Off Site 8250 NE SECOND AVE., MIAMI 786-360-4237 OFFSITE.MIAMI Taquiza’s Steve Santana and beer maven Adam Darnell (formerly of Boxelder) have opened a restaurant that’s utterly unpreten- tious. Off Site has no celebrity name tied to it, no velvet rope, and only one goal: to serve the best comfort food (and beer) in Miami. The sole item on the menu when the place opened in 2021 was a perfectly turned-out fried chicken sandwich made with thigh meat and served on a bun with lettuce and mayo and lettuce — that and the partners’ “Super Good” lager. The menu has expanded (slightly) to include burgers, house-made hot dogs, smoked chicken wings, and a smatter- ing of specials. If you live nearby, you’re lucky enough to call this Little River gem your neighborhood hangout. It’s the perfect place to grab a bite with friends or salve body and soul after a bad day — a fried chicken sandwich and a beer here is the edible equiv- alent to a hug. Old Greg’s Pizza 3620 NE SECOND AVE., MIAMI 866-653-4734 OLDGREGSPIZZA.COM During the pandemic, Greg Tetzner and Jackie Richie started making pizzas from home. Their little project turned into a legit- imate business after many restaurant-indus- try peeps stamped their approval. No longer a side hustle, Old Greg’s has its own Design District shop, with Tetzner baking as many pies as he and his team can handle. What makes these pies superior is the square sour- dough crust, crunchy on the outside but light on the inside. Old Greg’s also offers round pies, chicken wings, and a smattering of specials. They’re all excellent — just make sure you remember to order what you came here for. Orno 1350 S. DIXIE HWY., CORAL GABLES 305-667-5611 THESISHOTELMIAMI.COM/TASTE/ORNO Chef Niven Patel recently opened Orno at the Thesis Hotel in Coral Gables. The stunning dining room is filled with greenery and ac- cented by pale pinks and gold tones. A large, green-tiled wood-burning oven serves as the focal point of the open kitchen, where Patel and executive chef Josh Elliott prepare qual- ity meats and sustainable seafood. For Patel, this is a return to his fine-dining roots — and a way to showcase the vegetables he grows at his farm, Rancho Patel. 26 26 Panther Coffee 2390 NW SECOND AVE., MIAMI 305-677-3952 PANTHERCOFFEE.COM It’s been more than a decade since Joel and Leticia Pollock started serving cold-brew coffee from a bicycle at Miami food truck roundups, ushering in the city’s craft coffee movement. Today, at Panther’s flagship loca- tion in Wynwood (other outlets are scat- tered around the city and Miami Beach), beans sourced from small farms in Nicara- gua, Brazil, Guatemala, and Ethiopia are carefully roasted, then emerge in the form of pour-overs, cold brews, and espressos. You won’t find a cinnamon-pumpkin latte here, but you will get an honest cup of coffee that requires no flavor enhancement. Panther also serves cakes and snacks from local pur- veyors, as well as wine and beer. And, of course, there’s WiFi. Phuc Yea 7100 BISCAYNE BLVD., MIAMI 305-602-3710 PHUCYEA.COM Phuc Yea is a grand 110-seater filled with the sounds of ‘90s hip-hop and the scent of Viet- nam’s ubiquitous fish sauce. That irresistible combo earned Cesar Zapata and Ani Mein- hold’s Upper Eastside mainstay a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation in 2022. Try the green papaya salad, in which chilies, garlic, dried shrimp, and Vietnamese coriander are pulverized into a potent paste that’s tossed with toothsome papaya threads, carrots, and sweet cherry tomatoes, then crowned with banana blossom ribbons, shallots, and herbs. R House 2727 NW SECOND AVE., MIAMI 305-576-0201 RHOUSEWYNWOOD.COM This massive restaurant on NW Second Ave- nue is part art gallery, part restaurant, part entertainment venue. Partners Rocco Carulli and Owen Bale have made this space their own and over the course of a half-dozen years made R House an integral part of Wynwood. The industrial-chic environs serve as a back- drop for the rotating art on the walls and the colorful Latin/Miami-inspired dishes. Ca- rulli, who’s of Italian descent, doesn’t try to compete with Abuela’s cooking. Instead, he takes traditional dishes and makes them his own — by braising coffee-rubbed short rib until it’s as tender as a daisy petal for ropa vieja, for instance. In the spirit of inclusivity, R House offers a number of vegan-friendly dishes, so everyone can have a seat at the ta- ble. Weekends bring lively drag brunches that attract an eclectic mix of brides-to-be, cou- ples, and groups of friends. them to perfection. Vauthy puts the same care into the seafood he serves, often posting photos of giant Alaskan king crab or Brittany blue lobsters to entice diners with his rare finds. Of course, a good steakhouse wouldn’t be worth its salt without great sides, and Red’s lobster mac ’n’ cheese is a must. There’s a wonderful wine selection to boot, so you’re sure to find a perfect pairing for your meal. Redfish Grill 9610 OLD CUTLER RD., CORAL GABLES 305-668-8788 REDFISHGRILL.NET Red Fish Grill in Matheson Hammock Park was known far and wide as a gorgeous loca- tion for date nights, anniversaries, and birth- days. The waterfront restaurant sustained extensive damage to its coral structure during Hurricane Irma in 2017 and was shuttered until ubiquitous local chef Adrianne Calvo helmed its revival. Now under the leadership celebrity chef Donatella Arpaia, the restau- rant specializes in romantic seafood dinners tinged with tropical flavors — like, say, a trio of ceviches, grilled Key West shrimp over corn and fregola, and a whole snapper with grilled lemon. Rusty Pelican 3201 RICKENBACKER CSWY., KEY BISCAYNE 305-361-3818 THERUSTYPELICAN.COM Savory seafood and stunning views of Biscayne Bay from every seat in the house (or out): That’s what makes the Rusty Pelican, a Key Biscayne landmark just off the Rickenbacker Causeway, a perennial favorite for birthdays, engagements, and graduation dinners. The restaurant offers a lavish Sunday brunch and boasts a glass-cube wine “cellar” that holds more than 300 different vintages; all servers are well versed in the treasures within. Phuc Yea Photo by Justin Namon PY noodles, tossed with garlic butter, oyster sauce, and Parmesan cheese, are soulful com- fort food, as is a pho made with rich broth. On Sundays, indulge in Phuc Yea’s spirited brunch. Pinch Kitchen + Bar 8601 BISCAYNE BLVD., MIAMI 305-631-2018 PINCHMIAMI.COM Pinch Kitchen owners Rene Reyes and John Gallo met while working at Casa Tua. They spent years together at various Pubbelly op- erations before realizing their shared dream and opening a cozy spot just north of the MiMo District in 2015. Pinch Kitchen + Bar offers elevated versions of standard fare: Spanish octopus, croquetas, a crisp salad. The proof is in the quality of the ingredients and the care that goes into each dish. Take, for ex- ample, the Pinch burger, an eight-ounce patty made from a custom blend of ground beef, topped with caramelized onions and Swiss: a simple creation, prepared to perfection, and one of the best burgers to be found in all of Miami. The selection of local craft beers and thoughtfully curated wines evidences a simi- lar level of attention. Red Rooster Overtown 920 NW SECOND AVE., MIAMI 305-640-9880 REDROOSTEROVERTOWN.COM As the decade turned, Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson imported his Harlem Red Rooster to Overtown. Situated on the former site of Clyde Killens’ pool hall, where Black stars from Aretha Franklin to Sam Cooke to Muhammad Ali used to mingle, the restau- rant offers dishes that encompass influences from Africa, the Southern U.S., the Caribbean, and beyond, earning a Michelin Bib Gour- mand in 2022. Red Rooster ups the ante with a weekend brunch, live music, and a beautiful bar; families can check out the Creamery for a cornbread-flavored ice cream cone, while Pool Hall upstairs has been lovingly re-cre- ated as a lounge with a retro vibe. Red South Beach 801 S. POINTE DR., MIAMI BEACH 305-534-3688 REDSOBE.COM Red the Steakhouse serves some of the best USDA Prime, age-certified Angus steaks in all of Miami. Chef Peter Vauthy chooses the fin- est cuts and bone-in selections, then sears Sanguich de Miami 2057 SW EIGHTH ST., MIAMI 305-539-0969 SANGUICH.COM Imagine, for a moment, the Cuban sandwich of yesteryear. You could smell pork roasting from blocks away. Then came the sweet per- fume of cured ham, followed by a waft of fresh bread and a quick jolt of tangy mustard seeds pickling in vinegar. Sure, it’s the 21st Century, the era of industrial food and ghost kitchens, but Rosa and Daniel Figueredo’s Sanguich de Miami is a throwback to cooking the way it once was and should be again. Organic meats and cheeses tucked into a cloudlike bun that’s pressed and crisped, creating an even better version of the masterpiece that has tantalized Floridians for decades. These careful, old- school techniques earned Sanguich a Mi- chelin Bib Gourmand in 2022. (In keeping with the times, Sanguich offers a vegan ver- sion, made with marinated jackfruit.) Sexy Fish Miami 1001 S. MIAMI AVE., MIAMI SEXYFISHMIAMI.COM In a city of excess, Sexy Fish manages to be... excessive. This Miami outpost of the London- based flagship of the same racy name is an over-the-top under-the-sea fantasy decorated with millions of dollars’ worth of art, 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
