Date of Visit: January 2020
This is a recap of my dining experience in Miami, FL, originally posted in Great Kosher Restaurants Foodies Facebook group in January 2020. The following reviews reflect my personal subjective opinion.
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My husband and I are back from a short getaway in South Florida, after not having visited Miami for 15 years. Last time there, we were not aware of it being such a “kosher foodie” destination – and, in fact, back then it wasn’t. Hearing so much about about the fabulous gastronomic experiences in South Florida urged me to arrange this trip, and hit a few interesting places myself. Here is the recap of our visits to 7 kosher restaurants in the area.
SOHO ASIAN BAR & GRILL (Aventura, FL)
We headed to Soho Asian Bar & Grill for dinner right upon our arrival. The restaurant is big, with a sizable outdoor seating area, and it was all very busy. (Yes, Yeshiva Break week!) We were seated outdoors, and the vibe reminded me of Israel, with lovely music in the background, “hangout” atmosphere, and warm weather contributing to that. I started with Sangria, which was so-so. The most interesting and really delicious was Dim Sum appetizer (we chose Orange Duck), but they were only 4 pieces for the 2 of us – we should have ordered double. I expected a lot from the Lobster Roll, and while the presentation was impressive, I didn’t find the taste anything special; it was more like a variation of imitation crab meat with spicy sauces. Kung Pao Chicken was spicy too, but that we were prepared for. It was a quality Chinese dish, but by that moment I was already full and over-spiced to fully appreciate it. Overall, our impression was that Soho serves decent food at reasonable prices, with its spacious outdoor seating and lively atmosphere as additional draws.
FRESKO (Aventura, FL)
We planned to go to Fresko for breakfast, but it ended up being a brunch. By the time we were seated and made our selection, the hours for the breakfast menu ended, and we needed to switch to the lunch one. Ultimately, the chef agreed to make a part of our breakfast order (Fresko Omelet). The omelet was rather bland though, and I expected a more generous portion. Mushroom and Goat Cheese Quesadilla, on the other hand, was spectacular! (Sadly, it disappeared too fast). Green Lemonade drink was delicious and refreshing. For dessert I had Cappuccino with Croissant and my husband chose Affogato (coffee with ice cream). Overall, Fresko is a nice eatery with an extensive and varied menu. The service could be more efficient though – we spent an unjustifiable 2 hours on our meal. Or maybe it was just our luck?
SEVENTEEN RESTAURANT & SUSHI BAR (Miami Beach – South Beach, FL)
Seventeen was another experience prompting me to make a note to self: not to go to Miami during the Yeshiva Break. The place was overcrowded, and poor waiters were dashing between the tables sharing all patrons simultaneously. Nobody came to our table for the first 15 minutes at all. At least Mushroom Soup (pretty good) they were able to bring quickly. While most diners were gobbling pastas and pizzas, we were in the mood for sushi, and ordered one roll and 2 appetizers. Ceviche was an interesting dish of semi-cooked fish with lemon and cilantro flavors and a slight kick of spicy. Pink Panther Roll was decent, but I realized I didn’t like my sushi sweet – and this one was topped with coconut flakes. Onigiri appetizer, a rice triangle wrapped in seaweed with pieces of fish inside (we chose spicy tuna) was decent, but eating it was quite awkward. As my familiar with onigiri friends explained later, this on-the-go dish has to be comfortable to eat. All fish was fresh, and I am glad we tried something new.
ZAK THE BAKER (Miami, FL)
On the next day we ventured to Zak the Baker in Miami proper, where gastronomic ecstasy awaited us! They make a killer Avocado Toast, a king of all avocado toasts! The hype about this place is well deserved. I knew it must be so once we entered the crowded establishment, with a slight feel of DMV, as you need to take a number for your turn to place an order. Once we got to the counter though, we were given the utmost attention.
The menu is not super extensive, but there are options for everything: how do you want your egg – fried, scrambled or an omelet, and fried how – soft, semi-soft, or sunny side…The Breakfast Platter was also scrumptious, with everything done just right, and the unbelievable sourdough bread. We tried a few bakery sweets: Coconut Macaroon, Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookie and Kugelhoph. All pretty good, but the actual food topped it for me. This place is a definite must-go if you are in the area.
HARBOUR BISTRO (Surfside, FL)
It was a well-deserved dinner in Harbour Bistro: we challenge-walked from Mid-Miami Beach all the way to Surfside for our most decadent and very carnivore culinary experience on this trip. While the restaurant felt somewhat lethargic compared to its larger brotherly neighbor Harbour Grill (which was abuzz), we could really appreciate the calm. The food was delicious! Their Millionaire Ramen was superb and full of flavors, and deserves a place in the kosher foodie Hall of Fame. The Charcuterie was quite a trip for our palates, with a very interesting selection of dried cold cuts, the kosher version of which you don’t normally see around. We were somewhat disappointed in our selection of the main – Korean BBQ, which is an unusual concept. Basically, you cook your meat yourself on the small table-top grill. The meat is thinly sliced, and cooks fast. The process keeps you busy, so I recommend it for anyone who has nothing to talk about at the table. (Very convenient for the kitchen too, since no one can blame the chef that the dish is overcooked.) We had Tender Beef Slices and Beef in Korean BBQ Sauce. The taste was very decent, but didn’t blow my socks off (again, it could be totally our fault). The service (finally) was efficient!
TASTY BEACH CAFE (Miami Beach – Mid-Beach, FL)
Our meal at Tasty Beach Cafe was another breakfast-turned-brunch. The tiny café was crowded with families, and we had to put our names on the waiting list and take a walk around on an unusually cold day. About an hour later we had our food, which we consumed in less than 10 minutes. I really craved Avocado Toast after my experience at Zak, although I didn’t expect it to be on par. It wasn’t, but at least they use Zak’s sourdough bread, which is proudly mentioned on the menu. The Shakshuka was ok, and the vibe (on that morning at least) was like I never left Brooklyn. The staff was accommodating, and dealt with the increased number of customers the best they could.
MED @ Lincoln Eatery (Miami Beach – South Beach, FL)
For our final meal of this foodie expedition, we again ended up in South Beach, and checked the new Lincoln Eatery food court. It has 3 kosher counters, and we went with the Mediterranean dishes at Med for our lunch. Jerusalem Mix plate was adequate, not anything original, but filling enough. Served with humus, pita, Israeli salad and 2 sides (we picked babaganoush and taboule, the latter being the best dish on the plate in my opinion). I took a chance with Eggplant Baladi, which was overly fried and to my taste needed more tahini and more lemony flavor. I am yet to find a right Eggplant Baladi outside of Israel. It’s great that this food court exist in such proximity to the Lincoln Mall, and I wish success to the kosher eateries. However, I don’t see how a non-kosher consumer (and given the location, these places need to rely on non-kosher clientele), can justify the prices. Even as a kosher consumer, I found it hard.
KOSHER PRICE SUPERMARKET (Miami Beach – Mid-Beach, FL).
Not a restaurant, but we got basic Salmon Avocado Rolls to take on the flight (our Miami’s “last supper”) from the sushi counter at Kosher Price Supermarket, and they didn’t disappoint. Not only it was our most economical meal on this vacation, it was a fresh and delicious classic done right. And with that last touch, I now need to adjust to my own cooking.
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Since the review above, we visited Florida again in December 2020 (this time with kids). We ate at the new and popular Cafe Noir in Hollywood (amazing Jerusalem Cheesecake left lasting memories), Rustico in Surfside (very decent pastas), and couldn’t miss Zak the Baker again. Two and a half years later, I can still say that there are so many other restaurants in the Miami area I wish I could visit. There is always a next time, right?
