New Places : Miss Crispy Rice, Tina in the Gables, and More

Babette

Yet another Michelin-starred chef has come to the Gables; this time, it’s Chef Dani Chavez-Bello. An avid traveler, the three-starred chef was born in Caracas, grew up in Barcelona, and began his career in kitchens in Paris, London, and Germany (where he won Chef of the Year in Hamburg). Now, his latest creation, Babette, is at La Jolla, the event venue on the corner of Alcazar and Salzedo.

At dinner, the small space is dimly lit by warm pink lamps, and incredibly romantic, with an ambience that implies hushed tones and tinkling wine glasses. We started with what can only be described as a mini salad: endives with walnuts, crumbs of English Stilton blue cheese, and a sherry vinaigrette. We also shared some forager mushrooms with root vegetables, which were exactly as you’d expect: earthy and delicate. Our favorite was the beets tartare, so sweet it was almost tart, and topped with a healthy portion of shaved truffles.For a main, we loved the cavatelli pasta with lamb ragu. Marvelously well-seasoned and well-cooked portions of lamb took the ragu to a level of luxury we didn’t know “pasta with red sauce” could get to. Of course, we paired everything with a nice bottle of Artuke wine from Rioja, a buttery blend that brought out the flavors of our various dishes without overpowering them.

Though we kept this visit slightly more casual, we’ll be back for a longer dine – perhaps with a date we want to impress. – Kylie Wang

301 ALCAZAR AVE.
786.533.3523
BABETTEMIAMI.COM

Miss Crispy Rice

Miss Crispy Rice has made its debut in Coral Gables, taking over the space formerly occupied by Caja Caliente and settling beside Kojin 2.0. Previously located in Wynwood, the move to Coral Gables offers the omakase restaurant more space and marks the first Coral Gables venture for the group, which also operates Papi Churro, Poke OG, Dumplings Mi Amor, Oise Ristorante, and Mr. Omakase, primarily based in Downtown Miami.

Miss Crispy Rice offers a more casual omakase experience, with several multi-course options to choose from. A seven-course lunch is priced at $35, while dinner options include an 11-course meal for $70, 14 courses for $87, and 16 courses for $127. For a more flexible dining experience, à la carte options are also available. The restaurant offers some creative twists, like using crispy fried rice in place of traditional nigiri rice. Dishes include hamachi with blood orange and red peppers, otoro with watermelon, dry-aged salmon with caviar and truffle, and a potato latke topped with apple sauce, crème fraîche, and caviar – a recipe from co-founder Andrew Mayer. It’s an innovative, unconventional, and fun approach to omakase that won’t break the bank.

A selection of sake and wine is offered, adding to the relaxed, date-night atmosphere. The playful Kill Bill-themed bathroom adds a quirky touch, but overall, Miss Crispy Rice provides a solid and casual omakase experience – ideal for those seeking something different in Coral Gables without the formality of a high-end omakase restaurant. – Katelin Stecz

808 PONCE DE LEON
239.980.2912
MISSCRISPYRICE.COM

Tina in the Gables

We recommend you visit Tina in the Gables on a weekday. After only a couple of months, the small Latin diner is so popular it consistently has a line outside half an hour before opening on the weekends. The hype around Tina’s makes sense once you realize it comes from the same team behind Miami Slice, the wildly popular New York-style pizza place in Downtown Miami, and La Latina, the acclaimed Venezuelan arepera, across the tracks from Midtown.

Now in the Gables, they are working the same magic with a brunch and lunch-style diner, open from 9 am to 5 pm from Wednesday to Sunday. We opted for a late Thursday brunch.

At our waiter’s recommendation, we tried the maple-candied bacon ($7), tallow taters ($8), and Tina’s French toast ($18), then ordered the Tina Turner shot ($5) in the spirit of our New Year’s health goals. The shot, a combination of lemon and ginger, was incredibly sour, so we took it in one gulp, grimaced, and then indulged in the sweeter items.

The candied bacon was well-cooked, crispy on the outside, but the French toast was the star. Successive bites revealed a super airy brioche bread and a subtle orange zest, with specially mixed maple syrup to maximize the flavor.

We concluded with the taters, which are cooked in tallow to create that elusive contrast of crisp exterior and fluffy interior that all potato lovers strive for. While perhaps a little pricey, the meal was well worth it. – Patrick McCaslin

4700 S LE JEUNE RD.
TINAINTHEGABLES.COM

Façade Bakery

So many new bakeries and cafes have opened in downtown Coral Gables recently that at first we dismissed Façade as just another pastry shop. Taking over the space most recently occupied by Dr. Smood, Façade is far more than that, with an all-day breakfast menu, homemade bread, and yes, of course, pastries.

We tried the baguette first, quite affordable at $5 and incredibly tasty, along with a hunk of cinnamon roll easily three inches thick and fluffy as could be. But the real stars of the show were the breakfast entrees. The spicy onion toast ($17) was our favorite, a fresh take on the now overdone avocado toast. A slab of toasted sourdough bread forms the bed for this meal, which is topped with caramelized onions and a blanket of folded eggs, finished with chili oil and red pepper flakes for a spicy kick. A completely original meal with a wonderful combination of flavors we never would’ve thought of ourselves, but that somehow managed to meld together for explosive flavor.

Meanwhile, the Dippy Soldiers ($14) were also a delight; slightly less filling yet presented adorably. Two cooked and cracked soft eggs sit in small canisters on the plate with a side of tarragon butter and sourdough toast. A sprinkling of Maldon sea salt finishes off this simple meal, a play on the classic eggs and toast breakfast with more elevated flavorings. We’ll be back to try more, and to enjoy the laidback atmosphere and excellent playlist. – Kylie Wang

271 GIRALDA AVE.
@FACADEMIAMI

MIKA

Chef Michael White has a whopping six Michelin stars and one James Beard Award – and now he’s taken his talents to the Gables. The internationally acclaimed chef, known mostly for Italian restaurants in New York, New Jersey, and Hong Kong, has set his latest creation in The Plaza Coral Gables. MIKA, which describes its menu as “coastal Riviera,” draws inspiration from the coasts of Italy and France with pastas, crudos, and crostinis. And White’s not phoning it in – he even took up residence in The Plaza to be close to his new brainchild.

The restaurant has 100 seats and over 8,000-square-feet, but manages to feel intimate, with dim romantic lighting, a private dining room, and a large bar/lounge area. Though it’s currently open only for dinner Tuesday through Saturday, we’re told a lunch menu will debut soon.

We tried the beef tartare crostini ($22) for our appetizer, which came on a grilled sourdough loaf cut in half and loaded with beef, chives, and black truffle for a luxurious twist. A meal in itself, we had to stop ourselves from devouring the full spread. Next, we sampled a few options from the crudos portion of the menu, which features several prime cuts of fish, from bream to bluefin tuna, all delightfully refreshing. Of course, we couldn’t end the night without tasting Chef White’s pastas, for which he is famous. We recommend the Gnocchi with San Marzano pomodoro sauce. And don’t skip dessert here – the chocolate mousse is to die for. – Kylie Wang

3007 PONCE DE LEON (THE PLAZA CORAL GABLES)
MIKACORALGABLES.COM

Sra. Martinez

It’s been a long time coming, but Chef Michelle Bernstein has finally arrived in Coral Gables. Sra. Martinez, the eagerly awaited Spanish and tapas-style restaurant, is a project years in the making – 12, if you count back to when the first iteration of the restaurant closed in the Design District. The hospitality powerhouse duo of Bernstein and husband David Martinez (she’s the señora, he’s the Martinez) spent years renovating the upscale Gables location, formerly the Open Stage Club.

The atmosphere alone makes this a contender for one of our favorite spots in the Gables, with high-backed booths that offer a sense of privacy even with a mostly open floor plan. Large lamps that look like mushrooms hang over each booth, providing soft warm lighting, and the tiniest details – like the latticework separating the main dining room from the bar – give the space a real sense of purpose.

Even better is Chef Bernstein’s menu, which includes tapas-style appetizers as well as larger dishes. We adored the chicken liver pate ($26), served inexplicably with warm beignets dusted with powdered sugar and a strawberry marmalade. Surely a strange combination, and yet a bite combining all three flavors is marvelously complex and toothsome. The carbonara croquetas ($15) are similarly strange and yet so tasty you’ll find yourself thinking, “Why hasn’t anyone else done this?” And the oxtail paella ($48) with melting bone marrow begs to be shared over a glass of red wine and good conversation. We can’t wait to come back. – Kylie Wang

2325 GALIANO ST.
786.860.5980
SRAMARTINEZMIAMI.COM