Critics, including this one, raved about Jeffrey Brana’s clean, fresh cuisine at his short-lived Restaurant Brana in the Gables. Now we’ll get another chance to sample his cooking at The Raleigh Hotel on South Beach, as Brana has been named the property’s new executive chef. His menu should be out in a couple of weeks. We raleigh look forward to it.
The Raleigh’s sister South Beach property, The Standard Hotel & Spa, will be hosting After Hours with Daniel Boulud, a food series that follows chefs as they hang out together “after hours.” The holistic hot spot’s executive chef Mark Zeitouni (Lido at The Standard) will be joined by his hand-picked chef-friends Michael Schwartz (Michael’s), Michelle Bernstein (Michy’s), Cindy Hutson (Ortanique), and Pietro Vardeu (Sardinia). Sounds great, but may not come in on everyone’s television set: The show airs on the Mojo network on HDTV.
It’s official: Hedy Goldsmith, Miami’s most renowned satisfier of sugary cravings, will serve as executive pastry chef for Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink. It will be a sweet reunion of the two, who worked together for so long at Nemo Restaurant.
Another local talent, Andrew Rothschild (formerly of the Forge, Tsunami Restaurant in West Palm Beach, and most recently a short short stint at Santos), has been tapped to be the executive chef at Bourbon Steak, the highly anticipated MIchael Mina venture debuting soon at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club in Aventura -- first time a restaurant there will be open to the public. It is also shaping up to be the priciest eatery in town.
Toscano Grille, an Italian restaurant with Argentine influences, has closed in Coral Gables. Look for an Argentine restaurant with Italian influences to take its place.
The rodizio-style steakhouse Texas de Brazil is slated to open this month at the Miami Beach Marina at 300 Alton Road -- in the space formerly occupied by o-R-o. In addition to 14 selections of prime beef, pork, chicken, lamb and other grilled meats, and an array of salads, sides, and made-to-order sushi, the restaurant will offer over 700 wine labels. In related news, the Miami de Brazil opening in Minneapolis this winter will feature frivolously dressed waiters roaming from table to table with carving knives and array of tropical fruits. --Lee Klein
