20 September 18-24, 2025 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | September 18-24, 2025 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | deceptively simple: a handful apiece of start- ers, pastas, and entrées. The flavors, though, are forward, thanks to expert deployment of fresh and fine ingredients, whether in the form of a salumi plate, a salad of heirloom to- matoes and locally made burrata cheese, a ta- gliatelle ai funghi, or a whole braised fish. The wine list is similarly concise (and Ital- ian). Pro tip: If you’re feeling both hungry and lucky when you order, ask for the short rib and Taleggio lasagna. What was born as a farewell meal for departing colleagues be- came a customer favorite. And when the eve- ning’s ration is gone, it’s gone. Madroño Restaurant 10780 W. Flagler St., Miami 305-485-3332 madronorestaurant.com Founded in 1998, Madroño Res- taurant is the most authentic Nicaraguan restaurant in Mi- ami. Located on West Flagler Street in Sweetwater (AKA Lit- tle Nicaragua) , it boasts traditional dishes that have made Madroño the go-to Nicaraguan restaurant in South Florida. Its menu has been built from family recipes perfected over gen- erations, and everything is reasonably priced. From the churrasco, carne asada, or salpicón to the maduros and tres leches, everything is delicious here. Mandolin Aegean Bistro 4312 NE Second Ave., Miami 305-749-9140 mandolinrestaurant.com Teeny-tiny Mandolin Aegean Bistro is lo- cated in a former 1940s bungalow in the De- sign District, adorned in blue and white. The quaint charm that fills the air is as tangible as 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 — usu- ally relegated to fodder for timid eaters — is unexpectedly rousing: huge, juicy hunks of grilled white meat kicked up with a quick dip in the dish of tzatziki. Don’t miss the Greek salad: large wedges of ripe tomato, cucumber, and green peppers mingled with smaller shots of red onion, capers, and Kalamata ol- ives. Fun fact: This also happens to be inter- national DJ Diplo’s favorite Miami restaurant. Mangrove 103 NW First Ave., Miami 786-734-0834 mangrove.miami This lively spot is the sister restaurant to Aventura’s fast-casual Jamaican concept, Jrk! Mangrove sneakily appeared on the scene at the start of 2024. Those in the know visited it first as more of a late-night dance hall spot. Now in its full glory, Mangrove is a speakeasy- style, full-service restaurant with Jamaican dishes that are packed with island flavor — like jerk chicken, jerk mac & cheese, and griot with pikliz. It has styl- ish retro decor and DJs to keep the ambiance consistent. Bar- tenders serve cocktails named after popular reggae songs, like the “Is This Love?” with gin and watermelon juice, and an espresso martini riff called the “Get Up Stand Up!” with caramel whiskey and Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.. Mangrove adds a wel- come element of culture and community to a dining scene that struggles to offer options that represent the wants and tastes of a younger, hip Caribbean crowd. Matsuri 5759 Bird Rd., Miami 305-663-1615 matsurimiami.com Since 1988, Matsuri, tucked in the middle of a random strip mall on Bird Road just west of Coral Gables, has been one of the best places in Miami for authentic — and astonishingly affordable — sushi. The menu contains doz- ens of options, ranging from soups and tem- pura to sashimi plates to deep-fried seafood and à la carte sushi and sashimi. The biggest draw, however, is the numerous traditional Japanese delicacies rarely found in the United States. They’re often scrawled on the specials board at the front of the dining room, where you’ll see everything from ankimo monkfish liver (frequently likened to foie gras) to nama uni, a sparkling-fresh sea urchin that tastes like a delicate custard with a salty kick. Also always available: toro and the buttery tuna belly at far friendlier prices than you’ll see at higher-profile Miami restaurants. Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink 130 NE 40th St., Miami 305-676-0894 michaelsgenuine.com The Design District’s dining OG — Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink — continues to im- press. Restaurateur Michael Schwartz’s strat- egy can be summed up in six simple words: Serve fresh food, prepared with care. That philosophy earned him a James Beard Award back 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 seasonally, but expect classics such as wood oven- 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, lo- cated across NE Second Avenue from Miami’s oldest cemetery, is like Old Florida meets New Orleans. A meal at Mignonette should start with a round of oysters (or Alaskan king crab legs, or shrimp cocktails). 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 hari- cots verts on the side. The beer is ice-cold, the wine list refreshingly oyster-friendly. Pro tip: Chef Danny Serfer also brings us Blue Collar, a restaurant that embodies its no-nonsense name, in the MiMo District. 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. The “O1” is a reference to the O-1 visa the U.S. re- serves for “individuals with extraordinary ability.” So, yes, this pint-size pizzeria thinks highly of its pies — and with good reason: Only the freshest 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 Italian tomato sauce along with mozzarella and spicy salami. That stellar creation set Mister O1 apart from other local pizzerias and led to the con- cept’s expansion to two dozen locations, in- cluding Brickell, Wynwood, and Boca Raton, not to mention Georgia, Texas, and Naples (Florida, that is). Molina’s Ranch Restaurant 4090 E. Eighth Ave., Hialeah 305-693-4440 molinasranch.com Molina’s is the real deal for Cuban food in Mi- ami. Here, the food is hot, the batidos are cold, and the cafecitos have the perfect amount of espumita on top. A quarter-chicken with plantains, fluffy rice, and hearty black beans is affordable, as is the picadillo, the ground-beef brilliance you must eat to get the full experi- ence. But the reasons you’ll love Molina’s aren’t limited to the authentic food. It’s also how you’ll feel after downing that last spoon- ful. This American version of La Isla is a cool out-of-country experience available nowhere else in the world. We’re talking La Cuba de su alma: the Cuba of your soul. Motek 36 NE First St. #132, Miami 786-953-7689 motekcafe.com One of the most delightful Mediterranean restaurants in Miami is Motek, where you can enjoy brunch all day. The menu is so tempting that it’s hard to choose — creamy hummus, kebabs, an Israeli salad, avocado toast — but the “don’t miss” is Motek’s TOP TOP 100 100 RESTAURANTS Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink Michael’s Genuine photo Motek Motek photo
