Art, eat Basel
Michael Mayo serves up some great places to grab a bite.
As usual, Art Basel and Miami Art Week will offer a feast for the senses. And as usual, visitors and locals will have numerous options to mix food and drink with the paintings, parties and music. Some restaurants in Miami Beach are bringing in street muralists for the week. Celebrated chef Michael Schwartz will preview his new Miami restaurant Amara with a four-night pop-up before its January opening. Here is a rundown of the week’s culinary happenings:
Near the Art Basel hub at the Miami Beach Convention Center (where tickets are required), South Florida culinary queen Michelle Bernstein will again operate the outdoor Garden Cafe at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, 2000 Convention Center Drive. Offerings through Sunday include artisanal sandwiches, salads, soups and baked goods, similar to the fare offered at Bernstein’s popular cafe in Miami’s Design District, Crumb on Parchment. The Garden also will offer liquid refreshments from Cafe La Trova. The Garden Cafe opens daily at 10 a.m. and will close at 9:30 p.m. through Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday. Bernstein also is running a pop-up version of her former restaurant Michy’s through Sunday in the Collectors Lounge in the ticketed convention center.
Two restaurants in Miami Beach will get into the artistic spirit by hosting street artists who will create art while diners eat. Stubborn Seed, 101 Washington Ave., the recently opened restaurant from acclaimed chef Jeremy Ford (formerly of JeanGeorges Vongerichten’s Matador Room), will welcome Ze Florist, a Miami graffiti artist. He will create a 3-D version of one of his signature flowers at the restaurant on Friday and Saturday. He also will tag bottles of Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque Champagne for patrons at the Saturday unveiling. Call 786-322-5211 for reservations.
NaiYaRa, 1854 Bay Road, known for Thai street food and good cocktails, will double as an art gallery on Friday as street artist Herbert Galarza displays works and paints live from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.
Michael Schwartz, the James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur behind Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink, Fi’lia at the SLS Brickell and Genuine (nee Harry’s) Pizza, will preview his latest venture, Amara at Paraiso, through Saturday. The new restaurant, at 3101 NE Seventh Ave., in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood, is scheduled to open in January and will showcase its stunning waterfront room and Latin-influenced wood grilled dishes with a multicourse menu and wine for $189 per person. Seatings are available 7-9 p.m. and can be booked through Resy.
There will be plenty of action in Wynwood. Hungry art lovers can check out the new 1-800-Lucky Asian Market, 143 NW 23rd St., featuring numerous food stalls, including Les Banh Amis, a Vietnamese sandwich shop from Coyo Taco chef Scott Linquist. Or they can visit Three, a new culinary complex and restaurant at 50 NW 24th St., from celebrated veteran chef Norman Van Aken.
The Wynwood Yard, 56 NW 29th St., will hold an Art Basel edition of its Taste of the Yard from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday. Admission is $25, and includes a choice of five food and drink offerings from selected purveyors. Later in the evening brings Electric Avenue, an electronic dance event.
Hive Wynwood will take over the Mana Wynwood lot, 2250 NW Second Ave., for a four-day pop-up that organizers describe as “a cocktail and culinary village flowing of fresh and invigorating experiences.” Entrance is free, but the food and drinks are not. Featured vendors include Pinch Kitchen, Tacos and Tattoos, China Box and Casablanca. Hours are 4 p.m.-3 a.m. today, 3 p.m.-3 a.m. Friday, noon-3 a.m. Saturday and noon-9 p.m. Sunday.