Ashley
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
There's one place on the beach called 'Under the Mango Tree.' It's predominantly organic. They have Acai bowls, smoothies, and empanadas. There's another place in Midtown called Thatch that's 100% plant based and and really good. In Wynwood, there's a place called Love Life Cafe. It's also a 10 out of 10 recommend.
Michael
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
When Sarah and I arrived in Miami, and we didn't have anything in the house but an air mattress, we found the Asian Fusion Cafe in Palmetto Bay. They're very unpretentious with very good Asian food. They're not very expensive and super friendly.
Dani
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
Delirio which is also healthy place near me. I like to have breakfast there and support them. Also, Pita Pockets is one of my favorite Mediterranean restaurants. On Saturdays, the fresh market has started opening and you can go in with a mask. I love Kazumi on the Key. They have a sweet sushi roll called the Itchigo role. They don't even have it in the menu anymore, but they'll make it for you. It has strawberries, eel, crab, and shrimp. It's the perfect mixture of salty and sweet. I love Ayesha's Indian restaurant. They also have location in the Grove. Nearby, the River Oyster Bar has amazing food. And Stanzione 87 is my favorite pizza place.
Ayesha's Indian, Best Buddies, Delirio, Kazumi, Komodo, Pita Pockets, Planta, ...
Leticia
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
I still find myself at the Bar at Michael’s Genuine occasionally. When they have it, I like the wood-oven roasted eggplant with tahini. When they have simple vegetable soups at lunch, I really enjoy it too- broth and veggies. Whisk Gourmet when I’m craving a 3-D, satisfying sandwich. Chef Brendan makes the best ones in town. He and his sister Kirsten are really special people, and that makes everything taste even better.
Sandy
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
Seasons 52. They always have stuff I can eat there. And Matsuri for Japanese - I avoid the rice and get sashimi and vegetable soup. They have a great conch that's sautéed with what seems to be green beans or maybe it's cactus.
Alina
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
We love Hillstone for everything. Naiyara for Thai food. Branko and I love Izakaya and Matsuri.
Amara, Hillstone, Matsuri, Naiyara, Peace Love World, QVC, Su-shin Izakaya, ...
Claudia & Mike
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
We love the Primavera Risotto from A Pizza Brooklyn (their Tiramisu is also on point), Shrimp tacos from The Brick Restaurant and from Whisk the fried green tomatoes, pork burrito and crab fried rice!
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.
Heidi
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
That's tricky. I have a lot of friends in the industry. I like going to dives as much as I do fine dining. Right around here, Keg South is pretty up there...it's between the wings and the burgers. I think their wings are fried and then tossed with their hot sauce and thrown on the grill. Sometimes - the dirtier the dive, the better the food. I recently found this place Lung Yai Thai tapas. It's on eighth street. When you sit down, you order and then you can't order anything else, they will not allow you. So, it's a conundrum to order too much or not order enough. It's one of my favorite places right now.