It’s hard to believe that The Federal Food, Drink & Provisions, Miami’s first gastropub, turns three on January 12th, 2015. As a pioneer (albeit in a nondescript Upper East Side Biscayne strip mall), The Federal helped spur a change in Miami’s culinary scene, forcing it to collectively up it’s game with exceptional down-to-earth, farm-to-table cuisine. The duo behind this mini-phenom is owner-chef Cesar Zapata and his lady of the house, Aniece Meinhold, who together seem to be quite a talented duo with a spot-on sense of the zeitgeist.
To shake things up a bit, they introduced a new menu last month that featured brand new hits that had us using a lot of superlatives. New arrivals included Spicy Clams served with a smokey tomato broth, andouille sausage and Florida’s Cedar Key clams and Corn & Caviar, a sweet corn griddle cake with salmon caviar, and herbed creme fraiche. Of course, all-time favorites like the Jar o’Duck, the Pig Wing (pork shanks fried up Buffalo-style) and the famous deviled eggs are still in place.
In addition to starting a fantastic new brunch and debuting a host of new menu items, they are celebrating their birthday this week by cooking for the year’s first Dinner in Paradise on Sunday, hosting the first “Snail Social” Slow Food Movement dinner on Wednesday, January 14th, and bringing their unique cuisine to Marker 88 on Friday in Isla Morada. Every Thursday of this month they are honoring other ventures by their Pius Pig restaurant group like pop-up Phuc Yea! (Miami’s first) and Blue Piano with menu specials from both beloved rests. Phuc yea, we’ll be there.
