3451 NE 1st Avenue
(305) 424-9588
www.salumeria104.com

Salumeria 104 is more than a pleasant surprise from another of the unassuming new restaurants lining 1st Avenue in Midtown. The restaurant showcases an extensive list of artisanal carved meats and cheeses which include: Prosciutto di Parma, Proscuitto San Daniele,  Cotto al Tartufo, Mortadella and Bresaola, as well as a homemade bufala, and parmigiano reggiano.

If you long for homemade pasta, you are in luck. The menu currently boasts five including Ricotta cheese cavatello, semolina gnocchi with Parmesan and crispy prosciutto, tagliatelle laden with a rich Bolognese sauce or ham in a cream sauce.  Porchetta, roasted pork loin wrapped in pork belly was dry on one occasion but braised pork ribs with broccolini and chick peas were tender and flavorful.  Like the other restaurants along this tree-lined street, outdoor dining is an added perk.

Monday – Thursday, Sunday: 12:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Friday – Saturday: 12:00 pm – 12:00 am

2923 Biscayne Boulevard
(305) 573-9637
www.saboraperu.net

Miami now has a number of Peruvian restaurants, but this one feels like the real thing. From the moment you enter; you are confronted by clusters of Peruvian families engaged in conversations while sipping the traditional fruit juices, a glass of sangria or perhaps the native cerveza Cusquena.  The restaurant is small, and the tables are close together. Pictures of Peruvian families grace the walls. A poster lists all the fruit juices with translations into English.   The waitress offers to explain the menu with a welcoming smile.

Traditionally, Peruvians might start with papas a la huancaina, a saffron colored cheese sauce.  Sharing is an especially good idea here as with all the dishes as the portions are enormous.  Jump start the meal with a refreshing citrus marinated ceviche de pescado which was a striped bass on one occasion, then move on to the soups.  Two outstanding choices are the Parihuela, a fish and seafood soup that overwhelms the senses with a deep and lusty broth and overflowing with bass, shrimp, large and small, squid, and mussels, or the Aguadito de Mariscos, an exotic, bright green cilantro broth chockfull of seafood.

Serious carnivors should try the Lomo Saltado; the house recommended dish of beef loin, sliced, sautéed and served like a giant stew piled high with peppers, onions and French fries.

Parking is in the rear and several tables exist outside on busy Biscayne.

Monday – Thursday: 10:00 am – 11:00pm
Friday – Saturday: 10:00 am – 12:30 am
Sunday: 8:00 am – 11:00 pm

3451 NE 1st Ave
(305) 424-9129

Angelina’s Coffee and Yogurt is another new and casual choice along restaurant row on NE 1st Avenue.  Standouts are the “adult” grilled cheese sandwiches served with a side salad or chips. As the name implies, the classic grilled cheese is married to tasty ingredients such as hickory bacon and held together by parmesan-crusted sourdough bread.  Start with your favorite cheese, perhaps a Brie, topped with caramelized onions, apples and walnuts, a swipe of honey mustard on country bread and grill.  The combinations are inspiring, and the result is a gooey, but crisp and satisfying take on an old favorite.  Eleven crepes-savory or sweet, and an enticing array of artisan flatbread sandwiches with names such as the Butcher, the Gobbler and the French Club, as well as omelets and waffles served all day, provide limitless choices for every appetite.

But we haven’t mentioned that Angelina’s is a coffeehouse destination serving organic Columbian coffee roasted in Sarasota.  For our java-obsessed culture, Angelina’s brings you espresso, Macchiato, Thai coffee and a lusty café Cubano.

Smoothies, frappes and organic teas too numerous to mention are a bright beginning. Polish off your meal at the self-serve yogurt bar and add a few fruits, sprinkles or candies.  The atmosphere is” Miami laidback” and the locals appreciate the free Wi-Fi and the works of art by Miami artists.

Monday – Thursday and Sunday:  8:00 am – 11:00 pm
Friday – Saturday: 9:00 am – 10:30 pm

4600 NE 2nd Ave
(305) 576-7444

Melodies like  “Just One of Those Things” and “Ain’t Misbehavin,” are playing as you enter this new neighborhood offering from the same proprietors as Limoni, just two doors away.  Both spaces look remarkably similar, but the pizzeria continues it’s nostalgic feel with a collection of rusty utensils from grandma’s kitchen randomly scattered about the walls.

Thirty pizzas in 12” and 16” sizes offer something for everyone.  “Merci,” a white pie of ricotta, goat and Mozzarella cheese with sundried tomatoes and herbs is a crowd pleaser. The crust arrived perfectly crisp and oozing with cheese.  This unassuming spot offers a full compliment of tasty appetizers including an antipasti plate, spicy shrimp scampi and a tomato, eggplant bruschetta, infused with truffle oil.

Baked pastas such as manicotti, beef lasagna and a baked ziti with ricotta are well-executed classics.  Extra toppings, at $1.00-$3.00, permit the fussiest of diners to ad lib and customize a bit on the pizzas, calzones and stromboli.  All the food arrives piping hot.

3918 N Miami Ave
(786) 275-4963
www.harryspizzeria.com

Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine in the Design District has recently taken over a defunct pizza parlor and proven, once again, that he knows how to do it better.  The polenta fries are reason enough to frequent this pizzeria. Homemade tomato catsup gives them just the right amount of sweet and spice, and a four-beer flight at lunch is the perfect match. Share an order with friends before continuing to one of the many unusual thin crust pizza combinations.  On one evening, the Florida rock shrimp pizza was a hit as well as a leek and potato pizza with béchamel and mozzarella.  Michael’s mouthwatering rendition of pulled pork, with fig and grilled onions atop a sizzling hot pie, has been a consistent hit at his namesake restaurant ever since he opened, and is a faultless choice here, as well.

Soups at lunch change daily and have deeply satisfying combinations, such as short rib and Poulet Rouge chicken soup with fennel, tomato, orzo and basil.  On another occasion, a white bean and ham soup garnished with crispy shallots and parsley was a hearty meal in itself. Michael invites visiting chefs to prepare pre-fixe dinners based upon a menu of their own design.  Make sure you’re on his email list to be notified of these special nights!

Monday – Thursday: 12:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Friday – Saturday:  12:00 pm – 12:00 am
Sunday: 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm

3930 NE 2nd Ave
(305) 572-9444

Expanding on the Michele Bernstein Empire, which includes Sra. Martinez in the Design District and the very highly regarded, Michy’s, further uptown on Biscayne, is the new, Crumb on Parchment.  It’s a bakery and café, located in the atrium of a building on NE 2nd Avenue that houses cutting edge furniture showrooms.  Early mornings, you’ll find interior designers dining on steel-cut oatmeal and homemade granola.  Other favorites are the French toast baguettes piled high with bananas, candied pecans and maple syrup, and the Croque Madame of melting cheese, Serrano ham, fried egg and béchamel.

You will want to return for the soup, salad and sandwich offerings at lunchtime.  Pulled rotisserie chicken with carmelized onions and apples, seared Ahi Tuna accompanied by kimchi aioli and grilled portobello mushroom with onion and kale, round out the “Hot and Messy” category.  Classic home-style sandwiches include a comprehensive list of chicken salad, turkey, homemade roast beef, “BLATs”, (add avocado to the traditional BLT), tuna salad and gooey grilled cheese. Fresh salads include a rustic Greek salad, Caesar, “Green Goddess” chicken, and a Greek style tuna salad.

Pastries and desserts are all lovingly made in- house. In any cookie competition, their chocolate chip takes first place. Mischy’s “Mama B” coconut cake with cream cheese icing will leave you dreaming about your next piece.

Monday – Friday: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm

4029 North Miami Avenue
(786) 431-1022

Co-owners, Costa Grillas and Niko Theodorou, brought up in the family restaurant business, with establishments in Coral Gables and Mykonos respectively, have created a white hued urban environment in which to showcase their rustic Greek cuisine.  The essence of which is simply prepared and perfectly fresh ingredients.  Always on the menu, the grilled fish of the day incorporates nothing more than a drizzle of olive oil, lemon and oregano.  The marinated, grilled octopus, served on a bed of tomatoes, and a half chicken, roasted with lemon and herbs are signature dishes.  Classic dishes that delight, include Spanakopita, homemade spinach pie, and Papoutsaki, baked eggplant, and ground beef topped with a creamy béchamel and sweet tomato sauce.

Mezze, or small plates provide a quick luncheon bite or a sampling to be shared with friends before the main course.  We bestow our stamp of approval on the pikilia, a plate of tzatziki, hummus, and taramosalata, a Greek-style caviar spread made from delicate codfish roe.

An array of sweets to round out the meal should include creamy Greek yogurt with honey, or the crowd pleasing, puffed pastry drizzled with honey and sprinkled with walnuts and cinnamon.

Monday – Thursday: 11:30 am–3:30 pm, 5:00 – 11:00 pm
Friday: 11:30am–3:30pm, 5:00 pm – 12:00 am
Saturday: 5:00 pm – 12:00 am; Sunday: 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm

If you are new to Miami and want to experience real Latin food in a restaurant that looks like the real thing on busy Biscayne in a quasi-tropical setting, this is the ticket. Hearty helpings with choices so vast it’s best to bring a friend to share plates. You could start with desayuno fueled with café con leche and huevos fritos. My preference would be the lunchtime sandwiches, Espanol or Cubano. You can’t go wrong with the medianoche, pressed and toasted bread with either bolo ham (sweet ham) or turkey breast slathered with strawberry jam and cream cheese. At dinner, a pork dish would be appropriate; either fried, roasted or grilled. While embracing the cuisine, tempt yourself with a few croquetas of ham, pork and Swiss cheese, fried sweet plantains and the moros(rice and beans.) Specials are offered every day.

Monday – Sunday: 9:00 am – 11:30 pm

This London based chain has popped up in locations such as Lincoln Road, Mary Brickell Village and S. Miami Avenue. Balans offers reliable and generous portions of familiar dishes such as wild mushroom linguini, penne all’arrabiata and a chicken, spinach and ricotta cannelloni for the pasta course. Grilled eggplant, smothered in tomato, garlic and aged Gruyere, or a Greek platter satisfy as vegetarian dishes in the appetizer category. Not every dish works, but I highly suggest the double cheese soufflé teamed with mixed greens and a citrus dressing. Steaks come lightly charred and served as ordered. There are occasional glitches in service, but the restaurant is attractive and modern.

Sunday – Thursday: 8:00 am – 11:00 pm
Friday – Sunday: 8:00 am – 12:00 am

Michy’s is the kind of restaurant where many of the dishes linger in your mind and keep you coming back over and over just to see if your memory played tricks. Michele Bernstein, a former ballerina and previously at Azul downtown, runs this serious eatery alongside her husband David who man’s the reservation desk and expertly oversees the somewhat funky mismatched dining room.

Trained in classical French cooking, Michele decided to offer innovative beautifully presented plates in two sizes, more often referencing the New American style. They took a risk opening this ambitious restaurant in an area of Biscayne bereft of fine dining. But word travels fast and bolstered by her reputation at Azul, Michey’s was an instant success. Now Michey’s only improves with age as she continues her quest for “luxurious comfort food.”

Signature dishes include the jamon serrano and  blue cheese croquettas, Peruvian style ceviche and seared foie gras “n” waffles for  starters.  Falling off the bone shortribs with parsnip potato mousseline or seared halibut with wild mushroom salsify or the pan seared sole accompanied by sunchoke puree, baby artichokes, preserved lemon and olive nage are all dishes in the “transcendent” category.

For desserts I gravitate to  the baked Alaska and Michey’s ethereal bread pudding which are killer endings to  an evening at one of Miami’s best.

Tuesday – Thursday and Sunday: 6:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Friday and Saturday: 5:30 pm – 11:00 pm