The May Hit List: Pastis Miami, Maty’s, Motek Cafe, and More

Make your way to Maty’s, James Beard award semifinalist Valerie Chang’s first restaurant as solo executive chef and owner. A departure from the Nikkei fusion of Itamae – run by Valerie and her father and brother – Maty’s is rooted in the traditional style of Peruvian comfort food that Chang grew up learning from her grandmother in Peru before moving to Miami at age 10.

Try Chang’s take on Peruvian staples, including black grouper ceviche in ají limo leche de tigre served with corn cakes; wagyu oxtail saltado, and a butterflied whole roasted dorade fish with ají amarillo beurre blanc. Of note: The Maty’s team is led by women, including executive sous chef Estefania Andrade and general manager Natalia Davis, and the expansive 150-seat restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating, two communal tables for big groups, and a bar and lounge.

Fans of the former Yakko San in North Miami Beach can get their fix of excellent yet affordable Japanese food at Yakko Bistro, a new smaller location not far from the original that’s run by the same chef team. Though the menu here is not quite as extensive, Yakko Bistro still offers everything from gyoza, ramen, hibachi meats, and izakaya-style grilled skewers to sushi rolls, nigiri, and sashimi. Grab a seat at the wraparound sushi counter, where you’ll find one-too-many Lucky Cat figurines waving at you. While the sushi is authentic and high-quality, the hot plates are not to be missed.

Call (305) 974-5632 for reservations.

Here with one of Miami’s most anticipated openings of the season comes our own edition of Pastis, New York’s legendary Parisian-style brasserie. Setting up shop in Wynwood with an expansive 8,000-square-foot outpost, this quintessential NYC spot has been at the heart of Manhattan’s Meatpacking District dining scene for nearly 15 years. James Beard Award-winning restaurateurs Keith McNally and Stephen Starr have transplanted their relaxed bistro-style dining with French fare like croque monsieur and madame sandwiches, steak frites, escargots, onion soup (no need to call it French onion when that’s obvious here), and sides like haricots verts and pommes purée (that’s green beans and mashed potatoes, by the way). Snag your Resy now and be one of the first to dine at Pastis Miami.

Kickstart your summer with an escape to Baia Beach Club, a multi-venue waterfront dining destination at the Mondrian South Beach. Baia’s bohemian-style outdoor oasis is exactly where you want to be when the sun goes down. Feel the breeze as you look out at Biscayne Bay and watch the sky turn deep pink, while you enjoy Baia’s craft cocktails and refreshing Mediterranean fare. Even if you’re dining indoors, sliding glass doors convert the space into an open-air dining room that connects you to the outdoor terrace. From morning to night, Baia Beach Club offers daily breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, plus a weekday Sundown Social happy hour featuring $10 sips and bites.

Spend a few hours in Italy with a visit to Tullio, a new authentic Italian eatery in Coral Gables from Venetian restaurateurs and father-and-son team Lucio and Sebastiano Zanon. Lucio worked for over a decade with the Cipriani family, including at the historic Harry’s Bar in Venice. Tullio Ristorante is named after Lucio’s father Tullio Zanon, who was a fish merchant at the Rialto Market and was known in Venice as the jeweler of seafood.

True to Venetian dining, Tullio’s menu is seafood-forward with whole Mediterranean fish served tableside, fresh pastas and risotto, crudos, gelato made to order (a must-try for every table), and an Italian wine list curated by Lucio’s travels to vineyards. As you dine beneath the high indoor ceilings or under the arches on the outdoor patio, you’ll experience warm, European-style hospitality amidst an elegant ambiance of white tablecloths, the freshest flowers, fine china, and Murano glass art as a nod to their hometown.

Call (786) 707-8978 for reservations.

If you’re in the mood for ‘cue with Memorial Day around the corner, head to Hometown Barbecue, the Brooklyn-based BBQ joint that’s one of our favorites here in South Florida. Located in an open-air, industrial warehouse with homey backyard patio seating, Hometown offers walk-up counter service during lunch and sit-down service during dinner. Brace yourself for some of the best pit-smoked brisket, ribs, wings, housemade sausage and all the meaty essentials, but don’t miss out on sides like corn bread with honey butter, brisket queso, smoked pit beans, and charred broccoli. Plus, make sure to leave room for Hometown’s signature banana pudding at the end of your meal. 

Inspired by the modern, minimalist aesthetics of Japanese and Scandinavian cultures (coined in the design world as “Japandi”), Petite Comité is a new bistro blending Scandinavian, French and Asian cuisines. Open for weekday lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, the eclectic menu features creative fusion dishes such as octopus sumūzu, venison carpaccio, wagyu sliders, Swedish calamari, ​​pork Stroganoff and Nikkei tenderloin. Their Japandi approach is all about striking a calming balance between simplicity and comfort, from the food down to the restaurant’s design. At Petite Comité, the space combines the smooth lines of Scandinavian design with the functional nature of the Japanese aesthetic, along with a picturesque terrace and outdoor mural by artist Gabriela Benatar.

Call (305) 909-8544 for reservations.

If you aren’t yet familiar with Motek’s Mediterranean cuisine, you might have at least heard of its award-winning Arayes Burger, a traditional grilled meat stuffed-pita that’s been named best burger at South Beach Wine and Food Festival’s Burger Bash two years in a row. After getting its start as a small cafe in Downtown and expanding to Aventura, Motek Cafe has opened its newest location in Coral Gables, with its signature sunny yellow decor, a sprawling tree growing out of the central bar, and fresh rosemary sprigs as floral centerpieces – all meant to transport you to Israel’s Mediterranean coast.

The menu, though, draws inspiration from Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, Yemen and beyond, with an array of hot and cold mezzes including hummus made daily in small batches, kebabs, shawarma and schnitzel platters, salads, sandwiches, and Israeli desserts like knafeh and halva ice cream. And the Coral Gables outpost has its own wood-fire oven for making warm fresh-baked pitas, lavash, and a new menu of pizza-like pita flatbreads with toppings, along with an all-day brunch with Israeli favorites like shakshuka and Jerusalem bagels. Grab a seat and people-watch the passersby on Miracle Mile.

There’s a new spot for a power lunch in the financial district. Inventive Asian restaurant Kaori is now open for lunch Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. offering a $35 bento box lunch deal and other à la carte options. Said bento comes with a choice of chicken teriyaki, ora king salmon, katsu donburi bowl, or chili-garlic organic vegetables as your main; plus steamed rice; Japanese pickled vegetables; a salad of local greens or miso cucumbers; and kimchi or spicy vegetables. Other new items on the lunch menu include a Korean fried chicken sandwich, local fish ceviche with yuzu and aji amarillo, and housemade paletas in seasonal flavors for dessert. If you’re lunching on the weekend (or down for a drink before getting back to the office), Kaori offers a naturally inclined wine list and handcrafted cocktails with Asian flavors like plum, lemongrass and matcha.

Combine a jazz house with authentic Turkish cooking and you get Jass Kitchen, helmed by chef-owner Jasmine Karadas. This cute and cozy spot in the Buena Vista neighborhood is full of charm – brick columns, Turkish rugs, romantic chandeliers, candlesticks and all – and offers live jazz nights on Thursdays through Saturdays to set the mood while you indulge in Turkish recipes that Chef Jasmine learned from her mom. In addition to mezze options like beetroot dip and hummus and plates like oven-baked branzino, the Clay Lamb is a not-to-be-missed Jass Kitchen signature dish featuring slowly cooked lamb and vegetables cooked in a clay pot that’s wrapped in homemade brioche.

Call (305) 603-8748 for reservations.