Every year, Art Basel draws thousands of art and fashion enthusiasts to Miami to enjoy an overload of senses not only limited to art. The weekend of art fairs is also a time to feast on Miami’s most delectable eateries from little Havana to Overtown to South Beach. Though Cuban staples like Azucar Ice Cream Company are highlighted as trusted sites, Miami has transitioned into a culinary hub with tasty dishes including Caribbean and soul food cuisine.
During EBONY’s visit to Art Basel, we were invited to experience The Art of Black Miami, which fortunately included a taste of The Magic City. The platform, which was created to support work by artists of the African descent also spotlights the mosaic neighborhoods of MIA including Little Haiti, Coconut Grove, Historic Overtown, and Wynwood. These communities harbor some of the most delectable eats Miami has to offer.
And they were good–finger licking good.
Whether you are looking for fresh seafood or down-home south fried chicken, here a some of the tastiest restaurants in Miami that should be on your radar on and off Basel season.
Zest by Chef Cindy Hutson is a contemporary restaurant located in downtown Miami’s Southeast Financial Center and is a fresh spin on her award-winning “Cuisine of the Sun.” The menu changes seasonally but the self-coined, ethnically diverse, and seasonally driven culinary approach embraces global cuisine with nuances of Hutson’s signature island flavors. Rave reviews touted Hutson’s cuisine as “the best Caribbean restaurant in South Florida” and international support from USA Today, The New York Times, London Times, Chicago Tribune, Chef Magazine and Eater, who named Hutson “Chef of the Year”.
The Nikki Beach restaurant is one of the only gourmet dining destinations in South Beach to actually offer a beach and oceanfront restaurant dining experience. Nikki Beach offers an eclectic menu ranging from wood burning oven pizzas, delicious salads, creative sushi rolls, innovative seafood entrees, freshwhole lobster and mouthwatering Chateaubriand. Executive Chef Gerry Gnassi’s inspiration stems from the fresh seafood and flavors of the South of France, spices of East Asia and South Beach’s laissez- faire attitude
Chef Karim Bryant’s ‘Lil Greenhouse Grill’ offers up a deliciously fresh and wholesome menu without sacrificing the ‘spice’ of life.’ For over 20 years he’s been cooking, butchering and creating amazing dishes for some of Miami’s most popular restaurants. Now, he is offering Miami Soul Food at its finest. Lil Greenhouse grill is family owned and operated in the heart of Miami in the heart of historic Overtown.
Opened in 1969 Monty’s Raw Bar has grown through the years to become one of Miami’s most well known and respected restaurants. The waterfront tiki hut setting allows you to forget about life for a while as you soak up the bay air and enjoy a great meal with friends and family. The indoor space is perfect for air-conditioneded dining & events, and there are docks that allow you to arrive by boat, host a private event, fishing tournament or waterfront wedding ceremony.
Since 1946, Jessie and Demas Jackson birthed what had become a multi-faceted legacy. The Jacksons established Mama’s Café, a comfort style soul food restaurant that thrived in the Overtown community and served as a foundation for a lineage of first-class establishments, which includes traditional soul food culinary delights such as their famous catfish and biscuits.
