12 March 7-13, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | News | letters | coNteNts | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | ▼ UPPER EASTSIDE MIAMI STAPLE BLUE COLLAR EXPANDS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN A DECADE For the past 12 years, if you’ve driven along Bis- cayne Boulevard in Miami’s Upper Eastside, there’s a good chance you’ve glanced over at Blue Collar restaurant with its iconic sign di- rectly above a few strings of bistro lights. A lot has changed since the beloved Miami staple opened in 2012 — everything except for the restaurant itself. What was once a more desolate corner of Biscayne Boulevard is now full of other restaurants, shops, condo build- ings, and foot traffic. The city, which was once known for nightclubs and a few new spots in Wynwood, is now a mecca of great restaurants and restaurateurs, including those with a Michelin star. With all this change, it was time for the beloved hidden gem and its 800-square-foot self to get a face- lift, as well. Thankfully, Blue Collar isn’t going any- where, but it is hopping across the boulevard to a much larger location with an exciting new addition — a full bar. In April, Blue Collar will leave its current location and move directly across the street into a new space at 6789 Biscayne Blvd. The restaurant will encompass 4,000 square feet instead of 800 square feet, which will allow the restaurant to expand its menu and offer much more ample room for indoor and out- door seating. But don’t worry — menu staples and prices will remain unchanged, and that’s a promise coming from chef and owner Daniel Serfer himself. “I’m the first guy who complains that when a small, awesome place expands, it loses that original magic, so this move and what it means for Blue Collar and its fans weighs heavily on me,” explains Serfer. “I can assure folks that the new Blue [Collar] will embrace the same spirit, menu concept, and pricing as the classic Blue [Collar] but will bring just enough of the right ‘new’ to make it work.” The new location will now seat 140 guests between the dining room and outdoor patio and an expansive full bar with an emphasis on good, old-school cocktails (not the fancy stuff). “People looking for handlebar-mus- tached mixologists and drinks that take 30 minutes to make should get their kicks else- where,” Serfer only half-jokes. Plus, Blue Collar will now have a new happy hour, although the exact menu is still in the works. “Part of Blue Collar’s success has been its pricing, and I’m not looking to change that in the new space,” adds Serfer. “A larger menu and more seats did not indicate, for me, a chance to spike our prices. The new Blue [Collar] will maintain that spirit of accessibility; it’ll just offer more for people to access.” The expanded food menu will feature Blue Collar’s classics as well as a ton of new items. Some of the fan-favorite signatures re- maining on the menu are the “Billy Corben Sandwich,” Blue Collar’s legendary dry-aged cheeseburger on a Portuguese muffin, and the “Big Ragout.” Daily specials will include matzo ball soup and rotating soups, chops, and pasta, as well as freshly baked bread. Serfer’s version of a Miami completa, a meal with a protein, carb, side, and a non-alcoholic drink, will be avail- able at lunch for $15 and dinner for $20. New additions to the menu are a trio of cheeseburger egg rolls, Cuban sandwich egg rolls, and pepperoni pizza egg rolls; mushroom and goat cheese croquettes with fig jam; shawarma made of lamb shoulder that comes with Israeli couscous, saffron, | TASTE TEST | ▼ Café Blue Collar photo “PART OF BLUE COLLAR’S SUCCESS HAS BEEN ITS PRICING, AND I’M NOT LOOKING TO CHANGE THAT IN THE NEW SPACE.”
