The June Hit List: Boia De, Dirty French Steakhouse, Kaori, and More

Tucked between a laundromat and a supermarket inside the otherwise-unassuming Bravo Supermarkets strip mall, Boia De is somewhat easy to miss, which likely explains the pink neon exclamation point above the entrance. Tables within the petite space are ideal for intimate parties and smaller groups, in addition to tables outside and bar seating, which gives access to vivacious scents coming from the kitchen.

Sharing is the best strategy for delicious small plates of Italian-inspired fare, whether you’re looking for the elegance of the green goddess-adorned scallop crudo with yuzu and green apple, the indulgent tagliolini nero with king crab and truffle, or the famously crispy-yet-moist potato skins topped with caviar, egg, and stracciatella.

And if Boia De is a bit detached from Miami tourism mainstays, you’re sure to take this restaurant, led by the talented Luciana Giangrandi and Alex Meyer, seriously enough to carry that exclamation point with you to whomever hears your personal review.

Major Food Group continues to expand in the Magic City with its newest concept. Taking over the former Morton’s location, this steakhouse imports NYC’s Dirty French vibe and blends it with Miami’s over-the-top tropical glitz. Look forward to French favorites like the Dover sole meunière, duck a l’orange, chicken and crepes, and mushroom millefeuille alongside plenty of prime aged steaks and tantalizing sauces. Make sure to save room for dessert, flambéed tableside.

Shopping malls don’t usually house breweries, but this Thai import has made Brickell City Centre its home. Created by the masterminds behind Thailand’s Singha beer, this brewery-restaurant hybrid blends its homeland flavors with Miami’s tropical vibe to create a casual, fun space that’s serving up creative beers and Asian fare. House beers range from lagers and brown ales to pale ales and wheat beers. After you decide on your drink, dive into the menu where options include red curry crab croquettes, papaya salad, dumplings, fried rice, and savory curries. 

Call 305-425-9266 for reservations.

Sandy Sanchez set a standard for French cuisine in Hialeah after returning to her hometown from a decade in Los Angeles to open La Fresa Francesa in 2015. Following the success of the quaint bistro, Sanchez and Benoit Rablat opened Silverlake Bistro in fall 2018, blending French and Californian-American fare. That appears in small plates of flaky brie, bacon, and onions, as well as the mini grilled cheese made with taleggio, a fried egg, and truffled honey. It’s also clearly the mission with entrees like herb butter-stuffed branzino, pan-seared with garlic confit. They also offer curated daily specials like Mussels and Wine Night on Wednesdays and flambeéd banana French toast on the weekend brunch lineup. Add all of those elements to Thursday’s half-off wine bottles and the neighborhood’s adoration for this eclectic Normandy Isles café is easy to understand.

Bright Mediterranean flavors reign supreme here, taking you on a journey throughout the entire region from Egypt to Italy. Classic ingredients like honey, feta, dukkah, mint, sumac, and tahini grace dishes like the Turkish lamb dumplings, roasted squid, and salmon with kalamata olives. If you can’t decide what to order, opt for the nine-course tasting menu with a wine pairing and let the kitchen wow you with each creation.

Call 786-483-8014 for reservations.

Step off Brickell’s buzzy streets and into this blissful two-story retreat. Its natural, minimalistic aesthetic instantly relaxes you and welcomes you in for a culinary journey through the Mediterranean and Asia. Effortlessly blending flavors from the two regions, chef Raymond Li’s star dishes include the stracciatella and fig spread served with toasted garlic pita, Iberico pork belly bao buns in a ginger-soy glaze, and grilled octopus, served with Li’s take on Spanish fabada that will make you want to dip your pita into it long after the octopus is gone.

Its street-side coffee shop may lure you in with promises of caffeine and pastries but beyond that — up a few steps — lies an expansive outdoor bar and lounge area where you can unplug from the day and enjoy a cocktail (or two). The weekday happy hour slashes the entire bar’s menu pricing in half and weekend bottomless brunches are legendary. If you’re craving something to nosh on, any of the sourdough pizzas will satisfy, like the ricotta pie with a surprising garlic confit, or the classic pepperoni.

This tropical oasis in the middle of the Grove is the perfect escape from your daily hectic schedule. It’s been a local hangout for a decade and continues to serve casual fare in its secret alfresco garden setting. Lunch and dinner menus offer a variety of raw bar selections, salads, seafood, sandwiches, pastas, and risottos. And if you’re dining with your pup, make sure to ask for the tail wagger menu so your furry friend can chow down on wagyu beef tartare or Alaskan king salmon crudo. The restaurant also donates used raw bar shells to local organization Watershed Action Lab so it can use them to create new habitats and restore the oyster population in Biscayne Bay.

Call 305-774-3332 for reservations.

While the flagship restaurant in Boca is closed as it relocates into a larger space, you can still get your noodle fix at the Clematis Street location. Order a chilly Sapporo or a signature cocktail like the Bobba Tea made with rum, sake, and coconut milk, and enjoy the laid-back ambiance before diving into the Southeast Asian cuisine. A variety of dim sum bites share the menu with the famed pork belly ramen, lo mein, pad Thai, and pad see ew. 

Pro tip: Don’t sleep on the Kapow Crack Fries, which are only available at this location.

Her 2008 Beard award was an arrival of sorts, but chef Michelle Bernstein’s talent for transporting Miamians and visitors on an incomparable culinary adventure to Cuba has proven that the journey goes far beyond borders the rest of us can see. Since 2019, Bernstein has given customers a mix of tradition and innovation, blending classic cuisine with buoyant live music, which of course never clashes with great rum cocktails and proper island décor.

Not only will your mojito be top-tier — Cafe La Trova has won several awards for drinks, including their Buenavista cocktail, which is similar to a mojito but made with Bombay Sapphire and elderflower liqueur — but the same level of excellence is evident in entrees like the boneless, flaky, and crispy whole snapper, and the arroz con pollo. Make sure to start with the croquetas, for which your choices range from mushroom risotto to Maine lobster, and end beautifully with a creamy flan with maracuyá sauce.