20 December 19-25, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | News | letters | coNteNts | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | ▼ DOWNTOWN MIAMI FRATESI’S PIZZA LOCKS IN FIRST BRICK-AND- MORTAR After running wildly successful pizza pop-ups at Over Under and Tâm Tâm in downtown Mi- ami, Fratesi’s Pizza co-owners Brian Griffiths and Chris Fratesi have just signed a lease at 69 E. Flagler St., set to open in early 2025. The announcement, posted yesterday on Fratesi’s Instagram, racked up more than 1,000 likes in under 19 hours. Fans flooded the comments with fire emojis and congratu- latory messages — no surprise, as their Sun- day-only pop-ups regularly sold out of pizzas as they built a loyal following. Plus, Fratesi’s Pizza even landed on New Times’ list of 8 Best Pizzas in Miami, so we know it’s good. The new downtown Miami location of Fratesi’s Pizza will sit between Over Under and Tâm Tâm on East Flagler Street. Griffiths tells New Times they’re skipping delivery services for a sit-down restaurant with phone-in takeout. “We want people to have an experience and for it to be personal and to get the best version of the food,” he says. Chef Chris Fratesi will continue to head kitchen operations with quadruple the cook- ing capacity from a bigger oven. The menu focuses on their tavern-style pies — think ultra-thin, crisp crusts with edge-to-edge cheese coverage. Past favorites included the “Demon Pig Boy” with pickled hot peppers and Calabrian chili oil and their vodka pie. The new spot will add Italian ice and select appetizers. Griffiths envisions a “grown-up hipster trash strip mall chic” hangout, bringing back traditional pizza parlor elements like booth seating and pitcher service. “Just the kinda place we all grew up going to, that got re- placed by delivery and stuff,” he adds. The East Flagler Street location neighbors include Julia & Henry’s, Lost Boy Dry Goods, and Margot. This downtown block has trans- formed as new restaurants and bars bring fresh energy to the area. “We just want people to have fun and re- member that kinda pizza tavern vibe where you get to cozy up in a booth with friends and slam pitchers and not think too hard,” Griffiths says. Fratesi’s Pizza. 69 E. Flagler St., Downtown Miami; instagram.com/fratesi_pizza. Opening Spring 2025. BY OLEE FOWLER ▼ LITTLE HAVANA VERSAILLES LAUNCHES DECEMBER COLLAB WITH KITH TREATS One of Miami’s most legendary restaurants recently a collaboration with one of the hip- pest ice cream spots in town, and the photos are drool-worthy. Kith Treats is teaming up with Miami’s famed Versailles restaurant to launch two new ice cream flavors loaded with the restau- rant’s most prized delicacies: pastelitos de guayaba and cortaditos. The December-only collaboration is part of the brand’s latest in- stallment of its Heritage Program, in partner- ship with the Infatuation. Kith Treats’ ongoing Heritage Program is dedicated to amplifying legacy food establishments that have remained staple institutions within their communities. Previous honorees include iconic spots like Apple Pan in Los Angeles and Veniero’s Bakery in New York City. To honor Versailles and the longstanding legacy it has built since 1971, Kith Treats is reimagining the restaurant’s signature Cuban coffee and pastelitos with two limited-time ice cream specials. The Versailles: Versailles’ famous guava and cheese pastelitos, Rice Krispies cereal, and cheesecake bites infused within Kith Treats signature vanilla ice cream. The Cortadito: Versailles’ signature Cuban coffee slush atop a Golden Grahams-infused milkshake base layer, garnished with but- tered Cuban bread. The specials, which were unveiled at Ver- sailles on December 12, are available at the Miami Design District and Miami Beach lo- cations of Kith Treats through December 22. A portion of the proceeds from the spe- cials will be donated to One Love Community Fridge, an initiative that addresses food inse- curity for and within the communities in which the honorees operate. Versailles x Kith Treats Collaboration. Avail- able through Sunday, December 22, at Kith Treats in the Design District (69 NE 41st St., Miami; 786-605-1330) and Miami Beach (1931 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 786-605-1800); kith.com. BY NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR ▼ HOLLYWOOD PUBLIX DEBUTS DOCKSIDE LOCATION IN BROWARD Just as Miamians got excited over the giant new Publix coming to Kendall in 2025, Publix fans are in for a second treat: A waterfront Publix is coming to South Florida with dock- ing for boat-side customers. According to the Miami Herald, customers can soon head out to Publix via boat, yacht, or any vessel of their choosing, thanks to the new Hollywood Publix Super Market, lo- cated at 3100 S. Ocean Dr. in Hollywood, right along Intracoastal Waterway. The newly completed Hollywood Beach Publix Super Market opened to the public on December 12 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a large, motorized Publix shopping cart tooling around the neighborhood. The new store covers 29,912 square feet (it’s not a large Publix) and offers a seating area inside and along the main dock for cus- tomers to enjoy Publix classics like Pub Subs, chicken tenders, and popcorn chicken bites right on the water. While the news is wonderful for boaters, it actually isn’t the first waterfront Publix in South Florida. The Publix Super Market at River Landing along the Miami River is situ- ated along the water in Miami. Nevertheless, those along Hollywood Beach can now enjoy shopping with a view — and can even take their “Pub Sub” straight onto their boat parked dockside. Publix at Hollywood Beach. 3100 S. Ocean Dr., Hollywood; publix.com. NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR | TASTE TEST | ▼ Café Fratesi’s Pizza photo Popular COVID pop-up Fratesi’s Pizza has just secured its first permanent home in downtown Miami. Kith Treats photo Kith Treats’ collaboration with iconic Cuban restaurant Versailles in Miami features classic Cuban flavors.
