A Taste of Five New Places
The Latest in the Ever-Changing Culinary Scene
Eating House
It’s back, it’s back, it’s finally back! Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli’s maiden Coral Gables restaurant has returned with fanfare after closing in the summer of 2021, ending a successful 10-year run. Now it’s back, this time on Giralda Plaza, just steps from its sister restaurant, Luca Osteria.
“We’ve been able to go back, study what we loved, evolve and mature, and come back a little more elevated,” Rapicavoli said on a packed Thursday night during the eatery’s opening week. “This was always the dream, to have a restaurant like this.”
The basic concept is still the same: a constantly evolving menu of highly creative, out-of-the-box dishes. But unlike the first iteration of Eating House, famous for its “stoner food” dishes like Captain Crunch pancakes, this is Eating House 2.0. Here, Rapicavoli has matured, as have his dishes. Rather than wild fare like fried cheese with guava paste or pork belly with banana mole, the new Eating House serves halibut with Jerusalem artichokes or chilled sweet potatoes with spiced cashews. Still fascinating flavor profiles, but less shocking.
One fan favorite from the old Eating House did survive, however: the cavatelli carbonara (egg yolk, bacon, black truffle, breadcrumbs). Rapicavoli was talked into bringing it back by one of his chefs, but only if they did things “the right way.” The pasta is made from scratch, the ingredients only of the finest quality, and the egg yolk drizzled and mixed into the dish table-side. Eating a single bite is a walking tour of flavor, from a sharp, almost acidic beginning to a smooth savory finish at journey’s end. The flavor profile is echoed by a new “gnudi” dish (meaning “naked” in Italian), which can only be described as undressed ravioli – ricotta and broccoli innards sans the pasta shell, deceptively light.
“This is my baby,” Rapicavoli said of the new Eating House, with a smile. “I never realized the impact [the original restaurant] had on people and how special it was to so many.” If he didn’t before, he must now: reservations at Eating House are going fast, so book yours soon.
128 Giralda Ave.
786.580.3745
eatinghousemiami.com
Sweet Melody
This aptly named ice cream joint indeed brings to mind the sound of a sweet melody as you taste its flavorful creations. Its Gables location opened at the end of October on Calle Ocho and features Miami-inspired flavors like “Abuela’s Flan,” “Guava Cream Cheese,” and “Mamey.”There are also more common flavors with eccentric twists like the “Kooki Monster,” with bright blue vanilla ice cream, Oreos, and homemade chocolate chip cookies, and the “Hella Nutella” (Nutella ice cream with brownies and roasted hazelnuts). Our personal favorite: “Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli” – cannoli shells filled with ricotta ice cream, citrus, chocolate flakes, and roasted pistachios. Yum.
3814 Sw 8th Street
305.381.0597
sweetmelodyicecream.com
The Crown Pasta & Risotto
The Crown is the rebranded iteration of Tempo, which had been open on the bottom floor of the Aloft Hotel on Le Jeune Road before moving to a new location on Miracle Mile. A smart move to make, considering restaurants seem doomed in that location. Now rebranded as The Crown Pasta & Risotto late last year, the brainchild of chefs Carlos Garcia and Richard Ortega has dropped some of its edgier dishes – like grilled branzino with kimchi sauce, or ossobuco with hazelnuts, pearl onions and pecorino cheese – in favor of a heavy emphasis on (you guessed it) pasta and risotto.
Good choice. While you can also order meat and fish dishes, like a whole branzino or lamb rack, the pasta might be the best we’ve had on the Mile. The tagliolini al tartufo is simple but exquisite, with homemade pasta, fresh butter, black truffle, and parmesan cheese. The addition of the truffle doesn’t overpower but adds a tipping point of umami to an otherwise salty dish.
The risottos are also top notch. The risotto cacio e pepe is a creamy, buttery delight with just a hint of pepper, melting in the mouth with soft carnaroli rice (a somewhat rare Italian grain famous for its use in risottos) and a garnish of crispy parmesan cheese, wafer-thin and delicate, for extra texture.Less impressive is the interior, which has still not managed to overcome the same Spartan feeling that underwhelmed diners for its previous occupant, Well Fed. Not quite romantic enough for the quality of the food.
271 Miracle Mile
305.614.1378
thecrownrest.com
Cortadito Coffee House
The newest Cuban coffee shop and bakery to hit the Gables, Cortadito offers all the classics, like cafe con leche, espresso, and – of course – cortaditos, as well as signature drinks, like iced matcha latte and their Cafe Bon Bon (espresso and condensed milk.) The drinks are high in caffeine, so start small.
The coffee house also has a full breakfast/lunch menu with items like the Cuban Breakfast (scrambled eggs, two ham croquetas, and a tostada with your choice of bacon or sausage), the Cuban Sampler (three traditional Cuban meats served with white rice, black beans, and mojo vinaigrette), and empanadas for a quick on-the-go bite. With ample seating, it occupies the former Ponce/Miracle Mile corner location of Starbucks before that franchise moved down the Mile next to Miracle Theatre.
200 Miracle Mile
786.410.0175
cortaditocoffeehouse.com
Just Salad
Despite the implications of its name, Just Salad features a wide variety of other healthy eats. In addition to popular salads like the Modern Greek (romaine, feta, pita chips, chickpeas, sliced grape tomatoes, pickled onions, and cucumbers), the fast-casual eatery also offers warm bowls, wraps, avocado toasts, soups, juices, and smoothies. And if you’re not seeing anything on the menu that tingles your taste buds, there’s always the option to create your own salad, bowl, or wrap. Just Salad is also dedicated to sustainability. Its MyBowl program encourages diners to reuse their bowls, which are available for $1. Every time you reuse the bowl in-store, you receive one free topping as a reward. The menu also gives customers information regarding the amount of carbon emitted in the creation of each salad.
2346 Ponce De Leon
866.673.3757
justsalad.com