New Miami Restaurants on the Radar from Scott Conant, Michael Mina and More

As we’re heading into season, a rash of new restaurants are opening — just in time to capture the Baselers. The first one is Klima Restaurant and Bar, which is taking over the former Tosca space on 23rd Street in Miami Beach. The space has played host to many different concepts in the last few years, but we’re hopping this one will stick. It’s a Spanish concept by Pablo Fernandez and Yago Giner, the former heads of the well-known ‘Grupo Tragaluz’ restaurant group out of Barcelona. The executive chef will be David Rustarazo, who hails from Spain and is specialized in Western Mediterranean and Catalan cuisine. Expect it to open in November and from the look of the renderings, make use of the great garden space in the back.

Also opening in November is CORSAIR by Scott Conant, who is best known in Miami for creating Scarpetta. The restaurant will dive deep into the farmhouse cooking, mining the rural menus of both America and the Mediterranean. The restaurant will be located in Turnberry Isle, which is also home to Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak. CORSAIR will be situated on the Miller golf course, and boast inside and outside seating. Conant teamed up with Meyer Davis Studio, a design firm that will create a space which combines the farmhouse concept with the elegance of Turnberry Isle.

The third November entry is STRIPSTEAK by Michael Mina, which is taking over the former Gotham Steak space at the Fontainebleau. STRIPSTEAK already exists in Vegas at the Mandalay Bay, and a very popular, innovative and contemporary steakhouse. All of this adds up to a lot of known quantities—the hotel space, the chef and the concept— so really, it’s just a matter of waiting for it to open, get in there and order up the American vs Australian wagyu main plate. The dish is one of their most popular dishes which features two beautiful portions of wagyu served with parsnip puree, granny smith apple and fresh horseradish, perfectly paired with a signature side item, such as spinach soufflé with Parmesan cream or mushroom tempura with salted plum. See? Classic Mina.

Other openings we’re hotly anticipating? Black Orchid, a Japanese cuisine and sake concept as well as Seagrape by Michelle Bernstein and Siena Tavern by Fabio Viviani, which should be open by November 10. You can read all about it here, in Haute Living’s interview with Chef Viviani.