Why Miami Isn't a Great Food City

[joiei]

This article in the New Times by Lee Klein lists 10 reasons why Miami hasn't lived up to the hype of previous years. One example is

New Florida cuisine has been hijacked by amateurish chefs and their nail-in-the-coffin concoctions such as macadamia-crusted shrimp with mango sauce, macadamia-crusted meat loaf with mango sauce, and macadamia-crusted cheesecake with mango sauce — and a drizzle of raspberry coulis, of course.

Is the a realistic view of dining in the South of Florida today? Or is it an oversimplification of bigger problems? I have spent time in the region and have good memories of some excellent dinners, although I have been gone for 5 years now. It sounds like the area has gone from trend setter to running in place.

What is up with that?

[Adrienne Carmack]

Florida has a ton of trendy restaurants - and if that's where you want to eat, this might be what you get. But there are so many other fantastic restaurants here. Even new ones, from hole-in-the-wall to expensive, South Beach places. For example, Vix is relatively new, and the chef has created a fantastic menu with awesome food based on his world travels and time on the "spice boat" (whatever that is, but it sounds cool). But the presentations are unique and certainly it could qualify as a trend-setter - a trend I would definitely follow with the only limitation being my budget.

There is GREAT food here, of course, given our climate and location. The only macadamia-crusted dish I've had here is a macadamia-crusted snapper I made, which was delicious because I was able to buy a snapper caught the day before from my nearby fish market.

[Rebecca263]

That's funny. I read that article and wondered what the haggis Lee was even talking about. I think that Lee thinks that saying negative things makes you look like a real pro, is all. Anyone who lives in the Miami area and eats out would be hard pressed to find Miami food terrible. For big food served well, we've got Pacific Time, Osteria Del Teatro, Blu, 1200 AND Palme D'Or, Tamarind, Norman's, Romeo's, Sheba, well, Holy Oats! I'm not even scratching the tip of the list here, just listing the last couple of meals I had in trend setting places before leaving a few months ago. And, I'm not even mentioning BED, evwen though I LIKE the food, 'cause everyone bashes it. And for regional greats, which the Sterns completely missed out on when they visited Miami, we've got an array of great places- a sample of which are Peoples BBQ, The Pit and Jumbo's, just to name 3 places you all may have never been yet. So, I say, let the critics critique and I'll happily eat.

[richw]

I am a local and there are some gems here, mostly not in upscale dining category. But Pacific time? My last meal there was so mediocre and the service was just terrible. It was so disappointed I will never go back.

[Rebecca263]

Gee, that's too bad, I've only had wonderful service there, and it never seems to matter whether I'm with someone famous or if I dine by myself and I only eat appetizers and dessert. I always keep PT in my list of places to take friends with less money than their taste buds need, we don't eat the entire menu but we get great service and we have amazing food for the money, every time. Plus, at the bar, although the drinks are expensive for me, I think the bartenders make GREAT drinks and serve large drinks. One thing I have to say about Miami, now that I am in NJ, is that I really like the BYO policy when it comes to wines, I drink a lot more wines with my meals in NJ, because I can almost never afford the wine mark up in restaurants in Miami!

I DO have to say this, though. I've had TERRIBLE service at the gas station on 15th and Alton, and I'll NEVER go there again.

edited by me to add this: I've got the face of a nobody, and no one recognizes me when I'm alone, trust me, Miami Danny would attest to it if he even remembered me. Which he doesn't.

Edited November 29, 2005 by Rebecca263 (log)

[ecruz1026]

We probably wouldn't be posting anything about this article had Mr. Klein extolled the virtues of Miami cuisine. Negative writing gets people riled up and he succeeded. His article was unjustly harsh, but it had its good points. One of those that I wholeheartedly agreed with was the lack of a food culture. I don't think people here necessarily demand good quality food and produce as much as other cities. That's what's probably behind the lack of good bakeries, grocery stores and farmers markets. I hate to compare MIA to other places, but there is no way that a supermarket that shrinkwrapped its produce would last a day in California. Maybe it's complacency, maybe it's ignorance, but mediocrity when it comes to food is not only accepted here, it's practically glorified. The best way I've found to judge the food culture of a city is to see the quantity and quality of mid-priced restaurants. Anyone can have a killer restaurant if they charge $40 a pop per entree, but it takes talent and a keen sense of ingredients to do the same at $15 per head. Judging Miami on this basis, we'd score fairly low. Granted we have great mid-priced Latin establishments which other cities don't come close to, but a lot of the offerings in this category just plain suck (Gigi's, Olivers, etc.). Until the populace demands more from these local establishents as well as from its supermarkets, etc., Miami will be a second-tier food city.

[Rebecca263]

I don't have my Miami book here, but I'll try to find it for you, until then, look into CSA in the Redlands. Homestead, too. We have lots of great produce from South Miami! I think it's really difficult for people to find the 'good stuff' if they're not from Miami originally because heckola, Miami is BIG. I can not for the life of me recall the name, although I've gone there many times for over 25 years, but there is a great farm in South Miami that has a shack in front and sells strawberry milkshakes. The farmer used to pinch my cheeks when I was a kid, then he pinched MY kids cheeks! He always said the same thing too, berries make your cheeks pink. Well, the shack has become a bit more than that, in recent years. Illness is keeping me befuddled, give me a few days and I'll try to think of the name, etc. for you.

[jim07044]

Sadly, I agree with much of Lee Klein's article. The perception is that Miami is a town to party and vacation, not to conduct important business. But Las Vegas has recently experienced a turnaround in its culinary ranking, due in large part to the new entertainment investments from Steve Wynn and others. So being a major epicenter of business is not a requirement for culinary excellence, but it certainly helps. Miami is not Vegas nor NYC nor San Fran. The city continues to struggle with its national/global identity and stymied by its corruption at various levels.

I disagree with others, however, that conclude Miami isn't worth a Top 5/10/20 list or Best Of list. Anyone that generalizes Miami's restaurant scene as overly expensive or overly experimental hasn't been to NYC's Per Se or Masa or Alain Ducasse or any other handful of places that will require a mini-mortgage to pay the bill and leave you wondering, "what was that I just ate?" Food presentation and menu selections come and go with the seasons and fashions, and Miami attracts chefs and restauranteurs with creative flair that are among the best out there. The distinction is, in my opinion, do they want to be famous in the power cities such as NYC and San Fran, or do they want more modest satisfactions such as quality of life, family, ability to travel, etc which can be achieved in smaller markets such as Miami and Atlanta. Don't get me wrong: running a restaurant anywhere is a very time consuming endevour with high risk of failure, but some markets are more flexible than others, and maybe that's why Miami has that "secondary" perception.

[robyn]

I lived in Miami for over 20 years - and still get there a couple of times a year for business. I think the essence of the article is this:

"Ten reasons why Miami, though good, hasn't matured into a great restaurant city:

1. Our original innovative chefs are all still doing their thing, but much in the way the Rolling Stones are — they weave new dishes in with crowd-pleasing signatures, in an undeniably proficient fashion, but many have expanded their restaurant empires more than their repertoire or range."

Note that Mr. Klein didn't say that Miami was a bad restaurant city. It's just not a great one. I agree with that. And if anyone disagrees - tell me who and where the great chefs are?

His remarks about the "original innovative chefs" is right on target. I stopped going to Mark Militello's places after one too many disappointing meals. Tried Mundo (one of Van Aken's new places) when it opened - but it closed as fast as it opened. Tried to try Ola (one of Doug Rodriguez' new places) - but the restaurant closed without warning (and they didn't even bother to call me to tell me not to show up for my reservation). We did try Mosaico last trip. Pretty good (although not great). But it was more than half empty at 8 pm - not a good omen (perhaps it will go the way of La Broche).

Also note that Miami Beach is not the same as Miami. I have frankly hated the restaurant scene in Miami Beach for ages. Too many expensive restaurants with mediocre food served with lots of attitude. There are some exceptions. Osteria del Teatro was a favorite before the chef was shot - that was years ago. I've been to Casa Tua a few times - and it's charming (although very expensive even by New York standards). But they are few and far between. What's more important - I lived in Miami - and I stay there on my trips - and I don't think it should be necessary to go to Miami Beach to eat.

As for inexpensive ethic food - sure Miami has a lot of Cuban and similar places. But they are easy to find in most of Florida these days (even up here in northeast Florida). It was always deficient in terms of Chinese/Japanese/Indian/etc. ethnic type restaurants. Haven't tried any of those recently - but I suspect not much has changed in the last 5 years or so. Robyn

[robyn]

Florida has a ton of trendy restaurants - and if that's where you want to eat, this might be what you get. But there are so many other fantastic restaurants here. Even new ones, from hole-in-the-wall to expensive, South Beach places. For example, Vix is relatively new, and the chef has created a fantastic menu with awesome food based on his world travels and time on the "spice boat" (whatever that is, but it sounds cool). But the presentations are unique and certainly it could qualify as a trend-setter - a trend I would definitely follow with the only limitation being my budget.

There is GREAT food here, of course, given our climate and location. The only macadamia-crusted dish I've had here is a macadamia-crusted snapper I made, which was delicious because I was able to buy a snapper caught the day before from my nearby fish market.

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Well - here is the rub. I took a look at Vix on the internet (FWIW - it's in a Hyatt hotel). It has received mixed reviews. From the looks of the menu - you're talking about $200-300 for a couple assuming some modest alcohol intake. Now in that price range - it has some pretty serious competition in terms of attracting my dining dollar ($200-300 is about what you'd spend at most top restaurants in the US - excluding perhaps the handful of most expensive restaurants in the US - like Per Se or Alain Ducasse). So is it in the top 100 - or even the top 500 in the US? Robyn

[robyn]

Sadly, I agree with much of Lee Klein's article. The perception is that Miami is a town to party and vacation, not to conduct important business. But Las Vegas has recently experienced a turnaround in its culinary ranking, due in large part to the new entertainment investments from Steve Wynn and others. So being a major epicenter of business is not a requirement for culinary excellence, but it certainly helps...

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Believe it or not - there are a lot of people who conduct important business in Miami. And a lot make a lot of money doing it. I know - I was a lawyer there.

But successful business people mind very much being treated like the tourists who flock to "trendy" south Beach restaurants. They don't want their reservations lost - or being told they'll be seated at 9 for an 8 pm reservation. They don't want a huge noise factor when they're dining. They are not in the least interested in "celebrity" sightings. And they don't want to pay a lot of money for food that can be good one night - and dismal the next.

I talk with my accountant (in Miami) about this all the time. He likes to try new places - and he is almost always disappointed by the Miami Beach scene (except for Nobu - which he thinks is the best restaurant on the Beach these days - which isn't saying all that much - at least the food is consistent). He'd much rather spend his food dollars elsewhere.

In my opinion - Miami would be much better off if it had a smaller, less trendy and less tourist oriented food scene (after all - the "season" in south Florida is only about 3-4 months long - not enough to sustain most restaurants). A food scene which made an attempt to appeal to local regulars. It is the lack of this "core" that makes Miami second rate. What makes all of this so disappointing is that 20-30 years ago - there was so much going on. So much promise. The meals that Norman Van Aken was cooking in Key West in the 70's were so much better - and so much more creative - than what I ate at Mundo last year (which I guess is one reason why it closed so fast). Robyn

[Rebecca263]

Robyn, it's so sad that you had to spend so much time in Miami getting bad service and sub par meals. I'm very glad that I've had such different experiences than you. I DO have to wonder where you are living now, and if you are receiving the service and quality of food which you found lacking in Miami. Your opinion of Miami is a bit skewed, in my opinion. How many people of high income do you think live there? Who do you think is living in all of the multimillion dollar homes year round? As a member of many charities in Miami, as a record label owner, as an active member of the art community, I must travel in very different circles than you, because everyone with money who I know eats out, and eats well, often. Heck, I feel hard pressed to compete with the rest of the evening's offerings, with my appetizers and such, at my little pre-dinner cocktail parties! When I'm home, I eat out often, and I get great service and great food, and I'm a girl of very little funds and even less looks . Come out to dinner with me the next time we're both in Miami, and I'll wager the evening will be a little brighter for you.

[jim07044]

But successful business people mind very much being treated like the tourists who flock to "trendy" south Beach restaurants.  They don't want their reservations lost - or being told they'll be seated at 9 for an 8 pm reservation.  They don't want a huge noise factor when they're dining.  They are not in the least interested in "celebrity" sightings.  And they don't want to pay a lot of money for food that can be good one night - and dismal the next.

I'll agree with that. New York has it's share of tourists and tourist trap destinations, but I guess many believe the perception that you can't take seriously a city that is a major vacation destination (Miami, Rio di Janerio, San Diego, etc). An exception being Los Angeles, which relies on the Hollywood industry to prop up it's credibility. Miami tried to get a Hollywood industry going but has so far failed.

In my opinion - Miami would be much better off if it had a smaller, less trendy and less tourist oriented food scene (after all - the "season" in south Florida is only about 3-4 months long - not enough to sustain most restaurants).  A food scene which made an attempt to appeal to local regulars.  It is the lack of this "core" that makes Miami second rate.

I think Miami should be happy to be a "warm Aspen." Aspen is known for its glam and glitter and some good food too. The Food & Wine Classic in June brings world-class chefs and restauranteurs into town, just like the South Beach Wine & Food Festival does for Miami. Why must Miami be competitive with NYC and San Fran, anyway?

[ecruz1026]

robyn, I'm glad you've seconded my point. Anyone can open restaurant by charging an arm and a leg and have great food. It's the small, good middle of the road type places which Miami is lacking. Soyka is mediocre, same goes for Oliver's on the beach. Joe Allen's may be an exception, but its menu isn't exactly daring.

[robyn]

I'll agree with that. New York has it's share of tourists and tourist trap destinations, but I guess many believe the perception that you can't take seriously a city that is a major vacation destination (Miami, Rio di Janerio, San Diego, etc). An exception being Los Angeles, which relies on the Hollywood industry to prop up it's credibility. Miami tried to get a Hollywood industry going but has so far failed...

I think Miami should be happy to be a "warm Aspen." Aspen is known for its glam and glitter and some good food too. The Food & Wine Classic in June brings world-class chefs and restauranteurs into town, just like the South Beach Wine & Food Festival does for Miami. Why must Miami be competitive with NYC and San Fran, anyway?

←

For the most part - I only travel to major vacation destinations (like most travelers). We were in San Francisco - a city smaller than the Miami metro area - last month. It was simply loaded with tourists. You can't tell me that the people who live there don't take their food seriously. And what I sampled there was better than what I've eaten in Miami recently.

I can't compare the Miami metro area with New York or Los Angeles - because it's a smaller city (and you expect less in smaller cities than larger ones). OTOH - Miami is huge compared to Aspen - and it certainly shouldn't settle for being a "warm Aspen". I haven't been to Aspen for perhaps a decade - but its food scene was fairly limited (which makes sense considering that it isn't very large). I think that when you talk about Miami - you have to compare it with places like Dallas/Fort Worth - maybe Seattle - Portland - medium sized but not top 10 cities in the US. And perhaps larger but really spread out cities like Phoenix.

As for Food Festivals - they can be fun - we had a terrific one up at Amelia Island this summer at the Ritz Carlton - but they don't translate into anything long term in terms of improving the local restaurant scene. Robyn

[robyn]

Robyn, it's so sad that you had to spend so much time in Miami getting bad service and sub par meals. I'm very glad that I've had such different experiences than you. I DO have to wonder where you are living now, and if you are receiving the service and quality of food which you found lacking in Miami. Your opinion of Miami is a bit skewed, in my opinion. How many people of high income do you think live there? Who do you think is living in all of the multimillion dollar homes year round? As a member of many charities in Miami, as a record label owner, as an active member of the art community, I must travel in very different circles than you, because everyone with money who I know eats out, and eats well, often. Heck, I  feel hard pressed to compete with the rest of the evening's offerings, with my appetizers and such, at my little pre-dinner cocktail parties! When I'm home, I eat out often, and I get great service and great food, and I'm a girl of very little funds and even less looks . Come out to dinner with me the next time we're both in Miami, and I'll wager the evening will be a little brighter for you.

←

I live in the Jacksonville FL area now. The food scene here used to be dismal - but it has improved a fair amount in recent years. There are actually a fair number of places I can recommend to people when they travel to this area . It's certainly not a major league eating destination though. Miami isn't either for that matter. Florida isn't a great eating state anywhere in my opinion. But you don't have to worry about me. I get to eat at a lot of good restaurants (I travel a lot).

So I think I asked you before - what are the restaurants you like in Miami - other than Pacific Time (which is last century's news as far as I'm concerned). Went there once when it was thought to one of the best and brightest - and wasn't impressed. BTW - I don't talk very much about myself here - except for my eating and cooking and other food thoughts. Robyn

[Adrienne Carmack]

Florida has a ton of trendy restaurants - and if that's where you want to eat, this might be what you get. But there are so many other fantastic restaurants here. Even new ones, from hole-in-the-wall to expensive, South Beach places. For example, Vix is relatively new, and the chef has created a fantastic menu with awesome food based on his world travels and time on the "spice boat" (whatever that is, but it sounds cool). But the presentations are unique and certainly it could qualify as a trend-setter - a trend I would definitely follow with the only limitation being my budget.

There is GREAT food here, of course, given our climate and location. The only macadamia-crusted dish I've had here is a macadamia-crusted snapper I made, which was delicious because I was able to buy a snapper caught the day before from my nearby fish market.

←

Well - here is the rub. I took a look at Vix on the internet (FWIW - it's in a Hyatt hotel). It has received mixed reviews. From the looks of the menu - you're talking about $200-300 for a couple assuming some modest alcohol intake. Now in that price range - it has some pretty serious competition in terms of attracting my dining dollar ($200-300 is about what you'd spend at most top restaurants in the US - excluding perhaps the handful of most expensive restaurants in the US - like Per Se or Alain Ducasse). So is it in the top 100 - or even the top 500 in the US? Robyn

←

Yeah, like I said, the limiting factor for my enjoying Vix is my budget. But I think the prices are about the same as a lot of South Beach restaurants. I was able to enjoy it twice during Spice Month - $20 for a great 3-course lunch. And I had a fantastic (expensive) dinner there where we all went overboard and had an appetizer, a ceviche (awesome ceviches), an entree, and desserts. By the way, they carry that $40 cup of coffee you may have heard about. Oh, and the dinner included a very interesting palate "invigorator." Definitely excellent food, can't compare to Per Se or Alain Ducasse - haven't tried them yet.

[robyn]

Yeah, like I said, the limiting factor for my enjoying Vix is my budget. But I think the prices are about the same as a lot of South Beach restaurants. I was able to enjoy it twice during Spice Month - $20 for a great 3-course lunch. And I had a fantastic (expensive) dinner there where we all went overboard and had an appetizer, a ceviche (awesome ceviches), an entree, and desserts. By the way, they carry that $40 cup of coffee you may have heard about. Oh, and the dinner included a very interesting palate "invigorator." Definitely excellent food, can't compare to Per Se or Alain Ducasse - haven't tried them yet.

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Just curious - what did you wind up paying for the dinner? And did it include alcohol? I drink one cup of coffee a day - when I wake up. So I'm not interested in coffee at $1 or $40 at dinner . I assume that a $40 cup of coffee has some kind of expensive liquor in it. Robyn

[ecruz1026]

The coffee comes from a bean which has been eaten, digested and excreted by a monkey or similar mammal in Indonesia I believe.

[star792]

food and wine did a big write up about miami's food scene this issue. now i will have to go back and read it so i can contribute a little more.....

[Adrienne Carmack]

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[ecruz1026]

Now I heard Jordi Valles from Mosaico is leaving Miami. Mosaico will remain open under a new chef, but what the heck?! We've lost Norman, now Jordi (and also Shin from Shoji Sushi). Is this a trend or just the restaurant business?

[Timh]

My impression was that dining out there was more about the scene, and being seen. Less about actually eating good food. When Le Bernadin's Ripert (Bistro Le Coze) isn't appreciated, you gotta wonder.

Edited December 9, 2005 by Timh (log)

[robyn]

My impression was that dining out there was more about the scene, and being seen. Less about actually eating good food. When Le Bernadin's Ripert (Bistro Le Coze) isn't appreciated, you gotta wonder.

←

What do you mean by that? When Brasserie Le Coze was around - Gilbert Le Coze was still alive (although he wasn't the chef in Miami). The restaurant closed shortly after he died. I don't think Ripert ever had anything to do with the Miami restaurant. It basically closed because Maguy returned to handle the New York operation after Gilbert died. Robyn

[joiei]

Miami has seen a lot of famous chefs from other parts of the United States restaurants not make it, but I agree with Robyn, I don't think Ripert was even working for them when it closed, or am I mistaken. The restaurant business in the South of Florida can be brutal.