Haute Restaurant Alert: Route 9 in Coral Gables Opens Tomorrow

Route 9, Coral Gables’ newest restaurant opens with dinner service on Wednesday, Feb. 9, just in time for the upcoming holiday weekend. The dining gem hopes to provide a true neighborhood joint and will bring a much-needed vibrancy to the quieter stretch of North Ponce de Leon Blvd.

Jeremy and Paola Goldberg, the chef owners, are both CIA graduates with hearts of gold. Hailing from New Jersey and Mexico, respectively, they are both knowledgeable of the area having worked at restaurants like Ortanique on the Mile, Escopazzo, and Timo. This is the married couple’s first venture as restaurateurs. The small and cozy 60-seat eatery is simple, modern, and clean; a departure from the bright pink walls it donned when Don Chile occupied the space. The space reflects both of the chefs’ laidback styles. A floor to ceiling chalkboard lines the back wall and is set to act as a rotating canvas for local artists. A lounge area accompanies the chalkboard and further reflects the atmosphere the chefs want for the restaurant. The lounge area will host live music certain nights of the week.

The restaurant’s menu pulls from the chefs’ prior experiences and cultures. The cuisine is something they call “American-style cuisine with a bit of Latin & Floridian flair.” While not all of the ingredients will be locally sourced or organic, their goal is to utilize as many local products as possible. The menu will change seasonally and most of the items will be made from scratch, in house. The chefs’ greatest interest is for the food to be exceptional. As far as the wine and beer list, it will also be rotating and will feature only small producers and craft varieties.

Although, the chefs had been searching for locales as far as a year back, the current spot was chosen a mere two months ago. “It has been a scramble, but as they say: that’s the restaurant industry for you. All you can do is work hard and give it 1000 percent.”

Route 9 opens with dinner on Wednesday, Feb. 9 and opens for lunch on Tuesday, Feb. 15. Lunch will be served Tuesday – Friday and dinner will be served Tuesday – Saturday. On Sundays, brunch will be served from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

For more information, follow the restaurant on Twitter: @Route9Miami.

Route 9 Miami, 1915 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, 305.569.9009; www.route9miami.com

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