Restaurants

Less than a mile from Night Owl Cookies on Coral Way, owner Andrew Gonzalez is gearing up to soft-open a much larger location on SW Eighth Street this Thursday, June 21.

A plump arugula salad in a round, glossy white bowl resembles a giant sunflower. A dollop of creamy white burrata sits at the center, surrounded by slices of golden mango that look like bright petals. On top are sprinklings of sesame-seed brittle and small pomegranate pips, which alternate between crunchy and sweet.

Just a few weeks after the ax-throwing bar Chops & Hops was announced, here comes the Axe Throwing Society.

From Miami Beach to Edgewater, restaurants such as Fi’lia, Stubborn Seed, and Planta have rolled out summer brunch menus offering drink specials, updated dishes, and entertainment. This weekend, try one yourself.

Just a little more than a month since Gaijin Izakaya’s closure, Phuket “Cake” Thongsodchaveondee has announced a new concept opening at B Bistro + Bakery. On June 22, Thongsodchaveondee will take over the Brickell bistro during dinner and late-night services with the concept Cake Thai Zap Elee.

South Florida’s Rok:Brgr is giving customers a new reason to get up earlier on the weekend: Saturday brunch. The burger joint, known for its popular Sunday Social Brunch, will extend service to Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.

North of Wynwood and the Design District, a charming acre of land called Upper Buena Vista is home to a crop of new restaurants.

Run by a family of Brazilian chefs, Mundo Café occupies a corner inside the lobby of the Miami Green office building near Coral Gables. Co-owner Samuel Soares can usually be found behind the counter. When he was 9 years old, his mother, Vera da Silva, taught him and his siblings how to bake their first dessert, a Brazilian brigadeiro cake…

Chef Pippo Lamberti has grown up in a family immersed in the culinary world. The 37-year-old chef is part of a dynasty of successful eateries in the Northeast created by his father, including the flagship Caffe Aldo Lamberti in New Jersey and six other restaurants spread throughout southeastern Pennsylvania and the Garden State.

Russian restaurateur Arkady Novikov’s arrival on Miami’s dining scene almost seemed destined. Because of the city’s sizable population of Russian immigrants — many of them wealthy enough to afford the kind of luxury dining Novikov is known for providing — the only surprising thing about Novikov’s namesake arriving in Miami is that it didn’t land in Sunny Isles Beach.

On a recent Saturday afternoon in May, Pharrell Williams strolled through the doors of Planta (850 Commerce St., Miami Beach; 305-397-8513; plantarestaurants.com), a buzzy new vegan restaurant located off South Pointe Drive in South Beach. Hair dyed a bleach-blond and wearing a backward cap and an oversize lemon-yellow sweatshirt, the…

Jack’s Miami, the small Wynwood eatery that payed homage to famous people named Jack, has closed.The restaurant, known for its Italian-American comfort food, closed a few days ago. The restaurant, which opened December 2016, served up pasta dishes and other favorites by chef/partner John Parlavechio. The restaurant was co-owned by hospitality veteran Alan Roth., who said of the closing, “We are so sad to be leaving this area of Miami, but could not be more grateful for all of the love, memories, and support we received from all of our customers and from the community.”

Few would argue that pizza isn’t the perfect food, so the news that Miami is getting a new pie place will be music to many hungry ears. But this isn’t just any pizza joint: It’s all vegan.

May saw a flurry of activity as Miami said hello to a host of significant establishments. Stephen Starr’s El Vez opened in Fort Lauderdale, and celebrity chef Lawrence Page brought some Hustle & Soul to South Beach via his Pink Teacup Villa. Wynwood OG Cafeina reopened, and Tap 42’s largest outpost is now pouring at Aventura Mall.

NaiYaRa extends brunch to Saturdays and Sundays with a new lineup of Asian-inspired breakfast and lunch items.

If you’ve ever wanted to whip up your own magical vegan delights but have a kitchen the size of a crawlspace, you’re now in luck. Mother-daughter duo Martha Arango and Daniela Ochoa have opened My Vgan Kitchen, a completely plant-based professional space where culinarians can create.

At 25 years old, Venezuelan native Michelle Posada has a long list of accomplishments. The actress and YouTuber became a restaurateur last year when she opened Michi’s in Doral. The eclectic menu, under the care of chef Daniel Celauro, ranges from pizza, pasta, and poke to arepas, ceviches, and superfruit bowls, all made predominantly with fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious ingredients.

Beaker & Gray’s chef Brian Nasajon will open his second restaurant, Mason, on Monday, June 4. Housed in the former Gigi space, adjacent to the Shops at Midtown Miami, the late-night diner serves comfort food, from bagels and breads to smoked deli meats and sweets, until 2 a.m. daily. “The idea is to bring…

Inside a graffiti-splashed building on NE Second Avenue in the heart of Little Haiti, Romain Breton peeks into a small rotisserie oven. Five chickens rubbed with a secret Portuguese spice recipe rotate on the bottom rack. Sporting a trimmed beard and black-striped apron, the 42-year-old takes a few steps to…

La Cervecería de Barrio, a seafood restaurant based in Mexico, will open its first U.S. location on South Beach’s Lincoln Road in early August. With it comes a guacamole-making station, 300 varieties of tequila, and nearly two dozen kinds of fish and shellfish.

Taking place in Paradise Plaza, located off NE 41st Street, Moonlit Brunch will offer food and drinks from local restaurants, along with live music, pop-up shops, and handcrafted cocktails.

Today is National Burger Day. Whether you decide to grill up a few in the backyard or opt for a juicy one at your favorite pub, celebrate with a juicy burger and a cold one.To keep the party going be sure to get your tickets to New Times’ Burgerfest.