June 23, 2023
Each Friday, we compile South Florida food-related news and events that we couldn’t fit on the site earlier in the week, as well as other local news that piques our interest. Want to be included in our next roundup? Shoot us an email at bark@miamifoodpug.com.
Jean Cocteau Celebration at LPM
JOEY Aventura to Open Next Month
Coming Soon: Church and Union
Summer Sips at North Italia
Jean Cocteau Celebration at LPM
A year since debuting “Recipes For Our Friends,” LPM Restaurant & Bar’s experiential cocktail menu inspired by legendary French artist Jean Cocteau, LPM Miami will celebrate his birthday anniversary on Wednesday, July 5th.
To honor the historical late artist, LPM will offer all guests a complimentary, miniature version of two of the most popular Jean Cocteau-inspired cocktails. Available at the bar or throughout the dining room, guests can experience the Lettre à Coco, which represents the special friendship between Cocteau and Coco Chanel, made with Ketel One Vodka, Champagne Cordial, and topped with jasmine, bergamot and rose misted onto the glass – inspired by the aromatics of Chanel No. 5 perfume; and the Pablo, which celebrates his close relationship with Picasso and features two of the great artist’s most significant colors, blue and green, and is made with Bombay Sapphire, Tarragon, orange, and mint cordial.
JOEY Aventura to Open Next Month
JOEY Restaurants is thrilled to announce JOEY Aventura, its first endeavor in the Sunshine State, is set to open July 13, 2023. Established in Canada, JOEY has grown into a collection of elevated yet comfortable restaurants with great food and drinks, lively environments, and exceptional dining experiences. With restaurants throughout Canada and the United States, including Washington, California and Texas, the hospitality group remains dedicated to curating spaces that reflect and serve each local community.
JOEY Restaurant’s first Florida location will thoughtfully match Miami’s exuberant vibe with a one-of-a-kind modern oasis at Esplanade at Aventura, bringing a refined yet casual dining experience with a team of award-winning chefs, a globally inspired menu and iconic hospitality.
JOEY Aventura will boast two levels, totaling 8,300 interior square feet with a 1,250 square foot patio. The expansive 241-seat dining room is anchored by a circular, modern bar surrounded by two-story, floor-to-ceiling windows. Designed by JOEY Restaurants, the main dining room features natural wood and stone elements, cascading greenery, unique ambient lighting installations spanning the restaurant’s two floors and art commissioned specifically with Miami’s vibrancy in mind.
Guests will find pieces from celebrated artists Elsbeth Shaw and Anna Kincaide throughout the restaurant, bringing brilliant pops of color to the otherwise natural design elements. Shaw’s three works, “Miami Love Versace”, pull inspiration from Miami, high fashion, and the rich blue hues throughout the restaurant. The main dining room opens to a bright, spacious 82-seat outdoor patio, complete with fans and a retractable awning, perfect for alfresco dining in Miami.
JOEY Aventura’s team of visionary chefs will create an experience unlike any other, blending local culture with innovative and fresh international techniques, resulting in a delicious harmony of ingredients and flavors. JOEY Restaurant’s globe-trotting team of chefs consists of a three-time James Beard House guest chef, an Iron Chef from Japan, a Bocuse d’Or veteran competitor and Top Chef Canada winner Matthew Stowe, Executive Chef at JOEY Restaurants.
As for the food at JOEY Aventura, the menu will take inspiration from a variety of international cuisines, from fire-torched sushi and premium cuts of steak to comforting bowls, burgers and handhelds.
Signature dishes include Roasted Corn Guacamole; Hummus with tzatziki, dill, olives and crispy pita; Seared Salmon Sushi; Sake-Glazed Chilean Sea Bass; JOEY Classic Steak, featuring its famous fully loaded crispy mashed potatoes; and more. Guests will also find nods to the restaurant’s Italian roots in dishes like Ravioli Bianco, Chicken Parmesan and Spaghetti Pomodoro.
Any of JOEY Aventura’s dishes can artfully pair with the sunny colors and characters of the bar menu, including wine selections from JOEY’s in-house sommelier and handcrafted cocktails, from a Spicy Passion Fruit Margarita with serrano pepper-infused tequila to a sweet Real Peach Bellini with a signature rum blend, real peach molasses, sparkling wine and Sangria. Perfect for the summer, guests can also enjoy the JOEY Supers, a twist on the classic highball with signature lemon and lime slush.
Coming Soon: Church and Union
Church and Union (CU), the chef-driven restaurant concept by the Charleston, South Carolina-based 5th Street Group is making its way to sunny South Florida. Slated to open late-2024, the opening of Church & Union Miami Beach on the historic Collins Avenue will make for the fifth Church and Union location, preceded by outposts in Charleston, Nashville and Charlotte, as well as Denver opening later this year.
The highly anticipated restaurant will serve its signature menu of New American, internationally-inspired offerings in a casual yet polished dining atmosphere. Guests can expect an unmatched dining experience with a classy yet comfortable ambiance and top tier service not to mention creatively conceived and masterly mixed cocktails.
Designed by talented architects Shulman and Associates and Build McKenzie, the spacious, three-story 10,000-square-foot restaurant will feature ample seating for 200 guests including the bar and lounge area and a private dining room, perfect for personal or professional soirees. The atmosphere and interior design remains uniform across all CU locations with signature design elements including an expansive white concrete bar and a hand-painted ceiling by Charlotte artist Jon Norris, which showcases all 11,450 words of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.
Additional art includes a 10-by-six-foot Rootism abstract piece created by Justin Rivenbark, a 25-foot steel tree by a local Miami artist, and the signature “Charleston $5 bill” painting, created by artists Matt Hooker and Rodney Raines, featuring a to-be-named icon as its centerpiece.
Chef/partners Jamie Lynch and Adam Hodgson boast an impressive, combined culinary background. Lynch enjoyed previous positions at Le Cirque, Aureole and Café Boulud in New York City. He was recognized as Charlotte Magazine’s “Best Chef” five times and competed on seasons 14 and 17 of “Top Chef/Top Chef All Stars.”
Hodgson is vice president of culinary operations for the group, having started with the company more than 10 years ago as line cook, then quickly working his way up to executive chef. With more than 20 years in the industry, he is also making a name for himself nationally with a season 23 appearance on Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay.”
The restaurant will be located at 745 Collins Avenue in Miami Beach. Target opening date is late-2024.
Summer Sips at North Italia
North Italia is celebrating the season with its Summer Sips campaign featuring 14 limited edition cocktails created by the restaurant’s top bartenders across the country from east to west coast. Among the drinks available through September 4 in Florida:
COSMO D’MEDICI (Florida locations only) | Tito’s Vodka, Orangecello, Pomegranate, Lime (Created by North Italia Dadeland’s lead bartender, Jonathan Mena)
DOLCE FIORE (nationwide) | Rose Infused Aviation Gin, Fiorente, Starlino Rosé and Lemon
AMARENA SOUR (nationwide) | Yellowstone Bourbon, Disaronno, Grand Marnier, Luxardo Cherry, Pressed Lemon
IL CIELO (nationwide) | Vulcanica Sicilian Vodka, Fiorente, Blue Curacao and Lemon