12 June 19-25, 2025 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 | “Cannon-fired” to the mango-habanero “Shipwrecked in La Habana,” plus the straight-up spice of “Driftwood” and the tangy-sweet “Mop the Deck.” Brisket empanadas arrive piping hot, featuring tender beef and a hint of tropical heat, while the “Pan Con Puerco” layers slow-smoked pork, crisp slaw, and pickles on butter-toasted bread. There is no pit out front, but it is probably Wynwood’s juiciest weekend addiction. Mr. Cobbs BBQ & Wings 20601 NW Second Ave., Miami 305-965-5306 mrcobbsbbqmiami.com Don’t overlook Mr. Cobbs BBQ in Miami Gar- dens, a soul-food-style institution forged over nearly 30 years at the pit. Here, the brisket is the product of decades of trial and error; the ribs fall off the bone the moment they hit your plate, and the pulled pork brims with smoke and seasoning. The old-school sides, such as collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and baked beans, feel like Sunday dinner every day of the week, and the neighborhood vibe reminds you that barbecue is as much about community as it is about the meat. Slab Daddy Barbecue 795 NW 20th St., Miami slabdaddybbqmiami.com Over in Allapattah, Slab Daddy Barbecue channels the spirit of Carolina smokehouses and dresses it up in Latin swagger. Owner and pitmaster Adrian Ricouz built his rep in a backyard pit, and each rack and slice bears his commitment to low-and-slow perfection. The peach-glazed ribs are a sweet-tart revelation that won’t leave you wishing for extra sauce, and the lean brisket slices carry a flawless smoke ring, delicate on their own, bold if you choose to dunk them in the house concoction. Wings here come with a sauce that lingers just long enough to give your taste buds something to remember. No frills, no gimmicks, just smoke-kissed meat that oozes authenticity. Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse 221 SW First Ave., Ste. 1, Fort Lauderdale 954-299-3661 ukiahrestaurant.com When you tire of mustard-based slaw, cross the county line to Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk for Ukiah, where Japanese precision meets Ameri- can smokehouse bravado. Chef Michael Lewis, fresh from his Asheville fusion supernova, of- fers a build-your-own smoked platter featuring half-chicken, Carolina pork shoulder, brisket, or pastrami short rib. Each comes paired with zingy kimchi, pickled vegetables, and toasted rye that soaks up all the drippings. Yes, there’s sushi and sashimi rolling alongside the smoke, and yes, the dumplings make for an unex- pected but welcome intermission. It’s a barbe- cue for the indecisive, the curious, or both. Wholly Cow BBQ 3080 Sheridan St., Ste. 348, Hollywood 754-900-8227 whollycowbbq.com If Miami’s lack of smokehouse lineage both- ers you, head north to Hollywood’s Yellow Green Farmers Market and find Wholly Cow BBQ. They keep things simple: white oak logs, a 16-to-18-hour cook on the brisket, and a straightforward Texas Hill Country ethos. The result is a brisket with a peppery bark that snaps under your teeth, while their three-bone Dino ribs, each tipping the scales at a pound or more, deliver rib-eye-on-a-stick decadence after a six-to-eight-hour smoke. Pulled pork and sausage plates come dressed only with slaw and pickles because, at this level of honesty, you don’t need anything else. Keep an eye on them for occasional weekend pop-ups in the Killian area. BURGER BEAST ▼ BRICKELL NUNA POP-UP BRINGS NIKKEI FLAIR After 6 p.m., the restaurant at the Four Sea- sons Hotel Miami in Brickell quietly hands over its kitchen to one of Peru’s most deco- rated chefs. In the space where Edge Steak & Bar usually serves beef tartare and steak frites, a new restaurant pop-up has taken over — one that arrives with serious culinary credentials. Nuna is the latest pop-up from acclaimed Peruvian chef Jaime Pesaque, best known for Mayta in Lima, ranked among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. In Miami, he’s chosen to explore a different facet of his repertoire: Nikkei cuisine, the Japanese-Peruvian hybrid born from a long history of Japanese immi- gration to Peru. But don’t expect a typical Nikkei menu. “We don’t start from Japanese flavors,” Pesaque says. “We begin with intensity, with Peruvian DNA, and then we shape it using Japanese techniques.” At Nuna, open only for dinner, that philosophy is on full display. The menu blends Peruvian traditions with Japanese ingredients and methods, but the base is unmistakably Peruvian. Ceviches, maki rolls, and yakitori skewers sit alongside dishes built around anticucho, duck rice, and lomo saltado, all familiar, but reframed with contemporary technique and Pesaque’s sig- nature touches. The “Nuna” roll is a good example. It lay- ers tuna with panko-fried shrimp, avocado, and sweet potato crisps. The sauce, a creamy emulsion made from Kewpie mayo and leche de tigre, ties it back to Pesaque’s roots. Another standout is the arroz con pato, reworked from one of Mayta’s signature dishes. The saucy rice is rich with cilantro, the duck appears in multiple textures, and the yolk, cured in shoyu and mirin, adds umami depth. A scattering of yuzu and shiso pulls it slightly east. Even lomo saltado, a staple of Peruvian comfort food, gets a rethink. At Nuna, it ar- rives as saltado al wok, a surf-and-turf ver- sion made with beef and Maine lobster, topped with quail eggs. Pesaque’s team uses wok techniques to create char, layering in soy and Nikkei-style seasonings without losing the soul of the dish. Pesaque, who still runs several restaurants in Peru, says Nuna reflects the way his team at Mayta works: testing ideas in a dedicated R&D kitchen, building sauces and emulsions from scratch. “We don’t copy,” he says. “Everything we use is ours. We try to make it unique.” That drive for originality extends to the bar, where cocktails draw on pisco, sake, Jap- anese whisky, and house infusions. There are also nonalcoholic options, many echoing the flavor combinations found on the plate. Technically, Nuna is a pop-up. It’s ex- pected to operate for a year while Edge con- tinues to serve breakfast, lunch, and brunch. But Pesaque makes no secret of his hopes to stay longer. “This is a restaurant we’ve been wanting to show for a while,” he says. “Miami is the right place for it.” It’s also a crowded field. Peruvian and Nikkei restaurants are everywhere in Mi- ami. What sets Nuna apart is less about nov- elty than execution: the sauces, the sourcing, the way tradition is folded into technique. It’s not trying to be loud. It’s trying to be good. Nuna at Four Seasons Hotel Miami. 1435 Brickell Ave., Miami, fourseasons.com/miami/ dining/restaurants/nuna. MICHELLE MUSLERA Wholly Cow BBQ photo Photo by Ruben Cabrera Wholly Cow BBQ is one of the best new barbecue spots in South Florida Chirashi ceviche with salmon, aji amarillo, avocado, salmon roe, and edamame at Nuna at Four Seasons Hotel Miami.
