Where To Eat in January: Walrus Rodeo, Eating House, Joliet, and More

If you were working on a “best of 2022” list, we’d suggest you stop the presses, because Walrus Rodeo arrived on the scene just in time to be considered. Luciana Giangrandi and Alex Meyer (the acclaimed co-owners of the beloved Michelin-approved Boia De) have teamed up with chef/partner Jeff Maxfield (with credits including Toscana Divino, Ironside Pizza, and Kilgore Culinary) for a second “hidden gem” concept at the same unassuming shopping center in Little Haiti. The centerpiece of this space is the wood-fired oven, accented with interesting wines, artsy décor, and an emphasis on hospitality. The menu has lots of unique wood-fired items alongside cold plates, including charbroiled oysters, lamb ragu lasagna, carrot tartare, and The Rodeo Za (short for pizza, of course). This space is larger and easier-to-spot than its sister restaurant, but something tells us it will soon be equally as challenging to find a reservation.

Down the road from The Citadel food hall, the folks at Hachidori Ramen Bar have rebranded their secret back room from Kojin to The Chef’s Counter. Hachidori operates its casual noodle shop at the front, while The Chef’s Counter is an omakase-style Washoku dining experience in an intimate, speakeasy-like setting. Chef Pedro Mederos and executive pastry chef Katherine Mederos team up for an eight-course chef’s tasting menu that includes opening snacks, soup, housemade bread, chawanmushi (a Japanese egg custard dish), main plates (which currently involves turbot, octopus, and duck), all finished off with dessert. It doesn’t get more personal than dining at their 14-seat bar and chatting with the chefs as they prepare each course. The husband-and-wife team earned a Michelin Guide mention last year and recently welcomed a baby into the family, so there’s a lot to celebrate when you join them for dinner.

Call 305-587-9775 for reservations.

Finally, we have a place to get good Cajun cuisine without going to New Orleans! The Lost Boy & Co. team has brought a new neighborhood seafood bistro and garden to South Beach. Joliet serves fresh-caught seafood with the comfort food charm of the Gulf Coast. The menu features fresh oysters, barbecue shrimp, gumbo, and all of your Lowcountry favorites, within a cozy yet bright atmosphere accented with white walls, tropical leaves, and streaks of bright sunshine pouring in the windows. Joliet is located in South Beach’s Sunset Harbor neighborhood near the Venetian Causeway.

What happens when Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli reinvents his decade-long legacy of highly acclaimed “stoner food”? Think of this as Eating House 2.0 — now located in a larger space on Giralda Plaza, only a few steps from sister restaurant Luca Osteria. Back after a year-and-a-half hiatus, this new evolution of Eating House is essentially a metaphor for how this popular restaurant has “grown up” along with its patronage, by offering a more refined and elegant approach to some of the classics that made Eating House an early legend of the Miami culinary movement. Chef Rapicavoli impresses with updated takes on his signature carbonara (now made with cavatelli pasta and thick-cut heritage bacon) and dessert “dirt cup” — and takes things to another level with a new signature cocktail menu. The Cap’n Crunch-infused EH Old Fashioned triggers the nostalgic memories of Eating House’s original Cap’n Crunch pancakes, and the Josefina cocktail, named for the bar manager’s abuela, is essentially a drinkable pastelito with a not-too-sweet guava and cream cheese flavor.

Call 786-580-3745 for reservations.

Take a stroll through Coral Gables and you’ll be able to explore cuisine from Spain, Argentina, Mexico, France, Italy — and yes, even Greece. Kaïa, which means “from the earth,” features fresh Mediterranean ingredients. This new restaurant offers Aegean cuisine in a beautifully designed space that feels like a slice of Mykonos on the bustling Miracle Mile. The concept comes from a group of Greek friends who wanted to bring a piece of their homeland to Coral Gables. Staple items on the menu include grilled octopus, branzino, cheese saganaki, and wines curated by a Greek sommelier.

Chef Michael Beltran’s highly anticipated follow-up act to his Michelin-starred Ariete is here. Brasserie Laurel is the new French brasserie concept from Miami’s hometown Michelin-endorsed chef (and dynamic “Pan Con Podcast” host), and it’s the first restaurant to debut in the new Miami Worldcenter development in Downtown Miami. The menu highlights French classics like escargot, frog’s legs, and beef Wellington, alongside French wines like full-bodied Bordeaux, refreshing Sauternes, and crisp Champagne. At the helm of the kitchen will be executive chef Ashley Moncada, formerly chef de cuisine at Ariete, and together their goal is to deliver the same level of world-class food preparation, service, and hospitality you’ve come to expect from Ariete.

Call 305-310-3498 for reservations.

Last month, the Messi-led Argentinian fútbol team won the World Cup, and our local Argentinian community expressed their pride and passion on the streets of South Florida. On the heels of Argentina’s win, there’s no better time to highlight a cozy local Argentinian-owned spot with a farm-to-table approach in Midtown Miami. Ol’Days offers all-day breakfast and brunch with a long list of coffees and teas, alongside a diverse menu of handhelds, yogurts, Buddha Bowls, pastries and even cold-pressed juices. Now we just need those “Messi to Inter Miami” rumors to come true.

South Florida has always been an unofficial sixth borough of New York — and that’s why the famed Colony Hotel in Palm Beach welcomed Swifty’s, the former Upper East Side hot spot, to our SoFlo lifestyle. The first few steps into this restaurant take you on a walk into a relaxing tropical oasis with an outdoor garden by the pool and a pleasant breeze. The menu features original fan favorites like Billionaire’s Bacon & Meatloaf (that’s a bacon-wrapped meatloaf) and filet mignon with truffle butter, and it can all be washed down with a Pink Paradise cocktail. They’re open poolside for brunch, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and if you time it right, you’ll find live music or other spontaneous activities — maybe even a good old-fashioned game of bingo.

This new 18-seat spot serving modern French cuisine with an Asian twist has opened in the Carillon Miami Wellness Resort in North Beach. At the helm is Tristan Brandt, a German chef who has worked in top kitchens around Europe and Asia and led multiple restaurants to earning their Michelin stars. The Tambourine Room is his first restaurant stateside, and it’s fair to say pursuing another Michelin nod will be on his mind here. Chef Brandt has put together two nightly seatings featuring tasting menus that leverage local and seasonal ingredients from farms across South Florida. The menu rotates frequently and the 6 p.m. seating includes three courses, while the 8:30 p.m. seating includes six.

The creativity of Miami restaurateur Matt Kuscher has been proven time and time again through his portfolio of concepts ranging from LoKal and to Kush, to taking over Stephen’s Deli in Hialeah, resurrecting the iconic Tobacco Road, and recently taking over the restaurant space in the iconic Clevelander Hotel in South Beach. Now he’s reimagining the space formerly home to his Vicky’s House Milkshake Bar to Victoria’s Vinos & Vermuteria. Vermouth, the fortified wine commonly enjoyed as an apéritif or used in cocktails like martinis and Manhattans, is the star of the show in this intimate 25-seat space. In the transition from Vicky’s to Victoria’s, VVV has been upgraded into a Spanish-inspired space where you can learn about vermouth and experiment with a different style of adult beverage than you might be used to. Consider it a waiting room for the casual LoKal burger spot next door, or a romantic destination all its own with tapas-style small plates and charcuterie boards.

Walk-ins only.

What if we told you that celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse’s renowned brand of Creole New Orleans-style cuisine is technically available year-round right here in Downtown Miami? Carnival Cruise Lines, which is celebrating its 50th year anniversary, recently inaugurated their newest ship, the Carnival Celebration. On board, you’ll find Emeril’s Bistro 1397, a casual take on Chef Emeril’s flagship concepts in N’awlins. We’re talking barbecue shrimp, fried oysters, shrimp and grits, jambalaya, po’boys, muffulettas, and even that incredible bananas Foster dessert. Unfortunately, this isn’t available to non-cruise passengers, but if embarking on a Caribbean cruise is up your alley, this new ship is now sailing out of PortMiami all year long. To that, we only have one word, and that’s BAM!

More info here.