Restaurants

For years, Lime Fresh Mexican Grill was the go-to place for South Beach locals to enjoy an inexpensive — yet fresh — meal.The restaurant, founded by restaurateur John Kunkel of 50 Eggs in 2004, was something of a unicorn at the time — an independently owned, fast-casual restaurant serving quality food by an attentive staff. The one-off Mexican restaurant grew to multiple locations and in 2012 sold to Ruby Tuesday Inc. for a reported $24 million. The original 800-square-foot Miami Beach location remained unchanged for a while, then was shuttered to make way for several other Kunkel ventures including BTW and Spring Chicken. Now, Lime returns to where it started — with the same recipes but new ownership.

Welcome to autumn in Miami. The air is crisper, streets are festooned with holiday decorations, and street artists are painting murals on every bare piece of wall in Miami. Thanksgiving is over and the city is electric with anticipation for Miami Art Week, Art Basel, and the holiday season. With that comes a frenzy of restaurant openings.  November saw the openings of Norman Van Aken’s Three, the Wharf, and 1-800-Lucky. Beloved deli, Stephen’s, closed for a revamp and the last Miami-Dade World of Beer poured its last brew.

Art Basel and the holidays are coming, and Miamians will get crazy busy. That’s why this weekend is a good time to call a friend and have a leisurely lunch or dinner before the madness ensues. Whether you want to meet for a croissant or check out Wynwood’s new Asian food market, there’s plenty of good food in store.

This past November, the upscale seafood emporium, which has a sister restaurant in Fort Lauderdale and is one of 13 eateries owned by the Atlanta-based Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, rolled out a Miami Spice-style, three-course brunch chock full of hearty entrées.

This weekend marks a year since the Salty Donut settled into a permanent location at the Wynwood Arcade.

This Friday, December 1, Cvi.che 105, a popular Peruvian restaurant in downtown Miami and South Beach, will open on the ground floor of the new three-level wing. The eatery will offer indoor and outdoor seating and a large bar stocked with wine, beer, and spirits.

“Food porn” took on a new meaning this week when Zak the Baker’s Zak Stern posted a video with internet sensation Bread Face. The footage, filmed in Stern’s Wynwood bakery and posted on Instagram, shows him and the anonymous woman squashing their faces into two loaves of cinnamon babka. The video has garnered more than 43,000 views so far.

Sports celebrity Michael Jordan is one of the names behind a new Palm Beach County restaurant and private club set to debut in Jupiter later this year. The luxury dining establishment known as 1000 North, named for its address at 1000 N. U.S. Hwy. 1, will offer near panoramic views of the Jupiter Inlet and Jupiter Lighthouse.

When 1-800-Lucky opens tomorrow, November 29, Wynwood’s food scene will immediately multiply in a most interesting fashion.The 10,000 square foot Asian Marketplace features seven different food concepts, two bars, and a karaoke bar.

It’s been more than a year since Shuji Hiyakawa announced the opening of his first solo venture, Wabi Sabi. The restaurant, which will offer fast-casual omakase dining and a juice bar, is expected to debut on NE 79th Street in Miami before the New Year.

Before Janine Booth and Jeff McInnis were Miami restaurant royalty, they set sail on a fishing trip from South Beach late one sunny afternoon in fall 2013. The day went brilliantly. After laying anchor a mile south of Key Biscayne, McInnis hauled in a hefty snapper and a small grouper…

Pastry chef Soraya Kilgore, the mind behind the brilliant desserts at Alter and Brava, is setting up her own shop. MadLab Creamery is slated to open in the Design District the first week of December, just in time for Art Basel.

Though this year’s Thanksgiving feast is over, you probably have enough leftovers to last weeks. Take a break from turkey and gravy with a boozy brunch replete with sugar-dusted beignets, avocado and caviar toast, and green tea French toast.

Miamians in need of nourishment have somewhere special to turn this Thanksgiving: Overtown, for a free vegan food share. Local activist Kevin Bodniza is hosting Happy Bellies to provide healthy, plant-based eats to the hungry and homeless. Bodniza hosted his first share last year on Thanksgiving at the Government Center,…

Panther Coffee will finally open in the MiMo District. The shop will serve its first cup of coffee at 7 a.m. December 7, coinciding with the first official day of Art Basel Miami Beach. This will be a soft opening for the shop; a grand-opening date will be announced soon.

The masses call it Turkey Day, but for anyone who isn’t into eating animals, it’s more like an occasion for turkey appreciation. And if you’d rather opt out of the usual stuffed bird this year, there are plenty of spots in Miami where you can order take-out, buy some premade meals, and eat delicious vegan options instead of the standard fare.

This Thanksgiving, pick up a pie from one of Miami’s sweet spots. These pies are so good they’re guaranteed to keep your relatives’ mouths full long enough to prevent any dreaded political conversations.

New Times’ Tacolandia, offering unlimited tacos, will happen tomorrow! The tortilla-stuffed extravaganza will take place at Soho Studios Saturday, November 18, from 3 to 6 p.m. Miami’s best restaurants will serve unlimited tacos, including vegan and vegetarian options from Milty’s Gourmet Catering & Events, Fresh Guacamole, Pilo’s Street Tacos, and Tijuana Flats.

Stiltsville Fish Bar, an upscale seafood shack created by Top Chef alums Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth, will debut brunch Saturday, November 18. The à la carte meal, which will be offered every Friday through Sunday, highlights an assortment of sweet and savory seafood and Southern-inspired items.

On Saturday, the Salty Donut is getting bubbly with the launch of two booze-infused doughnuts. Through a partnership with Santa Margherita USA, the Wynwood shop will release limited-edition batches of rose- and a prosecco-flavored doughnuts using wines from the Miami-based Italian importer.

Following a split with Phuket “Cake” Thongsodchaveondee, restaurateurs Javier Ramirez and Leo Monterrey debated what to do with their space on NW 29th Street in Wynwood. They considered keeping a Thai kitchen but eventually settled on classic renditions of Cantonese fare in an area where Richard Hales’ Blackbrick Chinese has long been the lone option.