New York's Best Restaurants Open In Miami
New York's restauranteurs are making a splash on the South Florida scene, where dining restrictions are more relaxed.
It has been a tough year for restaurants located in expensive cities. In New York, with lockdowns and restrictions since last March decimating business, combined with eyewateringly high rents, some 1,000 restaurants in the city have been forced to permanently close their doors.
Some are looking to states where Covid-19 rules are more relaxed and rents are lower, like Florida, in addition to their New York flagships. According to Savills Research, rent in the top commercial premises in Manhattan, New York, was on average US$90.42 per square foot, whereas a comparable rent in Brickell, Miami, was just US$56.48 per square foot.
Discerning global travel guide Urbanologie profiles six of New York's best restaurants opening new outposts in Miami.
Famous for its iconic spicy rigatoni vodka, the West Village hot spot branches out with a Miami Beach location – near to homegrown favourites including Prime 112 and Joe’s Stone Crab. Carbone is Major Food Group’s tribute to the mid-century Italian-American restaurant, a hearty embrace of 'red-sauce' cuisine. Design-wise think 1950’s meets hipster chic - in the former Upland Miami space. Designed by Ken Fulk there's damask-upholstered walls, their iconic red velvet drapes, dim lighting and cozy seating and artwork chosen by gallerist Vito Schnabel. The outdoor patio has a more laid-back feel with rattan ceiling fans, eclectic furniture with certain design nods to Cuba. And like the good old days, the food - high-end takes on classic Italian American, are rich and luscious, from the spicy rigatoni vodka, lobster ravioli to table-side Caesar and white lasagne.
New York City's first and always-busy Korean Steakhouse has arrived in Miami. The upscale Korean chophouse is a fusion of a steakhouse and Korean barbecue joint - by Simon Kim, the restaurateur behind Michelin-starred Piora. Known for their dry-aged steaks and where diners cook the meat over in-table (smokeless) grills for some table-top searing. Also expect spins on classic American steakhouse dishes such as wedge salad with sesame dressing and steak tartare with pear and crispy puffs. The space boasts modern art pieces; an oval-shaped bar, and two private dining spaces: Simon’s Room and the PK Room, an ode to the developer T.V. Moore, who turned his pineapple farm in the 1920s into the Design District, where the restaurant resides.
Red Rooster is one of New York's must visit eateries – a homage to the neighbourhood and inspired by Harlem's iconic diner culture - this buzzy bistro serves up global soul street food and has been fundamental in bringing about a renaissance of the local culinary scene. Founded by renowned Ethiopian-Swedish chef Marcus Samuelsson (formerly of the award-wining Aquavit and a winner of Top Chef Masters) you can expect home-cooked Southern-inspired - comfort food with elements of Caribbean, Latin American and African cuisines. The menu features Red Rooster classics found at its Harlem location like hot honey fried chicken and Obama’s short ribs, in addition to new dishes such as fresh ceviche, grilled local fish, and nods to Miami’s Haitian and Caribbean communities. The Miami outpost replicates the laid-back cheerful charm complete with antique bric-a-brac, works from local artists and live music. Housed inside of the former “Clyde Killen’s Pool Hall” in Overtown, and includes a 209-seat main dining room, outdoor garden, large patio, balcony terrace, and multiple private dining rooms.
Acclaimed chef Michael White (Marea and Ai Fiori) as created a menu devoted to the Northern Italian regional specialties of Emilia-Romagna at this outpost of his classic Bolognese tavern in New York's SoHo neighborhood. Inspired by the city of Bologna, Michael White's Osteria Morini - housed in the Kimpton Hotel Palomar - churns out excellent fare using lots of regional ingredients. Expect long-simmering ragùs rich with flavor, and all the pastas house-made. The menu is meaty, from the carefully curated selection of sliced meats to braised chicken with pork sausage to grilled steaks alongside locally caught seafood. Italian wine is served on tap from barrels or by the bottle from an impressive list. The design is classic Italian rustic, with wood tables, wood beams and a miscellany of wooden cabinets and Italian images on the walls. Opt to dine outdoors on the charming patio overlooking Collins Canal.
Keith McNally's highly atmospheric French bistro Pastis is landing in Miami. James Beard award-winning restaurateurs Stephen Starr (Le Coucou, Upland) and Keith McNally plan to open in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood at 380 Northwest 26th Street. Expect to find the classic and hearty moderately-priced bistro fare Pastis is known for, with a menu that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner with handwritten daily specials. Also, you can expect the same “time-worn Parisian bistro” feel that its New York City counterpart features – complete with a curved zinc bar featuring a subway tile backdrop, mosaic-tile floor, too, and vintage mirrors throughout - when Pastis Miami opens in the summer.
A Miami outpost of the New York omakase hot spot, is in the works. The much-anticipated restaurant roots itself in omakase sushi and kaiseki traditions of Japanese fine dining, from inventive chef Mark Garcia - who was also behind popular sushi bar Gaijin in New York. Prior to helming the kitchen at Gaijin, Garcia worked at leading Chicago Japanese restaurants Momotaro and Sushi Kaze. Garcia’s unconventional omakase dishes are complemented by kaiseki-style plates with ceative takes on modern Japanese fare. On offer will be a 13 or 16-dish tasting menu, which includes a back-and-forth between the omakase and kaiseki dishes - with also à la carte items, including nigiri, futomaki, rolls and rice bowls - served in an intimate restaurant. Garcia is also opening a new concept rooftop eatery - O by Kissaki - atop an eight-story building at 222 Northwest 24th Street, near Panther Coffee in Wynwood.
