Allan
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
We used to love going to Anacapri in Pinecrest all the time. Joe's for sure. Or, this week - we're going to Captain's Tavern. That's an iconic, signature place, where everybody can go and hang out.
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.
Lucy
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
I pretty much try to stay in Coconut Grove. I really like the curry at Atchana, it's so delicious. And, Atchana herself is just a spitfire. And then, I really like Last Carrot for lunch and then either Lokal or Spillover. Jeffrey Kushner knows what he's doing - His food is delicious. And their happy hour - $1 oysters. Are you kidding me?
Anthony
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
I'll give some shout outs. My friend Josh from Premium Meats is in the wagyu business. He's gone from being an incredible host where you would get meat from his house. And now, he's in the Bird Road Arts District. He started by ordering wagyu beef for himself, and then thought his friends would like some too. He's got a real passion for it and he's happy to talk any cut of cow. I want to frequent places where the passion is coming from the owner like that because it's gonna bleed into the bite or the sip that you have.
Andy
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
That's tricky for me. I cook my own food. That was a decision I made about five years ago. That way, I know what I'm putting in my body. You can go somewhere and they'll say something on the menu and then all of the sudden it's something else. When I eat out, maybe I'll have lunch at the Last Carrot in Coconut Grove. I trust the food there.
Chris
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
We enjoy a lot of them. Recently, we went to Balloo. I really love Caribbean food and they're doing it so cool. It's real small and they don't take reservations, but the food is top-notch and exciting. They had big a pickled slab of chayote squash with this delicious sweet and spicy chutney. I'm fascinated by and have always wanted to grow chayote. I like to see it on a menu sort of showcased like that. We always make our way out to 27 and Mandolin is always one of our favorites. Boia De is really nice, that's sort of near us. Then there are a couple Mexican places down in Homestead that are good. They're almost all in gas stations. 5 Hermanos on 272 and Krome. It's a food truck at a gas station with a couple of tents.
Nicolas
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
27 is one of my favorites in Miami. Their roasted cauliflower with pesto is knock your socks off delicious. The sous chef is a young Cuban American like me and he's always embracing South Florida flavors and ingredients that we have here. They actually have their own garden there. The house smoked lamb ribs with pomegranate molasses are delicious. Also, Madruga Bakery. They feel like a farm to table a bakery. They have this amazing guava and cream cheese croissant. But - Babes Meat and Counter is my number one go to spot here in South Florida. My favorite thing on their menu right now is the Italian roast pork sandwich which features some callaloo greens from Margie (at Bee Heaven). It’s like a French dip sandwich, but with fantastic, roasted pork, shaved super thin. It’s served with a provolone cheese and on Sullivan Street bread.
Randy
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
We've been cooking a lot at home since the pandemic started. But, our favorite restaurant in town would be Bombay Darbar, the Indian restaurant in Coconut Grove. Locally, we've been doing a lot of Ana Capri lately.
Muriel
What local restaurants or businesses do you recommend?
We don't go out that much. We like to cook at home for the most part, mainly because it's healthier – also affordable. I love Thai food, so we like to go to Cake Thai. I always get the same thing - crispy tofu that's cooked in a basil sauce. There's so much basil it’s like spinach. I have a bit of a tradition for my birthday. I like to go to 27 Restaurant. They have specials that are different all the time, which is part of why I like it. They cook vegetables really, really well.
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.