Welcome to another Miami July. Local weather forecasters are chatting about some tropical activity brewing in the Caribbean, electronics stores are touting their layaway specials for Christmas, and we're just trying to take a walk without getting eaten alive by mosquitoes.
What to do? We suggest catching up on all the new restaurants introduced in the past few months. In the early part of the year, eateries were opening fast and furious, sometimes as many as a dozen spots in a month. Now that we're in the throes of summer, the rate of new restaurants has slowed somewhat, allowing us to catch up on the places that might have eluded us. Now is a great time to explore.
See also: 11 Restaurants We're Looking Forward to in 2014
10. Uvaggio
Tucked away in Coral Gables lies Uvaggio. This wine bar, opened in April by owner Craig DeWald, sommelier Heath Porter, and former Top Chef contestant Bret Pelaggi, features what the restaurant calls "backward wine tasting." Order from the small yet satisfying menu that consists of items like salt cod croquetas ($5) and octopus "naranja agria" ($16), and allow your server or Porter to select the proper pairings for your meal. The intimate restaurant caters to both serious oenophiles as well as the casual wine lover, and for that it was named New Times' 2014 Best Wine Bar.
See also: Best Wine Bar: Uvaggio
Let's face it. Everyone is a sucker for nostalgia, and Uncle Tom's Barbecue holds a special place in the hearts and stomachs of most Miami natives. Unfortunately, being around for 60 years doesn't guarantee a great meal, and Uncle Tom's changed hands and menus one too many times. Tom lost his luster and last year was forced to close due to fire damage. Instead of abandoning the restaurant, which fed nearly every celebrity who passed through Miami in the '50s and '60s, Ariel Rodriguez and Orlando Morales purchased the place and original recipes with a vow to reclaim the barbecue joint as the best in South Florida. Uncle Tom's reopened in June with a menu full of authentic pit barbecue items like brisket ($10.95), baby-back ribs ($19.95), and chicken ($9.95). Great barbecue at a good price. How retro.
