11 JANUARY 11-17, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | ▼ MIAMI EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CHATEAU ZZS In true Miami fashion, you can now eat Mexi- can cuisine inside of Miami’s only 20th-cen- tury chateau thanks to Chateau ZZs, a new fine-dining Mexican restaurant and mem- bers-only club in Brickell. Major Food Group and its cofounders, Jeff Zalaznick, Mario Carbone, and Rich Torrisi, opened the restaurant and members-only club inside of Miami’s only known chateau this past December at the former Petit Douy estate, which was constructed as a private residence in 1931. The building was deemed a designated historical structure in 1983, but this will be the first time the estate is open to the public. Although the second level is restricted to members of ZZs Club based in the Miami De- sign District, don’t fret — the restaurant on the first level is only one reservation away, al- beit one of the most difficult reservations you may try to make in 2024. We promise you, it will be worth it. Below, find everything you need to know about the glamorous restaurant before secur- ing your reservation. Chateau ZZs is the first-ever Mexican concept from Major Food Group and the group’s eighth Miami restaurant to date, fol- lowing Carbone, Sadelle’s Coconut Grove, Sadelle’s at KITH Miami Design District, HaSalon, Contessa, Dirty French Steakhouse, and ZZ’s Club. It’s almost hard to imagine a Miami before the hospitality group took over the Magic City. Carbone’s Miami outpost, which was named New Times’ Best Italian Restaurant of 2023, started it all in South Beach in January 2021. The first level of the reimagined chateau houses the luxurious Mexican restaurant, designed in collaboration with Ken Fulk, Inc., which has worked on multiple projects with the hospitality group. Inside, guests can expect various indoor and outdoor dining environments, including a solarium, bar, lounge, and beautiful gardens. However, don’t expect to feel like you’re dining in 2024. According to its founders, the dining experience has been curated around the original construction date of the estate, the 1930s. Therefore, expect tuxedo-clad ser- vice, nostalgic flair, and old Hollywood glam- our while being served Mexican cuisine inspired by that era. The estate was designed by legendary ar- chitect Martin L. Hampton and follows the ar- chitecture of the Priory of Saint-Julien in the village of Douy, France. Dining here just may transport you to early-20th-century France. “There’s no mansion in Miami that comes even close to matching the uniqueness of this property—an unbelievable destination that feels as if it was built for MFG and the cre- ation of Chateau ZZ’s,” explains Zalaznick. “The estate has never looked more glorious, and we’re about to open the exceptional Mexican restaurant that Miami has always needed but never had.” Appetizers include an authentic guaca- mole and a raw bar selection of Mexican-style seafood such as Michelada oysters, coconut snapper ceviche, littleneck clam aguachile, and even colossal stone crab claws. These offerings are followed by the original recipe for caesar salad, which was born in Ti- juana, Mexico, in the 1920s. Other starters in- clude sweet corn elote, albondigas diavolo, and gambas al ajillo, along with signature house- made tostadas topped with either spicy tuna, caviar and crema, wagyu and truffle, lobster and jalapeño, or fried egg and Iberico ham. As for the entrées, two standouts are a whole branzino brushed with red and green sauces and the spicy lobster fideos. Each main course is served with freshly steamed flour tortillas made in-house, salsas, sauces, and other accompaniments. Desserts stay true to Miami and Mexico cuisine, with renditions of coconut tres leches, mango cheesecake, and classic churros. However, the real standout may be Cha- teau ZZs collection of more than 1,000 tequi- las and mezcals, including dozens of rare bottles. The restaurant boasts a complete | TASTE TEST | ▼ Café Photo by Evan Sung Old Hollywood glamour and authentic Mexican cuisine collide at Chateau ZZs.
