Best hotel bars
Best hotel bars
Chateau ZZ's, Higher Ground, The Roof, Bentley Residences, Makoto, $5M and up, Paris Olympics, MORE
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Major Mexican
The Skinny: From Major Food Group — the NYC-based dining kingpins responsible for bringing Carbone (and Dirty French Steakhouse and Contessa) to Miami — now comes Chateau ZZ’s, their first-ever Mexican fine dining concept. It opened in February in a historic manor on Brickell Avenue.
The Vibe: French maximalism, in a rainforest. Designer Ken Fulk somehow makes it work, blending animal print booths, tropical wallpaper, and potted banana plants with fine art and crown molding. The green sunroom (above) — connected to the darker-hued main dining room at the restaurant’s far end — feels like a secret tropical garden, filled with natural light and then, as the sun goes down, the glow from a glass-blown chandelier. (The second floor is reserved exclusively for members of the the onsite ZZ’s Club.)
The Food: As is de rigueur with Major Food Group restaurants, the flavors are big. For shellfish lovers, the michelada oysters are a must, offering a fresh and spicy take on the bivalve: perfectly briny, topped with a lime squeeze, and balanced with basil oil and a tajin rim. The squash blossom rellenos were an unexpected surprise: fried to a crisp and stuffed with cheese — the comfort food of fine dining. And green mole lamb chops topped with mint, cilantro, and green onions overdelivered on that big flavor promise.
The Drinks: Table stakes, sure, but Chateau ZZ’s does, in fact, make a good margarita, and the cocktail list includes nine variations. The Prickly Pear with lime and raspberry serves as a great accompaniment to the raw bar menu, though the Ginger gives health shot vibes. Those who like to browse will find over 1000 tequilas and mezcals on the list.
The Verdict: Fine-Mexican dining in a French-inspired chateau, the unexpected juxtaposition Miami never knew it needed. –Katelin Stecz
→ Chateau ZZ's (Brickell) • 1500 Brickell Ave • Mon-Sat 530-11p • Reserve.
BARS & RESTAURANTS • The Nines
Hotel bars
Matador Bar, The Miami Beach EDITION (Miami Beach, above), sleek, moody, black walnut-paneled bar with sophisticated cocktails
The Champagne Bar, Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club (Surfside), champagne and fine spirits beneath vaulted ceiling of club’s original 1930s-era ballroom
Broken Shaker, Freehand Miami, (Miami Beach), the cocktail bar that launched Miami’s modern mixology movement, set on eclectic outdoor patio
Saxony Bar, Faena Miami Beach (Miami Beach), semi-subterranean, speakeasy-style lounge, devolves into late night debauchery
Higher Ground, Arlo Wynwood (Wynwood), indoor-outdoor, jungle-like perch for cocktails by Bar Lab
Sugar, EAST Miami (Brickell), sceney, Balinese-inspired rooftop bar with panoramic views 40 stories above Brickell
The Roof, Esme (South Beach), stylish, lowkey, poolside hideaway for creative cocktails and bites on Española Way
Lido Bayside, The Standard Miami Beach (South Beach), what sunset frosé happy hour dreams are made of
Living Room Bar, W South Beach (South Beach), still a go-to for the classic South Beach hotel bar experience
Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@itsfoundmiami.com.
MIAMI RESTAURANT LINKS: Another NY import: seafood-centric Catch opening tomorrow in Miami Beach • Another LA import: Evan Funke’s Mother Wolf coming to Design District this fall • Macchialina team planning Bar Bucce in Little River to open later this year • Recent closures of note: Brickell’s Perricone’s and Stanzione 87, Wynwood’s Wood Tavern • The real story behind those viral Miami F1 menu prices.
REAL ESTATE • On the Market
Big ticket
The big-ticket listings surge continued in April, with 381 new single-family properties on the market in Miami-Dade County, a 34% rise over last year, per Elliman. The action was particularly strong in the $5M-$9.99M segment, where 45 listings came online, more than double last year’s crop.
Here, a trio of new entrants in that price range scattered in Coconut Grove. Each previously traded within the last six years for less than half today’s asking price.
→ 3515 E Fairview St (Northeast Coconut Grove) • 6BR/7BA 4753 SF house • Ask: $5.5M • block from the water with outdoor space to spare • Days on market: 24 • Agent: Barbara Elmir and Patricia Alfonso, One Sotheby’s.
→ 4050 Battersea Rd (South Coconut Grove, above) • 6BR/5.1BA 5753 SF house • Ask: $7.85M • big kitchen island leading out to a big yard • Days on market: 7 • Agent: Judith Zeder, Coldwell Banker.
→ 3470 Poinciana Ave (Southwest Coconut Grove) • 5BR/6.1BA 4676 SF house • Ask: $8.75M • tropical modern in gated community • Days on market: 45 • Agent: Riley Smith, Compass.
WORK • Thursday Routine
In development
SEBASTIAN TETTAMANTI • executive vice president • Dezer Development
Neighborhood you live in: MiMo District
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
We’re currently in the development stages of six projects, including Bentley Residences Miami, our collaboration with the luxury automaker. Each residence comes with a Dezervator, a car elevator. Every work day is a different mix of sales, marketing, and pre-development.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Zoom calls, in-person meetings, lunch with Gil Dezer at El Tropico in Sunny Isles, more calls, and repeat. Bentley Residences Miami takes up the majority of my day, as we’ve just broken ground.
Any bar or restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
My family and I love the ambience and fare at Makoto in Bal Harbour Shops. It’s always consistent and the people watching is second to none. For the best Mexican cuisine in Miami, we love Cheen Huaye. Nestled in an unassuming strip mall in North Miami, the food is amazing.
How about a little leisure or culture?
I caught the padel bug last year, so you can find me breaking a sweat at Ultra Club in Little Haiti. On the weekends, you’ll definitely find me on a soccer field cheering on my son for his travel team. As an Argentine, we’re big on grilling a proper asado on Sundays.
Any weekend getaways?
We try to slip away to the Bahamas at least once a month (above). The private island we frequent is a short 20-minute flight from Miami (but feels worlds away). Other weekend getaways include visiting my wife’s family in Cape May, NJ, where we stay at the La Mer Beachfront Resort.
What was your last great vacation?
It’s a tie between skiing with my family in Colorado and boating in the Bahamas. Our favorite hotel in Aspen is the St. Regis, where the lobby-level bar serves up great aprés cocktails and superb atmosphere. For dining out in Aspen, we love the Mexican fare at Las Montanas and Italian dishes at Casa Tua. The fresh sushi at Matsuhisa is not to be missed, either. And for clean eats, Spring Cafe is a must. Our best core memories are definitely on the slopes or the seas. Over in the Bahamas, we recently started freediving and lobstering, and the rewards — a buttery dinner cooked by my wife — are delicious.
What store or service do you always recommend?
There’s a massage parlor on Biscayne Boulevard which gives the best foot massages for rock-bottom prices. I'm not divulging the name because some things must be gatekept!
MIAMI WORK AND PLAY LINKS: Downtown’s Aston Martin Residences complete construction • Brickell’s Mercedes Tower sells 100 units in four days (and reveals new interior renderings) • Rumored Apple Store at Miami Worldcenter getting glassed • As market for private company stock soars, controversy follows • The real Fed news: you should be earning 5%+ on your cash • Could ketamine be the next fix for workplace depression?
CULTURE & LEISURE • More Big Tickets
The Offspring, Hard Rock Live (Davie), tonight @ 8p, section 115, $171 per
Pauly Shore, Miami Improv (Doral), Sat @ 7p, GA, $25 per
Phillies vs Marlins, loanDepot Park (Little Havana), Sat @ 410p, section 8, $69 per
GETAWAYS • Paris
Olympian feat
Despite the hoopla surrounding the Olympic Games in Paris this summer, July 24-August 11, hotel rooms are still plentiful, as are seats on flights from the U.S. The airlines and Parisian hotels are getting nervous, offering promotional fares and rates. Should you book? Know this: Paris is a world-class city that understands how to handle big crowds efficiently and with European service — this isn't Salt Lake City. It’s walkable and bikeable, and the Metro is safe and clean.
Here’s how to make it work for you:
Plan to stay in the heart of the 7th Arrondissement. Centrally located for the games, the neighborhood is a peaceful respite after navigating the city all day. Tourists are sparse, except when you get too close to the Eiffel Tower.
Specifically, stay near where the Parliament convenes at the Assemblee Nationale on Rue Université. The police are everywhere, and you’ll need special access during the Olympics. A hotel room in the area solves that problem. Next to Parliament, the Bourgogne Montana Hotel is a good option (€358 per night in July).
From MIA, book a direct Air France flight in business class, currently about $5000 round trip to CDG.
If you want to luxe out while you’re in town, download the Wheelie app and cruise around La Grand'Ville in a Maybach. Or call Clemence ( +33 6 58 93 46 10) and say you are a friend of Monsieur Inman. You’ll be in excellent hands; she doesn’t speak English, but it doesn’t matter. She drives like a true Parisian, aggressive, but respectful, and knows the city well.
iPad hospitality is still taboo in Paris.
Oh, and tickets to the Olympic games: they, too, remain available, except for women’s basketball. Don't be deterred; StubHub is always an option. –Brad Inman
GETAWAYS LINKS: New Concourse K planned for MIA, with six new gates • Sunrise Airways debuting new routes in Eastern Caribbean • New 88-room boutique Hotel Mousai Cancun opens • How to score restaurant reservations in Paris.
ASK FOUND
First, a quick primer on how this works: You send us the pressing questions of the day (on dining, services, living in Miami and surrounds). We all put our heads together (us at FOUND, + you, FOUND subscribers, who are also FOUND) in search of truth and beauty.
Three FOUND subscriber PROMPTS for which we are seeking intel:
What Miami hotel do you always recommend for out-of-town guests?
My friends and I are searching for a new (non-hotel) day spa for a weekend drop-in. What are the latest FOUND options?
What’s your favorite restaurant in Miami (if you haven’t told us already)?
Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundmiami.com.