bottles to roll dough. Pizza-makers take their time prepping pies for the wood-burning oven. Crusts eventually emerge thin and blistered, their surfaces puffed by blackened bubbles of golden dough. Melted buffalo mozzarella and shredded Parmigiano- Reggiano cocoon smooth tomato sauce (a secret recipe that can be ordered as a side dish). Such attention to detail — and the resulting pies — earned Lucali a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation in 2022. Lung Yai Thai Tapas 1731 SW EIGHTH ST., MIAMI 786-334-6262 LUNGYAI.COM If you’re not used to the searing heat of Thai spice, ask for Lung Yai Thai Tapas’ lab e-sarn — a chilled ground-pork salad spiked with hefty doses of cumin, chilies, and star anise. It’s one of a number of recipes chef/owner Bas Trisransi revived after learning at his grand- father’s side decades ago. Bas knows that the development of deep, complex flavors can’t be rushed. This is quality Thai food that’s both affordable and casual, and the tapas style will rightly tempt diners to sample everything on the menu. A meal at Lung Yai is a crash course for the palate — and the Michelin Guide took note, awarding the restaurant a Bib Gourmand designation in 2022. Macchialina 820 ALTON RD., MIAMI BEACH 305-534-2124 MACCHIALINA.COM Chef Michael Pirolo spent years traveling and cooking at Michelin- starred temples in Piedmont, Lombardy, Bologna, and Campagne. When he returned to the United States, he linked up with Scott Conant and eventually led the opening of Scarpetta at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach before debuting his own Ital- ian restaurant, Macchialina. Pirolo’s skills are many and precise, his menu focused and deceptively simple: a handful apiece of starters, pastas, and entrées. The flavors, though, are forward, thanks to expert de- ployment of fresh and fine ingredients, whether in the form of a salumi plate, a salad of heirloom tomatoes and locally made burrata cheese, a tagliatelle al funghi, or a whole braised fish. The wine list is sim- ilarly concise (and Italian). 24 24 Madruga Bakery 1430 S. DIXIE HWY., CORAL GABLES 305-262-6130 MADRUGABAKERY.COM It’s difficult to say which part of bakery life burrowed deepest into Naomi Harris’ soul. Harris was born in Miami and into the restaurant business: Her father Larry and his brother Stuart founded Miami’s beloved chicken chain Pollo Tropical in 1988. But Harris didn’t plan for a life in restaurants, never mind one of overnight baking shifts. Then one summer during college, she interned with the pastry chef at Coral Gables’ now-shuttered Cacao, and her career trajectory changed. At her Coral Gables bakery, Madruga, she turns out a variety of whole-grain country loaves, along with baguettes, scones, babkas, croissants, and muffins. Her work earned her a semifinalist nomination for the 2019 James Beard Award for Outstanding Baker. Mandolin Aegean Bistro 4312 NE SECOND AVE., MIAMI 305-749-9140 MANDOLINMIAMI.COM Teeny tiny Mandolin Aegean Bistro is located in a former 1940s bungalow in the Design District, adorned in blue and white. The quaintness that fills the air is as tangible as roasted octopus, slow-roasted short rib, and plenty of vegetables supplied by local farms. Schwartz’s consistent, “genuine” approach won the restaurant a 2022 Michelin Bib Gourmand tag. Mignonette 210 NE 18TH ST., MIAMI 305-374-4635 MIGNONETTEMIAMI.COM With its tan leather banquettes, marble raw bar, and hanging constellations fashioned from copper pipes, this seafood restaurant, located across NE Second Avenue from Mi- ami’s oldest cemetery, is like Old Florida meets New Orleans. A meal at Mignonette the concept’s expansion to Brickell, Wyn- wood, and even Madrid, Saudi Arabia, and Naples (Florida, that is). Ms. Cheezious 7418 BISCAYNE BLVD., MIAMI 305-989-4019 MSCHEEZIOUS.COM When the siren song of grilled cheese calls, head to Ms. Cheezious. This food truck turned brick-and-mortar offers plenty of choices. The hot spot serves takes on child- hood favorites such as mac ‘n’ cheese, s’mores, Frito pie, and grilled cheese in myriad iterations, but once you feast your eyes and stuff yourself with the “Croqueta Monsieur,” you’ll likely look no further. Miami’s quintessential finger food and France’s beloved snack join forces to create an edi- ble thing of beauty that packs three ham croquetas, shaved tav- ern ham, Swiss cheese, béchamel sauce, and a few handfuls of Gouda on sourdough bread that’s then grilled to perfection. Mandolin Aegean Bistro Courtesy of Mandolin Aegean Bistro the extra-virgin Greek olive oil that fills the vials placed on each table. Mandolin’s straightforward cooking is embodied in a sweet, tender curlicue of grilled octopus misted with the aforementioned Mediterra- nean lubricant. Even chicken kebab — usually relegated to fodder for timid eaters — is unex- pectedly rousing: huge, juicy hunks of grilled white meat kicked up with a quick dip in the dish of tzatziki served alongside. Don’t miss the Greek salad: large ripe wedges of tomato, cucumber, and green peppers mingled with smaller shots of red onion, capers, and Kala- mata olives. Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink 130 NE 40TH ST., MIAMI 305-573-5550 MICHAELSGENUINE.COM The Design District’s dining OG — Mi- chael’s Genuine Food & Drink — continues to impress. Restaurateur Michael Schwartz’s strategy can be summed up in six simple words: Serve fresh food, pre- pared with care. That “genuine” philosophy earned him a James Beard Award back in in 2010. Though he has since assembled a small restaurant empire, Michael’s Genuine remains the purest expression of the chef’s culinary ethos. The menu changes season- ally, but expect classics such as wood oven- should start with a round of oysters (or Alas- kan king crab legs, or shrimp cocktail). Move on to a crab cake. The “fancy” redfish comes seared, with a reduction of sautéed shallots, garlic, and piquillo peppers deglazed with brandy, stock, white wine, plus a touch of butter, and haricots verts on the side. The beer is ice-cold, the wine list is refreshingly oyster-friendly. Mister O1 1680 MICHIGAN AVE., #101, MIAMI BEACH 305-397-8189 MISTERO1.COM Known as Visa-O1 when it opened in Miami Beach in 2014, this pizza joint had to tweak its name owing to trademark issues. “O1” is a ref- erence to the O-1 visa the U.S. reserves for “individuals with extraordinary ability.” So, yes, this pint-size pizzeria thinks highly of its pies — and with good reason: Only the fresh- est ingredients and premium-quality cheeses (vegan cheese is available for an additional charge) are allowed to top these thin-crust pizzas. The signature pie, the “Star Luca,” is star-shaped, its points formed from perfect little dough pockets filled with creamy ricotta cheese, its center layered with the house Ital- ian tomato sauce along with mozzarella and spicy salami. That stellar creation set Mister O1 apart from other local pizzerias and led to Naoe 661 BRICKELL KEY DR., MIAMI 305-947-6263 NAOEMIAMI.COM Dinner at chef Kevin Cory’s Naoe at the Courvoisier Centre on Brickell Key is an experience you wouldn’t expect to find outside of Tokyo. The restaurant offers two seatings with a maximum of eight people per, and a chef’s-choice menu that might in- clude silver-skinned ahi tuna or horse mackerel glazed with shoyu and plated with pickled wasabi leaves and flowers and freshly grated wasabi root mixed with horseradish on the side. Salmon wrapped in salted white seaweed; roasted freshwater eel; deep-fried shrimp tamago; rice with shiitake mushrooms and hints of eel — all are meticulously prepared and utterly delicious. If you’re still hungry for more, Cory will prepare nigiri sushi. (Ask for the Scottish salmon belly.) He started his culinary training at age 19 and is one of only a handful of chefs to have earned Forbes’ five-star rating seven years running. Naoe is a reservations-only res- taurant and has a policy of no children under 12 allowed. In addition, the restaurant does not substitute, so those with allergies to shell- fish, nuts, gluten, etc., should dine elsewhere. Niu Kitchen x Arson 104 NE SECOND AVE., MIAMI 786-717-6711 NIUKITCHEN.COM In 2017, Katrina Iglesias, Adam Hughes, and chef and Barcelona native Deme Lomas opened Arson two doors down from their first venture, Niu Kitchen. The two restau- rants have since been combined in order to accommodate more outdoor seating. The centerpiece of Arson is the Josper, a charcoal- burning grill/oven hybrid that influences Lo- mas’ gastronomy. Whiffs of Asia and South America rise off the one-page menu, which includes about 20 dishes. Mainstays include charbroiled oysters, chargrilled prawns, and vegan paella. 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