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72nd Bar & Grill isn't the 72nd moderately priced, neighborhoody bar and grill to open in Miami since the Great Recession took a blowtorch to upscale dining establishments. It's actually the latest venture of the husband and wife and chef team of Juan and Vani Maza, late of the nearby Alta Cocina, which they sold earlier this year.
Everything for everybody is pretty much 72's culinary philosophy, with a menu of salads, pizzas, burgers, pastas, charcuterie and more substantial entrees to go along with a pair of bars, one raw, the other whipping up unleaded milkshakes (for kids) and high-test ones (for adults).
Signature dishes include an Asian-style burger with pulled pork, slaw
and apple chutney; pasta carbonara with snow peas, bacon, brie and
sun-dried tomatoes; burgundy-braised short ribs with sweet potato
purees; Kobe skirt steak with choice of sauces and desserts like goat
cheese cheesecake and white chocolate-banana bread pudding.
The South Miami restaurant sports a stylish yet cozy earth-toned décor
with dark wood floor, indoor and outdoor seating and will likely be
followed by a 73rd moderately priced, neighborhoody bar and grill as
local restaurateurs try to stay one step ahead of the economic Grim
Reaper.