18 December 19-25, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | News | letters | coNteNts | Month XX–Month XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Sí, Sra.! Michelle Martinez to reopen Sra. Martinez in Coral Gables. BY OLEE FOWLER H ighly acclaimed Miami-based chef Michelle Bernstein has done it all: She’s won a James Beard Award, she’s opened mul- tiple restaurants, including award-winning Cafe La Trova in Little Ha- vana, and she even hosts a popular cooking show. Now, she’s doing what she once thought was unimaginable — she’s bringing a beloved restaurant back. Twelve years after closing in the Miami Design District, Bernstein will reopen Sra. Martinez in Coral Gables at 2325 Galiano St. on Friday, December 13. Bernstein ran the popular Spanish restau- rant with her husband, David Martinez, from 2008 to 2012. “Sra. Martinez had too quick of an ending,” Bernstein tells New Times. “It wasn’t just about the food being great or the drinks being great – it was about that energy. It made you want to start a conversation with the person eating next to you.” It’s also where some of the city’s most tal- ented culinary minds got their start – and now, Bernstein and Martinez aim to re-create that magic while adapting to a new neighbor- hood and era. Leading the kitchen is Chef Andrew Gilbert, who returns to work alongside Bernstein after serving as sous chef at the original Sra. Martinez and most recently owning the acclaimed (and now shuttered) Seven Dials. While Spanish cuisine remains at the heart of the menu, the offerings now draw inspiration from France, the Mediterranean, and North Africa, with many dishes cooked in the restaurant’s wood- burning oven. The menu’s “Para Picar” sec- tion – Spanish for small bites to en- joy with drinks – features shareable plates like charred piquillo peppers, duck fat popcorn with shallots and orange zest, and slow-roasted beets with lemony lab- neh. The restaurant’s famous croquetas re- turn with more grown-up renditions – the carbonara version is now topped with shaved cured egg yolk and pecorino, while the paella croqueta bursts with diced mussels, clams, squid, and lobster. Gilbert’s influence appears in dishes like his wildly popular fish and chips – a favorite of the Seven Dials menu – while new additions showcase Bernstein’s evolution over the last decade, including dishes like mushroom shawarma with fermented garlic tahini and Sephardic-style rice studded with dried fruits and nuts. The “Fuertes” section offers oxtail paella with melting bone marrow and whole fire-roasted fish with dual chermoulas and brown butter sesame drizzle. House-aged steaks, like the New York strip, churrasco, and cowboy, are paired with Spanish chimichurri and green peppercorn sauce. Sides like patatas bravas and desserts such as torrejas bread pudding complete the menu. “We’re in Coral Gables now – the space is more sophisticated, but that same energy re- mains,” Martinez says. “Some of the same dishes are coming back, tweaked a bit, and they’re even better today than originally.” Before Miami’s cocktail scene explosion, Sra. Martinez helped pioneer the movement. The original location launched the careers of now-legendary local bartenders like Julio Cabrera and Will Rivas, who went on to shape the city’s cocktail landscape. Today, the bar program continues this leg- acy. Classic cocktail fans will find traditional martini service and sherry cobblers, while an “OG cocktail menu” features drinks created by Cabrera, Rivas, and other alumni. Highlights include the namesake “Sra. Martinez,” a gin cocktail sweetened with Maraschino liqueur, and the “Mulata Daisy No. 2,” mixing patchouli-infused rum with chocolate biscotti liqueur. The wine list spans sustainable producers, vintage bottles, and a “Señor’s Secret List” of rare labels. Designed by three-time James Beard Award winner Thomas Schlesser (the Publi- can, DBGB, Bar Boulud), the restaurant com- bines old-world European elements with South Florida flair through green and pink terrazzo floors, wrought iron accents, and plush seating. A stage for live music anchors the 68-seat dining room – a nod to the venue’s history as a performance space – where jazz, bossa nova, and bluegrass will be played sev- eral nights weekly. A 50-seat covered patio offers an al fresco dining option, while the 15-seat bar and adja- cent 24-seat cocktail lounge are reserved for walk-in guests. “Coral Gables is meaningful for us,” Bern- stein says. “My first experience as a chef was at Redfish Grill right here in the Gables, so opening Sra. Martinez here feels like a home- coming. We’re bringing back what people loved about the original – that sense of com- munity, that excitement – but evolved to match who we are now and where we are. It just feels right.” Sra. Martinez. 2325 Galiano St., Coral Ga- bles; sramartinezmiami.com. Opening Friday, December 13. Will be open Tuesday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. [email protected] ▼ Café Photo by Michael Pisarri Photo by World Red Eye Chef Michelle Bernstein poses with her husband and business partner David Martinez at Sra. Martinez in Coral Gables. Above: “Ajo Blanco” from Sra. Martinez. “OPENING SRA. MARTINEZ [IN CORAL GABLES] FEELS LIKE A HOMECOMING.”
