For anyone who loves food, the months of August and September in Miami are always something to look forward to. Miami Spice is a two-month-long restaurant promotion, organized by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (GMCVB) 21 years ago, initially with the goal of attracting tourists to Miami during its low season. While that’s certainly no longer a problem, the Miami Spice tradition is one locals and visitors look forward to each year.
This year, lunch/ brunch menus will be priced at $28, while dinner will go for either $45 or $60, a slight increase from last year— and for the first time, two different tiers. These prices include an appetizer, entrée and dessert. (Tax, tip, and libations are additional.) According to GMCVB, “the two different price points for dinner this year were introduced to maintain the program’s commitment to value and allow a greater variety of restaurants to participate, with a continued emphasis on flexibility and options. The difference between the two tiers reflects cost of the entrees and ingredients used. Restaurants may choose to offer one or two dinner menu option(s) so long as the menus reflect value and savings when compared to their current menu prices.”
Some of the new additions this year include Leku at the Rubell Museum (they are hosting an early preview, so diners can enjoy their Miami Spice offerings as early as now); Chug’s Diner by chef Michael Beltran, which was recently awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand; Hoja Taqueria by the team behind Broken Shaker; Casa Isola, the Italian outpost by James Beard-nominated chef José Mendín; Neya, the recently opened non-Kosher Israeli kitchen and bar in Surfside; and Michelin-starred New York import Cote Miami.
The kitchen at Kaori in Brickell is now helmed by Cuban-Chinese-Colombian executive chef Raymond Li (formerly corporate chef at El Cielo Hospitality Group, who started his family-focused Li’s Dimsum concept during the pandemic) where he serves artful, umami-laden pan-Asian plates. “Our menu this year is a mix between our signatures and [new] dishes we introduced a few months ago, all highlighting the restaurant’s sophisticated simplicity,” Li shares. A special they are offering this year is the Crispy Prawns, Li’s homage to the late Joël Robuchon, which he learned to make during his time at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Paris.
Cheryl Tiu, Forbes
