The July Hit List: Tâm Tâm, The New Schnitzel House, Pink Dolphin, and More

After hopping around from 1-800 Lucky food hall to Over Under and Low Key, one of Miami’s favorite pop-ups has found a permanent home in Downtown, right in front of the historic Dade County courthouse. Tâm Tâm is a Vietnamese drinking food spot inspired by the quán nhậu of Saigon – which means the menu is quite different from most Viet menus we’re familiar with in the states. At these taverns, the food is mainly meant to facilitate the drinking — think a Vietnamese take on an izakaya — and here that amounts to shareable small plates like crispy fish sauce caramel wings, shimeji mushrooms, and “jungle” steak tartare. You’ll wash them back with a tidily-curated set wines or frozen drinks like mai tais and spiked Viet iced coffee for a guaranteed good time, especially if you follow up your drinking by finding the karaoke machine in the bathroom. 

There’s a brand new Coconut Grove spot to hang out by the water, or even arrive by boat. Spanning an acre along Biscayne Bay, Regatta Grove is a new nautical-inspired, waterfront entertainment venue with food outposts from Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-nominated chefs. The open-air venue was designed to resemble the bow of a boat and also offers plenty of greenspace for wellness and entertainment programming on the lawn. Expect new food concepts from favorite local chefs, including JJ’s Guilty Pleasures by Chef Jeremy Ford, The Piefather by Chef Jose Mendin, Sunny Side Aussie Bites + Ice by Chef Janine Booth, House of Birds & Drop Biscuits by Chef Kenny Gilbert, and Tackle Box by Chef Jeff McInnis. And you can’t have good food and waterfront views without great drinks. Across their three outdoor bars, the beverage program fittingly focuses on refreshing, tropical cocktails and over-sized fruity drinks made for sharing.

Call 305.707.4667 for more info.

The owner of Gramps is bringing us a new German restaurant and bar that pays tribute to the original Schnitzel Haus that came before it with a menu of German and Miami-inspired dishes and drinks. At The New Schnitzel House, you’ll find plates like their housemade pretzel with beer cheese, chicken schnitzel with whipped lemon mashed potatoes, and churrasco with fried yuca and red chimichurri, alongside German beers and signature cocktails incorporating German-inspired ingredients, such as the ​​Schnitzel House Punch, made with Jagermeister, rum, orgeat bitters, and lemon, and the Royal Bavarian, with rye, cinnamon, amaro, and bitters.

With an indoor dining room, two bars, and an outdoor patio, the funky space blends inspiration from late ’80’s and early ’90’s Miami, with German Bauhaus modernist design and more. Given the Gramps team is behind it all, it’s sure to be a new local favorite.

A new dinner club offering Cuban-Asian fusion food and nightly cabaret has arrived on Calle Ocho. Calle Dragones pays homage to the street in Havana of the same name, where the Chinese community thrived – blending cultural influences into a menu crafted by Cuban-born chef Luis Pous. This fusion of Cuban and Asian flavors represents the chef’s vision of what Asian-influenced Cuban cuisine could have evolved into, had Cuba been allowed to reach its full culinary potential. Guests of the dinner cabaret will delight in inventive dishes like risotto congri with short rib vaca frita, lechon dumplings, and Chino Latino fried rice with mojo pork and maduros, while experiencing the glamor and sensuality of Old Havana and its world-class entertainment.

Call 786-722-8370 for reservations.

This chic South Beach chophouse known for their amped-up steakhouse selections and high-energy vibe is stepping things up for the summer. Visit STK for a taste of their limited-time “World of Wagyu” menu featuring Wagyu beef flavors from around the world. Options include Japanese Joshu A5 wagyu tacos, Australian Carrara tomahawk steak, American Masami bone marrow, and more that you can order a la carte – or enjoy a Wagyu Sampler for $149. If you’re looking for the full STK experience, you don’t want to miss dining when their in-house DJ is spinning behind the booth. There’s also weekend brunch and daily happy hour (including additional late-night deals Sunday through Thursday).

At the newly opened Levant in Coral Gables, enjoy the flavors of the Levant region – the part of the Middle East that spans historic areas of Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Iraq and most of Turkey. The chefs are Turkish and the owners are from Iraq, so the menu includes dishes like kibbeh, kebabs and lamb chops, as well as vegan options like Iraqi salad and Grandma’s Vegetable Pot – a stew of eggplant, red peppers, tomato, onion, green peppers, potatoes, and rice slowly cooked in a clay pot. Levant has taken over a space that’s seen some short-lived Coral Gables restaurants come and go (most recently, Crudos Art House and Ad Lib, before that), but the owners of the new family-run business say they have a knack for opening successful restaurants in “cursed spaces.” They’ll be taking advantage of the venue’s most unique feature – a second-floor indoor terrace overlooking the diners and bar below. Now a speakeasy area, guests can book a private tasting experience on this upper level at one of three time slots on Thursday, Friday or Saturday night.

You’ll have to walk through the back of a burger shop and through their meat cooler to find this new wine bar and jazz lounge. A speakeasy attached to Mad Butcher in Wynwood, Monsieur Guille is a good spot to grab a glass of wine and get together with friends or enjoy a sultry evening with live music to set the mood for date night. Alongside a curated menu of wines and Champagnes, you can pair half- and full-sized cheese or charcuterie boards from the Butcher, or an order of truffle fries, which are the perfect indulgence for any late-night imbibing. Rosé your day away with rosé wine and spritz specials on Sunday, or experiment with rare Champagnes as part of their “Champagne Lab” featuring bubbly specials by the bottle and glass every Friday night.

Call 786-391-1191 for more info.

Operating its kitchen out of a food truck, Pink Dolphin gives guests a full dine-in restaurant experience – with servers and all – within a Design District art gallery surrounded by modern art curated by Colombian artist Homero Ganem. Enjoy a menu of Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine, and start with Nikkei dishes like inventive ceviches, tiraditos and sushi rolls – every plate more colorful and Insta-worthy than the next. Other flavorful fusion options include fried ceviche bombs, duck gyoza, tender grilled pulpo (octopus) with anticuchero sauce, steamed and fried bao buns, and large plates like lomo saltado and wagyu skirt steak. Don’t forget to BYOB to complete your meal with your favorite beverages.

For casual but top-notch, affordable sushi in the Grove, head to Midorie, a new local favorite from the owners of the equally excellent Wabi Sabi and the Michelin-recognized Hiyakawa. Their mission: offer authentic Japanese cuisine for everyone. Pull up a seat at the wooden sushi counter and place your order. You can choose from various maki rolls under $20; order nigiri, sashimi and hand rolls by the piece; or customize a donburi bowl of fresh fish atop sushi rice, soba noodles, a multigrain blend, or greens for less than $25. There are also three 12-piece omakase options of either sashimi ($90), sashimi over rice ($50), or nigiri and a maki roll ($100).

Call 305-890-7228 for more info.

You can’t get much closer to the Atlantic (without getting wet) than when dining on OCEAN2000’s sweeping verandah overlooking Fort Lauderdale Beach – which is why this summer, the restaurant is offering an oceanfront golden hour experience for two, where couples can catch a glimpse of sunrise with breakfast. Rise and shine with a chilled bottle of Champagne and a selection of tropical nectars and garnishes to make your own flight of early-morning mimosas, while nibbling on a morning breakfast board of freshly baked pastries and tropical fruits. For now, this “​​Golden Sunrise on The Verandah” experience can only be reserved by guests of the boutique Pelican Grand Beach Resort, so start planning that staycation and then secure your sunrise breakfast at OCEAN2000 for $125 per couple. For more information, call 954-622-8417.