8 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 | Bar Bucce 7220 N. Miami Ave., Miami 305-202-2526 barbucce.com Part Italian market, part wine bar, and part pizza hang, Bar Bucce is the antithesis of what most people would consider a “hot spot” is in Miami, which is exactly why the IYKYK wel- comed it with open arms in 2025. Founded by the team behind South Beach mainstay Mac- chialina, it’s the spot where you can roll in with your coworkers for an after-work glass of wine, split a coal-charred pie with friends, or just wander the on-premises market for Ital- ian delicacies and natural wines while pre- tending you’re browsing in Tuscany. Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports pulled up and be- stowed Bucce with an 8.1 score — a rating that sent pizza pilgrims trekking by the dozen to Little River. Thankfully, despite the Portnoy stamp of approval, Bar Bucce remains as chill as the other side of the pillow. Blue Collar 6789 Biscayne Blvd., Miami 305-756-0366 bluecollarmiami.com Now in classed-up digs across Biscayne Bou- levard from the original site, Danny Serfer’s Blue Collar still takes its cues from the classic American diner. The MiMo District stalwart offers daily specials and elevated comfort foods. Start with a gutsy New Orleans-style dish of shrimp and grits with bacon and Worcestershire-based barbecue sauce, or Ha- nukkah latkes (served year-round). Don’t miss the veggie plate, which allows you to build your own customized entrée. Order a coffee and a cheeseburger or the pasta of the day and make yourself as comfy as you’d be in your mom’s kitchen. Pro tip: Serfer’s also the chef behind another of our faves, Mignonette, an oyster bar and all-around seafood gem just north of downtown. Boia De 5205 NE Second Ave., Miami 786-209-6310 boiaderestaurant.com This hip Little Haiti spot run by chefs Luci- ana Giangrandi and Alex Meyer offers an ever-changing lineup of pastas designed to comfort and enchant. Look for pappardelle “Alla Lepre” — unctuous shreds of braised rabbit tangled with wide ribbons of pasta. It’s not all about noodles here, however. Boia De offers plenty of non-pasta delights, including meat and fish dishes and crisp potato skins filled with milky stracciatella cheese, caviar, and a hard-cooked egg. The editors of Flori- da’s first Michelin Guide took note, awarding the strip-mall standout a star. Bombay Darbar 2901 Florida Ave., Coconut Grove 305-444-7272 bombaydarbar.com What began as a mom-and-pop 30-seater has grown into an Indian-food mainstay with lo- cations in Coconut Grove, Doral, and Fort Lauderdale. Diners crunch on crisp papadum wafers while watching Bollywood movies on a large screen and perusing the menu. That list is lengthy, but at its heart are the tikkas, tandooris, and vindaloos that fans of Indian food crave. Bright vegetable samosas are a good start, as are some of the tandoor-baked breads — try the soft, fluffy, onion-flecked kulcha naan. Most dishes can be ordered mild, medium, or hot. On that last count, Bombay Darbar thoughtfully offers cold Kingfisher beer to cool you down from even the spiciest of culinary adventures. Café Panisse 7310 SW 57th Ave., South Miami 305-665-3322 instagram.com/cafe_panisse_south_ miami An impossibly tiny kitchen at this modest, unassuming eatery consistently turns out simple, hearty, satisfying French bistro fare at affordable prices. The bistro has been a staple in South Miami for more than two decades, serving delicious French cuisine inside a small yet intimate restaurant in an unassum- ing, blue awning-lined strip mall on Red Road. Until recently, the IYKYK crowd knew it as Café Pastis, but that all changed halfway through 2024 when the management got suf- ficiently fed up with being confused with Starr Restaurants’ famed establishment of the same name, which carpetbagged from NYC to Wynwood in 2023. Name change notwith- standing, Café Panisse immediately trans- ports its guests across the Atlantic with its bistro tables, French ambiance, and lovely de- cor. Try the first-rate steak frites or a superla- tive bouillabaisse, followed by a cookbook-perfect crème brûlée, and be thankful you’re in Panisse’s neighborhood. Caffe Abbracci 318 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables 305-441-0700 caffeabbracci.com Ask anyone about Caffe Abbracci and the word “family” will likely come up. And no wonder: The doted-upon Italian restaurant has maintained its consistently excellent reputation for more than three decades, thanks to its late founder, revered restaurateur Nino Pernetti, who died from COVID complications in 2022 at age 76. The restaurant gracefully carries on in his memory, sticking to a fantastic formula of warm, inviting service and a steadfast menu of classic and contemporary Italian dishes. Abbracci is always filled with locals (including families) who know to order well-executed options like vitello tonnato, red snapper al cartoccio, and Pernetti’s homages to his daughters: tortellini Tatiana and cappelletti Katerina. Captain’s Tavern 9625 S. Dixie Highway, Miami 305-666-5979 captainstavernmiami.com In 1971, Bill “The Captain” Bowers opened the doors of his seafood restaurant in the boondocks of southwest Miami-Dade, now known as Pinecrest, and has remained an in- stitution for locals and tourists alike ever since. When Bowers died in 2020 at the age of 91, his wife, Audrey Palomino Bowers, and their son, Dale Palomino, who has worked at the Captain’s Tavern since he was 16 years old and now serves as head chef, took over. So it has re- mained a family affair, and the patriarch’s presence remains very much in evidence. The menu, the apotheosis of a sea- food lover’s delight, continues to offer the tried-and-true sta- ples that made the Captain’s Tavern famous: cracked conch, oysters Rockefeller, and, of course, a Tuesday two-for-one Maine lobster special. The restaurant also offers a full raw bar and sushi menu. Pretty much everything at the Captain’s Tavern is housemade, from the sauces to the desserts. Carbone Vino 2911 Grand Ave. Ste. 194, Coconut Grove carbonevino.com/coconut-grove Carbone Vino is the high-end Italian res- taurant by Major Food Group that Coconut Grove needed, offering the brand’s signa- ture glamour without the exclusivity of its South Beach counterpart. While the OG Miami Carbone on the Beach was reserved for milestone occasions, Carbone Vino feels more approachable — it’s possible to snag a reservation, for one thing, and walk-ins are accommodated (though the dining room is always buzzing, as is the lively bar). The restaurant delivers its tried-and-true Ital- ian-American dishes in a warm, stylish set- ting that suits the Grove’s neighborhood vibe. And with the addition of lunch ser- vice, Carbone Vino cemented itself as a des- tination for celebrations and a go-to for everyday indulgence. Casa Isola Osteria 1418 20th St., Miami Beach 786-558-5787 casaisolamiami.com When Pubbelly Noodle Bar closed in Miami Beach’s Sunset Harbour neighborhood back in 2019, it left an empty space in the hearts of fans of José Mendín. Fortunately, the chef kept the lease, opening a quaint Italian bistro with longtime business partner Sergio Na- varro and former Lucali chef Santo Agnello. The result, Casa Isola Osteria, is a charming spot that serves up red-sauce classics like lin- guini with white clams and pappardelle alla bolognese with braised Wagyu. The star of the show, however, is a stellar rigatoni alla vodka. The restaurant’s décor attempts to replicate the ambiance of a tiny Italian vil- lage, so if you’ve been jonesing for some in- ternational travel, it’s a chance to get away to Italy — if only for a meal. Chayhana Oasis 250 Sunny Isles Blvd., Sunny Isles Beach 305-917-1133 chayhanaoasis.com A mural depicting a desert beneath a floating pair of eyes is the only sign that beckons pass- ersby into this Uzbek-style hideaway, accessi- ble only from one side of NE 163rd Street. Chayhana Oasis offers fare not only from Uzbekistan but also the entire central Eurasian re- gion. Translation: You can eat your way around several na- tions. To keep the proceedings simple and entertaining, the menu contains quirky descrip- tions of lesser-known dishes. Begin with the dolmas, tender stuffed Turkish-style grape leaves; continue with shish kebabs of lamb, chicken, beef, or shrimp. For dessert, try gne- zdo, a crunchy meringue topped with diced walnuts. In standard European fashion, wash it all down with a shot of top-shelf vodka. Go ahead — there’s no shortage of fresh, chewy Uzbek-style bread to soak it up. Chefs on the Run 10 E. Mowry Dr., Homestead 305-245-0085 chefsontheruninhomestead.com Puerto Rican-born chef/owner Jodrick Ujaque took stints at well-known Caribbean- inspired Miami establishments before open- ing his Homestead restaurant in 2011. With influence, however, comes innovation, evi- denced by a menu that displays a tasty blend TOP TOP 100 100 RESTAURANTS Carbone Vino Carbone Vino photo
