Neya, a new addition to Surfside is attractive, contemporary, and upscale. The Israeli non-kosher restaurant has flavourful ingredients and a modern approach to cooking.
It was one of those rare meals in Toronto where truly every dish we ordered was creative and delicious.
This restaurant was just named by Infatuation and Eater as one of the best new restaurants in Miami. You can add my name to that list as well.
There has been a lot of hype since the opening of a new South Beach restaurant called The Drexel in the Esme Hotel and overseen by the founders of Mandolin Aegean Bistro.
I’m back recommending my favourite new and notable Miami restaurants along with my tried and true choices for ShaneaSavours 2021 Hit List.
After many trials, the recently opened Shook Kitchen in Toronto is going gangbusters and is destined to be extremely pleasing, especially to vegetarians.
Newly opened Atai Bistro in Toronto is a chic, stylish spot serving a contemporary Moroccan menu created with French cooking techniques.
A new Mexican eatery called Mayami Mexicantina has opened in Miami’s Wynwood district. It has the Tulum party vibe, with nods to Mayan culture and architecture and a modern twist on Mexican traditional food.
Maison T in Toronto was recently opened by a veteran chef with exceptional restaurant experience, and features French classics like mussels, poutine, duck confit, soups, and steak and frites.
I have always longed for delivery from upscale and delicious purveyors. Unfortunately, it took a pandemic for eateries in Toronto to bring delivery and takeout to the masses. Here is my latest list of restaurants in Toronto offering takeout and or delivery.
In the hope people are continuing to support local eateries and caterers by ordering takeout or delivery from participating restaurants, I’ve created a second edition of my favourite spots in Toronto for takeout / delivery.
Newly opened Spanglish Restaurant is truly a love letter to the very soul of Miami. The restaurant celebrates the city’s multicultural background, taking the best of both worlds and fusing them into one unique concept.
Madame Hien Restaurant is by one of Hanoi’s most celebrated chefs, Didier Corlou, offering elegant versions of traditional Hanoi street food. One of Hanoi’s best options.
Osaka is a Japanese/Peruvian Nikkei restaurant group with a location recently opened in Miami. The entire menu sounds delicious, all in all it was a delightful meal, and a new unique and cultural dining experience for Miami.
The Fulton in New York is Chef Jean Georges’ sea-to-table focused restaurant in a one-of-a-kind waterfront setting, serving a wide selection of fresh and delicious wild-caught and locally-harvested East Coast seafood.
Chef Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc in Napa, CA is a great place to walk to if you are staying in Yountville, especially if you are craving some family-style comfort food! Recommend!
For me, Fet Zun in Toronto is Anthony Rose’s best restaurant yet, and one of the cities top Middle Eastern establishments. I definitely want to go back and work my way through the menu.
Silverlake Bistro is our new go-to place in Miami for an insanely good meal that is moderately priced and served with a genuine smile. They use quality ingredients and flavours that had our taste buds dancing.
Mason Eatery in Miami is a good choice for a casual, approachable meal that is nostalgic, and more than a deli.
The Sagamore Hotel in Miami closed out Art Week with the annual private, invitation-only Sagamore Brunch. The affair was attended by over 1,500 guests on the hotel’s newly renovated patio and sculpture garden.
Alma Restaurant in Toronto is unpretentious, approachable, and delicious, with an eclectic menu. Chef Anna Chen is producing a larger than life winning formula.
Not all my reviews are about the latest hotspot. Occasionally I like to write about a tried and true winner. One such place is the Spotted Pig in New York’s West Village. It just may be New York’s most famous gastropub.
New Toronto restaurant, Parallel is a fun place to try, with interesting twists on classic Middle Eastern dishes.
Bacchanal Restaurant in Toronto offers variations of delightful and contemporary bistro fare, in a pleasant, relaxed environment.
Constantine is on the main floor of a new boutique Toronto hotel, The Anndore House, at 15 Charles Street East, close to Yonge and Bloor Street. The food can best be described as Mediterranean, with Israeli/Middle Eastern influences. I liked the brunch menu and found the service to be better than the dinner service.
Miami’s newly open Skorpios’ elevated and reimagined menu includes a selection of daily catches, grilled whole, all simply garnished.
We had an enjoyable evening at Amara at Paraiso. I felt like I was in the tropics, or at a chic beach club. The menu focuses on clean balanced food, and simple cooking techniques enhanced by the flame.
Kiki bills itself as a fine dining establishment with modern Greek food in a waterfront setting. The restaurant opened last April 2017. It is frequented by high rollers, celebrities and wannabes. Situated right next door to a place with a similar concept is Sea Spice.
Sherwood’s Bistro and Bar in the Little River district of Miami is a uniquely charming place with reasonably priced, simple food.
Palmar is a welcome addition to Wynwood. It’s a fun, unfussy, and appealing place. The selections are creative, fashionable, and current, and the staff is friendly and helpful. Best when Chef Diaz is in the house!
With the opening of Etaru, people in Hallandale, Florida and surrounding areas can now dine at an upscale, Japanese, contemporary Robatayaki restaurant, with a beautiful waterfront setting.
I may be away from Toronto this winter, but I am still keeping tabs on new restaurants. Look forward to you letting me know what you think about these about these as well as anything I should try on my return!
Hexagon Restaurant in Oakville strives for culinary excellence, and Chef Sean goes to great lengths to succeed. His new restaurant sets the stage for his creative talent.
Augustine restaurant in New York is stunning. You would never know it just opened in November of 2016. It looks like it is right out of Belle Époque Paris.
Avra Madison Estiatorio in New York is a new “it” restaurant serving upscale traditional Greek cuisine, conveniently located across from Barney’s and the shops on Madison Avenue.
Located in the new Found:Re Boutique Hotel, Match Cuisine and Cocktails was on Phoenix Magazine list of promising Valley restaurants. But less than 6 months in, this attractive restaurant had already lost its chef, ouch!
The views are wonderful and the music is chill – relax in a cabana or a day bed, and order bottle service. If you don’t travel or have a cottage, this is a nice little refuge from the maddening crowd, and it is right in the city.
Ocotillo in Phoenix is the quintessential modern Arizona eatery. They are a new gold standard, capturing the hearts of locals and tourists alike.
Since returning to Toronto from Miami, one of my most anticipated new restaurant openings has been La Banane. In a few short months it has become Toronto’s “it” restaurant.
The selection is outstanding at Bakehouse Brasserie in Miami. Everything is made fresh each morning and tastes amazing. I couldn’t be happier, who doesn’t love brunch?
Loving Alan Richman’s 30 commandments for making restaurants—and any dining-out experience—better in GQ. Spot on! Check them out here.
Miami has a new “secret garden” – a romantic, lush oasis that doesn’t feel like Miami but a little like Hawaii. Our evening was relaxed, intimate, and aesthetically appealing. They are open daily from 4pm till midnight and will soon be adding a Sunday brunch.
On a whim, I decided to try a new spot that I had heard nothing about. Located at 1099 NE 79th Street is a hidden gem you may not have heard of but you will be glad that you are now. Ferraro’s Kitchen and Wine Bar is sure to impress.
We had dinner at the Bird and Bone, under the tutelage of Chef Richard Hales. He is the chef who also helms Blackbrick and Sakarya Kitchen. Hales’ interpretation of American cuisine takes it to another level. I prefer this restaurant to Yardbird.
Upland Miami is an offshoot of the New York restaurant with the same name by restauranteur Stephen Starr and his Chef Justin Smillie of Il Buco. At Upland the food showcases Smillie’s rustic/comfort food and seasonally influenced fare.
Olla in Miami has only been open for two weeks as of writing this review and I think they are doing an excellent job here. The chef is Marcus Samuelsson. He was friendly and very welcoming, and let me tour his pristine kitchen. Boy, it’s hot back there.
Leña in Toronto is a recent venture by the O&B Group. Located in the new Saks 5th Ave, it’s quite striking and sophisticated for a restaurant within a department store. They have many restaurants from Canoe, Auberge de Pommier, Jump, Luma, to the O&B Canteen.
I think people visit Mina’s Mediterraneo because the staff is friendly, the garden is pretty and on Saturday’s they have live entertainment. It is cheap and cheerful, but I also need great food to return …
Le Coq Rico New York’s poultry taste better than your average birds. They might just serve one of the best roast chickens this side of Paris.
For me “Dôa” means, “dead on arrival”. Cool place, but you’ve got to upgrade the food and service. I am too old for this and was very disillusioned.
Miami’s Paradigm Kitchen serves “clean soul food”, and they serve it with a smile. It’s no wonder when I visited during lunchtime the place was doing brisk business – the food is really good and crowd pleasing.
St. Clair Ave West in Toronto is home to many neighborhood restaurants. A new one in the area is Nodo Hillcrest, located at 794 St. Clair Avenue West. This is Nodo’s second location.
The food is never boring – it’s truly unforgettable. When people ask me, what is my favourite restaurant in Toronto, Buca Yorkville is always on the top of my list. I am seriously impressed with the level of food, the knowledgeable and friendly staff, the high-end crowd and the remarkable creativity of the menu. Rob’s food is a modern approach to dining without being gimmicky. Long live the king.
We experienced a warm welcome from the minute we walked through the doors. Cindy’s menu features a beautiful range of ethnically diverse and seasonally driven dishes that spotlight her culinary approach to global cuisine. Still, I could detect some of her signature Island flavours in many of the descriptions on the menu.
The crowd is mostly young and hip, and there is a boisterous and energetic feel to it. The night I dined there, actress Jodie Foster was in the house too. I had been a couple of times when it first opened but I admit I hadn’t been back in quite a while. I have to say even though I enjoyed it then, I think the kitchen has improved even more.
Glass and Vine in Coconut Grove was created by Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli, a James Beard Award nominee and winner of the Food Network’s show, Chopped, and Grove Bay Hospitality Group. The indoor/outdoor 200 seat restaurant is located in the heart of Peacock Park.
The restaurant offers a classic French cuisine like onion soup, bouillabaisse, mussels, steak tartare, duck confit, coquilles Saint-Jacques and herb crusted lamb. We were pleasantly surprised to have such a nice neighborhood spot that was so deliciously satisfying.
For me, the restaurant was hit and miss, and more on the miss side of things. The rolls were beautiful looking, but not at all traditional.
Bachour Bakery and Bistro in Miami is great for breakfast, lunch or brunch. Be sure to leave room for one of Bachour’s breathtaking creations. He was a 2016 James Beard Awards Outstanding Pastry Chef semifinalist.
The Grilled Nueske’s Bacon was a dream come true for bacon lovers. Inch thick slabs that Bartlow serves with a smear of crunchy peanut butter, jalapeño jelly and minced Granny Smith apples.
Everything we tried was a home run at newly opened Ufficio Restaurant in Toronto. It was fresh, tasty, and seasonal. The cooking was quite sophisticated and well-executed. You have got to try their grilled homemade focaccia bread!
This may be a Jewish inspired restaurant but you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy it, as witnessed by the crowds lining up to get in on the weekend. Make sure you reserve well in advance as this is probably one of the hottest brunch tickets in New York right now. It has a trendy vibe, with a young handsome crowd and solid food offerings.
Named one of Phoenix’s best new restaurants, The Gladly takes familiar fare and adds a playful and decadent twist. Great presentations and food pairings. Recommended!
For two years now my nose has led me into Baker and Scone at 693 St. Clair Avenue West. The fresh baked aromas wafting out of this pretty little shop are unbelievable. In fact, I think this bakery is the best thing to happen to this area of St. Clair (I know some will say it is the Stockyard Restaurant).
It’s one of the better places in the entertainment district, but it was underwhelming and fell a bit short for me. I would still go back and I would try it for brunch as well. It has the potential to get much better and I hope it does. And it doesn’t seem to detract from customers – the place was buzzing on a weeknight.
Zuma, for years, has been a favourite restaurant of mine. They serve weekend brunch from 12-3, at a cost of $95, $135 and $350. We tried the first two options and quite frankly the $95 option is the way to go. The buffet is HUGE. Please come hungry.
Last weekend Shanea took over Social Miami’s Twitter to share her food and fun adventures.
You know how sometimes you crave a simple meal, you don’t feel like getting dressed up and you just want something good but unfussy, well I would like to suggest Blue Collar on 6730 Biscayne.
Located in a historical home from the 1930’s, at 2727 Indian Creek Road on the property of the Freehand Hotel, the 27 Restaurant and Bar is open for dinner daily, with brunch served on weekends.
Located at 423 Washington Avenue, between 4th and 5th St., Izzy’s Restaurant serves New England fare in a cool, hip South Beach setting.
We really enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Pinch Kitchen. You can tell they cook with passion as it shines through in all the well-cooked and flavorful dishes.
Cecconi’s has been packing them in since its opening around 5 or so years ago. It is located just before a curve on 4385 Collins Avenue just south of the Fountainbleau.
There have been many new restaurant openings in Miami since the summer. One of the new ones is The Continental on 2360 Collins Avenue at 23rd street.
Located in the former Corner House Restaurant on Davenport is Flor de Sal – a beautiful, attractive, bright and nicely decorated space.
We have been to the Good Son for dinner before, but now we wanted to try Sunday Brunch. I am happy to report that is was great.
Yonge and Summerhill is full of cute little neighbourhood restaurants. A favourite of mine is Quanto Basta. It is a small narrow room with a tiny kitchen and bar as part of the action. The owner and servers are friendly and make you feel like you are eating in their home.