Miami’s restaurant scene is starting to perk up, so lots to report this month. Check out Miami new restaurant openings and closings, one of the best lunch deals in town,  a Portuguese bakehouse,  creative options for home cooking, credit card for wine lovers, and  a seductive summer cocktail recipe, all here in Part 1 of Eating News.

Toscana Divino, a favorite Italian restaurant,  has launched a creative new program – Resourceful Toscana.  The program offers seven gourmet culinary kits with fresh local ingredients and carefully curated products imported from Italy to recreate the Italian experience patrons  at home. Recipes and suggestions will accompany each box, and most importantly, a direct hotline to Toscana Divino’s  team of chefs is available to guide customers through their culinary experience at home. Options include the Pasta Box, Pantry Box, Veggie Box, Caviar Box and more. They’re priced from $35 to $135 (Caviar Box). The boxes must be requested 24 hours in advance of delivery.  For more information and to order, click here.  For those who don’t want to cook, they offer takeout and delivery and outdoor dining. Here’s an example of the Pasta Box inclusions:

Pasta Box ($45): 500 ml extra virgin olive oil, (2) 110 grams of housemade maccheroni, (2) 110 grams of housemade spaghetti, 12 tortelli filled with buffalo ricotta and baby spinach, 8 ounces grana padano, 500 grams of Gentile dry pasta, 250 grams of gluten free rice pasta, and 16 ounces of Toscana Divino signature fresh tomato sauce.

One of the better lunch deals in town is at Bachour, 2020 Salzedo Avenue in Coral Gables. The three course Miami Spice lunch menu is $25 and includes a glass of white or red wine. The day I went I had an arugula salad with goat cheese, grilled salmon with broccolini; and dessert–” the chef’s pick” from among the top confections for which Antonio Bachour is well known. The outdoor courtyard is covered, and there are cooling fans.

Here’s something different, a reader’s tip:  Majestic Portuguese Bakehouse. It has a varied menu of typical breads, salty and sweet pastries, no fewer than ten soups, tripas de aveiro (cross between a crepe and waffle) sandwiches, salads, fresh juices and more.  Choices that caught my eye are Cachorro Tipo Gazela, small baguette, two sausages, one fresh & other known as linguiça, flamengo cheese, butter and cayenne pepper ($8.50); and Bifana, Portuguese bread known as papo seco, pork chops, garlic, and  butter, with wine, bay leaves, a touch of lemon juice and hint of salt and pepper ($7.50). Eight varieties of cream soups sound especially good . Majestic Bakehouse, 3340 Coral Way, offers takeout and several tables for eating outdoors.

Highly touted Indian restaurateur and chef Nevin Patel opened Mamey last week, the first of two new Miami restaurant openings for Patel. Both are in the Thesis Hotel Miami, 1350 S Dixie Hwy, Coral Gables.The tapas-based Caribbean influenced Mamey will be followed by a wood fired cooking concept, Orno, early next year. At the same time, Ghee in the Design District has closed.

Special for wine lovers, get this, a credit card for wine enthusiasts called the Grand Reserve World Mastercard. Cardholders earn 5x points per dollar at more than 350 Grand Reserve Partners, including boutique wineries across the country, wine clubs and more; 3x points per dollar at more than 17,000 wineries, wine clubs and wine shops; and 2x points per dollar at all other merchants. Points can be redeemed for hundreds of sommelier-curated items from wine keys and decanters, to books, classes and tasting experiences.

Rewards are only one part of the benefits of the card, which includes a complimentary Priority Wine Pass membership (providing discounted access to tastings at hundreds of West Coast wineries) and access to exclusive Grand Reserve member events.

For a limited time, cardholders who are approved for the Grand Reserve World Mastercard can earn 50,000 bonus points when they spend $3,000 or more within 90 days of being approved. Cardholders will also be eligible for unique offers from Grand Reserve Partners.The card has a $149 annual fee. Consumers can apply at grandreservecard.com

Positano import in the Surf Club at the Four Seasons Surfside, Le Sireneuse, has closed. It has been rebranded as The  Champagne Bar and Terrace at the Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club. Exec chef Antonio Mermolia continues with Southern Italian cuisine.

How could you not want to try a cocktail called Madame in Rouge? That’s the latest creation of master Miami mixologist Danilo Bozovic’s summer cocktail. The Parisian bistro inspired aperitif pairs fresh summer flavors with the delicate floral notes of St-Germain elderflower liqueur. Although this cocktail is usually enjoyed at Miami’s  Swizzle Rum Bar & Drinkery, he provided the recipe so you can make it at home.

Madame in Rouge  

Created by Miami Mixologist Danilo Dacha Bozovc  

1 part /30 mL  BACARDÍ® Ocho

3/4 part  / 20 mL ST-GERMAIN® Elderflower Liqueur

1/2 part  /15 mL  Pomegranate Juice

½ part / 15 mL   Fresh Lemon Juice

¼ parts / 7  mL Simple syrup (1.5:1 sugar to water)

2 parts / 60 ml champagne

Pour all ingredients except the champagne into a shaker. Shake the cocktail hard. Pour the champagne into a chilled coupe glass and double strain the cocktail into the chilled coup glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. 

For more Miami new restaurant openings and closings that you may have missed:

Scoop on Eating News in Miami – July 2020