June 30, 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.
MaryGold’s Florida Brasserie Debuts New Menu
Queen Miami Launches Summer Offerings
LPM Restaurant & Bar Hosts Bar Takeover
Toku to Open at Aventura Mall
New Happy Hour at Eleventh Street Pizza
MaryGold’s Florida Brasserie Debuts New Menu
MaryGold’s Florida Brasserie, the sophisticated yet approachable modern restaurant from renowned chef Brad Kilgore and award-winning hospitality agency Bar Lab located on the ground floor of the boutique Arlo Wynwood hotel, has launched a new menu just in time for the summer season. The revamped menu highlights stylish American cuisine crafted with global influences and Wynwood flair.
Chef Brad Kilgore, a James Beard “Best Chef: South” nominee, Food & Wine “Best New Chefs in America” alumnus, and winner of 2023 Miami New Times Best Chef award, has introduced exciting new dishes to reflect the restaurant’s take on the vibrancy and the flair of summer in Miami.
The updated food menu is divided into five categories: Raw Bar, To Share, Appetizers, Entréees and For the Table. The entirely new raw bar section includes the Prawn Cocktail ($25), with Belizean carrot cocktail sauce; Dressed Oysters ($24), served with finger lime, citrus sabayon, Fresno chili relish and cucumber basil; Classic Oysters ($22), served with Belizean carrot cocktail sauce and green peppercorn mignonette; Fluke and Scallop Crudo ($26), with shiso leaf, nagami kumquat, green peppercorn oil and pickled Anaheim pepper; and a Raw Bar Platter ($48/person).
Refreshed entrée selections include the Ricotta Pillows ($36), with summer sweet corn, pickled cherries, tarragon, and Aleppo chili-sumac oil, and the decadent Mahi Meuniere ($48), with artichoke, maracuya, beurre noisette, Meyer lemon and wild broccoli. MaryGold’s has also introduced a new seasonal vegetable: the refreshing Charred Baby Leeks ($16), served with tarragon and caramelized coconut. Steak aficionados will love the new 48 oz Strube Ranch Wagyu Tomahawk Rib-Eye ($295), served with wagyu fat garlic condiment, smoked tomato butter and hen of the woods.
The seasonal menu also welcomes two brand-new dessert creations unlikely to find elsewhere: Warm Dark Chocolate Fondant ($18), served with sliced bananas, salted banana caramel and toffee ice cream, something one might enjoy from an inviting Parisian café, and Strawberries and Cream ($14), a thin, crispy crepe made with varying layers of sour cream custard, lemon curd, freeze-dried strawberry marmalade, fresh strawberry, lychee salsa and bright lemon verbena granita and dusted with strawberry powder.
MaryGold’s wine selection has expanded to include a handful of new red, white, sparkling and skin contact options, including the Valentina Passalacqua Calcarius Bianco ($21), an Italian bombino bianco; Quarticello Despina Frizzante ($17), an Italian malvasia; and Domaine Andre Vatan ($22), a Sancerre sauvignon blanc. In addition, MaryGold’s features a tantalizing cocktail menu at the helm of Bar Lab’s Global Beverage Director, Christine Wiseman, winner of the 2023 Altos Bartenders’ Top Bartender Award.
MaryGold’s additionally offers two new chef tasting menus designed by Chef Kilgore that pair his personalized and perfected selection of appetizers, mains and desserts ($90 per person for four courses; $140 per person for six courses).
Queen Miami Launches Summer Offerings
Prepare to be enthralled by Queen Miami Beach as she presents her specialty ‘Summer Menu,’ exclusive for the month of July only. Immerse yourself in an opulent 4-course culinary journey through modern Japanese gastronomic traditions, within an impeccably curated menu of Queen’s cherished classics, all for the discerning price of $135 per person.
Elevate your summer evenings to unparalleled heights and allow the remarkable transformation of the historic Paris Theater to serve as the backdrop for your next dining experience as you indulge in Queen’s carefully-curated 4-course ‘Summer Menu.’
Tantalizing appetizers include the Oishii Prawn Cocktail, Avocado Tart, and Tomato Salad. Following, Chef will present ‘Queen’s Imperial Platter’ to the table, comprising a curated selection of seasonal sashimi, nigiri, and maki, A feast for the senses continues with a delectable selection of main courses, featuring Roasted Branzino, Queen Filet, Eggplant Miso, and Creamed Corn. Concluding this extraordinary dining experience, revel in the ‘Queen’s Dynasty Experience’ featuring chef’s selection of the most refined desserts. Let Queen Miami Beach transport you to a realm where culinary artistry, refined tastes, and world-class entertainment converge to redefine the art of fine dining this summer.
LPM Restaurant & Bar Hosts Bar Takeover
LPM Restaurant & Bar, the French Riviera-inspired restaurant bringing the flavors of the Côte d’Azur to the heart of Miami, has partnered with Cafe La Trova to host a one-night bar takeover and pop-up on Tuesday, July 11th from 6 to 9 p.m. In celebration of National Mojito Day, LPM will invite Cafe La Trova’s talented “cantineros” (Cuban bartenders) to feature a special cocktail menu and will serve a French twist on Cuban classics, as well as its regular a la carte menu.
Hosted by LPM Miami’s Bar Manager, Barna Jeremias, and Cafe La Trova’s Bar Manager and Cantinero, Andy Cabrera, the duo have teamed up to curate a cocktail menu for the Cuban-inspired festivities. Leaders in Miami’s growing bar scene, Jeremias and Cabrera have also collaborated to feature one specialty cocktail, the Papillon, taking influence from each of the restaurant’s origins and techniques. The collaborative cocktail, available for one night only, is made with guava-infused Grey Goose Vodka, Grey Goose La Poire, fresh guava, thyme syrup, and rosé wine.
To truly celebrate in style, Cafe La Trova will bring its esteemed live band to gracefully fill the French eatery’s bar and terrace area. Featured cocktails from Cafe La Trova will include the Hotel Nacional, made with Bacardi Añejo Cuatro, apricot, lime, and pineapple; the Mojito Criollo, created with Bacardi Superior, sugar, lime, mint, and soda; and the Santiago, made up of D’Usse Cognac, amaretto, dry vermouth, and Amaro Montenegro.
Featured cocktails from LPM will include the Pablo, made with Bombay Sapphire, tarragon, orange and mint cordial; the 1889 Americano, made with Martini Ambrato, Suze, toasted pineapple, vanilla, and Fever Tree Light Tonic; and The Greenwich, which is LPM’s twist on a classic mojito, and combines Havana Club Rum and herbal liquor, mint, and matcha. Additionally, guests can indulge in LPM’s take on Cuban classics such as Croquettes De Bar Du Chili, salted Chilean sea bass croquettes with roasted pepper relish; Mojo Chicken Skewers; and Osso Bucco Empanadas.
Toku to Open at Aventura Mall
A New York favorite for modern Asian fare, Toku, by Poll Restaurants, is debuting its second location at Aventura Mall. In 2007, brothers Gillis and George Poll opened Toku at Americana Manhasset, Long Island’s most impressive shopping destination. Having conquered steakhouse, seafood and Italian cuisines, the Poll brothers decided to try something new with Asian fare. The restaurant was an instant hit for its modern, pan-Asian dishes, expansive cocktail program, and moody yet inviting ambiance. Opened on Monday, June 26, South Florida residents can now enjoy Toku’s sought-after dining experience.
Toku’s sleek and stylish vibe has made it a Long Island mainstay – the 14,000-square-foot Aventura location incorporates design elements from the New York location, while bringing in South Florida touches. Created by Rockwell Group, with input from the Poll brothers, Toku’s immersive interior is based on a 19th Century Japanese home, and the restaurant’s cozy ambiance is brought into the 21st Century with ultra-modern elements and sleek lighting.
Toku’s cuisine combines ingredients and cooking techniques from across the globe, with predominantly Japanese and Chinese influences, with touches of Thai and Vietnamese flavors. The expansive menu features classic Asian fare, with sophisticated meat and seafood selections. Toku’s designed-for-sharing dishes offer something for every palate, with highlights including Miso Black Cod, Roasted Lobster, Sesame Crusted Tuna, Wagyu Steak Frites and Peking Duck, as well as a variety of rice and noodle dishes, and dozens of finely-crafted sushi and maki options to choose from.
Toku’s sleek and intimate bar sets the scene for enjoying its must-try beverage offerings. Guests can sip on libations from the restaurant’s wide variety of cocktails, sakes, Japanese whiskies, wines and beers. Unique craft cocktails include the Chili Passion Martini, Fig Martini, Mandarin Mojito, and the Toku-Gria, an Asian-inspired twist on classic sangria with sake, plum wine, ginger and fruit.
Offering lunch and dinner, Toku will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 12 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. The restaurant is located in Aventura Mall at 19575 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 1109.
New Happy Hour at Eleventh Street Pizza
Eleventh Street Pizza is introducing a happy hour just in time for summer! The downtown Miami location now offers happy hour Tuesday through Friday from 4-6PM (dine only) and the Dadeland location now offers happy hour on Wednesday and Thursday from 4-6PM (dine only) including 1/2 off classic cheese pizza and 1/2 off beer & wine by the glass.
Photo credit: FCN Photography