13 April 27 - MAy 3, 2023 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 | Convenient Getaway The Drexel at the Esmé Hotel is well worth the trek to South Beach.BY JEN KARETNICK L ocal Miamians are known to avoid South Beach most of the tourist season. That means missing out on some restaurants, however excel- lent they may be. Unless they’re participating in certain shows and festivals, locals bypass the beach during the crowds of Art Basel, the Miami In- ternational Boat Show, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, and Spring Break. And every weekend when the sky is that particular blue color and the sun burns bright, well, those days don’t bode well for crossing any of the causeways and parking once you get there. Despite all of this, fans of the Drexel at Esmé Miami Beach Hotel are willing to risk crowds, misbehaving tourists, and over- whelmed parking garages and valets. Why? For starters, the restaurant is owned by An- astasia Koutsioukis and Ahmet Erkaya, pro- prietors of longtime Design District fave Mandolin Aegean Bistro, design store pop-up Mrs. Mandolin next door, and the more casual iteration Mr. Mandolin in the Upper Eastside. For another thing, the Drexel is located on a quiet block of historic Española Way. It’s a region reminiscent of a time before mass de- velopment overtook the beach. The 1920s Mediterranean revival buildings, which still aren’t all completely redone, per- fectly suit the Drexel’s dinner cuisine, which ranges from an ultra-fresh heirloom tomato salad with avocado, hearts of palm, and kala- mata olives to heartier dishes such as a whole organic chicken simply roasted over wood and charcoal to housemade pizzas and pasta. Brunch offers classic items and innovative plates, including spinach-aged feta with wood- oven baked eggs, bananas Foster French toast, and the inescapable cacio e pepe. The restaurant is reminiscent of the ‘90s when Miami Beach was just beginning to gain a reputation as the American Riviera. Those were exciting days when we knew that Miami would be on the culinary map one day. Okay, so it took 30 years. Bon Appétit may have finally taken notice, granting Miami the title “2023 Food City of the Year.” The Mi- chelin Guide came around last year, as have other media outlets like the Robb Report and Bloomberg, who labeled the city “America’s Hottest Dining Scene” and “the most exciting food city in the country” in 2021. But for those of us who have been dining and writing about this place for decades, it’s a pleasure not only to hear the accolades but to acknowledge those who have been striving for perfection all along. Restaurateurs like Koutsioukis and Erkaya are neither sitting on their laurels nor speed-giving us place after place with zillion-dollar pomp and circum- stance. Instead, they’re slow-fooding it — and getting it just right. So while you can’t get into Mandolin with- out a reservation far in advance these days, the Drexel is still something of a Mediterranean hidden gem where the quality and location make you feel like you’re on vacation in Croa- tia or off the coast of Italy or in the Greek Is- lands — which was exactly the intention of the pair. “It just felt right to be on the corner of this beautiful pedestrian street with its storied past as an artist colony. The Spanish revival archi- tecture makes you feel like you’ve escaped to the Mediterranean,” Koutsioukis says. Indeed, while the Drexel technically is in the heart of the Art Deco District, you’d never really know it. This block is special, exud- ing the same vibe that it did decades ago. Koutsioukis and Erkaya, who had long been thinking about expand- ing to South Beach, felt it as well. This west- end location, which bleeds into the residential area, and the site itself drew them to build out the Drexel there. “It was important to find a space with a sense of history. We are nostalgic for the charm of ‘old Miami.’ Española Way had that built-in charm,” Koutsioukis notes. “The building was being restored by the Esme Hotel group, and we jumped on the opportunity to create an an- chor restaurant in the neighborhood for local Miami Beach residents and travelers alike.” Of course, the fare differs from Mandolin a bit, with fewer Greek and Turkish influences and more Italian mainstays to attract a differ- ent, more touristy crowd. But don’t let the simplicity fool you. From a flavorful gigante bean dip with crudites to an exceedingly ten- der grilled octopus with pungent olive tapenade to whole wild prawns with herbs and lemon, they stun with exceptional quality. I recommend sitting inside in the light, welcoming interior, with doors and windows often open to the outdoors (in cooler weather) or outside on the terrace. Either way, you can view the rowdier restaurants from a distance, making you feel like you’re on a Greek island where you can choose to be at the party or away from it while indulging in much better cuisine. Speaking of Greece, if you don’t see Kout- sioukis and Erkaya at any of the Mandolins or the Drexel, that’s because they’re also build- ing a six-room hotel on the island of Paros, where they have a summer home. Paros in- spired the Mandolins, so as they say, “It’s all come full circle.” As have we. The Drexel. 1436 Drexel Ave., Miami Beach; 305-692-0992; drexelmiami.com. Dinner is served Monday through Friday 6 to 11 p.m., Saturday 5 to 11 p.m., and Sunday 5 to 10 p.m. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundowner happy hour is offered daily at the bar 5:30 to 7 p.m. [email protected] ▼ Café Photo by Katie June Burton Don’t be fooled by simplicity — the quality of these whole wild prawns, grilled over wood with herbs and lemon, is outstanding. “WE JUMPED ON THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE AN ANCHOR RESTAURANT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.”
