Miami Spice isn’t around, but never fear. We’ve found top restaurants in town that are offering a great deal for lunch Miami — two or three courses for under $27 per person plus tax and tip. We’re talking fine dining . Here’s part 1 in a two part series.
LUNCH BRICKELL
The name Daniel Boulud, Michelin-star chef is enough to attract any foodie to a restaurant. The fact that Boulud Sud, his restaurant in Downtown Miami’s JW Marriott Marquis, offers a $27 two-course lunch special is a bonus. Choose one of four appetizers – baba ganoush, gazpacho, sun fresh farm salad or hummus with pita. Then, the second course is a wide variety of either entrée or salad options with choices like seared Mediterranean branzino, Italian chicory salad with choice of protein or orecchiette with fennel sausage and broccoli rabe.
(Karen’s note: For my taste, Novikov is tied with Milos in first place for the best lunch deal in town looking at quality and taste of food, size of portions, and ambiance. Don’t miss the shrimp and cilantro or sweet corn dumplings.). The restaurant’s interior is a feast for the eyes with colorful sculptures and a showstopping display of fresh fish on ice as its centerpiece. Their $23 business lunch menu includes choice of miso or seaweed salad to start, five appetizer choices that include dim sum, tempura or a sushi roll. Entrees include tofu and vegetables, fish, a chirashi bowl, Peking duck or sweet and sour chicken.
The view Biscayne Bay at Cantina La 20 competes closely with the spacious, grand interior and the $25 three-course menu with so many options it will have your head spinning, in a good way. With 12 appetizers to choose from, the mussel toast, jumbo lump crab cake and tuna tostadas are great choices. There are also a dozen entrée choices including grilled salmon, grilled octopus, seared scallops where the presentation doubles as dinner theater and creamy risotto. And for dessert, the Mexican favorites crispy, crunchy churros, vegan blueberry panna cotta or rum walnut cake are three of the seven choices.
Katsuya Brickell in the SLS Brickell
The stylish decor is the setting for enjoying a traditional Japanese Bento Box for lunch here for $23 for three courses. Start with either miso soup or Katsuya Asian slaw, then choose from a baked crab hand roll or crispy rice with spicy tuna and finally cedar salmon, garlic chili miso chicken or skirt steak with wasabi chicken.