Looking to celebrate a dreamy summer night in a special way? Experience a chic supper club experience at Villa Azur (305.763.8688), located at 309 23rd St. in South Beach. It’s a romantic spot evoking a decidedly South of France vibe – as you enter, it’s as if you’re transported to the French Riviera, from the romantic dining room to the open-air courtyard under the stars.
(Michelle Van Tine Photography)
Menu options at Villa Azur include a tomahawk steak served with chimichurri and bordelaise and béarnaise sauces.
Here you’ll while away a glamorous evening featuring European elegance and live music and entertainment. The lavish menu features a 42-ounce tomahawk steak with chimichurri and bordelaise and béarnaise sauces; chateaubriand au poivre – two pounds of prime filet mignon, also paired with bordelaise and béarnaise sauces; and Dover sole meunière, made with the whole fish, capers, lemon and brown butter, prepared at your tableside with a dramatic flourish.
(Ruben Cabrera)
Beautifully presented, MaryGold’s line-caught sashimi is enhanced by naranja agria, aguachile, mustard seed oil and local radish.
MaryGold’s Florida Brasserie (786.522.6600) is located inside Arlo Wynwood, a stylish boutique hotel at 2217 NW Miami Court in Miami. This cozy indoor-outdoor restaurant comes from the renowned Brad Kilgore – a James Beard Best Chef: South nominee and Food & Wine Best New Chefs in America alum – who paired up with award-winning hospitality agency Bar Lab to launch the eatery. Merging Kilgore’s culinary expertise, Bar Lab’s mixology artistry and a French brasserie concept informed by Miami’s diverse cultural influences, it’s no wonder the raves that greeted the space’s opening continue.
(Courtesy of KAO Bar & Grill)
KAO Bar & Grill showcases its Argentine roots with traditional dishes while also featuring American culinary influences.
The menu showcases a fusion of Floridian and international flavors, such as line-caught sashimi with naranja agria; stone oven-baked oysters; and hand-cut tagliatelle. Be sure to save room for the baked Florida, a twist on the classic baked Alaska featuring tropical fruit semifreddo, Creamsicle yogurt and pineapple rum, flambéed tableside. Also on offer are Bar Lab’s crafted cocktails blending tropical influences with the classics.
Dive into more cocktail action at Higher Ground at the hotel’s third-floor courtyard bar, Bar Lab’s latest endeavor offering expertly crafted cocktails with the group’s signature creativity.
(Courtesy of KAO Bar & Grill)
Colorful and artsy, KAO Bar & Grill is Hallandale Beach’s first shipping container eatery.
KAO Sushi & Grill (786.864.1212) at 127 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables is a concept originating in Buenos Aires serving up fusion cuisine that combines Japanese and South American flavors with European tapas. With a menu of grilled meats and seafood alongside sushi rolls, KAO features masterfully crafted creations that make it one of the top foodie destinations in the Gables. The menu includes a wide variety of small plates perfect for sharing, and the modern, artsy dining room and bar evoke an elegant ambiance while also being family-friendly.
KAO Bar & Grill at 11 NE First Ave. in Hallandale Beach recently opened up, becoming the city’s first shipping container eatery. It also offers a one-of-a-kind dining adventure that merges cultures and designs. The restaurant showcases its Argentine roots with traditional dishes such as Patagonian lamb, tablitas, Milanesas and empanadas, while also featuring American culinary influences such as homemade BBQ, signature sliders and delectable steak options. Captivating artwork by Falopapas includes a colorful hand-painted exterior mural, and artwork is on exhibit throughout.
(Courtesy of Negroni)
The happy hour spread at Negroni Bistro & Sushi Bar in Midtown features delicious small plates and drinks.
Negroni Bistro & Sushi Bar (786.510.0075) at 3201 Buena Vista Blvd. in Midtown Miami is a well-known Latin American brand with locations in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Punta del Este, Asuncion Paraguay and more. Its Midtown Miami restaurant – a hot spot for fusion fare and craft cocktails – features a dog-friendly outdoor patio, chic dining room, two bars (one outdoors) and a Negroni Bistro & Nikkei Sushi Bar offering a special variety of rolls, nigiris, tiraditos and ceviches. The menu features diverse international comfort food such as antipasti, salads, flatbreads, paninis and burgers. Try the scrumptious weekend brunch, or the happy hour spread featuring $8 beers and $9 cocktails, wines and bites.
Openings & New Menus
Cubatón Sandwich Shop (973.489.0450) has opened in the heart of South Beach at 413 15th St., and it’s a must-visit destination for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The key ingredient in its famous sandwiches is the homemade lechón pork, which is marinated in a traditional mojo and slow cooked for eight hours until it’s perfectly tender and flavorful. The pork is then flash-seared during the sandwich-making process, giving it a slightly caramelized texture and an incredible taste. Each sandwich – served with ham, melted Swiss cheese, thinly sliced dill pickles, mustard and mayo on pressed local Cuban bread – is carefully crafted with every ingredient selected to create a taste that is truly unique.
(Courtesy of Cubatón Sandwich Shop)
Cubatón in South Beach offers up classic Cuban sandwiches featuring homemade lechón pork.
Other signature menu items include pan con timba, guava paste and melted white cheese on a local sweet medianoche bread; iced Café Bombón, a double shot espresso served over ice; and Batido de Mamey, a Cuban-style milkshake that comes in a variety of flavors including coconut, mango and guava that’s made with evaporated milk and topped with a sweetened condensed milk drizzle.
Pink Love Donuts & More is a family-run South Florida-based bakery with locations in Miami Beach at 222 67th St. (786.431.5144) and in Oakland Park at 827 E Oakland Park Blvd. (954.900.4932). A new all-day breakfast menu features a variety of flavorful French toasts, chicken and waffles, and breakfast sandwiches with donut buns. And speaking of those donuts, they’re available in more than 80 gourmet flavors – including about two dozen vegan options – and there’s also a selection of croissants and Argentine empanadas.
(Courtesy of Pink Love Donuts)
The Pink Burger at Pink Love Donuts & More, made with two Angus beef patties, provolone cheese and chimichurri sauce, is a perennial fave.
Pink Burger fare can also be enjoyed at Smorgasburg Miami, the local iteration of the largest weekly open-air food market in America, attracting thousands of people each weekend to eat from dozens of local vendors. It’s open Saturday and Sunday 12-7 p.m. at 2600 NW Second Ave. in Wynwood, and Friday 5:30-10:30 p.m. at 1100 Lincoln Rd. in Miami Beach.
Quinto (786. 805.4646) is perched above downtown Miami’s Brickell area at 788 Brickell Plaza inside East Miami Hotel with gorgeous outdoor views of the skyline. This bohemian-spirited restaurant offers flavorful food rendered in its signature open fire-style kitchen.
Exiting the hotel elevators on the fifth floor, guests enter Quinto through La Terraza, a lush, verdant garden terrace. It features its own bar with standout signature cocktails such as La Revancha del Anana, a blend of silver tequila, strawberry, pineapple juice, chili liqueur and hibiscus syrup.
(Courtesy of Pink Love Donuts)
There are more than 80 gourmet donut options at Pink Love Donuts & More, including the towering French Toast.
Delivering “sabor” true to its South American spirit, red meat is a draw, but Quinto is now offering an array of new dishes from its summer menu. Try the Quinto Panzanella, made with yellow tomato, llajua sauce, artisan roasted bread, marinated feta and herb oil; Calamar a la Plancha, seared calamari with avocado, barley and black romesco sauce; Coliflor Adobada, roasted cauliflower, adobo, sesame and cauliflower purée, and almonds; and Langostino Tigre y Tagliatelle – Nigerian tiger prawn atop squid ink tagliatelle with a luscious lobster reduction sauce.
Also new at Quinto is the weekly Wednesday night “Noches de Brasa y Son,” an under-the-stars serenade by Trio Salsason, featuring traditional Cuban music, salsa, danzón and rumba.
Irene Moore is a Miami-based writer and certified sommelier whose vivid descriptions take readers through culinary cultures around the world. Her feature articles have appeared in print publications, travel guidebooks and websites in the U.S. and Europe.