Everywhere you look, there is a new food hall popping up all over Miami. From an Asian hall in Wynwood to an Italian market at the Brickell City center on one end and Central market on the other. Miami is in the midst of a food hall mania.

Adding to the hysteria is the opening of St. Roch Market upstairs in the Palm Court in Miami’s Design District at 140 NE 39th Street. It is a contemporary multi-vendor food hall, and it couldn’t come soon enough, say the locals, neighbours and stores, in this rapidly expanding shopping mecca. They have been complaining to me that there are far too few places for them to eat.

St. Roch is a new sister to the New Orleans based food hall, which has operated for over 140 years and was sadly forced to shut down because of Hurricane Katrina. Luckily it has reopened in 2015 under its new founder Will Donaldson. He plans to open many more halls around the country. What sets this place apart from other food markets in Miami? The others have “name” or established vendors. St. Roch is offering space for many first time vendors. They are locally known and unknown chefs and restaurants in and around Miami. They are getting a chance at a pop-up experience and if they succeed they could possibly grow into opening a brick and mortar space.

The market just opened on Saturday, February 24th, 2018, and it has already become a busy hangout. For now there are about 12 vendors offering up coffee at Sabal, southern fried chicken at the Coop, Vietnamese cooking at Tran An, Israeli-Middle Eastern food at Jaffa, vegan delights at Cafe Chloe, homemade pasta at Dal Plin, seafood and cocktails at Elysian, Asian delights at Yuzu, tacos and ceviche at Hotline, and Japanese-Peruvian rice bowls and rolls at Itame.

The curated food and beverage program is accompanied by a high quality, hospitality driven experience. Here you are served in a clean, bright environment on china and glassware rather than disposable dishes and cutlery. On weekends the market will feature live musical entertainment on the patio.

Open daily into the night, St. Roch will be serving dishes inspired from around the globe. Although only opened a brief time it has already become a gathering place for locals, neighbours and friends to break bread.

Recommend.

Happy dining,
Shanea

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