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Best New Restaurant
The Dutch
The W South Beach
2201 Collins Ave., Miami Beach
305-938-3111
thedutchmiami.com
The Dutch is an American-roots-inspired restaurant (and oyster bar) that takes homestyle foods such as roast chicken and braised short ribs and then shapes them for big-city palates. It is a partnership among New York restaurateurs Andrew Carmellini, Josh Pickard, and Luke Ostrom (who operate a Dutch in New York's SoHo neighborhood) and Karim Masri and Nicola Siervo of Miami's Quattro Gastronomia Italiana, Sosta, and Wall Lounge. Although the Dutch premiered November 14, 2011, it is new in ways beyond the opening date. For instance, let's compare a typical stale restaurant concept ("old") to the Dutch ("new"):
New: Andrew Carmellini is a two-time James Beard Award winner with a few hugely popular New York City restaurants, a couple of cookbooks under his belt, and national recognition as a topnotch culinary talent.
New: White brick walls lined with bookcases, blond-wood tables, bursts of color, and an elegant yet casual look.
New: Lobster salad with palms hearts, mangoes, and cucumber ($22), followed by crispy branzino ($28).
Old: Lots of hype, not much else.
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