106 June 27- July 3, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times b e s T o f m i a m i ® 2 0 2 4 BEST DELI Bagel Bar East 1990 NE 123rd Street North Miami, 33181 305-895-7022 bagelbareast.com Sometimes the simple things in life are the best. New York native Steve Hochman’s Bagel Bar East is one such simple delight. It’s a modern- day Rascal House (IYKYK), for those days your soul and belly need a good, old-fashioned Jew- ish deli. You’ll feel nourished by their matzo ball soup, hand-rolled, double-toasted bagel, or bialy. Do not miss out on the housemade cole- slaw or mouthwatering smoked pastrami. The to-go counter is clutch when all the seats are taken (and they often are on weekends), and Bagel Bar East caters with sandwich platters that are always a home run. BEST KOSHER-STYLE RESTAURANT Dabush 3371 Sheridan Street Hollywood, 33021 954-494-1797 dabushshawarma.com Thanks to Arielle and Omri Avrahami, Israel’s most renowned shawarma chain recently opened in Hollywood. Off the beaten path and on-brand if you’re glatt kosher (or just love a magnificent shawarma), this simple concept offers four ways to eat your meal: in a pita, half pita, laffa, or bowl. Stick with the signature turkey shawarma in a pita. The spit is pre- pared every day with stacked turkey chunks coated in a spice blend and topped with pine- apple so the juices drip down the meat. Pair with a side of skinny fries and top with house- made tahini, schug, salsa, and pickled vegeta- bles made daily. BEST VEGAN RESTAURANT Love Life Cafe 545 NW 26th Street Miami, 33127 305-456-4148 lovelifecafe.com Love Life Cafe is a breath of healthy fresh air in Miami’s overwrought dining scene, thanks to its tasty, cruelty-free, plant-based menu. Own- ers Veronica Menin and Diego Tosoni wanted to bring healthy food that people actually want to eat to Miami. And they succeeded. Love Life Cafe is the kind of spot where vegans flock but everyone approves of it. All of the dishes are as creative as they are delicious, and you can pair them with wines, cocktails, or mocktails. Ex- pect a pleasant meal with solid customer ser- vice and reasonable prices. BEST VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT Blue Collar 6789 Biscayne Boulevard Miami, 33138 305-756-0366 bluecollarmiami.com Is your bestie’s new venture into vegetarianism making it a challenge to go out to dinner to- gether these days? It’s safe to say they’ll find something they’ll love on the menu at Blue Col- lar in MiMo. It’s home to some of the absolute best veggie plates in Miami-Dade County — you won’t miss meat for even a second. Options range from red beets with goat cheese and cara- melized Brussels sprouts to charred sweet po- tato with chili brown butter and artfully sautéed mushrooms. There are also daily spe- cials, like matzo ball soup and mushroom and goat cheese croquettes with fig jam. And if that’s not cutting it for you, by the time you read this, Blue Collar probably will have moved across the street from its original home at the Biscayne Hotel to fancier digs with an ex- panded menu at the address listed here. BEST CARIBBEAN RESTAURANT Clive’s Cafe 5890 NW Second Avenue, Suite A Miami, 33127 305-757-6512 clivescafe.com Clive’s Cafe was a beloved hole-in-the-wall for homestyle Jamaican food with a long history in Wynwood before all of the art and then smoke shops. But now it has a new home in nearby Little River for those craving a taste of the Caribbean. Clive’s serves all the staples like saucy curry goat, flavorful oxtail smothered in the most savory gravy, and jerk chicken that’s perfectly seasoned and charred — each one is no-need-for-a-knife tender. Everything is served with hearty portions of rice and peas and plenty of other side-dish op- tions. Just know whether you want to dine in or out, because that determines where you’re going to stand to place your order. BEST CUBAN RESTAURANT Sergio’s Restaurant 13 area locations, including: 3252 SW 22nd Street Miami, 33145 305-529-0047 sergios.com It began almost 50 years ago with little more than a croqueta and a dream. Now, the Cuban restaurant Sergio’s has 13 locations with au- thentic and time-honored menus filled with tasty, inexpensive, and nostalgic Cuban food. Naturally, they won New Times’ “Best Croqu- etas” in 2022 — and now they have taken the main trophy. You can swing by for a proper Cu- ban breakfast (eggs, bacon, tostada, and a café
