Abbalé Telavivian Kitchen 864 COMMERCE ST., MIAMI BEACH 305-902-3477 ABBATLVKITCHEN.COM Abbalé Telavivian Kitchen, a partnership be- tween chef Samuel “Sam” Gorenstein and Omer Horev, founder of Pura Vida Miami, might just be the most charming restaurant in Miami Beach. The eatery, inside a small house complete with a porch lined with flow- ing plants and cozy cushions, offers a pleth- ora of bright fare. Start with a few salatim, such as baba ghanouj, smashed avocado, roasted beets, or the “holy grail” of black and white tahini with grated tomato and green harissa (all served with fire-baked pita), be- fore moving on to grilled lamb chops, a whole branzino, or baby cauliflower — all oven- baked. Gorenstein drew his in- spiration from the cafés of Tel Aviv, a city he says is like Miami in style and climate. Abbalé is intimate, inviting, and alto- gether an extremely pleasant way to pass the time grazing on shareable plates while sipping a glass of wine (or two). The Anderson 709 NE 79TH ST., MIAMI 786-401-6330 THEANDERSONMIAMI.COM The building that houses the Anderson has been a bar far lon- ger than most of us have been alive. Restaurateur Ken Lyon has given the space new life with lush outdoor gardens, a tiki bar, and the taco joint El Toro Taco, decorated with wonderful black-and-white photos of peo- ple and places in Mexico — all shot by Lyon on his various trips to the country. Between the in- door lounge, the outdoor patios, and the eatery designed to look like a food truck, the Anderson seems more like its own little world than a simple bar and kitchen. 88 Arbetter’s Hot Dogs 8747 SW 40TH ST., MIAMI 305-207-0555 ARBETTERHOTDOGS.COM It’s not necessarily the hot dogs themselves that are better at Arbetter’s. Rather, these all- beef or pork-and-beef franks are ideal blank canvases for the three garnish combinations that solidified Arbetter’s reputation when this family-run institution opened more than a half-century ago. The basic onion/relish dog is nicely tangy, and the sauerkraut/mus- tard dog, loaded with beautifully buttery, cooked-all-day-tender kraut, is even better. Along with the rich and flavorful but not overly hot all-meat chili topping from an old Arbetter family recipe, a garnish of diced raw onion adds that reassuring subliminal mes- sage that you’re consuming a healthful green- ish vegetable that certainly counteracts the menu’s cholesterol count — so, hey, have an- other. For a taste of the 305, try a Miami dog, with mustard, onion, cheese, tomato, and po- tato sticks. Awash Ethiopian Restaurant 19934 NW SECOND AVE., MIAMI GARDENS 305-770-5100 AWASHETHIOPIAN.COM At Awash, owners Eka and Fouad Wassel want to take you to an authentic Ethiopian- style home kitchen called a gojo bait. Try the doro wot, a rich chicken dish with a depth of flavor similar to the moles of Mexico. The Awash River, from which this restaurant and many other Ethiopian eateries across the nation take their names, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The valley surrounding it was where researchers in 1974 found 52 fossilized bone fragments of the famed early hominid Lucy. Carbon dating put the partial skeleton’s age at more than 3 million years. It’s a fact almost every Ethiopian knows. But it’s also one that brings home the history of this part of the world and the fact that much of human culture was born here. You might be tempted to visit only at night, but be sure to pop in during the daylight hours for a traditional Ariete 3540 MAIN HWY., COCONUT GROVE 305-640-5862 ARIETECOCONUTGROVE.COM Chef Michael Beltran’s Ariete adds an air of refinement to Coconut Grove not seen since the days when industrialist James Deering ca- roused its shores. Ariete serves dishes like foie gras with smoked plantains, but there’s some- thing more than fancy amid the elegance of- fered by Beltran, who trained under chefs Norman Van Aken and Michael Schwartz. The Little Havana native twists bits of Cuba and France into every dish, just the way his grandparents taught him. Beltran’s culinary craftsmanship earned Ariete a Michelin star. Ethiopian coffee ceremony, the same one that’s repeated up to three times a day in the Horn of Africa. Green coffee beans are pan- roasted, hand-ground, and then slowly brewed over hot coals. The point is to slow you to a stop in order to connect with the coffee and those with whom you’re sharing it. Azabu 161 OCEAN DR., MIAMI BEACH 786-276-0520 AZABUGLOBAL.COM Long before every other Miami restaurant was a New York transplant, Tribeca-based Azabu opened an outpost at the Stanton Ho- tel in Miami Beach. The sleek restaurant, spot, tucked away in Coral Gables on a serene corner of Salzedo Street, offers not only melt- in-your-mouth pastries and desserts, but also workshops for culinary professionals and an all-day à la carte menu of salads, egg-based dishes, tarts, sandwiches, and hearty entrées such as churrasco and grilled salmon that earned the restaurant a Michelin Bib Gour- mand designation in 2022. Bakan 2801 NW SECOND AVE., MIAMI 305-396-7080 BAKANWYNWOOD.COM When you spot the decorative cacti out front, you’ll know you’ve arrived at Bakan. This lovely Wynwood restaurant of- fers traditional Mexican dishes far removed from the taco joints that proliferate throughout Mi- ami. Here you’ll find Oaxacan mole dishes and whole grilled fish. If you’re feeling adventur- ous, look for the “Los Insectos” section of the menu, where you’ll find gusanos de maguey — pan-fried agave worms served with blue corn tortillas and a side of guacamole; and escamo- les, a rare ant caviar sautéed with butter, serrano chilies, and epazote and then wrapped in a blue corn tortilla and topped with a spoonful of guacamole and pickled vegetables. Bakan also offers chapulines (a type of grasshopper native to Mexico and Central America) as a to- stada dish. Pair your meal with a selection from Bakan’s list of 200-plus tequilas and mezcals. Abbalé Telavivian Kitchen Courtesy of Abbalé Telavivian Kitchen with origins in the Azabu District of Tokyo, offers three areas: a lounge offering more than 40 different whiskies, the main dining room, and a hidden room called “the Den.” The main room offers sushi and izakaya items from Azabu’s robata grill, while the Den serves an incomparable omakase experience for fewer than a dozen diners per seating. The Den’s pristine seafood, flown in from Ja- pan, earned it a Michelin star. Bachour Bakery & Restaurant 2020 SALZEDO ST., CORAL GABLES 305-203-0552 ANTONIOBACHOUR.COM Bachour Bakery & Restaurant, the namesake of Puerto Rican pastry chef Antonio Bachour, is an oasis of the Instagram-worthy creations that have made him a national sensation. Glass display cases proffer seductive rows of brightly colored cakes, macarons, croissants, and bonbons to satisfy even the most de- manding sweet tooth. This 5,000-square-foot BarMeli69 6927 BISCAYNE BLVD., MIAMI 305-754-5558 BARMELI.COM This tapas and wine bar, located in Miami’s MiMo District, sits alongside a no-tell motel. The location makes BarMeli69 seem all the more like a hidden gem, a personal find, the kind of place you whisper about to your friends, as in, “I just found this great little joint.” Inside, the restaurant feels like one of those wonderful little bistros or tavernas you only see in movies. You really can’t pinpoint the exact country or town; you just know it’s charming. Wines are predomi- nantly from the Mediterranean, including off-the-grid selections from Sardinia and Is- rael. All the tapas are delicious, but the show- stopper is the flaming saganaki; the Greek cheese dish is doused with brandy and set aflame. A friendly, casual vibe, an outdoor pa- tio in back, along with good food and drinks at reasonable prices, makes BarMeli69 a great neighborhood joint. The Bazaar by José Andrés 1701 COLLINS AVE., MIAMI BEACH 305-455-2999 THEBAZAAR.COM The Bazaar at the SLS Hotel on South Beach comes to us thanks to the genius of James Beard Award-winning restaurateur, cookbook 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
