Out with the Old Farewell Artcenter Hello Oolite Arts

Home , Carnegie (horse), Cat intelligence, Feijoada, Solemia, Sottsass

April 2019 www.BiscayneTimes.com Volume 17 Issue 2 ©

Out With the Old Farewell ArtCenter Hello Oolite Arts

CALL 305-756-6200 FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ADVERTISING SPACE 2 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 DISCOVER | JWTURNBERRY.COM

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 3 Where Buyers 2019 New 5,300 SF Waterfront Home 160 ft of New Seawall ! and Sellers

` intersect every day

13255 Keystone Terrace - $1.650M Rare opportunity to find a 160 ft waterfront home with 2019 New Waterfront Pool Home - $2.49M new seawall just steps to the Bay! For sale at lot New 5,300 SF Contemporary Home with Ocean Access, no value. 160' ft on water with no bridges to Bay… Remodel bridges to Bay. 4BR, 5BA + den/office or 5th BR, 665sf this 5BR 4,589 sf home with your personal touches or covered patio downstairs. 2 car gar. Dock up to 75' ft boat. build your waterfront dream home on 13,000 sf lot.

For Rent-Keystone Point Waterfront Tropical Oasis on 20,000 SF of Land!

Brand New 2019 Waterfront Home !

2045 Keystone Blvd - $2.39M New modern style home rests on 75 ft of waterfront, no bridges to Bay & quick ocean access. Appx 5,000 sf, 5br 5ba, pool, 2 car garage. New seawall and new dock. 13800 S Biscayne River Dr - $415,000 Wow! 20,000 sf of land is rare to find! Enjoy this Completely Remodeled - $5,500 13100 Coronado Terr. 3 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms, 2,108 SF, Tropical Oasis just 6 miles north of Downtown Miami. plus garage on 9,375 sf of land. Completely remodeled, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom pool home with 1 car move in ready. No bridges to Bay. garage/storage plus 1 car carport.

2035 NE 121 Rd - $1.150M Beautiful 2 story waterfront property with direct Bay

Keystone Point Waterfront! access in the 24hr Police Gated Sans Souci Estates Majorca Towers - Wide Bay Views $240,000 that offers 4br, 3ba, hurricane impact windows and North Miami Bayfront Building. Large 1br convertible, doors, with refinished real hardwood floors upstairs. 2130 NE 124 Street - $ 887,000 2 full updated baths. Private Balcony - Bay Views. 3br 2ba home with 1 car garage on 11,250 SF of land & only This home has a great layout with lots of Hurricane Impact Windows. Remodeled eat-in kitchen. 800 ft away from wide Bay. Large 60ft dock and 20,0000 pound entertainment areas and room for pool. Unit is in excellent condition. 4 post elevator boat lift. Ocean access in 15 mins.

Montgomery & Koebel, Inc. 305-606-2252 12700 Biscayne Blvd. Suite 303, North Miami, FL [email protected]

4 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 5 6 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 7 CONTENTS

COVER STORY 22 This Arts Group Has $90 Million — Pow! PO Box 370566, Miami, FL 33137 www.biscaynetimes.com© COMMENTARY 12 Feedback: Letters to the Editor Serving communities along the Biscayne Corridor: Arch Creek East, Aventura, Bay Point, Bayside, Biscayne Park, Belle Meade, Buena Vista, Coventry, Design District, Downtown, Eastern Shores, Edgewater, El Portal, 16 Jack King: Diving With the Dumpster 37 Enchanted Lake, Hibiscus Island, Highland Lakes, Keystone Point, Miami Shores, Morningside, North OUR SPONSORS Greynolds, North Bay Island, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Oak Forest, Oakland Grove, Palm Grove, 18 BizBuzz: April 2019 Palm Island, Sans Souci, Shorecrest, Sky Lake, Sparling Lake, Star Island, Wynwood, and Venetian Islands COMMUNITY NEWS 36 North Miami Election Scorecard PUBLISHER & EDITOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE 37 Final Days of Plaza Tire, Beloved Car Shop Jim Mullin Nancy Newhart 37 Morningside Park Pool: Repair or Raze? [email protected] [email protected] NEIGHBORHOOD CORRESPONDENTS CONTRIBUTORS 954-980-7639 46 Miami Shores, El Portal, Biscayne Park: Poop Problem 48 Erik Bojnansky, Senior Writer 48 Spring Break: Excess For Sale [email protected] ART DIRECTOR 50 Urbanist Richard Florida’s Advice for North Miami Marcy Mock ART & CULTURE Anne Tschida, Arts Editor [email protected] 52 Anne Tschida on Eddie Arroyo’s Whitney Prize [email protected] 54 Melissa Wallen’s Galleries + Museums Francisco Alvarado, Geoffrey Anderson, ADVERTISING DESIGN 56 Events Calendar: O Miami! Poetry Fest Jay Beskin, Jacqueline Coleman, DP Designs POLICE REPORTS John Dorschner, Paul George, [email protected] 58 Derek McCann’s Biscayne Crime Beat Janet Goodman, Margaret Griffis, Helen Hill, CIRCULATION John Ise, Jack King, Derek MichaelMcCann, PARK PATROL South Florida Distributors 60 Janet Goodman: José Martí Park Dinah McNichols, Kim Ogren, Jenni Person, COLUMNISTS Silvia Ros, Dianne Rubin, Mark Sell, PRINTING 57 Picture Story: Canadians Love Miami Stuart Sheldon, Jeff Shimonski, Stuart Web, Inc. 62 Pet Talk: How Smart Are Cats? Melissa Wallen www.stuartweb.com 63 Family Matters: Try a No-Kids Staycation 64 Your Garden: Wildly Colorful Vines BUSINESS MANAGER 65 Going Green: On the Path for Pythons Kenneth Cooper 66 Vino: Red Blends from California [email protected] 67 Dish: Breakfasts Done Right DINING GUIDE 68 Restaurant Listings: 250 Biscayne Corridor Restaurants FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION CALL 305-756-6200 60 All articles, photos, and artwork in the Biscayne Times are copyrighted by Biscayne Media, LLC. Any duplication or reprinting without authorized written consent from the publisher is prohibited.

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8 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 GREAT DOCTORS CONTINUE TO YIELD GREAT RESULTS Mount Sinai Medical Center has been named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by IBM Watson Health™ for two consecutive years.

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April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 9 305-895-JEFF(5333)

REAL ESTATE BROKER / CEO

SANS SOUCI ESTATES WIDE, WIDE BAYFRONT! “OWNER WILL FINANCE” SECOND LOT FROM BAY “SANS SOUCI ESTATES” LOWEST PRICE 4BD/4BA, pool, 2 car garage. DOWNTOWN VIEWS! ON THE BAY 3,831 Sf. Remodel°existing or tear 6BD/5BA, Pool, 8600 SF 30” down and build new. Original High Ceilings, 3 Floors, 2 Story. home has 24” stone flooring and 12ft. high ceilings. New seawall SUBJECT PROPERTY Plus Grandfathered in w/75’ dockage & artificial Basement. 3 story Elevator. graphite wood, dock & pool deck. 102’ of New Seawall. Home is Excellent location priced at land priced at “Land Value” value. ONLY $1.29M Try $2.9M

CONTEMPORARY “NEW KEYSTONE POINT NEW BUILT MARCH 2019 SANS SOUCI ESTATES BAY VIEWS – 75’ DOCK & 27,000 LB. BOAT LIFT CONSTRUCTION” 75’ ON THE BOATER'S DREAM HOUSE WATER POOL & SPA NEW SEAWALL & DOCK OWNER WILL FINANCE WITH 25% DOWN 5Br/6Ba, 5,476 Sf, 2 Or 4 Car Gar. 4BD/3BA, pool, 2 car garage, “30’ High Ceilings” All Concrete new addition, high vaulted Floors! Pool W/Jacuzzi Waterfall, ceilings over 3,200 sf. 24" SUBJECT PROPERTY 1’x4’ Porcelain Plank Floors & marble, 2016 granite kitchen Glass Tile Baths, Subzero & Wolf and baths. hurricane impact Appl’S, Quartz Top, Kit. Impact windows in place. $1.49M Glass. 75’ Of Dockage! $2.69M Also FOR RENT $7,900/MTH

SANS SOUCI ESTATES 75’ DOCKAGE-NEWER BUILT Daily Live Bands Beginning at noon NON-WATERFRONT “SANS SOUCI ESTATES” 4BD/3.5BA, 3,282 Sf, Completely 5BD/3.5BA, pool, 3,817 Sf. Remodeled Brand New In 2016. Saturnia marble flooring, huge Free To The Public Marble Floors Throughout, Center center island kitchen, huge Island Gourmet Granite Kitchen, Huge Media Room With°Custom Home “great room” with hi-vaulted Featuring Local Artists Theatre (Stays) And 7.1 Surround skylighting, huge master bath Sound, Huge 8 Seat Cherrywood w/steamroom & jacuzzi. “New Wetbar, Remote Camera Security seawall and dock”, hurricane

Playing Rock, Reggae, Top 40, Latin and much more! System, 24-hour Gaurdgated impact & more!! A steal! $1.39M Community, Room For A Pool. $799k

"BISCAYNE GARDENS" NORTH- WATERFRONT TO LAKE OVERSIZED 1/3 ACRE “SANS SOUCI ESTATES” “NEW REMODELED CONTEMPORARY” EAST MIAMI AREA, WATERSKI, CORNER LOT ESTATE, JET SKI, FISHING, CANOING, ACROSS THE STREET PADDLE BOARD ETC. FROM MULTIMILLION 3BD/3BA, 1.5 Garage 2,910 Sf, DOLLAR BAYFRONT Oversized 1/3 Acre Lot Completely HOMES! Remodeled New 2019 All Marble 5BD/4.5BA, 4, 732 Sf., pool & jacuzzi, Flooring Marble Baths, Large Center garage. 36" white quartz glass floors & FEATURING: Island Italian Kitchen w/qaurtz top counters and White Lacquer Cabinets, glass tile baths, italian, quartztop, kit. Hurricane Impact Windows Owner will Impact glass. huge master suite & Finance only $599K sprawling bath, nice bay breezes 1.29M ALSO “FOR RENT” $8,900/MTH VIVA BAND ON APRIL 5TH KEYSTONE POINT LOWEST PRICE IN SUBDIVISION MODERN SINGLE STORY SANS SOUCI ESTATES “ANGLE BAYVIEWS” NEW 2018 CONSTRUCTION WATERFRONT “CONTEMPORARY” 3BD/2BA, Direct Ocean 5 BD/4.5 BA 4,253 Sf, 2 Car Gar. 401 BISCAYNE BLVD. MIAMI, FL 33132 3RD ANNUAL JAZZ FEST ON APRIL 11TH “12’ High Ceilings” Access. 75’ on the Water Plus All Concrete Floors! Heated Boatlift. All New Contempo- Pool w/Jacuzzi Waterfall, 1’x4’ PHONE: 305-577-3344 rary Quartz top Center Island Porcelain Plank Floors & Glass Kitchen. Remodeled Porcelain Tile Baths, Subzero & Wolf Appl’s, Quartz Top, Kit., Impact Baths Only $859K Glass. 75’ of dockage! 2.2MIL 10 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 305-895-JEFF(5333)

REAL ESTATE BROKER / CEO

SANS SOUCI ESTATES 75’ DOCKAGE-NEWER BUILT NON-WATERFRONT “SANS SOUCI ESTATES” 4BD/3.5BA, 3,282 Sf, Completely 5BD/3.5BA, pool, 3,817 Sf. Remodeled Brand New In 2016. Saturnia marble flooring, huge Marble Floors Throughout, Center center island kitchen, huge Island Gourmet Granite Kitchen, Huge Media Room With°Custom Home “great room” with hi-vaulted Theatre (Stays) And 7.1 Surround skylighting, huge master bath Sound, Huge 8 Seat Cherrywood w/steamroom & jacuzzi. “New Wetbar, Remote Camera Security seawall and dock”, hurricane

System, 24-hour Gaurdgated impact & more!! A steal! $1.39M Community, Room For A Pool. $799k

KEYSTONE POINT LOWEST PRICE IN SUBDIVISION MODERN SINGLE STORY SANS SOUCI ESTATES “ANGLE BAYVIEWS” NEW 2018 CONSTRUCTION WATERFRONT “CONTEMPORARY” 3BD/2BA, Direct Ocean 5 BD/4.5 BA 4,253 Sf, 2 Car Gar. “12’ High Ceilings” Access. 75’ on the Water Plus All Concrete Floors! Heated Boatlift. All New Contempo- Pool w/Jacuzzi Waterfall, 1’x4’ rary Quartz top Center Island Porcelain Plank Floors & Glass Kitchen. Remodeled Porcelain Tile Baths, Subzero & Wolf Appl’s, Quartz Top, Kit., Impact Baths Only $859K Glass. 75’ of dockage! 2.2MIL April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 11 Commentary: LETTERS

Fun With Dogs (“Let’s Put the Civil Back into Civil CALL NOW It must be true. We fall for pet stories. Liberties,” March 2019). Great kudos on Janet Goodman’s story Who in their right mind calls “10,000 Days with Dogs” (March 2019). Stone an “imp,” a “half buffoon” The fun is in the small details. Who whose “idea of assault is to spread a 305-742-5225 knew there were thousands of Berlin rumor”? Beskin needs to think about Wall “guard” dogs who needed reha- the harm “rumors” have done so far in EAGLE bilitation after German reunification? this presidency. Please follow us on:: Or that junkyard dogs made for great What is the debate about social stories? Fun! media “rumors” if not Russian bots, the Tonya Albertson InfoWars, QAnon, and Fox fear-mongers, PROPERTIES EXCLUSIVELY FOR SALE BY THE JACK CODEN GROUP Miami and the dungheap of lies Trump spreads on Twitter? Quality of Life Tops Liability No, the FBI should not have Risk phoned Stone’s attorney and asked him Francisco Alvarado’s article about the to have his client turn himself in while public boat ramp at Legion Park (“That officers look at his hard drives and Sinking Feeling,” March 2019), which home office. has been closed down since 2009, Shauna Meltzer NEW PRICE! UNDER CONTRACT! JUST LISTED! NEW PRICE! brings to mind yet another public recre- North Miami Beach 1201 NE 102 St. $995,000 1508 S Indian River Dr. $1,149,000 780 NE 69 St #T-1A $1,550,000 5932 NE 6 Ave. $1,875,000 ational resource that has been closed for 7KLVH[TXLVLWH0,02PDVWHUSLHFHKDVEHHQ 7KLVVWXQQLQJVIZDWHUIURQWHVWDWHLVRQWKH 5DUHVTIW3HQWKRXVHLQWKHVN\ZLWKIW 7KLVLVD7UXO\XQLTXHRSSRUWXQLW\WREX\DIXOO\UHVWRUHG years — the swimming pool at Morn- Don’t Give Our City a Tagline FRPSOHWHO\UHPRGHOHG'HVLJQHGE\IDPRXV$UFKLWHFW ZLGH LQWHUFRDVWDO ZDWHUZD\ 0,02 %HYHUO\ +LOOV FHLOLQJV 7KLV H[TXLVLWHO\ UHPRGHOHG %5%$ KLVWRULF PDQVLRQ EHORZ DSSUDLVHG YDOXH 2QH RI 3HUF\37XUQHUDQGORFDWHGRQDODUJHFRUQHUORW UDQFKERDVWV%5%$ZLWKDFDUJDUDJH 6(FRUQHUFRQGRLVD0$67(53,(&( JDWHG0RUQLQJVLGH¶VJUDQGHVWKLVWRULFKRPHV ingside Park. A mayor, two council members, one Miami’s Upper Eastside children city manager... and the list goes on. As a now have no neighborhood public pool nearly 50-year resident of North Miami, where they can be taught how to swim I am heartbroken by the continual scan- — they have to be bused to a location dal that my great city suffers. outside the neighborhood. Seniors like I, like most residents of North myself, who enjoy low-impact aerobics Miami, consider our city one of the and swimming laps, have to pay to join a best places in South Florida, if not JUST SOLD! JUST LISTED! JUST LISTED! NEW PRICE! health club with a stuffy indoor pool for America, to live. Our little enclave 230 NE 212 St. $273,000 1800 NE 114 St #1107 $199,000 1016 NE 113 St. $539,900 736 NE 74 St. $59,000 lack of alternatives. of beauty and flavor has beauti- 6WXQQLQJVWRU\KRPHORFDWHGLQWKHGHVLUDEOH $PD]LQJZLGHED\YLHZVIURPWKLVVTIW%5%$ $'25$%/( UHPRGHOHG GXSOH[ ORFDWHG LQ OXVK %LVFD\QH 'ULSSLQJLQFKDUPWKLVDGRUDEOH%HOOH0HDGH A few years ago I attended a public ful homes, good culture, and great 6DQ6LPHRQ+RPHVJDWHGFRPPXQLW\7KLV &ULFNHW&OXEFRQGR+XJHIWEDOFRQ\ OLNHDVHFRQG 3DUN0DLQKRXVHLVDKXJHVTIWVWRU\%5%$ FRWWDJH LV RYHU VI SOXV D JDUDJH DQG hearing at which the city’s budget direc- people, but we seem to be stricken %5%$JHPKDVEHHQWRWDOO\UHPRGHOHG OLYLQJURRP DQGQGXQLWLVDYHU\VSDFLRXVVTIW%5%$ ERQXVURRPV7KLVKDVIDPLO\URRPV tor was asked why there were so few with a spates of inept leadership. We public pools in our city. His response? have become a laughingstock be- It’s a liability issue. cause our leaders haven’t been able The city needs to recognize that to avoid the headlines for all the what it considers to be liability issues wrong reasons. are quality-of-life issues for its resi- As I recall from Mark Sell’s elec- dents. Outdoor sports are a natural fit tion article in the BT’s November for Miami. It is absurd that in this city, 2018 edition (“Game On!”), one of UNDER CONTRACT! JUST SOLD! JUST LISTED! of all cities, residents should have the current candidates for mayor is 1886 Brickell Ave #2 $649,000 9173 Abbott Ave. Sold in 6 Months! 15348 Sunset Dr #23-13 $165,000 738 NE 70 St. $575,000 to search high and low for a public running under heavy accusation. He 5$5(720$5.(7WKLVWRWDOO\XQLTXH6T)W 6RXWK%HDFKPHHWV6XUIVLGH7KLVSUHZDUDUWGHFR &KDUPLQJFRUQHUXQLWORFDWHGLQ5R]ODQG&RQGRV7KLV%5%$ 'ULSSLQJ LQ FKDUP 7KLV VSDFLRXV %5%$ boat ramp or public swimming pool has a cloud hanging over his head the %ULFNHOO$YHWRZQKRXVHLVD%5%$KRPHZLWKD WUHDVXUH%5%$LVLQRULJLQDOFRQGLWLRQDQG\RXZLOO IHDWXUHVDVSDFLRXVOD\RXWFHUDPLFIORRUVWKURXJKRXWDPSOH VLQJOHFDUJDUDJHKRPHLVORFDWHGLQWKHKLJKO\ SULYDWHHOHYDWRU IHHOOLNH\RXDUHLQD62%(DUWGHFRUHVRUW FORVHWVSDFHWRQVRIOLJKWDQGZDVKHUDQGGU\HULQXQLW VRXJKWDIWHU+LVWRULF%D\VLGH0,02'LVWULFW because the City considers them to size of a hurricane and with as much be “liability issues” and refuses to scandalous force. properly maintain and repair them In most cities, this type of scandal when maintenance and repairs become would discourage someone from running, necessary. but not North Miami. It emboldens some, Debby Stander and when we elect people with this type Belle Meade of baggage it, becomes our tagline. We as residents become saddled with the tag: JUST LISTED! JUST LISTED! UNDER CONTRACT! Editor’s note: For an update on the “Isn’t your mayor/councilman (fill in the 1164 NE 86 St. $889,000 3001 NE 185 St #512 $350,000 8634 NE 10 Ave. $365,000 9546 NW 1 Ave. $559,000 Morningside Park swimming pool, see blank) the one who’s accused of (fill in ,PDJLQH OLYLQJ LQ D KRPH WKDW LV D &203/(7( )DQWDVWLFIORRGHGZQDWXUDOOLJKW/RFDWHGLQKLJKO\

12 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 ODQGVFDSHUZLOOGRDZRQGHUIXOMREDGMXVWLQJWR\RXUEXGJHW CALL NOW 305-742-5225 EAGLE Please follow us on:: PROPERTIES EXCLUSIVELY FOR SALE BY THE JACK CODEN GROUP

NEW PRICE! UNDER CONTRACT! JUST LISTED! NEW PRICE! 1201 NE 102 St. $995,000 1508 S Indian River Dr. $1,149,000 780 NE 69 St #T-1A $1,550,000 5932 NE 6 Ave. $1,875,000 7KLVH[TXLVLWH0,02PDVWHUSLHFHKDVEHHQ 7KLVVWXQQLQJVIZDWHUIURQWHVWDWHLVRQWKH 5DUHVTIW3HQWKRXVHLQWKHVN\ZLWKIW 7KLVLVD7UXO\XQLTXHRSSRUWXQLW\WREX\DIXOO\UHVWRUHG FRPSOHWHO\UHPRGHOHG'HVLJQHGE\IDPRXV$UFKLWHFW ZLGH LQWHUFRDVWDO ZDWHUZD\ 0,02 %HYHUO\ +LOOV FHLOLQJV 7KLV H[TXLVLWHO\ UHPRGHOHG %5%$ KLVWRULF PDQVLRQ EHORZ DSSUDLVHG YDOXH 2QH RI 3HUF\37XUQHUDQGORFDWHGRQDODUJHFRUQHUORW UDQFKERDVWV%5%$ZLWKDFDUJDUDJH 6(FRUQHUFRQGRLVD0$67(53,(&( JDWHG0RUQLQJVLGH¶VJUDQGHVWKLVWRULFKRPHV

JUST SOLD! JUST LISTED! JUST LISTED! NEW PRICE! 230 NE 212 St. $273,000 1800 NE 114 St #1107 $199,000 1016 NE 113 St. $539,900 736 NE 74 St. $59,000 6WXQQLQJVWRU\KRPHORFDWHGLQWKHGHVLUDEOH $PD]LQJZLGHED\YLHZVIURPWKLVVTIW%5%$ $'25$%/( UHPRGHOHG GXSOH[ ORFDWHG LQ OXVK %LVFD\QH 'ULSSLQJLQFKDUPWKLVDGRUDEOH%HOOH0HDGH 6DQ6LPHRQ+RPHVJDWHGFRPPXQLW\7KLV &ULFNHW&OXEFRQGR+XJHIWEDOFRQ\ OLNHDVHFRQG 3DUN0DLQKRXVHLVDKXJHVTIWVWRU\%5%$ FRWWDJH LV RYHU VI SOXV D JDUDJH DQG %5%$JHPKDVEHHQWRWDOO\UHPRGHOHG OLYLQJURRP DQGQGXQLWLVDYHU\VSDFLRXVVTIW%5%$ ERQXVURRPV7KLVKDVIDPLO\URRPV

UNDER CONTRACT! JUST SOLD! JUST LISTED! 1886 Brickell Ave #2 $649,000 9173 Abbott Ave. Sold in 6 Months! 15348 Sunset Dr #23-13 $165,000 738 NE 70 St. $575,000 5$5(720$5.(7WKLVWRWDOO\XQLTXH6T)W 6RXWK%HDFKPHHWV6XUIVLGH7KLVSUHZDUDUWGHFR &KDUPLQJFRUQHUXQLWORFDWHGLQ5R]ODQG&RQGRV7KLV%5%$ 'ULSSLQJ LQ FKDUP 7KLV VSDFLRXV %5%$ %ULFNHOO$YHWRZQKRXVHLVD%5%$KRPHZLWKD WUHDVXUH%5%$LVLQRULJLQDOFRQGLWLRQDQG\RXZLOO IHDWXUHVDVSDFLRXVOD\RXWFHUDPLFIORRUVWKURXJKRXWDPSOH VLQJOHFDUJDUDJHKRPHLVORFDWHGLQWKHKLJKO\ SULYDWHHOHYDWRU IHHOOLNH\RXDUHLQD62%(DUWGHFRUHVRUW FORVHWVSDFHWRQVRIOLJKWDQGZDVKHUDQGGU\HULQXQLW VRXJKWDIWHU+LVWRULF%D\VLGH0,02'LVWULFW

JUST LISTED! JUST LISTED! UNDER CONTRACT! 1164 NE 86 St. $889,000 3001 NE 185 St #512 $350,000 8634 NE 10 Ave. $365,000 9546 NW 1 Ave. $559,000 ,PDJLQH OLYLQJ LQ D KRPH WKDW LV D &203/(7( )DQWDVWLFIORRGHGZQDWXUDOOLJKW/RFDWHGLQKLJKO\

Tips to Selling Your Home 7LS:KHQJHWWLQJ\RXUKRPHUHDG\WRVHOOVSUXFLQJXS\RXUKRPH¶VODQGVFDSLQJLVDQLQH[SHQVLYHZD\WRDGGFXUEDSSHDO5HPHPEHU ZKHQLQWHUYLHZLQJODQGVFDSHUVGRQRWDVNWKHPZKDWWKHQHZODQGVFDSLQJZLOOFRVW

ODQGVFDSHUZLOOGRDZRQGHUIXOMREDGMXVWLQJWR\RXUEXGJHWApril 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 13 Uncover the surprising science behind everyday stuff.

Presented locally by: ON VIEW THROUGH OCTOBER 13

Get ready for a totally hands-on experience. Enter the fascinating world of materials and get a glimpse of where materials science might take us. Go ahead–crush it, zoom inside it, transform it.

frostscience.org/strangematter

Presented by: This exhibition and its tour are made possible by the generous support of the following sponsors:

1101 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132 | 305-434-9600 | frostscience.org

The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is supported by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners of Miami-Dade County. This project is supported by the Building Better Communities Bond Program and the City of Miami. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and a member of the Association of Science and Technology Centers. Frost Science is an accessible facility. All contents ©Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science. All rights reserved. 14 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 Uncover the surprising science behind everyday stuff.

Presented locally by: ON VIEW THROUGH OCTOBER 13

Being ready for her bundle of joy began with people who cared.

JOIN US FOR A FREE MATERNAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS FAIR

SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2019 | 10:00 AM — 2:00 PM North Shore Medical Center Auditorium Get ready for a totally hands-on experience. Enter the fascinating 1100 N. W. 95 Street, Miami, FL 33150 world of materials and get a glimpse of where materials science might take us. Go ahead–crush it, zoom inside it, transform it. frostscience.org/strangematter A COMMUNITY BUILT ON TRUST

We will be having the following activities: • Free Educational • Tours • Nutritional Information Presented by: This exhibition and its tour are made possible by the generous support of the following sponsors: Lectures • Car Seat Safety • Prenatal Yoga • Healthy Snacks • Meet the Doctors Demonstration

® On-site participants will include: • Healthy Start • Miami-Dade County • WIC Program • Early Learning Steps Women’s Health Information For more information, please call 844-856-1502. 1101 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132 | 305-434-9600 | frostscience.org

The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is supported by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners of Miami-Dade County. This project is supported by the Building Better Communities Bond Program and the City of Miami. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and a member of the Association of Science and Technology Centers. Frost Science is an accessible facility. All contents ©Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science. All rights reserved. April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 15 Commentary: MIAMI’S KING

On the Record Trump is a man of many words, few of them true

By Jack King hear The Dumpster on television, you BT Contributor hear the phrase at least half a dozen times in a row: “no collusion...no collu- irst of all, I want to thank you for sion...no collusion...no collusion.” the nice letters about me you have And just in case you think all this Fsent in to Biscayne Times. I didn’t “no collusion” stuff is made up (The think there were that many people who Dumpster does make it all up), the judge disliked me that much and who love Don in the Paul Manafort trial never said any “the Con” Dumpster even more. Hell, I such thing, even though The Dumpster didn’t even know you all could write! says it over and over again. So, does Keep the letters coming! I do have a The Dumpster have a master’s degree in fair in this, but listen, I have a deputy, future may hold. Sometimes it works, sense of humor. lying? He seems to be the best. appoints a man to write a report on me, and sometime it doesn’t. Sen. Patrick Now, back to The Dumpster, or And here’s an articulate interview to make a determination on my presi- Leahy of Vermont did, and he issued a should I say the Lying Dumpster. Two The Dumpster did with Fox Business dency, people will not stand for it.” stern warning to The Dumpster: Don’t years ago, he lied 492 times in the first News: “It’s always interesting to me be- With those words, The Dumpster, pull a Richard Nixon. 100 days of his presidency (this was cause a deputy, that didn’t get any votes, with what little brain power he may In a Washington Post op-ed, Leahy fact-checked by numerous independent appoints a man that didn’t get any votes, have, shows us that he likely believes recalled the collapse of Nixon’s admin- sources). That worked out to five lies a he’s going to write a report on me. he’s been elected emperor of the United istration after the Watergate scandal. He day. I didn’t think it was even possible “I had one of the greatest election States, for life! Obviously, he has no said The Dumpster ought to be as clear to make up five lies a day for 100 days victories in history. Would you say idea how the U.S. political system as possible with Mueller’s findings if he in a row! that’s true? works. He might notice that no one in hopes to avoid damaging public trust in Now, at two years into his presi- They came from the valleys, they the Justice Department serves in an the government. dency, he has reportedly blurted out came from the rivers, they came from elected position. No one. “Those years serve as a reminder more than 9000 lies — that works out the cities, they came from all over, they It’s also in keeping with The Dump- that a democracy hidden from the people to nearly 13 lies per day. The question voted in one of the greatest elections ster’s total lack of knowledge about the is no democracy at all,” Leahy said. will be to see if he can double that to in the history of our country, and now separation of a president and the Justice “Nixon fought the release of his 26 lies per day. My money’s on The I have a man, because we have an at- Department. There’s no question that secret White House recordings all Dumpster, but he’ll have to make some torney general who — nobody can even The Dumpster has never really grasped the way to the highest court,” Leahy changes and stop repeating everything believe he didn’t tell me, but he recused that the Justice Department doesn’t wrote. “He lost. If Trump attempts to he says. There just isn’t enough time in himself — so I have a man who is a exist just to investigate the people and hide the Mueller report, I believe he the day. deputy who I don’t know, who I didn’t entities that he wants it to. The Justice will lose too.” He also needs to stop repeating the know at all, and he appoints a man who Department is here to uphold the laws Wow, just think about it. Tricky Dick only multi-syllabic word he knows: “col- had just left my office, I didn’t give him of the land, not the personal whims of and The Dumpster in one lifetime. Too lusion.” He does, however, use another the job at the FBI, [James] Comey’s the president. much to handle. word before collusion. It’s easy to spell his best friend, but listen, you know it We’re always looking to the past and easy to pronounce: “no.” And if you better than anybody, you’ve been very to see if we can find hints of what the Feedback: [email protected]

16 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 17 Our Sponsors: MARCH 2019

BizBuzz Sales, special events, and more from the people who make Biscayne Times possible

By Margaret Griffis Organizers are still accepting auction BT Contributor items. Call for more info. Join the Institute of Contemporary e have a lot to talk about for Art, Miami (61 NE 41st St., 305-901- April, so let’s dig right in. 5272) on April 5, during the museum’s W With pelican bills contribution to Pride Weekend, for a late decidedly pointing north toward their evening of art, musical performances, summer grounds, you know it’s time and complimentary beer from Concrete again for the annual Pelican Party Beach Brewing. ICA will stay open until benefit supporting the Pelican Harbor 10:00 p.m. as part of its First Fridays Seabird Station (305-762-7633, peli- festivities. Also, pencil in opening night, canharbor.org/pelicanparty2019). If April 18, on your social calendar, when you’ve never attended, you’ve been two exhibits open concurrently. One is of Science (1101 Biscayne Blvd., 305- the campus of Corpus Christi Catholic missing out on great food, drinks, musi- dedicated to Ettore Sottsass, a seminal 434-9600), where hands-on activities Church, 3220 NW 7th Ave.) to per- cal entertainment, speakers, a handful figure of postwar thinking, architecture, help you understand what gives these form Bach, Beethoven, Sarasate, and of feathered friends, and a silent auction and design. The other features a new materials — such as ferrofluids and Shostakovich. Tickets are only $15 or that benefits the great work performed series of works by interdisciplinary Diné memory metals — their intriguing and $20. Stay tuned for the Kevin Kenner by the station’s crew. At this year’s red- artist Eric-Paul Riege, who will stage a remarkable properties. Want your kids concerts Saturday, May 4, at 7:30 p.m. carpet soirée, Miami’s oldest and largest durational performance involving a series to enjoy this and other exhibits at night? and Sunday, May 5, at 3:00 p.m., when wildlife hospital is celebrating 40 years of “weaving dances” inspired by the Diné, While you’re out on, say, a date? Reserve Kenner explores humor in the music of of rescuing and rehabilitating sick, more commonly known as the Navajo a space Friday, April 12, for Kids Night Haydn, Schumann, Chopin, and Pa- orphaned, and injured animals. Wildlife Nation. The ICA is always free, but reser- at the Museum, which includes dinner derewski. The Saturday show is a special expert Ron Magill, whom many will vations are highly recommended. and a late-night snack. Tickets are $60 salon seating event for $50, and includes recognize from Zoo Miami and televi- This month’s eclectic roundup of for the first child; $40 each for siblings. champagne and dessert. Sunday is the sion appearances, will be on hand as activities includes a trip to science class. Call for more instructions. more traditional recital for only $15 or special guest speaker. The party takes Solids, liquids, gasses. Ice, water, steam. On Sunday, April 7, at 4:00 p.m., $25. These performances are co-present- place Saturday, April 13, 6:30 p.m., at Understanding the three common phases Martha/Mary Concerts (305-458-0111, ed with the Chopin Foundation. the Miami Shores Country Club (10000 of matter seems simple enough when www.marthamaryconcerts.org) pres- Do you ever wish that the fresh pro- Biscayne Blvd.). General admission observing water melt and freeze in the ents its annual Starburst concert, which duce offerings from the Legion Park tickets are $175. BizBuzz recommends, kitchen, but sometimes matter acts in features young talent at the start of their Farmers Market (6601 Biscayne Blvd.) however, the $225 VIP tickets, which unexpected ways. The weird and enter- careers. Sahana Shravan, Giancarlo came with a talented chef? On Saturday, include early-bird auction bids, more taining world of these oddball substances Llerena, and Valentina Paolucci will join April 6, at 7:00 p.m., your dream can food, more entertainment, and endless is explored in “Strange Matter” at the founding artistic director Paul Posnak champagne from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum at the beautiful La Merced Chapel (on Continued on page 20

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18 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 19 Our Sponsors: MARCH 2019

BizBuzz a free glass of wine and 15 percent off Continued from page 18 your bill. Perhaps you’ve gained a taste for come true. Join farmers from the Little opening up your own bar or alcohol- River Cooperative as they talk about serving restaurant? Contact attorney the plant-based meal being prepared Steve Polisar (305-672-7772, x 206) by chef Chantelle Sookram. Tickets before you realize that there’s no way for FarmerDirect Dinner #6 are $35 for you want to do this on your own and just adults, $10 for children, if you purchase give up. Steve has decades of experience online from www.urbanoasisproject.org. in ushering you through the permitting Also, get into the spring of things with process and will be able to advise you on Ɨǉŏî/Ɨǉŏŀ a special performance-filled celebration the best path to your own business. of Earth and Arbor Days on Saturday, Speaking of county permits, city MARTHA/MARY • YAMAHA April 27. The market is open Satur- licenses, and government bills, here’s a days from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Yoga very friendly reminder from the tax col- CONCERT SERIES is at 10:00 a.m. lector’s office (200 NW 2nd Ave., 305- Meanwhile, Bayside Marketplace 270-4916) for Miami-Dade County: If (401 Biscayne Blvd., 305-577-3344) is a still unpaid, your property taxes became great place to enjoy free music down- delinquent on April 1. However, you Kevin town all month long! Artists perform have until May 31 to pay what’s due, and daily from noon to 11:00 p.m. on week- BizBuzz stresses that you do. After that, Kenner days, and until 1:00 a.m. on weekends. you’ll have to pay a lot more in interest PIANO Friday, April 5, is extra special. From charges to get current. And if you wait 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Segafredo Café and two years, you might find your property 305 Daiquiri Bar will feature food and sold to the highest bidder at an auction. drink deals, and the VIVA Classic Rock The taxman always collects. band will perform. On Thursday, April An even higher authority wants 11, Bayside hosts the 3rd Annual Down- BizBuzz to remind you that Passover town Jazzfest, while on April 12, the begins the evening of Friday, April 19. market will host a special Blue & Green By then, observant Jewish readers will Day that raises awareness about organ have rid their homes of all chametz donations. (leavened foods and their ingredients), Up in Edgewater, Rice Mediter- which is banned during the eight-day- ranean Kitchen (2500 Biscayne Blvd., long holiday. It’s not going to kill you SATURDAY, MAY Ċ SUNDAY, MAY ă 305-705-6090) is an instant hit with to go without those foods for a week, residents who love the fresh, well- says Bubbe, but why not treat your- Ɓ:Ƒǉpm Ƒpm prepared dishes at this new hangout. The self before then with a kosher dairy- SALON SERIES SEATING: TIX $ăǉ CONCERT SEATING: $ŏă & $Ɨă chain began as Rice House of Kabob certified delicacy from Nothing Bundt featuring fast-casual versions of Medi- Cakes (15400 Biscayne Blvd., Suite KEVIN KENNER, renoƶned Chopin International aƶard- terranean and Persian specialties. But 112, 305-974-4536)? Christian instead? ƶinning pianist, is developing tƶo adventuresome as the owners added restaurants, they Celebrate Easter on the 21st with a programs for MMC, highlighting “humor” in the music also added a build-a-bowl menu that bundt cake! Whatever you observe, of Haydn, Schumann, Chopin and Paderewski. quickly became even more popular with clip the coupon in this month’s BT ad diners. The big hits to try are the beluga and you’ll receive a free bundlet with Set in the beauty of La Merced Chapel, Saturday night black lentils, honey nut feta, spicy baba the purchase of one. ƶill have the elegant informality of a Salon, Sunday ganoush, turmeric turkey, salmon sweet Wheat is a big no-no during Pass- ƶill be a more traditional recital format. potato cake, the kubideh platter, and over. It’s also the source of one of the joojeh salad. For Rice’s first appearance most common food allergies. You prob- Both performances ƶill be playful, lighthearted, emotionally in the BT, the restaurant is offering $5 ably know somebody who’s allergic to unique experiences that will entertain, inspire, and move us. off an order of $20 or more, but you must nuts, eggs, soy, milk, fish, or shellfish. remember to bring the ad with you. Maybe one of these foods is the source Co-presented by The Chopin Foundation Looking for Argentine flair nearby of your allergic miseries. Call Florida in the Design District? Palermo Res- Center for Allergy and Asthma Care taurant and Wine Bar (4582 NE 2nd (877-4-ALLERGY) for an appointment PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE marthamaryconcerts.org Ave. 786-502-4460) has quickly earned with a board-certified physician at any CORPUS CHRISTI Ş±ųĜŸĘŅþÏå• AT THE DOOR as available a following, thanks to its quality South one of the area’s 17 convenient loca- American dishes. Argentina is known for tions. Find out exactly what you’re al- its beef, and you won’t be disappointed lergic to and how the center can relieve La Merced Chapel at Colonial Florida Cultural Heritage Center by either the NY or skirt steaks here. your suffering. On the grounds of Corpus Christi Church There’s also chicken, fish, and pasta BizBuzz and Biscayne Times bid ƑƗƗǉ N Ɓ Ave • Miami ƑƑŏƗƁ • Ƒǉă.Ċăî.ǉŏŏŏ • marthamaryconcerts.org for those requiring lighter fare. And, of adieu to longtime advertiser Plaza course, empanadas! Mention the BT for Tire & Auto (3005 NE 2nd Ave.,

20 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 305-573-3878), which is closing shop. at the North Shore Medical Center (For details, see page 37 of this issue.) (1100 NW 95th St., 305-835-6000). Ac- Stop by and wish the Cortez family good tivities include lectures, healthy snacks, luck in their next endeavor while you get prenatal yoga demonstrations, and safety one last oil change. exhibitions. Participants include doctors, If you’re now left looking for a new social workers, and other profession- automotive center, drive up to Honda als who can help even first-time moms of Aventura (2150 NE 163rd St., North prepare for this momentous journey Miami Beach, 855-971-2975) for reliable with confidence. For more info, call servicing or repairs. The dealership fixes 844-856-1502. all makes and models, not just Hondas. The BT welcomes Sher Dental Live-Play-Work Check the BT ad for coupons. (12000 Biscayne Blvd. #130, 305-891- With spring in the air, the fashion 2444) to our pages this month, and the plates in the magazines may give you office is welcoming new patients with at the ZenMotel Mimo some inspiration, but make the most of a $59 introductory deal that includes your budget with helpful advice from a an exam, X-rays, and cleaning. Miami local expert well versed in our challeng- native Dr. Sydney Sher Segall focuses ing climate. Call owner Bianka Martin on making your smile beautiful inside at Biknx Beautique (4338-A NW 7th and out. Not only will she repair those Ave., 305-780-9905) to arrange a smart, pearlies, she is also adept at using Botox street-style makeover that could turn and Juvederm to correct any smile issues you into the top trendsetter at your next taking place outside the mouth. get-together. Remember that proms Four months in. Has your 2019 and graduation parties are approaching. resolution to drop a significant number Bianka can also help grads with makeup, of pounds been fruitful? No? Sigh. lash extensions, and accessorizing for We hear ya. How about getting medi- those special nights. cal help from Jackson North Medi- But definitely leave that old haircut cal Center (160 NW 170th St., North and dull color in high school, where it Miami Beach, 305-585-TRIM). The belongs, boys and girls. Give Hannah center offers several surgical routes to Lasky of Hannah and Her Scissors weight-loss success for patients whose (6900 Biscayne Blvd., 305-772-8426) a scales are tipping at dangerously un- call to set up a styling appointment at her healthy levels. The next lecture is Thurs- new location on the Boulevard. day, April 11, at 6:30 p.m., and it’s free. Students at Allison Academy (1881 All the new technology, surgical NE 164th St., North Miami Beach, facilities, and state-of-the-art operating 305-940-3922) may want to wait for that rooms in the recently opened Skolnick new fancy do until after their April field Surgical Tower and Hildebrandt Emer- trip to Everglades Holiday Park, where gency Center at Mount Sinai Medical we hope the adventurous airboat tour Center’s (305-674-CARE) main campus isn’t overly hair raising. This trip, an (4300 Alton Rd., Miami Beach) have not immersive 15-day excursion to Japan, hurt its national reputation in the least. and other extracurricular activities are Actually, the center was just named one • Corporate rates available among the many benefits to attending of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by IBM • Family friendly this highly rated school. Call the regis- Watson Health for the second year in a trar for more information. row. Mazel Tov! • Zenworks business center Proms aren’t only for teenag- A place for healthier readers to • Only minutes away from everything ers. Alumni who attended Monsignor overnight is Zenmotel MiMo (7126 Edward Pace High School (15600 NW Biscayne Blvd., 305-456-7233), a new Miami has to oﬀ er 32nd Ave., 305-623-PACE) are invited live-work-play concept in the MiMo • Excellent for your ‘out of town’ visitors to the 2nd Annual Alumni Fiesta on Historic District. This 1939 jewel is an Saturday, May 4, at 8:00 p.m. for an eve- Art Deco building that’s been reno- • Great for spring break and stay-ca� ons ning of great food, drinks, and dancing vated with computer access, high-speed on campus. Reminisce with your fellow Wi-Fi, and large-screen TVs for all your Spartan grads (1964 to the present) for work and social needs. However, the only $10. meditative motif of the guestrooms is Zenmotel MIMO 7126 Biscayne Blvd. Babies are a symbol of renewal and the source of their slogan “Your om Phone: 305-456-7233 springtime, even though human infants away from home.” Speaking of “home,” can arrive in any season. Nevertheless, mention the BT for a friends and family www.zenmotelmimo.com expectant mothers should attend a free discount of 10 percent. maternal health and wellness fair Satur- reservaঞ [email protected] day, April 6, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Feedback: [email protected]

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 21 Out With the Old With a new name (Oolite Arts), a new leader (Dennis Scholl), and a stunning bank account ($90 million), the venerable ArtCenter/South Florida has been reborn

By Anne Tschida Photos by Silvia Ros

22 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com August 2017 Dennis Scholl, president and CEO of Oolite Arts. Courtesy of Oolite Arts

ArtCenter/Oolite’s current home at 924 Lincoln Rd.

f all goes as planned, ArtCenter/South ArtCenter’s flagship space at 800 Lincoln It’s important to look back at the ori- art studios, and as the first mission Florida, now renamed Oolite Arts, Rd. on Miami Beach for a whopping gins of what was then known as the South statement explains, “to help artists help Iwill open in 2022 in a new complex $88 million. Through investments, that Florida Art Center, a story that has almost themselves.” That mission may be one of in Little Haiti, at 75 NW 72nd St≠. The mother lode has grown to over $90 mil- entered the realm of legend. The early the few things that have not changed in search is under way for internationally lion, making it the largest endowment of 1980s were known at the Cocaine Cowboy the 35 years since. acclaimed architects who will design the any cultural institution in South Florida. years, when drugs and money launder- The art center eventually centered $30 million, 40,000-square-foot signa- This has made Oolite Arts one of the ing were upending the tourist town; around several buildings, including ture center, which is slated to include most prominent and powerful arts orga- when Scarface, Miami Vice, and images three historic ones at 800, 810, and 924 22 resident artist studios, a theater plus nizations, especially now with Dennis of Mariel Boatlift Cubans roaming the Lincoln (the corner landmark building at filmmaking spaces to go along with the Scholl as president and CEO. The col- streets gave Miami a rough veneer in eyes 800, a former Burdines department store, newly formed Cinematic Arts program, lector, entrepreneur, longtime member of the nation, prompting Time magazine would become the center’s flagship); the a 2500-square-foot exhibition gal- of numerous local and international arts to label the city “Paradise Lost.” Sender Building that housed the per- lery, and ample spaces for the 200-plus boards, and former vice president of arts And lost, it’s true, was the allure of forming arts space Ground Level and classes it plans to offer, as well as talks at the Knight Foundation took the helm South Beach. The Art Deco hotels were ClaySpace Galleries; and other studio and for printmaking and welding. in 2017, and the center has been charging crumbling and Lincoln Road was riddled spaces. They soon were surrounded by Oolite has also become a granting ahead ever since. with dying businesses. Homelessness another dream of Schneiderman’s — organization, with its introduction of the Not that ArtCenter was formerly and transience were clearly evident. other cultural outlets, such as the Miami “Ellies” last year, grants awarded to 44 a lightweight — it has always had an Artist Ellie Schneiderman, how- City Ballet and the New World Sympho- artists ranging from $10,000 up to the outsized impact on the young art scene ever, saw future possibilities and, with ny, the result of a process of gentrifying Michael Richards award for $75,000. since its inception in 1984, and like that community support and grants, acquired the area through the infusion of arts. Much of this was made possible be- scene and the region itself, the center has some of the down-and-out storefronts cause of the groundbreaking 2014 sale of changed and morphed with the times. on Lincoln Road to create affordable Continued on page 26

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April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 25 Oolite Arts Continued from page 24

That first decade saw artists pass through the center’s doors who themselves would infuse the art world, people Courtesy of Oolite Arts like Edouard Duval-Carrié, Carlos Alves, Teresita Fernández, Charo Oquet, César Trasobares, Robert Flynn, and Carlos Betancourt, to name just a very few. Numerous other “alumni” have influenced both the greater community and the local arts, including Luis Gispert, William Cordova, and Agustina Woodgate (all three Whitney Biennial winners), and the late Michael Richards, for whom the largest Ellie award was named; he was an artist-in-residence in a program run by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council offering studio space in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Richards was killed in the Sep- tember 11 attack. These Ellies are named for founder Schneiderman, who left after ten years to start other artist-run organizations, and a series of short- and longer-term directors and curators stepped in to fill her position, including Jane Gilbert in the mid-1990s, Jeremy Chestler 2005 to 2011, and from 2012 to 2016, Maria del Valle.

ilbert came down from Connecticut specifically for the job, to continue Gdeploying the arts for activism, and through that, to spearhead a broader urban revitalization. She later became the founding director of Arts for Learning and is now the chief resilience officer for the City of Miami. Looking back, Gilbert says she was intrigued by the small grass- roots movement Schneiderman created. But after a decade, Gilbert adds, the center was in need of new energy. The name was changed to ArtCenter/ South Florida, and Gilbert wanted to expand from solely visual arts to other disciplines and to interact more with the wider community. There was some concern the center would turn into a static space, where visitors would simply watch the artists working behind glass walls in what Trasobares affectionately described as zoo cages. A resident at the center in the early 1990s, the Cuban-born Trasobares fit in with the mission of ArtCenter as an artist, curator, and community activist who also served as director of Miami- Dade’s Art in Public Places program.

Continued on page 28 In 1984, Ellie Schneiderman had the vision to buy rundown Lincoln Road properties for artists.

26 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 Former Fortune 500 Administrator vies to be next mayor of North Miami Contributed corporate director for Miami Dade County having more unity. Our diversity accounting &RPPLVVLRQ'LVWULFWDQGODWHU is our strength and we need to Mac-Kinley Lauriston, a DQG ÀQDQFH became Chief of Staff for the HPEUDFH LW &ROODERUDWLRQ JLYHV former Chief of Staff for a Miami- LV GHÀQLWHO\ Miami-Dade County Commission rise to new and innovative ideas Dade County Commissioner, an asset,” 2IÀFH RI WKH &KDLU ZKLFK LV DQGKHOSVHOLPLQDWHELFNHULQJDQG QRZ ÀQGV KLPVHOI LQ D KHDWHG Lauriston said. one of the most important staff pettiness,” he said. race to become the next mayor “We have to positions in county government. of North Miami. restore trust +HDOVRVHUYHGDVDVVLVWDQWWRD Lauriston said that voters have between the Vice Mayor in Miramar. been very receptive to his /DXULVWRQ·V FXUUHQW UROH DV residents and PHVVDJHDQGDUHORRNLQJIRUZDUG a candidate is a far cry from FLW\ OHDGHUVKLSDQG ,·P JRLQJ WR /DXULVWRQVDLGKHSODQVWRFKDQJH to change. He sees this response KLV QHDUO\ WZR GHFDGHV DV DQ GUDZ KHDYLO\ RQ P\ DFFRXQWLQJ WKH VRPHWLPHV WR[LF FOLPDWH as evidence that his message is DFFRXQWDQW DQG ÀQDQFLDO DQDO\VW NQRZOHGJH DQG WKH SULQFLSOHV RI 1RUWK 0LDPL·V SROLWLFV DQG gaining traction. with a Fortune 500 company. of good governance. Protecting make sure that every voice is However, Lauriston counts his taxpayer’s money is one of my heard and everyone’s concerns “Change is coming,” he said. corporate experience as one of top priorities.” are addressed. He’s running on “Residents are going to come to WKHVWUHQJWKVKHZRXOGEULQJWR WKHFDPSDLJQVORJDQRI´1 North FLW\KDOODQGVHHDQHZFXOWXUHRI the position of mayor. /DXULVWRQ DOVR KDV D VWURQJ Miami …Uniting for Change.” unity and progress for our great background in government and city of North Miami.” “Having a strong background in SROLF\+H VHUYHG DV WKH GLVWULFW ´7KHUH DUH SUDFWLFDO EHQHÀWV WR

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 27 Arts pioneer Lou Anne Colodny, who helped create North Miami’s Museum of Contemporary Art, on the early ArtCenter: “They offered much needed studio space and an exceptional location for exposure of the work created there.”

Oolite Arts his NE 2nd Avenue there, which would go on beyond categories of race and national origin, “The artists organized into three Continued from page 26 to win the Fringe First award at the Edin- emphasizing instead our archetypal condi- groups of building representatives in burgh Fringe Festival in 2003. tion as social outcasts looking for certain 2004, after we had some difficulty... Gilbert was also prescient. She Sound artist Gustavo Matamoros, grounding, even featuring an actual balsa, a implementing a policy that we saw as un- wanted to open studio spaces in Wyn- who much later had a sound/perfor- raft used by immigrants braving the Florida constructive,” Thiele says of that period. wood, continuing with a plan of urban mance studio at ArtCenter, remembers Straits to escape repression in their native She was a representative of Building redevelopment through the arts, and his first interaction with the center Cuba [during that era of the 1990s].” 810; there was one for 800 and 924, as making more places available for real during Person’s time, when he was al- Some of the performing arts incuba- well. In time she was elected an overall experimentation and international lowed space and resources for innovative tor projects would morph into Here & representative, reporting to the board, interaction, breaking up the notion of programs. In collaboration with Miami- Now, hosted by Miami Light Project, and and then became a board member, from studios simply for individuals to sit alone Dade College, he recalls, those Ground the Ground Level space was eventually 2005 to 2018. As a member of the execu- making art. Level programs hit a memorable high sold. Person herself is now managing tive committee, she served as exhibitions And in fact, longtime arts instigator mark with the Word(s)sounD festival in producer at MDC Live Arts. chair and later as alumni chair. Jenni Person (a BT contributor) was doing December 1993, curated in collaboration A Wynwood expansion didn’t Looking back at the center’s history, just that for ArtCenter, as programming with sound poet Bob Gregory and featur- happen, however, and Gilbert moved on she says, “The many significant changes, director of its Ground Level, a multidisci- ing New York’s Kenneth Goldsmith, to other projects. And at that point, a bit of course, happened during shifts in plinary gallery that had become an incuba- Alison Knowles, Jane Cortez and the of a stale odor hung over the center. leadership that occurred a few times over tor for performing arts, spoken word poets, Fire Spitters, and Adrian Castro. During this time, Kristen Thiele, the the years and took many different forms.” dancers, and actors, many of whom went on Trasobares remembers the experimental daughter of well-known Miami sculptor But the most significant change to make their own marks on Miami’s cul- nature of what went on at Ground Level as Robert Thiele and a resident at ArtCen- was the sale of the 800-810 building on tural landscape. Some of these include poet well. “I co-curated with James Herring the ter starting in 2000, partially filled in to Lincoln Road. “We spent a lot of time Adrian Castro, dancer Helena Thevenot, and exhibition ‘EXODUS,’ he says. “The show re-energize the studios, now occupying playwright Teo Castellanos, who developed was an early example of grouping artists spaces in three buildings. Continued on page 30

28 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 29 Former ArtCenter artistic director Susan Caraballo was hired “to make it more relevant again to the arts community.... It needed a little push.”

Oolite Arts wields a power all his own. longest-running alternative non-profit Scholl says he wants to play an “aspira- Continued from page 28 A graduate of University of Miami gallery, where Debra remains chair. tional role” in supporting artists themselves School of Law, Scholl and his wife, Debra, Eventually Dennis joined the through studio spaces and exposure to looking for the right person to man the started participating in the arts in the late Knight Foundation in 2009 and started international influences, which he wants to helm and steer ACSF after the stunning 1970s and investing in the redevelopment the Knight Arts Challenge, which has expand with visiting artists and talks, some- and overwhelming amount of money we of South Beach back in the 1980s. awarded millions of dollars to artists thing he expects Oolite’s new neighbors in now had as an organization,” she ex- He later became founding chair of and organizations both here and in other Little Haiti will participate in as well. plains. “We felt Dennis Scholl would be the Guggenheim Photography Com- cities across the country where broth- The exhibition space will feature the right fit to lead us into a future that mittee and was appointed to the Tate’s ers John S. and James L. Knight owned shows from both local and international would expand our impact in supporting Modern American Acquisitions Com- newspapers. As a PAMM trustee, he artists. And the addition of a film and the arts and artists of our community.” mittee in Britain; and to the boards of led the international search for a new video component, including the brand- the Aspen Art Museum, MOCA North director for the museum’s gorgeous new new Block documentary grants, will ast month the BT spoke with Scholl Miami, the Miami Art Museum Collec- building, and landed Franklin Sirmans, make Oolite a truly comprehensive in his office at the remaining Lincoln tors Council and its successor, the Pérez who came from the Los Angeles County center with a focus on supporting local LRoad space, the two-story 924 Build- Art Museum Miami (PAMM). He and Museum of Art in 2015. artists; helping them financially, as well ing. He’s not often here, flying out for Debra opened their own art collection Needless to say, this is a lot of power in through awards like the Ellies; and meetings in other cities, attending open- in a Wynwood building called World the hands of one man — a power that many strengthening its educational roles in ings for his newly found passion, film- Class Boxing (that was the name on in Miami’s arts community hope will be local schools and through outreach. making and directing, and visiting other the building they bought; it closed in used for a broad arts objective of supporting art institutions. Scholl not only oversees 2013). They were also founding board local practitioners as well as previously ne- the huge endowment of the art center but members of Locust Projects, Miami’s glected, often underprivileged communities. Continued on page 32

30 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 VOTE BY MAIL. VOTE EARLY. VOTE MAY 14, 2019

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April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 31 Oolite Arts Scholl was the best choice, most Continued from page 30 people in the art world agreed, to take the center through the next steps — “We want to leave a larger footprint,” toward expanding programming; adding he says. more residencies, talks, and educational Aspirational and ambitious, and opportunities; starting up the Ellie something he says likely he will do for grants and the film programs; and last only several years and then move on. He month adding to that The Block, which is involved in filmmaking (from writing will award money to local documentary to producing and directing) and wine- filmmakers, in conjunction with the making, another passion. University of Miami School of Com- munication’s Department of Cinema and hile Scholl has been brought in to Interactive Media. enact some of the biggest changes And, of course, he’ll shepherd the Win the art center’s history, fluc- center into its new home. Most of the tuations in how it was run and certain people who spoke to the BT about the directions it would take were always move to Little Haiti believe it is a good part of the DNA. At about the same choice, and will broaden the center’s time as the art center was starting up, reach into new communities. artist Lou Anne Colodny, who last year There are, however, reservations won an Ellie Creator award to assist in from some. Caraballo, who is now an the finalization of her book Consump- independent curator, is passionate in tion Personified, was founding COCA getting Miami residents to care about (the Center of Contemporary Art), the overdevelopment, climate change, and precursor to North Miami’s Museum of sustainability. She asks: Does the city Contemporary Art (MOCA) in the early really need another glamorous new 1980s. “There was a lot of excitement structure, instead of building on what it about it as its focus was on Miami artists already has and spending the money on — they and COCA were both doing that sustaining a strong arts grounding? but [ArtCenter] offered much needed “We need to think of investments studio space and an exceptional location in the future,” says Caraballo, “and for exposure of the work created there, the future isn’t what it used to be” — whereas COCA gave artists exhibition namely, to build, build, build. and lecture opportunities.” Others hope that the new free studio But she recalls that ArtCenter began spaces will not mean a return to the old to feel a little adrift after Gilbert left and “zoo cage” dynamic, and that experimen- interim directors came and went. “Their tation will be emphasized, that artists’ studios became somewhat stagnated, voices will truly be an essential part of in my opinion, when I consulted there the conversation. after I left MOCA,” she says. “We had “Infrastructure and money for art- an evaluation team of arts profession- Sound artist Gustavo Matamoros believes Oolite has good intentions: ists is always a good idea,” says sound als evaluate the artists and developed “But we all know the saying about good intentions. My skepticism is that artist Matamoros, who has literally a program to rotate some artists out of there are no artists behind the wheel.” always “played” on the edges. “Now, their studios. Unfortunately, because of how innovative will implementation finances, the [center] reneged on the new Caraballo recalls that they were Road space was sold, putting an un- be? How does it help Miami grow into a concept and allowed artists who rotated asked by the board to take the organiza- precedented amount of money into the mature arts community? out to return after one year. tion to new a level, “to make it more non-profit coffers. Unlike previous “As an experimentalist,” he adds, “It was becoming very commercial- relevant again to the arts community.... It directors, Del Valle now had money to “I’m always going to lean in favor of sup- ized because of its location,” she adds, needed a little push.” work with — lots of it. She was able to porting experimentation.” “and the work suffered from that.” Under del Valle and Caraballo, the experiment with expanded possibili- Matamoros hopes the art center can Jeremy Chestler later stepped in for ArtCenter celebrated its 30th anniversary ties, such as setting up temporary shop end up with a good mix of people: “I be- a longer stint leading the center, right- in 2014 with a year’s worth of elaborate in other locations around Miami, and lieve [Oolite] has become a much better ing the ship, but as with most non-profit shows that included artists from the very trying out more avant-garde installations, institution all around in that it is having outfits, money was usually an issue in beginning to then-current residents. bringing in, for instance, Israeli artist a great impact and it advertises to artists planning a future path that would include They were once again looking how Dina Shenhav, who created a bizarre ver- that it seeks to build community around some expansion and continued support to engage a broader audience, just as the sion of an American hunting lodge, and the arts. That’s a good intention, but we for local artists. He left, and in 2012 leadership in the 1990s had. This time Guatemalan artist Regina José Galindo, all know the saying about good inten- ArtCenter hired as a replacement Maria around, they brought in more new media who buried herself in mud up to her neck. tions. My skepticism is that there are no del Valle, former director of the Miami and international voices, and revamped But the visions of all those involved artists behind the wheel.” Spanish Consulate’s cultural center, along residency and artist exchange programs. in the new direction collided, and del with independent curator Susan Caraballo, And then the windfall landed in Valle and Caraballo left in 2016. who became artistic director. 2014, when the main 800-810 Lincoln Continued on page 34

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Oolite Arts this activity will be anchored on a high Continued from page 32 ridge of oolite stresses the strength of its foundation and future direction — even s for the rather dramatic change of as the water rises in the next few decades name? The center’s website de- in our city.” Ascribes it this way: “Oolite is a sedi- As director of Miami-Dade County’s mentary rock formed by shells, corals, Department of Cultural Affairs, Michael and other organic material coming Spring has not only fi nancially support- together. It is the bedrock of Miami, a ed the art center but has helped nurture fundamental part of our ecosystem. and develop the area’s cultural communi- Oolite Arts seeks to be the bedrock of ty more than any other single person. He • 75,000 readers along the the visual arts in Miami.” fondly recalls walking down a decrepit Biscayne Corridor Artist Eddie Arroyo, one of the Lincoln Road with Ellie Schneiderman Whitney Biennial’s few local winners in 1984 and wholeheartedly standing • Hand-delivered to 15,500 (see “Local Hero,” page 52), objects by her decision to buy up the storefront single-family homes to the new name, not because of its properties. The values of the department • Distribution in 143 condominium bedrock metaphor, but because “the re- and the art center were always shared, buildings branded name is an erasure of history,” he says: to cultivate an arts community • Audience profile: Educated, with no reference to the ArtCenter’s from the ground up. prosperous, mature, loyal origins and its legacy of importance to “The organization evolved,” Spring • Lowest cost-per-thousand rate the community. says, “but it never really strayed from its in our market area But most fi nd Oolite Arts an intrigu- core mission.” ing, even fun name with which to move He likes the idea of adding fi lm and forward. César Trasobares says he has new media to the offerings in a place worked with oolite as a material and as like Little Haiti, and is excited to see poetic metaphor at different times. “The the growth ahead. The name Oolite, he renaming and move to the mainland believes, signals this new evolution. “It’s is congruent with the shifting artistic a playful, distinctive name. I’m not sure locus of South Florida,” he notes. “With I would have thought of it,” he says, expanded facilities, the organization will adding that the inspired thinking behind be better equipped to further its mis- it is part of why he likes it. sion as a cultural catalyst, community gathering space, and enabler of artists’ FOR ADVERTISING CALL 305-756-6200 work, profi les, and careers. That all Feedback: [email protected]

34 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 35 Community News: BISCAYNE CORRIDOR Save the Day: May 14 Five out of six North Miami elected offices in play

By Mark Sell Center, 1590 NE 123rd St. BT Contributor • Tuesday, April 16: 6:30 p.m., Dis- trict 3 forum, Griffing Center, 12220 ig money and big stakes domi- Griffing Blvd. nate North Miami’s wide-open • Thursday, April 18: 7:00 p.m., Dis- BMay 14 municipal election, with trict 4 forum, Joe Celestin Center, 1525 all but one of six seats in play. NW 135th St. Four candidates are running for • Wednesday, April 24: 6:30 p.m., mayor; two for four-year council seats mayor and city clerk, Griffing Center, in northeast District 1; four in central 12220 Griffing Blvd. District 3; three in west District 4; and Bien-Aime, age 53, who was first three for city clerk. That’s 16 candidates elected in 2013, launched his mayoral cam- for five positions. paign March 1, 2018. He served as a steady Since members are elected by district acting mayor for a year amid the 2014 rather than at-large, residents will choose arrest, mortgage fraud conviction, and North Miami City Hall: Destination for all aspiring officeholders. at most just three slots: mayor, their own imprisonment of Mayor Lucie Tondreau. district council member, and the city clerk. He faces a stiff challenge from employees, sometimes with nebulous February 28 from small donors and Only Carol Keys, in southeast Dis- Mac-Kinley Lauriston, on unpaid leave duties; and efficient staffing and equita- from incumbent-favoring developers, trict 2, faces no contest. as $125,000-a-year chief of staff for ble, productive workloads in city depart- lobbyists (such as Ron Book), vendors, Whatever happens, North Miami Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jean ments where some are overworked and contractors, and law firms that come will get a new mayor to replace term- before the city. His campaign has spent limited Smith Joseph. District 3’s new MAYORAL CANDIDATES just $25,954. The mayor’s base salary councilmember will fill the two unex- is $59,880, and council members get pired years held by incumbent Philippe $47,910, plus $17,640 in taxable fringes, Bien-Aime, who is resigning to run for such as car and phone — generous pack- mayor against Mac-Kinley Lauriston, ages for such part-time positions. Hector Medina, and Danielle Beauvais. Says Bien-Aime: “My decisions will Incumbents Scott Galvin in District not be based on people who donated, but 1 and Alix Desulme in District 4 will what is good for the city, what moves the defend their seats. city forward.” If the winning candidate in any of Bien-Aime tops his priorities with the five races fails to get more than 50 the development of Cagni Park with a percent of the vote, the election will go new Olympic swimming pool and an into a June 4 runoff. Filing closes April expanded Griffing Center. 9, registration ends April 15, and early He also faces a sexual assault suit voting starts April 29. filed in state and federal court by city This is a big election. Leadership is Danielle Beauvais Philippe Bien-Aime contract employee Janice Antoine. Bien- grappling with a crisis of trust after a Aime has repeatedly called the accusa- resounding 3-1 defeat of a bungled $120 tions fabrications. million bond issue in May 2018. Climate Lauriston, 52 years old, has raised change and flooding throughout the city more than $63,464 and spent $36,761, now dominate as issues, alongside crum- from a diverse pool of donors, many in bling water and sewer pipes, pressure for law, healthcare, and education. Unsur- affordable housing, and the need to grow prisingly, a sprinkling of donors are the tax base while preserving residential named Lauriston or Monestime. neighborhood integrity. While most mayoral candidates aim to This is year one of SoLeMia, the $4 lower the city’s millage from 7.5 to 6.5, in billion development of the Soffer and line with North Miami Beach, Lauriston is LeFrak real estate dynasties, slated to add positioning himself as the strongest finan- nearly 4400 apartments or condos, 10,000 cial hawk, and calls Bien-Aime, who cast people, a 184-acre city within a city, a a tie-breaking 2014 vote approving a state University of Miami medical center, and Mac-Kinley Lauriston Hector Medina audit, a latecomer to the party for fiscal a healthier tax base in the years just ahead. responsibility after six years in office. Four homeowner association-sponsored Monestime. Lauriston, who announced others underworked and overpaid. (See Lauriston stresses fiscal transpar- candidate forums are scheduled so far: in September, has called for change in “Game On!” November 2018.) ency, eliminating waste, upgrading the • Thursday, April 11: 6:30 p.m., mayor leadership; an end to “the friends-and- Bien-Aime had accumulated more and District 1 positions, Gwen Margolis family plan” with roughly 200 contract than $118,316 in contributions as of Continued on page 38

36 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 Community News: BISCAYNE CORRIDOR

Worked Hard, Sold Well BT photo by Caitlin Granfield Plaza Tire & Auto Care finally hands over the keys

By Erik Bojnansky streetwalkers and addled junkies, he BT Senior Writer sees people jogging, riding bikes, and walking dogs. ohn Cortez says he’s seen some “I can’t tell you how many dogs were crazy stuff during the 37 years he’s walked over here today,” says Cortez, Jworked at Plaza Tire and Auto in now the managing owner of Plaza Tire the Edgewater neighborhood. There and Auto. was the aftermath of a high-profile Operating in Miami for the past murder-suicide in the parking lot. The 42 years, Plaza Tire and Auto Center prostitutes who regularly hung out on is a well-known and respected repair the corner. And a couple of run-ins with shop. The weekly New Times named drug addicts. it Best Auto Mechanic in 2011 and Most of the bizarre incidents Cortez Best Mechanic in 2017. That reputa- witnessed took place in the 1980s and tion, along with the creation of tens of early 1990s, when Edgewater was a thousands of new residential units over sketchy neighborhood. But now the the past decade along Miami’s Biscayne crack houses have been replaced The late Gabe Cortez moved his auto repair shop to this 1932-era gas with luxury high-rises, and instead of Continued on page 39 station in 1982, when Edgewater was a rough place.

Not in the Swim of Things After three years, Morningside Park pool repair remains in doubt BT photo by Caitlin Granfield

By Erik Bojnansky “We’re in the midst of our master BT Senior Writer plan asking important questions like: Can this structure be fixed? Is it in the ore than half of nearby residents right location? And is this something want to see a shuttered 65-year- that the city wants to continue?” Wil- Mold pool facility in Morningside liamson says. Park fixed and reopened, according to a It’s a stance that baffles Elvis Cruz, recent survey. City engineering studies an outspoken Morningside activist who also state that the pool by Biscayne Bay, has campaigned for the pool’s repair, The pool at Morningside Park in Miami’s Upper Eastside has been closed which has been closed since 2016 after the as well as the park’s preservation as an for three years. building department declared it an unsafe historic landmark. As late as September structure, can be fixed. 2018, Mayor Francis Suarez and assistant On the other hand, Marc Billings, a of unused space in the form of a drive- Yet the pool’s repair is far from being city manager Nzeribe “Zerry” Ihekwaba board member of the Morningside Civic way, 1980s playground equipment, and a a done deal. In fact, it could even be assured him that the pool would be fixed. Association, tells the BT that he’d be just terrible [walkway] along the bay.” removed from the 42-acre park altogether. “I was thrilled,” he says. fine with Morningside Park not having The pool is part of a larger debate over Steven Williamson, director of the But now Cruz doesn’t know what a pool. In an e-mail, Billings argues the future of Morningside Park, the sec- City of Miami’s Capital Improvement Proj- to think. He’s shocked that the city is that the city would be better off improv- ond-largest recreational space in the City ects Department, says the city is consider- actually considering having no pool at ing other aspects of Morningside Park of Miami’s park system, with a basketball ing different options as part of an ongoing Morningside Park at all. instead of spending millions of dollars court, tennis courts, picnic grounds, play- master plan review of Morningside Park. “Why would anyone want to take fixing the pool. “Priority one is to have ground, a baseball field, a palm garden, a Those options include fixing the pool, away a public swimming pool that the a well-maintained and updated outdoor mangrove forest, a community center, and building a new pool facility in the west- public, especially children, have enjoyed area for Morningside,” he states. “Cur- a looping vehicular road. ern portion of the park, or simply leaving for 62 years?” he asks. “Is there an un- rently, the fields are dead, full of sand, Morningside Park with no pool at all. spoken agenda?” and unable to be used. We have ten acres Continued on page 39

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 37 City Hall events. The sewer system of this city is are spotty, as the election was just called opponent, state Sen. Jason Pizzo. Continued from page 36 a disaster.” after Bien-Aime filed for resignation Desulme, 41 years old, has been Beauvais lists her top priorities as around March 20. the leading advocate for a Chinatown infrastructure, and encouraging sensible fiscal responsibility, addressing drain- Etienne, who recently sent a mes- District on NW 7th Avenue. Those plans housing. With a master’s degree in age in the city, and providing security sage laced with f-bombs to city manager are in abeyance, though commercial public administration and long experi- to constituents. Larry Spring on delayed reimbursements, rentals on that street have risen substan- ence in the private sector for Ryder A strong enough showing by either says he intends to ask for Spring’s resig- tially. Among his priorities: lowering System Inc., as well as in local and or both could easily tip the mayor’s race nation and will urge an immediate hiring water bills (a chronic complaint in North county government, he says he’s best into an expensive runoff — one reason and nonessential spending freeze until Miami); attracting jobs and initiating qualified to clean up city hall, bridge for Bien-Aime to conserve his money. the city passes a responsible city budget. job-training programs; and improving Estime-Irvin, who has raised $8852, the roadways. DISTRICT 1 CANDIDATES stresses green initiatives, W. Dixie Charles lists his priorities as: tack- Highway corridor development, a more ling wasteful spending, particularly robust parks system, and spending con- junkets; reducing crime; and improving trols. Francius calls for reducing water opportunities for the young. Rivette and sewer rate hikes, working to ad- pushes for safer streets, more after- dress flooding in central North Miami, school options, and cleaner and better- and fighting violent crime. Marcellus maintained streets. wants to bolster the city’s finances, With an incumbent’s advantage, De- encourage transit-oriented development, sulme had raised $49,225 as of February and revitalize the district, particularly 28, much of it from developers, lobbyists, West Dixie. real estate companies, and vendors who In District 4, west of NE 2nd Avenue, do business with the city, together with a Councilman Alix Desulme, an educa- sizable number of small donations. tor and marketer, faces educator Claude Rivette has reported more than Rivette and Nacivre Charles, who man- $15,000, including a $10,000 loan to him- Scott Galvin Vanessa Pierre aged the campaigns of Tondreau, former self. Charles reports contributions of $175. state Sen. Daphne Campbell, and, more divides, and mediate with county and In District 1, 20-year council recently, helped Campbell’s successful Continued on page 42 state governments. member Scott Galvin is defending his “The big issue is the fiscal condition term-limited seat one final time with one DISTRICT 3 CANDIDATES of our city,” he says. “We cannot sweep challenger, Vanessa Pierre. these issues under the rug and may have Galvin, who is 50 years old, has to declare a fiscal emergency. I truly raised $9630; he lists his top priorities as believe what’s going on has to do not access to affordable housing; grappling with the administration of the city, but with sea level rise, “not just on the east its leadership. Residents of North Miami side, but everywhere”; and constituent feel they don’t have a voice and the level service. One major priority is to ensure of service is unacceptable.” that the SoLeMia development includes Hector Medina, age 60, is a retired a state-of the-art community center physician and well-known neighbor- and park on its site, in keeping with its hood activist who ran second to Smith original plans. Joseph in 2017 and made solid showings Pierre, age 30, an educator who on the city’s east side. He’s running for serves on the North Miami Parks and a second time. So is Danielle Beauvais, Recreation Commission, stresses finan- age 59, a wellness instructor and previ- cial transparency, affordable housing, Mary Estime-Irvin Michael Etienne ous mayoral candidate. and infrastructure upgrades. Her first Medina’s priorities: balanced bud- actions would include identifying and gets and fiscal accountability, reining upgrading abandoned residential proper- in real estate development that doesn’t ties to affordable housing, and locating benefit surrounding neighborhoods, areas at risk from sea level rise. She has and preparing the city for accelerated raised $5902. climate change. District 3 hosts an open race for the Medina argues that the city’s profes- two remaining years of Bien-Aime’s sionals at all levels are getting too much four-year term. The four candidates: interference from elected officials, and current city clerk Michael Etienne, an should be left to do their jobs. attorney; Wancito Francius, owner of a “We need to cut expenditures and security company; Mary Estime-Irvin, eliminate 20 percent of the staff,” says businesswoman and chair of the city’s Medina, who promotes his scientific personnel board; and former council- training. “We need to cut out the special man Jean Marcellus. Treasurer reports Wancito Francius Jean Marcellus

38 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 Plaza Tire Continued from page 37

Corridor, has provided plenty of business. In fact, since just 2014, Plaza Tire and Auto has issued 29,005 invoices. (Plaza Tire has been a Biscayne Times advertiser for ten years.) BT photo by Caitlin Granfield “This place can literally be an insane asylum, the amount of business we do,” Cortez says. Soon, though, Plaza Tire and Auto won’t be taking any more jobs. It’s shut- ting down. Three months ago, Miami-based real estate company Crescent Heights bought the 12,100-square-foot property at 3005 NE 2nd Ave. The seller: Helen Cortez, John Cortez’s mother. The price: $4.1 million. And aside from making sure all the cars on the lot are serviced before May 30 — the last day Plaza remains on the property — John Cortez has been focused on finding jobs for his seven employees. “These guys are my family. We’ve grown up together,” he says. “That’s the hardest part. I understand that stuff happens, but this doesn’t make it any easier.” In 2015, John Cortez paid $22,000 in property taxes, and in 2017 it was $47,000: “Basically, that’s what Continued on page 40 gentrification does to you.”

Morningside Pool There’s a racial element, too. Many to address the needs for the area,” he Morningside Park and Legion Park Continued from page 37 of the parkgoers who live outside of maintains. “That could mean a pool. summer camps prior to its closure three Morningside are black — African That could mean not a pool. We have not years ago. The park itself is surrounded by the Americans or Haitian Americans. Morn- come to any conclusions.” What won’t be popular, Cruz admits, residential Morningside neighborhood, ingside is predominately white. (See Local historian and BT contributor will be building a new pool in the western the city’s first historic district and a place “Rumble in the Park,” April 2018.) Paul George says it would be a shame to part of Morningside Park, an option de- where bayfront homes sell for as high Regarding the pool, Cruz says he remove a pool that has been a part of the picted in a draft December 2018 AECOM as $14 million. Since the 1980s, most collected 2100 signatures from park- park for more than six decades. “I know report. “That’s going to be a huge politi- streets leading into this wealthy enclave goers, both living outside and inside it’s been out of whack for a while, but are cal can of worms,” Cruz predicts. “The just east of Biscayne Boulevard have Morningside Park, who want the existing you really going to remove a pool that people on the western side of the park been barricaded. The only two vehicular pool fixed. The pool’s repair is favored was so heavily used?” he asks. don’t want a pool in front of their homes.” access points, at NE 50th Street and NE by a majority of Morningside residents, According to a July 2017 historic Billings wonders why Morningside 58th Street, have guard houses manned Cruz adds. According to an AECOM designation report that George wrote for Park needs a pool at all. “Is building a by security personnel who record the survey conducted last year, 65 percent of the City of Miami, the pool was an inte- pool at Morningside Park a necessity? license plates of any automobiles that Morningside residents want the existing gral part of P. Raymond Plumer’s origi- Probably not,” he states in an e-mail to the don’t belong to residents. pool fixed. nal design. Dedicated in June 1953, the BT. “This location is an outdoor bayfront In response to the demands of some Cruz also points out that three Morningside Park pool is 40 feet wide by park that has huge weather exposure.” Morningside homeowners, including studies, for which the city paid a total 100 feet long. While the 35 cabanas were Cruz counters that the city needs Billings, the city paid AECOM, a Los of $149,000, determined that the pool removed in the 1990s, other original fea- more pools, not fewer. To emphasize his Angeles consulting and planning firm, can be repaired for $3.5 million. This, tures of the pool remain, including the point, he cites an October 2018 Miami $88,000 to examine ways to improve Cruz insists, is far more affordable than office, restrooms, and refreshment stand. Herald article in which parents line up at the park and make it more resilient to paying the $7 or $8 million the city has “This is a really old pool. It’s one of 2:00 a.m. for a chance to enroll their kids sea level rise. Cruz and other parkgoers estimated it would cost to build a new the oldest pools I’ve ever seen in opera- for swimming lessons at one of five city contend that the park is fine the way it pool from scratch. tion,” remarks Williamson, who spent pools offering them. is, just needs to be properly maintained, But Williamson says the studies more than 20 years as an engineer in the But Billings insists that other parks and fear that some residents are trying merely determined that rebuilding the U.S. Army. have better pool facilities than Morning- to create a design that will restrict the pool was possible, not preferable. “We’re In spite of its age, Cruz says the side Park, like Hadley Park in Liberty City. park’s access to outsiders. trying to come up with a regional pool remains popular. It was used by [park] system and what is the best way more than a hundred kids from the city’s Continued on page 40

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 39 Community News: BISCAYNE CORRIDOR

Plaza Tire Continued from page 39

Plaza Tire will be replaced by a high-rise between 36 and 40 stories tall called 3000 Biscayne Boulevard. It’ll have around 750 residential units, 269,000 square feet of office space, a BT photo by Caitlin Granfield 38,450-square-foot grocery store, and 17,000 square feet of retail. At least that’s the concept. Russell Galbut, a co-managing partner of Crescent Heights, says 3000 Biscayne Boulevard is in the planning stages. “Obviously, whatever we do, we’d like to do something that’s great,” he tells the BT. Founded in 1989 by Galbut, his cousin Bruce Menin, and Israeli-born developer Sonny Kahn, Crescent Heights has projects and properties in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, Dallas, and London, according to the company’s website. Its base of operations, however, is in Edgewater, at 2200 Biscayne Blvd., less than a mile from Plaza Tire, and it has an extensive portfolio here in South Florida, especially in South Beach. Near MacArthur Causeway, Crescent

Continued on page 44 The Plaza Tire crew: Most are finding work at other repair shops around Miami-Dade.

Morningside Pool Continued from page 39

There are also other places where a new pool can be built. “If [the city] were going to add another pool, it would likely go to Moore Park [in Allapattah],” Billings suggests, “which has room and is also more BT photo by Caitlin Granfield conveniently located to the community that Elvis feels is underserved.” Williamson says the city will be taking into account the opinions of all parkgoers, though he admits that more weight may be given to those who live near it. For the past two years, Fay Stratford has operated a kayak concession near Morningside Park’s shuttered pool. “I’ve had numerous African-American adults in their 40s who ask, ‘When is the pool going to open?’ and ‘I learned to swim in that pool. I have so many good memories there,’” says Stratford, a 27-year-old white Buena Vista resident. Stratford says she’s heard different opinions from Morningside residents, Historian Paul George: “I know it’s been out of whack for a while, but are you really going to remove a pool Continued on page 44 that was so heavily used?

40 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 41 Community News: BISCAYNE CORRIDOR

City Hall Continued from page 38 NE 163rd St

Finally, three candidates are running for city clerk: Elizabeth Jeanty, a business Map by Marcy Mock administrator and nurse; Vanessa Joseph, a senior attorney for a nonprofit with a master’s in public administration; and Oleta Jessica Tracy Wolland, a real estate agent, State dance teacher, and daughter of former Park West Dixie Hwy mayor Frank Wolland. This will likely NE 142nd St be the city’s last election for this position. Elected city clerks have no vote, and the city’s Charter Review Commission is in- NE 135th St Biscayne Blvd clined to scrap the elective component, as NW 135th St nearly all Florida city clerks are appointed.

Elected city clerks in North Miami,

such as Etienne, have tried to parlay I-95

NE 5th Ave 5th NE NE 2nd Ave 2nd NE their visibility and constituent service to Ave 17th NW NW 125th St NE 123rd St run for other elected offices. NE 125th St Jeanty has raised $1684; Joseph $24,800 (with a steady array of small- to NE 121st St midsize donations dating back to Sep- NW 119th St tember); and Wolland $4090. This city of just under 64,000 is not noted for high voter turnout. Of the city’s 31,197 voters, less than 10 percent City Council District Map voted in last May’s bond-issue referen- dum, and less than 16 percent voted in DISTRICT 4 CANDIDATES the last municipal election in May 2017. The city also has a record of skewed absentee ballots, efforts to sway voters via food drives and shopping trips, and improperly filled-out ballots tossed out by the elections department. In barely a generation, North Miami has become a city of immigrants, with a Haitian-American plurality of roughly 40 percent and growing Hispanic and Caribbean population. According to U.S. Census data, nearly 75 percent of North Miamians speak a language other than English at home. In an effort to inform and enlighten Nacivre Charles Alix Desulme Claude Rivette citizens, activist-residents like Phyl- lis Lehman and Cassandra Theramene CITY CLERK CANDIDATES Arnold, a 36-year-old entrepreneur with political ambitions of her own, are leading a nonpartisan, trilingual voter education and get-out-the-vote drive. To learn more or to volunteer, contact Lehman at [email protected] or Theramene Arnold at c_theramene@ yahoo.com.

Early voting runs April 29-May 12 at North Miami Public Library, 835 NE 132nd St., 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Elizabeth Jeanty Vanessa Joseph Jessica Wolland Feedback: [email protected]

42 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 CHANGE IS TAKING SHAPE It takes courage to change. Making the choice to have gastric sleeve surgery isn’t easy, but once you do, you begin to see the possibilities. Don’t let old habits or routines hold you back any longer. Make the change for you, your health, and your future. Start now by registering for a FREE seminar at Jackson North. CHANGE IS LIFE.

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April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 43 Community News: BISCAYNE CORRIDOR

Morningside Pool Continued from page 40

though, including some who’d like it to go away. Those residents often note that they already have a pool in their backyard, and they didn’t like the idea of a revamped pool attracting crowds of outsiders into their tony neighborhood. “If word got out that there’s a great public pool here, everyone and their cousin would be coming,” Photo courtesy of HistoryMiami Museum Stratford says, summarizing the objections she’s heard. “Would you like someone schlepping through your yard every day?” At a March 12 meeting of the city’s Community Relations Board, no one from Morningside was in favor of demolishing the pool. During that session, Cruz made an impassioned presentation to fix the existing pool, a stance that was cheered by a couple of dozen people from Morningside, Little Haiti, Buena Vista, and Overtown. Commissioner Ken Russell, whose district includes Morningside Park, attended the March 12 meeting as well. And while Russell says he can’t guaran- tee that the current pool will be reha- bilitated, he vows to ensure there will always be a pool in that park. Says Russell: “Renovate it or rebuild it. Whatever logically works best, from my perspective. I will find the money for either plan.”

Feedback: [email protected] A view of Morningside Park and it’s pool in 1955, two years after it opened.

Plaza Tire more than nine contiguous acres to ask option to relocate his shop after he was we were ten,” Andrew Cortez told Continued from page 40 the Miami City Commission for massive forced out of his first location in the New Times in 2014.) zoning changes. Design District. Back then, many of Edgewater’s Heights will be building 600 Alton, a Crescent Heights may also build a Originally from Chicago, Gabe pre-World War II elegant estates had 44-story high-rise. Across the street jai-alai and poker room facility on one of Cortez came to Miami by way of his been subdivided into apartments and from the Herzog & de Meuron-designed its properties. Last year Barbara Haven- service in the Air Force. “He trans- left to deteriorate. Crime was rampant. 1111 Lincoln building will be Crescent ick, matriarch of the family that owns ferred to Homestead Air Force base “This was a dangerous neighborhood to Heights’ 1212 Lincoln, a future hotel Magic City Casino in Little Havana, right about the time I was born,” John be in,” John Cortez says. (See “Boom and retail complex. obtained a gaming license from the state says. “He had a house by the airport. Bust Boom,” November 2016, for more And in Edgewater. Galbut and his for a jai-alai fronton and poker room When I was four years old, we moved Edgewater history.) Crescent Heights partners have been (gambling but no slot machines) at 3195 into a house in Belle Meade. And my One particular night in the 1980s, buying properties on both sides of NE 2nd Ave. on property leased from mother still lives there.” Gabe Cortez went to the shop alone Biscayne Boulevard between NE 2nd Crescent Heights. Gabe Cortez opened Plaza Tire and to check on a burglar alarm when he Avenue and Biscayne Bay, from NE 29th Following a backlash from neighbor- Auto in 1977 in a plaza near the Moore was jumped by an intruder, who broke Street up to NE 31st Street. With the ing residents and real estate developers Building at NE 2nd Avenue and 40th in through the front window. The two exception of the 3050 Biscayne office Jorge Perez and Craig Robins, the Miami Street. But within five years, the landlord men struggled until police arrived. “He building, which Crescent Heights in- City Commission passed legislation “pulled the lease from him,” John Cortez [the intruder] was just coked out,” John vested $20 million in renovating, Galbut requiring that any new gambling facility says, after a developer expressed interest Cortez says. says he intends to knock down every be approved by four of five city com- in building something else there. Then there was the time a car building they buy in Edgewater and missioners. In spite of the new law, Izzy In August 1982, Plaza Tire moved crashed into one of Plaza’s gas station build anew. Havenick, Barbara’s son and Magic City to a 1932-era gas station. John Cortez, poles. (Besides selling tires and fixing “We certainly have the minimum Casino’s vice president, tells the BT via then 22, was enlisted to help and has cars, Plaza sold gas until 1995.) The mass necessary for an SAP,” he says, text that “we are exploring all our op- been working there ever since. His driver ran into the restroom and started referring to the “special area plan” provi- tions at the moment.” brothers Michael and Andrew worked screaming. When John and Gabe broke sion in the city’s Miami 21 zoning code. Four decades ago, John’s father, at the shop from time to time, too. That provision allows landowners with Gabe Cortez, saw Edgewater as a good (“We were in there helping out when Continued on page 45

44 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 Plaza Tire Shop, immediately north of Plaza Continued from page 44 Tire. An employee tells the BT that the developers have made offers, but so far the door down, they found the man his bosses haven’t budged, adding, “The injecting his arm with a syringe. business is too good here.”) In November 1986, Saundra But- Eventually, Kahn and the Cortez terworth fatally shot her 16-year-old family settled on a price of $4.6 million. son, Robert, four times in the chest and Then Kahn complained that an envi- then herself by the phone booth in Plaza ronmental study showed it would cost Tire’s parking lot hours after it closed. $1.5 million to clean up accumulated Prior to shooting herself, according to a contamination, John Cortez recalls, and Miami Herald story, she used the phone slashed his price to $4 million. After there to leave an angry message to an further negotiations, the sale closed at aide of her ex-husband, Bob Butterworth, $4.13 million in January 2019. who would be elected Florida’s attorney “It’s probably the highest price per general a day later. square foot for a NE 2nd Avenue [Edge- By 2008, soon after Midtown water] property ever,” declares Jamie Miami was built, John Cortez says he Maniscalco, a Keyes commercial broker noticed that Edgewater was changing. who represented Helen Cortez during the As the condo units east of Biscayne transaction. Most properties along NE Boulevard filled, business at Plaza was 2nd Avenue trade for $245 a square foot; increasing. the Plaza Tire property sold at nearly And then Gabe Cortez got sick. $345 a square foot. “He had a very aggressive cancer that And while many of Edgewater’s started in his face with a little spot,” buildings and lots are still family-owned, John Cortez remembers. By the time Maniscalco predicts that “slowly, piece that spot was checked out, the cancer by piece” those properties will be bought had spread. “That was 2012. He battled by large developers. it for two years.” That demand is increasing the But Gabe Cortez kept working. “He property values, which in turn is literally worked until two weeks before increasing rents and property taxes. In he died,” John Cortez says. “It was what 2015, John Cortez says he paid $22,000 he woke up for.” to cover Plaza Tire’s property taxes. Gabe Cortez passed away in No- In 2017, he paid $47,000. “Basically, vember 2014. He was 77 years old. Yet that’s what gentrification does to you. just prior to his death, Crescent Heights When you have all this development, made Gabe its first offer — $1.8 mil- you have lots of new customers, but lion for the property. (Gabe Cortez had what they [developers] do is price you bought the building in September 1990 out of the neighborhood.” for $300,000.) John Cortez told his dad Cortez knows of at least three long- to reject the offer. “I told him, number time auto repair shops that have closed one, that money was way too low and, in Edgewater and Wynwood in the past number two, we’re not ready to retire yet. three years. “Your choices for getting I still got a long way to go.” your car repaired are slowly shrinking,” Helen Cortez inherited the property he notes. after Gabe’s death. Crescent Heights Fortunately, most of Plaza Tire’s kept making offers. For a year the employees are finding work at other family directly negotiated with Crescent repair shops around Miami-Dade. John, Heights partner Sonny Kahn. “First time who now lives in Hollywood, says he I met him, he was the nicest guy in the plans to spend some time fishing and world,” John Cortez says. “He made camping while figuring out what he’ll us laugh. The last meeting, he was a do in the future. little more serious. More direct. He was “My problem is, we’re so busy, I saying, ‘I already turned in my plans. I don’t have time to plan,” he says. “I don’t don’t need your building.’” have time to do research or anything like Galbut confirms that Crescent that. So once I don’t have to worry about Heights did have designs that didn’t getting up at 4:45 in the morning and include Plaza Tire if the Cortez family driving here, I can do my research and didn’t sell. “I think having it [Plaza] as figure out things.” a corner property is important, but it wasn’t vital,” he says. (Crescent Heights still doesn’t own Daddy’s Cash Pawn Feedback: [email protected]

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 45 Neighborhood Correspondents: GREATER MIAMI SHORES Toilet Troubles Ahead A rising tide lifts all septic tanks

By John Ise sewer system. Wastewater from your BT Contributor kitchen, bath, and toilets is piped into a septic tank, and the liquid runoff from ’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, that tank is treated by (key word) unsat- Villagers in Miami Shores, Biscayne urated soil, the septic system’s drainfield. IPark, and El Portal are just so com- About every other year, our septic tanks pletely full of it! But being fair-minded, I are professionally pumped and drained. will add that they’re no more so than any It all works fine and dandy for the other human on this little planetary blue blissful villager until we confront the ball we collectively inhabit. inconvenient truth that climate change Your average villager will produce and sea level rise will now affect our about 320 pounds of fecal matter every septic tanks. Since 1994 sea levels have systems are destined to fail. And it goes natural treatment process doesn’t occur year, equating to 24,320 pounds in an risen four inches and are expected to rise way beyond just your house. Failing and runoff may flow right back into the average lifetime, or the weight of about another two to six inches by 2030. Hey, septic systems pose grave hazards to septic tank, backing it up. And with too three full-grown hippos. Fun facts that no problem, you’re thinking. I’m way the broader public health because they much water, your self-contained septic only loyal BT readers garner! inland, so no sweat, right? Unfortunately, contaminate our freshwater aquifer. tank will begin to “float,” popping right Delving deeper into the topic of doo- since south Florida rests on permeable Again, for the liquid runoff from the out of the ground. doo (and, really, why not?), we villagers limestone, as seas rise, so does the water septic tank to be “treated” in remov- Contaminated runoff that interacts deposit our excrement into septic tanks table. Water will creep right up through ing its associated pollutants, a healthy with saturated soil will promote disease- that are typically buried in our back- the ground beneath our very feet. volume and depth of unsaturated soil causing pathogens. A November report, yard or side yards. Our three villages Now remember that septic tank must exist below the drainfield. As the “Septic Systems Vulnerable to Sea Level are unique in that we’re primarily not filled with your waste and filth? As the groundwater level rises and the soil Rise,” co-authored by Samir Elmer of connected to Miami-Dade’s centralized water table creeps upward, our septic becomes increasingly saturated, the the Florida Department of Health, notes

46 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 that “shigellosis, salmonella, hepatitis connected to individual houses, and partially treated human waste is dumped comfortable, as odorless, as sanitary A, viral gastroenteritis, and other human existing septic tanks abandoned. into deep ocean waters far from land. So (with proper care) as today’s water- diseases are shed in human waste in In June, Miami Shores commis- let’s ask ourselves, when we throw some- wasting toilet. Throw in an electrically extremely high numbers.” The report sioned the “Environmental Vulnerability thing away, what does “away” mean? powered composting function, and your adds that at the mouth of the Little River Study” by Coastal Risk Consulting, The issues include: too much water waterless latrine will transform your canal (which abuts El Portal to the south), which looked at this very issue. The creeping underneath us; too many pollut- excrement into the nutrient-rich topsoil there are already measurements of fecal capital improvements needed, from ants mixing with groundwater, creating we increasingly need. That’s right, city enterococci that pose potential risks to planning to septic-to-sewer-conversion a toxic sludge; the depletion of healthy slickers, doodie over time turns to public health. to anti-fl ooding measures, tallied a topsoil; and solutions that are highly wholesome dirt. Remove the human The scale of this challenge is enor- whopping $85.45 million. And zooming disruptive, expensive, and not environ- waste from the equation, and our septic mous for our tiny three villages. According out, as the Miami Herald noted January mentally friendly in the long term. tanks can be reserved for kitchen and to the county report, Biscayne Park has 10 (“Miami-Dade’s Septic Tanks Are And here comes a radical recom- laundry use, removing the risk of creat- 854 parcels with septic systems, of which Already Failing Due to Sea Rise”), it’s a mendation to take a step backward ing a toxic, sludgy, smelly mess, and the 672 will be vulnerable to periodic compro- $3 billion problem countywide. to move forward. Global movers and resulting public health crisis. mise by 2030. El Portal’s 754 parcels have Some neighborhoods don’t have the shakers as prominent as Bill Gates have Now, I can sense the eye rolls and 462 vulnerable, and of the 3123 parcels in luxury of time; the consultants pointed concluded that in order to help the health demands for an immediate sobriety test. Miami Shores, 864 are vulnerable. This is to Miami Shores Estates (located behind and wellness of millions in the develop- But a binary choice will confront us an issue that, over time, will affect virtu- what was once Kmart) with a window of ing world, who have neither the fi nancial over the next few decades. There will be ally every Tri-Village homeowner. about four years before its septic systems nor practical means to build billion- highly expensive, disruptive mainstream The obvious solution would be to become at risk of failing. dollar sewer systems, there is a pressing options that link us to the madness of the convert all three villages from septic Even if you value your green cre- need to develop a modern-world version municipal wastewater treatment system to sewer. But for those of you thinking dentials, sewers are by no means green. of a sanitary waterless toilet. against lower-tech, less-expensive, that’s a simple matter, just remember the Every fl ush of the toilet results in the pol- The Gates Foundation has invested greener, off-grid alternatives. However septic-to-sewer project still under way lution of two to fi ve gallons of clean, po- in researching the Nano Membrane wacky some of the out-of-the-box solu- in downtown Miami Shores. That’s just table water. Linking to the county sewers Toilet, a self-contained, pathogen-killing, tions may seem today, tomorrow they one street that has been under construc- means we’re adding to the 300 million odorless toilet that can exist miles away may seem mainstream. tion for years. Now envision every single gallons a day of water being pumped from the nearest sewer pipe. And that’s no sh—t. road or alleyway in the villages being to one of the county’s three wastewa- Until then, there’s the modern trenched, sewer lines installed, then ter treatment plans. And much of that latrine. Latrines today can be as Feedback: [email protected]

CITIZENS’ INDEPENDENT

MOVINGMOVINGMOVING TRANSPORTATION TRUSTFORWARDFORWARDFORWARD The People’s Transportation Plan – Municipal Transportation Program million Passengers that benefit from municipal bus service yearly. Aventura Express North Miami Express Miami Gardens Express 11 Municipalities in Miami-Dade County that benefit from the funding of the People’s Transportation Plan. Municipalities receive a pro rata share based on its population, which is used to fund transit and roadway system improvements. 34 South Beach Local Hialeah Transit

Doral Trolley Coral Gables Trolley Miami Trolley Homestead Trolley 27 Cities the People’s For more information visit the Transportation Trust website Like us on Facebook Transportation Plan funds www.miamidade.gov/citt. Follow us on Twitter for municipal trolleys.

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 47 Neighborhood Correspondents: AVENTURA

Here’s to the Spring-Breakers Be a little wild, just not crazy

By Jay Beskin Spring break is a boon of sorts to the BT Contributor local economies, although the average number of revelers per hotel room is pring break is upon us. It’s not a about twice what you might think, and phenomenon peculiar to our neck quadruple what their parents think. S of the woods in Aventura. Indeed, And if Mama and Papa (or divorced it spans from the southernmost tip of Mama or Papa) have a winter home Key West all the way up to the north- down here sitting so conveniently vacant, eastern portions of the state around there may be more young scholars flop- Jacksonville. ping there during the break than the fire Nor is it limited to kids taking a department could ever contemplate as break from the Sunshine State’s colleges maximum capacity. They’ve been running exhibits recently or the calendar, to reclaim our former — we get plenty of imports, too, especial- In fact, the actual presence in our at area museums of old photographs regional glory as a Shangri-La for the ly from chilly climes where March 20 midst of a bunch of rampaging college from the Miami of the 1950s and ’60s, septuagenarian set. may be the first day of calendar spring, kids is generally a lot of fun, and gives and as cute as it is to see an entire met- As we’ve written in this space in the but seasonal spring doesn’t show up for us some of that youthful vibe we can ropolitan area turned into a capacious past, we want retirees to be comfortable another month or 45 days. always use so we don’t turn into per- retirement village, none of us is par- here within a multigenerational setting manently fossilized old fuddy-duddies. ticularly anxious to turn back the clock, that allows the zest of the young to meet

48 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 the wisdom of age. “From nonage to And as of this writing, no overly are no cars coming in any direction, In the end, I am not advising that we dotage with fun at every stage” — that is injurious or grievous encounters have but we prefer not to make exceptions become a military compound and chase our motto, or it should be. occurred, and the casual atmosphere has because we cannot posit a durable line away the parties and the partiers. I am The problem is that spring break has not produced serious casualties. beyond that one. merely cautioning that we always have an edge to it that isn’t necessarily present The truth is that policing excess is a So when we hang a shingle that says to stay on high alert to keep some of the at other times of the tourist season. This special challenge when excess is the very we’re open for excess, but please keep the invisible lines electrified. is because members of the spring-break- product for sale. Let’s face it, we have peace, that becomes a very tenuous balance, We want you to be able to find love ing generation are looking to hook up the power to button down our public and difficult to enforce. In the current cli- here, but we don’t want you to con us or with other like-minded and able-bodied spaces to the fullest extent, but the result mate, where we don’t always trust the police each other, to prey on us or each other, to people among their own ranks. will be that South Florida stops being to make judgment calls and we reserve the molest us or each other. Nor will we allow This pursuit is often attended by a fun, and “the word will go forth from right to video their interactions with civil- local con artists, the pickpockets or car- degree of alcoholic lubrication of one’s this time and place” to find more hos- ians and second-guess their styles, it is that jackers (remember back in the 1990s, when faculties. The liquor consumption is pitable locales. So we need this to be a much harder to police a fluid line. people preyed on rental cars and German designed to enhance the art of the pickup place where players can play and people We look to Las Vegas as a classic tourists) to terrorize you and yours. line — to facilitate its delivery on the can go too far, but only a little too far. prototype, saying that if they can work And we ask our visitors to practice one hand and its reception on the other. This brings us to a place we all things out in an atmosphere where their immoderacy with moderation. At When this theory breaks down, scuffles recognize from our individual lives, but gaming is legal and the nightclubs are the end of the day, the police cannot be often ensue, and these can lead to now we see it playing out writ large legendary, we should be able to keep our everywhere at all times, and you need to denouements often comic in nature, but across the public square. Namely, every reputation as a wild, happening place police yourselves to a significant extent. sometimes violent. time you cross a line and try to set a new without letting things get out of hand. You can party in your parents’ house This year has been no exception, with line that can’t be crossed, the new line But somehow Vegas manages to be when they are away, but then you must cops being called out to roust the rowdies tends to be weaker. an abstraction out there in the desert; be careful to clean up the mess and leave several times in the early days of the break. After all, the new line is (a) not and what happens in Vegas more gener- everything as tidy as you found it. This has prompted local chiefs to change tested and not fortified; (b) comes to ally stays in Vegas, or in a shallow grave Please treat our home the same way. their policing style from the reactive to the replace a line that has demonstrated in the nearby desert. Here we are at the And the good news is, if you are 21, you proactive, posting a host of highly visible it was crossable; (c) without a stronger eastern and southern tips of the United can drink some of our liquor without officers at strategic intervals to remind ethical tradition to protect it than the last States, and somehow the tropical sun sneakily diluting it with water afterward. revelers to keep a lid on their festivities. line had. It might be kind of stupid, for throws a brighter spotlight over Florida example, to sit at a red light when there than it does over Nevada. Feedback: [email protected]

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April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 49 Neighborhood Correspondents: NORTH MIAMI Think Local, Think Bold A thriving community works with its strengths

By Mark Sell the $10.5 million Cagni Park on 135th BT photo by Mark Sell BT Contributor Street and NE 9th Avenue, complete with an Olympic swimming pool. Who ay you’re running for office — or broke the jam? One could argue it was better yet, voting. What are the nine homeowner associations that re- Ssmartest things to remember to peatedly met at the office of Miami-Dade help make your town, city, or county County Commissioner Jean Monestime, more prosperous and just? just a block from North Miami City Hall, The BT posed that question last when elected and appointed city folks month to Richard Florida, one of North wouldn’t make the walk to meet him. America’s best-known urban authori- One can go on. Water and sewer, ties, at an FIU luncheon hosted by North anyone? Urbanist Richard Florida at last month’s luncheon. Miami Mayor Smith Joseph. The point: Neighborhood and home- “Remember that you’re part of a owner groups, towns, cities, counties, and its Rotman School of Management; and sea level rise right under our feet. metropolitan area,” he says, “and that the state, and federal government are a distinguished fellow at New York Uni- His advice for North Miami: Define you don’t have to do all things and serve interdependent parts of a shared system. versity’s Schack Institute of Real Estate; your community’s niche. Then lever- all masters.” If your town or city drops the ball, it’s and the author of The Creative Class and age your location, multiculturalism, and Sounds simple, but it’s not so easy your right and duty to step in and make The New Urban Crisis. He splits his time diversity, and nurture your talent from in North Miami’s wide-open municipal sure the ball stays in play. between Miami and Toronto, often turn- around the world. election, coming up May 14. Richard Florida is co-founder and ing up at FIU. And be just. And one other thing to remember: editor at The Atlantic’s CityLab, a web- He stresses that our county of 2.6 “We’ve forgotten that word,” Florida citizenship is powerful. site dedicated to journalism about the million and state of 21 million offer a says. “We’ve focused on growth and Take the 15-year tangle to free up $5 future of cities. He also teaches at the booming economy, lamentable transpor- innovation and competitiveness. I think million earmarked for the city to develop University of Toronto’s School of Cities tation, vast inequality, high creativity, qualifying all of them with ‘inclusive’

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50 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 and ‘just’ and ‘equitable’ is great.” Florida says Miami now ranks in late February by Ohio State University, elevator, and go to the same gym. By nearly any measure, Greater eighth among U.S. metro areas for Duke University, and the Insight Center for Raising service wages. Real estate Miami is among the nation’s most un- venture capital in high-tech startups, at Community Economic Development con- developers should reward companies that equal and least affordable places. $1.3 billion a year. A decade ago it barely cludes that African American households pay employees a decent minimum wage Florida comes by his conviction honest- registered a blip. in Miami have a median of $11 in savings, of, say, $15 an hour, with generous rent ly. Born in Newark in 1957, he grew up in This success also spells trouble, how- compared with $200 for Puerto Ricans, abatements in higher-end properties. middle-class stability in a modest suburban ever, driving away not only the people $2000 for Afro-Caribbeans, $3200 for Transportation. Florida signals this Cape Cod house. His dad, whom he fre- who serve our food and staff our hotels, Cubans, and $10,750 for white households. issue as urgent but praises Brightline and quently quotes, worked in an eyeglass fac- but also those who teach our young, Is it any wonder that North Miami light rail, suggests imposing congestion tory, had a seventh-grade education, and got police our streets, and care for our sick. politicians running for office hear people rates in traffic-choked districts, and laid off in the mid-1970s. His mom took ads The very nature of South Florida’s complain about choosing between their exploring water taxis. for the Newark Star-Ledger. His scholarship economy worsens this inequality. More water bill and medicine or food? “When we’re building things, we’re to Rutgers put him on a path to a Columbia than 50 percent of its jobs are in the “There’s a high acceleration of high- driven by business or people with money, Ph.D. In other words, he’s the product of a service economy, second only to Las net-worth people here,” Florida says. rather than need,” Florida says. “Other once-thriving middle class that is dwindling Vegas. In addition, our tourism-oriented “Wealth is concentrated on shorelines. cities are having a much more robust con- today. His obsession with equity rivals his economy has long relied on poorly paid The disadvantaged are pushed inland.” versation about these issues than we are. admiration for entrepreneurial society. African-American and Afro-Caribbean As developers cast their eyes beyond We haven’t had a broader conversation Today South Florida has a burgeon- labor. Where the creative class might Little Haiti to the bonnie highlands of Liber- about growth, inclusivity, and justice.” ing educated and creative class of about make an average of $75,000-$80,000 a ty City and NW 7th Avenue, are we already Why wait for it to happen? Start it 1 million, or roughly 30 percent of the year, the 2 million in the service sector well into the pain of climate gentrification? over coffee, check it out with the person workforce; great universities; and roughly make $30,000 a year. Median household Florida’s solutions may rankle some. across the table, who might be your 340,000 students. It includes the nation’s income in North Miami is about $39,000. Inclusionary zoning. Earmark a sub- economic/ethnic/political “opposite.” richest ZIP code (Fisher Island, where the Say you make $75,000 a year and stantial number of apartments in buildings You just might come up with something average annual income is $2.2 million). Its spend $25,000 on housing. That leaves at truly affordable rents of perhaps $500 together. Just as the most important 6 million people generate $300 billion in $50,000. But say you make $30,000 and or $800 a month, rather than the $2000 weather is over your head, the most economic output, just under Singapore’s. spend $20,000 on housing. That leaves “affordable” levels some developers call important politics is right in front of you, Combine it with Orlando and Tampa, and you with $10,000. How do you manage? “workforce housing.” Florida notes that at not on TV or in your newsfeed. 15 million people generate $750 billion, Add in race, and the wealth gap yawns his high-end building in New York, lower- about the same as the Netherlands. even wider. An explosive report released income tenants use the same entrance and Feedback: [email protected]

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 51 Culture: THE ARTS

Local Hero

Little Haiti artist Eddie Arroyo heads to New York Photos courtesy of the artist

By Anne Tschida In past years, other Miamians BT Arts Editor singled out for the Whitney Biennial have included Robert Thiele (1975) and he Whitney Museum made its William Cordova and Adler Guerrier name featuring the works of con- (both in 2008). But in a literal sense, Ttemporary American artists, and Arroyo may be the most representative of its Biennial (which began as an annual our city so far. event in 1932 but switched to every two This year’s Biennial’s key themes years in 1973) is one of the most presti- include “the mining of history in order gious art shows in the world. The Bien- to reimagine the present or future, a nial features works created just within profound and sustained consideration Creole Café, 5825 NE 2nd Ave., 2016.

of those walls was a mural from Serge Toussaint, the artist sometimes known as the muralist of Little Haiti. Arroyo painted the Café Creole mural of Mecca, the Haitian rapper and poet, dressed in military garb, both as the mural would have looked originally, then as it later appeared, defaced. Today the mural is completely gone. He has also painted the far more nondescript buildings replacing these businesses, places that now, needless to say, don’t usually have black or brown owners. Arroyo is not quiet about the activism involved in his art, which he talks about from his home/studio on NW 2nd Avenue. He knows that having his work in an elite biennial such as the Whitney’s makes him part of an art world that can be exploited to gentrify neighborhoods, and this is something he’s fighting against. But he acknowledges that that he’s pleased and privileged to join the ranks of other influential winners of the past, and of local community activists, such as William Cordova and Adler Guerrier, whose artworks are very different from Arroyo’s, but who are also committed to social change. Some would consider Arroyo’s work as much documentation as fine art, but Creole Café, 5825 NE 2nd Ave., 2019. he has been in pursuit of both since grad- uating with a degree in fine arts from the previous two years, and mostly by of questions of equity along financial, up this neighborhood. FIU in 2001. It was then that he picked emerging U.S. artists who are, for the racial, and sexual lines.” And Arroyo is Documenting these structures is Ar- up a camera and became a familiar face most part, under 40 years old. indeed mining history: he paints actual royo’s mission and passion. at the galleries in the nascent art center Of the 75 artists invited to partici- buildings and structures in Miami, and Three of the five paintings chosen of Wynwood. He eventually began to pate in the 2019 Biennial, two are from in particular, those of Little Haiti — the for the Whitney are of the iconic (now write about what he was seeing — the Miami — Agustina Woodgate and Eddie fast-disappearing, family-run storefronts, closed) Café Creole on NE 2nd Avenue, emerging artists and the fast-changing Arroyo, both represented by the innova- restaurants, and botánicas, all victims of whose walls were covered in bright nature of Wynwood — for various blogs. tive gallery Spinello Projects. the gentrification that is rapidly gobbling tropical oranges and yellows. On one He pointed his camera at the periphery,

52 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 Before: 5901 NW 2nd Ave. After: 5901 NW 2nd Ave.

at dusk that lend the works a well-intentioned, want their new proper- at the Design District (which he dreamy look. ties to be surrounded by up-and-coming calls the Luxury District), and then In his studio, several of the businesses — not necessarily Laundro- to Little Haiti. paintings depict signs, the hand- mats and mom-and-pop stores. And as He feared that the poorer, scribbled and tell-tale marks of a property values increase, so do rents and more residential neighborhood working-class neighborhood that property taxes, leading more unemploy- of Little Haiti would find it hard may be under siege. One sign reads, ment, evictions, and a loss of the neigh- to withstand the onslaught of “restaurant space for lease.” One on borhood’s social fabric. developers, and his fears were not its way to the Whitney is a com- The new white or slate-gray unfounded. So part of his practice munity callout, Speak Early/Speak buildings that Arroyo also paints are became preserving the memories Loud/Speak Proud, in opposition to bland, generic spaces, he says. And and history of the city, especially the Magic City Innovation District he has a point — lovers of Miami’s those areas with few resources development. diversity will miss the botánicas, the to do such a thing themselves Arroyo is not oblivious to the fruit carts, the music always emanat- — “to record the community and fact that gentrification is almost ing from the storefronts. culture,” as he puts it. Muralists an inevitable in today’s real estate But Arroyo knows that neighbor- like Toussaint, who mixed art and climate, especially with Little hoods change. He points out that Little activism and left paint on build- Haiti’s proximity to downtown, Haiti only transformed after the big Hai- ings and signs, in a sense to mark Wynwood, and the Design District. tian migrations of the 1980s; before then, both the realties and memories of But he does object to how the it was predominantly African American. a place, were an inspiration. process transpires. It’s just that the breakneck speed of rede- Arroyo, the son of Peruvian For instance, everyone ap- velopment, especially after the arrival of and Colombian immigrants, had plauds the idea of galleries now Art Basel, is leaving others needlessly in his first solo painting show in 2010, owning their spaces, buffering the dust, along with their memories. and also has been in numerous them from the development cycle Turning his attention to the hand the group shows at such locations as in which the developers promote feeds him for the moment, Arroyo says the Little Haiti Cultural Center, their projects by inviting artists he’s excited about the Biennial, which Florida Atlantic University’s Ritter and galleries to lease space at deep runs from May 17 through September. Gallery, the Frost Art Museum discounts. Then when the projects When he’s there for the opening, he’ll FIU, the Bakehouse Art Complex, take off and property values spike, soak up the arts and the arts activism. Swampspace, and Bridge Red. they no longer need the artists, And then the homeboy will return and While not abstract, his paint- who are pushed out by rising rents. continue to poke his finger in the eye of ings can feel embellished by the Owning a studios, house, or gallery the moneyed, through painting and writ- prominent skies that frame them. can ensure greater stability. ing and his continuous travels through These are rarely clear, midday Arroyo sees a downside as disenfranchised Miami. sunny skies, but rather skies with Eddie Arroyo: Poking a finger in the eye of well. New owners, including white kinetic clouds or skies the moneyed. art institutions, no matter how Feedback: [email protected]

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 53 Culture: GALLERIES + MUSEUMS

WYNWOOD GALLERY WALK & DESIGN DISTRICT ART + DESIGN MINDY SOLOMON GALLERY NIGHT SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2019 8397 NE 2nd Ave., Miami 786-953-6917 www.mindysolomon.com GALLERIES Through April 13: &GALLERY “I Am My Story” with various artists 6308 NW 2nd Ave., Miami “Maarava” by Shai Yehezkelli www.andgallery.net April 20 through May 25: “It Only Counts If You Take A [email protected] Big Piece” with Super Future Kid, Jennifer Lefort, Jiha Through May 19: Moon, and Kiyoshi Kaneshiro “Fresh Out of the Oven” by Patricia Schnall Gutierrez NINA JOHNSON GALLERY BAKEHOUSE ART COMPLEX 6315 NW 2nd Ave., Miami 561 NW 32nd St., Miami 305-571-2288 305-576-2828 www.ninajohnson.com www.bacfl.org Through April 6: April 18 through May 31: “Stream Gradient” by Jamilah Sabur “Another Beautiful Day in Miami” with Maritza Caneca, April 5 through May 11: Gabriela Gamboa, Jacqueline Gomez, and Adler “Silence” by Nicola L. Guerrier PAN AMERICAN ART PROJECTS BILL BRADY GALLERY 6300 NW 2nd Ave., Miami 7140 NW Miami Ct., Miami 305-751-2550 www.billbradygallery.com www.panamericanart.com April 13 through June 1: Through May 4: Anthony Rianda “Candies: Homage to Félix González-Torres” by José Manuel Fors, curated by Alejandro Machado BRIDGE RED STUDIOS / PROJECT SPACE 12425 NE 13th Ave. #5, North Miami PIERO ATCHUGARRY GALLERY 305-978-4856 5520 NE 4th Ave., Miami www.bridgeredstudios.com 305-639-8247 Contact gallery for exhibition information www.pieroatchugarry.com Through May 19: DAVID CASTILLO GALLERY “Room for Failure” with various artists 420 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach 305-573-8110 ROBERT FONTAINE GALLERY www.davidcastillogallery.com 415 Española Way, Miami Beach Through April 6: 305-397-8530 “Lines of Fracture” with Sanford Biggs, Kate Gilmore, www.robertfontainegallery.com Adler Guerrier, Quisqueya Henriquez, and Glexis Through June 1: Novoa. “Color & Form” with various artists April 25 through June 15: “Ojalá” by Maria de los Angeles RJ SPINELLO PROJECTS: THE ANNEX Reception April 25, 6 to 9 p.m. Gesamtkunstwerk Building 2930 NW 7th Ave., Miami DIANA LOWENSTEIN GALLERY www.spinelloprojects.com 98 NW 29th St., Miami Contact gallery for exhibition information 305-576-1804 Jon Pylypchuk, Untitled, mixed media on panel, 2019, at Fredric Snitzer www.dianalowensteingallery.com Gallery. SUPPLEMENT PROJECTS Contact gallery for exhibition information Gesamtkunstwerk Building 230 NE 44th St., Miami DOT FIFTYONE GALLERY www.castaniergallery.com Ongoing: www.supplementprojects.com 7275 NE 4th Ave., Unit 101, Miami Through April 30: “Nader Contemporary” with various artists Through May 26: 305-573-9994 “U Owe Me 5” by Doma “The Body as a Centerpiece” with various artists www.dotfiftyone.com LAUNDROMAT ART SPACE Through April 30: FREDRIC SNITZER GALLERY 5900 NE 2nd Ave., Miami TILE BLUSH “On the Altars of Vanity” by Harold Garcia V and 1540 NE Miami Ct., Miami www.laundromatartspace.com 8375 NE 2nd Ave., Miami Grethell Rasúa 305-448-8976 Through April 6th: [email protected] www.snitzer.com “Horizons” by Max Gottlieb www.tileblush.com EMERSON DORSCH Through April 15: Through April 13: 5900 NW 2nd Ave., Miami “i love you like a milkshake” by Jon Pylypchuk LOCUST PROJECTS “Open Objects” by Jonathan Muecke 305-576-1278 “La mata (the perennial sprout)” by Rafael Domenech 3852 N. Miami Ave., Miami www.emersondorsch.com and Ernesto Oroza 305-576-8570 WYNWOOD WALLS Contact gallery for exhibition information www.locustprojects .org NW 2nd Avenue between 25th and 26th streets GARY NADER ART CENTER April 18 through June 8: 305-573-0658 FABIEN CASTANIER GALLERY 62 NE 27th St., Miami “The Language Must Not Sweat” by Shikeith www.thewynwoodwalls.com 45 NE 26 St., Miami 305-576-0256 “Kitchen with a View” by Carolina Fusilier Ongoing: 305-602-0207 www.garynader.com Reception April 18, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. “Beyond Words” with various artists

54 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 “A Reckoning” by Judy Chicago Through June 30: Through May 12: “Altered States of Consciousness” with various artists, Melissa’s Pick “The Coffin They Carry You Off In” by curated by Claire Breukel William N. Copley “Ettore Sottsass and the Social Fac- Through June 9: OOLITE: WINDOWS @ WALGREENS tory” surveys the work of Italian architect Robert Grosvenor 7340 Collins Ave., Miami Beach April 18 through October 6, 2019: Through May 26: and designer Ettore Sottsass, focusing “Ettore Sottsass and the Social Factory” by “Drifting Lines” by Luis Garcia Nerey on his visionary furniture, conceptual Ettore Sottsass Through June 9: “Ripplings” by Monica Lopez De Victoria Reception April 18, 6 to 10 p.m. photography, and speculative drawings. PÉREZ ART MUSEUM MIAMI Profoundly expanding the modernist JEWISH MUSEUM OF SOUTH FLORIDA, 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY 305-375-3000 form and materiality, his designs serve 301 Washington Ave., Miami Beach www.pamm.org not only in function but as metaphors of 305-672-5044 Through April 21: “Grids: A Selection of Paintings” by www.jmof.fiu.edu Lynne Golob Gelfman postwar economic and social changes. As Through May 21: “Love Is the Message, the Message Is Death” by a former soldier and concentration camp “Through the Hat” by Steve Marcus Arthur Jafa “Shtetl in the Sun: Andy Sweet’s South Through May 5: survivor, Sottsass detested notions of Beach 1977-1980” by Andy Sweet “Ebony G. Patterson . . . while the dew is still on the institutional hierarchy. His designs were roses . . . “ by Ebony G. Patterson LOWE ART MUSEUM, UNIVERSITY OF Through June 30: rich in saturated color, and simple in MIAMI “Invasive Species” by c their geometric forms, at the time radical 1301 Stanford Dr., Coral Gables “El hombre con el hacha y otras situaciones breves” 305-284-3535 by Liliana Porter in their unpretentious boldness, asym- www.lowemuseum.org July 28: metrical shapes, and animated patterns. Through May 19: “A Moridada” by Pedro Neves Marques “Imaginative Things” by Elsie Kalstone September 1: Most notably the founder of the Memphis Through June 9: “For Those in Peril on the Sea” by Hew Locke Group, Sottsass’s designs implemented “Contra Naturum/Against Nature” by James January 26: futuristic motifs which followed a Pop Prosek “American Echo Chamber” by José Carlos Martinat Art aesthetic that largely impacted 1980s MIAMI-DADE COLLEGE MUSEUM OF THE MARGULIES COLLECTION ART + DESIGN 591 NW 27th St., Miami visual culture. Sottsass stated of his own Freedom Tower 305-576-1051 Ettore Sottsass, “Superbox” practice: “I have always thought that 600 Biscayne Blvd., Miami www.margulieswarehouse.com Cupboard, plywood, plastic 305-237-7700 Ongoing: design begins where rational processes www.mdcmoad.org “Pop Art” with various artists laminate,1966, at ICA Miami. end and magic begins.” This exhibition Through April 21: Anselm Kiefer “We Are All in the Same Boat” by “The Margulies Permanent Collection” with various marks the first in ICA Miami’s design series, and explores the ways in which this work SUPERFLEX artists has redefined and influenced modern design thinkers and its contemporary practitioners. MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART THE RUBELL FAMILY COLLECTION — Melissa Wallen NORTH MIAMI 95 NW 29th St., Miami 770 NE 125th St., North Miami 305-573-6090 305-893-6211 www.rfc.museum MUSEUM & COLLECTION EXHIBITS FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY: www.mocanomi.org Through June 29: Purvis Young PATRICIA AND PHILLIP FROST ART MUSEUM Through April 7: “New Acquisitions” with various artists THE BASS MUSEUM OF ART 10975 SW 17th St., Miami “AfriCOBRA: Messages to the People” with various 2100 Collins Ave., Miami Beach 305-348-2890 artists THE WOLFSONIAN-FIU 305-673-7530 Thefrost.fiu.edu April 23 through August 11: 1001 Washington Ave., Miami Beach www.thebass.org Through April 14: “PÒTOPRENS: The Urban Artists of Port-au-Prince” 305-535-2622 Through April 21: “Flint is Family” by LeToya Ruby Frazie with various artists www.wolfsonian.org “Tune Yer Head” by Aaron Curry Through April 28: Through April 28: “Ferngully” by the Haas Brothers (Simon & Nikolai “To Survive on this Shore” by Jess T. Dugan and NSU ART MUSEUM FORT LAUDERDALE “Made in Italy: MITA Textile Design 1926-1976” with Haas) Vanessa Fabbre 1 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale Fortunato Depero, Gio Ponti, and Arturo Martini Through May 19: 954-525-5500 Through May 27: THE BASS: WINDOWS @ WALGREENS “Asian Crossroads” with various artists www.nsuartmuseum.org “Bringing the Empire Home” by Frank Brangwyn 7340 Collins Ave., Miami Beach Ongoing: Through May 19: Through May 31: Through April 7: “Connectivity” with various artists “Affinities and Distraction” by William J. Glackens and “Enter the Design Age” with various artists “Performing the Self and Other Selves” by Odalis Pierre-Auguste Renoir Through August 11: Valdiviso INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART, MIAMI Through June 30: “The Art of Labor” with various artists 61 NE 41st St., Miami “Remember to React: 60 Years of Collecting” with Ongoing: DE LA CRUZ COLLECTION 305-901-5272 various artists “Art and Design in the Modern Age: Selections from 23 NE 41st St., Miami www.icamiami.org the Wolfsonian Collection” with various artists 305-576-6112 Through April 14: OOLITE www.delacruzcollection.org “I Don’t Want to Wait For Our Lives to Be Over” by 924 Lincoln Rd., 2nd Floor, Miami Beach Compiled by Melissa Wallen Through November 15, 2019: Manuel Solano 305-674-8278 Send listings, jpeg images, and events information to “More/Less” with various artists Through April 21: www.artcentersf.org [email protected]

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 55 Culture: EVENTS CALENDAR

Wynwood Has Stories to Tell The Wynwood Yard (soon heading to Doral) leaves us with a lotta love and a farewell gift: Wynwood Stories, from Juggerknot Theatre Company, the creator of Miami Motel Stories. The immersive pro- duction takes us along different “routes” in the Yard (56 NW 29th St.) to learn the Wynwood neighborhood history, with characters explaining the impacts of its layered, sometimes controversial trans- formation from the early 1900s to the present day. Performances at various times from Tuesday, April 16, through Saturday, May 4. Tickets $75. www.thewynwoodstories.com, or 877-504-8499. Golden Dragon from the Island Poetry Takes a Front Seat Even Carnivores Get the Blues of the year” and “the best album in the From the Republic of China (aka O, Miami Poetry Festival runs Monday, Savory ribs, chicken, sausage, and universe.” Also appearing, the African Taiwan) but based in Texas and tour- April 1, through April 30, and spreads out more are on the grill during the annual Watoto Dance Theater. Tickets $28; $35 ing the U.S. continuously since 1985 across town with something for every- Redland Blues and Barbecue Festival at the door. www.rhythmfoundation.com come the Golden Dragon Acrobats, one — be it on some chance corner, at at Fruit and Spice Park (24801 SW 187th or mdclivearts.org. onstage Sunday, April 28, at 1:30 any number of poetry readings, a com- Ave.) in Homestead on Saturday and and 6:30 p.m., and Monday, April 29, munity read-along, and more interactive Sunday, April 6-7, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 Here’s to Our Own Clean Water Act with abridged shows at 10:00 a.m. and performances, workshops (a micro memoir, p.m. The real headliners? The blues and Yes, you too can get in on the act for noon, at the Aventura Arts & Cul- anyone, or tips on senryu or the lyric country musicians onstage each day. You Biscayne Bay Cleanup Day, a highlight tural Center (3385 NE 188th St.). The essay?), book launches, three zine fairs, a can enjoy the park surroundings, spread of the 37th annual Baynanza and taking troupe of 23 performers is a favorite poet-filled “advice tent,” a culture crawl your eats out on a picnic blanket, listen place Saturday, April 13, 9:00 a.m. to with young people and adults alike, plus a poetry crawl, a softball game, a to the performers, and watch the wee noon. When you register (by e-mail to with spectacular costumes, dazzling poetry pajama party, a Game of Thrones ones enjoy pony rides and other diver- [email protected], or at 305- dexterity, grace, and athleticism, and party with odes to the Westeros fallen, sions. Also on tap: classic car and motor- 372-6784), you can choose from among all the pageantry and beauty that and an “Ode to Your ZIP Code” contest. cycle shows. $10; kids 11 and under free. numerous cleanup sites. If your first accompany Chinese extravaganzas Events are either free or low-cost; some redlandfruitandspice.com. choice is taken, no matter, keep trying — showcasing this ancient art form. have limited space. www.omiami.org/events. the bay is begging you. Closed-toe shoes, Tickets $37-$42. aventuracenter.org. Women Star at Afro Roots Fest sun protection, and gloves are essential; The Everyday Wonder of Riverday Under the heading “The Afro Future BYO water and snacks. miamidade.gov/ Miami Riverday is our only free Is Female,” MDC Live Arts, Commu- environment/baynanza.asp children 12 and under $10. Registration: event to celebrate what is the short- nity Arts & Culture, and the Rhythm www.historymiami.org. est working river in the country. To Foundation present two acclaimed HistoryMiami Makes Its help us remember that its continued artists in an Afro Roots performance Own History Join the City Nature Challenge cleanup, maintenance, and improved Saturday, April 6, 8:00-11:00 p.m. at Thirty-one years ago, HistoryMiami led As part of the global City Nature Chal- access benefits all, the Miami River the North Beach Bandshell (7275 Collins its inaugural city walking tour, and on Sat- lenge (citynaturechallenge.org) to see Commission sponsors this annual Ave.). From a harrowing life in Mali, urday, April 20, from 10:00 a.m. to noon, “which city has the most biodiversity festival at historic Lummus Park (250 Paris-based singer/guitarist Fatoumata historian Paul George offers a repeat and the most people enjoying it,” the NW North River Dr.), this year on Diawara has become a global star, play- of that first walkabout. The route in Frost Museum calls on citizen scientists Saturday, April 6, from 1:00-6:00 ing major music festivals, singing at downtown Miami follows points of interest (that’s you, luv) to volunteer with MUVE p.m. It features boat tours, paddle- Carnegie Hall (with Snarky Puppy); and along Flagler Street and on to the Miami — Museum Volunteers for the Environ- board and kayak races, historical participating in the UK-Mali Africa River as George talks about the Tequesta ment; some 8000 of you have since 2007 characters, environmental booths, Express tour. Also on stage, from Mauri- and later city founders, including the Tuttle, — and join the Frost’s BioBlitz at its new food and drink, and music by the tania, is Noura Mint Seymali, whose first Flagler, and Brickell families. Leave from restoration project in East Greynolds Spam Allstars and Luis Bofill & Band. two albums have been called, respective- HistoryMiami Museum (101 W. Flagler Park (16700 Biscayne Blvd.). The event, www.miamirivercommission.org. ly “arguably the best psych/blues album St.). Members $20, non-members $30, on Saturday, April 27, from 10:00 a.m. to noon, is open to kids and teens accompanied by a guardian, everyone over Brazilian Songs, Bahia Style 18, and families. You’ll help record the Boomers may know Caetano Veloso as a co-founder of Brazil’s avant Tropicalismo, flora and fauna in your designated zone music that came of age in the turbulent 1960s as a blend of political messaging and using the free ID’ing app iNaturalist, rock-infused Latin, influenced by the Beatles and incorporating eclectic vocals. take photos, upload your observations, And which, no surprise, had few fans in high junta, resulting in Veloso’s arrest and and get a taste of what biologists, bota- exile, with his friend Gilberto Gil, to London for a time. In the decades since, the nists, entomologists, and ornithologists guitarist, singer, and composer, with nine Latin Grammys, two Grammys, and 50 do. Registration and info: www.frost- recordings under his belt, has been hailed as one of the century’s greatest songwrit- science.org/event/muve-bioblitz. ers and a master melodist. Veloso tours with his sons, who perform on cello, bass, and keyboard; all come to Miami on Saturday, April 20, 8:00 p.m., at the Arsht Compiled by BT contributor Dinah Center (1300 Biscayne Blvd.) Tickets $59-$89. www.arshtcenter.org. McNichols. Please send information and images to [email protected].

56 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com March 2019 Columnists: PICTURE STORY Canadian Migrations A view of our past from the archives of HistoryMiami

By Paul George The 1920s was a pivotal decade for BT Contributor the Canadian presence in both the state and in Greater Miami. In 1925, the peak ften overlooked in the rich popu- year of the great real estate boom, 6585 lation mix of Greater Miami and Canadian-born individuals lived in the State of Florida are Canadi- Florida, constituting the second-largest

O Photo courtesy of HistoryMiami, Matlack 320-8 ans, who began migrating to the region foreign-born group in the Sunshine in the late nineteenth century. That era State. Canadians were the largest marked the birth of modern Miami, foreign-born group in Dade County, which resulted from the entry of Henry with 1234 residents, or 19 percent of M. Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway its foreign-born inhabitants. Most were into the tiny community on the shores of English-speaking and came primarily Biscayne Bay in 1896. from the Province of Ontario. Flagler’s top lieutenant in south- They were drawn to Greater Miami Women, presumably Canadians, at play on Miami Beach, 1935. east Florida was Joseph A. McDon- and other parts of Florida by business ald, a native of Nova Scotia who was opportunities, especially investment in Even with a subsequent economic Paul George is historian at HistoryMiami responsible for the construction of a red-hot real estate market. Many built downturn and World War II, Canadi- Museum. To order a copy of this photo, many of the industrialist’s great hotels homes, apartment buildings, and stores. ans continued to migrate to Miami and contact HistoryMiami archives manager along the state’s east coast. McDonald As more Canadians entered Dade, they other parts of Florida. In recent decades, Ashley Trujillo at 305-375-1623, atru- presided over Miami’s incorporation as created Canadian Societies in several their numbers have grown significantly, [email protected]. a city. At the same time, E. A. Waddell, municipalities. These societies gathered with large colonies of both French- and who hailed from Perth, Ontario, repre- frequently, holding business sessions fol- English-speaking Canadians carving out sented another influential Canadian in lowed by socials, bridge tournaments, or a strong presence in Hollywood, Greater early Miami. the appearance of a speaker. Miami, and elsewhere in the state. Feedback: [email protected]

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 57 Columnists: POLICE REPORTS Biscayne Crime Beat Compiled by Derek McCann

They Keep Coming Back so when the first suspect on the highest 7400 Block of NE 4th Court balcony began balcony diving downward, Police were dispatched to a business as did the other suspect. All three then after an alarm was set off. They found got into a waiting four-door car. This the front door open, its lock picked. The happened quickly. They had entered via K9 unit responded and sniffed away the sliding-glass door and ransacked the and cleared the building, but found no apartment before leaving, never to be evidence of anyone being inside. There seen again. is no video surveillance, and no wit- nesses. This is the second time in a week A Drain on the System that this business was burglarized, with 6300 Block of NE 2nd Avenue nothing taken or damaged. Strange. Will At one of our wonderful parks that this joy ride continue? capture the natural splendor of our city, and provides soccer fields to kids’ Looks Like a Ninja Attack! teams, a mystery thief had his way 700 Block of NE 29th Street well after dark. The park is patrolled meter room door locks were damaged. Arriving home from work, our horri- A tenant was leaving his apartment and by park rangers, but likely not at night, A large bolt cutter was found on the fied victim found a scene similar to a thought something was amiss — it was. as it closes at 10:00 p.m. During the scene. It was an ugly scene and, appar- war zone. Windows were shattered, an He looked up and saw suspect No. 1 night, a person cut a hole through ently, not a single witness. FPL box destroyed, window air-condi- on his balcony, and suspect No. 2 right a wire fence and entered the prop- tioning units were missing, door locks below. A third man stood in the park- erty. He damaged, stole, and stripped After a Long Workday, You and chains damaged, and personal ing lot, screaming at them. The tenant copper wires from the entire park. The Come Home to This? items were left outside. It’s doubtful was understandably frazzled, and more electricity was disconnected, and the 4500 Block of N. Miami Avenue this was due to a sonic boom, as no

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58 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 nearby homes suffered the same fate. motor (perhaps for their own expensive time later after a positive ID by the bloody scene, he found that his Google The fact that this happened in broad craft?) and a lawnmower. After taking victim. Don’t mess with this guy, folks. Chromebook was missing. Why he’d daylight is disconcerting, and again the items, there was a break-in to the leave it exposed in a rooming house is there are no leads. car, its windows smashed, glass all over Boulevard Motel Shenanigans a comment on naiveté or worse. The the seats. The thieves didn’t steal the car, 7700 Block of Biscayne Boulevard blood led to the homicide department He Knows, He’s Not Saying but they took a pair of sunglasses and a This motel guest misplaces her room being notified. 300 Block of NE 80th Terrace tire inflator — a very practical item to key frequently, almost on a daily basis. After securing his apartment for the night have. And who doesn’t want sunglasses When coming back to her room on this Some Just Don’t Appreciate the and then heading out, this tenant returned in Miami? The victim has no idea who day, she found it ransacked and burglar- Finer Things the next morning at 6:00. Everything was could have committed these acts. ized. She called police and, during their 800 Block of Biscayne Boulevard fine, and he even had breakfast before investigation, became upset and started If you rent out an apartment, furnished falling asleep. However, when he woke Outrun and Outta Luck to scream at another motel guest. “When or not, perhaps you should think about up, he found out he hasn’t been alone 1000 Block of NE 81st Street I find out who did this, I’m going to removing those valuable knickknacks during his slumber. His wallet and laptop Sometimes the victim just won’t have shoot bullet holes in them!” she yelled that class up the place. This tenant were missing. There was no sign of forced it. In this scenario, a man appeared — in front of police. The other guest was stopped paying rent for three months, entry. The victim told officers that an in the victim’s Shorecrest backyard. given a case card after she ran back to which demonstrates a kindly landlord unknown person had a key to his apart- Alerted by both his neighbor and wife, her room. The unstable victim was not who didn’t start the eviction proceed- ment and entered. We guess the unknown he banged on a window to startle the arrested, but she needs to keep that key ings immediately. Or perhaps he just is an ex-girlfriend and that it ended badly, intruder but was ignored. The suspect where she can’t lose it. It is Biscayne hates confrontation. What he found but not so badly that he’d rat on her. There then went for the victim’s scooter. Our Boulevard, so nothing is abnormal. upon entry (the tenant had advised him may still be a chance. victim ran out armed with a machete, that he was out of the country) were which caused the perp to run as the Miami Gothic boxes of items. Electricity was off, but a Thievery à la Carte victim gave chase. As he got closer, the 600 Block of NE 67th Street giant heavy sculpture was now in little 5200 Block of NE 5th Avenue suspect pulled something out of his Our man was living at a rooming pieces in a box as if it was dropped, Our criminals sometimes just need to pocket but the victim took his machete house and had had no issues since he’d maybe by a moving company, as it take what is immediately available to and knocked it out of his hand, and then moved in. But on this day, he found the weighed hundreds of pounds. There’s them, whether they’ve had a prior stake- tackled him as his wife called police. windows to his room obliterated, and no piecing this together. out or not. Offenders in this incident The man was finally able to wiggle blood all over the walls and on his bed, entered the property and took a boat away but police nabbed him a short like a Martin Scorsese film. Amid this Feedback: [email protected]

Have You Paid Your Property Taxes?

Your home is one of your most valuable assets, and the Miami-Dade County Tax Collector’s Office wants to help you understand the consequences of not paying your property taxes. • Property taxes became delinquent on April 1st. • If your taxes remain unpaid on June 1st, your taxes will be sold as a Tax Certificate. • A Tax Certificate represents a lien that is sold to the investor that will accept the lowest rate of interest for your taxes. The interest will be included to the amount that you owe. • If your taxes remain unpaid for two years after a Tax Certificate has been issued on your property, your property could be sold at a future date. To avoid additional charges and interest, and the potential risk of losing your property, your payment must be in our office by May 31, 2019. Mailed payments must be in the form of a cashier’s check or money order. Postmarks will not be honored for delinquent taxes. You may pay in person at: Miami-Dade Tax Collector’s Office 200 NW 2 Avenue, Miami, FL 33128 (Cash Payments are accepted) The Tax Collector’s Public Service Office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please note the office will be closed in observance of the legal holiday, Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, 2019. On-line payments (e-checking and credit cards) will be available for real estate and tangible personal property through, Friday, May 31st, 11:59 p.m. (Funds must be available for immediate withdrawal for e-checking from a regular checking account) Credit Card Payments are accepted online. Visa, MasterCard, and Discover are accepted. (A non-refundable convenience fee of 2.21% will be applied to each credit card transaction) For additional information, please call 305-270-4916.

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 59 Columnists: PARK PATROL

Let the River Rise BT photos by Janet Goodman José Martí Park awaits a new resilient design

By Janet Goodman hammered metal pushing upward out BT Contributor of the blocks and three rusted metal hoops, which could have once been ineteenth-century revolutionary part of a bicycle. philosopher, writer, and political Neighborhood resident Lazaro Norganizer José Martí, who led Martin comes often with his 18-month- the charge for Cuba’s independence from old son, Josiah, who enjoys playing the Spain, is a revered fi gure in Miami’s weather-resistant xylophones and other Improvements at water’s edge will include a new seawall and riverwalk, Cuban-American community. musical instruments installed among the water taxi station, kayak launch, and more. In East Little Havana, a 1.5-square- climbers, slides, and kiddie ramps. New mile section of Little Havana, along the sunshades and rubber safety fl ooring are Miami River at 351 SW 4th Ave. is a also part of the playground’s complete popular 13-acre city park, founded in overhaul that took place late last year. 1984 and bearing the Cuban patriot’s A picnic area with several tables is name: José Martí Park. located just off of the playground next Visitors entering the park under the to a separate section with swings. The decorative metal fence sign are greeted only artifi cial turf in the park can be by a sculptured bust of Martí that’s found here. painted gold. The newly renovated play- Area resident Manuel Perez works ground nearby has a mural dedicated to out several times a week in the park’s the freedom fi ghter, donated by Amigos new adult outdoor fi tness zone. He for Kids in September 2018, featuring tells the BT that a bench was recently his cartoon likeness and a quote: Los removed from the exercise course but niños son la esperanza del mundo, or never replaced. “children are the hope of the world.” Poured concrete and pavers are On the opposite side of the mural is widely used at José Martí Park; in fact, a large mixed-media wall sculpture of as the SEMBRAR wall sculpture might cement blocks, each engraved with the imply, very little grass covers the park’s word SEMBRAR meaning “to plant,” surface. Tiered levels, steps, and odd The newly renovated playground has a mural dedicated to Martí, with a stylized blade of grass made of concrete structures and columns fi ll the donated by Amigos for Kids in September 2018.

western plaza section. Two large open lessons are offered here, and a recre- JOSÉ MARTÍ PARK fi elds with a much-utilized bike path are ational swim team meets three days a located on the north end, but one fi eld week. The pool is open every day, but Park Rating needs re-sodding. Litter is an issue, with hours vary. garbage cans overfl owing. On a Sunday In 1980 thousands of Mariel Boat- visit to the park in early March, sadly, lift refugees lived under the overpass, SW 1st St 351 SW 4th Ave., the playground area was dotted with blue where makeshift tents were set up for I 95 I Miami, FL 33144 plastic cups from a party the day before. two months. Afterward, during park SW 2nd St 305-960-2945 This time of year, leaves falling from construction, an Indian camp, circa 400 Hours:Sunrise to 9:00 p.m. the native oaks and gumbo limbos need AD, was excavated, revealing tools and Picnic tables: Yes SW 3rd St to be collected, especially from the play- other artifacts. An ancient Tequesta Barbecues: No ground. Other trees within the park are Indian grave, circa 1500-750 BC, was JoséPark Martí Picnic pavilions: Yes SW 4th St royal palms, silver dollar, and poinciana. also found. Tennis courts: No Nestled between the playground to In April 2012, the BT reported that I 95 Athletic fi elds: No the west and the I-95 overpass to the east $810,000 in City of Miami impact fees SW 5th St Night lighting: Yes is the José Martí Pool, which had few was allocated for the José Martí Park’s Swimming pool: Yes swimmers and one lifeguard on duty that gymnasium renovation and parking lots, SW 6th St Playground: Yes Sunday during the public swim. Water which are located a block south of the aerobics, adult lap swimming, and swim main park on SW 5th Street east of the

60 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 Alen Institute will help cover costs of the design’s RFQ preparation. The selected proposer will coordinate a Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) grant for improvements along the park’s river edge, which include replacement of 700 feet of damaged seawall, 280 feet of erosion- control pavers, a water taxi station and unloading deck, shoreline stabilization, kayak launch, outfalls, drainage, and 980 feet of riverwalk. The FIND grant requires the project to be designed and permitted by September 2020. Steve Williamson, manager of the Forever bond and director of capital improvements for the City of Miami, told the Herald that improvements at José Martí Park will set standards for how the city upgrades vulnerable riverfront areas. This time of year, leaves falling from oaks and gumbo limbos need to be collected, especially from the The nonprofit Van Alen Institute playground. collaborates with communities, schol-

Visitors entering under the decorative metal fence are greeted by a sculptured bust of Martí that’s painted gold.

boat activity. But this water also has a The pool facilities offer water aerobics, adult lap swimming, swim knack for flooding the park. ars, policymakers, and professionals on lessons, and a recreational swim team. Hurricane Irma, regular heavy rains, important social, cultural, and ecological as well as recurring king tide floods projects. The José Martí Park project overpass. The main features at the gym ESOL classes, arts and crafts for seniors, moved Miami voters to approve a $400 is part of the “Keeping Current: A are an indoor basketball court, fitness computer classes, and Zumba. million Miami Forever Bond, of which Sea Level Rise Challenge for Greater center, and a dance room. Walk another The park’s northeast section has a half will go toward efforts to adapt to Miami,” the institute’s multi-year inquiry block south, and you’ll find the park’s large picnic pavilion, which overlooks sea level rise. into how communities can use design as baseball diamond. the riverfront, part of the proposed In early December 2018, the Miami a means to adapt to climate change. A colorful walkway mural with an 11 miles of continuous riverwalk Herald reported that José Martí Park is The original February 26, 2019, RFQ underwater theme slices through the ar- known as the Miami River Green- earmarked for $940,000 from the city proposal submission deadline for the tificial turf of the swing-set playground, way. New green benches, lampposts, that will go toward a study and climate- José Martí Park redesign was extended leading to the recreation center, which chess tables, and a bilingual historical adaptive redesign plan to make the park to March 13. houses afterschool programs, a summer marker are situated along the riverside more resilient. A matching grant of camp, spring break camp, winter camp, plaza, which offers great views of $60,000 from the New York-based Van Feedback: [email protected]

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 61 Columnists: PET TALK Brainy Cat Here’s how to test a cat’s intelligence

By Janet Goodman by doing, rather than seeing,” she writes. BT Contributor Ask yourself: Does your cat remember when and where dinner is served? re domesticated felines smarter While dogs have a higher “social than dogs? This question has IQ” than cats (they exhibit more patience Abeen debated for years. and are less impulsive and more willing Berit Brogaard of the University of to please humans), cats can solve harder Miami specializes in cognitive neurosci- cognitive problems. Breed intelligence ence and philosophy, and is author of a rankings are usually determined by the 2013 Psychology Today article, “How dog’s trainability. Smart Is Your Cat?” She writes that cats Cats’ social ability and other intel- have a greater capacity than dogs for ligence markers can be unscientifically complex problem solving. Although cat tested by cat owners at home. Does the • Hide a favorite cat toy behind an “Neurons are the basic information- brain sizes are only 0.9 percent of their cat come when called? Does he enjoy item in the house. Let the cat see you do processing units,” she told Catnip. “The body mass compared to 1.2 percent in human company? Does he follow people this. If the cat looks behind the item for more units you find in the brain, the dogs, cat brains have surface folding and around like a dog? Is he motivated to the toy, it is showing that it understands more cognitively capable the animal is.” a structure that is unlike dogs, but “90 learn a trick when rewarded with treats? the toy is hidden and did not entirely dis- Unless further studies support one percent similar” to human brains. Showing displeasure to change is appear. That indicates high intelligence. theory or the other, the age-old question of “The cerebral cortex of cats is great- also considered a sign of high intelli- However, the March 2018 issue of who is smarter will continue to be debated. er and more complex compared to that gence. Is the cat sensitive to new furni- Catnip, the newsletter of Tufts Univer- Some experts believe it’s unfair to compare of dogs,” she writes. “It is the part of the ture in the house, the absence of people, sity Cummings School of Veterinary intelligence of different animal species. brain responsible for cognitive informa- or new routines? Medicine, cites a study that contradicts “Because dogs and cats have differ- tion processing. A cat’s cerebral cortex The ability to be self-reliant is also the cats-are-smarter theory. ent skill sets,” writes Elliott, “they use contains about twice as many neurons a factor in determining animal intel- That study, published in December their intelligence in different ways. Nei- as that of dogs. Cats have 300 million ligence. Cats rate fairly high here. Their 2017 in the journal Frontiers in Neu- ther intelligence is necessarily superior neurons, whereas dogs have about 160 survival skills make them less dependent roanatomy, finds that dogs have more or inferior to the other.” million. In fact, cats have more nerve on people. brain power. Suzana Herculano-Houzel, She goes on to explain, “Dogs are cells in the visual areas of their brain, a UK veterinarian Pippa Elliott, who an associate professor of psychology social creatures and have become increas- part of cerebral cortex, than humans and writes frequently about cats for medi- and biological sciences at Vanderbilt ingly skilled at performing different social most other mammals.” cal and popular pet journals, suggests University, developed the methodology tasks in the human world (police K-9s, She posits that counting cerebral several other at-home, unscientific tests used in the study for counting neurons service dogs). However, intense domestica- cortex neurons may not be the best of cat intelligence: in the cerebral cortexes of many animals, tion of dogs may have caused them to lose indicator, but that it’s more useful than • Place an unopened can of cat food including cats and dogs. some survival skills along the way.” going by brain size. The cerebral cortex by the cat’s food bowl. If the cat looks Herculano-Houzel and her co- Cats, on the other hand, she notes, not only is responsible for problem solv- back and forth between you and the can, authors found that dogs have more than have fewer social skills but are more ing and forms of communication, but for waiting for you to open it, the cat has a twice the number of neurons in their ce- independent, allowing them to survive interpreting sensory and emotion inputs, high level of intelligence. rebral cortex than do cats — 623 million on their own without relying on people and for short- and long-term memory. • Watch a nature show with birds on in the golden retriever and 429 million in for their well-being. “Cats have longer-lasting memories TV with your cat. Intently watching the the small mix breed tested, compared to than dogs, especially when they learn show is a sign of high intelligence. 250 million in the cat. Feedback: [email protected]

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62 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 Columnists: FAMILY MATTERS

Two Days, One Night A quick staycay is the perfect parental Rx

By Stuart Sheldon ones safely parked at Grandma’s, you BT Contributor can splash like toddlers in our delicious turquoise waters. Smooch on the sand re you hip to the staycation? bars. Sprawl poolside reading that fabu- Imagine driving 15 minutes from lous book you’ve neglected. Write an Ahome, checking into a groovy actual letter to your bestie on the other hotel, and pretending you’re living a far- side of the country. Walk and walk and away exotic fantasy. The best part … you walk on the beach with no one waiting don’t tell a soul. It’s doable. We did it. for you to rush back and get dinner ready. Miami and the Beach together sport Then, when you’re spent, head back to more sexy boutique hotels than there your lovely room that nobody knows are grains of sand on the Cote d’Azur. about and watch movies in bed. Of course, it’s all unapologetically laughing when a uniformed dude right Each comes equipped with a private, For the price of one hotel room night, overpriced. And while the $28 bacon out of Bollywood casting walked over bean-shaped pool engulfed by coconut you can enjoy 36 hours like the Dos and eggs raised my eyebrows, I work with a fancy copper pitcher and asked palms and a server standing ready to Equis guy in the Most Interesting Man damn hard, so back off — and bring me if I wanted the sand cleaned off my feet. bring fresh fruit platters and pitchers of in the World commercials. Turn your another mojito while you’re gone. Hell yes, I told him. I mean, who wants sangria. All this just minutes from your phone off, and order shrimp cocktail Actually, I’m a bourbon guy, but the to eat a $20 vegan falafel sandwich with laundry room. from room service — for breakfast. hysterically trendy poolside situation at sandy feet? It doesn’t even have to break the I’m not here to recommend specif- each of these places absolutely mandates But seriously, I’ve dipped my bank. Options exist up and down the ic hotels. There are just too many, and at least one piña colada. I could not have sandy toes into all but one of the Seven price scale, though I say, with all the BS Trip Advisor has a lovely algorithm been happier wading aimlessly with my Seas, and our slice of the Atlantic is you put up with day-to-day, you deserve that will do you much better. My wife fruity drink and its darling little umbrel- a true standout, all the more if you’re to go all out — stay a few nights. and I spent a luxe weekend at the W la, my beautiful wife by my side, in the on a secret, black-ops, need-to-know- But there’s no shame in doing it Hotel South Beach. Like virtually shallow end of the epic pool, while tatted only-basis staycation with your honey on the cheap. The secret to keeping it all of the 305’s hipster hotels, the W up bridesmaids and best men imbibed and no kids. We all have one night to reasonable is arriving in the morning oozes fabulosity. Basquiats and War- their own fruity libations, looking as if spare. All you need to do is clear both and staying one night and the entire next hols grace the lobby. Ferraris litter the they walked out of Lil Wayne’s latest days on either side, pick your price day. You can check your bags, so no valet zone. Urbane business tycoons video shoot. point, spread your towel, and start matter if your room isn’t ready. You can in bespoke suits with no ties bounce Bottom line: We live in one of the gulping complimentary water with even bring a picnic basket of your own fluidly between Italian and English on world’s ultimate sensual holiday spots. cucumbers. You’re welcome! treats to enjoy poolside or at the beach. their smartphones. Everything is designed to be fun for Just because you’re living like a rock star But it’s not just gloss. The bedding grownups and uber easy on our eyes. But doesn’t mean your need to pay $18 for is amazing. It’s as if they scientifically like New Yorkers who’ve never been Stuart Sheldon is an award-winning olives. captured the softness molecules of every to the Statue of Liberty, so many of us artist, author, and Miami native. Follow Once you’re there, switch off your newborn tushy in town and had them fail to indulge in our own home-brewed him on Facebook, Instagram @stuart_ mind and spend every bit of both days inserted into the linen and pillows. Lazy decadent hospitality. sheldon, and his blog at FancyNasty.us. lying back and soaking in the actual mornings and mommy/daddy snuggle I was recently invited to chill beach- magic of the Magic City. With your little time never felt so good. side with friends at the Faena and started Feedback: [email protected]

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 63 Columnists: YOUR GARDEN

A Vine for Small Gardens

Hanging Hoyas add overhead color BT photo by Jeff Shimonski

By Jeff Shimonski chose it because a more aggressive vine BT Contributor would have climbed over the treetop and smothered its foliage, whereas it could here are a tremendous number of be easily maintained and contained vine species, and the beautiful within a single canopy. I also wanted to Tflowers many of them produce introduce something park visitors would make these plants a great addition to never see growing in a natural situation. certain landscapes. Most vines, however, It took a couple of years for the vine aren’t good candidates for smaller gar- to grow large and high enough in the dens, as they can become quite rampant. canopy, maybe 15 feet, and to sprout At Parrot Jungle we had several the small hanging tendrils that would The wax-like umbel of a Hoya. vines species that would put on eye- produce flowers. Unlike many species catching floral displays several months of of vines that produce flowers in full sun produce small hold-fast roots onto the It is difficult to see in the photo the year. We grew them on large trellises, and, in most cases, on the top of the bark so it could secure itself to the trunk. accompanying this article, but the red some over 30 feet tall, to create vivid tree, the individual clusters of flowers, No need to tie this plant to the tree. individual flowers exude droplets of mats of color and, with certain species, a called umbels, on Hoya species hang This is how most species of vines nectar, as do the flowers of many of wonderful fragrance. down inside the canopy, making this a begin their formative years. Seeds the Hoya species. This tasty nectar Our largest vine trellis, after the great horticultural addition. The umbels germinate on the forest floor and start attracts pollinators. 200-foot-long arbor of bougainvillea, could be teacup-sized or larger, mean- growing toward dark, climbable surfaces. Hoya species can be grown in was Rangoon creeper or Quisqualis ing people walking underneath the tree This is negative phototropism, a growing hanging pots and will flower, but the indica, with multicolored and fragrant could see them easily. away from the light, toward the gloom, pots need to be hung high enough to flowers. Hummingbirds love this vine in Now that I cultivate my own garden, and is called skototropism. give clearance to the hanging tendrils the winter. We used care growing it; like I recently grew a couple of Hoya kerrii I now have several species of Hoya that produce the colorful umbels. I had many vines, it can be invasive. from leaf cuttings, the same way one can that I’m planting on some of my other a friend who would cut the hanging Near Parrot Jungle in the 1970s propagate many other succulents. As trees. These will produce umbels of tendrils so the plant looked nice and tidy. was a house whose roof was completely soon it got up to 15 inches or so, growing different colors. What a great plant for It never bloomed until my friend became covered with the flame vine Pyrostegia straight up, I planted it next to the trunk a garden! enlightened and let the tendrils grow venusta. When it was in full bloom, the of a large live oak I have in my garden. A longtime friend of my mine, now down to produce blooms. I think Hoyas spectacular carpet of bright orange The stem after planting was also straight passed away, grew another species, Hoya look better in a tree. would literally stop traffic on the street. up and about ten inches from the trunk. carnosa, on one of his live oak trees, up Most vines need lots of space, yet What was really cool about this to about 30 feet. The pink umbels on Jeff Shimonski is an ISA-certified arbor- there are some that can be grown in is that the stem grows toward the tree this species would make a mass of color ist, municipal specialist, retired director a small landscape. One such vine I trunk. It took about five days until the that could be seen while driving past of horticulture at Parrot Jungle and introduced onto a recently transplanted stem starting leaning in the direction of his house, with no detriment to the tree Jungle Island, and principal of Tropical tree at Parrot Jungle was Hoya kerrii, a the trunk, and about ten days before the since the vine tended to stay below the Designs of Florida. Contact him at jeff@ slow-growing succulent type of vine that growing stem was winnowing its way canopy and didn’t cover the tree’s leaves tropicaldesigns.com. produces jewel-like clusters of flowers up the trunk, growing between the large and block the sunlight. I think the Hoya that look like they’re made of wax. I chunks of bark. It was also starting to was on the tree for about 30 years. Feedback: [email protected]

64 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 Columnists: GOING GREEN On a Mission for Python

Patrol BT photo by Kim Ogren It’s a fight against time as pythons evolve for survival

By Kim Ogren Outpost on Tamiami Trail near the Loop BT Contributor Road. Anne is an environmental artist and activist from Homestead. Both are or the past three years, at least four well aware of the role they play filling times a year, my friend Kurt has in data gaps in the “what to do” part of Fmade the 11-hour drive to the Ev- FWC’s mission. They’re willing to drive erglades from northern Florida to survey up and down 12 miles of a single levee and remove pythons. That’s enough to road at 12 mph for eight hours straight, Kurt and Anne along the L28 canal, hunting for very big snakes. meet the requirements of the Florida Fish as we did that day on the L28, which and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s explains why footwear wasn’t an issue. raised my understanding of the chain of At night, Kurt camped in his car Python Removal Contractor Program. They survey in “low probability” times events unfolding before our eyes. with the other out-of-town hunters, but For his trouble, which this avid and locations, too, for early detection of Kurt’s perspective made me queasy. not before driving 30 miles back to the hunter, outdoorsman, naturalist, and any increase in pythons’ range. He sighed when he gazed at some roost- closest Starbucks with wi-fi to submit his professional geologist would argue is As Kurt stood on the bed of Anne’s ing spoonbills. “The birds are next” he daily reports. This seems burdensome, no trouble at all, he’s paid $8.48 an hour. truck, he held the stabilizing bar, full of said. “The moor hens are easy pickins.” but he doesn’t see it that way. Once, he The rate kicks up to $15 an hour when optimism as he soaked up the sun, the And then: “You know, panthers like said, he took a GPS point of an invasive he surveys areas not likely to have the dust, and the vista. Occasionally we to see an abundance of wildlife.” melaleuca tree. FWC had it removed, snakes. He can earn $50 for removing came upon other teams in their pickups. They also rapidly expand in numbers and he saved a tree island. a python up to four feet long, and $25 As a fisherman, I know to be friend- and habitat range, and can undergo what The value of the Python Removal more for each additional foot. ly and then be quiet. “Looks like good is called rapid evolution. Diversification Contractor Program is undeniable. Motivations among FWC’s 30 hunter- weather this week.” Everyone nodded. within a species is what makes it resil- Kurt and Anne’s knowledge, work contractors vary, says Melissa Miller, the Such was my glimpse into the subtleties ient and supports its ability not to just ethic, and humor, along with Miller’s agency’s python management coordinator. of python-hunting competition. Not much survive, but to thrive. commitment to help citizens find ways Some like the thrill. Some are making a later I saw the other extreme — a truck that Rapid evolution is what makes inva- to make a difference, revived my own living. Others are herpetologists. Many, was outfitted with a tuna tower and heavy- sive exotic species so dangerous. Folks commitment to get involved in local like Kurt, do it for the Everglades. duty light bars, four people onboard. on the front lines, like Kurt and Anne, citizen science programs. This week, My chance for a ride-along came in In order to survive, pythons need to hypothesize that the pythons we were FWC and other agencies are kicking February. I kept an open mind, as the eat just their own weight over the course looking for survived a big die-off from off a process to formalize a manage- situation necessitated. Little about the of a full year. Yet here they’re eating the 2010 cold snap, and now contain a ment plan for pythons. hunt, in terms of my daylong participa- three meals on average every three chromosome that protects against such Kurt believes that FWC contractors tion and, in the bigger picture, ecologi- weeks. Prior to joining FWC, Miller temperature dips in the future. are holding the tide until science creates cally, was predictable. With visions of co-authored a 2011 paper finding that the Innovative tactics are precisely a solution. He sees signs of hope. “Tech- stepping into the swamp, I had asked, decline of mammal populations in Ever- what’s required in response to this real- nology should go a long way,” he says, “What kind of shoes should I wear?” glades National Park correlates directly time innovation in the wild. The FWC “once we figure out what that technology “Flip flops, if you want,” said Kurt. with the proliferation of pythons. The program gathers tons of information should be.” I met up with him and fellow con- paper cites a decline of up to 99 percent while we patrol: Anne’s driving speed is tractor Anne Gorden Vega at Tippy’s in some small mammal populations, and monitored. GPS points are taken. Feedback: [email protected]

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 65 Columnists: VINO

California, Here We Come Red, white, and you: Agreeable wine for $15 or less

By Jacqueline Coleman of your wine-drinking comfort zone. The Treo in the name BT Contributor Named after Mickey “Big Six” Doyle, is a tribute to Donald who is said to be the fastest runner in Hess, who retired from n recent columns, we’ve explored Kentucky, this wine is aged for three the Hess family of global wines from abroad, and it’s time months in Bourbon barrels. A full-bod- enterprises in 2011, and Ito bring our tasting back stateside. ied red with lingering hints of caramel his two sons-in law, the There’s always something new to discover and whispers of Bourbon, Big Six is next generation of Hess when it comes to U.S. wines. One of my nothing if not interesting. It’s smooth family winemakers. favorite things about getting to know our and fruit-forward with mild tannins, and On the nose, candied red blends is that each has an interesting produced in limited quantities, so pick cherries, licorice, and story. Isn’t that what wine is about? up a bottle before they’re gone. vanilla tantalize and The 7 Moons Red Blend is $11.49, Big Six For a red blend with some intrigue, If outlaws aren’t your thing, we’ll entice you to enjoy a Bourbon Barrel Red Blend is $14.99, and the check out the 2017 Gnarly Head 1924 take it down a notch to something a little taste of this elegant red Yosemite Red Artisan Blend is $12.99 at the North Limited Edition Double Black Red more domestic. So domestic, in fact, you wine. Some chocolate Miami Total Wine & More (14750 Biscayne Blvd., Wine Blend. I love the story behind can fi nd it at Target! Target’s new line will peek through on the 305-354-3270). Whole Foods Market in North 1924. In 1924, a dark time in American of wines is approachable and affordable. palate, but no fl avor is Miami (305-892-5505) has the Gnarly Head 1924 winemaking history, Prohibition was in The 2017 Collection Red Blend is a overpowering. Sensible Double Black Red Wine Blend for $14.99. Target full swing. It was also the year that a Si- lighter-bodied red wine with big red fruit and smooth, Treo’s qual- in North Miami sells The Collection Red Wine cilian immigrant and his brother-in-law dominating throughout. This wine won’t ity lives up to the Hess Blend for $9.99 (14075 Biscayne Blvd., 305-944- bought 68 acres and planted vineyards scare or surprise, but it will work just family name. 5341). The Shannon Ridge Wrangler Red is $12.99, in Manteca, California, in the Lodi/San fi ne for a red-wine evening. Another intrigu- and the Hess Select California Treo Winemaker’s Joaquin Valley region. According to the Perhaps my favorite label of these ing label is the 2016 Blend is $13.99 at the North Miami ABC Fine Wine Manteca Hall of Fame, they shipped wines belongs to the 2015 Shannon 7 Moons Red Blend and Spirits (14025 Biscayne Blvd., 305-944-6525). their grapes back east to Chicago bootleg Ridge Wrangler Red, which is ABC from California’s Cen- winemakers. The cherry plum spices, “Sourced and Certifi ed,” meaning it’s an tral Coast. Dark like Red Artisan Blend, made by Adler Fels blackberry, blueberry, cranberry, and exclusive at their stores here. I enjoyed a moonless night, this blend of seven Winery in Sonoma, is part of the National raspberry fl avors of this red are bold the dominating ripe cherry and raspber- grape varieties has an astrological Parks Foundation line of wines. Proceeds beneath the black slate of the bottle. ries on the nose that blended into a lovely complexity to it. Dark fruit and spice from each bottle will go to help “protect, Though mysterious, this wine is not shy multilayered wine. Smooth red fruit take over from the Syrah, but you’ll support, and enrich” U.S. national parks. and, if consumed under certain condi- continues through the palate as you ex- also fi nd accompanying raspberry Yosemite red is not a heavy one, but it’s tions, might be the cause for scandal. As perience several different grape profi les and chocolate fl avors. Slightly more lively and fruit-forward. Though this a red blend, 1924 is agreeable and sure to wrangled together by a fi ne structure complex than your average economi- bottle may not be an award-winner, the appease even the pickiest moonshiner. and balance. A perfect treat for an April cal blend, it’s easy to see how 7 Moons cause is certainly just right. It’s wonderful How about a California wine aged evening by the grill. has star quality. to enjoy a U.S. red blend while supporting in Kentucky Bourbon bootlegging bar- Always an enjoyable brand, the 2014 No journey through U.S. red blends is an important U.S. cause. rels? The 2016 Big Six Bourbon Barrel Hess Select California Treo Winemak- complete without a wine that directly sup- Red Wine Blend is sure to get you out er’s Blend from Napa is a standout, too. ports an American cause. 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66 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 Columnists: DISH Miam Café Start the Day Off Right Food news we know you can use

By Geoffrey Anderson Jr. seriously. Cold brew, nitro, pour over, and Dianne Rubin drip coffee — you name your type of BT Contributors coffee, and All Day likely has it. There are even a few coffee “cocktails” if hen was the last time you went you’re feeling adventurous. On the out for a good breakfast? You savory side, the eggs are a highlight and Woften hear people raving about available in various forms: cast iron- the dinner they ate or a fun brunch spot, fried, soft-scrambled, and baked double but it’s rare to hear someone gush over yolk. We suggest the One-Handed egg The breakfast sandwich at Miam Café. a hearty breakfast. It’s a shame because sandwich with Florida sage sausage, assortment of greens, grains, dips, and if you know where to look, you can find double cream brie, and herb aioli; it’s OPENINGS proteins, including spicy baba ganoush, some early-morning gems in Miami. worth the trip to the gym. But enough about breakfast. Several honey nut feta, and braised lamb. Not in For example, there’s Jimmy’s East Another coffee shop that puts as new restaurants have recently arrived in the mood to make decisions? A tradi- Side Diner (7201 Biscayne Blvd., 305-754- much effort into its food is Alaska Coffee Miami. One of them is Aventura’s Inter- tional kebab menu takes most of the 3692). You can’t talk about breakfast food Roasting Co. (13130 Biscayne Blvd., national Smoke (19565 Biscayne Blvd., guesswork out of ordering. in Miami without this place coming up in 786-332-4254) in North Miami. Coffee Suite 946, 786-254-0422), a barbecue conversation. That was true even before varietals here change every week, so spot from television personality Ayesha CLOSINGS the MiMo establishment made an appear- customers are kept on their toes. Similarly, Curry and chef Michael Mina. As you’d When it rains, it pours. Some big names ance in the Oscar-winning film Moonlight. selections in the pastry case change regu- expect, smoked meats and international have recently closed up shop, including For years the 305 institution has been larly. In addition to the usual suspects, flavors abound. Smoked St. Louis cut Royal Bavarian Schnitzel Haus and cooking up huge portions of eggs, country like scones and muffins, you’ll find cin- pork ribs, Asian cedar-smoked salmon, Paulie Gee’s Miami. A surprising an- sausage, corned beef hash, and hot cakes to namon rolls, pies, and cakes. These join and rib tip mac and cheese are just a few nouncement was the closure of Jimmy’z hungry patrons, starting at 6:30 a.m. daily. savory options like “breakfast pockets” of the standouts on the extensive menu. Kitchen, a Wynwood institution. Due Over in Wynwood, Miam Café stuffed with potatoes, reindeer sausage, This is not a place for vegetarians. to rent increases, the Latin American (2750 NW 3rd Ave., Suite 21, 786-703- and other delights. Breakfast burritos are Down south in downtown Miami, restaurant finally decided to call it quits. 1451) is busy providing early risers with also a big thing here — literally. Mirabelle (114 SE 1st St., 786-440-6561) Mason Eatery just a few blocks away less traditional breakfast fare, like an Picky eaters will find comfort is adding notable French cuisine to the also bade the neighborhood farewell. avocado and poached egg tartine and in Aventura Mall’s Le Boulangerie neighborhood’s growing food scene. vegetarian breakfast burrito. Guests who Boul’Mich (20475 Biscayne Blvd., Suite Expect classics like escargot, niçoise Geoffrey Anderson Jr. and Dianne Rubin prefer a sweeter touch can opt for the G7 and G8, 305-974-4634), where the salad, croque monsieur, and more. You are co-founders of Miami Food Pug, an Pullman French toast with chocolate ha- menu has a little bit of everything. Are can’t go wrong with the jumbo shrimp award-winning South Florida food blog that zelnut spread or the organic chia pudding you in the mood for something healthy? scampi or pan-seared snapper; just save fuses the couple’s love of dogs and food. with tropical fruits. Traditionalists need Nosh on some granola or a fruit platter. room for some profiteroles. not worry: eggs, home fries, and bacon Need some salt? Omelettes and eggs A little bit north in Edgewater, Rice Send us your tips and alerts: are plentiful. benedicts galore are available. Just want Mediterranean Kitchen (2500 Biscayne [email protected] Coffee and breakfast go hand in some pancakes? You’ve got it. Don’t Blvd., 305-705-6090) has brought nutri- hand, and All Day (1035 N. Miami Ave., forget to pick up a chocolate croissant tious, hearty bowls to the area. Custom- 305-699-3447) is a spot that takes both before you leave. ers can customize their selection with an Feedback: [email protected]

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 67 Dining Guide: RESTAURANTS

Restaurant Listings The Biscayne Corridor’s most comprehensive restaurant guide. Total this month: 250

Restaurant listings for the BT Dining Guide are written by Geoffrey Anderson Jr. and Dianne Rubin of Miami Food Pug most impressive. The food is impeccably fresh regional having been replaced by another soon-to-be neigh- fish, prepared in a clean Mediterranean-influenced style. borhood favorite: Battubelin. The Italian eatery (MFP), Andrew McLees (AM), Mandy Baca (MB), and the The cocktails are genuinely creative. Luckily you don’t NEW THIS MONTH late Pamela Robin Brandt (PRB) (restaurants@biscayne- have to choose one or the other. $$$-$$$$ (PRB) checks all the boxes when it comes to a memorable times.com). Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, dining experience: appetizing cuisine, friendly ser- but restaurants frequently change menus, chefs, and oper- American Social MIAMI vice, and lots of wine. The menu isn’t reinventing 690 SW 1st Ct., 305-223-7004 the wheel — just refining it. Plates like the gnocchi ating hours, so please call ahead to confirm information. BRICKELL / DOWNTOWN pesto pasta and the burrata and prosciutto pizza Icons ($$$) represent estimates for a typical meal without The gastropub grows up, offering a huge modern playground for the social butterfly to enjoy all aspects of are items we’ve seen before, but rarely at a caliber wine, tax, or tip. Hyphenated icons ($-$$$) indicate a signifi- life. From indulgent chicken and waffles at brunch to Sergio’s Cuban Café + Grill like this. Word of advice: Save room for tiramisu. cant range in prices between lunch and dinner. open-faced short rib flatbreads at dinner, dozens of craft 40 SW 12th St., 786-500-0201 $-$$ (MFP) beers and a long list of cocktails for happy hour, flat- Cuban cuisine expands its footprint in Brickell with $ = $10 and under screen TVs to watch all the important games, and even the addition of Sergio’s Cuban Café + Grill. This $$ = $20 an area to dock your boat. Your most difficult task will branch of the popular chain leans on the ubiquitous AVENTURA / HALLANDALE be choosing between plush indoor seating and outdoor “healthy bowl” concept. Guests have full freedom $$$ = $30 riverside seating. $$-$$$$ (MB) to create their perfect meal from an assortment of Holi Vegan Kitchen $$$$ = $40 proteins, including turkey and beef. Sizeable sides 19501 Biscayne Blvd., Space 69, 305-343-9656 $$$$$ = $50 and over Arson like black beans and mojo yuca ensure you get your Holi Vegan Kitchen’s North Miami Beach out- 104 NE 2nd Ave., 786-717-6711 money’s worth. Craving more traditional Cuban food? post is a hotspot for all things plant-based James Beard-nominated chef Deme Lomas is known for Their pan con lechon and croqueta preparada sand- cuisine. Now you can find them inside Aventura his Spanish tapas restaurant NIU Kitchen in downtown wiches have you covered. $ (MFP) Mall. Unlike its sister location, this spot is more MIAMI Miami, but his latest venture is poised to steal the designed for the grab-and-go crowd. Those in a spotlight. Located just a stone’s throw from NIU Kitchen, rush can stock up on quick bites like mushroom Brickell / Downtown Arson remedies some of that restaurant’s shortcomings MIDTOWN / WYNWOOD / DESIGN DISTRICT empanadas, while others can leisurely enjoy — a tight space and limited menu — to craft a distinct yet items like “no-fish” tacos and vegan sandwiches. familiar experience that will appeal to NIU fans and first- Palermo Restaurant & Wine Bar Curious carnivores, take note: This place will ADDiKT timers alike. The Josper charcoal oven makes meats like 4582 NE 2nd Ave., 786-502-4460 turn your opinion of vegan food on its head. $-$$ 485 Brickell Ave., 305-503-0373 the Patagonian lamb chops and Angus grass-fed skirt When it comes to cooking up delicious Argentine (MFP) So long, 15th and Vine. The now-shuttered W Miami res- steak come out perfect; one bite of either will entice you cuisine, Palermo Restaurant & Wine Bar succeeds taurant has been replaced by a more playful, approachable to order a second round. $$$ (MFP) on all fronts. At Palermo, you can expect quality and International Smoke spot: ADDiKT. While the dishes have cheeky names like value; prepare for big portions and flavors across 19565 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 946, 786-254-0422 “Banh-Who? Banh-Me” (a Vietnamese pork belly sandwich) Balans the board. Since this is an Argentinean restaurant, International Smoke — a collaboration between and “Juan in a Million” (shrimp tacos), this is some serious 901 S. Miami Ave., (Mary Brickell Village), your order should include one of their many cuts of television personality Ayesha Curry and chef international cuisine. The view alone is worth the visit — 305-534-9191 meat. We suggest the oh-so-tender skirt steak plus a Michael Mina — takes barbecue seriously. The any seat offers a breathtaking look at Brickell. Breakfast, Open until 4:00 a.m. on weekends, this London import few empanadas for good measure. If you’re not big Aventura Mall establishment fuses American and brunch, lunch, and dinner. No matter the meal, the cre- (Miami’s second Balans) offers a sleeker setting than on steak, the restaurant also serves up a variety of international influences for a unique take on BBQ, ative menu will keep you on your toes. $$-$$$ (MFP) its perennially popular Lincoln Road progenitor, but Italian dishes. $-$$ (MFP) a cuisine that Aventura sorely lacks. Get messy the same simple yet sophisticated global menu. The with the signature smoked St. Louis cut pork ribs Alloy Bistro indoor space can get mighty loud, but lounging on and then dive into smoked Korean bone-in short 154 SE 1st Ave., 786-773-2742 the dog-friendly outdoor terrace, over a rich croque UPPER EASTSIDE rib, grilled Moroccan spiced lamb chops, and Deep within the bowels of an otherwise unspectacular monsieur (which comes with an alluringly sweet/sour other mouthwatering bites from around the world swath of urban sprawl lies a small but wondrous urban citrus-dressed side salad), a lobster club on onion Battubelin — all for much less than a plane ticket. $$-$$$$ oasis where the food is fresh, creative, and presented toast, some surprisingly solid Asian fusion item s, and 749 NE 79th St., 786-391-0300 (MFP) with playful finesse. Chef Federico Genovese’s imagina- a cocktail is one of Miami’s more relaxing experiences. Shorecrest gem Mina’s Mediterraneo is long gone, tive Mediterranean fusion menu rotates daily, and fea- $$-$$$ (PRB) tures fresh, seasonally driven recipes whose ingredients are sourced both locally and overseas. On a recent visit, Bali Café nothing fell short of divine: the 24-hour short rib served 109 NE 2nd Ave., 305-358-5751 over aged white cheddar and topped with mashed pota- While Indonesian food isn’t easy to find in Miami, Big Easy Sud’s predecessor. Although much of the restaurant has toes was expertly prepared. A show-stopping take on a downtown has secret stashes — small joints catering to 701 S. Miami Ave., 786-866-9854 changed, one thing hasn’t: It’s still home to one of the best classic blueberry tart dessert served with coconut foam cruise-ship and construction workers. This cute, exotical- If you visit Big Easy with expectations of po’boys, muffu- happy hours in the city. $$-$$$ (MFP) garnished with powdered green tea was an inspired way ly decorated café has survived and thrived for good lettas, and beignets, you’re going to be very disappointed. to end the night. Even the bread was baked to perfec- reason. The homey cooking is delicious, and the friendly The restaurant has nothing to do with New Orleans — it’s Café Bastille tion and served with the most fragrant olive oil I’ve ever family feel encourages even the timid of palate to try actually the nickname for South African golf pro Ernie 248 SE 1st St., 786-425-3575 had the pleasure of tasting. If there is an oyster’s pearl something new. Novices will want Indonesia’s signature Els, one of the restaurant’s partners. Here’s what you can Anyone looking for brunch, a quick lunch or dinner would to be found in the heart of downtown Miami, this is it. rijsttafel, a mix-and-match collection of small dishes and expect: delectable South African cuisine incorporating a be remiss to snub Café Bastille, a quaint bistro that practi- $$$ (AM) condiments to be heaped on rice. Note: bring cash. No wealth of flavors and spices. Start with the Boerie Bites cally vanishes against downtown Miami’s dreary cityscape. plastic accepted here. $-$$ (PRB) — they look like mini-hot dogs but elevated — then work Once inside, however, this modern French eatery oozes All Day your way to the bison ribeye and the toasted couscous charm and boasts seriously hearty portions, especially dur- 1035 N. Miami Ave., 305-699-3447 Bazaar Mar risotto, which can double as a meal. $$-$$$$ (MFP) ing brunch. The ham and salmon benedicts as well as the Here is a stroke of inspired insanity: an artisanal coffee 1300 S. Miami Ave., 305-239-1320 crêpes are phenomenal, and no French meal is complete shop and all-day breakfast bistro at the edge of down- Chef José Andrés has another hit on his hands. The Bonding without sampling dessert. For dinner, try the filet mignon de town Miami’s clubland corridor. Fans of breakfast have renowned chef’s seafood concept embraces the playful 638 S. Miami Ave., 786-409-4794 boeuf served over a creamy peppercorn sauce. Remember plenty to fawn over, including a delicious baked egg menu touches and whimsical décor of his other Miami From trend-spotting restaurateur Bond Trisansi to ask about daily specials; it’s easy to overlook the tiny and leek skillet served with a side of toasted baguette, restaurant (The Bazaar), treating diners to an unforget- (originator of Mr. Yum and 2B Asian Bistro), this small board located in the back of the restaurant. $$ (AM) and a curiously exotic poached egg and congee bowl. table dinner and show. To see the spectacle in action, spot draws a hip crowd with its affordable menu of Sandwiches and salads are also available. The space is start with a liquid nitrogen caipirinha and watch as it’s redesigned traditional Thai dishes, wildly imaginative Café at Books & Books bright and accented with beautiful natural woods, and made tableside. Dinner items like the fish-shaped bagel sushi makis, and unique signature Asian fusion small 1300 Biscayne Blvd., 305-695-8898 sports some seriously hip flourishes including a neon and lox, rose-shaped cobia ceviche, and octopus-shaped plates. Highlights include tastebud-tickling snapper car- Adding unique literary/culinary arts components to the Arsht drink menu illuminating the coffee station. Single-origin “funnel cake” need to be seen to be believed. Thankfully, paccio; an elegant nest of mee krob (sweet, crisp rice Center, this casual indoor/outdoor café, directed by Chef coffee is a specialty here and the baristas prepare it with the presentation isn’t compensating for anything: The noodles); blessedly non-citrus-drenched tuna tataki, Allen Susser (arguably Miami’s earliest and most dedicated effortless finesse. For the weekend warriors, after the all- food tastes as good as it looks. $$$-$$$$ (MFP) drizzled with spicy-sweet Juneo and wasabi cream local-ingredients booster), serves fresh and fun farm-to-table night EDM bender, thankfully there is All Day. $$ (AM) sauce; greed-inducing “bags of gold,” deep-fried won- fare all day, everyday — unlike the Arsht’s upscale Brava!, Bengal Indian Cuisine ton beggar’s purses with a shrimp/pork/mushroom/ open only for pre-performance dinners. Especially delightful Area 31 109 NE 1st St., 305-403-1976 water chestnut filling and tamarind sauce. $$ (PRB) vegetarian/vegan dishes range from snacks like cornmeal- 270 Biscayne Boulevard Way, To say that there’s a lack of Indian restaurants in South battered “urban pickles” with dill tsatziki to a hefty curried 305-424-5234 Florida would be an understatement. Thankfully, Bengal Boulud Sud cauliflower steak. Major breakfast pluses include heritage Not that the sleek interior of this seafood restaurant Indian Cuisine in downtown Miami helps bolster the coun- 255 Biscayne Blvd. Way, 305-421-8800 pork hash, eggs with Miami Smokers bacon, and free park- (named for fishing area 31, stretching from the Carolinas ty’s slim offerings with tasty classics like chicken tikka Those mourning the loss of db Bistro Moderne in downtown ing till 10:00 a.m. (in Lot C). $-$$$ (PRB) to South America) isn’t a glamorous dining setting. But masala, pakora (lentil-based vegetable fritters), and naan Miami now have reason to smile. Renowned chef Daniel we’d eat outside. From the expansive terrace of the bread. Although they warrant their prices, the à la carte Boulud hasn’t given up on South Florida. He’s brought Cantina La Veinte Epic condo and hotel on the Miami River, the views of offerings for dinner can quickly put a dent in your dining down his popular Mediterranean concept Boulud Sud to fill 495 Brickell Ave., 786-623-6135 Brickell’s high-rises actually make Miami look like a real budget. Instead, take advantage of the generous lunch the space. Items like lamb flatbread, grilled octopus, and In a spectacularly stylized indoor/outdoor waterfront city. It’s hard to decide whether the eats or drinks are the buffet that won’t break the bank. $-$$ (MFP) Baharat chicken have replaced the French-focused fare of setting, this first U.S. venture from Mexico’s Cinbersol

68 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 Group serves upscale modern Mexican fare with interna- third location features an extensive menu that has Brickell tional influences transcending Tex-Mex. No ground-beef diners covered from morning to evening. Breakfast is tacos here. Rather, fillings range from cochinita pibil served all day here, so if you want a frittata tostada or (pork in achiote/orange sauce) to grilled bone marrow — matcha pancakes at 3:00 p.m., DIRT can make it happen. even escamoles: butter-sautéed ant eggs. For the less Tasty toasts — including the ever-present avocado variety — adventurous, fried calamari with a Jamaican-inspired and sandwiches abound, but it’s the seasonal platters that hibiscus reduction or dobladitas de jaibas suave, delect- will keep you coming back. $$ (MFP) ibly crunchy softshell crabs wrapped in flour tortillas with creamy/kicky jalapeño sauce, are irresistible. Bonus: Dolores, But You Can Call Me Lolita A specialty market/deli with imported packaged goods, 1000 S. Miami Ave., 305-403-3103 cheeses, pastries, more. $$$ (PRB) From the stylish setting in Miami’s historic Firehouse No. 4, one would expect a mighty pricy meal. But entrées, which Casa Tua Cucina range from Nuevo Latino-style ginger/orange-glazed pork 70 SW 7th St., 305-755-0320 tenderloin to a platter of Kobe mini-burgers, all cost either Casa Tua, the Miami Beach institution, has made its way $18 or $23. And the price includes an appetizer — no low- to the mainland. Unlike the South Beach location, this out- rent crapola, either, but treats like Serrano ham croquetas, post of Casa Tua isn’t an Italian restaurant — it’s an Italian a spinach/leek tart with Portobello mushroom sauce, or food hall. Located inside Saks Fifth Avenue at Brickell City shrimp-topped eggplant timbales. The best seats are on Centre, the first-floor concept is made up of various dedi- the glam rooftop patio. $$$ (PRB) cated stations. Those craving pasta can choose from several delicious white- and red-sauce dishes, while guests in Edge, Steak & Bar the mood for pizza have no shortage of selections. Portions 1435 Brickell Ave., 305-358-3535 are big, so come hungry. $$-$$$ (MFP) Replacing the Four Seasons’ formal fine dining spot Acqua, Edge offers a more kick-back casual welcoming Cipriani vibe. And in its fare there’s a particularly warm welcome 465 Brickell Ave., 786-329-4090 for non-carnivores. Chef-driven seafood items (several Derived, like all Cipriani family restaurants worldwide, inventive and unusually subtle ceviches and tartares; from legendary Harry’s Bar in Venice (a favorite of a layered construction of corvina encrusted in a jewel- Truman Capote, Hemingway, and other famous folks bright green pesto crust, atop red piquillo sauce stripes since 1931), this glamorous indoor/outdoor riverfront and salad; lobster corn soup packed with sweet lobster location in Icon has two absolutely must-not-miss menu meat; more) and a farm-to-table produce emphasis items, both invented at Harry’s and reproduced here to make this one steakhouse where those who don’t eat perfection: beef carpaccio (drizzled artfully with streaks beef have no beef. $$$$-$$$$$ (PRB) of creamy-rich mustard vinaigrette, not mere olive oil) and the Bellini (a cocktail of prosecco, not champagne, Fi’lia and fresh white peach juice). Venetian-style liver and 1300 S. Miami Ave., 305-912-1729 onions could convert even liver-loathers. Finish with Fi’lia (“daughter” in Latin) is the newest edition to elegant vanilla meringue cake. $$$$$ (PRB) James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schwartz’s foodie empire. Here, Italian cuisine is treated with a deli- Clove Mediterranean Kitchen cate twist, as Old World offerings and regionally specific 195 SE 3rd Ave., 786-717-6788 recipes are prepared with exquisite attention to detail. Clove Mediterranean Kitchen whips up affordable and Fi’lia finds a warm home in the ultra sleek and modern healthy fare for the businessperson on the go. Streamlined SLS Brickell, handsomely designed by Philippe Starck. counter service offers a selection of basic building blocks: Touches of teak and twine give this sophisticated dining a base (pita, bowl, or salad), a dip or spread, proteins and experience a rustic touch. Service is thoughtfully choreo- veggies, and toppings and dressings, including smoked graphed to welcome and engage with diners. This being paprika mustard, honey and orange tahini, and creamy a Michael Schwartz restaurant, fresh ingredients are feta. Although the cuisine tends toward the light side paramount; oregano is freshly snipped to season olive of Mediterranean cooking, portion sizes are undeniably oil, and caesar salads are served tableside. Cocktails hearty, making Clove a serious value. With its hip, clean, are sublime, and the kitchen makes no short use of fast-casual appeal and above average cuisine, this is a their brick oven, churning out dishes such as charred welcome addition to the bustling downtown neighborhood, eggplant spread, wild mushroom pizza, and braised where people are hungry for exciting alternatives to the short rib crespelle. With comfort food this hip and fresh, brown bag lunch and leftovers. $-$$ (AM) Fi’lia just June be well on its way to becoming your new favorite date-night haunt. $$$-$$$$$ (AM) Crazy About You 1155 Brickell Bay Dr. #101, 305-377-4442 Fratelli Milano The owners, and budget-friendly formula, are the same 213 SE 1st St., 305-373-2300 here as at older Dolores, But You Can Call Me Lolita: Buy an Downtown isn’t yet a 24/7 urban center, but it’s experi- entrée (all under $20) from a sizable list of Mediterranean, encing a mini explosion of eateries open at night. That Latin, American, or Asian-influenced choices (like Thai- includes this family-owned ristorante, where even new- marinated churrasco with crispy shoestring fries) and get comers feel at home. At lunch it’s almost impossible to an appetizer for free, including substantial stuff like a resist panini, served on foccacia or crunchy ciabatta; Chihuahua cheese casserole with chorizo and pesto. The even the vegetarian version bursts with complex and com- difference: This place, housed in the former location of short- plementary flavors. During weekday dinners, try generous lived La Broche, has an even more upscale ambiance than plates of risotto with shrimp and grilled asparagus; home- Dolores — including a million-dollar water view. $$$ (PRB) made pastas like seafood-packed fettuccine al scoglio; or delicate Vitello alla Milanese on arugula. $$-$$$ (PRB) Crust 668 NW 5th St., 305-371-7065 Garcia’s Seafood Grille and Fish Market Chef-restaurateur Klime Kovaceski is back, and we are oh 398 NW N. River Dr., 305-375-0765 so glad. Not only does his pizza-focused restaurant fill a Run by a fishing family for a couple of generations, this hole in the neighborhood, it offers a cozy space that feels venerable Florida fish shack is the real thing. No worries more like someone’s rustic home. A lot of thought went about the seafood’s freshness; on their way to the dining into their crusts, and it shows — sturdy enough to hold deck overlooking the Miami River, diners can view the retail less traditional ingredients like perfectly cooked octopus fish market. Best preparations are the simplest. When stone and steak, and still doughy on the inside. The medium at crabs are in season, Garcia’s claws are as good as Joe’s but 14 inches and 6 slices is large enough for two, and there considerably cheaper. The local fish sandwich is most popu- will still be leftovers. Delivery available. $$ (MB) lar – grouper, yellowtail snapper, or mahi mahi. $-$$ (PRB) CVI.CHE 105 Hokasan 105 NE 3rd Ave., 305-577-3454 21 SW 11th St. Chinese restaurants are few and far between in Brickell. Fusion food — a modern invention? Not in Peru, where Enter Hokasan, a low-key dim sum spot where dumpling native and Euro-Asian influences have mixed for more lovers have plenty of reasons to rejoice. This Brickell locale than a century. But chef Juan Chipoco gives the cevich- specializes in the doughy bundles of joy, which comprise es and tiraditos served at this hot spot his own unique most of the menu. You know the drill: Fill out the form with spin. Specialties include flash-marinated raw seafood your picks — make sure to throw in some classic pork and creations, such as tiradito a la crema de rocoto (sliced cabbage dumplings — and prepare for some flavorful fare. fish in citrus-spiked chili/cream sauce). But traditional Chilled tapas like yuzu miso mushrooms and okra will help fusion dishes like Chinese-Peruvian Chaufa fried rice round out your appetite. $-$$ (MFP) (packed with jumbo shrimp, mussels, and calamari) are Il Gabbiano also fun, as well as surprisingly affordable. $$ (PRB) 335 S. Biscayne Blvd., 305-373-0063 Its location at the mouth of the Miami River makes this CVLTVRA ultra-upscale Italian spot (especially the outdoor terrace) 1100 Biscayne Blvd., 305-808-3507 the perfect power lunch/business dinner alternative The old STK space at ME Miami now belongs to CVLTVRA, to steakhouses. And the culinary experience goes way an eatery where Latin and European influences collide. beyond the typical meat market, thanks in part to the Leading the kitchen is Sebastian La Rocca, whose inter- flood of freebies that’s a trademark of Manhattan’s Il national résumé makes his food a great fit for this melt- Mulino, originally run by Il Gabbiano’s owners. The rest ing pot of a neighborhood. Expect a long list of tempting of the food? Pricy, but portions are mammoth. And the items like a pan fried king salmon with maple smoked champagne-cream-sauced housemade ravioli with black plantain and miso purée, plus some succulent sticky pork truffles? Worth every penny. $$$$$ (PRB) baby ribs with guava glaze. Utter these five words for dessert: “Dulce de leche panna cotta.” $-$$$ (MFP) Jaguar Sun 230 NE 4th St., 786-860-2422 DIRT Jaguar Sun might seem like a standard lobby bar. It’s not. 900 S. Miami Ave. #125, 786-235-8033 This is a menu that both welcomes and challenges guests. DIRT, South Beach’s popular clean-eating concept, has Pastas like bucatini and rigatoni make up most of the brought its talents to Mary Brickell Village. The restaurant’s large plates here, with smaller plates like ’nduja toast and

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 69 Dining Guide: RESTAURANTS

Parker house rolls rounding out the satisfying food offer- town. That’s not the case at Lost Boy Dry Goods, a former- My Ceviche Pega Grill ings. On the cocktail side, Jaguar Sun juxtaposes familiar clothing-store-turned-bar that offers a generous happy 1250 S. Miami Ave., 305-960-7825 15 E. Flagler St., 305-808-6666 spirits with out-of-the-box selections that will keep you com- hour. Throughout the evening (and well into the night), Lost When three-time James Beard “Rising Star Chef” nomi- From Thanasios Barlos, a Greek native who formerly ing back to not only imbibe but also learn. $-$$ (MFP) Boy’s welcoming staff pours gin and tonics, junglebirds, and nee Sam Gorenstein opened the original My Ceviche owned North Beach’s Ariston, this small spot is more other classic libations at affordable neighborhood prices. in SoBe, in 2012, it garnered national media attention casually contemporary and less ethnic-kitschy in ambi- Katsuya Complementing these drinks is an extensive bar bites menu despite being a tiny take-away joint. Arguably, our newer ance, but serves equally authentic, full-flavored Greek 8 SE 8th St., 305-859-0200 featuring cheese boards, German pretzels, and hefty sand- indoor/outdoor Brickell location is better. Same menu, food. Mixed lamb/beef gyros (chicken is also an option), Fans of Miami Beach’s Katsuya no longer have to cross wiches paired with delicious Zapp’s potato chips. For a quieter featuring local fish prepared onsite, and superb sauces topped with tangy yogurt sauce and wrapped, with greens the bridge to get their sushi fix. Located at the SLS time, come for lunch. $-$$ (MFP) including a kicky roasted jalapeño/lime Juneo), but and tomatoes, in fat warm pita bread, are specialties. But Lux in Brickell, this latest branch of the popular Asian this time with seats! What to eat? Ceviches, natch. But even more irresistible is the taramasalata (particularly vel- restaurant features many of its sister location’s favor- Luke’s Lobster grilled or raw fish/seafood tacos and burritos, in fresh vety and light carp roe dip), available alone or on an olive/ ites, along with new soon-to-be favorites like A5 fried Brickell City Centre, 701 S. Miami Ave., #353, tortillas, might be even more tempting. Pristine stone- pita-garnished mixed meze platter. $$ (PRB) rice with wagyu beef and tea-smoked duck confit leeks. 786-837-7683 crab claws from co-owner Roger Duarte’s George Stone Although the design of this Brickell beauty may be mini- Lobster rolls are tiny, sometimes overpriced slices of Crab add to the choices. $$ (PRB) Pez malist, the food is not — it speaks volumes, and you’ll luxury, especially when portions run about as small as 20 W. Flagler St., 305-570-3440 want definitely want to listen. $$$-$$$$ (MFP) your average New York City apartment. This is not the N by Naoe “Baja-Med” cuisine has found a home in downtown case at Luke’s Lobster, the venerable New England 661 Brickell Key Dr., 305-947-6263 Miami. At Pez, customers will find a delightful fusion of Komodo fast-casual chain championing traceable, sustainable Like local secret-star chef Kevin Cory’s dinner-only Naoe, Mexican and Mediterranean flavors. The menu skews 801 Brickell Ave., 305-534-2211 seafood. Luke’s understands the key to its destination newer lunch-only N by Naoe shares a reservations-only, toward seafood: wahoo, sea urchin, octopus, and cor- Accommodating a whopping 300 seats, this contempo- status involves copious amounts of fresh lobster (1/4 omakase-only (chef’s choice) policy— and actually shares vina are among the many proteins found throughout the rary three-floor behemoth blurs the line between restau- pound, to be exact) as well as a healthy dose of disarm- the same door. Turn left for Naoe, right for N. Main dif- restaurant’s extensive offerings. Don’t let intimidating rant and lounge. An indoor/outdoor layout festooned ing simplicity. True to its simple charm, Luke’s Lobster is ferences: N has one elegant communal table, perfect for names like tlayuda and tuetano scare you, as curious with floating bird-nest pods creates a treehouse ambi- about as cheap and cheerful as seafood gets. All of the impressive power lunches (vs. Naoe’s intimate individual diners will be rewarded with satisfying bites. Just make ance enhanced only by Southeast Asian fusion of tuna rolls — lobster, crab, and shrimp — are delicious, but it’s seating), and prix fixe lunches are $80 vs. $200 for sure to order the Tijuanero taco; the mix of grilled octo- porterhouse, lobster onion rings, skewers of miso black the signature buttery lobster roll with its split top bun and dinner. Admittedly, lunch is abbreviated: soup and multi- pus, carne asada, and shrimp is divine. $-$$$ (MFP) cod, and wasabi shrimp. $$$$$ (MB) mysterious seasoning that is an absolute must-try for the course bento box plus one dessert, without the dozen uninitiated. Considering its limited seating, it’s safe to say or so sushi dishes. But bentos are much bigger (seven Pieducks La Centrale this playfully rustic yet diminutive eatery gets hit hard dur- compartments vs. four), and equally unique. Think of N 1451 S. Miami Ave., 305-808-7888 601 S. Miami Ave. ing peak lunch rush at Brickell City Centre. $$ (AM) as a relatively bargain-priced introduction to Naoe, or as a If you can overlook a name as unenlightening as most There’s no such thing as too much Italian food at La revelatory dining experience on its own. $$$$$ (PRB) in-jokes (it evidently refers to a favorite character of Centrale, the three-floor Brickell City Centre dining hall. Lutong Pinoy Filipino Cuisine owner Claudio Nunes’s kids — we assume the Pokemon Each floor houses a variety of themed concepts: Meat 195 SE 3rd Ave., 786-717-6788 Naoe Psyduck), you’ll experience pretty perfect pizza. Sadly, and seafood lovers should head to the second floor, For the adventurous epicurean of Asian persuasion, 661 Brickell Key Dr., 305-947-6263 not all brick ovens turn out perfectly char-blistered where Pesce and Carne, respectively, will hit the spot, Lutong Pinoy offers a deep dive into authentic Filipino Chances are you’ve never had anything like the $200 crusts, crisp outside and airy/chewy inside, but that’s while pizza fans can find satiety at Pizza e Pasta on the cuisine, an otherwise unmapped territory to a great prix-fixe Japanese dinner at Kevin Cory’s tiny but inter- what you’ll consistently find here and a newer take-out/ first floor. In a hurry? Head to the Mercato for grab-and- majority of South Florida’s bon vivants. Influenced by nationally acclaimed oasis, but trust us: It’s one of those delivery-only Midtown branch. And unlike many artisan go bites or to do a little ingredient shopping for a hearty Malay-Indonesian, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, rare, exhilarating, instantly revelatory Eureka! dining pizzerias, Pieducks doesn’t get cheesy with cheese meal at home. $-$$$$ (MFP) and American cuisines, Lutong Pinoy crafts plates show- adventures that’ll keep you thinking about it for years. quantity (though we like that extra cheese is an option). casing ingredients indigenous to the Philippines, and The reservations-only, omakase-only (chef’s choice) Elaborate salads complete the menu. $$ (PRB) La Loggia Ristorante and Lounge offers an extensive menu touching upon a full spectrum meals begin with a subtly inventive seasonal soup true 68 W. Flagler St., 305-373-4800 of exotic flavors. Some of the highlights at this diminu- to both Japanese tastes and local terroir (like miso/fresh Pilo’s Street Tacos This luxuriantly neo-classical yet warm Italian restaurant tive hole-in-the-wall include the boneless lechón belly Homestead corn) and a four-course bento box of the 28 SW 11th St., 305-800-8226 was unquestionably a pioneer in revitalizing downtown. (roasted pig), kare-kare kawali (Asian vegetables cooked chef’s creations, proceed to about a dozen sushi dishes Three words describe Pilo’s Street Tacos in Brickell: With alternatives like amaretto-tinged pumpkin agnolloti in peanut sauce), and the Sinigang na Hipon (shrimp eons above others in Miami, and end with three desserts. good, fast, and filling. The area already has its fair share in sage butter sauce and cilantro-spiced white bean/ in sour broth). For many, however, the main event is Always changing, always astonishing. $$$$$ (PRB) of taco shops, and Pilo’s is among the pricier offerings, vegetable salad dressed with truffle oil, proprietors the halo-halo, a popular Filipino dessert made with but that’s because of the quality — and quantity. These Jennifer Porciello and Horatio Oliveira continue to draw shaved ice and evaporated milk, topped with a mélange NIU Kitchen tacos are filled to the brim with proteins like “drunken a lunch crowd that returns for dinner, or perhaps just of ingredients, including sweet red and white beans, 134 NE 2nd Ave., 786-542-5070 shrimp,” brisket strips, and crispy chorizo. Don’t miss stays on through the afternoon, fueled by the Lawyer’s bananas, coconut, sweet potato, coco jellies, leche flan, This contemporary Catalan eatery is located, according out on the salsas: There are ten different ones from Liquid Lunch, a vodka martini spiked with sweetened and milk. The boodle fight platter is piled high with an to its three playful proprietors, “somewhere between which to choose, and they range from sweet to spicy to espresso. $$$ (PRB) assortment of meat, rice, and vegetables on a bed of Dali’s moustache and Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia.” “Somebody call a fire truck.” $-$$ (MFP) banana leaves. First conceived in the mess halls of the Actually, it’s in the heart of downtown, but the descrip- La Mar by Gastón Acurio Filipino military, the boodle fight platter encourages tion does reflect the Barcelona-born chef’s weirdly won- Pincho Factory 500 Brickell Key Dr., 305-913-8358 eating with your hands. When checking in, remember to derful yet seriously skilled twists on tapas. Instead of 1250 S. Miami Ave., 786-536-4557 It’s said that Peruvian cuisine is Latin America’s most keep your mind and stomach wide open. $-$$ (AM) Catalonia’s rustic, bread-thickened tomato soup, there’s What started as a humble burger and kebab shop in varied and sophisticated. Reserve a patio table at this a refined cold tomato broth poured over a mustard Westchester turned into one of South Florida’s biggest indoor/outdoor Mandarin Oriental eatery to experience Marion ice cream-topped crouton. Mato, a simple cheese and restaurant success stories. Pincho Factory has quickly Miami’s best for yourself — along with some of the city’s 1111 SW 1st Ave., 786-717-7512 honey dessert, translates as custardy fresh cheese atop expanded throughout Dade and Broward, and the new best bayfront vistas. The specialty is seafood, and the Third time’s the charm for this behemoth space that works eggplant “jam,” with candied hazelnuts. $$$ (PRB) Brickell location continues its tradition of mad-scientist beautifully balanced recipes of Acurio (called Peru’s best when broken up into different offerings. In this case, creations. Case in point: the Toston Burger, which uses food ambassador to the world), executed flawlessly by this rose-colored Mediterranean palace by the guys behind North Italia fried plantain patties for buns. While there are healthier onsite executive chef Diego Oka, especially elevate cevi- Bâoli Miami is a café, restaurant, bakery, and oyster bar 900 S. Miami Ave, #111, 786-475-9100 options like the kebabs (pinchos in Spanish), being ches, similar but more delicate tiraditos, uniquely lively all at once. Save space for French classics like whole rotis- The former Oceanaire location at Mary Brickell Village has adventurous pays off — especially when it comes to the “Nikkei” (Peruvian-Japanese fusion) sushi creations, and serie organic chicken (large enough for two) and whole fish been taken over by North Italia, replacing seafood with modern mouthwatering chalkboard specials. Just save room for elegant whipped potato/fresh seafood causas, to world- baked in Normandy sea salt and filleted tableside. Other Italian cuisine. You’ll find all the usual suspects here, such as Pincho’s sweet potato tots and apple butter.$-$$ (MFP) class fine-dining level. $$$$-$$$$$ (PRB) (smaller) standouts include piquillo peppers, tuna belly rib- pizzas and pastas alongside classics like chicken parmesan. bons, and of course, dessert. $$$$$ (MB) The first thing you’ll notice, though, is the size of the venue; the Poké 305 La Sandwicherie restaurant can seat over 300 people. The space makes quite 169 SE 7th St., 305-563-3811 34 SW 8th St., 305-374-9852 Meraki Greek Bistro the first impression — and so do the strozzapreti and burrata Hawaiian poké is currently enjoying a nice long moment This second location of the open-air diner that is South 142 SE 1st Ave., 786-773-1535 tortelloni. Don’t forget to order the tiramisu. $-$$$ (MFP) in the sun, and if you’re even the slightest bit excited Beach’s favorite après-club eatery (since 1988) closes Tucked away in an unassuming and quaint nook of down- by the thought of sushi, it’s easy to understand why. earlier (midnight Sunday-Thursday, 5:00 a.m. Friday and town Miami, Meraki Greek Bistro is a pleasant surprise for Novecento This exotic raw fish dish is front and center at Poké Saturday), but the smoothies, salads, and superb Parisian anyone hunting for an urban hideaway. With a pride that is 1414 Brickell Ave., 305-403-0900 305: seven exotic signature dishes and a trendy build- sandwiches are the same: ultra-crusty baguette stuffed palpable, this bright little bistro boasts friendly service and For those who think “Argentine cuisine” is a synonym for your-own-bowl option, served fast-casual style amid a with evocative charcuterie and cheeses (saucisson sec, delicious Mediterranean medium to large plates. Sample “beef and more beef,” this popular eatery’s wide range of spartan smattering of industrial décor. The signature country pâté, camembert, etc.) and choice of salad veg- Mediterranean fare à la carte from Meraki’s souvlaki more cosmopolitan contemporary Argentine fare will be “Big Mao” Alaka’i bowl — salmon, tuna, and crab salad gies plus salty/tart cornichons and Sandwicherie’s incom- (skewer) bar, or share a poikilies (family meal). Specials a revelation. Classic parrilla-grilled steaks are here for drizzled with wasabi aioli — is the biggest and baddest parable Dijon mustard vinaigrette. Additionally the larger are also served daily, further expounding upon all of the traditionalists, but the menu is dominated by creative bowl of the bunch, but all the dishes are equally adept branch has an interior, with a kitchen enabling hot foods wonderfully slow-cooked options on the menu. Meraki Nuevo Latino items like a new-style ceviche de chernia at satisfying a raw fish craving. Word of advice: skip the (quiches and croques), plus A/C. $-$$ (PRB) Greek Bistro offers everything you’d hope for in casual (lightly lime-marinated grouper with jalapeños, basil, overpriced drinks. $$ (AM) dining at a reasonable price. When it comes to Greek, the and the refreshing sweet counterpoint of watermelon), La Petite Maison proof is in baklava — and these guys nail it. $-$$ (AM) or crab ravioli with creamy saffron sauce. Especially Quinto La Huella 1300 Brickell Bay Dr., 305-403-9133 notable are the entrée salads. $$-$$$ (PRB) 788 Brickell Plaza, 786-805-4646 On any given night, you’re sure to find a lively crowd at Mirabelle Uruguayan beef is in a class of its own, but it requires La Petite Maison. The internationally acclaimed French 114 SE 1st St., 786-440-6561 Novikov serious skill and the right tools to prepare it the way and Mediterranean restaurant has unsurprisingly gar- Plane tickets to France can get expensive. If you’re on 300 S. Biscayne Blvd., 305-489-1000 Uruguayan parrilleros do. Located within the hulking nered a loyal following since its opening. Don’t expect a budget, get whisked away to Europe at Mirabelle. The When we first heard of Novikov, we thought the upscale steeled Brickell City Centre, Quinto La Huella brings a out-of-the-box creations here: La Petite Maison focuses downtown Miami French eatery features sweet and downtown Miami restaurant was all about Russian dark, moody ambiance and the prestige of one of South on getting the classics right. Items like the tuna carpac- savory staples like chocolate mousse, almond crois- food. We were wrong. Although the restaurant gets its America’s best restaurants, Parador La Huella, to the cio, grilled veal chop, roasted baby chicken, and rack sants, croque monsieur, and more. It’s a place that name from Russian restaurateur Arkadiy Novikov, the complex. The centerpiece of this rustic eatery is an of lamb may sound simple on paper, but once they hit works for a quick workday lunch or a nice, romantic din- menu is composed of Chinese and Japanese favorites. authentic wood fire parrilla, an essential component your palate, you’ll realize what all the fuss is about. $$$- ner. Feeling extra fancy? Splurge on a wine and choco- Everything is shareable, and most patrons should find to grilling meat like a true gaucho. It should come as $$$$ (MFP) late tasting at the bar, where you’ll find a wide range of satiety with two to three dishes each. If you only order no surprise then that the beef — ordered medium rare, ports, dessert wines, and other grapes. $-$$ (MFP) two dishes, the rainbow naruto roll and duck salad are of course — is the main attraction here. Other options Latin Café 2000 must-tries — especially the latter, with its deliciously represent typical steakhouse fare, with some standout 1053 Brickell Plaza, 305-646-1400 Momi Ramen crispy skin. $$-$$$ (MFP) wood-fired seafood entrées and pastas that deserve a try. In a sea of upscale restaurants, Latin Café 2000 is a 5 SW 11th St., 786-391-2392 Snag a seat outdoors during the more temperate Miami breath of fresh air in Brickell. The Cuban café stands out Banish all thoughts of packaged instant “ramen.” Obra Kitchen Table months; otherwise, opt to sit near the heart of the con- for all the right reasons: low prices, big plates, and famil- Perfectionist chef/owner Jeffrey Chen (who cooked 1331 Brickell Bay Dr., 305-846-9363 trols: the parrilla. Bring a liberal side of patience with you iar fare. Steak sandwiches, fried pork chunks, and other for more than a decade in Japan), changes his mostly Latin restaurants are a dime a dozen, but few challenge while dining room service sorts itself out. $$$$ (AM) Cuban classics are all available here along with a full ramen-only menu often, but constants are irresistibly your palate like Obra Kitchen Table. At this Brickell bar. Unlike its other locations with old-timey decor, this chewy handmade noodles; soups based on creamy, hotspot inside the Jade, chef Carlos Garcia and his Raja’s Indian Cuisine Brickell outpost is full of modern flourishes that make the intensely porky tonkotsu broth (made from marrow team craft an assortment of Venezuelan delights that 33 NE 2nd Ave., 305-539-9551 place pop. One thing hasn’t changed, though: the sight- bones simmered all day); meats like pork belly and also incorporate global influences. The result: unique Despite its small size and décor best described as for-sore-eyes ventanita serving Cuban coffee. $-$$ (MFP) oxtail; and authentic toppings including marinated soft- bites like grouper confit with fried arepa, yuca and “none,” this place is an institution thanks to south Indian cooked eggs, pickled greens, more. Other pluses: It’s bacon millefeuille, and octopus bucatini carbonara specialties rarely found in Miami’s basically north Indian Lost Boy Dry Goods open 24/7, and the ramen ranks with the USA’s best. unlike anything you’ve tasted. Sit at the 25-seat bar restaurants. The steam-tabled curries are fine (and nice- 157 E. Flagler St., 305-372-7303 Minuses: It’s cash only, and the ramen might be the for a more intimate dining experience, where you’ll see ly priced), but be sure to try the custom-made dosai (lacy After 6:00 p.m., downtown Miami tends to be a ghost USA’s most expensive. $$$ (PRB) these creations come to life. $$-$$$ (MFP) rice crepes with a variety of savory fillings) and uttapam,

70 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 Dining Guide: RESTAURANTS thicker pancakes, layered with onions and chilis, both sibling, Tacology embraces a bright color palette and vibrant served with sambar and chutney. $$ (PRB) décor that is undeniably enticing — a description that also applies to the cuisine. As the name suggests, delicious tacos Raw Juce abound on the menu, but they shouldn’t be the only items 901 S. Miami Ave., 305-677-3160 you order: The Mexican nachos and crispy pork skin are Brickell’s Raw Juce is making healthy living easy with a other standout dishes that should be on every diner’s mind colorful array of cold-pressed “juce.” Fruit-forward and at this Brickell City Centre restaurant. $$-$$$ (MFP) vegetable-forward creations not only refresh but also give customers a quick vitamin boost. Despite the name, Toro Toro Raw Juce isn’t just about juices: acai bowls, oatmeal 100 Chopin Plaza, 305-372-4710 parfaits, and salads are available to get patrons ready Back before Miami’s business district had any “there” for their workout or help them recover from a grueling there, the InterContinental’s original restaurant was an one. For those of you in need of a serious detox, Raw executive lunch/dinner destination mainly by default. This Juce’s cleanse packages have you covered. $-$$ (MFP) replacement, from restaurant empire-builder Richard Sandoval, brings downtown power dining into this The River Oyster Bar decade. As the name suggests, you can go bullish with 650 S. Miami Ave., 305-530-1915 steakhouse fare, including an abbreviated (in variety, not This casually cool jewel is a full-service seafood spot, as quantity) “rodizio experience.” But the place’s strongest evidenced by tempting menu selections like soft-shell suit is its pan-Latin small plates — upscaled refinements crabs with grilled vegetables, corn relish, and remoulade. of classic favorites: crisp corn arepas with short rib, gua- There are even a few dishes to please meat-and-potatoes camole, and crema fresca; fluffier cachapas pancakes diners, like short ribs with macaroni and cheese. But oyster with tomato jam; more. $$$-$$$$$ (PRB) fans will find it difficult to resist stuffing themselves silly on the unusually large selection, especially since oysters are Toscana Divino served both raw and cooked – fire-roasted with sofrito but- 900 S. Miami Ave., 305-571-2767 ter, chorizo, and manchego. There’s also a thoughtful wine When an upscale restaurant remains perennially packed list and numerous artisan beers on tap. $$$ (PRB) during a recession, you figure they’re offering something way beyond the usual generic Italian fare. While familiar Seaspice Brasserie & Lounge favorites (Caprese salad, etc.) are available, the chang- 422 NW N. River Dr., 305-440-4200 ing menu is highlighted by harder-to-find Tuscan special- Unlike older Miami River market/restaurants like Garcia’s, ties, albeit luxe versions: pappa al pomodoro, tomato/ run by fishing families, this stylishly retro/modern-industrial bread peasant soup elevated by an organic poached converted warehouse (once Howard Hughes’s plane han- egg and finocchiona (a regional fennel salami); an gar) has an owner who ran South Beach’s hottest 1990s authentic-tasting “fiorentina” porterhouse, with smoked nightspots, so expect celebrity sightings with your seafood. potato purée plus more traditional veggies. A budget- What’s unexpected: a blessedly untrendy menu, with conscious boon: changing three-course lunches and simply but skillfully prepared wood-oven-cooked fish and early-bird dinners. $$$-$$$$$ (PRB) clay-pot, shellfish casseroles. Standouts include luxuriant lobster thermador, as rich as it is pricey. $$$-$$$$$ (PRB) Truluck’s Seafood, Steak, and Crabhouse 777 Brickell Ave., 305-579-0035 Sokai Sushi Bar Compared to other restaurants with such an upscale 350 S. Miami Ave., Unit #CU-B, 786-667-3061 power-lunch/dinner setting, most prices are quite afford- When it comes to Peruvian-Japanese fusion, Sokai Sushi able here, especially if you stick to the Miami Spice-priced Bar pulls out all the stops. This Brickell outpost is the date-dinner menu, or happy hour, when seafood items brand’s fourth location, and it features many of the same like crab-cake “sliders” are half price. Most impressive, delicious bites that fans have come to know and love. That though, are seasonal stone crabs (from Truluck’s own includes delightful pork belly buns, tuna pizza (it tastes fisheries, and way less expensive than Joe’s) and other better than it sounds), and a bevy of signature sushi. Don’t seafood that, during several visits, never tasted less than sleep on the Asia roll: The salmon, cream cheese, and truf- impeccably fresh, plus that greatest of Miami restaurant fle oil creation is packed to the brim with flavor. $-$$ (MFP) rarities: informed and gracious service. $$$-$$$$ (PRB) Soya & Pomodoro Verde Restaurant & Bar 120 NE 1st St., 305-381-9511 1103 Biscayne Blvd., 305-375-8282 Life is complicated. Food should be simple. That’s owner Located in the Pérez Art Museum Miami, this indoor/ Armando Alfano’s philosophy, which is stated above the outdoor bayfront bistro, a project of restaurateur entry to his atmospheric downtown eatery. And since Stephen Starr, serves elegant, eco-friendly fare to match it’s also the formula for the truest traditional Italian food PAMM’s green certification. (Museum admission not (Alfano hails from Pompeii), it’s fitting that the menu is required.) Seafood crudos shine: hamachi “sashimi” dominated by authentically straightforward yet sophisti- slices flash-marinated in a subtle citrus/ponzu emul- cated Italian entrées. There are salads and sandwiches, sion and enlivened by jalapeño relish; a sprout-topped, too. The most enjoyable place to dine is the secret, open- smoothly sauced tuna tartare with lemon and horserad- air courtyard. Alfano serves dinner on Thursdays only to ish flavors substituting for clichéd sesame. Light pizzas accompany local musicians and artists. $-$$ (PRB) topped with near paper-thin zucchini slices, goat cheese, roasted garlic EVOO, and squash blossoms virtually Sparky’s Roadside Barbecue define farm-to-table. And doughnuts with Cuban coffee 204 NE 1st St., 305-377-2877 dip are the definitively local dessert. $$-$$$ (PRB) This cowboy-cute eatery’s chefs/owners (one CIA-trained, both BBQ fanatics nicknamed Sparky) eschew regional Whole Foods Market purism, instead utilizing a hickory/apple-wood-stoked 299 SE 3rd Ave., 305-995-0600 rotisserie smoker to turn out their personalized style of From the minute you walk through its doors or pull into a slow-cooked, complexly dry-rub fusion: ribs, chopped pork, spot in the underground garage, you’ll notice this Whole brisket, and chicken. Diners can customize their orders Foods is a bit different. Not only have local artists outfit- with mix-and-match housemade sauces: sweet/tangy ted its walls in graffiti art, but also half of the store is tomato-based, Carolinas-inspired vinegar/mustard, pan- dedicated to grab-and-go food and an ample and comfort- Asian hoisin with lemongrass and ginger, tropical guava/ able seating area, including casual counters and tables. habanero. Authenticity aside, the quality of the food is as Grab a coffee for energy at MET café, because you June good as much higher-priced barbecue outfits. $-$$ (PRB) be there awhile. Options include items from Jugofresh, Zak the Baker, and pre-made desserts by Versailles res- Stanzione 87 taurant. There’s also La Churrasqueira, Sushi Maki, Pizza 87 SW 8th St., 305-606-7370 Bar, and a soup bar featuring 20 soups like stone crab Though Neopolitan-style pizza isn’t the rarity it was and chicken corn chowder. Parking is free for one hour here a decade ago, this is Miami’s only pizzeria certi- with the purchase of an item. $-$$ (MB) fied authentic by Italy’s Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. This means following stringent rules Wolfgang’s Steakhouse regarding oven (wood-fired), baking time (90 seconds 315 S. Biscayne Blvd., 305-487-7130 maximum, here closer to 50), tomatoes (imported San Proprietor Wolfgang Zweiner worked for decades at Marzano), olive oil (extra-virgin), even flour (tipo 00, for Brooklyn’s legendary Peter Luger’s before opening the bubbly-light crusts). Toppings do exceed the three origi- first of his own much-praised, old-school steakhouses nal choices served in 19th-century Naples, but pies like in 2003, which explains the quality of the USDA prime- the Limone (fresh mozzarella, pecorino, lemons, arugula, grade steaks here — dry-aged on premises for bold, EVOO) prove some rules should be broken. $$ (PRB) beefy flavor and tender but toothsome texture. Prices are prodigious but so are portions. The 32-ounce por- Station 28 terhouse for two easily feeds three or four folks curious 91 SE 2nd St., 305-905-0328 to taste the difference. Plentiful sides include a bacon A little paradise in the heart of downtown Miami, com- starter favored by those who love Canadian bacon over plete with hidden patio, lush greenery, long communal pork belly. Personally, just the simple, superb steaks tables, tropical juices like papaya and lucuma, and leave us happy as clams. $$$$$ (PRB) extra large Peruvian sandwiches and burgers. This oasis offers a more casual taste of the cuisine, the comfort Zest foods that will remind you of home, no matter where you 200 Biscayne Blvd., 305-374-9378 come from. Their $10 daily special includes your choice Cindy Hutson finally has a home in the neighborhood with of a sandwich or burger with fries, salad or soup, and her “cuisine of the sun.” If you can manage to order the dessert. Delivery available. $ (MB) entire menu, from cast-iron charred calamari to 50/50 meatballs and conch scampi, do it. You won’t be disap- Tacology pointed in food that is so perfectly matches the city’s 701 S. Miami Ave., 786-347-5368 weather and overall culture. The décor also screams Tacology, the latest concept from Cantina La Veinte’s execu- Miami, in lively lime green, orange, and neutrals with tive chef Santiago Gomez, is a more approachable and pops of blue in between. Don’t forget the tropical drink. affordable ode to Mexican food. Unlike its dimly lit upscale $$-$$$$ (MB)

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 71 Dining Guide: RESTAURANTS

Zuma restaurant has one big advantage: flexibility. Guests who GLAM Vegan 270 Biscayne Blvd. Way, 305-577-0277 Buena Vista Deli make their own bowl have a laundry list of ingredients 3301 NE 1st Ave. #103-1, 786-864-0590 This Miami River restolounge has a London parent on 4590 NE 2nd Ave., 305-576-3945 available, including over one dozen mix-ins and an array Whether you’re a full-fledged vegan or just experiment- If there’s one word to describe your experience at San Pellegrino’s list of the world’s best restaurants, and Buena Vista Deli, it’s relaxing. There’s something so of sauces like creamy miso and wasabi aioli. Signature ing with plant-based fare, GLAM Vegan serves up a similar menu of world-class, Izakaya-style smallish pleasant about the charming French café and its satisfy- selections like the Citrus Shrimp take the guesswork out enough unique culinary twists to keep you coming back. plates (robata-grilled items, sushi, much more) meant ing selections, of which there are many. BVD serves of ordering, but we suggest you let your creativity run wild. The Midtown Miami establishment takes what you know for sharing over drinks. Suffice to say that it would take breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, so expect to see $$ (MFP) about “green eating” and turns it on its head with dish- Junebe a dozen visits to work your way through the volu- everything from fluffy croissants and hearty sandwiches es like jackfruit tacos and spaghetti and meatless balls, minous menu, which offers ample temptations for veg- to sizeable steaks and homemade lasagnas. Because Dr. Smood both of which look, taste, and feel like they contain etarians as well as carnivores. Our favorite is the melt-in- there’s so much to try, you’ll have to keep coming back. 2230 NW 2nd Ave. 786-334-4420 meat. Thirsty? Choose from a selection of vegan-friendly your-mouth pork belly with yuzu/mustard miso dip, but And you certainly will — especially for the weekend din- Its large windows and corner location will draw you in, but wines and beers or treat yourself to the Palm Springs even the exquisitely-garnished tofu rocks. $$$$ (PRB) ner offerings. $-$$ (MFP) the comfortable and expansive minimalist interior with Date Shake. $-$$ (MFP) Bunbury Carrera marble, walnut wood, and hotel-like seating will Zuuk Mediterranean Kitchen 2200 NE 2nd Ave., 305-333-6929 keep you. While their motto is “smart food for a good Harry’s Pizzeria 1250 S. Miami Ave. #105, 305-200-3145 Bunbury has an easy charm that is hard to deny and mood” in the form of mylks, smoody’s, and organic live 3918 N. Miami Ave., 786-275-4963 Middle Eastern cuisine receives the fast-casual treatment even harder to fake. The eclectic décor and quirky yet juices, the menu also includes coffee, soups, salads, In this humble space (formerly Pizza Volante) are many at this build-your-own-meal concept focused on serving cozy ambiance, earmarks of many new eateries, comes sandwiches, spreads like cacao mushroom tahini and key components from Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink quality salads, pita wraps, and customizable rice and grain off as unpretentiously artful. The fact that the restaurant seasonal berry jam, and non-traditional desserts with flax, two blocks east — local/sustainable produce and artisan bowls. It’s refreshing that executive chefs Sam Gorenstein is located in a converted tire shop and features ample almond meal, and coconut butter. Most of the items can products; wood-oven cooking; homemade everything and Danny Ganem deliberately chose to eschew fried outdoor seating makes the dining experience even be grabbed to-go, but expect to wait in line. $-$$ (MB) (including the ketchup accompanying crisp-outside, foods; all of Zuuk’s offerings sit pretty on the “fresh, fast, more fun. But atmosphere would mean zilch if the food custardy-inside polenta fries, a circa 1995 Michael and light” side of dining. Star-making dishes include didn’t pass muster. Thankfully, Bunbury’s affordable The Daily Creative Food Co. Schwartz signature snack from Nemo). Beautifully a delicious spiced lamb kefte, slow roasted beef, and Argentinian-American cuisine is fantastic. Count on a 2001 Biscayne Blvd., 305-573-4535 blistered, ultra-thin-crusted pizzas range from classic baked falafel, replete with regional Mediterranean sauces, good selection of cheeses, cured meats, appetizers, well- While the food formula of this contemporary café is Margheritas to pies with house-smoked bacon, trugole spreads, and other flavorful toppings that add character to portioned seasonal entreés, an extensive wine list culled familiar – sandwiches, salads, soups, breakfast food, (a subtly flavorful — fruity, not funky — Alpine cheese), your meal. Table service is practically nonexistent, but the mostly from Argentina (naturally), and some incredible and pastries, plus coffee and fruit drinks – a creative and other unique toppings. Rounding things out: simple financier with 15 minutes to spare will appreciate the fact house-made empanadas. If you’re dining during the cool- concept differentiates the place. Signature sandwiches but ingenious salads, ultimate zeppoles, and Florida that counter service is about as brisk and pleasant as a er months, definitely grab a seat outdoors. $$$ (AM) are named after national and local newspapers, includ- craft beers. $$ (PRB) cool Mediterranean sea breeze. $-$$ (AM) ing Biscayne Times, giving diners something to chat The Butcher Shop Beer Garden & Grill about. Sandwiches and salads can also be do-it-yourself Joey’s Italian Café 165 NW 23rd St., 305-846-9120 projects, with an unusually wide choice of main ingre- 2506 NW 2nd Ave., 305-438-0488 Midtown / Wynwood / Design District Unbelievable but true: At the heart of this festive, budget- dients, garnishes, breads, and condiments for the cre- The first new restaurant in the Wynwood Café District, friendly beer-garden restaurant is an old-school gourmet atively minded. $ (PRB) this stylish indoor/outdoor Italian hangout is as casually 3 Chefs Chinese Restaurant butcher shop, where sausages from classic (brats, chorizo) cool as one would hope — and as affordable. There’s 1800 Biscayne Blvd. #105, 305-373-2688 to creative (lamb and feta) are house-made, and all beef Eat Greek a five-buck half-serving of spaghetti al pomodoro and Until this eatery opened in late 2010, the solid Chinese res- is certified USDA prime — rarely found at even fancy steak- 3530 Biscayne Blvd., 305-456-2799 respectable vino for under $30. And few can resist taurants in this neighborhood could be counted on the fin- houses. Take your selections home to cook, or better yet, Sometimes, you’re in a hurry and can’t enjoy a sit-down delicately thin, crunchy-crusted pizzas like the creative gers of no hands. So it’s not surprising that most people con- eat them here, accompanied by intriguing Old/New World meal. Other times, all you want is to sit down, relax, and Dolce e Piccante or orgasmic Carbonara. Pastas are centrate on Chinese and Chinese/American fare. The real sauces, garnishes (like bleu cheese fritters), sides, and enjoy some good grub. Eat Greek is perfect for either situ- fresh; produce is largely local; the mosaic-centered surprise is the remarkably tasty, budget-priced, Vietnamese starters. Desserts include a bacon sundae. Beer? Try an ation. Here, those in a rush can pick up a lamb gyro pita décor is minimalist but inviting. And no need to be wary fare. Try pho, 12 varieties of full-flavored beef/rice noodle organic brew, custom-crafted for the eatery. $$-$$$ (PRB) wrap or falafel platter for the road. Or if you have the time, of the warehouse district at night: Valet parking is free. soup (including our favorite, with well-done flank steak and grab a seat and indulge in pork chops, grilled salmon, and $$-$$$ (PRB) flash-cooked eye round). All can be customized with sprouts C Si Bon other large plates. There’s no wrong decision here. $-$$ and fresh herbs. Also impressive: Noodle combination plates 350 NE 24th St., 786-615-4820 (MFP) Kaido with sautéed meats, salad, and spring rolls. $$ (PRB) On the ground floor of an Edgewater condo, you’ll find one 151 NE 41 St., Unit 217, 786-409-5591 of Miami’s best-kept secrets: C Si Bon. The French restau- Ella James Beard-nominated chef Brad Kilgore has another Amara at Paraiso rant’s concise menu wastes no time making guests salivate 140 NE 39th St., 786-534-8177 hit on his hands with Kaido, his beautiful Design District 3101 NE 7th Ave., 305-702-5528 over classics like French onion soup, croque madame, and Located off of the Design District’s upscale Palm Court, cocktail lounge. While Kaido is touted as a drinking den, Edgewater isn’t usually a neighborhood that comes up in mussels and frites. If the weather is nice, take advantage this sun-filled, airy café with pops of sea foam and its cocktails and food get an equal share of the limelight. discussions of Miami’s food scene. Amara at Paraiso could of the outdoor dining space — especially during brunch. C Si blonde maple, is Michael Schwartz’s newest eatery, The Alter chef’s offerings include small plates such as blue change that soon, however. This Latin America-inspired Bon’s salmon eggs Benedict, a mimosa, and clear skies are inspired by his daughter, Ella. A breakfast and lunch crab rangoon, a curry cobia summer roll, and lemongrass concept from chef Michael Schwartz overlooks Biscayne all you need for a tasty close to the weekend. $$-$$$ (MFP) spot, it focuses on simplicity with perfectly honed sand- duck sausage. Feel like splurging? An A5 wagyu katsu Bay, providing guests with a beautiful backdrop for an wiches, salads, and pastries. Offering only eight seats sandwich can be yours for $125. Pair it with a sakura- equally alluring menu. The stars of the show are the res- Carrot Express Midtown indoors, the majority of the seating is outdoors under infused negroni, and you’re golden. $$-$$$$$ (MFP) taurant’s wood grill and Josper oven that turn out an array 3252 Buena Vista Blvd. #108, 786-312-1424 large café umbrellas providing an excellent view of the of items like grilled lamb ribs, beef short rib, and hefty In the past few years, healthy fast-casual concepts have courtyard. $$-$$$ (MB) Kush meat and seafood platters. The view alone is worth a visit. become a dime a dozen in Miami. Predating many of 2003 N. Miami Ave., 305-576-4500 $$-$$$ (MFP) them is Carrot Express, a Miami Beach staple that’s Enriqueta’s Sandwich Shop From the folks behind the popular Coral Gables arti- been serving up lean and green offerings for roughly half 186 NE 29th St., 305-573-4681 sanal beer pub LoKal — voted a “Most Green Restaurant Alter a decade. The latest Carrot Express outpost in Midtown This Cuban breakfast/lunch old-timer actually serves in Florida” by the Nature Conservancy — Kush pushes 223 NW 23rd St., 305-573-5996 finally brings favorites like poke bowls and stuffed sweet more than sandwiches (including mammoth daily the concept farther: that farm-to-table dishes (some Award-winning chef Brad Kilgore offers some of the most potatoes to the mainland. Herbivores, in particular, have specials )— and since reopening after a fire, does so in from LoKal, others created new) and craft beers aren’t exciting food in town, with menu items like soft egg with reason to rejoice: Vegan burgers and sausages are just a a cleanly renovated interior. But many hardcore fans mere craft; they’re art. Which you’ll find on the walls. On sea scallop espuma, chive, truffle pearls, and Gruyere; and few of the plentiful meatless options available. $$ (MFP) never get past the parking lot’s ordering window, and tables you’ll find, among other things, the Kush & Hash grouper cheeks with black rice, shoyu hollandaise, and outdoors really is the best place to manage Enriqueta’s burger: Florida-raised beef, ground in-house, served with sea lettuce. Novices don’t fret — the staff will guide you Cerveceria 100 Montaditos mojo-marinated messy masterpiece: pan con bistec, hash (the edible, not smokable, kind), bacon, fried egg, through your eating journey. The warehouse vibe speaks 3252 NE 1st Ave. #104, 305-921-4373 dripping with sautéed onions, melted cheese, and and housemade ketchup on a waffle bun, with a side of to the neighborhood’s appeal while letting the food speak Student budget prices, indeed. A first-grader’s allowance potato sticks; tomatoes make the fats and calories maple syrup. Edgy enough for ya? $$-$$$ (PRB) for itself. Grab a spot at the chef’s counter, the best seat in would cover a meal at this first U.S. branch of a popular negligible. Accompany with fresh orange juice or café the house. Reservations a must. $$$$$ (MB) Spanish chain. The 100 mini sandwiches (on crusty, olive con leche, and you’ll never want anything else, except KYU oil-drizzled baguettes) vary from $1 to $2.50, depending Junebe a bib. $ (PRB) 251 NW 25th St., 786-577-0150 Astra not on ingredient quality but complexity. A buck scores The Asian-inspired restaurant wholly encompasses the 2121 NW 2nd Ave., 305-573-5778 genuine Serrano ham, while top-ticket fillings add import- Fireman Derek’s Bake Shop & Café creative vibe of the neighborhood with a raw space out- Rooftop bars are a rare sight, so when one opens, we ed Iberico cheese, pulled pork, and tomato to the cured- 2818 N. Miami Ave., 786-449-2517 fitted in murals by 2Alas, micro green centerpieces, and pay attention. Case in point: Astra, the latest rooftop ham slivers. Other options revolve around pâtés, smoked As a genuine City of Miami firefighter, Derek Kaplan lots of concrete features as well as a balanced menu venue in Wynwood. A post-workday must, Astra is an salmon, shrimp, and similar elegant stuff. There’s cheap puts fires out, but since age 15 he’s also been of wood-fired items and refreshing ingredients. Roasted inviting space that can hold more than 300 people draft beer, too, plus nonsandwich snacks. $$ (PRB) lighting fires — in his oven. The decades of baking cauliflower comes with goat cheese salad and shishito- and serves a wide range of tasty Greek fare. It can get experience shows in both his locally award-winning herb vinaigrette; tuna tataki takes a spicy turn with crowded, so stick to quick bites like the grilled calamari, Charly’s Vegan Tacos signature pies, especially Key lime and salted cara - fire-roasted peppers, fermented chili, and citrus; and crudos, and kebabs; Astra is more of a spot to hang out 172 NW 24th St., 305-456-8202 mel “crack,” and in changing produce-based seasonal white ponzu, green chili, and herbs accompany sliced and drink ouzo than to enjoy an intimate sit-down dinner. For plant-based eaters, Charly’s Vegan Tacos is an easy selections. For full, balanced (i.e., all-pie) breakfasts Hamachi. There’s also sweet soy and garlic short ribs, $$-$$$$ (MFP) sell. For carnivores, the name might be an instant turn-off. and lunches, there are also savory options like mac Korean fried chicken, and Thai fried rice in a stone pot. Give it a chance: Charly’s makes some tasty tacos, many ’n’ cheese pie, or satisfyingly rich, totally non-sissy Open for brunch on Sundays. $$-$$$ (MB) Beaker & Gray of which resemble their meat counterparts to the T. For quiches. $-$$ (PRB) 2637 N. Miami Ave., 305-699-2637 example, there’s the “carne asada” taco that uses grilled Lagniappe Named after essential tools in the kitchen, you can’t miss seitan steak; and the “chicharron prensado,” which uses Ghee Indian Kitchen 3425 NE 2nd. Ave., 305-576-0108 the restaurant, with its rooftop orange neon sign. Inside “porkles” cracklings for that recognizable crunch. Get a 3620 NE 2nd Ave., 786-636-6122 In New Orleans, “lagniappe” means “a little extra,” like industrial meets rustic chic, as is the standard in Wynwood. few of either plus a bowl of pozole (Mexican stew), and Chef Niven Patel, the talent behind the wildly success- the 13th doughnut in a baker’s dozen. And that’s what All menus are expertly labeled and separated into fun, yet you’ve got yourself quite the meal. $-$$ (MFP) ful Ghee Indian Kitchen in Dadeland, is giving Design you get at this combination wine and cheese bar/ useful categories like Bites, Colds, Strange, and Shaken. District foodies a reason to salivate. Cypress Tavern’s backyard BBQ/entertainment venue. Choose artisan The sandwichito with pork belly and watermelon rind on Coyo Taco former space is now home to his restaurant’s second cheeses and charcuterie from the fridges, hand them plantain brioche, and adult-friendly chicken nuggets with 2300 NW 2nd Ave., 305-573-8228 outpost, where patrons can enjoy mouthwatering bites over when you pay (very little), and they’ll be plated with avocado and sweet ’n’ sour have become quite iconic. The If you go to this affordable Mexican street-food-themed like smoked chicken samosa, turmeric marinated grou- extras: olives, bread, changing luscious condiments. Or wine list includes lesser-known vineyards. $$-$$$ (MB) joint expecting one of today’s many fast-casual, healthy- per, and turkey kofta. Although you can order à la carte, grab fish, chicken, veggies, or steak (with salad or corn- type Mexican taco/burrito chains, where the attraction is the three-course, family-style tasting menu for $55 is a bread) from the hidden yard’s grill. Relax in the comfie Blackbrick mainly just that fillings are fresh, you’ll be pleasantly sur- steal and deserves your consideration; it’s one of the mismatched furniture, over extensive wine/beer choices 3451 NE 1st Ave. #103, 305-573-8886 prised. Here tortillas are handmade and fillings are either most affordable tastings in the area. $$ (MFP) and laidback live music. No cover, no attitude. $$ (PRB) Inspiration for the Chinese food at this hotspot came genuinely traditional (like cochinita pibil) or delightfully from authentic flavors Richard Hales (from Sakaya original — and sometimes satisfyingly sinful, like duck con- GK Bistronomie Le Chick Kitchen) encountered during travels in China, but the fit with enough skin and fat to scandalize all the health- 218 NW 25th St., 786-477-5151 310 NW 24th St., 305-771-2767 chef’s considerable imagination figures in mightily. obsessed places. There are first-rate vegetarian fillings, First and foremost a seafood restaurant with nautical Out of the ashes of Dizengoff and Federal Donuts rises Example: Don’t expect General Tso’s chicken on the too, like mushroom/huitlachchle with cotija cheese; tasty style and aqua tones throughout, GKB and its chef, Le Chick, a rotisserie-chicken spot that should hopefully changing menu. The General’s Florida Gator, though, is churros for dessert; and beer and margaritas. $-$$ (PRB) Rafael Pérez, add global flavors like gamey Cornish hen, avoid its neighbors’ fate. While chicken is the restaurant’s a distinct possibility. Dishes less wild but still thrilling, lamb, and foie gras to Peruvian classics like ceviches, signature protein, it’s not the only standout. A delicious due to strong spicing: bing (chewy Chinese flatbread) Crazy Poke tiraditos, and anticuchos. Refreshing cocktails like the Royale With Cheese is sure to please burger fanatics (and with char sui, garlic, and scallions; two fried tofu/veggie 312 NW 24th St., 786-401-7542 Chilcano — ginger ale, lime juice, bitters, and Pisco — Pulp Fiction) fans with two hefty patties, cheddar, pickles, dishes (one hot, one not) savory enough to bring bean Crazy Poke, Wynwood’s latest poke spot, is joining a highlight an ample Pisco selection, while an indoor/ and secret sauce. The best value, though, is the Why Not curd maligners (and confirmed carnivores) to their knees. crowded landscape; the neighborhood is already full of outdoor bar and breezy courtyard offer a great respite platter that comes with all the hits: rotisserie chicken, $$-$$$ (PRB) places that serve the Hawaiian specialty. Fortunately, the from the Miami heat. $$$ (MB) fried chicken, pork ribs, and onion rings. $-$$ (MFP)

72 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 Dining Guide: RESTAURANTS

Lemoni Café restaurant knows not to mess with a good thing, so 4600 NE 2nd Ave., 305-571-5080 expect to see all its beloved classics on the menu. The The menu here reads like your standard sandwiches/ burrata and Barbara salad are still must-eats, as is the salads/starters primer. What it doesn’t convey is the literal star of the show: the Star Luca, a star-shaped pie freshness of the ingredients and the care that goes with spicy salami, ricotta and mozzarella. $$ (MFP) into their use. Entrée-size salads range from an elegant spinach (goat cheese, pears, walnuts, raisins) to chunky Morgans Restaurant homemade chicken salad on a bed of mixed greens. 28 NE 29th St., 305-573-9678 Sandwiches (cold baguette subs, hot pressed paninis, Housed in a beautifully refurbished 1930s private home, or wraps, all accompanied by side salads) include a Morgans serves eclectic, sometimes internationally influ- respectable Cuban and a veggie wrap with a deceptively enced contemporary American cuisine compelling enough rich-tasting light salad cream. $-$$ (PRB) to attract hordes. Dishes are basically comfort food, but ultimate comfort food: the most custardy, fluffy French Love N’ Gyros toast imaginable; shoestring frites that rival Belgium’s best; 2814 N. Miami Ave. mouthwatering maple-basted bacon; miraculously terrific Wynwood is full of elevated dining spots like Alter, KYU, tofu (crisply panko-crusted and apricot/soy-glazed); even a and Hiden. But what if you just want something casual? “voluptuous grilled cheese sandwich” — definitely a “don’t Enter Love N’ Gyros, a cool Greek joint that’s easy on the ask, don’t tell your cardiologist” item. $$-$$$ (PRB) wallet. The concise street-food menu should look familiar to fans of Mediterranean cuisine: Pitas are plentiful and No. 3 Social Club first-timers should start with the OG, a delectable mix of 50 NW 24th St., 305-748-4540 pork and tzatziki. Other filling proteins are available, too — Rooftop restaurants and bars are common in Downtown just make sure to save room for the Fortomenes loaded Miami and other neighborhoods with a skyline. But else- fries — aka cheese heaven. $ (MFP) where, it’s slim pickings. Thankfully, that hasn’t stopped No. 3 Social Club in Wynwood from letting patrons enjoy Mad Lab Creamery craft cocktails and shareable plates under the stars. 140 NE 39th St. Items like BBQ mushroom lettuce wraps, lamb sliders, Pastry chef Soraya Kilgore, known for her des- and conch fritters are the perfect complements to boozy serts at Alter, now has her own place dedicated to libations like the mezcal-loaded Cactus Flower. Miami sweets: MadLab Creamery. Located in the Design nights can get hot, so cool off and dehydrate responsibly District’s Palm Court, the ice cream store features with an alcoholic rosé popsicle. $-$$ (MFP) a wealth of Instagram-worthy creations, many of which can be adorned with your choice of over two NOA Café dozen toppings. Among those toppings: sprinkles, 2711 NE 2nd Ave., 305-573-2557 chocolate honeycomb, and cotton candy (a must). Originally just a catering company, tiny NOA (initials of Here, no order is complete without a Japanese Israeli-born chef/owner Adi Kafri’s three daughters) gradu- cheesecake or chocolate slab. Prepare to kiss your ally became a “best-kept secret” lunch spot for its budget- diet goodbye. $ (MFP) friendly fresh focaccia sandwiches, plus perfectly dressed full-meal MediterAsian salads. The cute Edgewater oasis Mandolin Aegean Bistro now serves dinner, too. Highly recommended: the big, 4312 NE 2nd Ave., 305-576-6066 beautiful Middle Eastern mezze platter (with falafel balls, Inside this converted 1940s home’s blue-and-white dining silky hummus, tahini, grape leaves, heaps of grilled veg- room — or even more atmospherically, its tree-sheltered gar- gies, more), or lavishly veg-studded pad Thai (with an den — diners feast on authentic rustic fare from both Greece unusual lemongrass/orange peel-spiked sauce), either and Turkey. Make a meal of multinational mezes: a Greek enough for two to share over wine. $$-$$$ (PRB) sampler of creamy tzatziki yogurt dip, smoky eggplant purée, and airy tarama caviar spread; and a Turkish sampler of OTL hummus, fava purée, and rich tomato-walnut dip. The meze 160 NE 40th St., 786-953-7620 of mussels in lemony wine broth is, with Mandolin’s fresh- Coffee, breakfast, sandwiches, and yoga, anyone? Yes, baked flatbread, almost a full meal in itself. $$-$$$ (PRB) there’s now such a place, and it’s naturally in the Design District. OTL is an ambitious concept pushing light bites Maska and strong coffee, courtesy of an auspiciously motley 3252 NE 1st Ave., Suite 109, 786-971-9100 troika of influencers, including the team behind The Thanks to Maska, your search for great Indian food in Smile NYC, LIV impresario David Grutman, and Miami Miami is now a lot easier. The Midtown Miami establish- Design District braintrust Craig Robins. Coffee shops are ment is big on sharing; prepare to split dinner highlights oftentimes the beating hearts of creative hubs, and OTL like the tandoori prawns, butter chicken, and dosas is no different; expect to see plenty of over-caffeinated (Indian crêpes). Maska pulls influences from different designers, artists, developers, and retail employees on regions of India, so the menu is expansive — this is a their lunch breaks. The place is bright and clean, and place where all palates are welcome. Whether you like could double as a white cube gallery with its pastel chairs, spice or prefer your food more subdued, Maska will fill light wood accents, blue chip artwork, and upstairs mul- the Indian food-size hole in your life. $-$$ (MFP) tipurpose space reserved for performance and pop-ups. The food, while flavorful, is mildly overpriced, but it’s an Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink afterthought when you realize that good coffee has finally 130 NE 40th St., 305-573-5550 arrived in the Miami Design District. $-$$ (AM) An instant smash hit, this truly neighborhood-oriented restaurant from chef Michael Schwartz offers down- Ono Poké Shop to-earth fun food in a comfortable, casually stylish 2320 N. Miami Ave., 786-955-6894 indoor/outdoor setting. Fresh, organic ingredients are A casual, clean, and vibrant little eatery, Ono Poké Shop is emphasized, but dishes range from cutting-edge (crispy the latest eatery to catch the trending “poké fever” that’s beef cheeks with whipped celeriac, celery salad, and hit some of Miami’s most up-and-coming neighborhoods. chocolate reduction) to simple comfort food: deviled Greatly influenced by traditional Japanese cuisine, the eggs, homemade potato chips with pan-fried onion dip, menu consists of tried and true combinations, such as or a whole wood-roasted chicken. There’s also a broad spicy ahi tuna tossed in a spicy soy dressing, as well as range of prices and portion sizes to encourage fre- flexible options to customize your own poké bowl to taste. quent visits. Michael’s Genuine also features an eclec- Quality ingredients and fresh fish make for a satisfying, tic, affordable wine list and a full bar. $$-$$$$ (PRB) healthy meal when lunch o’clock rolls around. $$ (AM) Mignonette Palatino 210 NE 18th St., 305-374-4635 3004 NW 2nd Ave., 786-360-5200 From Day One this Old Florida/New Orleans fusion When longtime favorite Jamaican joint Clive’s fell victim oyster bar, from Blue Collar’s chef/owner Danny Serfer to gentrification, few expected to find similarly skilled old- and food blogger Ryan Roman, received myriad raves school Caribbean-American soul food in Wynwood again, for its cuisine and informed service. All manner of oys- especially not at old-school prices. But that’s what this ters (roughly six superb selections available raw daily, small, super-friendly mom-and-pop spot serves up: break- and cooked choices including subtly brandy-sauced fasts like ackee and salt fish, fried dumpling and callaloo, oysters Bienville), plus other superb seafood and Blue or an egg/maple sausage/cheese grits combo; plates (with Collar’s famous veggie creations — even a dynamite sides) of oxtails, curry goat, jerk chicken; richly crusted prime rib — is of a caliber that catalyzes its own neigh- piquant chicken or meat patties that contend with Miami’s borhood gentrification, rapidly. $$-$$$ (PRB) best. Surprises include homemade pastries, and $1 ice cream cones in tropical flavors like soursop. $-$$ (PRB) Mike’s at Venetia 555 NE 15th St., 9th floor, 305-374-5731 Palat Miami This family-owned Irish pub, on the pool deck of the 4702 NE 2nd Ave., 786-953-7577 Venetia condo, for more than 15 years has been a popular When you’re craving Italian food, where do you go? lunch and dinner hang-out for local journalists and others Palat Miami should be on your shortlist. The neighbor- who appreciate honest cheap eats and drinks. Regulars hood Italian-fusion restaurant is serving flavorful food know daily specials are the way to go. Depending on the that hits the spot no matter the occasion. Small bites day, fish, churrasco, or roast turkey with all the trimmings like piquillo peppers are perfect for splitting with friends are all prepared fresh. Big burgers and steak dinners are over a bottle of wine, whose budget-friendly pricing always good. A limited late-night menu provides pizza, may tempt you to order a second. Larger appetites are wings, ribs, and salad till 3:00 a.m. $-$$ (PRB) welcome, too, and they can indulge in braised rabbit tagliatelle and other hearty items. $$-$$$ (MFP) Mister-O1 2315 N. Miami Ave., 786-991-9343 Prohibition With pizza this good, it’s hard to remain hidden. 3404 N. Miami Ave., 305-438-9191 Mister-O1, the once-secret pizzeria in a Miami Beach Frankly, we don’t get why this expansive, high-ceilinged office building, is embracing its mainstream success space with enormous front windows and open kitchen with a third location — this time in Wynwood. The is so often described as evocative of a Prohibition-era

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 73 Dining Guide: RESTAURANTS speakeasy; ambiance here is artfully and amusingly sinful, Road’s SushiSamba Dromo and a sibling of Sugarcane The Taco Stand sweet or savory, are mainly local vegetable and dairy not secretive. Fare is a fun, familiar mix of modern com- lounges in NYC and Las Vegas, but more informal than 313 NW 25th St., 786-580-4948 combos, so non-carnivores, as well as diners keeping fort foods (truffled lobster mac ’n’ cheese, NY strip steak the former and more food-oriented than the latter, as We know what you’re thinking: “Oh great, another taco Kosher, luck out. $$ (PRB) with truffled parmesan fries, many other items featuring three kitchens — normal, raw bar, and robata charcoal shop in Wynwood.” The neighborhood is certainly not truffle oil) and retro favorites like meatballs. It’s simple, grill — make clear. Chef Timon Balloo’s LatAsian small lacking in options, but this San Diego transplant is sure solid stuff served in generous portions to match the plates range from subtle orange/fennel-marinated to give its neighbors some healthy competition. Those Upper Eastside menu items that best truly evoke Prohibition times: hefty, salmon crudo to intensely smoky-rich short ribs. At the familiar with the brand know that the seafood offer- old-fashioned, two-fisted cocktails. $$$ (PRB) daily happy hour, select dishes (like steamed pork buns ings like the Baja taco (battered fish) and spicy shrimp Andiamo with apple kimchi) are discounted. $$-$$$ (PRB) taco are winners; just one bite is all the proof you need. 5600 Biscayne Blvd., 305-762-5751 R House Another must: a mountain of carne asada and fries, With brick-oven pizzerias popping up all over town the 2727 NW 2nd Ave., 305-576-0240 SuViche which can feed a group of four. $ (MFP) past few years, it’s difficult to remember the dark days A strikingly stylish restaurant that’s part art gallery could 2751 N. Miami Ave., 305-960-7097 when this part of Mark Soyka’s 55th Street Station be pretentious, in a still largely ungentrified area of cut- As its fusion name suggests, this artsy indoor/outdoor Vista complex was mainland Miami’s sole source of open- ting-edge artsy yet still working-class Wynwood. But modu- eatery doesn’t merely serve a mix of Japanese sushi and 5020 NE 2nd Ave., 305-405-7547 flame-cooked pies. But the pizzas still hold up against lar movable walls to accommodate changing installations, Latin ceviches but a true fusion of both, largely owing to The husband-and-wife team behind Italian restaurant the newbie pack, especially since exec chef Frank Crupi and its own name make it clear the art component is a signature sauces (many based on Peru’s citusy/creamy Fratelli Milano has struck gold again. Vista, the latest has upped the ante with unique-to-Miami offerings like a serious working gallery. Hardworking chef/owner Rocco acevichado emulsion with Japanese spicing) that are venture from Roberto Bearzi and Fiorella Blanco, builds on white (tomato-free) New Haven clam pie. Also available: Carulli demonstrates a locals orientation with a menu applied to sushi rolls and ceviche bowls alike. Additionally the best parts of the downtown Miami favorite and infuses salads, panini, and a tasty meatball appetizer with ricotta. highlighted by skillfully crafted, hearty entrées (Brazilian there are some popular Peruvian-fusion cooked dishes them with a Latin flair. There’s a bigger emphasis on sea- There’s a respectable wine and beer list, too. $$ (PRB) seafood moqueta stew, coffee/chili-rubbed short ribs, like Chifa (Peruvian-Chinese) lomo saltado, served tra- food at Vista, so expect to find a variety of crudos, fresh sweet pea falafel) available in affordable half-portions: ditionally, as an entrée, or creatively in springs rolls). To fish, and other selections that will perk up your palate. BarMeli small plates of big food for starving artists. $$-$$$ (PRB) add to the fun, accompany your meal with a cocktail from Pastas haven’t gone anywhere: gnocchi, rigatoni, risotto, 6927 Biscayne Blvd., 305-754-5558 Miami’s only pisco bar. $$-$$$ (PRB) and more are available to scratch that itch. $-$$$ (MFP) Just east of Liza Meli’s defunct Ouzo’s Taverna, her Riviera Focacceria Italiana similarly rustic-festive tapas and wine bar/market has 3252 NE 1st Ave., 786-220-6251 an extensive, mostly small-plates menu including all of This kitchen actually serves a full menu of specialties firmly Ouzo’s Greatest Greek Hits (refreshingly light and lemony rooted in Liguria, the northern Italian coastal region around taramosalata carp roe spread, amazingly succulent grilled Genoa, pesto capital of the universe. Pastas like panisotti fresh sardines, her mom’s lemon cake, more), plus more (plump vegetarian triangles containing ricotta plus chard, broadly Mediterranean creations like an Italian-inspired spinach, and typical herbs/spices) are definitely not generi- grana padano flan, uniquely topped crostini and flatbreads, cally Italian. Still, the reason to come here: the variously cheese/charcuterie boards. The boutique wine selection stuffed or topped focaccias, particularly signature focac- focuses on unusual (sometimes virtually unknown, and cia di Recco (a Ligurian hill town). Two ultra-thin layers unavailable elsewhere in town) Mediterranean varietals (almost transparent) of light char-bubbled bread filled with from family-owned vineyards. $$ (PRB) imported stracchino, a mild fresh cheese like mozzarella, but swoon-inducingly oozy-soft. $-$$ (PRB) The Anderson 709 NE 79th St., 305-757-3368 Sabor a Peru “Come for the drinks. Stay for the food.” That should 2923 Biscayne Blvd., 305-573-6736 be the sign outside The Anderson, the neighborhood Opened many years before ceviches became a staple watering hole from the team behind Miami Beach’s on every Miami hipster-bar menu, this formerly tiny award-winning bar Broken Shaker. To complement family-run Peruvian place serves food that’s traditional, the outstanding drink menu (which is full of South not trendy. That includes ceviches, simple and servi- Florida-inspired concoctions), the venue offers a just-as- cable. But Sabor’s strong suit — and why it has not only outstanding list of snacks and mains that includes the survived but thrived (as a recent expansion attests) — is likes of smoked wings, queso dip, and a fried chicken its cooked dishes, always fresh, flavorful, and served sandwich. If you only order one thing, make it that last in prodigious portions. Our personal fave: jalea (a deli- one — it’s heaven on a plate. $$ (MFP) cately breaded, crisp-fried mix of tender marinated fish and shellfish, with yucca and criolla onion sauce); one Blue Collar order feeds at least three diners. Note: Open for big 6730 Biscayne Blvd., 305-756-0366 breakfasts, as well as lunch/dinner. $-$$ (PRB) Like its predecessor in this space (Michael Bloise’s American Noodle Bar), this working-class-themed eatery is Sakaya Kitchen helmed by a former fine-dining chef, Daniel Serfer, a Chef Shops at Midtown Miami, Buena Vista Avenue Allen’s vet who now crafts casual, creative fare at prices all 305-576-8096 can afford. Dishes are eclectic. The roughly dozen veggie This chef-driven, fast-casual Asian eatery is more an iza- dishes alone range from curried cauliflower purée to madu- kaya (in Japan, a pub with food) than a sakaya (sake shop). ros to bleu cheese roasted asparagus. Shrimp and grits com- But why quibble about words with so many more intriguing pete with any in Charleston; pork and beans, topped with a things to wrap your mouth around? The concept takes on perfectly runny fried egg, beats Boston’s best. $-$$ (PRB) street-food favorites from all over Asia, housemade daily from quality fresh ingredients. French Culinary Institute- Boteco trained Richard Hales does change his menu, so we’d 916 NE 79th St., 305-757-7735 advise immediately grabbing some crispy Korean chicken This strip of 79th Street is rapidly becoming a cool wings and Chinese-inspired, open-faced roast pork buns alt-culture enclave thanks to inviting hangouts like with sweet chili sauce and homemade pickles. $$ (PRB) this rustic indoor/outdoor Brazilian restaurant and bar. Especially bustling on nights featuring live music, it’s Salumeria 104 even more fun on Sundays, when the fenced backyard 3451 NE 1st Ave. #104, 305-424-9588 hosts an informal fair and the menu includes Brazil’s In Italy, salumerias started, like American delicatessens, as national dish, feijoada, a savory stew of beans plus shops selling salumi (cured meats), but evolved into the fresh and cured meats. But the everyday menu, ranging equivalent of eat-in deli/restaurants that also serve cold from unique, tapas-like pasteis to hefty Brazilian entrées, and hot prepared foods. At this modern Midtown salumeria, is also appealing – and budget-priced. $$ (PRB) the soups-to-salads-to-sweets range of fare is the same. Custom-sliced imported cold cuts are a main focus, espe- Café Roval cially for those who enjoy taste-testing a plate pairing Italy’s 5808 NE 4th Ct., 786-279-6800 two most famous prosciuttos: Parma and San Daniele. But Café Roval’s Old World flourishes set the perfect mise-en- homemade pastas are also impressive, as are hard-to-find scène for magic. Restaurateur Mark Soyka of News Café, regional entrées like fegato alla Veneziana, which will turn the Van Dyke, Andiamo, and Soyka Restaurant made a liver-haters into lovers. $$-$$$ (PRB) bold move opening his latest restaurant in the storied pumphouse building just north of his 55th Street Station Sette Osteria property. The subtly anachronistic décor casts an ambi- 2103 NW 2nd Ave., 305-576-8282 ance suspended in time. Coral-rock walls extend toward Eagle-eyed visitors will find an unassuming Italian res- a beautifully vaulted ceiling in the dining room adorned taurant at the southern end of Wynwood: Sette Osteria. St. Roch Market Wynwood Café with antique chandeliers. Elsewhere, quirky touches The Washington, D.C., transplant is located away from 140 NE 39th St. 450 NW 27th St., 305-576-1105 abound throughout the dining room and into the outdoor the hustle and bustle of the neighborhood, but it’s only Food halls are all the rage, and the Design District isn’t Located inside the Wynwood Warehouse Project, an art seating area. During the cooler months, dining is best a matter of time before word gets out about this culinary missing out on the fun. St. Roch Market, the popular gallery/workshop/consulting space, this alt-culture eat- experienced by candlelight on the backyard patio, comfort- gem. Earthy tones and an open kitchen welcome diners, New Orleans multi-vendor establishment, has opened a ery is sort of a starvation-budget, working-artists’ version ably nestled between lush gardens and a reflecting pool. who will fall in love with signature dishes like seafood Palm Court outpost that features something for every- of the Pérez Art Museum Miami’s high-end café, Verde: The restaurant’s menu is influenced by a savory fusion of linguine and veal scallopini. A bevy of Italian wines await one. Sushi (Itamae), fried chicken (Coop), and banh mis light-bite focused, but with unbelievably low prices. Mediterranean, Asian, French, and American cuisine. Lots to quench your thirst as well. $$-$$$ (MFP) (Tran An) are just a few of the market’s standouts, all Specialty is “The $3 Sandwich,” choice of quality coldcut to try here, including caviar, tuna crudo, grass-fed lamb of which pair nicely with a sazerac or another signature (pastrami, salami, turkey, or ham) plus provolone, spin- burgers, oxtail buns, and some vegetarian options such Shokudo World Resource Café cocktail from St. Roch’s Mayhaw bar. With so many ach, tomato, and Dijon mustard sauce. A $5 “Monster” as sprouted chickpea cakes and the vegan dish du jour. 4740 NE 2nd Ave., 305-758-7782 options available, you’ll quickly become a regular. $-$$ features three meats. Also notably tasty and cheap are Selections from the bar include playful cocktails eschewing At its former Lincoln Road location, World Resource’s café (MFP) coffees, desserts, and fresh-fruit smoothies (including a liquor in favor of wine, beer, and sake. $$$-$$$$ (AM) was better known for people-watching than for its standard take on NYC’s classic Orange Julius). $ (PRB) sushi/Thai menu. But as the new name signals, this reloca- Tap 42 Cake Thai Kitchen tion is a reinvention. The indoor/outdoor space is charming, 3252 NE 1st Ave. #101, 786-864-0194 Zak the Baker 7919 Biscayne Blvd., 305-534-7906 but creative takes on popular pan-Asian street foods are With all the growth that Midtown Miami has seen, there’s 405 NW 26th St., 786-280-0327 Helmed by a perfectionist young chef (formerly from the real draw. Travel from Japan and Thailand through been one type of restaurant sorely missing in the neigh- This part-rustic/part industrial-chic breakfast and lunch Makoto) and his host/dessert-maker mom, this hip hole- Korea, Vietnam, China, the Philippines, and beyond via borhood: a decent sports bar. Tap 42, which recently took spot, located in Zak Stern’s bakery, is one certified- in-the-wall serves typical Thai street food. Many dishes are light housemade momo, curried potato-stuffed Tibetan/ over the short-lived Apeiro location, runs with this idea Kosher café where neither religious dietary laws nor astonishingly ambitious, like peanut/garlic chip/cilantro- Nepalese steamed dumplings; savory pulled pork buns and complements it with a flavor-forward mentality. The culinary standards are compromised. Reason: The menu sprinkled roast duck noodle with Chinese broccoli, and with kimchi and crisped onions. Noodle dishes, hot or eatery started as a Fort Lauderdale watering hole and of open-face sandwich “toasts,” soups, salads, and intense pork fat-enriched broth. Other unique specialties chilled, are especially appealing. $$-$$$ (PRB) has since expanded to Coral Gables — and now Midtown small plates doesn’t overreach, but stays centered on include spicy house-cured pork/crispy rice sausages, soy Miami. Staples like the Prohibition burger and Drunken Zak’s substantial and superbly crusty organic sourdough and whisky-marinated steak jerky, swoonfully sinful pork Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill Goat burger make an appearance, but so do location- loaves, arguably the best bread in Miami. Varieties belly with basil sauce, and citrus/curry-tinged fried chicken 3250 NE 1st Ave., 786-369-0353 specific items like the grilled salmon Zen bowl that serves range from classic Jewish deli rye to exotic olive & wings. Arrive early to score the wings. Surprisingly scrump- This chic indoor/outdoor space is an offspring of Lincoln as a lighter alternative for guests. $$ (MFP) za’atar or All American cranberry/walnut. Toast toppings, tious tofu and veggie preparations, too. $-$$ (PRB)

74 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 Dining Guide: RESTAURANTS

Cream Parlor Ironside Pizza the traditional Colombian Patacón chain. Needless to say, location, or its informal interior, fool you. The warm wel- 8224 Biscayne Blvd., 786-534-4180 7580 NE 4th Ct., 305-531-5055 the menu is eclectic, ranging from South American (the come is authentically Italian, as are cleverly crafted anti- Don’t let the name fool you: This eclectic eatery is a lot more From the team behind Brickell’s upscale Toscana Divino, this Patacón, a bandeja paisa-inspired sampler plate) to mod- pasti, simple but full-flavored pastas, and homemade pas- than just ice cream. At this cozy neighborhood spot, you can casual indoor/outdoor pizzeria (hidden inside Little River’s ernized Old South (MiMo Fried Chicken with crispy kale tries (from rosemary breadsticks to fruit-topped dessert enjoy breakfast items all day or nosh on house specialties artistic Ironside complex) retains the strengths of it predeces- and local honey). Boredom? Impossible. $$-$$$ (PRB) tortas) that will transport your taste buds to Tuscany. And like the grilled smashed potato — the name says it all — for sor, Ironside Pittzza — an award-winning Neopolitan pizzoalo; the housemade mozzarella or burrata cheeses — truly lunch or brunch. Dessert is a must at Cream Parlor, and first- mouthwatering wood-oven crusts; vegetarian/vegan and glu- Lo De Lea milk elevated to royalty — will transport you to heaven. A timers need to experience Unicorn Poop ice cream (much ten-free toppings. But the expanded menu, including impec- 7001 Biscayne Blvd., 305-456-3218 small market area provides Italian staples, plus superb more appetizing than it sounds). Even if you’re not hungry, cable cured meat options, is a vast improvement. Especially In Casa Toscana’s former space, this cute, contemporary salumi and the magnificent mozz, to go. $$-$$$ (PRB) stop in to admire the vintage décor and crack a smile. Check recommended: housemade porchetta; nduja Calabrese parillada is proof that you can have an Argentinean meal out the patio in back. $-$$ (MFP) (salami spread); the Regina pizza with prosciutto crudo, buf- and a cholesterol test in the same month. While tradi- O Munaciello fala mozzarella, perfectly ripe tomatoes, and arugula; involtini tional parillada dishes are tasty, they’re meat/fat-heavy, 6425 Biscayne Blvd., 786-907-4001 Doggi’s Arepa Bar (stuffed pizza rolls); an unusual carciofi salad with pine nuts basically heaps of grilled beef. Here the grill is also used Neapolitan pizza is the star of the show at ’O Munaciello 7281 Biscayne Blvd., 786-558-9538 and mint slivers. $$ (PRB) for vegetables (an unusually imaginative assortment, Miami, whose roots originate in Florence, Italy. The full- MiMo residents, rejoice: Doggi’s Arepa Bar has brought its including bok choi, endive, and fennel), two of which are service restaurant and pizzeria is bright and inviting, and Venezuelan street food offerings up north. The restaurant’s Jimmy’s East Side Diner paired with your protein of choice. You can indulge in a its menu is home to an array of pizza selections sure to second location features everything that regulars have 7201 Biscayne Blvd., 305-754-3692 mouthwateringly succulent vacio (flank steak), and walk please the pickiest of palates. A standout: the San Daniele, come to know and love about the place: giant portions, Open for more than 30 years and still regularly packed out without feeling like you’re the cow. $$-$$$ (PRB) which masterfully mixes mozzarella, fresh arugula, shaved reasonable prices and an extensive menu. If it’s your first with locals, Jimmy’s respects the most important Parmesan, and cured ham. Diners not in the mood for foray into this type of cuisine, start with the shredded beef American diner tradition: breakfast at any hour the Ms. Cheezious pizza can opt for pastas like a linguine with clams or a spa- arepa — essentially a corn flour pocket of flavor. The cacha- place is open — though that’s only through mid-after- 7418 Biscayne Blvd., 305-989-4019 ghetti cacio e pepe with prawn; a small selection of meat pa — a corn pancake with cheese and cream — is another noon. Menu highlights include pecan waffles, biscuits This brick-and-mortar location of Miami’s most awarded and seafood entrées is available as well. $$-$$$ (MFP) beloved specialty that’s not to be missed. $-$$ (MFP) with sausage gravy, and eggs any style, from old-school food truck has an expanded menu, featuring favorites like western omelets to trendy frittatas. Among sides, truly mac ’n’ cheese, but what you’ll mostly want is just grilled Organic Bites Dogma Grill crispy hash browns are neighborhood legend, with cheese. Which is a misnomer. “Just grilled cheese” sand- 7010 Biscayne Blvd., 786-542-9654 7030 Biscayne Blvd., 305-759-3433 creamy grits a satisfying second. For those who like wiches are what your mom made. Here you’ll find cunning Too often healthy eating is associated with deprivation, Since opening, this hot dog-PLUS (capital letters intend- lunchier fare, hot open-faced turkey sandwiches feature creations like Frito Pie Melts (the Southwestern classic but not at this breakfast/lunch/dinner bistro. Co-owners ed) joint has had several owners and menu changes. Andres and Ana Reid’s concept focuses mainly on people- Currently it’s in a “Best of” phase. Main draw remains pleasing dishes that are 100% chemical/GMO-free, not on 100% beef dogs with numerous regionally inspired calorie-counting. The ingenious international comfort food topping combos (our favorite: the elaborate, authentic menu of ex-José Andres Bazaar chef Goncalo Costa does Chicago), but vegetarians can again enjoy the original include vegetarian/vegan dishes but ranges far beyond: menu’s veggie franks, absent for several years, topped deceptively decadent-tasting eggs Florentine (with tomato identically. More recent adds worth sampling are regional and avocado hollandaise); Portuguese bacalhau cakes with specialty sandwiches, like New Orleans shrimp po’boys. black-eyed pea salad; big juicy certified-organic burgers And though there’s no indoor seating, current owner with smoked truffle mozzarella on onion brioche buns, with Diego Villamedi has expanded the outdoor area and sweet potato fries. To accompany: fresh juices or organic spruced up its landscaping for better insulation from wines. Ambiance is kid-friendly; prices, atypical of many Boulevard traffic, making picnicking more pleasant. $ organic eateries, are parent-friendly. $$ (PRB) (PRB) Phuc Yea! East Side Pizza 7100 Biscayne Blvd., 305-494-0609 731 NE 79th St., 305-758-5351 When renowned pop-up Phuc Yea quietly folded back Minestrone, sure. But a pizzeria menu with carrot ginger in 2011, restaurateurs Ani Meinhold and Cesar Zapata soup? Similarly many Italian-American pizzerias offer refused to let their innovative “Viet-Cajun” cuisine entrées like spaghetti and meatballs, but East Side also become another Miami memory. Fast forward several has pumpkin ravioli in brown butter/sage sauce, wild years and patience has undoubtedly paid off: Phuc Yea mushroom ravioli, and other surprisingly upscale choices, is back, sporting a swanky new permanent home and a including imported Peroni beer. As for the pizza, they are menu that not only expands upon but improves what the classic pies, available whole or by the slice, made with restaurant did right the first time. The new multi-story fresh plum tomato sauce and Grande mozzarella (consid- restaurant is effortlessly hip, featuring neon signs and ered the top American pizza cheese). Best seating for eat- weathered rustic wood furniture throughout. The menu ing is at the sheltered outdoor picnic tables. $ (PRB) leans toward smaller tapas-style plates, which are sure to infuriate Miami’s gourmands, but make up for diminutive Ferraro’s Kitchen portion sizes with flavor for days. The signature Cajun 1099 NE 79th St., 786-534-2136 woks are superb, while the smaller dishes such as the Seasoned restaurateur Igor Ferraro, who’s honed his chef fragrant yet mild-tasting eggplant curry and the stellar chops here and abroad in Italy, has opened a new eatery “Broken Rice” — saucy caramelized pork belly served over for those seeking two of life’s tastiest pleasures: pasta short grain rice — are great for sampling when friends or and wine. The inviting dining room is also spacious, and family join in on the fun. If you order dessert, opt for the you’ll find ample room at the bar as well; saddle up to the extremely popular bread pudding, or the mung bean pud- latter for a better view of the kitchen, where Chef Ferraro ding if you’re feeling adventurous. $$$ (AM) is busy creating homemade pappardelle, lasagna, and other Italian classics. Complement your meal with a bottle Sandwich Where? from the expansive wine selection, then order the signa- 36 NE 54th St., 786-419-2772 ture tiramisu for a sweet ending. $$$ (MFP) Don’t let the cute name fool you. Sandwich Where? takes its namesake item seriously. The homey shop Fiorito offers tasty sandwiches at affordable prices — a lunch 5555 NE 2nd Ave., 305-754-2899 special with half a hoagie, chips, and a drink will set you While owners Max and Cristian Alvarez’s description of their eat- back roughly $6. That’s a bargain, as are their regular ery as “a little Argentinean shack” is as charming as the broth- sandwich offerings like prosciutto mozzarella, turkey ers themselves, it conveys neither the place’s cool warmth nor and brie, and soppressata. Pair one with a delectable the food’s exciting elegance. Dishes are authentically Argentine, smoothie like the Tevez (pineapple, orange, and rasp- but far from standard steakhouse stuff. Chef Cristian’s back- berry), and you have yourself a great lunch. $ (MFP) ground at popular pop-up The Dining Room becomes instantly understandable in dishes like orange and herb-scented lechon Siam Rice confit (with pumpkin mash, pickled cabbage salad, and Dijon 7941 Biscayne Blvd., 305-758-0516 mojo) or sopa de calabaza, derived from Argentina’s peasant You’ll find all the familiar favorite Thai and Japanese stew locro, but here a refined, creamy soup. Many more surpris items here, and prices for curries and noodle dishes (all es — even steaks. $$-$$$ (PRB) customizable regarding choice of protein, preparation, and heat level) are especially good at lunch. But don’t Flavorish Market overlook somewhat pricier specialties like a deep-fried 7283 Biscayne Blvd., 305-754-8787 yet near-greaseless boneless half duck with veggies in As Zabar’s reflects Manhattan’s Upper Westside neigh- red curry sauce. There’s also an unusually extensive borhood, this smaller specialty foods shop is geared list of salads, some with inventive fusion touches, like toward Miami’s Upper Eastside lifestyle. The carefully a grilled shrimp/soba salad featuring traditional Thai curated stock ranges widely: upscale packaged foods; the real deal, not gelatinous deli-type turkey roll. $ (PRB) corn chip/cheese/jalepeño/onion/chili combo, served flavors (sriracha chiles, fish sauce, lime) and Japanese boutique wines/beers; artisanal cheeses and cured on sourdough instead of in a Frito bag), or the Croqueta green tea noodles. $-$$$ (PRB) meats; cookbooks, kitchen utensils, more. But highlights La Placita Monsieur (ham croquettes, tavern ham, Swiss cheese, are locally produced fare: Mimi’s famed raviolis; Roc 6789 Biscayne Blvd., 305-400-8173 béchamel). A welcome expansion: the spacious backyard, Sherwood’s Bistro & Bar Kat’s tropical ice creams; chef/restaurateur Ken Lyon’s La Placita, the new Puerto Rican restaurant from local featuring lawn chairs and sizable shade trees, is definitely 8281 NE 2nd Ave., 786-359-4030 prepared foods, including daily-changing dinners for chef José Mendin, made massive headlines at its open- a more relaxed dining area than a hot sidewalk. $$ (PRB) Little Haiti isn’t exactly known for its culinary options, two; Zak the Baker’s crusty sourdough breads, plus ing, all due to a controversial flag mural on its exterior. but the new food hall at The Citadel will change that sandwiches on same. Best-kept secret: While there’s no Don’t let this squabble with the city distract you from Moshi Moshi perception by year’s end. Until then, Sherwood’s Bistro official café component, comfie counter seats enable the food, which continues the Pubbelly chef’s hot streak. 7232 Biscayne Blvd., 786-220-9404 & Bar is doing its part in filling the neighborhood’s void. on-premises breakfasting, lunching, and coffee/pastry Key West conch salad, seafood stew, and tamales are This offspring of South Beach old-timer Moshi Moshi is a Expect larger-than-life plates like rabbit pot pie, gnocchi breaks. $-$$ (PRB) among the many highlights here, but the crowd favorite cross between a sushi bar and an izakaya (Japanese tapas with oxtail ragu, and bouillabaisse at this comfort-food- is the mofongo. Get the mashed plantain dish with ropa bar). Even more striking than the hip décor is the food’s centric restaurant. The word “homey” immediately Firito Taco vieja, and watch your taste buds perk up. $-$$$ (MFP) unusually upscale quality. Sushi ranges from pristine indi- comes to mind: Sherwood’s could literally be someone’s 1071 NE 79th St., 305-793-6676 vidual nigiri to over-the-top maki rolls. Tapas are intriguing, house (we’re fairly certain it was), and the fascinating Nestled between Tap 79 and Royal Bavarian Schnitzel Loba like arabiki sausage, a sweet-savory pork fingerling frank; design just adds to the eatery’s allure. With conve- House, this low-key taco shack features two sections — one 7420 Biscayne Blvd., 786-536-6692 rarely found in restaurants even in Japan, they’re popular nient parking all around, there’s no reason not to visit. for eating and one for playing bocce. The menu is limited As suggested by this comfie gastropub’s interactive liter- Japanese home-cooking items. And rice-based plates like $$-$$$ (MFP) to ten overstuffed tacos (two per order), quesadillas, des- ary ambiance (décor features shelves of paperbacks), the Japanese curry (richer/sweeter than Indian types) satisfy serts like churros and paletas, and floor-to-ceiling fridges of concept of young financial-analyst-turned-restaurateur even the biggest appetites. $-$$$ (PRB) Soyka ice-cold beer. The most popular tacos are the carne asada Jessica Sanchez is to encourage creativity, including 5556 NE 4th Court, 305-759-3117 with tomato, onion, cheese, garlic chili aioli, and cilantro exploring Miami’s unique culture-agriculture through Ni.Do. Caffe & Mozzarella Bar Since opening in 1999, Mark Soyka’s name- and the Tinga Club with chicken, avocado cream, bacon, food created by a staff including experienced chefs, FIU 7295 Biscayne Blvd., 305-960-7022 sake restaurant has often been credited with tomato, queso, garlic chili aioli, and scallions. $$ (MB) culinary students, and her mom Libia, former owner of Don’t let this little café’s easily overlooked strip-mall sparking the Upper Eastside’s revival, providing

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 75 Dining Guide: RESTAURANTS the neighborhood’s first comfortably gentrified like the Dutch Baby and the chicken and waffle, which burritos: tostadas, quesadillas, and tortas can also be fill you up. Regardless of whether you visit for brunch, gathering place — and simple but satisfying com - pack as much flavor as they do calories. Lunch and dinner filled with your protein of choice. While you could load lunch, or dinner, expect reasonable prices, service with fort food. Old fans needn’t fret; the signature entrées like the duck tacos and short rib pot pie are just as up on the usual suspects like carne asada and chorizo, a smile, and oh-so-satisfying food. $-$$$ (MFP) hummus platter remains, but much of the menu, filling. Here, your diet starts tomorrow. $$ (MFP) you’re better off being adventurous and going for less like the neighborhood, is more sophisticated, traditional (and harder-to-find) fillings like tongue and PizzaFiore with fare ranging from shareable snacks (fried Oggi’s Caffe tripe. $ (MFP) 9540 NE 2nd Ave., 305-754-1924 Brussels sprouts with pecorino and parsley, 1666 79th St. Cswy., 305-866-1238 Owned by Arcoub Abderrahim, who opened South smoked salmon/dill deviled eggs) and salads This cozy, romantic spot started back in 1989 as a Beach’s original PizzaFiore way back in 1996, this café (mango/quinoa with almonds) to hearty retro- pasta factory (supplying numerous high-profile restau- NORTH BEACH serves the kind of nostalgic, medium-thin crusted, oozing- modern entrées (slow-roasted short ribs with bal - rants) as well as a neighborhood eatery. And the wide with-gooey-cheese pizzas reminiscent of our childhood samic/fig reduction). $$-$$$ (PRB) range of budget-friendly, homemade pastas, made Café Prima Pasta pies in northern NJ Sopranos’ territory, except now there daily, remains the main draw for its large and loyal 414 71st St., 305-867-0106 are options for today’s toppings — sundried tomatoes, Sushi Siam clientele. Choices range from homey, meaty lasagna Who says old dogs can’t learn new tricks? Opened in buffalo mozzarella, etc. But there’s also a full menu of 5582 NE 4th Ct., 305-751-7818 to luxuriant crab ravioli with creamy lobster sauce, 1993 (with 28 seats), the Cea family’s now-sprawling trat- Italian-American classics, including antipasto salads, On the menu of sushi-bar specialties plus a small with occasional forays into creative exotica such as toria has added inventive chef Carlos Belon and modern subs, and particularly popular, pastas. Garlic rolls are a selection of Thai and Japanese cooked dishes, there seaweed spaghettini, with sea scallops, shitakes, and menu items, including fiocchi rapera (pear/cheese-filled must, but we didn’t have to tell you that. $-$$ (PRB) are a few surprises, such as a unique lobster maki fresh tomatoes. $$-$$$ (PRB) pasta purses with truffled prosciutto cream sauce), an that’s admittedly huge in price ($25.95), but also in unlikely (soy sauce and parmesan cheese?) but luscious size: six ounces of crisp-fried lobster chunks, plus Rico Sandwich Café Italian/Japanese fusion tuna carpaccio, and fresh-fruit NORTH MIAMI asparagus, avocado, lettuce, tobiko (flying fish), masa- 1440 79th St. Cswy., Suite 1402, 305-867-4977 sorbets. But traditionalists needn’t worry. All the old favor- go (smelt) roes, and special sauces. Thai dishes come Two adjectives describe Rico Sandwich Café perfectly: ites, from the café’s famed beef carpaccio to eggplant Alaska Coffee Roasting Co. with a choice of more than a dozen sauces, ranging good and fast. This low-key North Bay Village shop cooks parm and pastas sauced with Argentine-Italian indul- 13130 Biscayne Blvd., 786-332-4254 from traditional red or green curries to the inventive, up satisfying Latin food in a jiffy. The menu is much gence, are still here and still satisfying. $$$-$$$$ (PRB) When people speak of the West Coast as the USA’s quality such as an unconventional honey sauce. $$$ (PRB) more than sandwiches — in fact, sandwiches make coffeehouse pioneer territory, they’re thinking Seattle — and up just a small portion of the selections here. Mains Silverlake Bistro then south through coastal California. North to Alaska? Not Tap 79 include grilled palomilla steak, chicken parm, short ribs, 1211 71st St., 786-803-8113 so much. But owner Michael Gesser did indeed open this 1071 NE 79th St., 305-381-0946 pastas, pizzas, omelettes — basically everything except At Silverlake Bistro, American influences abound. The hip place’s parent in Fairbanks back in 1993, after years of One-time fine-dining chef Alfredo Patino, whose still thriv- the kitchen sink. Despite the eclectic mix of food, there cozy eatery features an array of rich items like the Napa traveling through every coffee-growing country in the world. ing wine/tapas bar Bin No. 18 was one of the first chef- is one constant: quality. $-$$$$ (MFP) grilled cheese sandwich and gnocchi mac and cheese that Brews like signature smooth yet exotic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe owned restaurants to bring casual culinary sophistication don’t even need cream or sugar, much less frappe frou-frou. to the downtown/midtown Biscayne Corridor, does the All beans are house-roasted. There’s solid food, too: brick- same for still-transitional 79th Street with this convivial oven pizzas, salads, sandwiches, and pastries. $-$$ (PRB) gastropub, which has a similar sharable-plates menu, but built more around beer than wine pairings. Highlights Amarone range from carefully curated, imported charcuterie/ 15400 Biscayne Blvd., Ste. 107, 305-440-0766 cheese plates to fun chef-driven items: house-cured beef Amarone touts four things in their logo: wine, pasta, jerky, brown sugar/ginger-marinated salmon “Scooby pizza, and spirits. Where to start? Try the brick-oven piz- Snacks,” hearty Coke-braised short ribs with sweet corn zas. While they don’t break new ground in the creativity polenta and pungent Junetag blue cheese. $$-$$$ (PRB) department, this North Miami Italian restaurant gets the classics right — even your basic margherita is impres- Terramia sive. Decadent pastas with truffle oil and other rich 4770 Biscayne Blvd., 786-801-1854 ingredients make this place a carb lover’s dream. Wine Italian restaurants are a dime a dozen in Miami, but connoisseurs will also have their hands full with selec- Terramia aims to be a cut above the rest. One way tions from all over Italy. $-$$ (MFP) it succeeds is through its diverse menu. Upon first glance, it’s a lot to take in. Fortunately, the restaurant Basilic Vietnamese Grill makes your decision easy by touting its wood-oven 14734 Biscayne Blvd., 305-944-0577 pizza above all. The al fumo — a mix of mozzarella, pro- Those who say great pho is few and far between are in for volone cheese, smoked bacon, and bell peppers — and a treat: Basilic Vietnamese Grill offers a stunning take on its cheesy brethren come out fast and ready for their the subtle majesty of this humble noodle soup. It June be Instagram closeup. Save some calories for dessert: enough for some restaurants to rest on the laurels of one There are more than ten to choose from. $$-$$$ (MFP) spectacular dish, but brothers and co-owners John, Chuck, and Vince Vu aim for the bleachers, offering a broad selec- Via Verdi Cucina Rustica tion of delicious contemporary and traditional Vietnamese 6900 Biscayne Blvd., 786-615-2870 foods that aim to please. The bahn mi sandwich is only After years of critical acclaim cooking the cuisine of their served during lunch, but is alone well worth the trip to this native Piedmontat ultra-upscale Quattro, on Lincoln Road, wonderful addition to North Miami. $$-$$$ (AM) twin brother chefs Nicola and Fabrizio Carro decided to work for themselves, hands-on renovating the former Bagel Bar East space of MiMo District pioneer Uva 69. Cuisine here is 1990 NE 123rd St., 305-895-7022 similarly authentic, with creative twists. But there are Crusty outside (even without toasting) and substantially important differences: emphasis on local, rather than chewy inside, the bagels here are the sort homesick ex- mostly imported, ingredients; inspiration from all Italian New Yorkers always moan are impossible to find in Miami. regions; and best, astonishing affordability. Housemade For those who prefer puffed-up, pillowy bagels? Forget spinach/ricotta gnudi baked in an ocean of burrata is a it. Have a nice onion pocket. There’s also a full menu of delight, but it’s hard to go wrong here. $$-$$$ (PRB) authentic Jewish deli specialties, including especially delicious, custom-cut — not pre-sliced — nova or lox. Super size Winewood sandwiches easily serve two, and they’ll even improvise 7251 Biscayne Blvd., 305-754-8282 a real NJ Sloppy Joe (two meats, Swiss, coleslaw, and Along the Upper Eastside’s Biscayne Corridor best Russian dressing on rye) if you ask nice. $$ (PRB) known for its historic MiMo architecture, this darkly wooden and quirky neighborhood wine bar stands out. Bagels & Co. Although a lucky few will appreciate the tiny rustic 11064 Biscayne Blvd., 305-892-2435 dining area, the majority of guests will sit outdoors While this place is often referred to as Guns & Bagels, at the mercy of Miami’s grueling summer heat. The one can’t actually buy a gun here. The nickname refers menu leans heavily upon Argentinean staples and to its location next to a firearms shop. But there’s a lot of Italian cuisine, echoes of Devita’s Restaurant and other stuff aside from bagels here, including a full range Che Soprano, which previously occupied this space. of sandwiches and wraps. Breakfast time is busy time, Entrées such as lomito, seafood tablas, and fresh with banana-walnut pancakes especially popular. But pastas and stuffed raviolis are generously portioned what’s most important is that this is one of the area’s few and delicious. Exploring the wine menu will take sources of the real, New York-style water bagel: crunchy patience as the list promotes a thoughtfully diverse outside, challengingly chewy inside. $ (PRB) terroir from regions all over the world. Those reeling from weekend withdrawal can opt for a glass of wine Barok Café with a side of live entertainment beginning Tuesday 12953 Biscayne Blvd., 305-456-0002 through Saturday. $$-$$$ (AM) Barok Café forgoes the usual pomp of upscale eateries and focuses on simple, delicious, and effective French cuisine. The middling décor and surrounding sunbleached NORTH BAY VILLAGE strip malls leave something to be desired, but all is easily Shuckers Waterfront Grill will have you hating yourself — but they’re oh so worth it. excused when the food is this good. The morel dishes — 222 Taco 1819 NE 79th St. Cswy., 305-866-1570 Balance these out with some vegetables like the baby car- large, spongy mushrooms in a fragrant sauce served 1624 79th St. Cswy., 833-222-8226 Sometimes accidents can lead to better things. Case in rots with honey and ricotta, one of the restaurant’s many with meat or pasta — steal the show, and are worth the At first glance, the menu at North Bay Village’s 222 Taco point, this North Bay Village waterfront institution is back highlights. Our suggestion: Throw caution — and your diet considerable uptick in price. Meanwhile, everything from may look like that of your standard taco joint. But a deeper with their casual, no-fuss service, cheap beer, special — to the wind and get the burger, a double-patty monster the pasta to the seafood is fresh, and the service makes dive into the selections reveals more than just tacos, que- grilled wings (that require no sauce), and raw oysters. with porcini mayo and the kitchen sink. $-$$$ (MFP) up for its slight inattentiveness with affability and charm. sadillas, and other traditional fare. “Coco-Ceviche” and The revamped space makes the entire experience just a The wine menu, while diminutive, is diverse enough to Mexican pizza are just a few tasty ways that 222 Taco is little fresher and a little happier. Speaking of happy, their pair well with the meats, pastas, and sauces with aplomb. making a name for itself. Larger parties can opt for a one- happy hour deals are still as good as ever. $$ (MB) Considering the quality of the food, Barok Café is a bona pound al pastor taco platter and other affordable family-style MIAMI SHORES fide sleeper hit. $$$-$$$$ (AM) options. Fun fact: They also serve breakfast. $-$$ (MFP) Sushi Siam 1524 NE 79th St. Cswy., 305-864-7638 Côte Gourmet Café Crème Black Sheep (See Miami / Upper Eastside listing) (PRB) 9999 NE 2nd Ave., #112, 305-754-9012 750 NE 125th St., 786.409.3961 1884 79th St. Cswy., 305-763-8468 When it comes to Miami’s dining scene, neighborhoods You don’t have to circle the world in search of sweet and From the masterminds of Morgans in Wynwood comes Tacos vs Burritos Cantina like Wynwood and Brickell tend to get all of the atten- savory treats from the City of Lights. Situated adjacent to this snug eatery that serves an all-day menu full of comfort 1888 79th St. Cswy., 305-868-2096 tion. Côte Gourmet, however, is putting Miami Shores the Museum of Contemporary Art, Café Crème is a French food favorites. Blink, and you’ll miss this intimate addition When you pit tacos against burritos, everyone wins. on the map. This locals spot specializes in appetizing bistro helmed by Buena Vista Café proprietors Claude Postel to North Bay Village’s dining scene: The only signage out- Despite its competitive name, Tacos vs Burritos French cuisine, such as staples like escargots and and Cory Finot. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, their side is the restaurant’s namesake animal. Starting at 9:00 Cantina shows equal love to both culinary vessels. In foie gras. Brunch is a highlight, featuring more casual selection of tartines, croissants, soups, salads, and daily a.m. every day, you can indulge in sizeable brunch dishes fact, diners will find a lot more than just tacos and cuisine like crêpes and a decadent croque madame to quiches won’t disappoint diners seeking simple dishes in

76 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 Dining Guide: RESTAURANTS this spacious and welcoming dining room. Service is atten- kept secret” neighborhood eatery is regularly packed Tatore Vicky Bakery tive and friendly, allowing you plenty of space to linger over by food-savvy locals for good reason: Southeast Asian 15180 Biscayne Blvd., 305-749-6840 1973 NE 163rd St., 305-816-6197 your velvety latte. A word of caution: Those with an indomi- herbs grown right outside the bistro, plus locally made Meet the fugazzeta, a regional Argentinian specialty that This beloved Cuban bakery recently opened a new location table sweet tooth, beware! Pastry chef Romain Soreauto rice noodles and precision cooking make the Thai fare is essentially a white pizza with mozzarella, onions, and in North Miami, and — judging by its long lines around the has made it near impossible to resist the pastries, all baked among the most sparkling fresh, and authentically oregano. And although simple, it’s hard to come by in clock — it’s already a neighborhood hit. To keep your wait on-site daily. They will leave visions of coffee éclairs, tarts, spiced/spicy in town. Must-haves include Pad Kee town. FYI: You can find it here. An ample outdoor space time to a minimum, stop in right when they open or at an macarons, and Napoleon cakes dancing through your mind Mow (called “drunken noodles,” but a more accurate is popular on the cooler days, and inside, the great red off time after lunch. Otherwise you’ll likely run into other for days to come. Très bon! $-$$ (AM) translation is “drunkard’s noodles,” for their assertive oven takes center stage. You can go traditional with your hungry diners clamoring for guava-filled pastries and other and alcohol-free chili/ basil flavoring); duck or whole pizza or try the Nicanora, which has caramelized onions Cuban fare. Then again, Vicky Bakery’s hefty breakfast Cane á Sucre hog snapper, both crisp outside, juicy inside; succulently and bacon. The restaurant opens early enough to serve special (Cuban toast, coffee, two eggs, ham or bacon, and 899 NE 125th St.,305-891-0123 sour ground beef larp salad. Portions are unusually gen- the breakfast of champions — empanadas. $-$$ (MB) fries) and pan con lechon (pork sandwich) are well worth From the Vega brothers (who pioneered the Design erous. $$ (PRB) braving the crowds any time of day. $-$$ (MFP) and MiMo districts with, respectively, the original Cane Tomato & Basil A Sucre and UVA 69), this charming artisanal sand- Sergio’s Cuban Café + Grill 653 NE 125th St., 305-456-1193 Zaika Indian Cuisine wich bar is the perfect breakfast/lunch stop before or 1821 NE 123rd St., 305-702-7211 This rustic Italian eatery with reds, whites, and lots of 2176 NE 123rd St., 786-409-5187 after ingesting visual arts at nearby MOMA. Actually, Abuela’s Cuban cooking can make us feel all warm light wood, will instantly transport you to the carefree This friendly and dateworthy-cute spot features “Modern creations like El Fig (fig confit, gorgonzola cheese, and fuzzy. Unfortunately, it can also make us fat. Enter streets of Italy, Vespa included — so will the thin pizza, Indian” cuisine — both North Indian-type traditional favor- walnuts, and honey on an authentically French crisp- Sergio’s Cuban Café + Grill, a somewhat healthier creamy polenta, and carefully curated wine list. Their ites interpreted without the oiliness and heavy sauces typi- crusted fresh-baked baguette) are art in their own right. approach to the beloved cuisine. Guests can create complimentary rolls with homemade tomato sauce are cal of westernized curry houses, plus refined reinventions Inventive, substantial salads, sides, daily soups, and their own bowls and add healthy mix-ins like lean extra heavenly. Delivery available, but if you decide to using authentic (though heat-adjustible) spicing in original homemade sweets (including mouthwateringly buttery ground turkey and cauliflower rice for a satisfyingly dine in, there is plenty of free parking. $$ (MB) creations and/or less familiar South Indian coastal dishes: croissants) complete the menu. $-$$ (PRB) “skinny” meal. Of course, the usual suspects like the coconut-rich Konkan fish curry, irresistible lasooni jhinga Cuban sandwich and even a Cuban cheesesteak make Top Notch Bistro (yogurt/garlic-marinated char-grilled shrimp). Vegetarian Chéen-huyae an appearance for those not watching their waistline. 2210 NE 123rd St., 786-452-0398 dishes featuring paneer cheese are outstanding, but even 15400 Biscayne Blvd., 305-956-2808 $ (MFP) Bolivian food is hard to find in Miami, but Top Notch samosas sparkle, with peas still popping-fresh. Multi- Diners can get some Tex-Mex dishes here, if they must. Bistro does its part to fill that void — and then some — course lunch specials ($9-$13) — custom-cooked, not old But the specialty is Junean-rooted Yucatan cuisine. Steve’s Pizza by mixing it with American influences. Saltenas, the steam-table buffet stuff — are a terrific deal. $$ (PRB) So why blow bucks on burritos when one can sample 12101 Biscayne Blvd., 305-891-0202 eatery’s Bolivian baked empanadas, are an essential Caribbean Mexico’s most typical dish: cochinita pibil? At the end of a debauched night of excess, some paper- starter for any order. From there, you can pick from an Chéen’s authentically succulent version of the pickle- thin designer pizza with wisps of smoked salmon (or extensive selection of gourmet hot sandwiches, juicy BAY HARBOR ISLANDS onion-topped marinated pork dish is earthily aromatic from achiote, tangy from bitter oranges, and meltingly tender from slow cooking in a banana leaf wrap. To Asia Bay Bistro accompany, try a lime/soy/chili-spiced michelada, also 1007 Kane Concourse, 305-861-2222 authentically Mexican, and possibly the best thing that As in Japan’s most refined restaurants, artful presenta- ever happened to dark beer. $$-$$$ (PRB) tion is stunning at this Japanese/Thai gem. And though the voluminous menu sports all the familiar favorites KC Healthy Cooking from both nations, the Japanese-inspired small plates 11900 Biscayne Blvd. #103, 786-502-4193 will please diners seeking something different. Try jala- Hidden inside an office building across from Home peño-sauced hamachi sashimi; toro with enoki mush- Depot, this family-friendly spot has no fancy features — rooms, bracing ooba (shiso), tobiko caviar, and a sauce such as a sign outside. But walk through the corporate almost like beurre blanc; rock shrimp/shitake tempura lobby and you’ll find truly heartfelt, health-conscious, with a delicate salad; elegant salmon tartare with a mix- homemade dishes, some surprisingly sophisticated. in quail egg. And spicy, Juneo-dressed tuna rock makis There’s no red meat on the globally influenced menu, are universal crowd-pleasers. $$$ (PRB) but there are poultry and fish, along with many vegetarian or vegan choices: organic pumpkin soup, zingy Thai Bay Harbor Bistro curried veggie soup, an elegantly layered, molded tuna/ 1023 Kane Concourse, 305-866-0404 avocado/quinoa “cupcake,” a real Bundt cake — vegan Though small, this ambitious European/American fusion (no dairy) but remarkably tasty. $$ (PRB) bistro covers all the bases, from smoked salmon eggs Florentine at breakfast and elaborate lunch salads to Pastry Is Art steak frites at dinner, plus tapas. As well as familiar 12591 Biscayne Blvd., 305-640-5045 fare, you’ll find atypical creations: caramelized onion Given owner Jenny Rissone’s background as the Eden and goat cheese-garnish ed leg of lamb sandwiches; a Roc’s executive pastry chef, it’s not surprising that her layered crab/avocado tortino; pistachio-crusted salmon. cakes and other sweet treats (like creamy one-bite truf- A welcome surprise: The bistro is also a bakery, so fle “lollipops”) look as flawlessly sophisticated as they don’t overlook the mouthwateringly buttery croissants, taste — perfect adult party fare. What the bakery’s name plumply stuffed empanadas, or elegant berry tarts and doesn’t reveal is that it’s also a breakfast and lunch other homemade French pastries. $$-$$$ (PRB) café, with unusual baking-oriented fare: a signature sandwich of chicken, brie, and caramelized peaches Open Kitchen and pecans on housemade bread; quiches; pot pies; 1071 95th St., 305-865-0090 even a baked-to-order Grand Marnier soufflé. The pecan If we were on Death Row, choosing a last meal, this very sticky buns are irresistible. $$ (PRB) chef-centered lunchroom/market’s PBLT (a BLT sandwich with melt-in-your-mouth pork belly substituting for Petit Rouge regular bacon) would be a strong contender. Co-owners 12409 Biscayne Blvd., 305-892-7676 Sandra Stefani (ex-Casa Toscana chef/owner) and Ines From the mid-1990s (with Neal’s Restaurant and later Chattas (ex-Icebox Café GM) have combined their back- with Il Migliore), local chef Neal Cooper’s neighborhood- grounds to create a global gourmet oasis with a menu oriented Italian eateries have been crowd-pleasers. ranging from light quiches and imaginative salads to While this cute 32-seat charmer is French, it’s no excep- hefty balsamic/tomato-glazed shortribs or daily pasta tion, avoiding pretense and winning fans with both clas- specials (like wild boar-stuffed ravioli). Also featured: sic and nouvelle bistro fare: frisée salad with lardons, artisan grocery products, and Stefani’s famous interac- poached egg, and bacon vinaigrette; truite Grenobloise tive cooking class/wine dinners. $$-$$$ (PRB) (trout with lemon/caper sauce); consommé with black truffles and foie gras, covered by a buttery puff pastry The Palm dome; perfect pommes frites, and equally perfect apple 9650 E. Bay Harbor Dr., 305-868-7256 or lemon tarts for dessert. $$$ (PRB) It was 1930s journalists, legend has it, who transformed NYC’s original Palm from Italian restaurant to bastion of Piccolo Pizza beef. Owners would run out to the butcher for huge steaks 2104 NE 123rd St., 305-893-9550 to satisfy the hardboiled scribes. So our perennial pick here Pizzas at this spin-off from family-owned Il Piccolo is nostalgic: steak à la stone — juicy, butter-doused slices on impress even NYC visitors, thanks to recipes propri- toast, topped with sautéed onions and pimentos. This clas- etor Hubert Benmoussa learned from an authentic sic (whose carb components make it satisfying without à la Neapolitan pizzaolo. Other favorites here include subs carte sides, and hence a relative bargain) isn’t on the menu on homemade baguettes and, surprising for a pizzeria, anymore, but cooks will prepare it on request. $$$$$ (PRB) delightfully custardy quiche (Benmoussa is part French). But it would be unthinkable to miss the pies, especially our favorite Italia: subtly sweet tomato sauce, fresh NORTH MIAMI BEACH tomatoes, mozzarella, onions, plus mixed greens and similar fluff) doesn’t do the trick. Open till 3:00 or 4:00 burgers, and big platters with proteins like beef medal- uncooked prosciutto on top — both pizza and salad. a.m., Steve’s has, since 1974, been serving the kind of lions and pulled pork. Wash all of that down with their There are also nicely priced catering trays of finger subs, comforting, retro pizzas people crave at that hour. As in craft beer selection, which leans local. $-$$ (MFP) Area Code 55 Brazilian Steakhouse quiche squares, pizza bites, more. $-$$ (PRB) Brooklyn, tomato sauce is sweet, with strong oregano 16375 Biscayne Blvd., 305-947-6202 flavor. Mozzarella is applied with abandon. Toppings are Urbano Steak House Area Code 55 Brazilian Steakhouse’s name is a mouthful — Pinecrest Bakery stuff that give strength: pepperoni, sausage, meatballs, 2114 NE 123rd St., 786-637-7711 and so are its meats. The all-you-can-eat establishment puts 13488 Biscayne Blvd., 305-912-4200 onions, and peppers. $ (PRB) If you’re vegetarian, Urbano Steak House is not for you; you in total control of the experience. A flip of a card signals Pinecrest Bakery has opened up shop in North Miami the “Let’s Eat Meat” sign inside this Argentinian establish- to the restaurant’s gauchos that you’re ready to chow down and brought an extensive selection of Cuban specialties Sushi Lucy ment is a dead giveaway. Once you sit down, you’ll see on everything from filet mignon and lamb chops to bacon- to the other side of town. As you’d expect, pastelitos, 1680 NE 123rd St., 786-391-2668 a variety of different cuts on the menu along with native wrapped chicken and pork sausage. Eat until you’re full or empanadas, and other traditional delights are on the One of the worst parts about dining out is the wait. staples like empanadas and sweetbreads. There are non- hate yourself; nobody’s stopping you. A word of advice: Don’t menu, but the bakery also doubles as a café. This At North Miami’s Sushi Lucy, waiting for your food is carnivore options, but you’re not here for a salad. Instead, fill up on the restaurant’s super-addictive cheese bread, no means you’ll also find sandwiches galore, including sta- a foreign concept. The Asian eatery sends out items get the “parillada” — the gigantic meat platter comes with matter how tempting. $$-$$$ (MFP) ples like the Cuban sandwich (ham, pork, swiss cheese, by the boatload — literally — so guests pick out their steak, short rib, blood sausage, and an assortment of pickle) as well as Philly cheesesteaks and turkey melts. dishes as they pass by on a conveyor belt. If you’re other proteins. Good luck finishing it by yourself. $$-$$$ Ají Carbón And of course, there’s no shortage of cafecito. $ (MFP) not in the mood for sushi, rest assured you won’t (MFP) 16978 NE 19th Ave., 786- 955-6894 leave hungry. Hot kitchen entrées like the shrimp Embracing a decidedly contemporary take on traditional Ricky Thai Bistro dumplings, salmon rice bowls, and chicken skewers Whole Foods Market Peruvian dishes, Ají Carbón serves up tacu tacus, rice 1617 NE 123rd St., 305-891-9292 round out the establishment’s extensive menu. $-$$ 12150 Biscayne Blvd., 305-892-5500 lomos, and chaufas, risottos, soups, and salads with Named after the Thai/Italian owners’ son, this “best (MFP) (See Brickell / Downtown listing.) an artful twist. Among the many standout entrées is

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 77 Dining Guide: RESTAURANTS the arborio, made with rocoto sauce and panko shrimp, Ginza Japanese Buffet King Palace many of which clearly reflect the young chef’s fanatical embellished with a surprisingly welcome drizzle of sweet 16153 Biscayne Blvd.,305-944-2192 330 NE 167th St., 305-949-2339 devotion to fresh fish, as well as the time he spent in passion fruit reduction. Fans of Peru’s most treasured Highlighting the lunch and dinners spreads at this all-you- Specialties here are authentic Chinatown-style BBQ (whole the kitchen of Knob: broiled miso-marinated black cod; seafood treat, ceviche, will appreciate the variety: in can-eat Japanese buffet are a hibachi station (where chefs ducks, roast pork strips, etc., displayed in a glass case by rock shrimp tempura with creamy sauce; even Nobu addition to the traditional leche de tigre, guests can custom-cook diners’ choice of seafood or meat), plus many the door), and fresh seafood dishes, the best made with Matsuhisa’s “new style sashimi” (slightly surface-seared sample ceviches made with various sauces, including types of maki rolls and individual nigiri sushi, both featur- the live fish swimming in two tanks by the dining room by drizzles of hot olive and sesame oil). The specials rocoto, yellow pepper, and cilantro. $$-$$$ (AM) ing a larger variety of seafood than at many sushi bars entrance. There’s also a better than average selection menu includes some Thai-inspired creations, too, such -- not just salmon and tuna but snapper, escolar, surf clam, of seasonal Chinese veggies, like delicate sautéed pea as veal massaman curry, Chilean sea bass curry, and The Alchemist snow crab, and more. But there are also steam-tabled hot shoots. The menu is extensive, but the best ordering strat- sizzling filet mignon with basil sauce. $$$-$$$$ (PRB) 17830 W. Dixie Hwy., 786-916-3560 Japanese and Chinese dishes; an array of cold shellfish egy, since the place is usually packed with Asians, is to see It’s impossible to walk into The Alchemist without smil- and salads with mix-and-match sauces; and desserts. what looks good on nearby tables, and point. Servers will Panya Thai ing. The café is gorgeous, with plenty of indoor and Selections vary, but value-for-money is a given. $$ (PRB) also steer you to the good stuff, once you convince them 520 NE 167th St., 305-945-8566 outdoor seating for all, including pets. Inside, the cof- you’re not a chop suey kinda person. $$ (PRB) Unlike authentic Chinese cuisine, there’s no shortage fee shop lives up to its name with cool containers and Hiro Japanese Restaurant of genuine Thai food in and around Miami. But Panya’s quirky art that befit a mad scientist’s office. Open-face 3007 NE 163rd St., 305-948-3687 Korean Kitchen chef/owner, a Bangkok native, offers numerous regional sandwiches and pizzettas make up most of the menu, One of Miami’s first sushi restaurants, Hiro retains an 1661 NE 163rd St., Ste. A, 954-766-5558 and/or rare dishes not found elsewhere. Plus he doesn’t which also includes risotto, escargot, and other fun amusing retro-glam feel, an extensive menu of both sushi It may not look like much on the outside, but delicious automatically curtail the heat or sweetness levels to items not typically found at your usual java joint. Plus, and cooked Japanese food, and late hours that make it Korean food awaits inside this North Miami Beach gem. please Americans. Among the most intriguing: moo khem Korean Kitchen cooks up a wealth of familiar dishes like there’s beer and wine for unwinding. $-$$ (MFP) a perennially popular after-hours snack stop. The sushi beef bulgogi and sweet and spicy wings — things you phad wan (chewy deep-fried seasoned pork strips with menu has few surprises, but quality is reliable. Most may encounter at similar spots. The real winners are the fiery tamarind dip, accompanied by crisp green papaya Chef Rolf’s Tuna’s Seafood Restaurant exceptional are the nicely priced yakitori, skewers of suc- “less accessible” items like fish cake soup, squid stir fry, salad); broad rice noodles stir-fried with eye-opening 17850 W. Dixie Hwy., 305-932-0630 culently soy-glazed and grilled meat, fish, and vegetables; and steamed eggs; you’ll be hard pressed to find those chili/garlic sauce and fresh Thai basil; and chili-topped Known for decades as simply Tuna’s, this indoor/out- the unusually large variety available of the last makes selections elsewhere. Go in with an open mind and Diamond Duck in tangy tamarind sauce. $$-$$$ (PRB) door eatery, combining a casual vibe with some surpris- this place a good choice for vegetarians. $$ (PRB) you’ll have a great time. $ (MFP) ingly sophisticated food, now has a name recognizing Paquito’s the culinary refinements introduced by Rolf Fellhauer, Hiro’s Sushi Express Laurenzo’s Market Café 16265 Biscayne Blvd., 305-947-5027 for 28 years executive chef at Continental fine-dining 17048 W. Dixie Hwy., 305-949-0776 16385 W. Dixie Hwy., 305-945-6381 From the outside, this strip-mall Mexican eatery couldn’t be spot La Paloma. Additions to the predominantly seafood Tiny, true, but there’s more than just sushi at this mostly It’s just a small area between the wines and the fridge easier to overlook. Inside, however, its festivity is impossi- menu include chateaubriand or rack of lamb for two, take-out spin-off of the pioneering Hiro. Makis are the main- counters – no potted palms, and next-to-no service in ble to resist. Every inch of wall space seems to be covered both carved, with old-school spectacle, tableside. Owner stay (standard stuff like California rolls, more complex cre- this cafeteria-style space. But when negotiating this with South of the Border knickknacks. And if the kitschy Michael Choido has also renovated the interior dining ations like multi-veg futomaki, and a few unexpected treats international gourmet market’s packed shelves and décor alone doesn’t cheer you, the quickly arriving basket room, and added the Yellowfin Lounge, which features like a spicy Crunch & Caliente maki), available à la carte crowds has depleted your energies, it’s a handy place of fresh (not packaged) taco chips, or the mariachi band, an extensive selection of artisan beers. $$-$$$ (PRB) or in value-priced individual and party combo platters. But to refuel with eggplant parmesan and similar Italian- or the knockout margaritas will. Food ranges from Tex-Mex American classics, housemade from old family recipes. burritos and a party-size fajita platter to authentic Mexican CY Chinese Just a few spoonfuls of Wednesday’s hearty pasta fagi- moles and harder-to-find traditional preparations like albón- 1242 NE 163rd St., 305-947-3838 ole, one of the daily soup specials, could keep a person digas – spicy, ultra-savory meatballs. $$-$$$ (PRB) Szechuan cuisine is a fascinating and sometimes polarizing shopping for hours. And now that pizza master Carlo is art — not everyone is a fan of the pain wrought from the dis- manning the wood-fired oven, you can sample the thin- PhoMi2Go tinctive mouth-numbing heat. But if spicy pain is the name of nest, crispiest pies outside Napoli. $-$$ (PRB) 17010 W. Dixie Hwy., 786-916-2790 your game, there’s plenty of joy to be found at CY Chinese, a Run — don’t walk — to this hidden North Miami Beach gem worthy Chinese restaurant specializing in regional southwest- Lettuce & Tomato that boasts a bevy of Vietnamese staples like pho and ern cuisine with a kick. Dishes range from typical Chinese fare 17070 W. Dixie Hwy., 305-760-2260 bahn mis. Given the name, such selections should come (dumplings, egg rolls, pork, and duck served a million-and-one Despite its inauspicious location, this unassuming as no surprise. What is surprising, though, is the pricing. different ways) to exotic (signature dry pots, Szechuan dishes) gastropub is a certified gem, priding itself on using The majority of items cost less than $10, but their quality to adventurous cuisine (tip: don’t order the mung bean jelly fresh, seasonal ingredients to create inspired takes on warrants a higher valuation. No meal here is complete if you’re on a date, and if you don’t already know and love salads, sandwiches, burgers, and gourmet bites. An ear- without an order of 5-spice chicken wings or egg rolls, tripe, you might want to pass). All of the dishes sampled were nest labor of love for husband and wife team Roy and either of which can be had for less than a Lincoln. $ (MFP) delicious and unequivocally authentic, although perhaps a Agostina Starobinsky, this cozy spot presents a thought- little bit too oily. All meals can be made to taste, so specify ful selection of flavorful offerings, including a quinoa Siam Square how much salt, oil, and spice you’d prefer with your server cremosa adorned with truffle oil and microgreens, a 54 NE 167th St., 305-944-9697 while ordering. If you can excuse the shabby interior and idio- house-cured salmon tosta, braised pork belly buns, and This addition to North Miami Beach’s “Chinatown” strip has syncratic yet strangely charming table service, the real deal is grilled octopus. Drink selections include a Tokyo Bloody become a popular late-night gathering spot for chefs from waiting for you at CY Chinese. $$-$$$ (AM) Mary, mimosas, and a delightfully satisfying Asian take other Asian restaurants. And why not? The food is fresh, on a classic mojito, made with sake instead of tradi- nicely presented, and reasonably priced. The kitchen staff Eat Green tional rum. Lettuce & Tomato deserves credit for crafting is willing to customize dishes upon request, and the serv- 14881 Biscayne Blvd., 305-948-6006 an unpretentious menu that doesn’t skimp on quality or ing staff is reliably fast. Perhaps most important, karaoke What does it take to be the most eco-friendly, health con- inventiveness. A most welcome surprise. $$ (AM) equipment is in place when the mood strikes. $-$$ (PRB) scious, and accessible restaurant in the city? Eat Green, a minuscule blip relegated to the sidelines of Biscayne Little Saigon Tania’s Table Commons shopping plaza, June have the answers. Tiny but 16752 N. Miami Ave., 305-653-3377 18685 W. Dixie Hwy., 305-932-9425 beautiful in a sleek minimalist way, Eat Green deserves This is Miami’s oldest traditional Vietnamese restaurant, A location at the tail end of a tiny, tired-looking strip credit for its thoughtful design: sustainable bamboo decor, but it’s still packed most weekend nights. So even the mall makes this weekday lunch-only kosher eatery easy pleasant lighting, and chemical-free diningware make eat- place’s biggest negative – its hole-in-the-wall atmo- to miss. But the cute bistro, an extension of chef Tania ing clean seem like an infinitely more attractive proposal. there are also bento boxes featuring tempura, yakitori skew- sphere, not encouraging of lingering visits – becomes a Sigal’s catering company, is well worth seeking for its Expect standard organic and farm-raised fare, including ers, teriyaki, stir-fried veggies, and udon noodles. Another plus since it ensures fast turnover. Chef/owner Lily Tao unusually varied daily-changing menus — not just famil- salads, wraps, quesadillas, soups, cold-pressed juices, and branch is now open in Miami’s Upper Eastside. $ (PRB) is typically in the kitchen, crafting green papaya salad, iar Eastern European-derived dishes (chicken matzoh coffee. While this June seem like more of the same, it’s in flavorful beef noodle pho (served with greens, herbs, ball soup, blintzes, etc.) but numerous Latin American no way disappointing, and should be noted that everything Holi Vegan Kitchen and condiments that make it not just a soup but a specialties (zesty ropa vieja), Asian-influenced items not only tastes good, but is affordable, too. Eat Green suc- 3099 NE 163rd St., 786-520-3120 whole ceremony), and many other Vietnamese classics. (Thai chicken/noodle salad), lightened universal Ladies- ceeds at paying respect to the earth while soothing the Science confirms that eating an exclusively plant-based The menu is humongous. $-$$ (PRB) Who-Lunch classics (custardy quiches, grilled trout with body, soul, and wallet with equal aplomb. $-$$ (AM) vegan diet is unequivocally the healthiest and most eco- mustard sauce), and homemade baked goods. $$ (PRB) friendly lifestyle around. Unsurprisingly, Miami turned Merkado 31 by Cholo’s El Gran Inka a blind eye to science for years, forcing the wandering 1127 NE 163rd St., 305-947-3338 Vegetarian Restaurant by Hakin 3155 NE 163rd St., 305-940-4910 vegan to settle on steakhouse salads of ill repute and Merkado 31 is a welcome update to the Peruvian spot for- 73 NE 167th St., 305-405-6346 Though diners at this upscale Peruvian eatery will find other questionable dishes. Today, after years of com- merly known as Cholo’s Ceviche & Grill. Apart from its spiffy Too often purist vegetarian food is unskillfully crafted bland ceviches, a hefty fried-seafood jalea, and Peru’s other promise, we have another vegan restaurant in town: new digs, there’s a new menu, including an entire section stuff, spiced with little but sanctimonious intent. Not at this expected traditional specialties, all presented far more Holi Vegan Kitchen, a fast-casual oasis of plant-based called Merkado Green, aimed at healthy eaters, vegetarians, modest-looking vegan (dairy-free vegetarian) restaurant and elegantly than most in town, the contemporary Peruvian treats intended to satisfy the minds, bodies, and souls and vegans — the citrusy quinoa is a must-try. But if you’re smoothie bar. Dishes from breakfast’s blueberry-packed fusion creations are unique. Especially recommended of earth’s most conscious foodies. Expect vegan and looking for something a little more traditional, the piled-high pancakes to Caribbean vegetable stews sparkle with vivid are two dishes adapted from recipes by Peru’s influ- gluten-free options for breakfast, lunch, and early dinner, causas and Ceviche Clasico are mainstays. $-$$ (MB) flavors. Especially impressive: mock meat (and fake fish) ential nikkei (Japanese/Creole) chef Rosita Yimura: an as well as a selection of wine, beer, cold-pressed juices, wheat-gluten items that beat many carnivorous competi- exquisite, delicately sauced tiradito de corvina, and for and delectable plant-based desserts. $$$ (AM) Moon Thai tors. Skeptical? Rightly. But we taste-tested a “Philly cheese those with no fear of cholesterol, pulpo de oliva (octo- Intracoastal Mall 3455 NE 163rd St., 305-974-5129 steak” sandwich on the toughest of critics — an inflexibly pus topped with rich olive sauce). $$$-$$$$ (PRB) Ivan’s Gastro The original Moon Thai opened in Coral Gables in 2000, burger-crazy six year-old. She cleaned her plate. $$ (PRB) 14815 Biscayne Blvd., 305-944-4826 and the restaurant has since expanded with Kendall, Empire Szechuan Gourmet of NY Diners who remember Haitian-born, Le Cordon Bleu- Coral Springs, and Weston locations (to name a few). One Yakko-San 3427 NE 163rd St., 305-949-3318 trained Miami chef Ivan Dorvil’s lightened/brightened of its newest outposts is in North Miami Beach, where 3881 NE 163rd. St. (Intracoastal Mall), 305-947-0064 In the 1980s, Empire became the Chinese chain that Caribbean dishes at pioneering Nuvo Kafe already know guests can dig into a variety of Thai and Japanese special- After sushi chefs close up their own restaurants for the swallowed Manhattan — and transformed public percep- how French technique and gentle global (mainly Asian) ties. Whether you choose the organic Japanese menu or night, many come here for a rare taste of Japanese home tions of Chinese food in the NY metropolitan area. Before: touches can elevate homey island fare. A decade later, the organic Thai menu, there’s no shortage of options for cooking, served in grazing portions. Try glistening-fresh bland faux-Cantonese dishes. After: lighter, more fiery at the Chopped champion’s hip yet blessedly afford- any palate. If you’re only a little bit hungry, then the à la strips of raw tuna can be had in maguro nuta – mixed fare from Szechuan and other provinces. This Miami able new gastropub, the remarkably refined Haitian/ carte seafood selections are the way to go. Otherwise, the with scallions and dressed with habit-forming honey-miso outpost does serve chop suey and other Americanized Carib/Asian fusion dishes remain revelatory: rich yet noodles and curries are your best bets. $$-$$$ (MFP) mustard sauce. Other favorites include goma ae (wilted items, but don’t worry. Stick with Szechuan crispy prawns, clean-tasting shrimp mofongo; dainty akra (grated spinach, chilled and dressed in sesame sauce), garlic stem Empire’s Special Duck, cold sesame noodles, or similar malanga fritters, crisp outside, creamy inside), served Nothing Bundt Cakes and beef (mild young shoots flash-fried with tender steak pleasantly spicy specialties, and you’ll be a happy camper, with puréed watercress sauce; oxtail, slow-braised in a 15400 Biscayne Blvd., Suite #112, 305-974-4536 bits), or perhaps just-caught grouper with hot/sweet/tangy especially if you’re an ex-New Yorker. $$ (PRB) red wine-enriched sauce — as sophisticated as the best Nothing Bundt Cakes is saying something with their chili sauce. Open till around 3:00 a.m. $$ (PRB) boeuf Bourguignon, but more decadent. $$-$$$ (PRB) satisfying sweets. The bakery behemoth’s new location Fat Boy’s Wings & Tings in Aventura offers Nothing’s signature item in a wide 1562 NE 165th St., 305-209-2533 Jelly Bakery range of sizes and flavors. Want to indulge without hat- SUNNY ISLES BEACH At Fat Boy’s Wings & Tings, you know what you’re get- 17010 W. Dixie Hwy., Suite H, 305-760-2149 ing yourself later? A bite-size red velvet or pecan praline ting yourself into: wings — and a lot of them. These are Despite the name, Jelly Bakery is more than just sweets. bundtini is the way to go. Otherwise, dig into a mini AQ Chophouse some meaty wings, so six pieces should be enough for Savory fare gets an equal share of the limelight here with confetti bundtlet or go all out with a bundtlet tower or a 17875 Collins Ave., 305-918-6888 most folks at this North Miami business (but you can breakfast items like a spinach and brie English muffin, tiered cake. If you have a particular bundt cake in mind, AQ Chophouse may have a small menu, but the plates are order up to 100). They’re tasty on their own, but they ham and cheese omelet, and Venezuelan perico-style they likely have it. $-$$$$ (MFP) anything but. All appetites are welcome here. In the mood really shine with flavor options like lemon pepper and scrambled eggs. On the other side of the flavor spectrum to nibble? Tuna tartare and seafood ceviche have your back. pineapple jerk. As for other “tings,” Fat Boy’s offers are options like French toast, waffles, and pancakes. Oishi Thai Craving carbs? A short rib ravioli with sage and butter will hit entrées like jerk shrimp pasta, oxtail, and curry goat. Regardless of what you order, a Jelly Coffee is warranted — 14841 Biscayne Blvd., 305-947-4338 the spot. Just plain hungry? AQ’s signature 18-ounce NY strip is Be prepared for leftovers. $-$$ (MFP) the mix of espresso, milk, and Nutella is addicting. $ (MFP) At this stylish Thai/sushi spot, try the menu of specials, calling your name. A concise selection of sushi rounds out the

78 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019 Dining Guide: RESTAURANTS dinner offerings, any of which goes well with a black cherry Old Sushi Zen & Izakaya Bourbon Steak quinoa cakes at their leisure. Regardless, both types Fashioned or another delicious libation. $$-$$$$$ (MFP) 18090 Collins Ave. 305-466-4663 19999 W. Country Club Dr. (Turnberry Isle Miami), of diners should make it a point to order the bakery’s In an area with no lack of Chinese, Japanese, and Thai 786-279-0658 signature drinks, which range from healthy to downright Biella Ristorante cuisine, it’s hard for yet another Asian restaurant to stand At Bourbon Steak, a venture in the exploding restaurant decadent. The Belgian mocha — available hot or iced — 17082 Collins Ave, 305-974-0174 out. But Sushi Zen & Izakaya succeeds by offering variety — empire of chef Michael Mina, a multiple James Beard is the perfect post-dinner treat. $-$$ (MFP) Romantic dates and family outings are just a few of the and lots of it. Name any traditional dish, and they probably award winner, steakhouse fare is just where the fare situations where a visit to Biella Ristorante is a good idea. have it here: ramen, fish balls, udon, pad thai, tuna poke … starts. There are also Mina’s ingenious signature dishes, Midici This Sunny Isles Beach restaurant welcomes patrons with the list goes on (and on). Don’t miss their Japanese lunch like an elegant deconstructed lobster/baby vegetable pot 18841 Biscayne Blvd., Ste. 130, 786-654-2194 a vast menu of high-quality Italian favorites. Harissa tuna specials. At $12-$14 for a sizable Bento Box, you’ll leave pie, a raw bar, and enough delectable vegetable/seafood When you get a hankering for pizza, Midici has your back tartare and beef carpaccio are notable starters that pre- with your stomach and wallet full. $$ (MFP) starters and sides for noncarnivores to assemble a happy (and stomach). Neapolitan pies are this chain’s claim to pare the palate for an onslaught of fun flavors. Entrées like meal. But don’t neglect the steak — flavorful dry-aged fame, and you’ll understand why at first bite. Perfect for Biella’s pear ravioli and black truffle risotto are full of said Timo Angus, 100-percent Wagyu American “Kobe,” swoonwor- a quick meal — pizzas are done in 90 seconds — Midici’s flavors, and a dessert menu featuring tiramisu, gelato, and 17624 Collins Ave., 305-936-1008 thy grade A5 Japanese Kobe, and butter-poached prime offerings come with a variety of tasty toppings. Opt for more ensures a memorable evening. $$-$$$ (MFP) Since opening in 2003, the inventive yet clean and rib, all cooked to perfection. $$$$$ (PRB) classics like margherita pizza or embrace decadence with unfussy Italian/Mediterranean-inspired seasonal food at the truffle and prosciutto or the egg n’ bacon pizza. Diets Chayhana Oasis this hot spot, created by chef/owner Tim Andriola (at the Cantina Laredo have no place here. $-$$ (MFP) 250 Sunny Isles Blvd., 305-917-1133 time best known for his stints at Chef Allen’s and Mark’s 501 Silks Run, 954-457-7662 Sampling traditional Uzbeki cuisine brings to mind a South Beach), has been garnering local and national When that craving for tacos or fajitas hits, Cantina Mo’s Bagels & Deli confluence of several Eastern styles, including the best raves. Don’t bother reading them. Andriola’s dishes Laredo at the Village at Gulfstream Park should be top 2780 NE 187th St., 305-936-8555 flavors from Turkish, Russian, and Chinese cooking, speak for themselves: a salad of crisp oysters atop of mind. The modern Mexican joint serves up all the While the term “old school” is used a lot to describe cherry-picked and mixed to surprising effect. Chayhana frisée, cannelloni bean, and pancetta; foie gras crostini familiar classics from guac and queso to quesadillas, this spacious (160-seat) establishment, it actually Oasis, a bold mid-size restaurant that manages to look with a subtle caramelized orange sauce; a blue crab tamales, and flautas. Feeling particularly hungry? Ask opened in 1995. It just so evokes the classic NY delis opulent without seeming gaudy, showcases Uzbekistan’s raviolo with toasted pignolias and brown butter; or a about their daily fish selection; the seafood here is no we left behind that it seems to have been here forever. diverse cultural heritage in its food, which has a comfort- wood-oven three-cheese “white” pizza. $$$-$$$$ (PRB) joke (especially the ceviche). For dessert, the Mexican Example: Lox and nova aren’t pallid, prepackaged fish, ing, understated simplicity to it. Vegetarians might have apple pie with brandy butter is all you need to cap a fan- but custom-sliced from whole slabs. And bagels are trouble navigating the menu, which skews heavily in favor tastic meal. $-$$$ (MFP) hand-rolled, chewy champions, not those machine-made of carnivorous appetites. If you’re game for a meaty dish, puffy poseurs. As complimentary pastry bites suggest, try the deliciously authentic pilaf, the Eastern salad made Corsair and the massive size of the succulent, sufficiently fatty with cucumbers and fried beef, the lamb filled Manty 19999 W. Country Club Dr. (Turnberry Isle Resort) pastrami sandwiches confirm, generous Jewish Mo(m) dumplings, and any one of the many kebabs. Service is 786-279-6800 spirit shines here. $$ (PRB) also friendly and above average. $$-$$$ (AM) Celeb chef Scott Conant has moved on, but Corsair remains a lively place. Lately they’ve been promoting Mr. Chef’s Fine Chinese Cuisine & Bar Il Mulino New York their Saturday and Sunday brunches, every week of the 18800 NE 29th Ave. #10, 7, 86-787-9030 17875 Collins Ave., 305-466-9191 year, along with special events tied to holidays. But any Considering our county’s dearth of authentic Chinese If too much is not enough for you, this majorly upscale day of the week, the restaurant’s patio is the place to be, food, this stylish eatery is heaven-sent for Aventura Italian-American place, an offshoot of the famed NYC with its sweeping views of Turnberry Isle’s lushly land- residents. Owners Jin Xiang Chen and Shu Ming (a.k.a. original, is your restaurant. For starters, diners receive scaped golf course. Full review coming soon. $$$-$$$$ Mr. Chef) come from China’s southern seacoast prov- enough freebie food — fried zucchini coins, salami, brus- ince of Guangdong (Canton). But you’ll find no gloppily chetta with varying toppings, a wedge of quality parmi- CVI.CHE 105 sauced, Americanized-Cantonese chop sueys here. giano, garlic bread — that ordering off the menu seems 19565 Biscayne Blvd., 786-516-2818 Cooking is properly light-handed, and seafood special- superfluous. But mushroom raviolis in truffle cream CVI.CHE 105 has made its way up north, opening a location ties shine (try the spicy/crispy salt and pepper shrimp). sauce are irresistible, and perfectly tenderized veal par- inside Aventura Mall’s latest expansion. This is the Peruvian For adventurers, there’s a cold jellyfish starter. Even mesan, the size of a large pizza, makes a great take-out brand’s third restaurant, and it follows a tried-and-true for- timid taste buds can’t resist tender fried shrimp balls dinner…for the next week. $$$$-$$$$$ (PRB) mula: “Don’t mess with a good thing.” The ceviches, tiraditos, described this way: “With crispy adorable fringy outfit.” and other Peruvian fare that diners have fallen in love with $$-$$$ (PRB) Kitchen 305 are available here, including the ever-popular lomo saltado. 16701 Collins Ave., 305-749-2110 The one major difference: Diners up north no longer have to Poke + Go Offering eclectic American fare, this resort restaurant make the trek to Brickell or Miami Beach. $$ (MFP) 2451 NE 186th St., 305-705-3784 room, despite its contemporary open kitchen, has the It seemed like only yesterday that South Florida suffered retro-glam look of a renovated discotheque — which is Dr. Smood from a lack of decent poke restaurants. In just one what it was. In fact, it’s still as much lounge as eatery, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., 786-334-4420 year, though, the diced raw-fish specialty has popped so it’s best to arrive early if you want a relatively DJ-free It’s no secret that dining out adds up — both in terms of up everywhere — including here. Poke + Go’s fast-casual eating experience. A seductive mango-papaya BBQ sauce calories and costs. Dr. Smood is focused on controlling vibe is perfect for scarfing down the flavorful Hawaiian makes ribs a tasty choice any night, but most local diners the former by providing customers with “Smart Food for a seafood bowl, which can feed at least two people here. in the know come on nights when the restaurant features Good Mood.” That healthy motto has gotten the company Mix and match to your tastes or opt for a combo like the irresistibly priced seasonal seafood specials (all-you-can- far. This beautiful Aventura branch follows successful Slammin’ Salmon, which features the namesake fish eat stone crabs one night, lobster on another). A spacious openings in Wynwood and South Miami. While Dr. Smood and adds Asian slaw and white garlic sauce for good dining counter overlooking the cooks makes the Kitchen AVENTURA / HALLANDALE is mostly known for its juices and detox programs, this measure. Either way, you’ll leave full. $-$$ (MFP) a comfortable spot for singles. $$$ (PRB) branch at Aventura Mall also provides visitors with grab- Amaize and-go grub befitting its setting. The free wireless internet Rok:Brgr Kyoto Nikkei Cuisine 19129 Biscayne Blvd., 786-279-2260 here is the icing on the cake. $-$$ (MFP) 800 Silks Run Rd. (Village at Gulfstream Park), 18146 Collins Ave., 305-466-6775 You come to Amaize for one thing only: an arepa. At this fast- 954-367-3970 Fusion cuisine can be hit or miss, but the combination of casual establishment, the popular Venezuelan/Colombian Etzel Itzik Though northern Miami-Dade County has become Peruvian and Japanese flavors is usually a good time. Kyoto corn-meal pockets can be customized with different proteins 18757 W. Dixie Hwy., 305-937-1546 something of a “better burger” capital, this third loca- Nikkei Cuisine takes these two cultures and puts the best and other fillings. Those new to arepas should try a classic Though this homey kosher oldtimer, self-described as a tion of Rok:Brgr “burger gastropub” chain, just north of parts of each on your plate. Sushi rolls are a given here — as Mechado Mix (shredded beef, black beans, baked plantains, deli but really more of an Israeli/Middleterranean restau- the Broward County border, offers attractive upgrades, is ceviche — and both deserve room at your table. What and shredded white cheese), which serves as a satisfying rant (think kebab on pita, not pastrami on rye), opened including nightclub/bar ambiance instead of a fast-casu- caught us off guard, though, were the wallet-friendly specials. introduction. Other more out-of-the-box selections include in 1997, it’s still something of a locals’ secret due to its al feel, and food with more dramatic devotion to artisan The strip mall location is deceptive: Kyoto is worth a look. the Shaggy (pulled beef and gouda) and the Beauty Queen location in a nondescript strip mall. But it’s worth seek- and/or local ingredients (deviled local eggs; sourced $-$$$ (MFP) (avocado chicken salad). Order them all if you want; they’re ing out even by diners not restricted by religious laws; Duroc pork belly) as well as cheffie taste trends: can- only $6-$9 each. $ (MFP) food is both highly flavorful and hugely fun — starting died bacon, a bacon jam-topped burger, chicken ’n’ Mozart Café with the array of free veg appetizers that appear before waffles with bacon/bourbon syrup). More than 40 craft 18110 Collins Ave., 305-974-0103 Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza you even order: herbed chickpeas, pickled salads, more. beers, too. $$-$$$ (PRB) This eatery (which serves breakfast as well as lunch and 17901 Biscayne Blvd., 305-830-2625 Especially recommended: shakshuka (eggs poached dinner) is a kosher dairy restaurant, but not the familiar When people rave about New York pizzas’ superiority, in complexly spiced and spicy chunky tomato sauce), a Serafina Old World type that used to proliferate all over New they don’t just mean thin crusts. They mean the kind of breakfast dish but available later, too. $-$$ (PRB) 19565 Biscayne Blvd., #1944, 786-920-0989 York’s Lower Eastside Jewish community. Décor isn’t airy, abundantly burn-bubbled, traditional coal (not wood) New York’s Serafina is now open at Aventura Mall, and deli but modern-artsy, and the food is not blintzes, noo- oven — like those at Anthony’s, which began with one Fuji Hana this location is a pizza lover’s dream. Pies are a big part dle kugel, etc., but a wide range of non-meat items from Fort Lauderdale pizzeria in 2002 and now has roughly 30 2775 NE 187th St., Suite #1, 305-932-8080 of the menu, which also includes a bevy of Italian clas- pizzas to sushi. Our favorite dishes, though, are Middle locations. Quality toppings, though limited, hit all the major A people-pleasing menu of typical Thai and Japanese sics and more creative fare. Skip the basic margherita Eastern-influenced, specifically Yemenite malawach food groups, from prosciutto to kalamata olives. There are dishes, plus some appealing contemporary creations (like and get the tartufo nero with black truffles — your sense (paratha-type flatbread sandwiches, savory or sweet), salads, too, but the sausage and garlic- sautéed broccoli the Spicy Crunchy Tuna Roll, an inside-out tuna/avocado/ of adventure will pay off with this pizza that’s the very and shaksuka (nicknamed “eggs in purgatory”; the spicy rabe pie is a tastier green vegetable. $$ (PRB) tempura maki, topped with more tuna and served with a definition of richness. Also, save room for the panna eggplant version will explain all). $$-$$$ (PRB) luscious creamy cilantro sauce) has made this eatery a cotta, whose simple description hides some mind-blow- Araxi Burger longtime favorite. But vegetarians — for whom seafood- ing flavor. $$-$$$ (MFP) Saffron Indian Cuisine 17861 Biscayne Blvd., 305-952-3143 based condiments can make Asian foods a minefield 18090 Collins Ave. #T-22, 786-899-5554 If you’re in Aventura and find yourself craving a burger, — might want to add the place to their “worth a special Sr. Ceviche Saffron Indian Cuisine makes us happy. Miami is lacking head to Araxi Burger. The low-key restaurant is a burger drive” list, thanks to chefs’ winning ways with tofu and all- 2576 NE Miami Gardens Dr., 786-440-7851 in Indian food, and this Sunny Isles Beach addition helps fanatic’s paradise: There are 20 bun-and-patty combos around accommodation to veg-only diets. $$-$$$ (PRB) While northern Miami-Dade County has other Peruvian fill that void. The restaurant replaces another Indian to choose from, including a Greek burger with lamb and places, none serve award-winning ceviches like those eatery — Copper Chimney — and fans of that place will tzatziki sauce as well as a Venezuelan burger with garlic Genuine Pizza of chef/co-owner Alonso Jordan, who took top honors at find plenty to love here. Garlic naan and veggie samosas mayo and fried egg. Although it’s easy to stuff your face 19565 Biscayne Blvd. #956, 786-472-9170 the first International Day of Ceviche festival. Varieties are musts as snacks, but don’t overdo it. The lamb tikka with a burger and Araxi’s signature BBQ chicken wings, Local celebrity chef Michael Schwartz continues to grow range from traditionally based (albeit with distinctive masala and kebabs deserve a spot on your order as well. you’ll want to save some room for their decadent hazel- his culinary empire with an Aventura location of his new personal tweaks) flash-marinated raw fish preparations $-$$ (MFP) nut and red velvet milkshakes. $-$$ (MFP) Genuine Pizza concept, inside Aventura Mall. At first to contemporary creations like Lima-style fried ceviche, glance, the pizzeria’s menu may look familiar — espe- crisp-coated like jalea but sauced/garnished in cevi- Sumo Sushi Bar & Grill Bagel Cove Restaurant & Deli cially to fans of Harry’s Pizzeria down south. Genuine che’s more complex style; sampler platters feature sev- 17630 Collins Ave., 305-682-1243 19003 Biscayne Blvd., 305-935-4029 Pizza is Harry’s 2.0; all of the latter’s locations are being eral choices, and serve a small army. Also a standout on Sushi June well have been served in Sunny Isles before One word: flagels. And no, that’s not a typo. Rather rebranded into GP. While the restaurant’s design has the full Peruvian menu: pescado a lo macho, precision- this longtime neighborhood favorite opened, but Sumo these crusty, flattened specimens (poppy seed or changed, the food hasn’t. Guests can still enjoy favor- fried whole fish showered in an unusually luxurious was the neighborhood’s first sushi bar to double as a sesame seed) are the ultimate bagel/soft pretzel hybrid ites like the rock shrimp pizza, polenta fries, and warm assortment of seafood. $$-$$$ (PRB) popular lounge/hangout as well as restaurant. Ladies’ — and a specialty at this bustling Jewish bakery/deli, chocolate chunk cookies. $$ (MFP) nights are legend. While Thai and Chinese dishes are which, since 1988, opens at 6:30 a.m. — typically selling Sushi Siam available, as well as purist nigiri, few can resist the truly out of flagels in a couple of hours. Since you’re up early Le Pain Quotidien 19575 Biscayne Blvd., 305-932-8955 sumo-wrestler-size maki rolls, the more over-the-top, the anyway, sample elaborately garnished breakfast spe- 19565 Biscayne Blvd., 786-629-5056 (See Miami / Upper Eastside listing) better. Our bet for biggest crowd pleaser: the spicy Pink cials, including unusually flavorful homemade corned At Le Pain Quotidien, diners get the best of both worlds. Lady (shrimp tempura, avocado, masago, cilantro, and beef hash and eggs. For the rest of the day, multitudes Those on the run can grab LPQ’s ready-to-go croissants, Whole Foods Market spicy Juneo, topped with rich scallop-studded “dynamite” of mavens devour every other delectable deli specialty scones, and soups, while guests who’d rather sit back 21105 Biscayne Blvd., 305-682-4400 sauce. $$-$$$ (PRB) known to humankind. $$ (PRB) can enjoy hot dishes like croque monsieurs and crispy (See Brickell / Downtown listing.)

April 2019 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 79 Dining Guide: RESTAURANTS

80 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com April 2019