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Mister Chopstick
You read it right: Kosher Chinese. That means the menu is short on pork but does serve lots of Chinese-American favorites - General Tso's chicken and Hawaiian duck - in what seems like a never-ending chaotic Jewish wedding.
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Nemo
Raw bars and warm copper sconces are a good sign. That nudge into greatness comes when Asian elegance graces Latin-American exuberance: grouper with chimichurri sauce and kiss-the-grill nori-dusted tuna are a few jewels plucked off this fusion gem mine.
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News Café
Some kind of lodestone attracts every tourist in South Beach to this Ocean Dr landmark. Frankly, we don't get it, but thousands of travelers do and you may as well. So take a perch, eat some over-the-average but not-too-special food and enjoy the anthropological study that is South Beach as she rollerblades, salsas and otherwise shambles by.
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Norman's
What, Coral Gables? You've already got some of the best tapas, sushi and French food in the city; now you get Norman Van Aiken, touted by critics as possibly the best chef in the southeastern USA? The menu is a culinary mirror of the state of Florida, fusing the Caribbean to North America, and Europe to Latin America. Imagine Florida pompano with ham cheek hash, then eat it.
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Norman's Tavern
Think Diet Forge: same great taste, less calories! Er, celebrities. Norman's eschews bling and attitude for a sort of high-end sports bar atmosphere; the food is fancy pub fare and everyone's either shooting pool or watching the game.
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Oasis
This excellent Cuban café has a customer base that ranges from the working poor to city players. Between the super-strong coffee and masas de puerco - marinated pork chunks, which go great with hot sauce - we're in corner spot heaven.
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Original Restaurant
Friendly, family-run, clean and bright, this Little Haiti standout serves excellent island standards such as ragout (cow's feet), queu boeuf (oxtail), foie (liver) and griot (fried spicy pork); the last is one of our favorite only-in-Miami dishes (well, if you're in America). This is a neighborhood spot, and staff might be surprised to see you, but that doesn't mean they'll be any less courteous to their newfound customer.
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Osteria Del Teatro
There are few things to swear by, and the specials board of Osteria, one of the oldest and best Italian restaurants in Greater Miami, ought to be one. Actually, when you get here, let the gracious Italian waiters seat you, coddle you, and then basically order for you off the board. They never pick wrong.
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Pascal's On Ponce
They're fighting the good fight here: sea scallops with beef short rib, crème brulee and other French fine dining classics set the elegant stage at this neighborhood hangout, a favorite night out among Gables foodies who appreciate time-tested standards.
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Pasha's
Pasha is a serious self-promoter judging by this place, a sleek, two-level, healthy fast-food emporium that has his name everywhere you look. No matter; the food at Pasha's rocks. Have some delicious labneh (thick yogurt), a plate of hummus and grilled chicken served over rice. It's all good, and the interior feels as hip as a club. Other Pasha's locations are Downtown (1414 Brickell Ave) and in the Design District (3801 N Miami Ave).
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Pizza Rustica
South Beach's favorite pizza has three locations to satisfy the demand for Roman-style crusty/chewy slices topped with exotic offerings. A slice is a meal unto itself. Mosey down to 863 Washington Ave (tel: 305-674-8244) or over to 667 Lincoln Rd to sample similar fare at the other Pizza Rustica branches.
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Porção
What is it with South Americans and meat? We like beef, but this is a butcher with a grill, an all-you-can-eat Brazilian churrascaria (steakhouse) where the waiters wander around with swords - swords! - of skewered, juicy, fat-dribbling…actually, come here with that skirt steak, Sergio.
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Presto Pizza
Presto goes NYC style on the pie, and is beloved by Northeasterners longing for a thin-crust slice of home. It's a good, greasy alternative to all that healthy stuff in Pizza Rustica.
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Prime 112
Sometimes, you need a steak: well-aged, juicy, marbled with the right bit of fat, served in a spot where the walls sweat testosterone, the bar serves Manhattans and the hostesses are models. Chuck the above into Miami Beach's oldest inn, the beautiful 1915 Browns Hotel, and there's Prime 112.
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Puerto Sagua
There's a secret colony of older working-class Cubans and construction workers hidden among South Beach's sex-and-flash, and evidently, they eat here (next to a Benetton, natch). Puerto Sagua challenges the American diner with this reminder: Cubans can greasy-spoon with the best of them. Portions of favorites such as picadillo (spiced ground beef with rice, beans and plantains) are stupidly enormous.
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Raleigh Restaurant
You are 1920s class, dammit. Get in your pinstripes (or flapper dress) and kick back on a wicker chair under the seagrape trees on the terrace, or in the wood-paneled dining room - and have some suckling pig with sour orange while you're at it.
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Rascal House
A parking lot attendant meets you in a golf cart to whisk you to the front door. Inside, Wolfie Cohen's nostalgic 1954 Miami eatery has sassy service, classic swivel stools at the counter and Naugahyde booths. Relish the roast brisket, latkes, blintzes, beet borscht and Lake Erie whitefish salad. The grilled salmon and Reuben sandwiches are also reliable.
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Rusty Pelican
More than the fare, it's the panoramic views that draw the faithful and romantic to this airy, tropical restaurant. If you do come for a drink, the fresh air could seduce you into sampling the surf-n-turf menu, which is good enough considering the setting and lack of options.
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Sam's Deli & Grill
'It's good,' says the Israeli, with typical sabra understatement, walking out of what looks like a rabbi convention. Sam's holds the title for most popular deli on the Beach, evidenced by round-the-clock crowds noshing matzo ball soup, brisket and the excellent New Yorker: turkey and corned beef piled on rye and dripping with Russian dressing.
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San Loco
You'd think laid-back, Latino-influenced South Beach would have more burrito places, because let's face it, nothing goes down better after a cold swim (or beer) than guac, sour cream and beans. But there was a serious shortage of this genre - and then San Loco arrived. The industrially cool interior is fun, but the burritos are better - they kick your hunger in the ass, but in an oh-so-delicious way.
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Secret Sandwich Co
Spy-themed gourmet sandwiches? Hey, we can dig it, especially when the goods include the Bay of Pig (thin-sliced pork with onion and mojo marinade). That cute covert ops gimmick runs through the menu, all the way to half-pound burgers and very fresh salads.
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Sheba
The only Ethiopian place in Miami is a godsend for vegetarians, especially vegans (although there's meat here too). If you eat here, eat right; communally, off a big plate of injera (spongy bread), which serves as plate, utensil and starch, and scoop up spicy mounds of the many delicious varieties of wat (Ethiopian stew).
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Shorty's Bbq
If you're gonna make a mess of yourself, best do it by dribbling some smoky barbecue sauce on the long wooden picnic tables at this South Dade institution. It's not the best 'que in the world, but for Texas-style brisket in South Florida it's as good as life gets.
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Soyka
Mark Soyka, the man behind News Café and Van Dyke Café, has got the magic touch when it comes to restaurants in Miami, and this gem is his best effort yet. It's housed in a bouncy rococo space, and the eclectic menu jumps across several horizons of flavor, from sautéed chicken livers to sesame-seared salmon, with consistently tasty results.
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Spiga
This romantic nook is a perfect place to bring your partner and gaze longingly over candle light, before you both snap out of it and start digging into excellent traditional Italian such as lamb in olive oil and rosemary and baby clams over linguine.
