14 May 25-31, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | News | letters | coNteNts | Photo courtesy of Bondi Sushi Naoe, chef Kevin Cory’s Brickell Key res- taurant earned a rare Forbes Five-Star Travel Guide rating and AAA Five-Diamond award (there are only 64 restaurants in the U.S. with that distinction) for his omakase restaurant that offers two seatings nightly for only five guests each. Victoria & Albert’s, the formal dining res- taurant at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, is lauded for its fine-dining experience. The restaurant, like Naoe, has received the Forbes Five-Star Travel Guide Award and AAA’s Five-Diamond Award (and has achieved the honor annually for the past two decades), so it’s surprising that this destina- tion restaurant, located in the heart of Disney, didn’t receive a star. The other upset of the night was in the Bib Gourmand category, with three Miami res- taurants (Itame, Krüs Kitchen, and Red Rooster Overtown) losing their Bibs, though they are all still listed in the Guide as “Plates.” One can only speculate exactly what the in- spectors’ determining factors were, but Red Rooster Overtown has recently undergone a few chef changes, and Itame’s Val Chang re- cently opened her own Midtown Miami res- taurant, Maty’s. The menu at Krüs Kitchen also seems pricy for a Bib Gourmand designa- tion, with the average entrée listed on its website priced at about $28. There’s always room for these three fine restaurants to regain their Bib Gourmands or rise to the level of a star next year. For a complete list of restaurants in the 2023 Florida Michelin Guide and each restau- rant’s notes, visit guide.michelin.com. LAINE DOSS ▼ KENDALL ELEVENTH STREET PIZZA OPENS IN DADELAND Two years after beloved Fooq’s morphed into Eleventh Street Pizza, it’s clear that was a smart move. Last week, Eleventh Street Pizza opened its second location in Dadeland at 9025 SW 72nd Pl. There are some noticeable changes between the new spot and the original downtown Mi- ami location, according to co-owner David Foulquier, from its size to the menu offerings. “I grew up in Manhattan, so New York- style pizza is very much in my DNA,” says Foulquier, who co-owns the spot with his brother Joshua and partner Danielle Hult- man under the company, We All Gotta Eat Hospitality Group. “During the pandemic, I really started making my own sourdough bread and learning that much more about what makes pizza great. I was getting really finicky about sourcing great ingredients and more. So, Eleventh Street Pizza was born, and now it’s growing.” The Dadeland location is nearly twice the size of its cozy downtown location, including more than 20 indoor and 20 outdoor seats. Foulquier describes the vibe as “more of a sit- down, full service, server-taking-your-order” experience, with no by-the-slice selections for the time being. There is a new smaller pie size option at a smaller price: measuring 14 inches, the smallest cheese pie runs $20. Beyond “the Classic Cheese” — which is the restaurant’s best-seller, driven in part by having received a wow-worthy 8.2 score from Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy — additional pizza selections include pepperoni and hot honey pie and “Wild Shroom” with cremini mushrooms, garlic confit, caramelized onions, and more. The pies may be ordered in a New York-style round or Sicilian style. The menu also includes house specialties like Fooq’s meatballs, a spicy Caesar salad, and dessert se- lections that include a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie sprinkled with Maldon salt. “Down the line, we’re looking to add some aperitivos for starters, perhaps a prosciutto plate and some olive oil-cured anchovies — all things that can go well with wine while folks wait for their pizza,” says Foulquier. “De- pending on how things play out, we may go with some additional menu items, like chicken parmesan, too. But, for now, we’re having fun playing with our new, incredible oven. Pizza can be tricky, particularly making great pizza consistently.” Beyond the Dadeland opening, Foulquier hopes to open a couple more Eleventh Street Pizzas in the near future. While not confirm- ing specific locales, he did mention looking at the Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale markets with a close eye. We All Gotta Eat Hospitality Group also operates the Michelin-starred Su- shi Noz in New York City, with plans to open soon in California. Eleventh Street Pizza. 9025 SW 72nd Pl., Mi- ami; 786-693-2090; eleventhstreetpizza.com. Wednesday through Sunday 4 to 10 p.m. JESSE SCOTT ▼ MIAMI BEACH BONDI SUSHI OPENS FIRST FLORIDA LOCATION Reflecting on hunkering down in South Flor- ida during the pandemic, Bondi Sushi co- owner David Hess tells New Times, “There was just nothing at a level of Bondi Sushi’s quality and price point, and I found a lot of the sushi delivery options to be underwhelming.” A few years later, he and business partners Aiden Carty and Justin Hauser decided to bring the wildly popular, New York City-bred concept to the Sunshine State. Building on its six locations in New York City, Bondi Sushi officially opened in Miami Beach on May 11. Amidst an explosion of sushi and omakase in the 305 in recent years, Bondi Sushi hopes to stand out for its fish selection and pricing. According to Hess, its menu staples include king salmon flown in from New Zealand, carefully sourced Wagyu, and an array of daily specials. Among the restaurant’s most popular ex- isting menu items is its 12-piece omakase (starting at $75), including sea scallops with lime and pink sea salt, seared A5 Wagyu, and chu-toro with kizami wasabi and caviar. The 16-piece delivery combo boxes are also a hit, including four different rolls and four pieces of each starting at $17. New specifically for the Miami location is a to-go luxe box with eight pieces of nigiri, eight pieces of maki, three pieces of crispy rice, and chirashi salad with salmon, tuna, hamachi, and ikura with a karashi dressing. Bondi Sushi has express, lunch, dinner, cocktail, and happy-hour menus offering crispy rice selections, nigiri, and handrolls. Another Bondi Sushi bargain is five hand rolls — with options that include salmon ikura, lob- ster, Wagyu, toro scallion, and more — for $40. On the beverage front, Bondi’s cocktail menu is curated with its sister concepts, the Michelin-starred omakase restaurant Noda and cocktail bar Shinji’s. Highlights include the “Seafoam” with citrus sake, cocchi amer- icano, blue spirulina, yuzu, and seafoam, and the “Honey Dew” with shochu, Midori, cu- cumber, shiso, lime, and brut sparkling wine. The location’s happy hour runs from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday with $5 select hand rolls, $5 wines and drafts, $8 cocktails (like the Ume mojito with plum wine, fresh mint, and lime), and a $12 sake option. At approximately 1,600 square feet, Bondi Sushi’s Miami Beach outpost is the compa- ny’s largest to date. It is anchored by a 24-seat maple-backed sushi bar, mushroom wood walls, and wood paneling with velvet accents. There’s also an outdoor patio with seating for 16 that’s dotted with Italian parasols. “We have a passion for sushi and nice din- ing. That’s how it all started,” says Carty. “Our approach to sushi is much more traditional and formal, with predominately a bar set-up that delivers the best possible fish selections to our customers.” Beyond the Miami Beach opening, accord- ing to Hess, two additional Bondi Sushi loca- tions will open locally by the end of the year in Brickell and Midtown. Bondi Sushi. 959 West Ave., Miami Beach; 786-232-3437; bondisushi.com. Daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. JESSE SCOTT Handrolls at Bondi Sushi
