Bar of the Summer
Bar of the Summer
ViceVersa, Nautilus listings, best Cuban coffee, The Cleat, the big stay, Four Seasons Nevis, MORE
BARS • First Round
Tropical aperitivo
The Skinny: Celebrated bartender Valentino Longo — known for opening The Champagne Bar at Four Seasons Surf Club — partners with the team from award-winning Jaguar Sun on ViceVersa, a dream aperitivo bar. It opened in late June downtown.
The Vibe: Old school Italian posters and advertisements, featuring Campari and Martini & Rossi, and wall art by modern-day Italian futurist artist Jean Vaquier, aka Folzer. The emerald green bar seats 18, while the rest of the 60-seat space is filled with marble tables-turned-vignettes with black leather banquettes and black wooden chairs. In true Miami fashion, the light fixtures are brass palm fronds that add a hint of Jaguar Sun’s style to the decor. The soundtrack is a mix of 90s and Italian hip-hop that makes it easy to forget you’re in the Elser Hotel lobby.
The Drinks: Classic Italian aperitivo meets Miami’s tropical atmosphere. There are three sections to the menu: The Negroni Family, Martinis, and Signature Cocktails. Throughout, Italian spirits are used to create (mostly) low ABV beverages, like the Martini Doppio, a Gibson-50/50 mash-up with Plymouth gin, Noilly Prat, Cocchi Rosa, a special Gibson cordial, and housemade pickled onions. The Sbagliato is served in a massive goblet, which Longo says is how they were originally served at Bar Basso in Milan where it was famously (and accidentally) created. There’s also an Italian variation on an espresso martini: the Affogato Martini, made with Grey Goose, espresso, toasted coconut, and Frangelico poured over a scoop of pistachio gelato.
The Food: Jaguar Sun chefs Carey Hynes and Justin Flit (some may remember him from the days of Proof in Wynwood) shine with a menu filled with raw bar offerings like scallop crudo with coconut milk, passionfruit, and poppy seeds, plus light appetizers and several neo-Neapolitan pizzas topped with everything from fresh mozz and basil, to clams and scallions, and mortadella, ricotta, and pistachio. For dessert, hand-spun gelato.
The Verdict: Dare I say it? Miami’s hottest bar opening of the summer. –Amber Love Bond
→ ViceVersa (Downtown) • 398 NE 5th St • Mon-Sat, 5p-12a • Reserve.
MIAMI RESTAURANT LINKS: New York City Tuscan restaurant Felice opening Miami flagship today in Brickell • Miami Lakes stalwart Latin American Grill has reopened following two-year closure • Chef Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak coming to Delray Beach’s Seagate Hotel this winter • Pura Vida opening 10 spots in NYC • Top five season alert: spiny lobster season • Why halfway decent is the new great for cocktail bars.
REAL ESTATE • On the Market
Seaworthy
Only a handful of properties traded last month in Nautilus on Miami Beach, including PH1 at the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach, a 4BR unit with a wraparound terrace. The condo sold for $17.25 million after listing in December for $20 million. Downstairs and downmarket, unit 222 (2 BR, 2674 SF) at the RC just came to market, asking $5.85 million.
Here, that for-sale listing, plus two more in the neighborhood, for your summer lunch consideration:
→ 869 W 46th St (Nautilus) • 4BR/3BA, 2199 SF house • renovated Spanish Mediterranean with guest house • Ask: $3M • Days on market: 3 • Agent: Dan Adsit, Robert Bourne Real Estate.
→ 4270 N Michigan Ave (Nautilus) • 5BR/4.1BA, 3800 SF house • parkside with kosher kitchen • Ask: $4M • Days on market: 5 • Agent: Agent: Lee Kafin, Sotheby’s.
→ 4701 N Meridian Ave #222 (Nautilus, above) • 2BR/2.1BA, 2674 SF condo • redesigned at Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach, 1400 SF of outdoor space • Ask: $5.85M • Days on market: 14 • Agent: Ivan Madera, Fortune Christie’s.
GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines
Cuban coffee
The Nines are FOUND's distilled lists of Miami’s best. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@itsfoundmiami.com. For the full archives, click here.
La Ventanita at Versailles (Little Havana), iconic, renowned for vibrant Cuban culture
Chug’s Diner (Coconut Grove), blend of Cuban and American diner culture
Las Olas Cafe (South Beach), well-loved ventanita with authentic Cuban coffee, sandwiches, empanadas
Enriqueta’s Sandwich Shop (Wynwood), renowned for coladas and sandwiches; closes at 3p
Cortadito Coffee House (Coral Gables and multiple locations), cozy mini-chain with Cuban twist
Tinta y Café (Coral Gables, above), modern Cuban café, crave-worthy sandwiches, homey ambiance
Cafe La Trova (Little Havana), beloved cocktails, excellent Cuban coffee
La Colada Gourmet, (Little Havana), quirky spot, vibrant energy, outstanding coffee
Suite Habana Cafe (Wynwood), featuring house blend of specialty Cuban coffee, plus pastries, other café food
WORK • Thursday Routine
I’m on a boat
BRIAN KAMILAR • real estate professional/yacht broker • KAM Real Estate/DQ Yachts
Neighborhood you live in: Coconut Grove
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
A typical morning starts at the home office organizing tasks for properties currently owned/managed, and showings, inspections, or sea trails for clients or listings. It's a bit of a balancing act, but I enjoy the fast pace. As both a real estate agent and yacht broker, the processes are quite similar, with focus on proper prospecting and networking, followed by constant hustle for your clients. Efficient WFH — and then time to respond to messages or take calls while moving from one thing to the next — is very important.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Today, the push is to get one of my yacht brokerage listings under contract. DQ Yachts and our yacht brokerage saw a small uptick in activity leading into the summer. I also own and manage a few properties around the state, and have a contractor at one location finishing up some cap-ex items. I’m keeping track of his work list, and making sure (hoping!) it remains on budget. In between, I’ll follow up on an appraisal for a condo listing, and make sure my seller is ready to close.
Any bar or restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Greenstreet in Coconut Grove is a favorite afterwork spot. A few of us will meet there for a drink and usually end up walking to one of the restaurants around Cocowalk for dinner.
How about a little leisure or culture?
A nice weekend usually includes getting out on the boat and heading to Nixon Sandbar or Billy's Point. An evening cocktail by boat at The Cleat is always a favorite. A cruise up the Miami River or to Monty’s on Miami Beach are also popular routes my boat guests enjoy.
Any weekend getaways?
Islamorada or anywhere in the Keys, with a stop by Gilbert’s on the way. We drove the boat down a few months ago and got an Airbnb with a dock. Diving, snorkeling, sandbar hanging, bar hopping, and other activities seem endless down there.
What was your last great vacation?
I recently visited Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. Known for its consistent winds, it’s a wind sports mecca. The landscape of the island makes you feel like you’re on Mars. Hikes into volcanoes, windsurfing, kiteboarding — it was an action-packed trip. The Barceló resort was fantastic, and dinner at the Michelin-starred restaurant Kamezi is a can’t miss.
WORK • Happiness
The big stay
The “great resignation” of the pandemic years, when workers quit en masse in search of life’s meaning, has reportedly given way to something much less fun: the “big stay.”
Per a Robert Half survey from the spring, only 35% of U.S. adults plan to look for a new job this year. Last year, 49% were looking. Gen Z workers, particularly, are sheltering in place: Only 44% are on the hunt this year, down from 74% last year.
The WSJ offers a number of reasons for the inertia: more job satisfaction (Robert Half says 77% are happy at work), fewer job postings, a more laborious search process, and diminished prospects for big comp bumps.
All seem plausible (but 77%!). Another anecdotal explanation that tracks: Employees in flexible environments don’t want to risk giving them up. It’s an interesting turn in the RTO-hybrid-remote conversation. Maybe the best way for employers to hold on is to let go after all. –Josh Albertson
MIAMI WORK AND PLAY LINKS: Sales launch at 14 Roc, short-term rental-friendly condo tower in Arts & Entertainment District • South Florida office market bucks grim national trend • The race to offer Miami urban air taxi service is on • Venture capitalists now charging founders for meetings • ‘Leisure sickness’ is real and how to avoid it.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Immersive
Mets vs Marlins • LoanDepot Park (Little Havana), Fri @ 710p, section 7, $12 per
PartyNextDoor • The Fillmore (South Beach) • Sat @ 8p, mezzanine left, $239 per
Immersive Space Symphony • Miami Beach Classical Music Festival • Temple Emanu-El (South Beach), Sun @ 7p, VIP, $100 per
GETAWAYS • Caribbean
Nevis in any season
Upon returning from Nevis, the inevitable questions follow: “How many Killer Bees did you have at Sunshine’s?” and “Isn’t the Four Seasons wonderful?”
The correct answers are: I lost track, and yes.
The beauty of a Four Seasons Nevis getaway starts upon arrival. After the three hour flight to St. Kitts, you’re driven by SUV to a nearby dock, where you then board a speed boat — beer or rum punch in hand — and get whisked across the Narrows, before arriving to a long dock lined with a welcoming committee.
With spacious oceanfront guest rooms, suites, and stunning estate villas, there are over a dozen room categories. Also: three pools, a Robert Trent Jones-designed golf course, and a half mile of soft sand along Pinney’s Beach. Eat fresh seafood and Caribbean fare at On The Dune for lunch (don’t skip the catch of the day ceviche) and dinner at Mango just steps from the ocean. For rum enthusiasts, swing by Crown Monkey Bar near the lobby to sip your way through rums made across the Caribbean, including a bottle exclusive to this Four Seasons.
While the resort is certainly a destination unto itself, the five-minute walk down the beach to Sunshine’s Beach Bar & Grill is a required excursion for great music, delicious ribs, and that famous Killer Bee (a very strong rum punch, crafted from a secret recipe) cocktail. You needn’t keep count. –Amber Love Bond
→ Four Seasons Resort Nevis, West Indies (Nevis) • Pinney’s Beach, Charlestown • rooms from $700.
GETAWAYS LINKS: How Brightline plans to increase capacity by 75% in the next year • American plans new route from MIA to XSC (South Caicos) next winter • JetBlue planning new domestic first class called Mini Mint • San Juan boutique hotel Palacio Provincial is now a Hilton • Jimmy Buffett’s Palm Beach bungalow hits the market.
ASK FOUND
First, a quick primer on how this works: You send us the pressing questions of the day (on dining, services, living in Miami and surrounds). We all put our heads together (us at FOUND, + you, FOUND subscribers, who are also FOUND) in search of truth and beauty.
Today, three FOUND subscriber PROMPTS for which we are seeking intel:
What is your favorite Miami flower shop (or flower delivery service)?
I need a wardrobe update. Can you recommend the best women’s boutiques?
What is your Restaurant of the Summer?
Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundmiami.com.