Ariete
Cuban American chef Michael Beltran grew up in Little Havana on his Cuban exile family’s cuisine—his grandparents worked at a bakery called Ariete—and honed his skills in the kitchens of the Floribbean pioneers who put the Miami food scene on the map: namely Chefs Norman van Aken and Michael Schwartz. The result is this Michelin-starred mecca where the vibe is hip yet relaxed, with a rustic-chic indoor dining room featuring woods, white subway tiles, low ceilings with exposed ducts, open kitchen, dim lighting and loud music, and a resplendent, lush outdoor patio. On the menu: venison, not something you see much of around these warm climes, with truffle twice baked potatoes, foie gras sauce Diane, and wild mushrooms; pastrami-style short rib with an oyster and short rib croquette; and a divine duck for two—a 14-day-dry-aged duck breast with roasted calabaza (pumpkin) tamal, wild mushroom foie gravy, and duck fricassee pastelitos. If this ones outside your budget, know that Beltran owns a slew of area restaurants including affordable Chug’s Cuban Diner, and his newest, Eva, in neighboring CocoWalk, a dinner-only, oyster and seafood-focused restaurant.
Cuban American chef Michael Beltran grew up in Little Havana on his Cuban exile family’s cuisine—his grandparents worked at a bakery called Ariete—and honed his skills in the kitchens of the Floribbean pioneers who put the Miami food scene on the map: namely Chefs Norman van Aken and Michael Schwartz. The result is this Michelin-starred mecca where the vibe is hip yet relaxed, with a rustic-chic indoor dining room featuring woods, white subway tiles, low ceilings with exposed ducts, open kitchen, dim lighting and loud music, and a resplendent, lush outdoor patio. On the menu: venison, not something you see much of around these warm climes, with truffle twice baked potatoes, foie gras sauce Diane, and wild mushrooms; pastrami-style short rib with an oyster and short rib croquette; and a divine duck for two—a 14-day-dry-aged duck breast with roasted calabaza (pumpkin) tamal, wild mushroom foie gravy, and duck fricassee pastelitos. If this ones outside your budget, know that Beltran owns a slew of area restaurants including affordable Chug’s Cuban Diner, and his newest, Eva, in neighboring CocoWalk, a dinner-only, oyster and seafood-focused restaurant.
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