1 Boia De | Little Haiti / Upper Eastside | Tiny, low-key, candlelit, vinyl on the speakers | Crispy polenta, beef tartare, tagliolini al nero | Feels like stumbling into a secret dinner party where everyone just happens to be extremely into natural wine and perfect pasta. | 5205 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33137 | Miami, FL |
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2 Mandolin Aegean Bistro | Buena Vista / Design District edge | Blue-and-white garden, sun-drenched, very vacaciones en Grecia | Grilled octopus, manti dumplings, Aegean sangria | On breezy nights this courtyard feels like a movie set — I’ve absolutely sketched color palettes here between mezze plates. | 4312 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33137 | Miami, FL |
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4 KYU | Wynwood | Industrial-chic, wood-fired, artsy brunch crowd | Crispy pork belly, roasted cauliflower, soft serve | Smoky, saucy, a little bit scene-y — like if a gallery opening decided to reincarnate as a restaurant and started serving ridiculous cauliflower. | 251 NW 25th St, Miami, FL 33127 | Miami, FL |
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5 Uchi Miami | Wynwood | Moody, designy, non-traditional Japanese with buzz | Hama chili, hot rock wagyu, omakase-style nigiri | This is where I go when I sell a piece — the plates look as curated as any show on NW 2nd Ave, and the flavors are wild in the best way. | 252 NW 25th St, Miami, FL 33127 | Miami, FL |
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6 Zak the Baker | Wynwood | Daytime-only, colorful, creative-kid cafeteria | Shakshuka, tuna melt, any fresh sourdough and babka slice | My pre-walk ritual: coffee, challah, a quick stare at the murals across the street. It’s basically the unofficial breakfast club of the art world aquí. | 295 NW 26th St, Miami, FL 33127 | Miami, FL |
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8 La Mar by Gastón Acurio | Brickell Key | Waterfront Peruvian, skyline views, date-night polished | Cebiche sampler, anticuchos, arroz chaufa | When collectors are in town, I bring them here at sunset — the ceviche glows, the bay sparkles, and suddenly everyone’s saying yes to that next piece. | 500 Brickell Key Dr, Miami, FL 33131 | Miami, FL |
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10 Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink | Design District | Neighborhood-y but polished, courtyard greenery, art crowd | Crispy pork belly, wood-roasted fish, truffle pizza | This is my reset button between fairs — unfussy, seasonal, and full of people arguing about which installation hit hardest that week. | 130 NE 40th St, Miami, FL 33137 | Miami, FL |
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11 COTE Miami | Design District | Korean steakhouse meets nightclub gallery, tableside grills | Butcher’s Feast, steak omakase, kimchi wagyu paella | It’s giving neon, smoke, and very serious beef — the kind of place where you dress like you might get photographed next to a sculpture afterward. | 3900 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33137 | Miami, FL |
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12 Macchialina | South Beach | Cozy, brick-walled Italian, candlelit and intimate | Short rib lasagna, cavatelli macchialina, tiramisu | When I’m over the South Beach chaos but stuck across the bridge, this is my safe haven — carb-loading and Chianti after an opening at the Bass. | 810 Alton Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33139 | Miami Beach, FL |
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