16 July 27 - August 2, 2023 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 | ▼ MIAMI-DADE FIVE NEW RESTAURANTS PARTICIPATING IN MIAMI SPICE Miami Spice (August 1-September 30) is ev- ery local food lover’s and traveling gastro- nome’s dream. When the summer heat seems unbeatable, Miami’s hardest-to-get-into res- taurants offer you an excuse to get out of the sun and into their dining rooms. Suddenly, all the menus you’ve been wanting to try are there for the taking. But what if you’ve already completed your Miami foodie bucket list? Or perhaps you’ve already visited, seen, and conquered the Mi- ami restaurant scene? Well, we’re here to help. Although brand-new restaurants are opening up left and right in the 305, only a handful can be considered a cut above the rest. For this list, we’ve rounded up a handful of the most interesting new-to-Spice estab- lishments you may not have heard of. From a Chino-Cubano-inspired supper club to a stellar Spanish restaurant in Brickell and a legendary Miami chef’s latest project, listed below in alphabetical order are five hot new restaurants to try during Miami Spice. Aba 9700 Collins Ave. #101 (in Bal Harbour Shops), Bal Harbour; 305-677-2840 abarestaurants.com “Aba,” the Hebrew word for “father,” is an appropriate name for this Bal Harbour restaurant, especially considering its sprawling Mediterranean menu. Its Spice offerings go far beyond dips and spreads — although there are plenty of those, including hummus with sweet corn and smoky garlic, sweet-pea spread with labneh and two kinds of cheese, a charred eggplant spread with house yogurt and muhammara. Kebabs are the name of the game for entrées, ranging from lamb and beef to Ora king salmon or grilled cauliflower with Medjool dates. Brunch is its own beast entirely, with a short rib shakshuka, kefta and eggs with tzatziki and lemon dill rice, a summer vegetable frittata with asparagus and Parmesan cheese, and (our choice) a khachapuri with graviera cheese and cremini mushrooms. And if all that isn’t enough, sticky date cakes, frozen Greek yogurt, and peach drop biscuits with Chantilly cream are among the varied dessert options. Miami Spice is offered for lunch Monday through Friday, dinner nightly, and brunch on Sunday. Calle Dragones 1036 SW Eighth St., Miami; 786-722-8370 calledragones.com Named for a street in Havana where Cuba’s Chinese community once flourished, this supper club on Calle Ocho in the heart of Lit- tle Havana serves up more than food, with a nightly performance schedule featuring live music and cabaret performers. So while spending your Spice money there already means an experience beyond food, the Asian- inspired Cuban cuisine by Chef Luis Pous is also a great value thanks to its luxe ingredi- ents. The $60 dinner menu starts with appe- tizers, including crispy gyoza, Key West prawns, tuna kinilaw with seared foie gras, and mariposas Chinas de lechón confit with sweet maduros. Mains include beef short ribs Chu Hou, a crispy sweet-and-sour sea bass fried to perfection, and two variations of fried rice, one featuring kimchi and truffles, the other a rich duck confit. Alternately try the $35 Sunday brunch menu, which swaps in lo- cal fish crudo and croquetas de fricase de pollo for apps and a black Angus beef ropa vieja and risotto congri with short ribs vaca frita for mains. Both menus feature chocolate Szechuan cake and dragones crema Catalina for dessert. Miami Spice is offered for dinner Wednesday through Sunday and for Sunday brunch. MaryGold’s Florida Brasserie 2217 NW Miami Ct., Miami; 786-522-6601 marygoldsbrasserie.com Recently opened at the Arlo Wynwood, Alter and Kaido chef Brad Kilgore’s new restaurant takes the best of old and new Miami, offering an updated take on Southern cuisine with some tropical twists. They’re only serving dinner for Spice, but the $60 menu offers a chance to try some of Kilgore’s kooky new creations. Appetizers include beignets topped with jerk oxtail ragout, an agnolotti with ricotta cheese and sweet corn, and a squash salad, while the mains are a classic surf-and-turf situation: short rib vaca frita | TASTE TEST | ▼ Café Zeru Miami photo Zeru Miami is new to Miami — and to Miami Spice. PIZZAWEEKMIAMI.COM #PIZZAWEEKMIA
