With cooler weather comes renewed vigor for work and school, so why not take a break with a delicious lunch instead of eating a sandwich at your desk?
Here are ten restaurants offering great values on lunches. Whether you're entertaining clients, meeting friends, or simply want to get out of the office, try one of these spots instead of heating up that frozen entrée.
Bakan
2801 NW Second Ave., Miami305-396-7080
bakanwynwood.com
Weekdays at this Mexican-inspired restaurant in Wynwood, find the $20 "Comida Corrida," a three-course lunch menu of new and signature items. The meal begins with a selection of soups and salads, followed by a choice of Mexicana or caesar salad. Entrées include carnitas prensadas tacos, made with house-made blue corn tortillas, and enchiladas. For dessert, there's flan and paletas, made fresh daily. Add a beer or a glass of wine for an additional $5. Monday through Friday noon to 3 p.m.
Beaker & Gray
2637 N. Miami Ave., Miami305-699-2637
beakerandgray.com
Head to Beaker & Gray for a three-course executive lunch for $35, which includes a nonalcoholic beverage. Featured appetizers are chicken wings with brown sugar, tamarind, and sesame; green papaya with nuoc cham, spiced peanut, and coconut crunch; and loaded fries with huancaína, pickled bacon, and queso fresco. For the main course, choose from options such as a baby spinach salad with quinoa and barley with chicken or shrimp; a grilled chicken sandwich with romaine and avocado; and a Wagyu burger with smoked Gouda, bacon, and caramelized onion aioli. End your meal with chocolate mousse with chocolate gelato. Monday through Friday noon to 4 p.m.
Doma
35 NE 26th St., Miami786-953-6946
domawynwood.com
This Italian spot in Wynwood is offering a midday meal for $21. The two-course deal offers choices such as sautéed Mediterranean mussels, homemade meatballs, eggplant parmigiana, grilled fish of the day, and baby organic chicken with grilled vegetables and roasted fingerling potatoes. Desserts cost $3 each and include classic tiramisu and vanilla panna cotta. Monday through Friday noon to 2:40 p.m.
Fiola
1500 San Ignacio Ave., Coral Gables305-912-2639
fiolamiami.com
In the Gables, Fiola offers a flavor-packed $28 prix fixe with dishes inspired by several regions of Italy. Begin your three-course journey with one of four appetizers choices: tomato gazpacho with stracciatella toast; baby kale with pistachio, chickpeas, and apricots; "colors of the garden" salad with lettuces, stone fruit, Piedmontese La Tur cheese, and focaccia; or, for an $8 surcharge, Japanese hamachi. From the main-course section, choose from a fisherman's-style branzino with artichokes and red peppers; eggplant al funghetto with black garlic molasses and roasted tomatoes; gnocchi pomodoro with foraged mushrooms; snapper with stewed chickpeas and red peppers; or grilled octopus. End the meal on a sweet note with either peach Macedonia with key lime and Bacardi rum gel or dragon fruit budino with pistachio granola. Monday through Friday noon to 2:30 p.m.
Katsuya
8 SE Eighth St., Miami305-4859-0200
katsuyarestaurant.com
For fall, Katsuya has introduced an executive lunch special at its Brickell location. The three-course prix fixe costs $25 and includes signature dishes such as spicy tuna crispy rice, rock shrimp tempura, beef short rib, and miso-glazed black cod. Gluten-free and vegan menus are available upon request. Daily noon to 3 p.m.
Komodo
801 Brickell Ave., Miami305-534-2211
komodomiami.com
Celebrity hot spot Komodo is set to debut a $26 dim sum lunch this Wednesday, October 16. The three-course menu will offer a selection of signature starters and a variety of dim sum, made with oxtail, mushroom, and truffle; chicken and foie gras; and tiger shrimp. Monday through Thursday noon to 3 p.m.
Fish and chips, salad, and key lime pie from Monty's executive lunch menu.
Photo by Deyson Rodriguez
Monty’s Raw Bar
2550 S. Bayshore Dr., Coconut Grove305-856-3992
montysrawbar.com
As part of its 50th-anniversary celebration, Monty’s Raw Bar in Coconut Grove is offering a three-course executive lunch for $12 Monday through Thursday. Nosh on a garden salad or Key West conch chowder to start, or for $1 more, order the she-crab soup or New England clam chowder. Next, choose either fish and chips — three pieces of beer-battered cod with tartar sauce, French fries, and coleslaw — or chicken tinga tacos topped with queso fresco, crema, and cilantro and served with Mexican street corn. A creamy slice of key lime pie ends the meal. The executive lunch is guaranteed to be served within 15 minutes of ordering, and parking is free in the adjacent lot. Monday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Novikov
300 S. Biscayne Blvd., Miami305-489-1000
novikovmiami.com
Novikov is offering a $23 four-course business lunch on weekdays. Start with miso soup or seaweed salad; then choose from appetizers such as shishito peppers, a salmon avocado roll, or shrimp cilantro or saffron sweet corn dumplings. Entrées include crispy Peking duck, grilled branzino, and a bowl of sushi rice topped with assorted fresh fish, salmon roe, myoga, shiso, gari, and spicy wasabi. Desserts, created by pastry chef Karina Rivera, are lychee panna cotta and matcha tiramisu. Monday through Friday noon to 3 p.m.
La Petite Maison Miami
1300 Brickell Bay Dr., Miami305-403-9133
lpmlondon.co.uk/miami
La Petite Maison has debuted "Dejeuner D’affaires," an executive lunch menu available weekdays. The $29 meal includes two starters and an entrée. Veal-stuffed Mediterranean vegetables, salmon carpaccio with guacamole, and ratatouille et feta are just three of the several appetizers available. Entrée choices include gnocchi with cherry tomato, garlic, and Parmesan; salt-baked redfish fillet with artichokes and tomatoes; and roasted baby chicken marinated in lemon. Side dishes are available for an additional $4.50 each, and desserts cost $8. Monday through Friday noon to 2:30 p.m.
Picadillo, one of the "completa" choices from the "Express Lunch" menu at Sala'o.
Photo courtesy of Sala'o
Sala’o Cuban Bar and Pescaderia
1642 SW Eighth St., Miami305-642-8989
salaorestaurant.com
One of Little Havana’s newest restaurants, Sala’o Cuban Bar and Pescaderia is an homage to Ernest Hemingway’s Cuba. The restaurant recently launched a weekday express lunch menu for $11.95 The menu includes three entrée choices: grouper with yellow rice, sofrito, and vegetables; clams in green sofrito and wine over rice; or the completa, a daily protein with choice of two sides. The meal includes a daiquiri, house wine, or domestic beer. Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m
