22 September 19-25, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | News | letters | coNteNts | September 19-25, 2024 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | and tempura 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 din- ing 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 Mi- ami restaurants. Maty’s 3255 NE FIRST AVE., MIAMI 786-338-3525 MATYSMIAMI.COM The dishes prepared by Chef Valerie Chang at Maty’s have won over critics and publica- tions across the country, cementing itself in Food & Wine’s 2024 list of 20 “Global Taste- makers Best Restaurants in the U.S.” and the New York Times’ newly minted “Restaurant List.” In 2024, Chang received a James Beard Award in the “Best Chef: South” cate- gory. Accolades aside, her Peruvian dishes shine at her Midtown restaurant. Chang’s memories of eating delicious dishes pre- pared by her late paternal grandmother, Marta, inspired an appreciation for the Pe- ruvian recipes that take center stage at Ma- ty’s. Her beloved grandmother is also the inspiration behind the restaurant’s name. Thus, Maty’s is an intimate glimpse into her childhood and upbringing. 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 strategy 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 as- sembled 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” ap- proach 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, located across NE Second Avenue from Mi- ami’s oldest cemetery, is like Old Florida meets New Orleans. A meal at Mignonette should start with a round of oysters (or Alas- kan king crab legs, or shrimp cocktail). 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 but- ter, and haricots 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 em- bodies 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 al- lowed 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 concept’s expansion to sev- eral other locations, including Brickell, Wynwood, and Boca Raton, not to mention Madrid, Saudi Arabia, 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 Cu- ban food in Miami. Here, the food is hot, the batidos are cold, and the cafecitos have the per- fect amount of espumita on top. A quarter-chicken with plan- tains, fluffy rice, and hearty black beans is affordable, as is the picadillo, the ground-beef brilliance you must eat to get the full experience. But the reason you’ll love Molina’s isn’t just because of the authentic food. It’s how you’ll feel after downing that last spoonful. Here, at the American version of la isla, is a cool out-of-country experience available nowhere else in the world. La Cuba de su alma — the Cuba of your soul. Motek Cafe 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 shakshuka, a tangy dish of baked eggs, tomatoes, and peppers served in its skillet with an oversize challah. Fuel up on hibiscus tea or a mimosa and you’ll leave all fueled up for your shopping. Naoe 661 BRICKELL KEY DR., MIAMI 305-947-6263 NAOEMIAMI.COM Dinner at chef Kevin Cory’s Naoe at the Courvoisier Centre on Brickell Key is an experience you wouldn’t expect to find outside of Tokyo. The restaurant offers two seatings with a maximum of five people per, and a chef’s-choice menu that might include silver-skinned horse mackerel (aji) glazed with shoyu and plated with pickled wasabi leaves and flowers and freshly grated wasabi root. Salmon wrapped in salted white seaweed; roasted freshwater eel; deep-fried shrimp tamago; rice with shiitake mushrooms and hints of eel — all are meticulously prepared and utterly delicious. If you’re still hungry for more, Cory will prepare nigiri sushi. He started his culinary training at age 19 and is a perennial winner of the Forbes Travel Guide’s Five-Star Award. Naoe is a reservations- only restaurant and doesn’t allow children under 12. Nor should you expect substitutions — those with allergies to shellfish, nuts, gluten, etc., should seek sustenance elsewhere. Niu Kitchen 104 NE SECOND AVE., MIAMI 786-717-6711 NIUKITCHEN.COM In 2017, Katrina Iglesias, Adam Hughes, and chef and Barcelona native Deme Lomas opened Arson two doors down from their first venture, Niu Kitchen. The two restau- rants have since been combined in order to accommodate more outdoor seating. The centerpiece of Arson is the Josper, a charcoal- burning grill/oven hybrid that influences Lo- mas’ gastronomy. Whiffs of Asia and South America rise off the menu, including main- stays like charbroiled oysters, chargrilled prawns, and vegan paella. TOP 100 RESTAURANTS Matsuri Photo by Nicole Lopez-Alvar Maty’s Maty’s photo
