Guide - 542

FRUITS AND TREES
Grimal Grove is home to rare tropical fruit trees and a collection of breadfruit.
WHAT THEY CARRY: Breadfruit and other tropical fruits from their grove.
WHERE TO BUY: The grove is located at 258 Cunningham Lane, Big Pine Key, but contact them for opening hours. Their fruits are sold at various markets in the Lower Keys.
WHEN: Check their Facebook page for updates.

Grow2Heal at a Glance

Farmer: Thi Squire
Where they’re located: Homestead Hospital 
Website:  Homestead Hospital
What they grow: Fruit, veggies, medicinal herbs and plants
Where they sell: Used for their own food service  
CSA: No

Grow2Heal grows produce for hospital patients and staff and serves as a hands-on educational farm, too. Students and their teachers visit the farm regularly to learn where their food comes from. The farm hosts regular field trips that include a tour of the garden, hands-on weeding and harvesting, tasting and cooking classes. “We show them how to make lunch from scratch and try new foods,” says community garden project manager Thi Squire. There are also Grow2Heal gardens at Doctors Hospital, West Kendall and South Miami.

For field trips, volunteer and sponsorship opportunities at the Grow2Heal community garden at Homestead Hospital, email HHGrow2Heal@baptisthealth.net.

TREES AND FRUIT
WHAT THEY CARRY: Akee, allspice, apple banana, Barbados cherry, black Surinam cherry, black sapote, grumichama, canistel, cashew, Alachua muscadine grape, jaboticaba, jackfruit, longan, loquat, moringa, everbearing mulberry, olive, pomegranate, purple caimito, red custard apple, soursop, sugar apple, starfruit, tamarind, pitangatuba, miracle fruit, von blackberry, avocado, citrus, figs, guava, lychee, mamey sapote, mango, passion fruit, papaya, hog plum, June plum
WHERE TO BUY: Online
SHIPPING/DELIVERY? Local delivery
MORE INFO: (786) 616-5211

Guavonia Grove at a Glance

Farmer: Jorge Zaldivar
Where they’re located: Redland
Website: Facebook PGTropicals  Instagram @PastelGuayaba 
What they grow: Guava
Where they sell: Wholesale–local restaurants: Madruga Bakery, Mamey Miami, Azucar Ice Cream Co., Exquisito Chocolates, La Fresa Francesa, Ariete, Chug's Diner, Pastelito Papi, PIKADIYO
CSA: No

A tropical fruit farmer of guava (Psidium guajava) and tropical fruits in Homestead's Redland, Zaldivar digs deep into Miami's history while keeping his Cuban culture and roots in sight to make connections between fruits, history, recipes and stories. Currently serves as a Director with the North American Fruit Explorers (NAFEX), Slow Food's Ark of Taste Regional Committee Member, and Director of the South Florida Palm Society (SFPS), he is drafting the manuscripts of two cookbooks and the biography of South Florida Cookery pioneer and botanist Alex D. Hawkes from Coconut Grove.

ABOUT HIS FARM:  PG Tropicals partners with Guavonia Guava Grove in the Redland and cultivates various heirloom guava cultivars. "Since guava has been such a rich avenue into Miami's history for me, Guavonia Guava Grove’s foundation is a strong understanding of the Miami pioneers who lived and farmed here. By preserving guava fruits, we preserve Miami's history through seeds and our tropical fruit products. Redland terroir is years of tradition that brings Miami together every time we enjoy mamey, guava, mango, avocado, papaya and sapodilla. There are so many more reasons to love the agricultural areas south of Miami. The United States depends on Florida for a variety of crops grown during the winter season. Many tropical fruits are sourced from Redland and Homestead. There is only one Redland, and we are lucky to have it."

WHY HE'S SUCH AN ADVOCATE FOR LOCAL GUAVA: Pastelitos and guava creations in Miami are now made with imported guava products from the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Jamaica or Colombia. "It was once a leading Florida fruit, evidenced by pioneer pantries lined with jars of guava jelly and marmalade – there wasn’t a house in Hialeah or Shenandoah that didn’t have a jar of Miami’s world-renowned guava jelly. It's easy to lose track of what locally grown fruits and vegetables are easily available for us to enjoy here in Miami. It may seem like a chore to know what is in season and where to source it, but the more you participate in this model, the more you notice that flavor is hardly ever compromised, nor your budget."

FRUITS ONLY
Guava farmer Jorge Zaldivar makes marmalade from his Redland-raised guavas and sells small quantities of fruits.
WHAT THEY CARRY: Guava and Redland guava marmalade
WHERE TO BUY: Check website or email him
SHIPPING: Not yet
MORE INFO: Follow his Instagram account here.

Hammock Greens at a Glance

Farmers: Aaron Dreilinger, Jill and Thomas Smitherman
Where they’re located: Container farms throughout South Florida
Website: Hammock Greens
What they grow: Lettuces, herbs, microgreens, Asian greens
Where they sell: Restaurants in South Florida
CSA: No

Set aside your vision of rows of seedlings under the subtropical sun. Hammock Greens is one of a new crop of container farms in South Florida, made up of converted shipping containers where the environment is controlled. They efficiently use little water and no pesticides to grow organic greens hydroponically all year long. Container farms can be placed in any setting and moved as needed. 

How they got into it: Smitherman and Dreilinger, both chefs and friends, were both intrigued by the idea of hyperlocal farms in recycled containers in South Florida. Container farming is an idea in the works elsewhere across the US, including Brooklyn (Square Roots) and LA (Local Roots Farms). Two years ago, Smitherman experimented with the containers at his home in Davie. Now there are six.

How it works: LED technology has really advanced, allowing operators to control the climate within the container from their phones, says Dreilinger. One day these containers may be powered by solar energy, but now they are on the grid, using about the same amount of electricity as a small house to control temperature and lighting. Ten gallons of water are used per week. Seedlings are started, then transplanted into hanging vertical strips until they’re ready for harvest. Each container farm can produce as much as one-third acre of land annually. Containers can be delivered anywhere there’s access to electricity. Hammock Greens grows produce for specific restaurants. “We ask chefs, ‘What do you want on the menu in three months?’” Dreilinger says. Delivery costs are less than produce from farms in South Miami-Dade, especially if the farm is in the back of a restaurant or hotel. If they want, host properties have access to produce and can use the farm for tours, photos and events.

Harpke Family Farm at a Glance

Farmers: Tamer Harpke and Claire Hutin
Where they’re located: Dania Beach
Website: Harpke Family Farm @harpkefamilyfarm
What they grow: Specialty produce, including live microgreens, edible flowers, gem lettuces
Where they sell: Wholesale–Sunshine Provisions, The Garden Network, Food Direct, yacht chefs, local restaurants, and online via orders
CSA: Yes

Imagine Farms At a Glance

Founders: Lisa Merkle and Cheryl Arnold
Where They’re Located: Little Haiti
Website: Imagine Farms
What they grow: Formerly known as Box Greens, they sell hydroponic farm fresh salad and microgreens using sustainable and environmentally friendly tech farming practices to provide pesticide- and herbicide-free, non-GMO greens.
Where they sell: Zak the Baker, Boia De, Motek and Madruga Bakery
CSA: Lettuce Lovers share. More info here.

Find jackfruit: Their season runs from May through October. Look for cut fruit at farmers markets, including the Southwest Community Farmers Market at Tropical Park on Saturday, the Pinecrest Gardens market on Sunday and the Redland Community Farm and Market all week.

When it comes to the beloved mamey sapote, Lara Farms is the go-to grower. They’re also well known for a wide variety of tropical fruit trees. Brand ambassador Jorge Zaldivar talked with Julian Lara, second generation family farmer.

How they started: My parents, Pablo and Ceres, started Lara Farms back in 1980. It wasn’t always the beautiful nursery that we know today. It was a piece of land in the middle of nowhere in a place called Redland. My dad was ambitious and wanted to provide grafted mamey (Pouteria sapota) trees to a market eager to have their favorite fruit from back home. The main varieties known back then, and still today, are ‘Magaña’ and ‘Pantin’ aka ‘Key West’. He was able to hybridize two varieties of ‘Magaña’ and ‘Tazumal’ and make his own variety, the ‘Pace’– Pa (Pablo) + ce (Ceres). It’s known today as one of the finest tasting mamey varieties. Dad was able to buy what the nursery is today by going to people’s houses and grafting mamey and mango trees in people’s backyards. Eventually, he got big grafting jobs and saved his coins by doing this after his regular job during the day at Tropical Research & Education Center (TREC) in Homestead. We are always grateful to Dr. Carl Campbell for giving my dad a job at TREC.

Their philosophy: Be prepared for the worst. It’s a crazy business. You can be wiped out by a cold snap, frost or a hurricane. But at the same time, it could be very lucrative. Have fair prices and give the customer the best experience possible. And make sure they go home with the best advice.

What they sell: The list of plants is fluid but always expect us to have a great selection of rare and exotic tropical fruit trees for the South Florida climate: mamey, mango, guanabana, custard apple, sugar apple, atemoya, guava, caimito, jakfruit, sapodilla, carambola, tamarind, Spanish lime, lychee, longan, pomegranate, green sapote, avocado, black sapote, white sapote.

Little River Cooperative at a Glance

Farmers: TIffany Noe & Muriel Olivares
Where they’re located: Miami
Website: Little River Cooperative Instagram: @littlerivercooperative 
What they grow: Culinary herbs, medicinals, specialty greens, edible flowers, spices, edible plants
Where they sell: Directly to restaurants, Legion Park farmers market in season, retail hours at their nursery
CSA: Check online

LNB Groves at a Glance

Farmers: Adena Ellenby and Walt Chefitz, Marc Ellenby
Where they’re located:  Redland
Website: www.lnbgrovestand.com @lnbgroves 
What they grow: Tropical fruit and turmeric
Where they sell: Wholesale distributors, their kitchen
CSA: No

FRUITS ONLY
Second-generation family farmers Adena Ellenby and Walt Chefitz make all kinds of delicious foods from their tropical fruit farm and sell seasonal produce, too.
FRUITS: Lychee, jackfruit, avocado, longans, mamey sapote, turmeric, bananas, dragon fruit, starfruit, plus products made from their fruits: rainbow smoothies, guacamole, turmeric tonic, turmeric bagels and cookies. Counter Culture kombucha and Frice Cream made from their fruits.
WHERE TO BUY: At their drive-through market (13591 SW 135 Ave.) every weekend.
SHIPPING? Visit their website for details. Sign up for their newsletter for regular updates.
MORE INFO: Follow their Instagram here.

Find longan: Find at farmers markets and fruit stands in the Redland and Homestead starting in July.

Find lychee: Look in farmers markets, fruit stands and along the roads in the Redland and Homestead starting in May.

Lidia's Celebrate Like An Italian – 220 Foolproof Recipes That Make Every Meal a Party

Members of the seabass family, grouper is a popular menu item, available year-round with peak months from April-Oct. High in protein and low in fat, grouper flesh is firm and white with a large flake. Black grouper has firm, sweet flesh that tastes of lobster and shrimp because of its shellfish diet.

Since 2017, IROC – Indian River Oyster Company – in New Smyrna Beach has been growing oysters in the Indian River Lagoon, just south of Ponce Inlet. “We just produced our sixth crop,” says Dennis David, who works with his wife Ilonka, their daughter Jessica and her husband, Ryan Norris.

They start with oyster “seeds” that are in a larval stage for 21 days before settling on calcium carbonate. “They don’t move,” says David. The oysters grow in floating bags, feeding on plankton and algae, unfortunately in abundant supply and hampering the growth of seagrass. But oysters take in algae and can filter up to 50 gallons of water in a day – and they are thriving. “They grow quickly here, ready for harvest in 10-12 months, mostly for the oyster bar market,” he says.

IROC also participates in the oyster recycling program through the Marine Discovery Center, which has recycled hundreds of thousands of pounds of oyster shells to create oyster beds and mats for the Indian River Lagoon estuary. This helps create new oyster reefs to restore populations that have been declining because of over-harvesting, rising sea levels and careless boaters.

IROC sells oysters retail and wholesale, supplies local restaurants, and shucks them for special events. They also offer three-mile paddle tours of the lagoon with oyster tastings.

Also known as dorado, mahi-mahi is a gorgeous fish with an iridescent blue-green and gold body and a golden tail. Found in waters around the world, they are harvested in Monroe County and are available year-round, peaking in the summer months. The flesh is lean, firm, light and moist.

CSA Info

Farm locations: Homestead and Loxahatchee
Dropoff points: Delivery; check online
SNAP/EBT: Not yet
CSA season: Now
When to sign up: Now
Sign up here: Grow Next Door
Contact information: Jonathan Cox

What do you grow and specialize in? Leafy greens: salad greens, butterhead lettuce, watercress, baby brassicas, herbs and microgreens
Farm locations: Little Haiti, Miami
Dropoff points, delivery details: We deliver from Hollywood to Cutler Bay or you can pick up at the farm in Little Haiti
SNAP/EBT? At their booth at the Legion Park Farmers Market every Saturday
CSA season dates: Year-round
When to sign up: Anytime
Where to sign up: Imagine Farms or call 844-204-0002

Fresh, nutrient-dense, farm-to-fork cuisine using organic, local and sustainable ingredients without GMOs, preservatives, hormones or processed sugar. In addition to their original location in Kendall, Grown is at Hard Rock Stadium and the Watsco Center at UM.

Some still call this “Houston’s” even though they changed the name a few years ago, but it’s all part of the same corporate family. Whichever location you choose, you’ll find the old-school French Dip Au Jus on the menu. Food lore says this crusty/juicy/meaty sandwich got its start a century ago in Los Angeles, when a restaurateur dropped a roll into a pan filled with meat juices and turned it into a menu item. Today, French Dip seems a slightly elegant if messy throwback, requiring the diner to work just a little for comfort-food pleasure.  

At Hillstone, the experience is a bit upscale, with attentive service and a dress code – no flip-flops or tank tops, please – and their French Dip will set you back around $22, so why not dress up? The crusty, toasted bread, made in-house, is neither too hard to sink your teeth into, nor so soft as to disintegrate when dipped into the flavorful and not-too-salty jus. Inside, thinnish slices of medium-rare roasted prime rib are stacked atop a creamy smear of mayo. You’ll want to order the fresh horseradish sauce for a welcome jolt of pungency. Their sandwich is served with a mound of shoestring potato fries or coleslaw, making this a satisfying splurge for lunch or dinner.

Hillstone is located in Coral Gables and Bal Harbour.

Since 1946, Jackson Soul Food has been serving classics to everyone from Nat King Cole to Lebron James. Founded by Jessie and Demas Jackson (originally as Mama’s Café), this family-friendly eatery is under the helm of Shirlene Jackson Ingraham, one of the Jacksons’ 12 children, where it continues to abide by the owners’ original ethos of hospitality and authentic Southern cooking. Entrees include fried catfish, smothered livers, and oxtail stew and come with a choice of three sides with warm corn muffins. There’s an equally expansive breakfast menu that includes boiled fish and grits (weekends only), red velvet pancakes and homemade biscuits, eggs and sausage.

The food: Definitely a cut above, and a fun assortment to boot: Achar Indian street food, Baklava Bakery, Battubelin pizza and pasta, Cicchetti Venetian tapas, Crumb bakery, Fookem’s Fabulous grab-and-go key lime pie (it’s a cute vending machine), Hitchihaika gyoza, J Wong cevicheria, June burgers, L’Artisane vegan bakery, La Latina arepas, La Petite Cuisine crepes, Mensch Mediterranean food, Michy’s Chicken Shack, OMG Brigadeiros, Osso butcher shop, Palmar street food, Papa fries, Rozu poke, Sankuay chifa, Shimuja ramen, Tacotomia Mexican food, Yabai hand rolls. Yann Couvreur Patisserie. Bars include Boxelder craft beer bar, La Epoca wine bar, The Lasseter craft cocktails.
The scene: Downtown lunch crowd by day, and eclectic by night.
What else: If you work downtown, this is easily accessible via the Metromover or foot (the ongoing construction on Flagler is moving westward). Otherwise, take the Metrorail to Government Center and walk a few blocks. Don't bother driving – parking is hard to find and expensive. This is your opportunity to use our mass transit!

Japanese, Fusion • $$$ • 305.361.2675

Kojin 2.0's seasonal menu changes frequently. Katherine and Pedro Mederos’ goal is to serve you the best possible ingredients at their peak seasonality and freshness, whether sourcing local Florida produce from small farmers, or importing fish from Japan.

Don't miss: Foodgōd Baked Alaska Surprise, made with cake batter, strawberry ice cream, funfetti cake, cotton candy, white chocolate Rice Krispies and Fruity Pebbles.

Founded by UMG Hospitality Group in 2020, Kuba Kabana in CityPlace Doral serves a Latin-inspired, modern Miami menu, featuring Latin music, cuisine and culture.

Deli-Bakery, Café, French, Vegetarian Friendly * $$ • 305.365.5260

Italian Cuisine • $$ • 786.773.3633

Chef Johnson Teh has created an eclectic collection of small starter plates, a wide variety of noodles and rices for hearty appetites, varied entrées, extensive vegetarian and gluten-free options, and a diverse offering of sushi and sashimi.

Special Promotion: Sake Flight – A taste of their 3 signature sake cocktails and their premium Dai-Ginjo sake; Plum Blossom – A delicate and refreshing cocktail that evokes fragrant beauty of spring, offering a touch of fruitiness with each sip; Sake Lycheetini – The smoothness of sake with a sweet floral essence of lychee; Kitaya Kansansui Dai-Ginjo – Smooth body, layers of complexity, with a refreshing finish that makes it perfect for savoring.

Café, American, Seafood • $$ • 305.361.8487

Coastal Cuisine, Hand-Crafted Cocktails, Vegetarian Friendly • $$$ • 305.365.4500

Karim Bryant and Nicole Gates began with a food truck in 2013, and opened the brick and mortar in 2017, offering a “healthier alternative to soul food.” Bryant, who began his culinary career at Fuddruckers and worked his way up to more upscale restaurants, features southern dishes with his own creative flair. Favorites include the smoked bbq ribs, dream fire shrimp, chicken and waffles, and seafood cake burger – and live entertainment, too.

Don't miss: Pastel de Elote with Créme Fraiche is a dish of warm sweet corn cakes topped with ice cream.

Open since 2012, this rustic neighborhood spot consistently turns out authentic pasta made in house, like beet mezzaluna and cavatelli and regional touches like gnocco fritto, puffy dough from Emilia-Romagna, served for the salumi and cheese board. Executive chef Mike Pirolo was born in Queens but raised in Avellino in Campania; his chef de cuisine, Ruggero Vittorini, was born in Rome. Look for a second location to come at Alhambra Towers in Coral Gables.

Part sushi bar, part izakaya, MAI Sushi Tapas & Bar is a lively, fun new hotspot on Miracle Mile. Chefs Kevin Duong and Alfred Toita have created a diverse menu that includes traditional and non-traditional menu items.

Special Promotions: Sushi Pintxos Combo + House Sake Flight: $52; Skewer Platter + Nigori Sake Trio: $42; Sushi Roll + Sake Cocktail: $32

Elisabeth Pierre creates custom-made cakes and creative sweets for special occasions.

OPEN: Year-round
U-PICK: Strawberries, herbs, wildflowers
THE STORY: David and Nicole Torcise launched the U-Pick on the former site of Curbside Market, along with a full-size market supporting the Redland agricultural community. There's a covered space with picnic tables for families to hang out and a calendar of family-friendly events year-round. 

OPEN: Late Oct.–April, closed Sundays
U-PICK: Strawberries and tomatoes
THE STORY: Owned and operated by the Knaus family since 1956, this berry farm is beloved for their cinnamon rolls. Fans don't mind waiting for hours to buy a dozen (cash only!). Behind their farmstand are strawberry fields ready for picking, starting in December-January (always call first to check availability). So coveted are their sweet red berries, chefs reserve them and home cooks use them for jellies and preserves. Knaus uses local produce in guava pie, key lime pie and guava jelly, among other bakery items. They also sell Bald Bakers blend coffee, cheesecakes, and yeast breads and rolls. Spot cinnamon rolls in local collaborations – ice cream and donuts, to name a few. Pro tip: If you don't want cinnamon buns, there are rarely lines for their produce, all grown at Knaus, except for sweet corn. Lines are long at the beginning of their season, but taper off. Weekdays are a good time to visit.

Founded by Dieuveny “DJ” Jean Louis and David Garretson of UMG Hospitality Group, this Mediterranean-themed, contemporary restaurant focuses on tapas and wine, then evolves into a sexy lounge atmosphere. The restaurant features Mediterranean fare, seafood dishes, flatbreads made in a brick oven, signature dishes and an impressive drink menu, plus musical performances, special celebrity DJ appearances (both in person and virtually with robots), video walls, and hookah.

Café, Marketplace • $$ • 305.365.4500

For nearly three years, Naomi Harris has been baking craft breads and pastries at her bakery and cafe. Since then, she’s built a strong community following and appreciation for her rustic loaves using heirloom wheat milled on site, and use of seasonal produce like mangos from her family’s groves.

When there’s good bread, odds are the sandwiches are good too, and the lineup at Madruga is solid. The star is their egg sandwich, on the breakfast menu (but served until 3pm). Their onion poppy roll is the vehicle for thick-sliced Niman Ranch bacon, earthy sautéed greens, sweet Coastal Cheddar, fresh herb aioli and a perfect runny organic egg. The result is a pleasantly gooey, rich breakfast-in-a-bun that’ll keep you going all day. 

Established in 2008, Jerry Kugel’s Happy Dog Bakery recently added anxiety-reducing hemp drops for dogs to its inventory of healthy pet treats. Find Happy Dog Bakery products at farmers markets in Plantation (Saturday); Tamarac (Sunday) and Lauderdale By-the-Sea (Sundays in season); and Broward Health Imperial Point (Thursday).

CSA Info

Farm location: Dania Beach
Dropoff points: Retail orders on hold for the summer
SNAP/EBT: No
CSA season: Check in the fall
When to sign up: Any time
More info: Harpke Family Farms
Contact information: harpkefamilyfarm@gmail.com

CSA Info

Neighborhood/County/City: Little River
Region for dropoff/pickup: Saturdays at Upper East Side Farmers Marke at Legion Park, Biscayne Blvd. and 66th St. and  across the street from the Coconut Grove Metrorail station
Location of farm: North Miami, Little River
Contact information: mail (AT) littlerivercooperative (DOT) com
Open season/months: Opens in November and runs through April
Open hours: Market hours Saturdays 10am-2pm

Date and time: Fridays 3-8

Hours and season: Year-round Saturday and Sunday 10am-7pm.
Parking: Three different parking areas: North Lot: 1st hour is free. After the first free hour of parking, a flat all-day rate of $10 will apply thereafter. South Lot: 1st hour is free. After the first free hour, additional parking time is charged $10 for every 3-hour time block thereafter. At the beginning of each 3-hour block, a new $10 charge shall apply. VIP Lot: All-day flat fee parking rate of $30.

Dates and time: Saturday and Sunday 10am-7pm
Parking: Three different parking areas: North Lot: 1st hour is free. After the first free hour of parking, a flat all-day rate of $10 will apply thereafter. South Lot: 1st hour is free. After the first free hour, additional parking time is charged $10 for every 3-hour time block thereafter. At the beginning of each 3-hour block, a new $10 charge shall apply. VIP Lot: All-day flat fee parking rate of $30.

At a glance: Under one outdoor roof, this market is open weekends with more than 600 vendors selling produce, cheese, artisan breads, ethnic cuisine, vegan and vegetarian fare, pasta, crackers, olives and olive oils, jams, jellies, soaps, candles and crafts, plants and pet foods, plus other items.

Hours and season: Saturdays and Sundays 10am-7pm, year-round
Parking: Main access to two expansive lots is off Sheridan Street. All-day parking in the satellite lot is $10 with the first 30 minutes free; $10 for three hours with the first 30 minutes free in the lot adjacent to the market.

Hours and dates: Market open Thurs.-Fri. 11am-6pm and Sat.-Sun 7am-6pm year-round. On weekends, the flea market is open here, too. Lots of free parking.

Date and time: The second Wednesday of every month, Oct.-April, from 3-6pm

Hours and season: Seven days, 9-5, year-round.
Website to order: Your Farmers

Hours and season: Thur-Fri 11-6, Sat-Sun 7am-6pm, year-round

Hours and season: Sundays 10am-3pm, year-round

Hours and season: Opens Oct. 22 Fridays and Saturdays 10am-3pm

Sundays 9-2. 

Date and time: Sundays 11-4

Date and time: Saturdays 9am-2pm

Hours and season: Thursdays 2pm-7pm, year-round

At the helm of this family business is Natacha Armbrister, creating blends like chai spice, ginger spice and hibiscus and selling them from their booth at Pinecrest Gardens Farmers Market and Yellow Green Farmers Market in Hollywood, currently closed because of COVID-19.

In this tiny cafe and market you can find everything from arborio rice to Italian lemon-flavored sodium bicarb and olive oil sold by the liter, and you can dine here. The husband-and-wife owners, longing for authentic Italian products and a good home-cooked meal, decided to create their own business. Diners get a personalized experience – no menu, just daily specials – and warm hospitality.

Three floors of food, wine, cafes, bars and restaurants. Specialty foods and market items are on counters in between the prepared food stops, so wander around to discover everything, including hard-to-find regional specialties. The Mercato on the first floor includes a counter for salumi and cheeses and a bread station. On the second floor, there are three restaurants, Carne, Pesce and Stagionale, plus an Aperitivo and Cocktail Bar. The third floor houses the Enoteca Wine Bar and cooking school. You can eat a meal at La Centrale, then buy the same ingredients and make it at home, too. Need more help? They also offer a variety of cooking classes.

The food: In addition to pizza, pasta, salads and a cafe, they carry regional Italian foods that can be hard to find in South Florida. Restaurants – Pesce, Carne, Stagionale – offer more conventional dining experiences, while the first-floor Mercato is an open floor plan. You can easily buy items (like pasta) that you've tried, prepared, in the food hall. Download their app and you can order bites online.
The scene: The space is big – 40,000 square feet – and serves as an anchor in the sleek new complex. You can dine alfresco although ongoing construction in the neighborhood makes this less-than-idyllic at the moment.
What else? Open from 730am–11pm Sun-Thur and until 12am Fri-Sat, but individual hours may vary. Park in the adjoining Brickell City Centre garage. The free Metromover stops at Brickell City Centre.

What does Italian luxury look like in the eyes of Ignazio and Maggio Cipriani, fourth-generation brothers of the famed Cipriani hospitality family? The brand-new Mr. C Coconut Grove, their sleek property perched dramatically on  sculptural stilts. “For Mr. C Coconut Grove, the aesthetic is a modern version of old-world simplicity blended with a bit of European glamour and design elements inspired by a sleek Italian yacht,” says Ignazio. Italian details are everywhere – linens and bedding by Casa Rovea, coffee machine by Lavazza, La Bottega bathroom amenities – and Bellini Restaurant and Bar goes well beyond its namesake white-peach and Prosecco cocktail created by Giuseppe Cipriani for Harry’s Bar in Venice in 1948. “It is a combination of recipes from different regions and many of personal favorites,” says Ignazio. Menu items include baked polenta with stracchino cheese and crispy mushrooms and fritto misto, along with lots of fresh seafood.

Celebrating authentic Italian food is part of the Chamber's mission, and they host special events for the public and media. On the schedule for 2019:
The Extraordinary Italian Taste Pastry and Ice Cream Master Class – Nov. 6
Authentic Italian Table – Food Festival – Nov. 6

By the time he was 11 chef Renato Viola was apprenticing with a prominent Naples pizza chef. A native of Agropoli in Campania, Viola continued his studies throughout Italy and joined the award-winning Italian Pizza Acrobatics team. He landed in Miami Beach under an O-1 Visa category, reserved for those with “extraordinary artistic ability,” and opened his first location on Miami Beach, followed by other locations at Brickell, Wynwood and Naples, Florida.

Viola, who says he’s an expert on all styles of pizza, serves a thin-crust version at his restaurants. “Our dough rests for at least 96 hours,” he says. “We import a lot of product directly from Italy like our Mister O1 flour, the sauce, the Italian cold cuts and many others.” When his wife told him he needed a hobby, he decided to open a pizza school for home cooks. The entertaining, hands-on classes last about three hours and teach participants everything from making and shaping the dough to adding toppings, and soak up some of Viola’s enthusiasm: “The good thing is that I really love what I do. I am a true pizza lover.”

Jammy Yummy   
These savory jams include Jalapeño Jam, made with two peppers, hot jalapeños and mild green bell peppers. “Green bell peppers are prematurely harvested, so, they have a slightly bitter flavor,” says founder Agnés Meléndez. Red Pepper Jam, made from Florida peppers when possible, is sweet and acidic. Both work with cheese platters, meat or fish dishes and burgers. Find them at Milam’s Markets, Lucky’s Market, the Golden Hog Market and Whole Foods Markets.

BBQ chicken, jerk pork and ribs hot off the grill at Broward farmers markets. Find chef Juliette at the farmers markets at Broward Health Imperial Point (Thursdays) and Tamarac Veterans Park (Sundays) plus other locations. Check first to see if markets have reopened.

Chef/owner Josh Marcus is fiercely proud of his small #fakedeli in the beachy town of Surfside, where his is not one of the many Kosher restaurants catering to the large Orthodox Jewish community. Here, he plays around with mash-ups like Krunchy Spicy Tuna Latkes or Soft Shell Crab Breakfast Croissants as well as more traditional deli sandwiches.

Before he opened his deli, Marcus worked at restaurants like China Grill and Timo – and La Sandwicherie, whose original South Beach location has been selling baguettes and croissant sandwiches for more than 30 years. So when he created his Jewban sandwich, he came at it with experience as well as a playful sense of humor. Instead of the typical Cuban sandwich – roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese and pickles on buttered, pressed long Cuban bread – the Jewban looks like a massive triple-decker club sandwich. He makes the bread, stuffs it with his own cured pastrami, adds thin slices of roast pork, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickle strips, and piles it on the griddle. His huge sandwich has found fans in South Florida and well beyond, thanks to national TV exposure. Just more #fakedeliproblems.

Knaus Berry Farm at a Glance

Farmers: Thomas & Susan Blocher / Herb & Rachel Grafe
Where they’re located: Redland
Website: Knaus Berry Farm Facebook: Knaus-Berry-Farm Instagram: knausberryfarm
What they grow: Strawberries, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, arugula, herbs, squash, cucumbers, spinach, red beets, radishes
Where they sell: At their farmstand and local restaurants from Oct.-April

TREES ONLY
Located in the heart of Miami-Dade County's ag district, Lara Farms specializes in grafted tropical fruit trees.
WHAT THEY CARRY: Guanabana, white sapote, jackfruit, canistel, sapodilla, annona reticulata, caimito, jujube, red akee, avocado, passion fruit, carambola, black sapote, mango are some of the varieties they stock.
WHERE TO BUY: Online or on their farm.
SHIPPING/DELIVERY: Yes
MORE INFO: Follow on Instagram here
 

TREES ONLY
Local farmers specialize in fast-growing fruit trees that bear fruit in their first year.
WHAT THEY CARRY: Mulberry, Red Lady papaya, passionfruit, moringa, barbados cherry, bananas and plantains, pineapples and guavas. They also sell tropical climate perennial herbs, spices, greens and vegetables.
WHERE TO BUY: Customers can order fruit trees and plants online for pickup at the Legion Park farmers market on Saturdays. Nursery open to the public Saturdays 10-5pm
SHIPPING/DELIVERY? Yes, $15 fee with minimum of $50.
MORE INFO: Follow their Instagram feed.

Update: Laurenzo's announced they will be closing their market July 31 (the farmers market across the street will stay open).

For nearly 70 years – an eternity in South Florida’s young history – Laurenzo’s has been the headquarters for everything Italian and then some. Between their farmers market, a separate building dedicated to produce, and the main building, you can find it all: pasta, made in-house and boxed; breads and pastries, including Sullivan Street Bakery bread; cases of frozen foods like wedding soup and pizza crusts; salami and cheeses, fresh meat and seafood; rows of cans of tomatoes; a shelf of different-origin Nutellas; olives oils and vinegars; wines and sweets. It’s all wrapped around a cafe in the middle, where you can get specials, a glass of wine on the marble bar while Dean Martin croons in the background.

This is a family business through and through. Ben Laurenzo, who died last year at 89, founded the supermarket in 1951, creating a place that brought together South Florida’s melting pot culture. “We’ve always had products for everyone: Spanish, Middle Eastern, Mexican,” says son David. “What’s amazing is what’s in here – you don’t find it anywhere else.” They order seasonal specialties, like chestnuts, Italian prune plums, even muscadine grapes for those few who still make their own wine.

David is especially proud of their seafood. “It may be the best in the U.S.,” he says. “My brother is a fisherman. He buys locally and picks out the best wild-caught local seafood.” Today, his niece, Diana Tarquinio, runs the produce market, marking the third generation in the business, sourcing from various vendors, including Homestead farms in season and organic produce, she says. “People are more focused on organic these days.”

Contact LPKitchenMiami@gmail.com