Camp time
Paya, Morningside listings, Casa Neos, Janu Tokyo, Hamptons intel, best rooftop dining, MORE
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Island hopping
The Skinny: Last fall, homegrown chef Niven Patel opened his first foray into South Beach’s restaurant scene, Paya, an ode to island cooking spanning the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and Spain. As Miami diners have come to expect from Patel, there’s a focus on seasonal, hyperlocal sourcing with ingredients cultivated on his own South Dade farm, Rancho Patel.
The Vibe: A familiar, playful mid-century modern-meets-island motif, in a beautifully textured, softly lit dining room with rattan overhead lighting fixtures, basket-woven-backed low slung chairs, soft red upholstery, Spanish tiles, and white-washed brick walls with palm mural panels. There’s also a pretty bar clad in green clapboard reminiscent of the Caribbean and a poolside patio that feels Balinese, with polished wooden benches and tables flanked by lush foliage. On a recent Friday night, the scene was subdued, with only a few other parties in the dining room.
The Food: The menu is anchored by a 10-item family-style tasting menu at $75 per ($50 on Mondays). I especially enjoyed an elegant endive salad with orange, walnuts, and Pecorino; the truffle brie grilled cheese with mango jam on buttery Sullivan Street sourdough; and the lemongrass-glazed daily catch (mahi-mahi when I was there) with bok choy and heirloom carrots atop rice and a fragrant coconut curry. The green papaya salad and coconut wahoo ceviche were both a little sweet for my taste: the former lacking heat, the latter lacking acid. Other items were merely forgettable, as the parade of dishes tended to overwhelm rather than cohere.
The Drink: My dining companion and I couldn’t resist starting with the menu’s two jello shots masquerading as sliced fruit: the Caribbean rum punch made with Flor de Caña and pisco inside a mango rind, and the hibiscus-infused, tequila-based Island Time with passionfruit inside a dragon fruit shell. The rest of the cocktail menu is creative and boozy, much of it tiki-inspired and bursting with fresh fruit, like the Passionfruit Fizz, made with gin and egg white.
The Verdict: A star Miami talent flying below the radar in South Beach. Swing by on a Monday night and go island-hopping with Patel at an incredible value, or order à la carte to avoid sensory overload. –Shayne Benowitz
→ Paya (South Beach) • 1209 17th St • Sun-Thu 530-10p, Fri-Sat 530-11p • Reserve.
MIAMI RESTAURANT LINKS: Buenos Aires cocktail institution Presidente Bar debuts in Wynwood • Ukiah Japanese Steakhouse opens in Ft Lauderdale • The pizza-flavored cocktail remains elusive.
REAL ESTATE • First Mover
Three for-sale properties in Morningside that came to market in the last 45 days.
→ 5550 N Bayshore Dr (Morningside) • 3BR/2.1BA, 2464 SF house • Ask: $2.55M • renovated on corner lot across from park • Days on market: 45 • Annual taxes: $11,163 • Agent: Nancy Batchelor, Compass.
→ 621 NE 55th St (Morningside) • 4BR/4.1BA, 2421 SF house • Ask: $3.95M • single-story bungalow on a double lot • Days on market: 26 • Annual taxes: $48,098 • Agents: Ignacio Villanueva, Compass.
→ 549 NE 59th St (Morningside, above) • 6BR/5.1BA, 4528 SF house • Ask: $7.95M • Mission-style new construction • Days on market: 39 • Annual taxes: $50,907 • Agent: Dora Puig, Luxe Living Realty.
MIAMI WORK AND PLAY LINKS: South Florida residential sales continue to fall • Governor signs amended condo safety bill into law • Comparing the Heat and Panthers dynasties: who’s better? • New York Pickles & Company sets up shop in Coral Springs • To pick up the pace of meetings, take them outside.
WORK • Thursday Routine
Catch me if you can
RACHEL SAIGER • founder, Style Saves • fashion director, Miansai
Neighborhood you work in: Wynwood
Neighborhood you live in: Miami Beach
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
Morning drop-offs at two different camps for the kids, then off to the office for a photoshoot. Come home to a house full of contractors (new home life), and then play chauffeur for all the kids to tennis lessons, and somehow still manage to cook something aesthetic in between it all.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Content creation and marketing review for Miansai and continued planning efforts for Style Saves’ 15th annual Back to School event, which is taking place in August.
Any bar or restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I love Casa Neos because it’s right on the water and the perfect spot when I want a good vibe without the full-on party scene. It feels elevated yet still incredibly relaxed. I usually order the branzino and sashimi. They’re both so fresh and always hit the spot.
How about a little leisure or culture?
For family fun, we always head to Tidal Cove Waterpark in Aventura and grab some ice cream afterward. My friends and I love attending shows at the Faena and spending the day at The Standard Spa.
Any weekend getaways?
Rincon, Puerto Rico, where we live for half the year. It’s a two-hour flight, and there’s great food and beautiful beaches. My husband’s really into surfing, and we realized that while the kids aren’t in grade school yet, it’s the perfect time to take advantage of the flexibility and live abroad for a bit. It’s been amazing. We found a place with a really chill vibe and a slower pace of life, but it’s still close enough to Miami if we need to head back. The kids are loving it, too — they do sailing and horseback riding, spend a lot of time at the beach, and ride their bikes all around town.
What was your last great vacation?
One of my favorite recent trips was to Tokyo with my husband. We stayed at Janu Tokyo in Azabudai Hills, a sister property to the Aman, located in this beautiful shopping district in Minato. My husband and I were basically on a mission to eat as much omakase and ramen as possible. We used Ramen Beast to track down the best spots across the city, and for omakase, nothing beats the experience we had in the old Tsukiji Outer Market. We were also lucky enough to go during cherry blossom season this time around, which made everything feel even more magical.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
Alaia One Piece Medium Bag in Fishnet.
What store or service do you always recommend?
Microneedling by Skincare by Amy Peterson.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Barracuda
Jeezy Presents TM:101 LIVE w/ Color of Noize Orchestra • Knight Center (Downtown) • Fri @ 8, sec 109, $372 per
Heart • Hard Rock Live (Davie) • Sat @ 8p • section 115, $166 per
Flamengo v 2C • Club World Cup, round of 16 • Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens) • Sun @ 4p • section 118, $483 per ($94 lowest avail)
GETAWAYS • The Hamptons
What’s new and noteworthy this summer in the Hamptons. Want to stay up to date on more New York City escapes? Subscribe to FOUND NY.
→ SOUTHAMPTON: A crew of music industry vets launched Namiro, a 47-seat Asian fusion restaurant with a lantern-draped ceiling, sushi-heavy menu, and lychee martinis at the bar. Directly across the street, FĒNIKS — the latest project from longtime Plaza Café chef Douglas Gulija — is moving into the former Le Chef space. The sleek two-level spot will offer an à la carte dining room, $250 chef’s counter, and mezzanine cocktail lounge serving dishes like Montauk tuna poke.
→ BRIDGEHAMPTON: Joe Isidori is bringing a taste of his new Murray Hill lounge Artie’s Backroom to his red sauce Italian restaurant Arthur & Sons. He recently launched a new flavored margarita and burger menu that he’s calling Artie’s in the Hamptons.
→ EAST HAMPTON: Perpetually packed NYC pizza institution Rubirosa — beloved for its ultra-thin oversized pizzas — brings its pesto-drizzled tie-dye pie and more out east at Camp Rubirosa. Taking over the former Laundry/Buttero space (above) by the train station in East Hampton, the restaurant’s camp-themed residency is slated to run through September 15. Separately, Scott Sartiano will not return to The Hedges this season. In place of his Italian restaurant comes Swifty’s — originally an Upper East Side institution, now a staple in Palm Beach. Monaco-based Crazy Pizza opens its second U.S. location (in partnership with the Altamarea Group) in the former Bamboo space, with thin-crust truffle pies, DJ sets, and spritzy cocktails. Also returning: Cedric and Ochi Vongerichten’s Wayan and Ma•dé, now in a dockside summer residency at EHP Resort.
→ MONTAUK: At Solé East Resort, Sea Salt replaces The Backyard, with ex-Duryea’s chef Melissa O’Donnell serving bouillabaisse and jalapeño-tequila cocktails poolside. Meanwhile, Bagatelle takes over the former Gosman’s Restaurant space with 274 seats, Mediterranean dishes by a Daniel Boulud alum, and plenty of rosé. And at Gurney’s, Gigi’s Montauk replaces Scarpetta Beach with a seafood menu from French Laundry alum Justin Lee. Also new at the property: Dune Café & Lounge, a coffee bar by day, cocktail lounge by night. Elsewhere, tiki bar Lynn’s Hula Hut is taking over the old Hideaway space at Cove Marina. –Kat Odell & Sarah Jackson
GETAWAYS LINKS: At MIA: American planning new business class lounge… JetBlue axing all MIA flights, exiting market on 09/03 • Luxe resort Ocama, with 8 private villas, opens in the DR • New Grand Hyatt resort coming this fall to Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman.
ASK FOUND
Three FOUND subscriber PROMPTS for which we continue to seek intel:
Who’s your go-to tailor?
What’s your favorite flower shop?
What’s your Restaurant of the Summer?
Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundmiami.com.
RESTAURANTS • The Nines
Restaurants, rooftop dining
The Rooftop by Klaw (Edgewater, above), prettiest bay views, excellent chateaubriand, seafood towers, mignonette-spiked martinis