Restaurants

Toscana Divino in Brickell: Regional Italian Fare on a Fashionable Stage

View a slide show of Toscana Divino.

When diners enter Toscana Divino, they’re greeted with a rehearsed welcome from behind a sleek hostess stand, as the staff bellows, “Buona sera!” Lustrous wooden tables are adorned with fuchsia flowers and colorful handmade Tuscan glassware. Dark-gray shelves, highlighted by subdued LED strips, showcase stylish designer handbags and contemporary artwork…

See also “Artisan Food: If It’s Made for the Masses, Can It Be Called Artisan?”Artisan is the new organic — the of-the-minute foodie terminology that means next to nothing as far as the actual food is concerned. After all, there’s nothing to stop your average corporate suit from slapping the…

Lolita lights up Nemo’s staid old space.Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar: South Beach cantina is all about fun, but food is more than an afterthoughtLolita Cocina & Tequila Bar has closed. The restaurant bar, which was known for its selection of over 100 tequilas, border town bordello decor, and complimentary…

Brother Jimmy’s BBQ is set to open soon at Mary Brickell Village, bringing the popular New York City mini-chain to South Florida. Jim Goldman, one of the principals, showed me around the restaurant. The floors were being worked on, so we chatted outside for a while.It was during that chat…

The Dining Room closed its petite South Beach venue last week and has decided to move in with relatives until it finds a place of its own. Sort of. Vesper Brasserie in the Shelbourne Hotel will be giving its space up to The Dining Room, which starting tomorrow evening will…

Miami Restaurant Openings & Closings June, 2012The big news in July regrettably revolved around closings: Sra. Martinez said adios in the Design District, David’s Cafe II shut down its Lincoln Road branch, and Jamie DeRosa and Geoffrey Zakarian are now both gone from Tudor House, which sort of ends that…

Want access to our Best Of picks from your smartphone? Download our free Best Of app for the iPhone or Android phone from the App Store or Google Play. Don’t forget to check out the full Best of Miami® 2012 online at bestof.voiceplaces.com.Unlike their meatier namesakes, veggie burgers are a…

See also Julie Frans’ San Diego Roots and Matthew Oetting of BLT Steak: From NYC to MIA.As Miami makes its culinary mark, chefs of every stripe are making their way to the Magic City – and not just via other U.S. destinations. European talent is also finding its way to…

See also: Milos Estiatorio to Open in SoFi, Taverna Opa to Move to Brickell. After almost a year hiatus, Taverna Opa has finally reopened its doors. This Monday, the former South Beach spot officially relocated to Mary Brickell Village bringing along ouzo, belly dancing, napkin throwing and plate smashing. A grand…

When it comes to hot party spots in Miami, there are seemingly endless choices. LIV, Set, Mansion, Space, and Nikki Beach all rank in the top 25 nightclubs in the US, according to Clubplanet.com.These clubs are each a little different, but there are a few fundamental truths that apply to…

At its best, ceviche is just fresh-raw-fish, citric juice, and vegetables, herbs, and spices mixed together and topped with something crunchy.It’s served throughout Latin America and right here in Miami too.But this city is just as likely to serve you frozen Vietnamese swai fish in your ceviche as a snapper,…

Demetrio Urt practices mixed martial arts nearly every day at the Fight Sports MMA gym in Wynwood. But when he isn’t triangle-choking his opponent into submission, he builds food trucks. Born in Rio de Janero, Urt moved to Miami in 1994 with his family. Four years later, the Urts started…

Ocean Drive’s newest tenant, Miami Beach Caffe & Restaurant, is a chic-looking addition to the famous beachside strip. With modern white décor and bold red touches, the unoriginally named European-style restaurant opened its doors this month to SoBe tourists and denizens. When Short Order visited recently, we watched passersby light…

Flapjack Flip-Off XII: Miami’s Best Chocolate Chip Pancakes 2012

View the “Josh’s Deli Pancakes How-To” slide show.

Look’s like our hunch about River Shack was right.”It was short, but not so sweet” said Liza Meoli who says the River Shack project was dropped and the location is no longer going to be sold. Instead, she has decided to bring back her old restaurant, Ouzo’s, who won the…

Miami Spice begins August 1. Like New York’s Restaurant Week, it lets diners indulge in prix-fixe menus at the city’s best restaurants at deeply discounted prices. We Miamians are actually even luckier than our friends up north, because our opportunity to “Spice” up our diets on a budget lasts not just…

Marcus Samuelsson to promote new book at Michael’s Genuine. Marcus Samuelsson’s memoir, Yes, Chef, tells the tale of a man who went from the humblest of beginnings in Ethopia to cooking for the President of the United States. Currently number 15 on The New York Times Best Seller list, the…

Eating House shows rising chef’s true potential.When Giorgio Rapicavoli and Alex Casanova opened Eating House six months ago, sharing space with a café on the border of Coral Gables and Little Havana, the duo hoped customers would patronize the pop-up restaurant that seats just under 50 people. They weren’t, however,…

I have conversations about plant-based diets every single day. Most people I chat with recognize the value of moving to a diet that includes a higher concentration of nutrient-rich plant foods. Many express a desire or even a resolve to eat more fruits and vegetables, and then the discussion moves…

David’s Cafe II to Close: One Last Cafecito For the RoadDavid’s Cafe II is closing its doors for good on Monday. The 24-hour cafe was never just a place to get something to eat. It was a meeting ground for everyone in Miami Beach — from City Hall officials who…

See also Julie Frans’s San Diego roots.Given our recent strides as a culinary destination, scores of outsider talent has been making its way to our burgeoning backyard. Transplanted from the kitchens of New York City, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Paris and elsewhere, talented folk are creating a host of new…