Cheeseburger Baby 1505 WASHINGTON AVE., MIAMI BEACH 305-531-7300 CHEESEBURGERBABY.NET Cheeseburger Baby’s current owner, Stepha- nie Vitori, started as a delivery driver at the restaurant, before taking over almost two de- cades ago. The little burger joint, located on Washington Avenue in South Beach, gained worldwide fame after Jay-Z and Beyoncé were spotted enjoying a few sandwiches after hours. The restaurant’s motto is simple: Serve great burgers to people into the wee hours of the morning, at reasonable prices. The burgers are fresh off the griddle, the beer is cold, and the ser- vice is friendly. Chug’s Diner 3444 MAIN HWY., COCONUT GROVE 786-353-2940 CHUGSDINER.COM Michael Beltran distinctly remembers the day he got his nickname. It was his first day as a high school freshman; Beltran walked in late to class, a choco- late milk chug in hand. Today, Chug is the name of the restaurateur’s Cuban- American diner, a successful pop-up he’s since expanded into a permanent, full-service eatery and modern-day ventanita. Where once stood a tiny grab ’n’ go, Chug’s now shows off an airy, open design inviting morning, af- ternoon, or late-night dining, complete with diner-style booths and a bar with lounge-style seating. True to the diner ethos, a crave-worthy menu of Cuban- American eats covers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While pancakes and meat- loaf are signature highlights, don’t miss out on the curated selection of Pas- telito Papi’s famous fruit- and meat- stuffed pastelitos, or the house Cubano sandwich served on fresh-baked Cu- ban bread from the diner’s own bakery. Chug’s was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its approachable, exe- cellent fare. Clive’s Cafe 5890 NW SECOND AVE., MIAMI 305-757-6512 CLIVESCAFE.COM Clive’s Cafe makes its mark with great Jamaican favorites such as curry goat, oxtail, and jerk chicken. The original Wynwood location, which had been around for nearly four decades, closed, but Clive’s new home in Little Haiti is a colorful haven in which to eat some of the best Jamai- can fare in Miami. The chicken is cooked to diner perfection and the curry is a smooth and subtle blend. The mood is laid-back, right down to the small radio pumping out reggae sounds. You just may catch Clive’s fan Lenny Kravitz taking in the scene. The place is great for takeout but just as nice for a midafternoon pit stop. 12 12 Cote Miami 3900 NE SECOND AVE., MIAMI 305-434-4668 COTEMIAMI.COM Simon Kim has brought Cote, his New York cross between a Korean barbecue restaurant and a traditional steakhouse, to the Design District. The restaurant offers a selection of American and A5 Japanese Wagyu sourced from the Miyazaki prefecture (where true Wagyu are raised). The steaks are dry-aged for a minimum of 45 days in-house and then sea- soned with a mixture of British Maldon, Hi- malayan pink, and Korean thousand-day salts before being presented raw and cooked to or- der tableside. It came as no surprise in 2022 when Cote Miami earned a Michelin star. litany of secrets Yang refuses to share. A sim- ple chicken broth, made by simmering car- casses with ginger and garlic for three hours, is poured on top just before the dish is sent out to the dining room. Bring a big group so you can order as many of the accouterments as possible. Also be sure to pace yourself: One of the most joyous moments of hot pot comes at the very end, when the broth and spices have reduced, along with everything that’s been cooked in them, into a rich, flavorful brew that makes the last few bites truly special. Doce Provisions El Bagel 6910 BISCAYNE BLVD., MIAMI 786-536-7365 ELBAGEL.COM Matteson Koche’s hand-rolled bagels, free of the additives and preservatives found in many renditions, are the heart and soul of this Biscayne Boulevard “bageleria.” Sandwich options include a bacon, egg, and cheese ver- sion and the “Lox Supreme,” as well as funk- ier creations such as the “Avo Spesh,” made with smashed avocado, English cucumber, cream cheese, olive oil, and sea salt. The “EB Original,” with its salty- spicy-rich combination of cream cheese, charred jalapeños, and thick- cut bacon, is not to be missed. Purists can purchase an unadorned bagel or a dozen to take home. El Mago de las Fritas 5828 SW EIGHTH ST., MIAMI 305-266-8486 FACEBOOK.COM/ ELMAGODELASFRITAS Sure, El Mago de las Fritas dispenses diner-like fare from its old-school caf- eteria-esque dining room (complete with vinyl booths and Formica coun- tertops). But you’re not here for just any dish. You’re here for the Cuban hamburgers, AKA fritas. From the or- ange-hued beef chorizo patties to the almost-too-soft Cuban rolls and the topping of handmade potato sticks, El Mago’s frita is one of the best itera- tions in the Magic City. You can order a basic frita, but seriously consider a double with cheese. Whatever you do, don’t forget to add a fried egg on top. Most of the staff members don’t speak English, but if you’re uncomfortable ordering in Spanish, just point at what you want on the menu. Courtesy of Doce Provisions CY Chinese Restaurant 1242 NE 163RD ST., NORTH MIAMI BEACH 305-947-3838 CYCHINESERESTAURANT.COM The minute you step into this Sichuan-style North Miami Beach hideaway, your senses fall prey to the overwhelming perfume of ren- dered beef fat and chili oil. CY Chinese is the first U.S. project of chef Yang Xian Guang. Beef fat is the central ingredient of Yang’s hot pot — the rich, savory aroma is the yardstick by which most Chinese folks judge hot pot. The Chongqing native’s recipes include three or more kinds of chilies, a mountain of Sich- uan peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, garlic, gin- ger, star anise, fermented black beans, and a Doce Provisions 541 SW 12TH AVE., MIAMI 786-452-0161 DOCEPROVISIONS.COM Lisetty Llampalla and Justin Sherrer run Doce Provisions, a gastropub that epitomizes Miami in a nutshell: part Cuban, part American. The original restaurant, located in the center of bustling Little Havana, seats only about a dozen or so patrons, who come for this perfect marriage of dishes: Cuban sandwiches and fried chicken, tostones and disco fries, lechón asado buns and shrimp po’ boy tacos. The restaurant became so popular that there’s now a second location at the Shoma Bazaar food hall in Doral. Enriqueta’s Sandwich Shop 186 NE 29TH ST., MIAMI 305-573-4681 ENRIQUETAS.COM A simple sandwich shop at the conflu- ence where Wynwood, Midtown Mi- ami, and Edgewater meet, Enriqueta’s remains a holdout in the race to turn Miami into a sea of condominiums and Lululemons. The restaurant is also one of the most democratic in the city, its clientele a steady stream of construction workers, galleristas, tourists, and dwellers of the aforementioned condos, all dropping by for their cafecito fixes and Cuban sandwiches — here with a bonus in the form of croquetas pressed into the bread along with the meat and cheese. Finka Table & Tap 14690 SW 26TH ST., MIAMI 305-227-8818 FINKARESTAURANT.COM Siblings Eileen and Jonathan Andrade de- scend from Miami dining royalty. Their grandparents founded Islas Canarias, the shrine of Cuban comfort food revered for its croquetas. Their parents carried on that tra- dition. It was on the sage advice of Mom and Dad that Eileen and Jonathan opened Finka MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 SEPTEMBER 15-21, 2022 NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS |miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com miaminewtimes.com
