Where To Eat: Art Basel Miami Beach 2013
The Art Of Eating (clockwise From top left): Wynwood Kitchen & Bar (featuring art by Shepard Fairey), the scene-y Cecconi's inside Soho Beach House, fried chicken And waffles At Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, the under-the-radar but highly recommended Mandolin.
It's that time of the year again: every fashionable East Coast-er has either booked or is frantically trying to book a flight to Miami this week for partying and socializing under the sun. And there's the art. To prepare you for Art Basel — the massive annual art fair on Miami Beach, and the dozens of other fairs and one-off events and marketing ploys that pop up around it— here's a list of great places to eat. In addition to the art, the fair has become known for pop-up nightclubs, restaurants and cafés. Here's a look at some of our favorite spots (new and old) not to be missed this year, split up by your own priorities.
Go For The Food:
1776 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139
(786) 483-1796
We're big fans of Tony Mantuano, a Midwestern chef and restaurateur best known for Chicago's Spiaggia, but who also happens to run the best pop-up restaurant each year at U.S. Open time in Queens (that's tennis, not golf). Now, he's (ahem) taking his talents to South Beach with Lorenzo, a new 200-seater right in the heart of the action (and inside the new Redbury Hotel), serving up a crowd-pleasing menu of Tuscan classics, handmade pastas and pizzas out of the wood oven. Plus, an ambitious cocktail program and high-end design.
4312 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33137
(305) 576-6066
Mandolin is a mecca of Aegean cuisine in Miami's Buena Vista district (not far from Wynwood, where Art Basel activities will be in full-swing). This quaint, out-of-the-way spot features fresh, light Turkish-Greek cuisine that's still hearty enough to fuel you for the night's debauchery. Don't miss the grilled squid and the house white sangria. When you need a break from the fairs and the partying and want to focus on food and friends, this is the place to do it.
Michael's Genuine Food & Drink
130 NE 40th St, Miami, FL 33137
(305) 573-5550
One of the first to move into Miami's now–ultra glam Design District, Chef Michael Schwartz's iconic restaurant continues to be one of the city's premier dining destinations — and its toughest reservation during Basel. If you're not seen here breaking bread (and exquisite farm-to-table fare) with VIPs at some point during the week, you haven't made the scene. The MGD team's newer Cypress Room, also in the Design District, features a $139 côte de boeuf for two, so art world players will be sure to add a stop to this artfully designed restaurant to their schedules as well. And Schwartz now runs the restaurant at the Raleigh, Restaurant Michael Schwartz, for excellent outdoor dining on South Beach, and will return with his pop-up at Design Miami on the beach as well (more info here).
Garcia's Seafood Grille & Fish Market
398 NW North River Dr, Miami, FL 33128
(305) 375-0765
Tired of the Basel scene? Hop into a cab for a short ride to the Miami River for a meal at Garcia's Seafood, a long-running spot where locals flock for seafood and atmosphere. The Cuban family-run seafood joint has been serving some of the freshest fish in town for over 40 years.
1600 Lenox Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 538-5220
Yardbird offers some of the best fried chicken around, a touch of the South in a southern city that's about as far from Dixie as Nova Scotia. Its Lincoln Road proximity makes it a convenient draw for a realiably awesome dining experience.
4582 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33137
(305) 456-5909
Tucked into the quiet Buena Vista district, just a stone's throw away from both Wynwood and the Design District, is Buena Vista Bistro. Book a table at this a quaint French restaurant serving traditional fare, including an array of housemade pâtés and mousse, and escape from the scene alongside the coolest and most down to earth Miami locals.
Go For The Scene:
2550 NW 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33127
(305) 722-8959
Situated adjacent the Wynwood Walls, a graffiti heaven with walls tagged by the likes of Shepard Fairey, Kenny Scharf and Futura, Wynwood Kitchen serves Latin-inspired cuisine in a casual open-air environment, right in the middle of the Wynwood Art District. It also ups the ante during Basel, hosting special showcases for street art, including this year's "Women on the Walls," with big names like Claw Money, Lady Pink and Martha Cooper," and a tribute to recently passed owner Tony Goldman curated by Scharf, Tony's Oasis.
150 Ocean Dr. Miami, FL 33139
Scheduled to open just in time for Art Basel, the bi-level restaurant and lounge will "reflect the Cavalli signature beacons of excellence: fashion, food and design, and will offer the ultimate in luxury and sophisticated exclusivity," according to Roberto Cavalli himself. The restaurant will, most likely, also provide Paris Hilton and Mike Tyson sightings, for better or worse.
A Little Bit Of Both Worlds...
465 Brickell Ave, Miami, FL 33131
(786) 329-4090
Miami newcomer Cipriani Downtown has quickly garnered a huge fan base in South Florida. The legendary Venetian restaurant offers the same menu as its New York locations, with classics such as the Carpaccio Alla Cipriani, baked taglialini with Praga ham and of course, the iconic bellini.
385 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33140
(786) 507-7902
Situated in Miami's Soho Beach House, Cecconi's is the place to go for consistent Italian cuisine, served in a relaxed, open-air environment. Be sure to make a reservation well in advance, as the Basel crowd will surely be taking the hotel and club by storm.
4441 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33140
(786) 276-1388
Next door to Soho Beach House is the legendary Fontainebleau Hotel, the debut American location for the world-renowned Cantonese restaurant. Don't miss the dim sum lunch menu available on weekends.
1600 Collins Ave, Miami, FL 33139
The wait is over! Josh Capon is opening the long-anticipated branch of his trendy NYC seafood spot Lure tonight, December 2nd. Located in the Loews Hotel, the restaurant will dish out raw and cooked seafood, as well as Capon's famous burger, four-time winner of NYC's Burger Bash.
927 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33138
Be sure to make time for a stop at Michy's, Miami golden girl, Chef Michelle Bernstein's namesake. The long-time Miami native was one of the first chefs to take a leap of faith and set up shop in Miami.
Pop-Up Specials
Michy's Miami Beach Pop-Up
Miami Beach Botanical Garden, 2000 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, Florida
(305) 759-2001
Chef Bernstein is staying busy this year, with not one, but two pop-up restaurants. Michy's Miami Beach will reflect the same spirit as her Biscayne gem, serving creative contemporary American fare with a menu created exclusively for the pop-up.
Garden Café By Michelle Bernstein
Miami Beach Botanical Garden, 2000 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, Florida
(305) 572-9444
The Garden Café is a one-stop-shop for salads, freshly made sandwiches, hot plates, soups and exquisite baked goods.
1108 Lincoln Road Miami Beach, FL 33139
Maison Ladurée, known for exceptional French pastries and macarons, will be collaborating with artist Will Cotton, who developed a macaron with ginger-infused whipped cream, among other creations. Don't miss the store's opening party on December 3.
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