& BES T CHEF Karla Hoyos @CHEFKARLAHOYOS (INSTAGRAM) Chef Karla Hoyos might be best known as the first Latina chef de cuisine at the Bazaar by José Andrés. The chef had plans to open a res- taurant that celebrated her Mexican roots when Andrés contacted her with a higher calling: Can you drop everything and help co- ordinate the on-ground efforts for World Cen- tral Kitchen, feeding Ukrainian refugees as they enter Poland? Without hesitation, Hoyos was on the first overseas flight she could find. The chef has been documenting the humani- tarian efforts on her Instagram, giving the world a firsthand view of war’s shattering ef- fects on everyday people. Hoyos has captured how, when she sees a family crossing the bor- der, she and fellow volunteers first hand them cups of hot cocoa as a show of caring. For now, Miamians will have to wait to enjoy the tal- ented chef’s food, but when she returns, you can be sure there’ll plenty of love to go around. BES T NEW RES TAURANT (MIAMI-DADE) Orno 1350 S. DIXIE HIGHWAY CORAL GABLES, 33146 305-667-6766 ORNOMIAMI.COM Chef Niven Patel is one of Miami’s finest chefs. The toque, who got his start working at the Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada and Michael’s Genuine right here in the Magic City, came into his own when he opened Ghee. The Kendall restaurant, which serves Indian cuisine with produce fresh from Patel’s own farm, continues to be one of South Florida’s finest dining expe- riences. This past year, Patel opened Orno at the Thesis Hotel in Coral Gables, a stunning space complete with hanging vines and tasteful bookshelves. It is here that Patel lovingly works the line daily, stoking the wood-fired grill for pork chops, steaks, and branzino. But what makes Orno truly special is its founder’s care and respect for vegetables. Instead of being an afterthought for people to get their greens in, the chef elevates them to works of art: Grilled carrots are dressed with a zesty yogurt, farm corn gets a hit of Calabrian chili, and sunchokes are charred and topped with a tart and sweet vinaigrette. At Orno, Patel mixes his fine-dining roots with the literal roots he pulls from the ground with his own hands. BES T NEW RES TAURANT (BROWARD) The Katherine 723 E. BROWARD BOULEVARD FORT LAUDERDALE, 33301 754-216-0690 70 70 THEKATHERINERESTAURANT.COM If all great stories are love stories, so is the tale behind Fort Lauderdale restaurant the Drink Eat Katherine. Named for Miami chef Timon Balloo’s wife, the restaurant is an ode to the dishes the two recall from their travels. While Balloo’s eponymous Miami restaurant taps into his Chinese-Indian-Trinidadian heritage, the Katherine gives fans a chance to explore Balloo’s personal hit list. Eating off mismatched china in a bistro-like ambiance, guests a variety of seafood, vegetables, and comfort foods flavored with Balloo’s signature touch. Take the clam chowder fries, a nod to Balloo’s childhood in the San Francisco Bay area plus part of his career working in Belgium, and sprinkled with his wife’s love of clams and French fries. A slow-braised duck orecchiette inspired by visits to Italy is kissed with the rich flavor of the chef’s favorite meat. And delicately spiced jerk chicken thighs — crisp on the outside and tender on the inside — pay homage to Balloo’s Caribbean roots. If it’s hard to choose which story to explore, don’t worry: You’re guaranteed to taste romance in each and every dish. BES T RES TAURANT WHEN S OME ONE ELSE IS P AYING Sexy Fish 1001 S. MIAMI AVENUE MIAMI, 33130 305-889-7888 SEXYFISHMIAMI.COM Every year, there’s an “it” restaurant so trendy that even if you could afford it, you wouldn’t be able to get a reservation. This is the year of Sexy Fish, the London-based restaurant that can best be described as what would happen if the Little Mermaid dropped acid and decided to eat all of her ocean friends. The restaurant is a fishy fantasy, yet somehow it isn’t tacky. The servers are dressed in shimmery, sea-life attire, sushi and fusion dishes are all prepared with precision by chef Bjorn Weissgerber. There are seafood towers, caviar service, and a dessert platter served in a giant clamshell. (But someone else is footing the bill, so why not order them all?) The pièce de résistance is a trip to the bathroom, where you’ll encounter a lifelike sculpture of a mermaid (in the ladies’ room) or one of Daniel Craig as James Bond (in the men’s). Sexy Fish is your answer when your friends ask, “Where do you want us to take you for your birthday?” BES T INEXPENSIVE RES TAURANT FIU Bistro FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY BISCAYNE BAY CAMPUS 3000 NE 151ST STREET NORTH MIAMI, 33181 SHOP.FIUHOSPITALITY.COM/ PRODUCT/DININGEVENT Shhh. Florida International University’s Bis- cayne Bay Campus holds a secret: a hidden bistro, where a three-course meal costs a mere $10. The lunches and dinners, held on Wednesdays while classes are in session, are part of the university’s Chaplin School of Hos- pitality and Management and are designed to give students real-world experience in host- ing paying customers in a fine-dining setting. The menu isn’t large — generally you’ll have two or three choices for each course — but the quality is tops. The students in charge are at- tentive and professional as they take your or- der, fill your glass, and explain each dish. Your ten bucks covers a nonalcoholic cocktail, and instead of a tip you’ll be asked to fill out a short survey designed to provide feedback to these future restaurateurs. And because this is edu- cational, the $10 (requested in advance to hold the reservation) counts as a donation and is therefore deductible. Reservations fill up quickly; keep tabs on the website to snag the best dining deal in town. BES T-KEP T SE CRET (DINING DIVISION) Kojin 8222 NORTHEAST SECOND AVENUE (INSIDE HACHIDORI RAMEN BAR) MIAMI, 33138 305-587-9775 KOJINMIAMI.COM You’re forgiven if you didn’t know about the hidden dining room in the back of Hachidori Ramen Bar in Little River. It was planned as a sake den, but owner Guillermo Paniza offered the space to Culinary Institute of America grads Pedro and Katherine Mederos during the pan- demic. The spouses (Pedro handles the savory while Katherine sees to the pastry and manages the space) showcase their skills by way of a sea- sonal omakase menu (diners choose between a six- or ten-course version) that emphasizes lo- cal produce. Known in Japan as kaiseki, this cuisine is as beautiful to look at as it is to eat. But there’s a catch: You’ll have to get in line. The res- taurant has only ten seats. And now that the se- cret is out in a big way, well, all we can say is that it’s good thing the couple plans to open another restaurant nearby next year. BES T PL A CE F OR A FIRS T D ATE Margot Natural Wine Bar & Aperitivo Bar 25 SE SECOND AVENUE MIAMI, 33131 786-431-5355 MARGOTNATURALWINEBAR.COM First dates are nerve-wracking, awkward ex- periences but choosing the where doesn’t have to be. We present to you Margot, an intimate natural wine bar inside the historic Ingraham Building downtown and a surefire way to im- press your date (even if they fail to impress you). Besides wine and its inherent romance, Bar Lab founders Gabe Orta and Elad Zvi set the scene with a backdrop of warm pink tones, cozy seating, and vibey tunes from a vintage sound system. But back to the main draw: Margot’s natural, organic, and/or biodynamic wine list, which changes daily, and the knowl- edgeable staff that will steer you toward what you’ll enjoy. (There are plenty of local beers, too.) After ordering a drink to quell any first- date jitters, you and your date can turn your at- tention to Margot’s food menu. Brûléed figs paired with feta, prosciutto, perhaps? Maybe a light salmon crudo, as well. If the electricity isn’t flowing between the two of you, at least you’ll be set when it comes to a place to try out another first date — and another wine. JUNE 23-29, 2022 JUNE 23-29, 2022 NEW TIMES NEW TIMES BEST OF MIAMI® 2022 BEST OF MIAMI® 2022 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com CS A PRINT S TOCK / GETT Y IMAGES
