Restaurants

Miami Beach will lose some of its glitter and history with the announcement that two beloved bars are shuttering: the Palace Bar and the Sandbar Lounge.

Vicky’s House is the latest undertaking by the Kush Hospitality Group. Founder Matt Kuscher enlisted the help of his director of operations, Laurie Grasty, who birthed the idea of serving milkshakes. The result is a 12-seat waiting area for his Lokal restaurant in Coconut Grove in honor of Kuscher’s mother’s house, kitchen towel and all.

It’s been more than a year and a half since Velvet Creme, an iconic Miami doughnut shop, announced its reopening after a 15-year hiatus. As of Monday, April 17, the store officially broke ground on Calle Ocho, signaling a resurrection of its original flagship location, which opened on Eighth Street Street in 1947.

Only four months after opening, restaurateur Danny Serfer’s new North Miami Beach restaurant, Mignonette Uptown, has lost its chef de cuisine, 26-year-old Anthony Ciancio. Serfer says the departure was “amicable,” but it might be a blow to his new place. The owner gave the chef wide latitude to design the menu and shape it.

Brunch in South Beach usually equates to free-flowing booze, a DJ playing sultry beats, and a dress code where less is more. As weekend sunshine peeks through floor-to-ceiling windows inside Upland, the collaborative eatery from restaurateur Stephen Starr and chef Justin Smillie, you’ll find something strange by South Beach standards: families with children, couples, and friends quietly chitchatting over pistachio pizza and eggs Norwegian.

When it comes to snagging a secret menu item, one must be in the know. Because hidden dishes are scattered across various restaurants in town, finding off-menu items is a challenge. Sometimes, though, diners receive helpful information from the eatery itself.

Brace yourself, Miami: The first rainbow doughnut has arrived. The Salty Donut, the artisanal doughnut shop in Wynwood, has created its most colorful flavor yet, and half of all proceeds will benefit Style Saves, a charity by nightlife guru David Grutman and his wife, Isabela Rangel Grutman.

The menu at Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill is packed with traditional vegetable rolls that can be difficult to find amid Miami Beach’s cacophony of sushi spots. One is loaded with threads of loamy enoki mushrooms. Another wraps rice and seaweed paper around crunchy matchsticks of burdock root that…

Zagat has just released the semifinalists for its first national “30 Under 30” list, and three Miamians made the grade. For six years, Zagat has named 30 of the most promising young culinary talent from various cities, including Charleston, New York, and Seattle. This year, the restaurant-ratings service morphed “30…

Gilbert Amsellem lets out an uncomfortable laugh as he recalls how much meat he’s thrown out while testing recipes for his nearly two-dozen-item-strong charcuterie case that boasts fat-studded Rosette de Lyon, dried chorizo, and beef prosciutto. “Our salami takes nine hours to smoke, but if it would come out wrong, it would go straight in the garbage…”

Rust in Wynwood focuses on small plates with a global influence.

Four months after opening Pubbelly Sushi inside Brickell City Centre, the boys are back with a fourth location and an updated concept: Pubbelly Sushi Market at Aventura Mall.

Eating House, Chopped champion Giorgio Rapicavoli’s popular Coral Gables restaurant, has given its Sunday brunch a face-lift. Beginning Saturday, April 15, the eatery’s Wakin-N-Bacon menu will extend to Saturday and Sunday, as well as debut a selection of new plates.

Sushi Maki is set to open in Coconut Grove at 2550 S. Bayshore Dr. this Saturday, April 15, marking the local Japanese chain’s seventh standalone location. With the expansion comes a significant transformation in the restaurant’s service. Sushi Maki’s founder, Abe Ng, calls it “fine casual.”

Miami’s first artisanal cookie shop opened its first wholesale location today in Little River (7320 NE Second Ave., Miami). Though there are no tables or seats inside Cindy Lou’s Cookies, the storefront welcomes walk-in customers.

The key to happiness comes in different forms and flavors. For many, it’s circular in shape, delightfully sweet in taste but tart enough to make you pucker. It’s a major key DJ Khaled has yet to mention: key lime pie. As Florida’s official state pie, the heavenly dessert uses the tiny, tangy marble-shaped citrus fruit of the key lime tree, famously grown in the Florida Keys and even in our own backyards. Good news is we don’t always need to take a trek over the Seven Mile Bridge to get our hands on some of the best. Those craving key lime pie can find various pleasant versions at restaurants throughout the 305. But the following ten spots know exactly how to make this always-sunny dish shine.

Of all the dishes on the menu at celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian’s new restaurant, Point Royal, the lobster roll is the item worthiest of a trip to the strip of A1A where Hollywood meets Hallandale Beach. There’s no chopped or minced meat here. A whole Maine lobster is steamed until…

Passover, one of Judaism’s holiest holidays, kicked off on Monday night, marking a week-long fest in which Jews, despite cravings, abstain from chametz, which is leavened foods made from wheat, rye, spelt, barley, or oats. That means no ice cream, unless you swing by Serendipity, a tiny artisanal ice cream shop with locations in Wynwood and Surfside.

On Saturday, May 20, from noon to 3 p.m., New Times’ Out to Brunch will allow you to enjoy bites from Miami’s best restaurants in one place.

Easter is almost here, and in Miami, that means perfect weather for selfies with the Easter Bunny and egg-hunting by the beach. Head to one of the many restaurants offering specials for the day. Reservations are strongly suggested or in some cases required, and tax and tip are generally not included.

Easter Sunday is approaching fast. Whether the morning finds you hunting for eggs, taking pics with the Easter Bunny, or headed to sunrise service, be sure to schedule a proper brunch and toast the day with a cocktail or two. Reservations are suggested, and most prices exclude tax and gratuity.