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BEST CHICKEN WINGS

Jumbo's Restaurant

BEST CHICKEN WINGS Jumbo's Restaurant 7501 NW Seventh Avenue

Miami

305-751-4267 For the most part, chickens aren't meant to be feared. They flutter, cluck, and aimlessly peck at the ground in search of food. But the chickens served up at Jumbo's Restaurant must have been a breed apart. These fowls have wings as pumped up and thick as Barry Bonds's arms. Meaty, moist, and with a warm, crunchy fried exterior, a serving of chicken wings here is like an anti-Atkins meal unto itself. Get them alone or as part of a larger feast. The "Carol City Chiefs Wing Ding Deal" comes with four wings, four shrimp, onion rings, and two sides. The "Booker T. Washington Lucky Two Special" comes with two wings, two drumsticks, as well as onion rings and sides. In fact most of the specials here come with at least two wings, and the prices can't be beat. Munch out on fried goodness in a historic landmark: Jumbo's celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, and the food is as good and hearty as ever.

BEST CHICKEN WINGS

Jumbo's Restaurant

BEST CHICKEN WINGS Jumbo's Restaurant 7501 NW Seventh Avenue

Miami

305-751-4267 For the most part, chickens aren't meant to be feared. They flutter, cluck, and aimlessly peck at the ground in search of food. But the chickens served up at Jumbo's Restaurant must have been a breed apart. These fowls have wings as pumped up and thick as Barry Bonds's arms. Meaty, moist, and with a warm, crunchy fried exterior, a serving of chicken wings here is like an anti-Atkins meal unto itself. Get them alone or as part of a larger feast. The "Carol City Chiefs Wing Ding Deal" comes with four wings, four shrimp, onion rings, and two sides. The "Booker T. Washington Lucky Two Special" comes with two wings, two drumsticks, as well as onion rings and sides. In fact most of the specials here come with at least two wings, and the prices can't be beat. Munch out on fried goodness in a historic landmark: Jumbo's celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, and the food is as good and hearty as ever.

BEST RESTAURANT IN NORTH MIAMI-DADE

Timó Restaurant

George Martinez
BEST RESTAURANT IN NORTH MIAMI-DADE Timó Restaurant 17624 Collins Avenue

Sunny Isles Beach

305-936-1008

www.timorestaurant.com Timó's modern Mediterranean cuisine is so impressive you can take any one tantalizing dish from each menu category and put together a feast worthy of Babette. Begin with a hearty starter of slow-cooked tripe with bacon, onion, tomato, and Parmesan. No, wait, take that back. We'll start more delicately, with foie gras crostini accented with caramelized oranges and a dash of fleur de sel, then segue into a warm-spinach and roasted-duck salad with sun-dried black-fig vinaigrette before sampling the pasta pick of Yukon gold potato gnocchi with rock shrimp primavera. Peerless wood-fired pizzas are all worthwhile, particularly the thin-crusted pie puffed with ricotta, fontina, wild mushrooms, and white truffle oil. Fish course? Branzino with basil, asparagus, and lemon confit. Meat? Veal sweetbreads with bacon, honey -- forget that, we've already had our bacon. We'll have our sweetbreads with porcinis as a garnish for veal scaloppini, or wood-roasted chicken with Parmesan dumplings in a truffled poultry broth. Desserts? Impossible to choose just one. Besides, we're sure we can find room for both the warm apple tart with green apple granita and the double chocolate soufflé, though unfortunately there's not enough room to fully describe the winsome wine list, superior service, handsomely decorated dining room, fair prices, and exceedingly friendly neighborhood vibe. The partnering genius behind Timó is ace chef Tim Andriola (who cut his chops with Allen Susser, Charlie Trotter, and Mark Militello) and front-of-house wiz Rodrigo Martinez (formerly manager at Escopazzo and Norman's).

BEST RESTAURANT IN NORTH MIAMI-DADE

Timó Restaurant

BEST RESTAURANT IN NORTH MIAMI-DADE Timó Restaurant 17624 Collins Avenue

Sunny Isles Beach

305-936-1008

www.timorestaurant.com Timó's modern Mediterranean cuisine is so impressive you can take any one tantalizing dish from each menu category and put together a feast worthy of Babette. Begin with a hearty starter of slow-cooked tripe with bacon, onion, tomato, and Parmesan. No, wait, take that back. We'll start more delicately, with foie gras crostini accented with caramelized oranges and a dash of fleur de sel, then segue into a warm-spinach and roasted-duck salad with sun-dried black-fig vinaigrette before sampling the pasta pick of Yukon gold potato gnocchi with rock shrimp primavera. Peerless wood-fired pizzas are all worthwhile, particularly the thin-crusted pie puffed with ricotta, fontina, wild mushrooms, and white truffle oil. Fish course? Branzino with basil, asparagus, and lemon confit. Meat? Veal sweetbreads with bacon, honey -- forget that, we've already had our bacon. We'll have our sweetbreads with porcinis as a garnish for veal scaloppini, or wood-roasted chicken with Parmesan dumplings in a truffled poultry broth. Desserts? Impossible to choose just one. Besides, we're sure we can find room for both the warm apple tart with green apple granita and the double chocolate soufflé, though unfortunately there's not enough room to fully describe the winsome wine list, superior service, handsomely decorated dining room, fair prices, and exceedingly friendly neighborhood vibe. The partnering genius behind Timó is ace chef Tim Andriola (who cut his chops with Allen Susser, Charlie Trotter, and Mark Militello) and front-of-house wiz Rodrigo Martinez (formerly manager at Escopazzo and Norman's).

BEST WATERFRONT DINING

Café Sambal

BEST WATERFRONT DINING Café Sambal Mandarin Oriental Hotel

500 Brickell Key Drive

Miami

305-913-8251 Being a restaurant located directly beneath the nationally acclaimed kitchens of Azul is something like being Dolly Parton's shoes -- you get little recognition. Too bad, because few dining establishments boast as bedazzling a view of Biscayne Bay as Café Sambal, the waters practically slapping the seashell-studded terrazzo floor of the outdoor patio. Well, maybe there are a couple of other restaurants offering such vivacious vistas, but none features chef Paul Miller's splashy and inventive Asian dishes. Sushi selections are pretty and pristine, the five-spice honey-glazed spare ribs put the standard Chinese version to shame, and main courses like teriyaki seared salmon in green-tea butter sauce are as refreshing as ocean spray. Prices are shockingly sane -- the salmon entrée, for instance, is $21, which ain't bad for dining in stunning al fresco style at the Mandarin Oriental. Café Sambal offers this same soothing setting for breakfast and lunch too.

BEST WATERFRONT DINING

Café Sambal

BEST WATERFRONT DINING Café Sambal Mandarin Oriental Hotel

500 Brickell Key Drive

Miami

305-913-8251 Being a restaurant located directly beneath the nationally acclaimed kitchens of Azul is something like being Dolly Parton's shoes -- you get little recognition. Too bad, because few dining establishments boast as bedazzling a view of Biscayne Bay as Café Sambal, the waters practically slapping the seashell-studded terrazzo floor of the outdoor patio. Well, maybe there are a couple of other restaurants offering such vivacious vistas, but none features chef Paul Miller's splashy and inventive Asian dishes. Sushi selections are pretty and pristine, the five-spice honey-glazed spare ribs put the standard Chinese version to shame, and main courses like teriyaki seared salmon in green-tea butter sauce are as refreshing as ocean spray. Prices are shockingly sane -- the salmon entrée, for instance, is $21, which ain't bad for dining in stunning al fresco style at the Mandarin Oriental. Café Sambal offers this same soothing setting for breakfast and lunch too.

BEST BISTRO

Brasserie Les Halles

BEST BISTRO Brasserie Les Halles 2415 Ponce de Leon Boulevard

Coral Gables

305-461-1099

www.leshalles.net Brasserie Les Halles isn't that much better than other bistros, just a whole lot more ambitious -- and we don't mean ambitious in a "let's try escargots, peaches, and truffles together" way. Rather owner Philippe Lajaunie is dedicated to reproducing what Chef Anthony Bourdain creates at the flagship Les Halles in New York: working-class renditions of almost any dish you might encounter at a full-service bistro in Paris. Yeah, you can have your onion soup, escargots, country pâté, roast chicken, and steak frites (the last of these made with hangar steak and fresh potatoes for a thrifty $15.50). But you can also delve into smoked herring imported from Normandy, warm leeks with cornichons and shallot vinaigrette, or shredded pork rillettes -- and that's just for starters. Main courses, almost all under twenty dollars, include a number of grilled steaks (either Angus or prime, and organic feed only), cassoulet, rabbit in mustard sauce, crisp duck confit, and blood sausages with caramelized apples (we forgot to mention: the kitchen crew here really knows how to cook). Tempting, homemade desserts have names like girls from the Moulin Rouge: Mousse, Brùlée, Suzette, and Tatin. Les Halles also offers a cheese plate, which is harder to find in Miami restaurants than American cheese in Paris, and stocks an exceptional number of French regional wines priced a bit below most local lists. Last but perhaps most, dining in this long room with its dark wood and tin roof is closer to an authentic Parisian bistro experience than anything else in South Florida.

BEST BISTRO

Brasserie Les Halles

BEST BISTRO Brasserie Les Halles 2415 Ponce de Leon Boulevard

Coral Gables

305-461-1099

www.leshalles.net Brasserie Les Halles isn't that much better than other bistros, just a whole lot more ambitious -- and we don't mean ambitious in a "let's try escargots, peaches, and truffles together" way. Rather owner Philippe Lajaunie is dedicated to reproducing what Chef Anthony Bourdain creates at the flagship Les Halles in New York: working-class renditions of almost any dish you might encounter at a full-service bistro in Paris. Yeah, you can have your onion soup, escargots, country pâté, roast chicken, and steak frites (the last of these made with hangar steak and fresh potatoes for a thrifty $15.50). But you can also delve into smoked herring imported from Normandy, warm leeks with cornichons and shallot vinaigrette, or shredded pork rillettes -- and that's just for starters. Main courses, almost all under twenty dollars, include a number of grilled steaks (either Angus or prime, and organic feed only), cassoulet, rabbit in mustard sauce, crisp duck confit, and blood sausages with caramelized apples (we forgot to mention: the kitchen crew here really knows how to cook). Tempting, homemade desserts have names like girls from the Moulin Rouge: Mousse, Brùlée, Suzette, and Tatin. Les Halles also offers a cheese plate, which is harder to find in Miami restaurants than American cheese in Paris, and stocks an exceptional number of French regional wines priced a bit below most local lists. Last but perhaps most, dining in this long room with its dark wood and tin roof is closer to an authentic Parisian bistro experience than anything else in South Florida.

BEST SOUL-FOOD RESTAURANT

Jackson Soul Food

Photo by Aran Graham
BEST SOUL-FOOD RESTAURANT Jackson Soul Food 950 NW Third Avenue

Miami

305-377-6710 Morning time is critical in a city that never quite sleeps but tosses fretfully in a haze of muggy weather, traffic hell, and inexplicable municipal politics. To triumph over yet another cycle, one needs the right fuel, something that will stick through the better part of the day. Demas Jackson and his daughter Shirlene have what you need. The Jacksons run a simply wonderful place to go for breakfast. It's not fancy, just a collection of tables, booths, a long gray counter, and a gaggle of the usual suspects from the neighborhood. Lots of people have discovered the rib-sticking virtues of Jackson Soul Food, from longshoremen, cops, nurses, and teachers to downtown suit-wearing types. They come for the biscuits, the smothered chicken wings, catfish, mullet, liver with onions, the kingfish sandwich. The egg sandwich is great with a dash of Tabasco.

BEST SOUL-FOOD RESTAURANT

Jackson Soul Food

BEST SOUL-FOOD RESTAURANT Jackson Soul Food 950 NW Third Avenue

Miami

305-377-6710 Morning time is critical in a city that never quite sleeps but tosses fretfully in a haze of muggy weather, traffic hell, and inexplicable municipal politics. To triumph over yet another cycle, one needs the right fuel, something that will stick through the better part of the day. Demas Jackson and his daughter Shirlene have what you need. The Jacksons run a simply wonderful place to go for breakfast. It's not fancy, just a collection of tables, booths, a long gray counter, and a gaggle of the usual suspects from the neighborhood. Lots of people have discovered the rib-sticking virtues of Jackson Soul Food, from longshoremen, cops, nurses, and teachers to downtown suit-wearing types. They come for the biscuits, the smothered chicken wings, catfish, mullet, liver with onions, the kingfish sandwich. The egg sandwich is great with a dash of Tabasco.

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Best Of Miami®

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