Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor & Restaurant 128 S. FEDERAL HWY., DANIA BEACH 954-923-4445 JAXSONSICECREAM.COM The landmark Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor & Restaurant in Dania Beach, opened by Mon- roe Udell in 1956, still makes each of its 60- plus flavors of ice cream by hand. Today the old-fashioned ice-cream parlor boasts not only one of the largest — and best — ice- cream selections in the area, but also one of the nation’s largest collections of American memorabilia. Be aware that Jaxson’s is per- haps most famous for its “Kitchen Sink” sun- dae, available for parties of four or more: The restaurant’s professional soda jerks will un- leash their imagination for a concoction that offers a bit of everything but, well, you know. If you’re hungry for more than ice cream, Jaxson’s menu offers dozens of dishes from its “country kitchen.” From wings to clam rolls, they’re all homemade and authentic de- spite drawing from all regions of the culinary map. Vegans can order an Impossible burger, but meat eaters will need all hands on deck for the “Titanic Burger,” which boasts three half-pound beef patties, each topped with a different kind of cheese. Jimmy’s Eastside Diner 7201 BISCAYNE BLVD., MIAMI 305-754-3692 Jimmy’s Eastside Diner has the casual, been- there-forever feel of a neighborhood hang- out. The green-and-brown color scheme is oddly appealing, and the place looks bright and friendly — diner ambiance minus any dinginess. If Jimmy’s looks familiar, it’s prob- ably because the diner was used as one of the filming locations in Barry Jenkins’ Oscar- winning 2016 film Moonlight. Ready your camera, because you’ll want to take a photo for the ’gram. Seating is all booths, and break- fast is served all day, including monster om- elets and refreshing honesty from the waitstaff, as in: “Have the hash browns. The home fries have been sitting all morning.” Philly cheesesteak for Saturday lunch, tuna melts — the fare has all the authentic mark- ings of a classic diner. 18 18 Joe’s Stone Crab 11 WASHINGTON AVE., MIAMI BEACH 305-673-0365 JOESSTONECRAB.COM You know Joe’s. The history, the gloriously sweet stone crabs, the notoriously long wait for a table. Often overlooked are the consis- tently good food, the truly professional service, the free parking, the surprising affordability (except the crabs), and the stately ambiance. Tuxedoed waiters whirl through the dining rooms with oval trays held high above their heads while the buzz of diners subtly occupies the air like the intangible gathering of ions be- fore a thunderstorm, yet it’s difficult to imag- ine so large a space being any cozier. Stone crabs are, of course, the mainstay of Joe’s menu, and somehow they seem to taste a little fresher and sweeter here. The rest of the offer- ings, though, don’t disappoint. And nearly ev- erybody orders Joe’s key-lime pie, renowned as the best in town, for dessert. If you show up on a Saturday evening, be prepared to cool your heels for hours. If you want to sit quickly, Photo by Fujifilm Girl a peppery par with great barbecue. The corned beef is that same Angus brisket, cured, braised, and sliced thick and juicy — miles apart from the pallid strips of meat that pass for an origi- nal cut nowadays. All sandwiches come on thin-sliced, seed-flecked rye spread with daz- zling yellow mustard — make, like everything else, on the premises. All meats and fish are cured and/or smoked in-house. Owner Josh Marcus makes the sour pickles too, alongside wild creations such as the “Jewban,” an unholy Jewish-Cuban alliance made with pastrami, Swiss cheese, pickles, and pork. The Katherine 723 E. BROWARD BLVD., FORT LAUDERDALE 754-216-0690 THEKATHERINERESTAURANT.COM Timon Balloo has shared his life through food for more than a decade at his various Miami keep the tradition alive. He reopened with a restoration so admirable it makes you feel like you’re stepping back to 1954, when the restaurant was one of four delis on the block. Henderson “Junior” Biggers still slices the pastrami and corned beef to order. A pastrami and corned beef combo sandwich comes on rye, slathered with spicy deli mustard, accompanied by coleslaw and a whole sour pickle. Wash it down with an egg cream, served with a pretzel rod. To make sure the restaurant wasn’t stuck in a time warp, Kuscher revamped the menu, offering his now-famous burgers, alongside a whimsical cocktail menu. Kuscher may have rebranded the place to Kush Hialeah, but he still pays tribute to the Hialeah of yesteryear. Don’t forget to pay your respects to the late Walter Mercado in the ladies’ room, decorated with a giant mural of the beloved astrologer. visit on a weekday, when the restaurant opens at 6 p.m. sharp (except Monday, when Joe’s is closed), and you might be eating those sweet claws before you know it. Or keep it simple and grab your claws at Joe’s Take Away, the ca- sual baby brother of the iconic South Beach fixture, located next door. Josh’s Deli 9517 HARDING AVE., SURFSIDE 305-397-8494 INSTAGRAM.COM/JOSHSDELI There are New York delicatessens that don’t go as hard as Josh’s Deli. It’s amazing to see thick cuts of house-cured pastrami gleaming with moisture and capped with ribbons of fat. The Angus brisket is cured for ten days, smoked, and then steamed; it evokes a smoky flavor (with a hint of sweetness) that puts it on restaurants. At the Katherine, he and his wife, Marissa (her middle name is Katherine), share their love story. The menu is a culinary scrapbook of the couple’s travels and life to- gether. The oh-so-addictive clam chowder fries, for example, are a nod to Balloo’s career path, which led him to Belgium, and the orec- chiette is in memory of the pair’s favorite trips to Italy. If you’re a sucker for fine fare and a good love story, the Katherine is your kind of place. Kush Hialeah 1000 E. 16TH ST., HIALEAH 305-887-8863 KUSHHOSPITALITY.COM In 2017, Matthew Kuscher (Lokal, Kush, the Spillover) purchased Stephen’s, the last of Hialeah’s Jewish delis, with a mission to Luca Osteria Kyu 251 NW 25TH ST., MIAMI 786-577-0150 KYURESTAURANTS.COM A sizable portion of the menu at Kyu in Wyn- wood is prepared on the restaurant’s wood- fired grill using a combination of Asian and American barbecue techniques. The meat is simply prepared with Japanese sea salt and black shichimi pepper and then smoked for 12 to 14 hours. It arrives divided into thick slices on a flat wood stump with a bevy of ac- couterments, such as fresh lettuce for wrap- ping, pickled cucumbers, red onions, and shiso. There are also three miniature beakers containing sweet/sour, spicy/smoky, and light/spicy barbecue sauces. In a reverse twist, Kyu has opened an outpost in New York City’s trendy SoHo neighborhood. La Camaronera Seafood Joint and Fish Market 1952 W. FLAGLER ST., MIAMI 305-642-3322 LACAMARONERA.COM Everyone knows La Camaronera Fish Market as the iconic Little Havana seafood spot founded by a family of Cuban fishermen. For more than 40 years, the restaurant’s owners, the Garcia brothers, have been cooking up their famous favorites — including grouper soup, shrimp empanadas, conch fritters, and a fresh fish sandwich — along with dozens of other Cuban-inspired dishes. Most people flock to the dive for the house specialty: ca- marones fritos, a dish that has been featured on Michelle Bernstein’s PBS show Check, Please! and Guy Fieri’s popular Food Net- work series Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. La Fresa Francesa 59 W. THIRD ST., HIALEAH 786-717-6886 FACEBOOK.COM/LAFRESAFRANCESA Beyond its croquetas and fritas, Hialeah isn’t much lauded for culinary excellence. So you could almost hear the collective gasp when La Fresa Francesa opened near a ca- nal that slices diagonally along the city’s southern edge. But Sandy Sanchez and Ben- oit Rabiat, the couple behind La Fresa Fran- cesa, say the opportunity to set up shop in Hialeah was too good to pass up. Inside, washed-out farm chairs seem to dance around doily-lined bistro tables to the in- toxicating French crooning often reserved for tourists in Montmartre. Enjoy classics like steak frites, a croque madame, and a roasted quail. On Saturdays and Sundays, a brunch menu features creations like ba- nanas flambé French toast on medianoche bread, and soft-baked eggs with truffle but- ter and cheese. La Sandwicherie 229 14TH ST., MIAMI BEACH 305-532-8934 LASANDWICHERIE.COM Since this French-owned eatery began sell- ing sandwiches, salads, smoothies, and shakes in 1988, a crowd has lingered along the lengthy counter at the flagship location that extends up an alley off 14th Street be- tween Washington and Collins Avenues in South Beach. The food is fine, but the funky alfresco charm accounts for a large part of 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
