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Eating News August

Sunny Isles restaurants, Russian restaurants Miami, MiamiCurated, Old Samovar
Old Samovar Russian restaurant

More new food halls on the way this fall, the scoop on Thomas Keller’s new dining spot, exotic Uzbek and Russian restaurants with entertainment, warm cookies after midnight, welcome new restaurant addition to Coral Gables and the best lunch deal in town, all in Eating News August.

Thomas Keller’s (Per Se,French Laundry fame) restaurant, The Surf Club Restaurant by Chef Thomas Keller, has opened its doors to the public in Surfside, 9011 Collins Avenue, T.305-758-9440.  Chef de cuisine is  Manuel Echeverri, formerly of The Bazaar and Toscana Divino. According to Eater.com the menu will feature American nostalgic favorites like oysters rockefeller, fettuccine alfredo,lobster Thermidor, and beef Wellington. What I want to know is how about Baked Alaska?

Thomas Keller restaurant photo courtesy of MiamiEater.com

 

Another food hall is on the way, this time right off of Lincoln Road. Called the Lincoln Eatery, it will have 16 fast casual, artisan and grab and go concepts in a space at 723 North Lincoln Lane (the corner building where Marshall’s is on Meridian Avenue). Besides the predictable sushi, pizza and ice cream places, there will be Marble & Rye, a “modern take” on a traditional New York deli serving kosher dishes, Toast & More French bakery, and a place called the Necessary Purveyor which they say is about  small scale and artisan producers and all organic policies. Indoor and outdoor eating will be offered along with a central bar selling wine, beer and cocktails.  Opening this fall along with another hall, Time Out Market at 1601 Drexel Avenue.

Sunny Isles restaurants, Russian restaurants Miami, MiamiCurated,
Chaykana Oasis, Uzbek cuisine

Miami is woefully short of good ethnic cuisine (besides Latin American and Caribbean), so I’m so happy about new discoveries (thanks to a reader). Chayhana Oasis features Uzbek cuisine. It truly transports you to the Caucasus, Russia and Turkey all in one with its décor and cuisine, absolutely delicious food and, on weekends a singer that comes up with favorites in Turkish and Russian. A DJ also spins tunes for dancing and diners do get out there – couples and women friends.

Recommended dishes are the khachupuri, flaky stuffed puff pastry with cheese; chepurek, deep fried crepe folded into a half moon shape with meat filling; achik chukchuk salad, a standout, with sliced tomato and onion seasoned with spices and basil; eggplant salad; and any lamb dish. Also, do not miss the homemade bread with black sesame seeds.

Sunny Isles restaurants, Russian restaurants Miami, MiamiCurated, Chaykana Oasis
Home made Uzbek bread at Chaykana Oasis

 

There’s also outdoor seating which is the preferred spot for the hookah smokers. Prices are reasonable. Chayhana Oasis, 250 Sunny Isles Blvd, Sunny Isles Beach (T.305-917-1133).

Sunny Isles restaurants, Russian restaurants Miami, MiamiCurated, Old Samovar
A selection of Russian dishes at Old Samovar

 

Another spot to put on your list is Old Samovar, a Russian restaurant named for its collection of the prized antique combination kettles and teapots at the entrance. The décor is evocative of old Russia and the cuisine traditional favorites like herring, sturgeon with fried potatoes, buckwheat with mushrooms, duck leg with apples and cranberry sauce, lamb kebab and pancakes with red caviar .Do not miss having tea, beautifully served with china, housemade black currant jam and honey. Accompany it with the cherry pierogi (like dumplings) and you’ll walk away humming . There’s also a selection of Russian and Ukranian beer and a menu with children’s favorites like pizza. Prices are reasonable. Old Samovar, 18220 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles (T.305-974-0250).

Night Owl cookies, cookies Miami, MiamiCurated
Night Owl cookies

 

Craving warm just made cookies after midnight? NIght Owl Cookies to the rescue. They’re baked right here in Miami, over a dozen flavors (vary by season) ranging from birthday cake and Dirty Diana (chocolate dough with Nutella) to Ave Maria (guava preserves, cream cheese, white chocolate), Cinnamon Toast Crunch  and Plantain Papi, (fried sweet plantains and Nutella). They cost $2.50 to $3.50 each and are available from UberEATS and Postmates. Hours are 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

M House in Coral Gables

 

Coral Gables has a welcome new restaurant addition with M House and better yet, it’s participating in Miami Spice. I checked it out for lunch with a friend. The place is attractive, a blend of urban and tropical design in a forest green and white color scheme with fresh plants for design accents. Everything was tasty, portions were good size, and they do new riffs on some contemporary favorites. For starters we had zucchini toast, made with tomatoes, basil, mint and feta cheese, a happy change from the same old avocado toast.

zucchini toast, M House, coral gables restaurants, MiamiCurated
Zucchini toast from M House

 

My friend gave high marks to the watermelon straciatella salad, again a new riff on the now popular watermelon salad, here with melon rind, oregano, taggiasca olives and cheese.

Since this is an Italian restaurant we had to try the pasta, here pescatora, with fresh branzino. I had a hard time choosing between the fish of the day made in a Josper charcoal oven — wild striped bass, or picanha steak. The steak won out, and it won a thumbs up — a small filet that was very tender, perfectly cooked, and with a layer of crispy fat on top (love that fat). It came with zucchini babaganoush and Skordalia sauce.

Bread pudding, M House, coral gables restaurants, MiamiCurated
Bread pudding with berries, figs, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce

 

My favorite dish of the lunch was the bread pudding, and I never like bread pudding. Here it was almost like a cake, topped with berries, Turkish figs, and house ice cream, with caramel sauce on the side. M House, adjacent to the Aloft Hotel, 2524 Le Jeune Road, Coral Gables, (T.786-369-5155). Valet parking is available.

Fogo de Chao Miami, Fogo do chao miami, MiamiCurated
Market table at Fogo de Chao

 

The best lunch deal hands down (even with Miami Spice) is at Fogo de Chao, the Brazilian steakhouse on South Beach. For $15  weekdays  you can choose from among 65 dishes on their market table & feijoada bar and eat all you want. They’re quality dishes too – cold cuts and cheeses including prosciutto and parmigiano, smoked salmon,vegetables served any number of ways, and salads. For summer there’s a special salad selection including a  Heirloom Tomato & Mozzarella, watermelon feta, and ancient grain salad with quinoa, kasha, wild rice, chia seeds, apples, pomegranate seeds and orange.  And one of my favorite parts of the meal is the Brazilian cheese bread, the round morsels of goodness served warm tableside. Guests may choose to add a single selection of fire-roasted meat for under $25, or indulge in the Full Churrasco Experience.Fogo de Chao, 836 1st St., T. (305) 672-0011.

 

Karen Escalera

Karen Escalera

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