Daniel Boulud Returns to the JW Marriott Marquis With Boulud Sud

Chef Daniel Boulud's Mediterranean-themed Boulud Sud opened a week ago at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami with fare from some of the world's most beautiful places.

Housed in the space formerly occupied by the chef's DB Bistro Moderne, the revamped restaurant is brighter in both decor and fare. The concept, inspired by Boulud's travels, includes cuisine from coastal regions such as the French Riviera, Spain, Italy, Greece, Morocco, Lebanon, and Turkey.

After the final dinner service of the French-driven concept in September 2017, walls were broken down to open the 6,350-square-foot restaurant. Dark-gray furnishings were replaced by warm teals, and collage art by Brazilian artist Vik Muniz was installed.
The Miami menu uses the same grains, herbs, and spices as the New York City flagship, but the menu has been tailored for its new location. Boulud collaborated with executive chef Clark Bowen, who also worked in the kitchen of DB Bistro, on dishes for this project, including a "Simply Grilled" section of proteins.

Currently, Bouloud Sud is open only for dinner and serves an array of sharable plates such as lamb flatbread ($19) and kale and beet salad ($15).
Chicken tagine ($28), filled with couscous, cauliflower, and turnips, is best paired with patatas bravas ($8). Two of Boulud's favorite dishes are an Andalusian gazpacho with cucumber and watermelon ($12) and pasta agnolotti made with pumpkin, sage, and ricotta salata ($16 to $25). 
Any trip to Boulud Sud must end with the grapefruit givre ($15) dessert. Pastry chef Saeko Nemoto fills a hollowed-out grapefruit with grapefruit sorbet and rose lokum candy and tops it with tuile and sesame halva.

The restaurant's drink program offers a diverse selection of well-priced wines and Mediterranean-inspired cocktails such as negronis and the Chow Bella, shaken with bourbon, Aperol, Cynar, Aqua Faba, cinnamon, lemon, and bitters. Locals will be glad to know frosé is also on the menu (all drinks cost $15 each).

Boulud Sud. 255 Biscayne Blvd. Way, Miami; 305-421-8800; bouludsud.com. Dinner daily beginning at 5 p.m.; lunch service coming soon.