7 September 18-24, 2025 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | September 18-24, 2025 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | Abbalé Telavivian Kitchen 864 Commerce St. Miami Beach 239-933-6422 abbaletlv.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 mezze before moving on to more substantial fare like grilled lamb chops or a whole branzino. Go- renstein drew his inspiration from the cafés of Tel Aviv, a city he says is like Miami in style and climate. Abbalé is intimate, inviting, and altogether an extremely pleasant way to pass the time grazing on shareable plates while sipping a glass of wine (or two). Apocalypse BBQ 8695 SW 124th Ave., Miami apocalypsebbq.com A business that began on a Weber Smokey Mountain has grown into one of the area’s best barbecue restaurants. In 2022, Jeff Bud- nechky channeled his pandemic side hustle into a standalone location. Outside the res- taurant, a small array of smokers billow aro- mas of pork and beef that betray Budnechky’s Brazilian-Argentinian roots and his wife’s Cuban heritage. Arrive early and you might snag an order of the brisket bacon: seasoned and smoked pork belly sliced thick and tossed on the flattop before serving. If you manage to resist ordering the St. Louis-cut ribs at first, you might change your mind after see- ing platters emerge from the kitchen, slow- cooked and practically begging to be lacquered with Budnechky’s colada-infused “oro negro” sauce. Cafecito-rubbed, Texas- style brisket or pulled pork shoulder pairs nicely with the chef’s Carolina-inspired mustard sauce (not to mention classic sides like a pepper-flecked mac & cheese, sweet coleslaw, and honey-doused cornbread). Further upping the ante: a ten-seat bar offer- ing tropical and classic cocktails. Try the house margarita, sweet, silky, and smooth, or a the berry-infused, housemade sangria. Arbetter’s Hot Dogs 8747 SW 40th St., Miami 305-207-0555 arbetters.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 combi- nations that solidified Arbetter’s reputation when this family-run institution opened more than a half-century ago. The basic on- ion/relish dog is nicely tangy, and the sauer- kraut/mustard 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 sublimi- nal message that you’re con- suming a healthful greenish vegetable that certainly counteracts the menu’s cholesterol count — so, hey, have another. For a taste of the 305, try a “Miami” dog with mustard, onion, cheese, tomato, and potato sticks. Or throw caution to the wind and order the “Zelda”: a hot dog with “everything” on it. Ariete 3540 Main Highway, 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 caroused its shores. Ariete serves dishes like foie gras with smoked plantains, but there’s something more than fancy amid the ele- gance offered 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. In 2022, Beltran’s culinary craftsmanship earned Ariete a Michelin star. Awash Ethiopian Restaurant 19934 NW Second Ave., Miami Gardens 305-770-5100 awashmiami.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 na- tion 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, 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 cul- ture was born here. You might be tempted to visit only at night, but be sure to pop in dur- ing the daylight hours for a traditional Ethio- pian 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. Bachour 2020 Salzedo St., Coral Gables 305-203-0552 antoniobachour.com Bachour, the namesake restaurant and bak- ery from Antonio Bachour, is an oasis of the Instagram-worthy pastries that made the Puerto Rican pastry chef a na- tional sensation. The clean, in- dustrial setting is the perfect backdrop for the brightly hued pastries, cakes, and other con- fections. Open for breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner, Ba- chour’s all-day menu of salads, sandwiches, and hearty en- trées earned the restaurant a Michelin Bib Gourmand desig- nation in 2022. A meal can range from an egg sandwich or eggs Benedict to heartier fare, including a steak sandwich, lomo saltado, and fettuccine in a housemade cacio e pepe sauce. Be sure to grab a box of bon- bons or macarons to take home. Since open- ing in Coral Gables in 2019, Bachour has added a location in Doral. Bali Café 109 NE Second Ave., Miami 305-358-5751 Bali Café is a veritable downtown Miami gem, serving up the kind of Indonesian food you won’t find anywhere else in the Magic City. The “Nasi Goreng Special” is the move, fried rice with opor ayam and rendang (chicken and beef cooked in coconut milk), steamed vegetables, pickled carrot and cu- cumber, and garlic crackers all tucked into a bento box — it looks almost too good to eat. (We said almost.) Regulars swear by Bali’s su- shi offerings, as well, like the “Downtown Roll” (eel, avocado, and cream cheese) washed down with a soda gembira (a popular Indonesian beverage of club soda with coco- pandan syrup and condensed milk), while first-timers quickly learn that the coconut- sauced rendang sapi is life-changing. Factor in the friendly service, prices that don’t make your wallet cry, and the barong masks (sa- cred, lionlike wooden masks that symbolize good fortune and health) on the walls, it’s no wonder New Times crowned Bali Café Best Restaurant (Downtown) in 2024. TOP TOP 100 100 RESTAURANTS Bali Café Bali Café photo T his year’s edition of Required Eating is a true reflection of Miami’s dining identity, one that celebrates old-school institutions alongside exciting new arrivals. From casual counter joints where you can show up straight from the gym to Michelin- starred temples of gastronomy, the New Times Top 100 Restaurants list embodies the full spectrum of what this city has to offer. Miami has evolved into one of the nation’s top culinary capitals, standing shoulder to shoulder with New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Every restaurant featured in the pages that follow is worth a visit. From affordable comfort food to five-star splurges, the vast variety and high quality of these establishments prove locals already know: Miami is indeed a melting pot of flavors, cultures, and experiences that can’t be duplicated anywhere else. ¡Buen provecho! — Nicole Lopez-Alvar, Miami New Times food editor
