Restaurants

American Harvest, a healthy, fast-casual concept, has opened at Brickell City Centre.

If there is one restaurant line worth waiting in, the grand-opening party for the Halal Guys’ first South Florida location (2268 S. University Dr., Davie) would be it. The New York City-based chain has announced it will throw a daylong celebration beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 21.

When Melissa Sosa and Zak Stern thought about a fish salad sandwich for Stern’s Wynwood bakery, which opened with a limited menu on Wednesday, they ran into a problem.

Scott Linquist — best known for Miami’s favorite taqueria, Coyo — debuted Olla in December 2016. The new eatery swaps tacos for multiregional Mexican dishes such as moles and pork belly cochinita. Less than two months later, Olla (pronounced oi-ya) is ready for brunch.

Near the left corner in the lobby of the Townhouse Hotel in Miami Beach, a dim light leads down a flight of stairs. A few steps later, find an entryway surrounded by walls lined with obscure anime drawings. As of November 2016, K Ramen Burger Beer has made this small space its home, whipping up an eclectic batch of dinnertime plates.

You won’t hurt Judy Czerenda’s feelings if you tell her the veggie burger she serves tastes exactly like a McDonald’s cheeseburger. “It’s not at all offensive,” says Czerenda, who runs the two-month-old Now Burger booth at the Yellow Green Farmers Market. “There’s a reason McDonald’s is one of the biggest restaurant chains in the country. They spent millions to create their burger, and if mine tastes just as good without any bad ingredients, it’s not disparaging. It’s great.”

Brimstone Woodfire Grill is opening its first Miami-Dade location at CityPlace Doral this week, one of 20 eateries set to launch at the new mixed-use retail complex located at 3450 NW 83rd Ave. It joins restaurants such as Cooper’s Hawk Winery, Baires Grill, and the Rusty Bucket Restaurant & Tavern.

Doughnuts proved to be one of Miami’s strongest food trends in 2016. Last year saw quite a few openings, including the Salty Donut, Honeybee, and Mojo Donuts & Fried Chicken, as well as the revival of Velvet Creme. It also saw the launch of Donuts!, a festival where hundreds gathered at the Wynwood Yard for coffee, booze, and dozens of variations on the classic doughnut. (Think guava and cheese, Kentucky bourbon bacon, and a vegan treat made with shredded coconut meat.)

Tap 42, the Fort Lauderdale-based eatery known for craft beer and indulgent plates, will open in March in midtown Miami Taking over the former Apeiro Kitchen & Bar space (3252 NE First Ave.), the 6,150-square-foot restaurant was expected to debut in November, but its opening was delayed. This marks the fourth Tap 42 in South Florida and the second in Miami-Dade. The first Miami-area Tap 42 opened in Coral Gables in May 2016.

In a 2010 segment of 60 Minutes, chef José Andrés told Anderson Cooper “meat is slightly boring” while “vegetables and fruits are sexy.” The pioneer of molecular gastronomy didn’t share his thoughts on fish during the interview, but his latest eatery, Bazaar Mar, says it all. The James Beard Award-winning…

Growing up in Miami, locals hear certain phrases often, like “bro,” “bueno,” and “ay dios mio.” One that stuck in the mind of Alec Fernandez came from fellow Cubans placing their orders at the neighborhood bakery or lunch counter: “Dos croquetas.” “I would hear it so often everywhere I went, it got me thinking,” Fernandez says. “Miami doesn’t have anyone making nontraditional croquetas, so I would. My plan was to take the croqueta to the next level.”

Brickell City Centre is known for high-end shopping and chi-chi downtown dining, but that’s not what the Pubbelly Boys’ chef Jose Mendin had in mind when he chose the complex for the next Pubbelly Sushi location. After a soft opening Friday for friends and family, the new Brickell location officially opens its doors today, bringing to the growing downtown scene what Mendin likes to think of as your friendly neighborhood sushi restaurant, turned up a notch.

Lolo’s Surf Cantina is now open nightly for dinner service, bringing Baja-inspired Mexican eats to Miami Beach’s South of Fifth neighborhood. Created by chef/partner Richard Ampudia and Plan Do See, a global hospitality brand based in Japan, the beachside space is located inside the recently refurbished Stanton South Beach Hotel (161 Ocean Dr.).

If you’re looking for classic Italian food in a homey setting, Strega Gastropub is a good choice. The recently opened North Beach eatery, which will celebrate its official grand opening January 27, concentrates solely on rustic cuisine from the Boot, and does it well. Owned by chef Rosanna Torchia, Strega is located at 928 71st St. in the Normandy Isles neighborhood of Miami Beach.

Javier Ramirez had a better 2016 than most. Despite his native Venezuela plummeting further into chaos, the energy analyst and hedge-fund risk manager saw doors open at Brickell’s Bachour Bakery + Bistro and Wynwood’s Cake Thai Kitchen, where he has partnered with some of the city’s most exciting chefs to create polished standalone projects. Food & Wine named Brad Kilgore of Alter, another of Ramirez’s partners, one of America’s best new chefs.

Some people know better than to quit celebrating after the ball drops in Times Square, and pastry chef Jérôme Maure at Miami’s chic DB Bistro Moderne is one of them. Maure is gearing up for the celebration of Epiphany, also known as Three Kings’ Day, which is observed yearly on January 6, with the preparation of the traditional galette des rois, or kings’ cake.

Seafood fans in Northeast Miami-Dade are in for a culinary treat when Mignonette Uptown opens this Friday, January 6. The restaurant, a partnership between chef Daniel Serfer and Ryan Roman, fills the space formerly occupied by Gourmet Diner, located at 13951 Biscayne Blvd. in North Miami Beach. The new branch of Mignonette takes much from the original Edgewater location, including a marquee featuring available oysters and fresh seafood served “plain” or “fancy,” but the railcar motif of the North Miami Beach spot provided inspiration for some menu changes.

Comfort food isn’t easy to find in Miami, and good comfort food is almost deceased. At least that was the case before Jack’s Home Cooking (2426 NE Second Ave., Miami) opened. Former nightclub owner and hospitality veteran Alan Roth teamed up with his friend John Parlavechio to give guests a second home at Jack’s, serving recipes “your grandmother or mother used to make.” JP, as Parlavechio prefers to be called, uses his grandma’s recipes from more than five decades ago.

David Grutman’s Design District cafe, OTL, is a partnership between the nightlife veteran and developer Craig Robbins and New York restaurant the Smile.

Night Owl Cookie Co. founder Andrew Gonzalez is getting a lot of attention for making Forbes’ esteemed “30 Under 30” list. The business news and financial publication released its annual list January 3, naming the young Miami native one out of a pool of thousands of the nation’s most inspiring change…