Where to Eat in September: MILA, The Gibson Room, and More

Staring at sailboats bobbing with the tides while taking in the breeze from Biscayne Bay is just about the definition of the perfect South Florida dining ambiance. With waterfront views on the former site of the legendary Scotty’s Landing, the newly opened Bayshore Club honors the history of Dinner Key, home to over a century of memories — as a picnic stop for boaters, as a Naval Air Station, and as a base for Pan American Airways’ seaplanes. With 300 seats, a 360-degree bar, and an outdoor lawn offering lounge seating and cabanas, Bayshore Club serves up seafood in a setting made to feel like you’ve taken flight and been whisked away on vacation. Enjoy live music Wednesdays through Sundays, or stop in for weekday deals like $2 oysters on Mondays from 4-6 p.m., half-priced drink happy hour on weekday afternoons, and Rosé by the Bay All Day with half-priced bottles on Wednesdays.

Call 305-209-1200 to make reservations.

Blue Steel Pizza Co. brings South Floridians a taste of its thick, rectangular Detroit-style pizza in an intimate space designed to feel like a speakeasy. True to its Motor City theme, “blue steel” refers to the steel used both in old car engines and the pizza pans used to bake their pizzas. Following the success of their first location in New Jersey, Blue Steel opened in Lauderdale by the Sea earlier this year, serving their crisp-edged pies and funky New American small plates like Cola Cola BBQ wings and fried chicken bao buns out of a scratch kitchen. As you should at any speakeasy, don’t leave without ordering a signature cocktail.

Hometown success story and newly-Michelin-starred chef Michael Beltrán is expanding the roster at his Ariete Hospitality Group with the reimagining of The Mighty, a casual local gastropub on Coral Way. After a revamp and the recruitment of a new chef in the kitchen, Kris Huseby, The Mighty has been transformed into a new upscale-but-not-stuffy cocktail bar concept known as The Gibson Room. Now you’ll find elevated fare like uni butter popcorn and oxtail and shrimp ramen, craft cocktails, a loaded calendar of live music, and some quirky taxidermy hanging from the walls.

Call 305-570-4311 for more info.

It’s rare to find a place that has operated for over half of Miami’s entire 126-year history, but Fox’s Sherron Inn brought about memories for generations of Miamians over its 69 years in business. That’s why it was a sad day for many when in 2015, Fox’s closed its doors due to new development plans for the land. Seven years later, Fox’s is reopening under new ownership (the duo behind Lost Boy Miami), who remodeled the space while staying true to the dive bar’s original spirit. Fox’s menu, signature red booths, famously dim lighting, and classic exterior neon sign are all the same, but the layout is flipped with the restaurant and bar now moved to the back of the space, and the liquor store up front. Menu staples still include fried chicken, homemade French onion soup, a French dip sandwich, and notoriously stiff martinis.

As “Better Call Saul” has proven to “Breaking Bad” fans, sometimes the spinoff can be just as good as the original. Local chef and restaurateur José Mendín has expanded his South Beach restaurant Casa Isola to a slightly modified sister location under the name of Patio Isola. This new Italian restaurant is located in the former home of Mendín’s La Placita in the MiMo District, and offers alfresco dining in a garden patio designed to feel like a coastal Italian villa. Under the direction of executive chef Santo Agnello, Patio Isola has built off the popular dishes at Casa Isola, like rigatoni alla vodka, by adding new items, like pizzas fired from a pizza oven that’s unique to this location.

Call 305-400-8173 for reservations.

Want to start your morning with some of Miami’s best pastries and brunch selections? After seven years in Brickell, chef Henry Hané has opened a second larger B Bistro + Bakery location in Coconut Grove. Here, Hané and the team serve up artful pastries and cafe staples like salads, soups, and toasts, along with indulgences like chilaquiles, truffle buns, and his oh-so-Miami creation, Pastelito Pancakes. Unique from its first outpost in Brickell, this new B Bistro location takes reservations, so you can get to your coffee and pastries even quicker.

Back in 2001, a 13-year-old California kid decided he wanted a career as a sushi chef, and began reading books to start brushing up on his sushi skills as a mere teen. He opened his first restaurant at 25, and less than a decade later, he is a Michelin-starred sushi chef with several concepts in California, Austin, Seattle, and now Miami’s Coconut Grove. Opened in partnership with his wife and pastry chef Margarita Kallas-Lee, Phillip Frankland Lee’s 10-seat omakase den known as Sushi by Scratch is located in The Stirrup House, a historic house in Coconut Grove, and serves a 17-course tasting menu. Sushi by Scratch’s arrival to Miami this summer was preceded by a big social media endorsement from one of his Austin regulars, comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan, when he messaged his millions of followers: “Miami! The best sushi I’ve ever had is coming to you.” Reservations drop on the first of each month, so be sure to plan ahead.

Call 786-254-1204 for reservations.

MILA, which serves a unique fusion of Mediterranean and Japanese cuisine on a beautiful rooftop, has been an instant hit on the South Beach scene since it opened at the start of 2020. If you haven’t checked it out yet, this lush rooftop restaurant delivers a “multi-sensory” culinary experience, with a lively ambiance and Ibiza-style beats. As for the food, they’ve coined their cuisine “MediterrAsian,” with items like shawarma-spiced wagyu gyoza, grilled Spanish octopus, izakaya-style sharing plates, sushi selections, and more. Between the vibey atmosphere and sweeping rooftop views, MILA is undoubtedly representative of the South Beach brand of chic, trendy nightlife, but backed up by top-notch cuisine.

You know that “I’m really full” feeling when you walk out of a good steakhouse and wonder whether you should adjust your belt an extra notch? Well, for more than 20 years, New York Prime has been doing just that for locals and visitors alike in Boca Raton. A classic steakhouse that exclusively serves USDA Prime steaks, this institution has even been entered into Boca Raton Magazine’s Hall of Fame for Best Steak. The always-busy hot spot serves steakhouse favorites like oysters Rockefeller, baked shrimp, bone-in rib eyes, New York strips, and other classics consistently prepared to perfection.