As Miami Spice continues, New Times is determined to find the absolute best places to dine among the 240-plus participating restaurants.
We've covered where to go for sushi and sashimi, vegan eats, and pan-Asian fare, along with the best deals in South Beach, Coral Gables, Doral and Kendall, and downtown Miami and Brickell.
Now we're on to everyone's favorite: comfort food. Choose from these five restaurants to indulge in double-patty burgers, fried chicken, jalapeño cheddar grits, and ice-cream cookie sundaes.
Miami Spice runs through September 30 with $23 lunch or brunch and $39 dinner (tip, tax, and drinks are not included).
1. Ariete. Michael Beltran's Coconut Grove restaurant offers jam-packed Spice menus for lunch, brunch, and dinner. The chef's signature chug burger makes an appearance at every meal, in which a beef double patty is cloaked in melted cheddar cheese and layered with house pickles and a secret sauce. During brunch, try Beltran's
2. Root & Bone. Top Chef's Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth, who own Sunset Harbour's Stiltsville Fish Bar, offer a nightly Spice dinner at their Root & Bone inside the Shelborne South Beach. Find a lineup of Southern
3. Tap 42. Offered at Tap 42's Aventura, midtown Miami, and Coral Gables locations, Spice lunch and dinner include some of the brand's most popular items. Highlights include spicy salmon tostones with guacamole and sriracha aioli; flamed-grilled chicken wings brushed with a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce and served with blue cheese dressing; the grilled salmon Zen bowl, with pan-fried brown rice and vegetable stir-fry in a truffle miso glaze; and the truffle filet steak sandwich, stuffed with melted white cheddar, caramelized onions, and truffle aioli. For dessert, dive into an ice-cream cookie sundae with hot fudge and rainbow sprinkles. Various locations; tap42.com. Miami Spice is offered for dinner daily and lunch Monday through Friday.
4. Bird & Bone. This year, Richard Hales' country farmhouse-inspired restaurant inside the Confidante Miami Beach offers only Spice dinner. But don't let that limitation deter you from visiting. Bird & Bone's menu is one of the most generous. Begin with a skillet of cornbread or a deviled kale caesar salad. Continue with roasted pork shank or the restaurant's double-patty beef burger with bacon, onion, and Florida cheddar on Zak the Baker brioche with hot-spiced French fries. Dessert options include an ice-cream sundae, fried apple hand pies, and a chocolate bourbon cake. 4041 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-424-1234; theconfidantehotel.com. Miami Spice is offered for dinner Monday through Friday.
5. Swine Southern Table & Bar. In Coral Gables, the highlight of Swine's lunch and dinner Spice menus is a half fried chicken with jalapeño cheddar grits and gravy. Other choices are barbecue-spiced grilled salmon, slow-smoked ribs, and Jack and cookies, which encourages diners to dunk a selection of house-made cookies into milk spiked with Jack Daniel's. 2415 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables; 786-360-6433; runpigrun.com. Miami Spice is offered for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday.