12 September 14-20, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | News | letters | coNteNts | MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | A Bodegón for Everyone Fiorito in Little Haiti delivers affordable Argentine fare. BY MICHELLE MUSLERA F iorito, a venerable Argentine res- taurant in Little Haiti, welcomes diners with an unmistakable en- tryway: a towering portrait of soc- cer favorite — and newly arrived Miami player — Lionel Messi. Affectionately named after the birthplace of soccer icon Diego Maradona, Fiorito opened in 2012. It’s a vibrant locale where culture and cuisine converge, and the space blends soccer-themed décor with an easygo- ing ambiance. The theme was crafted by the owners, brothers Maximiliano and Cristian Alvarez, who together bring years of restau- rant industry experience from Miami and New York. While Cristian wields his expertise in the kitchen, Maximiliano manages service and sommelier duties. Drawing inspiration from Argentina’s bodegones — humble, family- style restaurants known for affordability and generous portions — the restaurant offers a welcome departure from Miami’s more up- scale steakhouse options. “With all the fancy Argentine steakhouses around, we wanted something more laid- back and wallet-friendly,” Maximiliano tells New Times. “We came up with the idea to jazz up the classic bodegón vibe.” Over the past decade, the Alvarez brothers have transformed a modest two-person oper- ation into a bustling establishment with more than 20 staff members, expanding from a di- minutive, 30-seat setup to encompass two dining rooms and a large patio. No question about it: The Magic City’s burgeoning fascination with soccer — specifi- cally Argentina’s 2022 World Cup win and Messi’s more recent arrival — has helped to fuel Fiorito’s popularity. “The day Argentina won the World Cup was our best-selling day in our ten-year his- tory,” says Maximiliano. “Our success hasn’t waned since. We’ve been featured in over 30 news outlets from across the globe in the past few months alone, and Messi’s presence in Miami has been a game-changer for us.” In the kitchen, Cristian does the due dili- gence of bringing Argentine flavors to the ta- ble. He infuses every dish with home-cooked comfort derived from the memories of his mother’s kitchen. As a result, Fiorito’s compact 22-inch grill turns out various cuts of beef cooked to ex- acting precision. Highlighted by options like vacio (flank steak) and churrasco (skirt steak), each cut is meticulously prepared with the goal of delivering a charred, crisp exterior and a juicy, tender interior. Don’t overlook the succulent empanadas, a tribute to their father’s cherished recipe. The beef rendition features cuts of ribeye, churrasco, and flank steak, all fine-chopped by hand before being stuffed into a house- made dough. Equally compelling, the corn empanadas arrive brimming with a blend of corn and creamy mozzarella cheese. For a sweet finish, it is assumed you’ll in- dulge in one of Fiorito’s homemade dulce de leche-centric desserts. The flan and pan- queques (crepes) are done well, embodying the essence of Argentina’s culinary heritage. After more than a decade in business, the Alvarez brothers say they are looking to the future, sharing ambitious plans that include a documentary with Apple TV chronicling their shared story. Both men add they’re also work- ing on the evolution of “Fiorito 2.0” — an ex- pansion into a new residential complex in the Biscayne Gardens area in the coming year. “Our mission was to represent Argentina — our culture, values, and passion for soc- cer,” sums up Maximiliano. “The restaurant stands as a testament to our journey as immi- grants, creating a space that evokes the warmth and camaraderie of home that every Miamian can enjoy.” Fiorito. 5555 NE Second Ave., Miami; 786- 321-5514; fioritomiami.com. Sunday through Thursday noon to 10 p.m.; Friday through Sat- urday noon to 11 p.m. ▼ Café Photo by Michelle Muslera Vacio steak paired with hand-cut French fries and chimichurri sauce Beer at Last Uncommon Path Brewing is finally set to open in Fort Lauderdale. BY DAVID MINSKY T ucked away in a rezoned industrial sec- tion of Fort Lauderdale’s Progresso Vil- lage is Uncommon Path Brewing, which plans to open later this month with beers made onsite, wood-fired pizzas, and two brewers who’ve methodically brought their business idea to fruition. Uncommon Path owners Marcos Cabrera and Josh Breault tell New Times they plan to have the brewery, located at 710 NW Fifth Ave., in op- eration (and the pizza oven fired up) later this month. The duo committed themselves about a year ago after signing a lease on an empty build- ing, after which they began the tedious process of building the place out piece by piece. The opening date is currently set for Saturday, Sep- tember 23. “We came in with dirt floors and no win- dows,” Cabrera says of the sizable space that’s divided between tap room, kitchen, and brew house. “This was just an empty rectangle. I al- ways wanted to do my own thing.” Like many in the beer industry, the road Ca- brera and Breault took that led them to brewing wasn’t a common one. The inspiration behind the brewery’s name comes from the uncommon path they take to making beer and pizza and de- veloping the taproom image. Breault, a native of Springfield, Massachu- setts, works in the IT industry and started home- brewing four years ago. He got his foot in the door a short distance away at Orchestrated Minds Brewing Co., where he met Cabrera, who was the head brewer. Cabrera, who hails from the Dominican Re- public, had been in the beer industry for several years before meeting Breault. Previously, Ca- brera ran the homebrew shop at the Craft Beer Cartel in Fort Lauderdale. He studied music engi- neering in school and spent some time in Berlin before relocating to Florida. Cabrera also worked in the aviation industry as a loadmaster, whose duty is to load cargo onto airplanes safely — but he was always travel- ing. “I was just non-existent,” Cabrera says. Then Cabrera turned his sights to learning how to make wine, but a neighbor — a former chef — taught him how to make beer. Through lots of trial and error, Cabrera slowly got better at it. The two left Orchestrated to venture out on their own. They had saved up enough money and pooled their resources to start working toward Uncommon Path. They split duties in the plan- ning process and took turns attending meetings. When it opens, the brewery will function as two separate units under different zon- ing regulations. Combined to create one business, the tap room is zoned as a bar, while the other section functions as a manufacturing fa- cility. The purpose, he says, is to ensure the proper amount of park- ing spaces for customers. Customers entering the taproom will see an abstract art mural adorning the wall to the right and the Uncommon Path Brewing neon logo hanging on the wall above the bar on the left. A Marra Forni wood-fired pizza oven in the kitchen sits in one corner alongside a topping storage station. The space is just big enough to get the job done. Breault describes the oven as “nice and simple with absolutely nothing fancy about it.” Although an employee will perform the pizza-making task, Cabrera says he spent a whole year learning how to make pies from scratch in order to perfect the recipe. The dough, gooey in consistency, is made with brewing yeast, Cabrera shares. On the beer-making side of things, Cabrera and Breault have assembled a brewing system consisting of a five-barrel mash tun and brew kettle, in addition to eight five-barrel fermenting tanks. At the time of this interview, Uncommon Path’s owners haven’t finalized a beer menu but say they planned to focus on making lagers along with frequent rotations. In addition to lagers, look for stouts, IPAs, sour ales, and some one-off experimental brews the duo describes as old-world styles that aren’t often made (or are oft-ignored) due to the in- dustry’s more popular offerings. For those who prefer wine, Cabrera said the brewery will also have its own curated bottled wine list. “The point is to keep people interested,” sums up Cabrera. Uncommon Path Brewing. 710 NW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 561-654-1846; uncommonpath- brewing.com. [email protected] “WE CAME IN WITH DIRT FLOORS AND NO WINDOWS. THIS WAS JUST AN EMPTY RECTANGLE.”
