December 2013 Restaurant Openings and Closings

Goodbye 2013, hello 2014. If you’re reading this, you’ve made it through yet another New Year’s eve and are probably enjoying a nice cleansing juice after a five mile run (let’s see how long this healthy resolution will last). In this past year, we’ve said hello to some great new…

The District Serves the Best Lechón in Buena Vista

For Miami, Nuevo Latino cuisine is a comfort food of sorts. Chefs take the ingredients we know — the stuff we grew up on — and cook them in ways that would make our mamas proud. Once mashed into our baby food, malanga is now deep-fried, shaped into shells, and…

Choices Vegan Cafe to Open Outpost on the Upper Eastside

Miami’s vegan eating scene is about to get a bit bigger. The diminutive but delicious Choices Cafe in the Roads is ready to open a larger location on the Upper Eastside. The new spot will also serve beer and wine, a step up from their current locale. See also: Choices…

Ten Miami Restaurants We’re Looking Forward to in 2014

A fresh, new year is upon us. Time to make resolutions and plans. It’s also a good time to anticipate new restaurants about to open in Miami. And there are a bunch of them. From food trucks continuing to go brick-and-mortar like Latin Burger & Taco, to celebrity chefs staking…

The Seven Biggest Miami Food Stories of 2013

The Miami food scene really came into its own in 2013, with local Miami chefs opening innovative restaurants and the culinary community evolving into a sophisticated and cohesive entity. It’s also been a year of drama and tragedy. In 2013, Terrazza’s executive chef, Stefano Riccioletti, was struck and killed by…

Miami Smokers’ Kickstarter Campaign: Funds for Makin’ Bacon

In Little Havana, a small enclave of artistry is popping up on SW 12th Avenue. A few art galleries have opened, along with a double storefront that houses a few tables and one large carnival-like sign that simply says “Beer.” This is the home of Miami Smokers, the vision of…

Van Dyke Cafe to Close

It’s the loveliest and most photographed caf� on Lincoln Road and probably the place associated most with the iconic pedestrian mall in South Beach. Visitors from all over the world recognize the red awnings and ivy-covered walls from pictures and paintings. And locals flock to it for Sunday brunch or…

Hugo & Victor, Parisian Pastry Shop, Opens at The Webster

Parisian pastry store Hugo & Victor recently unveiled its first storefront outside of France. It’s located inside South Beach’s cutting-edge fashion boutique, the Webster. Not just any ol’ sweet shop could keep company with the likes of Valentino, Marc Jacobs, and Chanel, and indeed, the concoctions of award-winning pastry chefs…

Enriqueta’s Cuban Sandwich With Croquetas Transcends Others

You’ve probably already tried the pan con bistec ($6.25) at Enriqueta’s, the jam-packed Cuban lunch counter/cafeteria that caters to families, workers, and hipsters on the corner of NE 29th Street and Second Avenue. It’s a hearty sandwich, crammed with thin slivers of steak, tomato, onion, cheese, and potato sticks. Some…

Via Verdi Opens in the Upper East Side: We Get a First Bite (Photos)

It’s every chef’s dream to own his or her own restaurant. Via Verdi has turned brothers Fabrizio and Nicola Carro and mixologist Cristiano Vezzoli’s dream into a reality. After leading the kitchen at Quattro Gastronomia for eight years, the twins decided it was time for something of their own. Although…

The Butcher Shop in Wynwood: Confusion Reigns

It’s Sunday night, and the graffiti-stamped walls of the Butcher Shop, a Wynwood restaurant/beer garden, are vibrating with the sound of what must be the work of Skrillex and Marilyn Manson’s love child. Things could be softened by two beers, one beer, anything. But the busboy can’t find the waitress,…

Giorgio Rapicavoli’s Drinking Room Has Closed Early

On December 3, Giorgio Rapicavoli of Eating House and friend/mixologist Eddie Fuentes teamed up and launched Drinking Room, a pop up at the Astor Hotel. Although it was scheduled to run through New Year’s Eve, the pop up has closed due to unforeseen circumstances with the venue. The duo is…

Hampton Creek Foods Seeks to Replace Eggs With Plants

Fast forward a couple years, and it’s likely that those scrambled eggs you eat every morning will have grown in a garden instead of a chicken’s lady parts. That’s thanks to Hampton Creek Foods, a food tech company that’s revolutionizing the egg industry with their plant-based substitutes. The Bill Gates…

Gaston Acurio on La Mar’s Opening at the Mandarin Oriental

Gaston Acurio is a man of many talents. He’s a celebrity chef, writer, businessman, and the Peruvian ambassador of food. Yesterday, he was in town for a meet-and-greet at the location of his upcoming project, La Mar by Gaston Acurio at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Short Order was invited to…

Miami’s Food Emperors

The time has come: Miami is finally a fine-food town. The signs are everywhere. The 305 is home to coffee roasters, supper clubs, a ramen house, and a northern Thai restaurant. Sourdough bread is a thing. The word “local” is sprinkled on menus like pepper on steak. The city’s beverage…

Dewey LoSasso Named Acqualina Resort & Spa’s Executive Chef

Aqualina Resort and Spa in Sunny Isles Beach has just tapped one of Miami’s best-loved chefs to head its culinary team. Dewey LoSasso has been named Acqualina’s executive chef and will oversee all food and beverage operations, including banquet and event menus, Piazzetta Marketplace & Restaurant, Costa Grill, and creating…

Buns & Buns to Open in January 2014

Buns & Buns, the cryptic bakery/restaurant with the “cheeky” teaser video is finally scheduled to open at the beginning of the new year. Though the owners aren’t saying much about the new concept, the menu will focus on freshly baked breads, an “exotic blend of handcrafted sauces and spices,” and…

Epicure Gourmet Market: Jason Starkman on the New Coral Gables Location

Epicure Gourmet Market’s newest location in Coral Gables is an ultra-modern take on the flagship Miami Beach location. Located on the first floor of the Gables Ponce complex, the new store is larger and sleeker, featuring an expanded wine selection and large caf�. The spacious and airy store has the…