Art hangover
Medium Cool, best holiday pop-ups, Pinecrest listings, Façade, The Raleigh Rosewood, Stiltsville, Eater's cuts, MORE
BARS • First Round
Still cool
Situated in the subterranean space at the Gale hotel, Medium Cool retains the effortless cool of its predecessor Rec Room — albeit with a 1970s glam interior update, a solid cocktail program that can handle high volume, and high-energy late nights. Since opening last year, it’s restored the Gale as a go-to for South Beach locals in search of a scene to call their own.
The bar is the creation of local hospitality vets (Dan Binkiewicz, David Martinez, Josh Wagner, and Naren Young). Their formula: no pretension, no cover, and no attitude — just good drinks and good times.
The new owners retained Rec Room’s cozy quarters and spinning disco ball, but swapped out wood-paneled kitsch for new deco pendant lighting and velvety tufted banquettes. Before 10p, the setting feels more akin to the former Regent Cocktail Club, which occupied the bar upstairs during Rec Room’s heyday with live jazz and a mellow mood. Order caviar service at your table alongside goat cheese croquetas with fig jam from the limited bar menu. But as the night wears on, the familiar crush of revelers fill the space as DJs take over, often spinning ’70s and ’80s pop with house music, resulting in nothing less than a great party.
Naren Young’s touch is all over a cocktail menu that features drinks with creative, smartly-crafted twists, like a Strawberry Negroni (with rhubarb liqueur and strawberry shrub) or the Super Fancy Champagne Cocktail (a mix of cognac, Grand Marnier, Amaro, orange bitters, and champagne). But it’s also a place where a simple vodka-soda served in a high ball with a single ice baton isn’t just an acceptable order, it’s also perfect for sloshing around on the dance floor. It’s (medium) cool like that. –Katelin Stecz
→ Medium Cool (South Beach) • 1690 Collins Ave • Wed-Sun, 6p-late • reservations: info@mediumcool.miami.
MIAMI RESTAURANT LINKS: More on tomorrow’s reopening (after 12 years) of Michelle Bernstein’s Sra. Martinez • Kissaki team debuts Japanese-inspired cocktail bar Kiss in South Beach • Below Deck chef debuts Peppi’s Pizza in Design District • Pharrell collaborating on two new spots opening later this month • Jimmy Butler’s coffee shop Bigface opens in Design District • Are cocktail bars leaving craft spirits behind?
WORK • Thursday Routine
Work it out
Anna Sherrill • director of sales • The Raleigh Rosewood Residences
Neighborhood you work in: Miami Beach
Neighborhood you live in: Venetian Islands
It's Thursday morning. What is the scene at your workplace?
Every Thursday I head to The Raleigh sales pavilion around 930a. It's a short drive from my home on the Venetian Islands, and during the commute, I usually connect with my team to go over the day's agenda. While remote work has become the norm, I prefer meeting in person, especially since my office is located in one of the most beautiful sales pavilions in all of Miami Beach.
Arriving at work is like walking into a five-star hotel, because my team and I are greeted by the amazing Rosewood staff at The Raleigh's iconic Martini Bar, which has been recreated by Peter Marino inside the pavilion. It's where we ensure everything is set for our client appointments. Working in a Marino-designed office with views of the sand dunes and Atlantic Ocean truly is a dream.
What is on the agenda today?
As chaotic as my mornings can get, I always prioritize my morning routine and workout. Afterwards, I hop into mom duties. Once I arrive at the sales pavilion, I get organized with my team about meetings, potential buyers, and inquiries that may have come in overnight.
Any bar or restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I've been living in Miami Beach for about 25 years, so it's where I prefer to spend my time. My family's favorite local spots include Stiltsville and Tequiztlan. If we're looking to venture off the beach, we'll oftentimes go to the Design District to Michael's Genuine or Mandolin Aegean Bistro.
How about a little leisure or culture?
Spending time with my family and friends is something I cherish on weekends, whether that’s taking the boat out for a day in the sun or going over to a fun pop-up installation at Superblue or the Balloon Museum.
What was your last great vacation?
I recently celebrated my 50th birthday with my husband and our friends on a two-week trip to Ibiza, Formentera, Athens, and Crete. Our stay in Ibiza was one of my favorite parts. We stayed at this boutique hotel, Casa Maca, which has just 10 villas with the most amazing farm-to-table restaurant. It was a trip I’ll never forget.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Taking a look inside Cancun’s upcoming One Laguna residences • Anticipated St. Regis Cap Cana sets April opening in DR • The reimagined makeover of NYC’s poised-to-reopen Waldorf Astoria • The tribulations of being an American diner in London • Planning the perfect Africa trip.
REAL ESTATE • First Mover
Three for-sale three-bedrooms in Pinecrest that came to market in the last 40 days.
→ 11740 SW 70th Ave (Pinecrest) • 5BR/5.1BA, 6821 SF house • Ask: $4.995M • two walk-ins and balcony off the primary • Days on market: 2 • Annual taxes: $27,426 • Agent: Brian Shapiro, Compass.
→ 7272 SW 102nd St (Pinecrest, above) • 5BR/6.1BA, 5050 SF house • Ask: $5.995M • on 1.25 acres next to cul-de-sac • Days on market: 9 • Annual taxes: $23,163 • Agent: Jane Barrellier, Compass.
→ 10801 SW 67th Ave (Pinecrest) • 7BR/9.1BA, 8990 SF house • Ask: $11.9M • Balinese influence under construction; est. completion 10/25 • Days on market: 38 • Annual taxes: $66,566 • Agent: Sande Keil, Compass.
MIAMI WORK AND PLAY LINKS: Most memorable things at Miami Art Week • What’s still on view around town after Art Week • Real estate trendpiece: Brickell is hot! • Developer rebrands new development The Perrin in Brickell • Vacant Miami retail space? Good luck finding it • Young men are hungry for Kalshi and crypto • Inside two companies test-driving a 4-day work week • Should you put your marathon times on your Linkedin?
WORK • Media
Eat when served
Well, our friends at Vox Media didn’t take us up on our offer to chat about the local Eaters. Instead, per a layoffs memo from CEO Jim Bankoff, they’re “reorganizing [Eater’s] cities coverage into a regional model in order to most efficiently serve its audience's needs.”
It was a good run. But local media is hard (and not a requirement for selling ads to Campbell’s). So we get it. Vox has a lot of mouths to feed and the soup is hot and filling. Still, a moment of nostalgia for the Eater city sites that obsessively covered local dining in a very new way when they launched back in the aughts.
Whatever comes next for Eater, a “regional model” does not portend deeper local coverage. We’ve heard that some of the network’s big city editors will get new jobs running the regions, so hopefully they’ll still find a way to serve readers well in those markets. It’s certainly on-trend with the decline of local lifestyle media writ large.
But we are believers, and — having built those original Eater/Cubed/Racked city sites (profitably!) — we think we can do something similar here at FOUND. As discussed in this space, Paris and London are next for us, but if you’re an affected restaurant reporter in a neglected big to medium-sized U.S. city, you can find us at found@foundny.com. –Josh Albertson
CULTURE & LEISURE • Winterlicious
Debbie Gibson: Winterlicious • Parker Playhouse (Ft Lauderdale) • Fri @ 8p • orchestra left, $125 per
The Nutcracker • Arsht Center (Downtown) • Sat @ 7p • orchestra front, $215 per
Rolling Loud Miami • Future, Travis Scott, Playboi Carti et al • Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens) • Fri-Sun • 3-day VIP, $749 per
GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Shop
Bread and butter
At Façade, a new bakery on Giralda Avenue in Coral Gables, chef Oscar Lastra and baker Christian Julien are serving sourdough breads, pastries, and baked goods along with inspired takes on brunch classics. It opened its doors to the public last month, and not a moment too soon, filling the void left by All Day cafe’s closing.
Sleek and cozy, the high-ceilinged cafe is composed of minimalist natural wood furnishings, white-tiled walls, and chrome accents. Lastra and Julien, who’ve clocked time at beloved spots La Natural and Bachour, source ingredients from Gratitude Farms and Proper Sausage, among other local purveyors.
Standouts at brunch include a dish of mushrooms and those Gratitude Farms eggs, an artful ode to perennial Paris favorite Bistro Paul Bert, as well as the “dippy soldiers” (sourdough with soft boiled eggs and herb butter) and French toast with an unbelievable homemade aji dulce jam. –Alexa Katz
→ Façade (Coral Gables) • 271 Giralda Ave • Daily 7a-4p.
ASK FOUND
Today, three FOUND subscriber PROMPTS for which we seek intel:
Where should we host our office holiday dinner this year?
Any new and interesting ticketed NYE dinners this year?
How about Christmas eve reservations?
Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundmiami.com.
HOLIDAYS • The Nines
Holiday pop-ups
The Nines are FOUND's distilled lists of Miami’s best. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@itsfoundmiami.com.
Miracle on Calle Ocho (Little Havana), Casa Tiki crew goes full festive; Christmas movies, cool cocktails in holiday mugs; through Dec 25