Barbara & Steven
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
Michael Schwartz is our most serious chef. We like what Michael does because he is really committed to local ingredients – and for me especially, he is really committed to live fire. All his restaurants have wood burning grills, and I think he has been very successful in delivering wood grilled flavor in his food. When you eat his food you really know that someone was burning logs in a grill. We like Fi'lia his new Amara. We also like, The Petit Mason – Barbara especially likes it because it is so ‘adult’ and has white tablecloths. And, there are no television sets in the dining room – which is hard to find in Miami. They serve a baby chicken marinated in preserved lemons and garlic and grilled over a charcoal burning grill that’s fantastic. You’ll also find us at Stubborn Seed, Plant + Food, and Kyu in Wynwood.
Galia
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
We're so spoiled in Coral Gables and South Miami. The Ritz Carlton in Coconut Grove just opened up a new restaurant called Isabelle's - It's fantastic. Doc B's is a new restaurant, sort of like Hillstone's, that is good and close by. They have an angry meatball that is delicious. And, Bombay Darbar or Strada in the Grove. I've recently started going back to Christie's steakhouse, which is ironic because of course that's where I grew up going for special occasions. It's so special to walk in there and it's so familiar. The service is great. The food is great.
Allison
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
Love Mandolin and their Greek Village (salad), catch of the day. Milo’s lunch special is the best in town! www.annam-miami.com does a weekly tiffin on Monday’s which abides to meatless Monday and is the best Indian ever - made with love, check out their pop up dinners around town…they’re doing a Shabbat dinner in Wynwood in March. Everything at Surf Club Restaurant by Thomas Keller. Veggie pita at The Last Carrot in Coconut Grove. Cheeseburgers at LoKal in the Grove. Happy hour at Town in South Miami.
Marko
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
My wife and I usually cook during the week. If we go out, we'll do so over the weekend. The kids love anything Italian. My daughter's favorite is Villagio. Pura Vida, on the beach. They have a place now in Edgewater and the University of Miami as well. It's kind of fresh, healthy foods, and very good. When we go to the beach on Saturdays, we'll go there after for lunch and the kids love it. The last restaurant that I ate at that I really liked was KYU. I liked the octopus and there was a cauliflower dish that was really good. And from just from a casual perspective, something that's always consistent is Hillstone.
Matthew
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
I'm more of a classic guy. I like the mainstay type restaurants, like Caffe Abbracci or Christys , or even Garcia's Seafood Market, or Captain's Tavern. These local gems have really good food and they're not touristy.
Chris
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
We enjoy a lot of them. Recently, we went to Balloo. I really love Caribbean food and they're doing it so cool. It's real small and they don't take reservations, but the food is top-notch and exciting. They had big a pickled slab of chayote squash with this delicious sweet and spicy chutney. I'm fascinated by and have always wanted to grow chayote. I like to see it on a menu sort of showcased like that. We always make our way out to 27 and Mandolin is always one of our favorites. Boia De is really nice, that's sort of near us. Then there are a couple Mexican places down in Homestead that are good. They're almost all in gas stations. 5 Hermanos on 272 and Krome. It's a food truck at a gas station with a couple of tents.
John
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
We are going out to restaurants typically in the Gables area that are open air. Bachour was a recent opening and we typically do a breakfast there either Saturday or Sunday. We do quite a bit on Giralda. We very much like Miss Saigon, Coyo Taco, and the Peruvian restaurant that's there as well.
Aliza
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
My kids love LAN Pan Asian. My son gets shrimp dumplings and the chicken flat noodles. My daughter gets the chicken katsu and edamame. I usually get Sushi. If I had to pick like my favorite place to go right now it would be Ghee. I like to go for lunch. They have a set lunch, with only two options. It's nice because it makes you try different things. It’s a super price as well, I think it’s $11 dollars.
Juan And Terri
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
We enjoy supporting small local businesses in the area therefore we often frequent Shaddai Fine Lebanese Cuisine, Pinecrest Bakery, Peppers, Roasters & Toasters, Piolas, and Taco Rico. We are lucky to have these and many other good options in the area and are grateful to have them around.
Luis and Natalia
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
For Thai:Bangkok City – everything is good. Especially the fried rice and the peanut sauce. The peanut salad is incredible. Origins on the Key is also great. They have a bunch of different cuisines - Thai, Malaysian, Japanese – but it’s not fusion. They have different dishes from each style. The Malaysian roti is really good. For Tacos: El Toro Taco – we get everything, it’s all well made, and you can’t go wrong. Las Carnitas – the mole is real. You would never pull over and think to eat there. It is a little window with seating on 8th street. You need to be taken there.