David
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
That list is supremely long. Do we go geographically...alphabetically? My buddy Niven, just opened up (Mamey) a new spot in Coral Gables. The food looks great, but I haven't been yet. The guys that Bar Lab cocktails opened up their natural wine popup on South beach, and it looks amazing. I still haven't gotten my hands on one of those pizzas that Brad and Old Greg's are doing in the Design District. I really miss the eating the ceviche at Itamae on an everyday basis. I still get my share of my EL Bagels - that's like my essential breakfast and brunch item. I still eat a ton of Stanzione's pizzas. I had an amazing lobster roll from Justin Flit and Mike Beltran at Nave. They're doing a New England style clam shack menu on the weekends. Aaron Brooks is doing a pop up at Stanzione 87. It's like a Turkish inspired pide and lahmacun. Aaron is supremely underrated. His food is incredible. One of the silver linings of the pandemic is all the creativity that's coming out of it. I've also had some random homemade things. There's a nice girl, that I met through the Miami food community, that's making homemade Armenian food every weekend. People are signing up and she's selling out every weekend. Her name is The Spicy Dolma. The guys from Kyu, Chef Raheem and his crew, are doing amazing barbecue right out of their front yard. It's impossible to list everyone. Jaguar Sun is doing amazing things right now in Little River. People are finding ways to survive. They're finding ways to thrive. They're finding ways to support their teams and to support their families. All of that is really amazing.
Stephanie
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
I’m vegan, so I really like Mediterranean foods. I like Daily Bread’s salad bar. In Midtown, the Love Life Café, and in Wynwood – Della Bowls. There’s a lot more vegan food coming out now that is not just salad. As a vegan, people think that’s all we eat.
Ben
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
Every Sunday or Monday evening, like clockwork, I get take out from Tropical Chinese. Also, Madruga Bakery. My wife is French and her parents are French and make baguette requests when I go to see them in Clearwater, FL.
Nando
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
My favorite restaurant to go to right now is a Jaguar Sun. I love what they do with the limited amount of space they have. I have a tremendous respect for Chef Carey and Will, I think they provide one of the best experiences in Miami. Another favorite place is Ariete, I love what Mike does. I love his commitment to excellence. I love NIU kitchen. Also, La Mar. I know we do something similar with Peruvian food. But, because we don't have a kitchen, whenever I'm missing good Peruvian hot dishes, it's my favorite place to go. I think Diego is always pushing the boundary on Peruvian food.
Ariel
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
Alaines Osteria for Italian. There's 1111 Bistro in Palmetto Bay. We used to live in Brickell and we used to go to 1111 Brickell. We moved because of the pandemic and everything that was happening during that time and coincidentally so did 1111. We don't know if they followed us or if we followed them. It's very well run. It's Peruvian with an Asian twist. You get really good service and really good food. Also, Pig Floyd for BBQ.
Joann
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
For like a quick lunch or coffee, we love Joanna's marketplace in South Miami. Also in South Miami, Whisk is a good spot for dinner. It's like Southern comfort food. We also like Raw South.
Muriel
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
We don't go out that much. We like to cook at home for the most part, mainly because it's healthier – also affordable. I love Thai food, so we like to go to Cake Thai. I always get the same thing - crispy tofu that's cooked in a basil sauce. There's so much basil it’s like spinach. I have a bit of a tradition for my birthday. I like to go to 27 Restaurant. They have specials that are different all the time, which is part of why I like it. They cook vegetables really, really well.