12 August 14-20, 2025 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Month XX–Month XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | ▼ HIALEAH IF LOVIN’ THIS FLANIGAN’S WEDDING IS WRONG, WE DON’T WANNA BE RIGHT Some people dream of a fairy tale castle. Oth- ers dream of a beachside resort. But for Mi- ami couple Mel and Chino Lara, their dream wedding reception took place in the only place that made sense: Flanigan’s in Hialeah. Yes, that Flanigan’s Seafood Bar & Grill. And honestly? We couldn’t think of anything more romantic than a newlywed kiss followed by a sip of a “Flantini,” Flanny’s signature cocktail made of vodka, chocolate, hazelnut, and Irish cream liqueurs, drizzled with cara- mel, and rimmed with chocolate sugar. It all started when Mel took to Instagram in March to share photos of her and her boo with their post-wedding glow — not in a white limo or a luxury suite, but under the warm, forest green glow of the Flanigan’s neon sign. “Yes... We went to Flanigan’s after our wedding!” she wrote. “If you know us, you know that’s the only thing that would make sense.” According to Mel, their Flani- gan’s love story isn’t new. It started “just be- cause,” but the Hialeah location quickly became their go-to spot for every mile- stone: their en- gagement, finding out they were expecting, and even bringing their newborn at just three days old. In an Instagram post, she wrote, “I spent a lot of time at Flanigan’s during my pregnancy. I ran into old friends and made plenty of new ones. We took lots of pictures here and joked that we would show the baby who ‘Tio Flani- gan’ was. We wore green by coincidence. At three days old, it only seemed fitting his first outing would be to go see and take a picture with #tioflanigan. This picture is epic!” “I even threw my bouquet there and she caught it on the first try,” Mel shared about the wedding after-party. We assume it landed right next to a plate of hot “Joe’s Rockin’ Rib Rolls.” Of course, Flanigan’s ate it up. On August 7, the restaurant reposted the couple’s story with the caption, “May this kind of love find me.” Same, Flanigan’s. Same. Any true Miamian would agree: Skipping the stuffy banquet halls for chicken wings, curly fries, and a $4.99 late-night pitcher is the stuff of real love. And let’s be honest: if your wedding doesn’t end with barbecue sauce on your white gown and an ice-cold beer in one hand, did it even happen? So here’s to the Laras: may your love stay as loyal as your devotion to Flanigan’s. And may your marriage be filled with love, the “Award-Winning Baby Back Ribs,” and “Joe’s Rockin’ Rib Rolls” — in that order. Because in South Florida, nothing says romance quite like those neon green Flanny’s lights. (We hope the Flanigan’s in Hialeah gives them a “Big Daddy” combo on the house when they stop by next.) NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR ▼ CORAL WAY THE SECRET’S OUT A humble Miami Middle Eastern market has become a viral sensation seemingly overnight, and it’s not because of flashy decor or a trendy new menu. It’s the same spot it’s always been, just now, millions more people know about it. The Middle East Best Food, a Palestinian- owned deli and grocery tucked into a strip on Coral Way, has been open for decades. Founded by Aziz Ali 57 years ago in Miami, it’s known for its affordable takeout and house- made Levantine specialties. Now, it’s recently been thrust into the spotlight thanks to Miami TikTok @giiiiselle__, whose videos at the shop have been viewed more than five million times. She’s truly been the trendsetter, giving her beloved “Ali” hundreds of new customers. In her most-watched clip, Giselle shares “Lunch With Ali,” where she sits down with owner Ali to talk tabbouleh. A few days later, she returns, calling the chef her “habibi” and explaining she stops in every time she gets her hair done. That’s when she shows a hand- made sign created by one of her followers, listing seven kinds of baklava available behind the counter: pistachio, walnut, hazelnut, chocolate, cashew, almond, and date. Among the shop’s decor is another now- famous sign, taped near the register in all caps: “PLEASE NO SAMBLE. THNKEYOU.” Regulars already knew the rules. Now the rest of TikTok does too. The videos offer a peek inside the tiny Coral Way space, where fridge cases and pan- try staples compete for room with just a few tables. The setup is half grocery, half deli. Customers swing by for shawarma or spinach pies, then walk out with tubs of hummus, jars of pickled lemons, and bags of “special seeds.” When he spoke to New Times a few years ago, Ali defended the bold claim printed above his front window — that the shop serves the best pita in the country. “It just is,” he said at the time. “I don’t want to give you my secret,” he told New Times. And, honestly, we believe him. Beyond the bread, the shop is known for its shawarma, flaky pies, and shelves stacked with pantry essentials from across the Middle East. There’s no formal menu, and only a few seats, but the atmosphere tends to fill quickly, with both customers and conversation. As New Times once put it, the place can go “from quiet to lively faster than you can slam a tub of his hummus.” The Middle East Best Food. 1715 Coral Way, Miami; 305-856-1700; instagram.com/the_ middle_east_best. OLEE FOWLER ▼ COCONUT GROVE CUPPA...COFFEE? A British coffeehouse chain with locations across the United Kingdom is making its way across the pond and into a much warmer cli- mate — sunny Miami. Black Sheep Coffee, founded in London in 2013, will open its first Florida location in Coconut Grove next week at a brand new mixed-use building that’s al- ready drawing buzz for its other tenants. The new coffee shop opened this week in- side Grove Central, which is home to Total Wine, Sprouts, Target, and Panera. While this is the brand’s first location in Florida, it’s the fourth Black Sheep Coffee in the U.S. (Black Sheep first made landfall in Dallas and Grape- vine, Texas.) Founders Gabriel Shohet and Eirik Holth met as roommates at the University of St Andrews before starting the company over a decade ago. They started Black Sheep after quitting their jobs and running pop-up cof- fee stands around London with the goal of making delicious coffee. They couldn’t af- ford an espresso machine at first, so they rented one and poured drinks from a folding table at markets like Brick Lane and Cam- den High Street. Eventually, they scraped together enough cash to build their first shop from salvaged materials. The rest grew from there. Today Black Sheep has more than 116 locations worldwide, including a growing presence in the U.S. It’s known for championing specialty-grade robusta beans, a rarity in the coffee world, where arabica usually takes the lead. The company sources its beans from farms in India and Uganda, where they’re shade-grown, hand-picked, and dried naturally. The result is a cup of coffee that’s appar- ently stronger, lower in acidity, and higher in caffeine. Robusta plants also require less wa- ter and fewer pesticides, which the company points to as part of its focus on sustainable sourcing. At the new Miami shop, customers can expect a full lineup of espresso-based drinks, cold brews, and flavored lattes. Popular options include iced vanilla oat lattes and ceremonial-grade matcha in flavors like “Peaches & Cream,” “Strawberries & Cream,” and blueberry. The food menu includes Norwegian waf- fles with toppings such as Nutella and ber- ries, plus fresh pastries, smoothies, and organic açaí bowls. Black Sheep Coffee. 2750 SW 27th Ter., Ste. 108, Coconut Grove; blacksheepcoffee.us. OLEE FOWLER | TASTE TEST | ▼ Café Screenshot via TikTok/@giiiiselle__ TikToker Giselle (@giiiiselle__) has made a Middle Eastern market on Coral Way a viral overnight sensation. BECAUSE IN SOUTH FLORIDA, NOTHING SAYS ROMANCE QUITE LIKE THOSE NEON GREEN FLANNY’S LIGHTS.
