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Just on the heels of Jamie DeRosa’s opening Izzy’s Fish & Oyster, comes news about his first Miami Beach restaurant: Tongue & Cheek is closing this weekend, after Sunday brunch service.
DeRosa says he had the opportunity to break his lease at the current location and is seeking to relocate to a smaller location. The chef says the decision was nothing more than business. His original Tongue & Cheek partner, Michael Reginbogin, left to open Succotash in Washington, D.C., and “the rent agreement was up and partners decided to go a different way.”
DeRosa says he has long wanted to have a smaller, scaled-back neighborhood version of the restaurant. The chef plans on taking a step back to reorganize the restaurant into a more intimate experience. The chef, who also just welcomed a second child with wife Amy, is by no means taking a breather.
DeRosa is planning a restaurant in downtown Miami. Although the exact location and name has not been announced, the chef says, “Think Parisian-style café meets art gallery, with breakfast and lunch. We want to have something for the neighbors, with delivery.”
DeRosa has announced plans to open two more outposts of Izzy’s Fish & Oyster in Florida, including a location in Key West.
The current iteration of Tongue & Cheek, a large 150-seat space in SoFi, opened April 2013, featuring modern takes on comfort food in a space decorated with artwork by Claudio Picasso, and whimsical characters created by Deep Sleep Studio. In a review, New Times critic Emily Codik raved about the chef’s fish dish, saying, “The petite branzino gets a lift from an ethereal jamón serrano foam, a smoky touch that complements the accompanying Castelvetrano olives. The result is impressive.” The restaurant also received a Best Bar Program award in the 2013 edition of Best of Miami.
The restaurant was featured on Bravo’s Best New Restaurant, and an episode of the short-lived Million Dollar Listing: Miami was filmed there. DeRosa also hosted several collaborative dinners, teaming up with the likes of Robert Irvine, Paula DaSilva, and Lindsay Autry.
