Destination MDD
A Dining Utopia in the District
Story by Stanimira Stefanova
For the past two decades, optimists have heralded
the Design District as the “Next Big Thing” in Miami — and that vision is
finally becoming a reality. Known for its striking architecture and
obsession with design, this one square mile of style has burgeoned
beyond fashion and art to introduce a unique dining renaissance that
caters to the upscale, multiethnic tastes of shoppers and celebrities
from across the world. Home to cutting-edge culinary talent, the
District offers authentic cuisine that can suit the tastes of the most
selective
connoisseurs, while providing
an ideal setting for a business lunch or romantic
dinner. If you listen closer to the beating heart of the area’s food
scene, this is what you might hear.
For those with adventurous taste buds, spacious and stylish
Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant
offers a cool vibe and exotic décor that harmoniously molds traditional
African craftsmanship with modern design. Dim lighting and a world-music
soundtrack — they have live music on weekends — provide a relaxing
background for an exotic dining experience. Sheba’s chefs boldly use generous
amounts of African spices and a mixture of Middle Eastern and Indian
influences to create unique flavors that tease the palate. Most meals
are served with a plate of crepe-like bread and include authentic dishes
such as Doro Wat, Ethiopia’s
national dish of chicken legs and thighs marinated and seasoned in
garlic, ginger and fenugreek (a Mediterranean-grown spice) and
ZilZill, strips
of tender lamb marinated in Ethiopian honey wine and awaze sauce, and
then sautéed with garlic and onions in Ethiopian herb butter.
Sheba
and its owners,
Ogbe
and Felitia Guobadia, have become a mainstay in the District.
Brosia Miami features fresh
Mediterranean cuisine and a perfect setting surrounded by towering white
columns and a handcrafted aqua mosaic mural. A 4,000-foot terrace made
from Caribbean keystone also offers
guests an opportunity to dine under 150-year-old preserved white oak
trees for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The mystical interior, designed by
Walter Chatham, blends rich textures and soft lighting with warm
mahogany wood to create a sophisticated and elegant atmosphere. Chef
Arthur Artiles’s menu reflects culinary favorites from
Spain,
Italy,
France,
Greece
and North Africa. Brosia’s widely
popular “burger of the day” is inspired by the different regions of the Mediterranean. New entrées represent Artiles’ use of
specialty ingredients, such as his own za’atar rubbed roasted half
chicken, a pan seared salmon served with braised endives and sweet and
sour peppers, and a grilled pork tenderloin served with braised greens,
caper berries, cornichons, apple-ginger sauce, and a Dijon mustard demi.
For an open-air dining sanctuary,
visit Grass Lounge &
Restaurant, whose sexy ambiance offers an upscale, tiki-chic,
outdoor dining experience. A carpet of thick grass surrounds
the dining room, while the open-air bar is illuminated by a
wall of apothecary jars filled with colorful and exotic
flowers. After you dine in one of the cozy, thatched-roof
cabanas, you can then dance the night away when this
Polynesian-themed eatery slowly morphs into a nightclub. The
innovative menu, a modern combination of American and Asian
cuisine, is famous for its light, yet satisfying, dishes.
Must-tries include the Warm Goat Cheese Crumble Salad
and the seafood choices of wild
salmon, mahi mahi and Yellow Jack. |
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Sheba. Photo courtesy of Sheba.
Grass. Photo by Julio Carlos.
Brosia. Photo by Steven Brooke Studios.
Michael's. Photo by Joseph Pessar.
Fratelli Lyon. Photo by Simon Hare.
Pacific Time. Photo by Andrew Meade.
Domo Japones. Photo by Julio Carlos |
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Providing visitors another opportunity to expand their
palates, Japanese bistro
Domo Japones
offers an eclectic variety of artfully presented sushi and
sashimi in a casual bistro setting. Located in the original
1920’s Buena Vista Post Office, the restaurant brings new
meaning to the French bistro concept with its
Japanese-influenced cuisine. Domo’s soft lighting and
calming simplicity complement the interior’s etched molding,
deep leather booths and warm accents. Sushi Chef Naohiro “Nao”
Higuchi and Chef de Cuisine Timon Balloo have created
intriguing seasonal menus using only local, organic
ingredients. Specialties of the house include Pan Seared
Hudson Valley Foie Gras, roasted organic chicken, Duck Yaki
Udon, filet mignon and pan-seared halibut. Domos also offers
signature rolls, including shrimp and prosciutto, vegetable
oshi-zushi and Kobe
beef.
The newest dining addition in the District is
Fratelli Lyon,
an Italian café notable for its authentic freshness of
ingredients and union of simple and delicious flavors.
Encompassing the motto of “la dolce vita” (“the good life,
full of pleasure and indulgence”), the café is located on
the front porch of trendy Italian furniture store
Driade and
enjoys an urban energy that is reflective of its
surroundings. The long menu visits most of
Italy’s distinctive
culinary regions and offers a comprehensive selection of
antipasti, soups, pastas, risottos and other mouth-watering
items.
Michael’s
Genuine Food & Drink, a creation
of Chef Michael Schwartz, offers a dining theme that is
“fresh, simple and pure.” With its concrete floor, jazzy
ambiance and welcoming wooden bar, the unpretentious
restaurant offers American cuisine in plate sizes that
correspond to different appetites and budgets. The frequency
of the word “homemade” in dish descriptions is notable.
Since opening in March 2007, Michael’s Genuine has doubled
as a casual dining spot and a culinary destination that
features specialties from a wood-burning oven and seats 90
people indoors and outdoors. Popular menu selections include
the yellowfin tuna tartare; slow-roasted
Berkshire pork shoulder; and homemade rabbit
pâté. The Chef’s decades-long relationship with winemakers
offers diners the opportunity to try a variety of wines.
With Pacific
Time, Chef/owner Jonathan Eismann combines enticing Pan
Asian flavors with a new palette of fresh contemporary
American flavors in a menu that promises to be subtle,
seasonal and sublime. The restaurant’s 4,400-square-foot
loft-like space with distressed stucco walls features a
gleaming open kitchen, a wood burning oven and a
full-service, amber-lit bar. A high cobalt blue ceiling,
light mahogany furnishings and a tropical hard wood floor
complement the interior. The menu is printed daily and
highlights include sweet corn and leek soup with peeky toe
crab dumplings, coriander and mustard oil; sheep’s milk
gnudi with baby spinach, speck and brown butter; skate with
parsnip puree, green apple, lemongrass, capers and basil
oil; prime grass fed New York strip loin with California
artichokes, shiitakes, wasabi and a side of truffle rosemary
house fries. The restaurant recently opened a lunch service
offering innovative salads, sandwiches, a
simply prepared
section, pastas, pizzas, calzones, small plate appetizers,
snacks and desserts.
Other hot dining establishments in the District
include Amendment XI Lounge, Charcuterie, Orange
Café Art, Pasha’s
and W Wine Bistro, all of which provide eclectic
dining choices. |
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