Miami Spice 2016: The Ten Best New Restaurants to Try

As sure as the summer brings scorching temperatures and afternoon thunderstorms to Miami, so does it bring Miami Spice. The annual two-month promotion runs from August 1 through September 30, offering three-course prix-fixe lunches and dinners at Miami’s most beloved establishments. This year, over 240 restaurants are participating. While standard-bearer…

Bunnie Cakes’ Vegan Doughnut Milkshake Is the Summertime Treat You Need

Despite popular misconception, the term “vegan milkshake” is not an oxymoron. These creamy treats are just like regular milkshakes — only without the cow’s milk and unpleasant digestion issues.  The frozen desserts aren’t easy to find, however, particularly in Miami. But there’s a shake shortage in the 305 no longer. Bunnie…

At the Spillover, the Team Behind Lokal and Kush Trades Beef for the Bay

If the men’s bathroom inside the Spillover doesn’t make you smile, you don’t have a soul. The walls are lined with grinning pictures of Roberto Gómez Bolaños, the beloved Mexican screenwriter, actor, and comedian who went by the nickname Chespirito (Little Shakespeare). A life-size cutout of Sábado Gigante’s Don Francisco…

Michelle Bernstein’s Disbanded Cena Team Reunites for Dusk Pop-Up

The untimely closing of Michelle Bernstein’s Cena scattered one of Miami’s best kitchen crews to the wind.  Its primary prep cook, Augustine Gamboa, was devastated the day he learned the building was sold and the longstanding restaurant would soon shutter. “There’s no way that place could’ve run so smoothly without…

Sunday Brunch at Essensia Blends Taste and Soul

Inside the Palms Hotel & Spa is its resident restaurant Essensia, where food radiates both taste and life. The gourmet, farm-to-table eatery focuses on slow food in a relaxed environment, meant to nourish one’s body, along with spirit and soul. On Sundays, the restaurant features a “to share” brunch soiree, where…

Juvia Features $23 Prix-Fixe Lunch and New Brunch Dishes

Within an open-air dining room onlooking Lincoln Road, find Juvia — A swank, penthouse retreat featuring global-inspired eats.  During weekends, the restaurant recently launched a prix-fixe brunch menu. Though more focused on lunch than breakfast, it’s $23 price is hard to beat compared to most South Beach spots. “The variety…

Miami’s Seven Most Popular Frozen Treats for Hot Summer Days

With temperatures outside nearing 100 degrees, we’ve officially entered the season of frozen treats. And, while all we wanted as kids was a regular cup of ice cream, we now have a lot more desserts to scream for. This summer, restaurants and food trucks have debuted new frozen concepts, like…

Miami Spice 2016: Full List of Participating Restaurants

On August 1, Miami Spice returns with the offer of prix-fixe lunches and dinners at some of our finest restaurants at the reduced price of $23 for lunch and $39 for dinner. Spice, which runs from August 1 through September 30, is designed to encourage both tourists and locals to…

Frost Byte Makes Nitrogen Ice Cream on Wheels

In Miami’s ever-growing fast-paced culinary environment, rapidly freezing a batch of ice cream and transforming it into a rich and creamy concoction seems like old news. In the last year, nitrogen ice cream shops have sprouted up across Miami, with places like Lulu’s and Chill-N becoming resident cold-sweet staples. And…

Lilikoi Organic Living Cultivates Clean Food in South Beach

“Why do we add nutmeg to mash potatoes?” This inquiry sparked a young boys passion in cooking that would lead him through a world-class culinary journey, landing him on the South Of Fifth neighborhood of South Beach, a block away from the beach and South Pointe Park. Lilikoi—which means passionfruit…

Iron Fork 2016 Restaurant Lineup Announced

New Times’ Iron Fork/Miami Spice kickoff, presented by the Miami Downtown Development Authority, takes over the American Airlines Arena Thursday, July 28, at 7 p.m. This year, Iron Fork is bigger than ever, with more than 70 favorite local restaurants, many of them Miami Spice participants, offering bites of their best…

Lola the Baker Makes Cake-in-a-Jar and Beer Cupcakes

Laura Rivera, nicknamed Lola the Baker, grew up in a kitchen. Her great grandmother, Lola, loved baking, spending most of her time with Laura crafting sweets like cakes, brownies, and sugary frostings.  Rivera, who graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Psychology, always held baking near to her heart,…

As Milestones Near, Michael Schwartz Finds Busier Is Better

Michael Schwartz’s success nearly cost him his marriage. It was May 2010 when the bespectacled, increasingly gray-haired chef claimed a James Beard Award for Best Chef South. He was working more than ever, nearly abandoning all other aspects of his life. “I had my head down all the time,” the…

Pepper’s Brings Authentic Mexican Fare to Pinecrest

Peppers Authentic Mexican will add to its South Beach and Brickell restaurants with a new location at Dadeland Plaza (9459 South Dixie Hwy., Pinecrest ) on Friday, July 15. Owned and operated by business partners and close friends, David Gonzalez and Gonzalo Leon de Bracamonte, the casual eatery will be…

Rusty Pelican Offers Seafood-Inspired Brunch Feast

Miami has no shortage of brunch spots, but a restaurant encompassing a seafood-inspired brunch menu is ironically a rarity. Avoid a two-hour trek down to the Keys with a trip to the Rusty Pelican instead. Unlike most locales, which default to traditional offerings like pancakes and eggs or plates with…

Tap 42 to Open in Midtown Miami at Former Apeiro Kitchen Space

It looks like Tap 42 is doubling down on Miami.   The Fort Lauderdale-based restaurant, named for its dozens of beer taps, is opening a second Miami -area location at the former Apeiro Kitchen & Bar space in Midtown Miami (3252 NE 1st Ave.). The 6,150 square foot restaurant is…

The Five Best Eggs Benedict in Miami

Ah, an eggs benedict. It’s one of the most traditional and anticipated dishes on a restaurant’s breakfast or brunch menu. Usually, the dish includes two poached eggs, a meat or vegetable, an English muffin, and large drizzle of a gooey, yellow sauce. The eggs are cooked to ooze a runny…

Icebox Cafe Debuts Taste of Summer Menu

Icebox Cafe has been around for 19 years and, since then, has experienced more than a few changes. After starting as a small restaurant just off Lincoln Road, it has grown to become a swanky eatery that Oprah Winfrey loves. The organic cafe owned by Robert Siegmann can be found…

Juicense to Open in Coconut Grove in Mid-July

While summer in South Florida may be in full swing, things are about to get a whole lot cooler. This month, healthy lifestyle company, Juicesense, will bring its own unique brand of raw foods and cold-pressed juices to 2992 Mc Farlane Rd. in Coconut Grove. Juicense is the brainchild of…