was no joke. Voodoo Donut's fans attribute the company's success to its imaginative doughnut flavors such as Dirt, Marshall Mathers, Sprinkle Cake, Voodoo Doll, and Maple Blazer Blunt, with the most popular being the Bacon Maple Bar, due to its sweet and salty combination of crispy bacon on top of a maple-glazed donut.
For a Passover dining option, read our story on French Kosher Dining.