including a giant living aquarium wall, pieces by Damien Hirst — even bathroom installations (a lifelike mermaid in the ladies’ and Daniel Crag-as-James Bond in the men’s. On weekends, there are shows featuring actual mermaids and mermen, and the entire place practically buzzes with energy. With all that going on, you might forget you’re in a restaurant. But you are. The fare, like everything else here, is extra: high-end sushi, caviar service, seafood towers, a dessert platter served in a giant clamshell. This is where you take your out-of-town cousin when you want to show them MIAMI in all capital letters. It’s also the place for birthdays and other celebrations, as well as for forgetting that most of human existence is humdrum. high-end Bal Harbour. The original inn and eatery opened on New Year’s Eve 1930 and quickly earned the nickname “Millionaires’ Surf Club” for its level of exclusivity and abil- ity to attract the rich and famous. Today the restaurant is run by one of the biggest names in American food: Thomas Keller, who re- mains the first and only U.S.-born chef to hold multiple three-star ratings from Michelin. Keller doesn’t take shortcuts. His beef Wel- lington is made from 48-hour-braised short rib in a beef mousse, layered with a spinach and black-truffle mushroom pâté and The Den at Azabu Smorgasburg Miami 2600 NW SECOND AVE., MIAMI SMORGASBURGMIAMI.COM Miami has more than its share of food halls, but Smorgasburg is the most interesting, by far. The con- cept was born in Brooklyn’s Wil- liamsburg neighborhood (hence the portmanteau) in 2011 and de- buted a branch in 2022 in Miami’s own Williamsburg: Wynwood. Smorgasburg is part carnival mid- way, part food hall. What sets it apart is the selection of food. On any given Saturday (the only day Smorgasburg is open), you can start with freshly shucked oysters, scarf down steamed dumplings, chicken heart skewers, hot chicken sandwiches, and a lobster roll the size of a kitten, and top it all off with ice cream. There’s something for everyone in your group, from picky kids to vegans to carnivores. Most of the vendors are up-and-coming restaurateurs who are us- ing Smorgasburg as a leg up into the industry. So that ramen you slurp at a picnic table on Saturday might have been made by next year’s James Beard nominee. Stubborn Seed 101 WASHINGTON AVE., MIAMI BEACH 786-372-6596 STUBBORNSEED.COM Jeremy Ford — the Florida-born, smooth- scalped winner of the 13th season of Bravo’s reality cooking show, Top Chef, in 2016 — presents gorgeous dishes the likes of which Miami has rarely seen. Though Ford offers an à la carte menu that’s ever-changing, the best way to experience Stubborn Seed is through its eight-course chef’s tasting menu, available weeknights before 9 p.m. for $150 per person. The restaurant’s excellent fare earned it a Mi- chelin star in 2022. 28 28 Surf Club Restaurant 9011 COLLINS AVE., SURFSIDE 305-768-9440 SURFCLUBRESTAURANT.COM Prices at the Surf Club are among the highest you’ll find in Miami. But then, so is quality. Located in a completely rebuilt Mediterra- nean Revival-style resort in Surfside, the res- taurant stands just a few blocks from No one demanded they be filled with the slightly spicy, charred poblano strips called rajas or the tangy corn fungus known as huit- lacoche. Yet the programmer-turned-cook, who did stints with Jeremiah Bullfrog and at Giorgio Rapicavoli’s Eating House, decided it had to be done. And that was the beginning of a little walk-up counter on Collins Avenue that set a new standard for excellent tacos in a city where tacos are booming. Margaritas are made with care in virtually any flavor combination you can imagine. Craving yours with fresh coconut water, tamarind, and menu is chock-full of offerings, from the tradi- tional to the exotic. Appetizers include wok- fried salt-and-pepper-style calamari and the fun-to-eat “rainbow pancake,” featuring four wraps to fill tableside with vermicelli noodles, wood ear mushrooms, shredded carrot, cab- bage, scallions, and freshly ground peanuts glazed with plum sauce. What’s more, this un- assuming spot in a West Miami-Dade strip mall remains a go-to for the best dim sum in the county. On weekends, more than 30 kinds of dim sum are offered, all prepared fresh on- site. (The barbecue pork buns are a must.) Photo by Ruben Pictures / @DeepSleepStudio wrapped in a paper-thin crèpe, then bundled in thick brioche and placed in the oven for about a half-hour, warming the center and producing an outer crisp. Then (and only then) it is presented on a wooden cart and sliced tableside. The folks at Michelin took note in the 2022 debut of their Florida guide, rightfully awarding the Surf Club a star. Sushi Erika 1700 JOHN F. KENNEDY CSWY., NORTH BAY VILLAGE 786-216-7216 Erika, the daughter and right hand of beloved itamae Michio Kushi, opened her own sushi spot just down the road from her dad’s old haunt, Sushi Deli, in North Bay Village in 2018, and she brought many of her father’s classics with her. Rolls range from a California roll or bagel roll to battera — a pressed mack- erel sushi roll. Sushi Erika also has an impres- sive array of vegetable rolls, soups, and salads. Taquiza 7450 OCEAN TER., MIAMI BEACH 786-588-4755 TAQUIZATACOS.COM Taquiza’s Steve Santana does more work than he needs to. Not a soul instructed him to un- dertake the painstaking process of turning it into masa and then making his own tortillas. pineapple? Done! Want a strawberry-cilantro margarita? Your barkeep will muddle the fresh ingredients. (No purée here.) Tran An 215 NE 82ND ST., MIAMI 305-905-5006 TRANANMIAMI.COM If you’ve got 20 bucks, you can dine like royalty at this tiny, ’70s-inspired eatery. Tran An owner Jon Nguyen’s 18-seat restaurant offers Vietnamese comfort food: a hearty pho, a tangy papaya salad, bánh mì sandwiches, and a chicken-and-rice dish are all satisfying and af- fordable. The pho’s broth is rich, heaped with slices of chicken or beef, noodles, and vegeta- bles. Vegans can get their comfort too, with a vegetable pho based on a vegan broth. There’s no liquor license, but you’re free to bring your own beer or grab a bottle of wine from the shop next door. Speaking of bottles, don’t leave without a bottle of Nguyen’s Grandma sauce, a Vietnamese fish sauce condiment that perks up everything from salad to eggs. Tropical Chinese Restaurant 7991 BIRD RD., MIAMI 305-262-7576 TROPICALCHINESEMIAMI.COM Nearly four decades into its existence, Tropi- cal Chinese is still going strong. The dinner Union Kitchen & Bar 2309 N. DIXIE HWY., WILTON MANORS 754-216-0143 UNIONKB.COM Italy and Peru might seem worlds apart, but at Union Kitchen & Bar, the spirit of each is equally acces- sible. At their restaurant tucked away in Wilton Manors, husband- and-wife team Christie Tenaud and Roberto Colombi aim to unite the best of both cuisines with a menu that marries Colombi’s Northern Italian heritage with Tenaud’s South American sass. Inspired by their love of savoring a meal — especially that special union that takes place with loved ones sharing good food and wine — the couple has created an ambi- ance inspired by love. As execu- tive chef, Tenaud’s seasonally inspired menu shines with selec- tions that change with the best of what’s available, complemented by Colombi’s thoughtfully curated wine list. Highlights include a bounty of local produce that makes its way into garden-in- spired salads, modern American takes on tacos and arepas, handmade pastas that spotlight seafood, meats, and vegetables; and decadent house-made desserts. Versailles Restaurant 3555 SW EIGHTH ST., MIAMI 305-444-0240 VERSAILLESRESTAURANT.COM Since opening in 1971, Versailles has become a Calle Ocho staple for locals and tourists alike. The 275-seat dining room is illuminated by golden chandeliers and surrounded by lus- trous mirrors — a nod to the Hall of Mirrors at its namesake outside Paris. But that’s about the only taste of France you’ll get at this clas- sic Cuban eatery. The extensive menu offers appetizers such as croquetas — the breaded and deep-fried cylinders made from bécha- mel-bathed fish, chicken, or ham — and lunch items like Cuban sandwiches slathered with mustard and layered with ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, and pickles. A variety of sea- food, chicken, pork, and beef entrées are available with traditional Cuban sides such as rice and black beans or fried sweet plantains. Wabi Sabi Miami 851 NE 79TH ST., MIAMI 305-890-7228 WABISABIMIAMI.COM This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it neighborhood 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
