IT never takes foodies long to realize that the best Miami dining falls outside the zone of Ocean Drive’s honking horns and Lincoln Road mall’s rubber-necking pedestrians. But in these economically interesting times, getting off the grid is even more rewarding than usual – it means big savings.
There are some great meals to be found – often for less than $25 per person – in the city’s quirky corners, where residents prefer reasonable prices to Shore Club-style Deco-dence.
BUENA VISTA BISTROBuena Vista East
Prepare to salivate: This is the kind of in-the-know neighborhood bistro that Manhattanites covet above all else. Chef-owner and local resident Claude Postel set out to prove that good food doesn’t require a budget-busting venue, opening BVB in spring 2008. The heavily French wine list is penned on the mirrors lining one side of the light, simple room; photographs from the historic Buena Vista East neighborhood, located north of Miami’s Design District, dot the other wall, amplifying the cozy, local feel.
Don’t miss: The exquisite French staples — tuna tartare, escargot and scallops, all listed on a chalkboard for ease of adding daily fresh-from-the-market specials.
Go: 4582 NE Second Avenue; (305) 456-5909; buenavistabistro.com
TAP TAP HAITIAN RESTAURANTSouth Beach
Traffic whizzes past on this wide stretch of Fifth Street, but Tap Tap is an island oasis – a freestanding building that has oozed the joy of Haitian culture from every primary-colored, mural-covered room since opening in 1994. This is the place for authentic stewed goat or, for the less adventurous, free-range chicken or fish in lime sauce. Thursdays and Saturday nights feature the Caribbean sounds of Manno Charlemagne and the Tap Tap Band, starting at 8:30 p.m. Closed Monday.
Don’t miss: Griyo, fried chunks of certified kurobuta pork
Go: 819 Fifth Street; (305) 672-2898; taptaprestaurant.com
LOST AND FOUND SALOONWynwood Art District
Most joints relying on cowhides, wagon-wheel chandeliers and John Wayne for décor sadly do so without irony, but this small southwestern café dons its cowboy garb like a hipster artist — a reflection of its art district locale. Burritos, BBQ and all-day breakfast lead the charge, yet it’s surprisingly vegetarian friendly: pinon and pepita crusted tofu, grilled eggplant and asparagus join the carnivorous choices for taco and burrito fillings. A decent-sized wine list leans toward California and South America options, with bottles mostly in the $30 range.
Don’t miss: The jumbo cookies, served a la mode and warm, which deservedly topped a recent “best of” Miami list.
Go: 185 NW 36th Street; (305) 576-1008; www.thelostandfoundsaloon-miami.com
GARCIA’S SEAFOOD GRILLE AND FISHDowntown Miami
What started as a seafood market in 1966 expanded over time into a two-story restaurant overlooking the barge-dotted Miami River, but it’s still family-run, pretension-free and all about the freshest catch of the day. Locals belly up to the counter next to the seafood case in front; tourists who actually manage to find the restaurant (seriously, get good directions if you’re driving!) head to the picnic-table covered back patio on the water, reminiscent of the best Florida Keys dives. The upstairs bar is a cozy place for a drink at night.
Don’t miss: The fresh mahi-mahi, which tastes like it just jumped from the water.
Go: 398 NW North River Drive; (305) 375-0765
PERRICONE’S MARKETPLACE AND CAFEDowntown Miami
With its leafy garden terrace and wide veranda it’s as if Perricone’s is a residential neighborhood unto itself, tucked among the downtown high-rises. The building’s hand-hewn wooden beams, walls and flooring came from a Vermont barn, circa 1700s, creating a low-key sanctuary for the café’s Italian dishes. Instead of perusing a wine list, diners browse the market to select their bottle, giving them a bird’s eye view of the decadent desserts as well. Pasta dishes ($11-17) keep the bill budget-conscious; even more so on Pasta Thursdays when they’re priced at $10 all day. The restaurant offers live jazz Wednesday through Sunday.
Don’t miss: Whole-wheat penne with fresh salmon, broccoli and pine nuts in pink sauce.
Go: 15 SE 10th Street; (305) 374-9449; www.perricones.com
PUERTO SAGUASouth Beach
Avoid the schlep to Little Havana and still get a dose of authentic Cuban food in this nondescript corner of South Beach real estate, which opens early for breakfast and stays up until 2 a.m. for the bar crowd. The Spanish-tile exterior shows its 40-plus years of wear; the interior is basic wood tables and a few paintings honoring the owners’ island roots – none of which matters one iota when the goal is dodging bank-breaking Miami Beach restaurants and savoring hearty food. Some seafood entrees top $25, but there’s no need to go there when the roast chicken is so tasty.
Don’t miss: The basics – black bean soup, plantains; they also do a mean cortadito (espresso with steamed milk).
Go: 700 Collins Avenue; (305) 673-1115
BIN NO. 18Cultural District
The key ingredient here isn’t just the wine collection and an impressive batch of global beers, but metamorphosis; this Euro-style bistro moves through its day, from power lunch to wine-soaked happy hour to evening urban haunt, with ease. In the loft-style industrial space – which makes the most of its odd base-of-condo locale just north of the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts – sparkling chandeliers dangle over tables constructed from wine barrels and the walls showcase local artists. Chef/co-owner Alfredo Patino has a Ritz-Carlton pedigree, going his own way after a run at Bizcaya Grill in the hotel chain’s Coconut Grove location. Service can be slow, so build an antipasto platter (from $22, perfect for two) and plan to linger.
Don’t miss: The artisan cheeses, particularly pecorino tartufato with white truffle shavings from Umbria.
Go: 1800 Biscayne Boulevard, #107; (786) 235-7575; www.bin18miami.com
LA LOCANDASouth of Fifth
This Italian bistro in the South of Fifth section of South Beach stands in sharp contrast to the oversized, trend-driven glow of its across-the-street neighbor, China Grill: it’s low-key, romantic, even a little cheesy with its faux balcony creating a corner alcove among the two-dozen interior seats. (There is just as much seating outside.) Bells and whistles aren’t needed when you do homemade pasta this well: ravioli, risotto and gnocchi dishes change daily.
Don’t miss: The four-cheese fiocchetti with a burst of sweet pear in each purse-shaped bite to balance the rich cream sauce.
Go: 413 Washington Avenue; (305) 538-6277; lalocandasobe.com
HY VONGLittle Havana
The crowd congregating out front is easier to spot than the sign for this tiny local favorite, which proudly bucks the trend of its Little Havana neighborhood by serving Vietnamese food. Go early to avoid a lengthy wait and try whatever specials Chef Tung Nguyen has up her sleeve. A global beer list adds to the list of unexpected pleasures. It’s not about the décor, it’s all about the food. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Don’t miss: Pastry-wrapped fish in watercress cream sauce (so not low-cal in the best possible way)
Go: 3458 SW 8th Street; (305) 446-3674; www.hyvong.com
BOTECOUpper East Side
Three words: Brazilian bar food. In the still-ramshackle strip of Northeast 79th Street between the gentrifying Biscayne Boulevard corridor and the causeway leading to the northern stretch of Miami Beach, this indoor-outdoor watering hole with a reedy patio roof seems held together with sheer vivacity. The menu is dominated by under-$15 fried and grilled meats. Icy cervajas, caipirinhas and their vodka-laden cousin, the caipiroska, fuel a jubilant late-night crowd that turns the restaurant’s interior into a dance floor.
Don’t miss: Frango a passarinho, fried chicken with garlic and parsley
Go: 916 NE 79th Street; (305) 757-7735; www.botecomiami.com