Why an iconic Coral Gables burger joint still hasn’t reopened more than a year later
It’s been more than a year since Coral Gables’ beloved burger joint closed down after struggling with rent payments during the pandemic.
With no reopening date in sight, some residents worry that replacing Burger Bob’s has been put on the back burner.
“We made it very clear,” said resident Maria
Cruz at Tuesday’s City Commission meeting. “This is not the Taj Mahal. This is not the Vatican. This is a little place where we want to be able to go in flip flops and shorts and have a hamburger and not have to expect white gloves ... and we do not want caviar either.”
A staff report from last May estimated a $580,382 price tag for the diner that will replace Burger Bob’s
Four more Florida restaurants have earned stars in the 2023 Michelin Guide, including one in Miami Beach and three in Tampa.
At a ceremony at loanDepot Park in Miami on Thursday night, Michelin awarded a star to The Tambourine Room by Tristan Brandt at the Carillon Miami Wellness Beach Resort in Miami Beach, which serves French cuisine with Asian influences; Koya, a small Japanese spot in Tampa; the Florida-forward Lilac at the Tampa Edition hotel; and Italian restaurant Rocca in Tampa.
No Orlando restaurants were added to the 2023 guide.
Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, praised the dining landscapes of Miami, Orlando and Tampa, all of which entered the Michelin Guide for the first time in 2022.
“Florida has three distinct culinary hot spots that make the state a premier destination for gourmet-travelers, who can experience a wealth of flavors and creative cooking styles,” Poullennec said.
According to the Michelin Guide, anonymous inspectors visit each restaurant multiple times and assess them on five criteria: quality of ingredients; harmony of flavors; mastery of techniques; the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine; and consistency. One star means a restaurant has a quality menu, prepares excellent cuisine to a consistently high standard is worth a visit. Two stars means it’s even better and worth a detour if you’re traveling; three stars means it’s worthy of a special trip, even if it’s out of your way.
Here’s what the guide had to say about the 2023 starred additions:
Koya: At this eight-seat counter, “Adriana and Eric Fralick keep a watchful eye over the experience,” Michelin writes, “where a multicourse contemporary tasting menu shares a singular interpretation of Japanese cuisine. The dishes are often unexpected yet always thoughtful. Spectacular seafood is a given: staple luxuries like bluefin tuna and uni are flown in weekly from Kagoshima market . . . . Dishes offer unique combinations of Eastern and Western culinary sensibil