Jeremy Ford Introduces Seasonal Tasting Menu at Beauty & the Butcher

Tasting menus are all the rage right now, and if you're in Miami, there are certainly plenty to choose from.

Whether it's a fancy omakase or a limited-time offering like Miami Spice, the idea of letting the chef take the reins during dinner is becoming an increasingly popular trend.

For Jeremy Ford, best known to Miamians as chef/owner of Stubborn Seed and to others as the Season 13 winner of Bravo's Top Chef, the goal of a good-tasting menu should be unlocking creativity while offering a closer connection to the people who supply and prepare the food.

For that reason, Ford recently launched a new tasting menu option at Beauty & the Butcher, his latest restaurant, located in Coral Gables. Drawing from years of searching out the best ingredients and building relationships for Stubborn Seed, the Florida native says he hopes to deliver a dining experience that celebrates Florida in a timely manner.

With the tasting, diners can expect to find an ever-evolving eight-course menu that rotates with the seasons, available daily alongside the restaurant's regular a la carte menu. While certain cherished dishes from the menu will make an appearance, the majority of the offerings will continually shift to align with Ford and his team's seasonal inspirations.

It's an alternative way to dine, says Ford, offering guests a chance to indulge in dishes that might not be seen again until the ingredients come into season. They are working closely with a network of local farmers, Ford tells New Times.

"Instead of getting produce delivered to the restaurant, I prefer to visit the fruit and vegetable farms myself, establishing a direct, face-to-face relationship with the farmers," shares Ford.

Take the recent Szechuan-cured hamachi, which Ford terms a vibrant homage to summer. The dish features locally caught yellowtail slices delicately cured with Szechuan peppers and coriander, accompanied by torched heirloom melon, chili ferment, Florida mango, and a passionfruit emulsion.
Among the menu's sweet finales, a dessert of mamey cake captures the essence of the team's culinary approach. During a recent visit to Homestead farm stand Robert Is Here Ford says he stumbled upon a harvest of fresh local mamey he couldn't ignore. Captivated by its quality and allure, he decided to challenge his executive pastry chef, Ana De Sa Martins, to use the fruit for a recent tasting menu dessert.

The result? A tropical mamey cake that pays homage to sticky toffee pudding, with a rustic preparation that lets the sweet and tangy flavors of the fruit shine, explains the chef, and one that won't be on the menu once the fruit is no longer available.

With an eye on the future, Ford plans to infuse more midsummer selections into the restaurant's tasting menu, highlighting the abundance of stone fruits as the season turns to fall. Moving forward, diners can anticipate an ever-evolving experience that embodies a commitment to seasonality, innovation, and the celebration of exceptional ingredients — but also community.

Ford shares that despite his desire to continually push culinary boundaries, he also remains dedicated to an ethos of collaboration and experimentation.

"The way we create our menus is always a team effort," he explains. "Many of our team members have been with us for over five years — a rarity in Miami's fast-paced culinary scene. Our recipe for this loyalty is simple: We challenge, listen, and respect. We keep them engaged, and we make sure their voices are heard and valued. This collaborative spirit forms the backbone of our kitchen, and it's their dedication that truly shapes our success."

Beauty & the Butcher. 6915 Red Rd., Miami; beautyandthebutchermiami.com. Tasting menu is priced at $150 per person and is available from 6 to 10 p.m. daily.