I had an amazing birthday dinner…

… at Mother Wolf. The staff was so lovely in sending me their birthday wishes, from the moment I arrived and throughout the night (even the menu had a “Happy birthday” note on it). We enjoyed some fabulous libation — for me, a delicious lavender and butterfly pea gin martini (the Bacio di Lavanda), which I ordered twice. The steak tartare is a don’t-miss item, and we loved the salsiccia pizza (with fior di latte, sweet peppers, and fennel sausage), as well as both the carbonara and the wild boar pappardelle. The torta di banana was one of the best desserts I’ve had in a very long time and the staff surprised me with an Ecuadorian chocolate cake topped with a candle. I left feeling super special. The restaurant was popping on this random November Monday night. I will never forget the night and I can’t wait to go back.

— Jennifer Quinones, Partner Success Team Manager

I always feel like family…

… at The Katherine. Chef Timon Balloo and his multi-hyphenate wife Marissa Katherine have created a cozy, jewel box of a restaurant that’s both comforting and delightfully flavorful. They offer great seasonal dishes, but I always enjoy sharing the tried-and-true staples, like their clam chowder fries and Mom’s Trini oxtail with friends. Nothing beats that.

— Christie Galeano-DeMott, Miami Writer, Resy Editorial

Some of my favorite meals in Miami this year…

… were the unplanned surprises. While our first steakhouse feast at Daniel’s was spectacular, I equally loved the spontaneity of grabbing a spot at their always-packed bar. I went right at opening time the following weekend to confirm that the lobster mac & cheese was as exquisite as I thought it was the first time. We made a simple meal out of the pastrami bao buns, their organic chicken nuggets with caviar, and that mac & cheese (sorry if I sound like a child — I promise I have a more well-rounded palate), and it was every bit as delightful as our multi-course dinner the week before.

And I also recently stopped by one of my favorites, Motek Gables, for their $5 happy hour, which boast a huge menu of mezzes, pitas, flatbreads, and drinks all for $5. We ended up ordering over a dozen plates to try, which might have been excessive (oops), but I loved diving into all the Mediterranean plates on our table.

— Lyssa Goldberg, Miami Writer, Resy Editorial

I hadn’t been to Miami in years…

… and was pleasantly surprised to find Tâm Tâm after doing some research. It seemed straight out of L.A.’s Silverlake or NYC’s Lower East Side, and I had way too fun there! I was here for it all, but especially my favorite dish of the year: the grilled escarole, drenched in ultra savory soy sauce and topped with crispy shallots. Best of all, you needed scissors to eat it. It was interactive, totally singular, and the perfect start to a meal filled with cold salads, DIY lettuce wraps, and frozen calamansi margaritas. The only way I want to eat in 100-weather heat.

— Kyle Beechey, New York Writer, Resy Editorial

I had the absolute honor…

… of going to a collaborative dinner at AVIV between chefs Mike Solomonov, Gregory Gourdet, and Nok Suntaranon during Art Week in Miami. The dinner was perfection from start to finish — an incredible global salatim to start, featuring flavors from Mike’s Israeli background, Gregory’s Haitian heritage, and Nok’s Thai roots, followed by beautiful courses by each chef. The dinner was not only delicious, but also a really special celebration of diversity, creativity, and friendship. And to top it all off, the restaurant is absolutely beautiful, on the beach, and with a 90s hip hop playlist to boot.

— Jamie Goldstein, Strategic Partnerships

More Miami staff picks, right this way.

The views expressed in this article reflect personal experiences of American Express employees at the applicable restaurants — not American Express — and do not constitute professional business advice.