20 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 | name suggests, Le Jardinier adheres to the increasingly fashionable “eat your vegetables” ethos. Dishes like farro risotto with a confit tomato and mimolette cheese are soulful and satisfying enough that meat becomes an option rather than a necessity. That doesn’t mean the menu is stocked with only rabbit food. A bavette steak resting in its own juices and served with roasted artichokes and royal trumpet mushrooms will grab any carnivore’s attention. Verzeroli’s pristine Miami outpost earned a Michelin star in the guide’s Florida debut. Lil Greenhouse Grill 1300 NW THIRD AVE., MIAMI 786-277-3582 LILGREENHOUSEGRILL.COM Karim Bryant and Nicole Gates own this charming little spot in Overtown that offers modern takes on classic soul-food dishes. Bryant, who oversees the kitchen, has a solid foundation built on stints at Capital Grille, Prime 112, and BLT Prime in Doral. With a background in radio, Gates has the task of spreading the word and mak- ing sure customers — from the neighbor on the corner to mega-celebrities Oprah Win- frey and Gayle King — stay happy. But who wouldn’t be happy when served a plate of barbecue smoked wings or chicken and waffles? Chase it with a selection from Lil Greenhouse Grill’s wine and beer menu — but be sure to save room for banana pudding. Los Félix 3413 MAIN HIGHWAY, MIAMI 305-640-5013 LOSFELIXMIAMI.COM The food community makes a lot of noise about heritage and honoring lost Indigenous pathways. Los Félix does something about it. Dedicated to the Mexican-born Milpa agriculture — a system in which heirloom corn is interplanted with other crops, such as squash and beans, in order to share resources — Los Félix uses those ingredients to construct recipes. That’s why the housemade totopos (tortilla chips), made with nixtamalized corn masa, are so damn good (especially when served with guacamole spiked with serranos). Everything on the menu reads as an authentic homage to Mesoamerica, right down to the biodynamic natural wines, cocktail ingredients, and craft beers sourced from small family farms, artisanal producers, and breweries. Luca Osteria 116 GIRALDA AVE., CORAL GABLES 305-381-5097 LUCAMIAMI.COM If you’re on a quest to find the best pasta in Miami, consider Luca Osteria, where Giorgio Rapicavoli channels his Italian heritage in a quaint spot named for his son. Located along the pedestrian-only stretch of Giralda Plaza, the restaurant offers the chef’s indulgent in- terpretations of classic dishes with the same spirit his beloved Eating House churns out quirky-creative riffs on American favorites. Here, homemade pastas pair with the bar’s selection of house spritzes, while hearty main plates do best with one of several takes on the classic negroni. Pasta is a must-order — be it bucatini all’amatriciana with aged 600-day prosciutto and sun-dried tomatoes or pappardelle smothered in a nutmeg- spiced short rib ragù. But the antipasti of pa- tate fritte — Rapicavoli’s bite-size balls of fried potato, served beneath a deluge of creamy parmigiano fonduta flavored with black truffle and topped with a single egg yolk — is a can’t-miss dish. Lucali 1930 BAY RD., MIAMI BEACH LUCALI.COM/LOCATION/LUCALI- MIAMI At first sight, Lucali, the Miami outpost of Mark Iacono’s famed Brooklyn flagship, looks like a regular pizza joint. Furnishings are unassuming — mismatched tables and chairs, an open kitchen, a working bench manned by T-shirted pizzaio- los — but by candlelight, every- thing glows. Men in white shine with sweat as they use empty wine bottles to roll dough. Pizza-makers take their time prepping pies for the wood-burning oven. Crusts eventually emerge thin and blis- tered, their surfaces puffed by blackened bubbles of golden dough and smeared with melted buffalo mozzarella and shredded Par- migiano-Reggiano that cocoons smooth to- mato sauce. Such attention to detail — and the resulting pies — earned Lucali a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation in 2022. Lung Yai Thai Tapas 1731 SW EIGHTH ST., MIAMI 786-334-6262 LUNGYAI.COM If you’re not used to the searing heat of Thai spice, ask for Lung Yai Thai Tapas’ lab e-sarn — a chilled ground-pork salad spiked with hefty doses of cumin, chilies, and star anise. It’s one of a number of recipes chef/owner Bas Trisransi revived after learning at his grandfather’s side decades ago. Bas knows that the development of deep, complex fla- vors can’t be rushed. This is quality Thai food that’s both affordable and casual, and the tapas style will rightly tempt diners to sample everything on the menu. A meal at Lung Yai is a crash course for the palate — and the Mi- chelin Guide took note, awarding the restau- rant a Bib Gourmand designation in 2022. Macchialina 820 ALTON RD., MIAMI BEACH 305-534-2124 MACCHIALINA.COM Chef Michael Pirolo spent years traveling and cooking at Michelin-starred temples in Piedmont, Lombardy, Bologna, and Cam- pagne. When he returned to the United States, he linked up with Scott Conant and eventually led the opening of Scarpetta at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach before debuting his own Italian restaurant, Macchialina. Piro- lo’s skills are many and precise, his menu fo- cused and deceptively simple: a handful apiece of starters, pastas, and entrées. The fla- vors, though, are forward, thanks to expert deployment of fresh and fine ingredients, whether in the form of a salumi plate, a salad of heirloom tomatoes and locally made bur- rata cheese, a tagliatelle ai funghi, or a whole braised fish. The wine list is similarly concise (and Italian). Madroño Restaurant 10780 W. FLAGLER ST., MIAMI 305-485-3332 Founded in 1998, Madroño Restaurant is the most authentic Nicaraguan restaurant in Mi- ami. Located on West Flagler Street in Sweet- water (AKA Little 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 generations, and ev- erything is reasonably priced. From the churrasco, carne asada, or salpicon to the maduros and tres leches, everything is deli- cious here. Mandolin Aegean Bistro 4312 NE SECOND AVE., MIAMI 305-749-9140 MANDOLINRESTAURANT.COM Teeny-tiny Mandolin Aegean Bistro is located in a former 1940s bungalow in the Design 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 Mediterranean lubricant. Even chicken kebab — usually 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 olives. Fun fact: This also happens to be international 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 the year. 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 stylish retro decor and DJs to keep the ambiance consistent. Bartenders 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 welcome element of culture and community to a dining scene that strug- gles 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 aston- ishingly affordable — sushi. The menu con- tains dozens of options, ranging from soups Los Félix Los Félix photo TOP 100 RESTAURANTS
