15 February 16-22, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | CuLture | Cafe | MusiC | 1819 79th Street Causeway, North Bay Village, FL 33141 • 305.866.1570 Voted Best Outdoor Restaurant in Miami — New Times Best of Miami® 2022 Visit us at the Happiest Place on the Water! miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | Meli tells New Times that, after ten years, it was time to make a change. “BarMeli just got too big for me. The expenses have sky- rocketed. As a restaurant it was successful, but it wasn’t where it should be for the work that was put into it.” The restaurant owner says that BarMeli originally started as a small wine bar with tapas. But, when the restaurant moved to a larger space, it turned into more of a sit-down restaurant. “My business was determined by the number of reservations I received. So, people would make 8 p.m. reservations, and everyone comes at the same time. I was tired of the whole reservation system,” she says. Meli sees the closure of BarMeli as a posi- tive. “Customers are upset, but I’m not upset. I look at this as a real success story,” she says. Meli, who opened her first restaurant Ouzo’s Greek Taverna in North Beach with her brother Johnny in 2002, won’t be idle for long. She plans to open a new wine bar on 109th Street and Biscayne Boulevard in the coming months. The 1,000-square-foot restaurant will offer chef-driven fare, organic wine, beer, and a walk-in policy where all are welcome. The name? No Reservations. “It’s a cool, hangout kind of place. I wanted to try something different,” says Meli, who adds that Miami needs more casual little restaurants. “The problem — besides having a thousand restaurants — Is all that formality. People want to chill. They want to hang out and have a little food.” Though Meli is changing the location, name, and concept of her restaurant, the hos- pitality that became a trademark of the res- taurant will remain. “Hospitality is part of my Greek culture. This is my fifth restaurant, and people have always mentioned that they feel welcome. That reinforces what I do and it makes me want to keep going.” Meli also gives credit to her team, including Andrea Schiavi, who has been with Meli for 20 years. “There’s respect and trust there.” Meli is also partnering with her BarMeli chef, Christophe Bibard, on the new venture. This time, however, the talented chef (who made the Top Chef Paris finals), will be able to create a menu to his liking. Meli describes the food at No Reservations as, “eclectic, well- made, and creative cuisine. Think of it as the world on a plate.” Meli also shares that she’s looking for another possible location to open a new iteration of BarMeli, but for now, she’s looking forward to No Reservations. “I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. I’m looking forward to a new challenge.” For now, No Reservations has no opening date, which depends on permits, according to Meli. But for now, there’s still time to have a few glasses of wine and some flaming saga- naki at BarMeli before it closes on Saturday, February 18. But whatever you do, don’t be sad — because Meil isn’t. “My motto is don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it hap- pened. It’s not like I’m going away. I’ll see ev- eryone soon.” BarMeli69. 6927 Biscayne Blvd,. Miami; 305-754-5558; barmeli.com. LAINE DOSS ▼ DOWNTOWN E11EVEN’S ROOFTOP RESTAURANT OPENS WITH GLOBAL FARE AND A CATWALK Giselle — a collaborative concept from the Res- taurant People and Miami nightclub E11even that boasts an Asian-meets-Mediterranean- meets-French menu — is officially open. “We were looking for a group that could not only match with the identity of E11even but have its own personality as well,” Gino LoPinto, operating partner of E11even, says about the company’s partnership with the Restaurant People. “And we’ve found it right here, where it’s not about ego, but about the best quality and service,” he tells New Times. The Restaurant People is perhaps best known for high-energy Broward endeavors, including YOLO restaurant/lounge on Las Olas Boulevard, waterfront dining destina- tion Boatyard, Tarpon River Brewing, and su- shi hotspot Sun Surf Sand on Fort Lauderdale Beach. For Giselle, the space itself is “elegant, sexy, and fun,” in the words of Alan Roth, Mi- ami partner of the Restaurant People. In a chat with New Times, he says, “so far, during our friends-and-family events, every- one has been in awe. In the middle of our din- ing space, we have a catwalk, and into the later part of the night, people are using that catwalk. In fact, already, we’ve had Mr. Wonderful Photo by Stian Roenning Bar Meli’s Liza Meli
