The January Hit List: Macchialina, Rosie’s, Zak the Baker, and More

No matter how many new Italian restaurants come to town, for a satisfying bowl of housemade pasta, we’d choose Macchialina every time. This family-owned and -operated modern trattoria eschews the glitz and glam of South Beach dining with a focus on rustic Italian fare inspired by chef Mike Pirolo’s time cooking in Italy and New York.

Equally impressive is the wine program, with its emphasis on natural-leaning Italian wines, curated by beverage director (and Mike’s sister) Jacqueline Pirolo. If it’s your first time, reserve a table in Il Giardino, an outdoor garden with string lighting, and choose the chef’s tasting menu as a tour of the greatest hits.

Reigning over Miami’s restaurant scene as one of the best brunch spots in town, Rosie’s offers Southern comfort food — elevated through the culinary lens of chef Akino West — with plates like chicken and waffles, pastrami hash, and wild mushroom polenta. It originated as a pop-up at a bed-and-breakfast in Overtown owned by Akino and Jamila West, and became a runaway hit. Today, the couple is in the process of renovating a historic house (perhaps a nod to their B&B days?) that will eventually become the full-fledged Rosie’s. In the interim, it feels like Rosie’s has called more places home than we can count, so be sure to triple-check the address before you go. But as of this writing, the restaurant is in a cozy indoor space in Little River where the walls are lined with art by Afro-Latina artist Reyna Noriega.

You can’t talk about Miami cuisine without mentioning the Cuban sandwich, and for the best, you head to Sanguich, a Calle Ocho walk-up counter that’s perfected the Cubano with an artisan version — in which every ingredient is handcrafted. The bread is housemade and brushed with lard before being pressed, the lechon (pork) is marinated in garlic and spices for 24 hours, and the sweet ham is also brined for a week. Only a few sandwiches, snacks, and shakes appear on the menu, but that’s because they’ve limited it to what they do best. Order a batido (milkshake) and Cuban coffee while you’re there, because when in Little Havana …

Find more info here.

The team behind the beloved but bygone Itamae — sister Val Chang, brother Nando and father Fernando (fondly and collectively known as the Chang Gang) — have become one the most loved and lauded culinary families in Miami. With Maty’s as her first solo act, Val expands on her family’s culinary traditions with deeply comforting, yet finessed Peruvian plates that are rooted in the recipes her grandmother taught her. You can certainly expect some of the expertly executed Nikkei-style ceviches and tiraditos the Chang Gang was known for at Itamae, but the hot plates here are where Maty’s truly shines, as you can taste the love and tradition that’s layered into every dish. No matter which entree you choose, order the tortitas (corn fritters) and the choclo (Peruvian sweet corn) in huancaína sauce, which tastes like an appealingly smoky mac ‘n’ cheese.

Once upon a time a farmers market phenomenon, Zak the Baker has become synonymous with sourdough by pioneering Miami’s artisan bread revolution — and has given rise to (no pun intended) new bakeries helmed by many of Zak Stern’s own protégés. At this iconic kosher bakery and café in the heart of Wynwood, the façade is splashed with blocks of bright colors, fitting its location in the arts district. Drop in anytime for a loaf of naturally leavened bread and handmade pastries, or sit down for breakfast or lunch at the full-service cafe to order exceptional sandwiches, soups, and salads.

This Korean barbecue steakhouse remains our top pick for date night, or for gathering with friends and family around COTE’s communal tabletop grill to celebrate a special occasion. The steaks are top-notch — from 45-day aged USDA Prime to American wagyu and authentic Japanese A5 wagyu — and so is the service. The way the servers all work together to season, flip, and grill cuts on the center of the table is like a perfectly choreographed dance. The Butcher’s Feast is more than enough to leave you satisfied, but if you’re willing to splurge, opt for the steak omakase, a grand tour of premium meats and Korean accouterments.

Located in Miami’s MiMo neighborhood and now also Coconut Grove, El Bagel offers up Miami’s best hand-rolled bagels, along with a selection of schmears and locally smoked salmon. But there’s no need to overthink your order. They’ve crafted all of the best combinations into a menu of super-stuffed bagel sandwiches, like the EB Original (roasted jalapeńos, scallion cream cheese, and thick-cut bacon), BEC (bacon, egg, and cheese), and the King Guava (guava marmalade, cream cheese, papitas, and fried egg).

Now for the tricky part: Be prepared to wait, whether you order in the shop or online for pickup. On weekends, El Bagel is notorious for having pickup times up to two hours, so pre-plan those bagel cravings.

Find more info here.

Their original cafe opened as a small space in Downtown in 2020, but with expansive new restaurants now located in Brickell and Aventura, as well as Coral Gables, Motek Cafe has become Miami’s “sweetheart” (fitting, since that’s what its name translates to in Hebrew). This is the kind of familiar spot that everyone you know loves to frequent and a personal go-to we can always rely on. The menu of kosher-style Mediterranean cuisine showcases influences from Israel, Yemen, Lebanon, and Morocco with plates like shawarma, schnitzel, kebabs, and hot and cold mezze. In fact, Motek’s famed Arayes Burger (a grilled beef and lamb burger stuffed between pita bread) has earned the People’s Choice Award at Burger Bash two years in a row. Whatever you do, be sure to order a warm, fresh-baked pita (or several) from the wood-fired oven. You’ll need it to scoop up the velvety hummus.

Bonded by their love of Vietnamese food and culture, the husband-and-husband team of chef Tam Pham and GM and sommelier Harrison Ramhofer set out to showcase the vibrancy of Vietnamese cuisine beyond the standard pho and bánh mì. The result is Tâm Tâm, a loud and lively Viet drinking food spot inspired by the quán nhậu of Saigon that’s nothing like other restaurants you’ll find in Miami. 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 plates like crispy fish sauce chicken wings, tamarind-glazed pork ribs, and betel leaf-wrapped lamb. You’ll wash them back with warm-weather 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.

It may be a mission to find this restaurant hidden inside a mundane office building, but it’s worth it when you do. Somewhere between a dim sum and an izakaya, Zitz Sum melds multiple Asian influences to deliver dishes that are explosions of flavor. The menu is constantly changing with the seasons (and lately features a unique Italian twist on Japanese plates), but they’re famed for their Bing Bread with miso and sesame honey butter and Hong Kong French toast. You can’t go wrong with any dim sum options, especially the bao stuffed with whatever chef Pablo Zitzman chooses (usually something with unbelievable umami like wagyu oxtail or roasted mushrooms). For a special night out, go for the weekly rotating seven-course tasting menu.

Call  786-409-6920 for reservations.

This is your excuse to extend your holiday season indulgence by a few more days. Hailing from Chicago and New York, Michelin-starred Moody Tongue Sushi is popping up in South Florida at the Four Seasons Palm Beach until Jan. 6 — and then returns for another residency in time for spring break from March 7 to March 28.

The one-of-a-kind omakase experience melds a 15-course Japanese tasting menu with beer pairings from the only Michelin-starred brewery in the world. Think A5 Miyazaki wagyu hand roll with wasabi horseradish cream and wagyu beef fat breadcrumbs, paired with a Juiced Lychee IPA. Seatings will take place nightly starting at $145 per person, with an additional $65 for the beer pairing.