New Miami restaurants, exciting entries on the way, a dining and party option and light bites, all in Eating News for July, 2021.

Light bites: Local Craft Food and Drink in Coconut Grove has closed….. News notes from the Miami Herald: Waterfront Four Ambassadors is adding Brickell bay boardwalk restaurants and retail on the ground floor looking to Brickell Key. The tenant includes Turkish entertainment company bysabri group…..Argentine investors have purchased 1101 South Miami Avenue and will build boutique retail on the triangle shaped sliver of Brickell. One restaurant from Colombia, another from London and two from Mexico are inquiring about the site…Look for a “new” Boca Raton Resort to be called The Boca Raton and dining choices in late ’21/’22. In Phase One alone, there will be an investment of $175 million in the physical transformation to be unveiled during Winter 2021/2022. Also on tap will be enhancements to every guest experience, from accommodations to dynamic culinary concepts and programming.

Welcome new addition to Brickell area happy hour offerings, and it’s 7 days a week! Yes! Kaori, specializing in Mediterranean and Asian cuisine,  has an appealing happy hour from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.  at the bar and at small tables. It’s a well curated menu and value priced. We’re talking a choice of five cocktails for $7 each, $5 beer and $5 wine with choices in each category. In the food department find three categories and 12 different dishes — raw crudo ($10), robatas ($7) and meze to share ($7). Our favorites were the braised short rib star dumplings with manchego foam and infused basil oil, and  the fennel kumquat glazed pork belly bao buns with crispy kale leaves. Next time we’d like to try the salmon, tuna and octopus crudos. The service was excellent. KAORI, 871 South Miami Avenue.

New Miami Restaurants:

Chef Adrianne Calvo of the popular Redfish Grill has opened her latest, Forte by Chef Adrianne located in Coral Gables at 45  Miracle Mile. Open for lunch and dinner,  Forte is about her interpretation of Italian cuisine, paying homage to her Sicilian lineage. For more information about Forte, visit ForteMiami.com or call 305.517.6181. Look for an upcoming review.

Millennial favorite wellness eatery Pura Vida has debuted its seventh all-day café in the thriving Aventura ParkSquare neighborhood, part of the brand’s expansion plan that includes the recent addition of a second location in Miami Beach as well as West Palm Beach.  Signature menu items include an all-day Breakfast Menu featuring a range of avocado toasts, pasture-raised egg sandwiches, wraps, and customizable bowls, as well as their Açaí Bowls. Other popular dishes include the Mango Salmon, Spicy Tuna, and Vegan Lentil Bowls, as well as the Toasted Chicken Wrap and Jen’s Herb Salad. The addition of their new in-house baker has allowed their team to launch a new line of gluten and sugar-free pastry options, along with new bakery items baked in-house including the Nocciola Croissant; filled with Belgium chocolate and hazelnut spread, the Gluten-free Oatmeal Chocolate PB Energy Bites made with peanut butter, oats, honey, chocolate chips, chia seed, flaxseed, coconut, vanilla bean and salt, and the Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie; made with all-purpose flour, coconut oil, dark chocolate, salt and walnuts. Pura Vida Aventura is located at 2980 NE 207th St. Suite 110, Aventura 33180. Hours of operation are 8AM – 4PM, daily

New Miami Restaurant Openings On the Way:

James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur Michael Schwartz will be launching the first Miami Beach outpost of Harry’s Pizzeria  just steps away from Lincoln Road. at 1680 Meridian Avenue The 2,500-square foot space, complete with a full communal horseshoe bar, accommodates 60 diners indoors and offers seating at its breezy outdoor patio.The Pizzeria’s proximity to the beach inspired Chef Michael Schwartz and his culinary team to offer lighter fare – in addition to all of Harry’s classic dishes – with new menu items including Crudite, Hearth Roasted Vegetables, Endive Salad and  Chickpea Salad. Signature pizza offerings, which can be made in the standard 12-inch pie or new 16-inch size, include Spicy Pepperoni, Mushroom and vegetarian-friendly Roasted Eggplant. Harry’s Pizzeria’s first cocktail program will launch at the newest location as well. Beverages include the Cabarete with Aperol, elderflower, watermelon, sparkling wine and orange bitters; Nude Beach with tequila blanco, blood orange, grapefruit, lime and habanero; Golden Hour with mezcal, poppy apricot, lime and agave. Additionally, guests can expect to enjoy vegan, biodynamic and organic wines .On offer will be a rotating lineup of limoncello-style beverages infused with mandarin, kumquats, Meyer lemons, herbs and more. Reservations are not required. Delivery is available via UberEats, Postmates and Doordash.

I’m dying to know how you can make a fish sexy, well Richard Caring managed to  make his London restaurant Sexy Fish London a success, and now he’ll open in Brickell this autumn. Caring, British businessman and restaurateur owns many of London’s most fashionable restaurants, including private members’ club, Annabel’s, and is a major shareholder in Soho House group. Chef Director Bjoern Weissgerber serves a diverse menu inspired by the seas of Asia, with a focus on Japan. The Miami outpost will retain the signature dishes of the original Sexy Fish such as Duck Salad, vegetarian sushi, Smoked Tuna Belly, Crispy Eringi Mushroom, Black Cod, King Crab and Bone Marrow and a celebrated best cheesecake, with the addition of new dishes and bold, seasonally-inspired flavors overseen by Weissgerber. Designed by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, the look and feel is billed to be “ glamorous and opulent” with 10 artworks by star artist Damien Hirst as well as an installation by Frank Gehry. A destination bar will boast the US’s largest Dom Perignon selection.

Sexy Fish ,1001 South Miami Avenue, Miami 33130 www.sexyfishmiami.com

A haute Chinese dinner club? It had to happen and so it will.  There’s a brand-new modern Chinese Dinner Club concept that opened this week in Miami’s South of Fifth neighborhood.Meet Jia – the first dining destination to introduce elevated Chinese cuisine to the area, spearheaded by much awarded Chef Weng Choon “William” Lai, offering  upscale high-style design, and a South Beach dining and nightlife experience. Jia’s menu presents an elevated combination of authentic Cantonese-style Chinese dishes with a contemporary spin on the classics such as an iconic honey-roasted pork dish representative of authentic Chinese BBQ culture, that has long been a staple of tradition in Chef Weng Choon’s hometown.  Other signature dishes include Jia’s Crispy Mushroom Salad, to Black Truffle Sticky Rice, Short Rib Dumplings, Pekin Duck, Alaska Crab Cream Egg,There will also be a specialty late-night menu available Thursdays through Saturdays, from 11PM-1AM, featuring an array of curated Dim Sum platters. Open for dinner daily. Jia is located at 808 1st St, Miami Beach,  33139.For more information, visit: jiamiami.com. or email hello@jiamiami.com

A new weekday dining and party option — Villa Azur, Miami’s French supper club known for glitz and glamour, has launched a new, weekly dinner soirée called Peligrosa delivering fresh and flirty vibes to Wednesday nights from 6:30 p.m. until close. The restaurant and lounge transforms a high-end dinner service into a lively atmosphere for patrons to socialize and celebrate the night away. Villa Azur welcomes guests to experience this gastronomic evening filled with eclectic entertainment including fire girls, vibes by DJ Yez, live saxophone music, art and more.   Guests will be further seduced by the featured cocktail of the evening, the Spicy Margarita ($16), featuring Casamigos Tequila, fresh lime juice, agave nectar, and jalepeño Cointreau with a black salt rim. Villa Azur, 309 23rd St, Miami Beach, 33139.