Spring restaurant rush

Elastika, Lucky Cat, 9 hot tables, Palm Beach real estate, Mimi Yoga, Carillon Miami, Isla Bella Beach Resort, Swim Week, MORE

May 30, 2024

RESTAURANTS • First Person

Modern art

On a sunny, hot weekday last week, I rolled up to the host stand at Elastika, the Design District newcomer in the re-emerging Moore Building. No reservation? No problem. Would I like to sit at the bar or a table? I chose the table — a luxury for the solo diner — then found myself in a plush corner booth in the back, the perfect vantage to survey one of the best looking rooms in town.

An island of semicircular booths and banquette-lined tables anchor the center of the space. But the visual draw is upwards, towards the sunlight streaming in from a four-story-high skylight, and a Zaha Hadid sculpture (“Elastika”) stretching its way across the open atrium between floors. It’s a dazzling sight, offset with playful art and decor slightly less maximalist than current local trends dictate.

It’s also a perfect place for a late lunch. Chef Joe Anthony arrives with serious pedigree, having served as culinary director at Manhattan fine-dining fixture Gabriel Kreuther from 2015 until last fall. While those rarefied skills are evident at Elastika, they’re also discreet: Anthony has produced a simpler, lighter menu than that resume might suggest, befitting the South Florida native’s return home.

For starters, I opted for a florally adorned, aged kingfish crudo (a generous eight slices’ worth), alongside a lunch-only pizza of the day. That afternoon, it was a fennel and chorizo flatbread, thin and delicious, topped with Calabrian chili oil. For my main, artfully arranged, grilled head-on Florida sun shrimp materialized floating on snap pea puree — this is bright, Florida-centric cooking at its finest. Dinner is a little heavier: The shrimp course is subbed out for spice-seared diver scallops, and a porcelet ribeye replaces lunchtime’s herb-roasted Green Circle chicken.

As Anthony and his new restaurant settle in, change continues on the surrounding atrium floors. The Moore Building, dating to the 1920s, is undergoing an ambitious renovation that includes a private club and a hotel, both slated to open this fall. Once it’s all fully operational, a quiet lunch may not be as easy to come by. The din will no doubt be fun when it arrives, but do enjoy Elastika’s early days as it builds. –Lockhart Steele

→ Elastika (Design District) • 191 NE 40th St • Mon-Thurs, 12-3p & 5-10p, Fri-Sat 12-3p & 5-11p • Reserve.

RESTAURANTS • The Nines

Miami restaurants, new & hot

Elastika (Design District), breezy all-day affair in reopened Moore Building, reserve
Lucky Cat (South Beach), Gordon Ramsay newcomer serving Asian-inspired small plates, sushi, sashimi, more, reserve
Lafayette Steakhouse (Brickell), New American steakhouse opened earlier this month by the team behind Marion and Queen, reserve
Catch (South Beach), sceney seafood import from NYC back in new SoFi digs, reserve
Casadonna (Edgewater, above), new Italian clubstaurant from Groot/Tao teams in historic bayfront locale, reserve
Chateau ZZ’s (Brickell), Mexican from Major Food Group in historic manor, reserve
Beauty & The Butcher (Coral Gables), Grove Bay Hospitality Group’s latest, serving contemporary American, reserve
Regatta Grove (Coconut Grove), maritime-inspired, mostly al fresco bayfront spot for cocktails and rotating culinary lineup by Miami’s finest, reserve
Leku Fish & Garden (Allapattah), newly reopened and reimagined Basque restaurant in Rubell Museum, reserve

Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@itsfoundmiami.com.

MIAMI RESTAURANT LINKS: Macchialina vets Caroline Strauss and Jacqueline Pirolo prepping new wine bar Magie in Little River to open next month • Design District’s Square Pie City closes after fire, future uncertain • New Downtown food hall The Bloom opens with Ecuadorian, omakase, more.

REAL ESTATE • On the Market

Palm royale

A quick trip to Palm Beach, where bigger houses are driving bigger prices: Nineteen single-family properties sold in Q1, with a median sales price of $12.5M (+40% YoY) and average square feet of 5,098 (+29%), per Elliman. Inventory loosened a bit, with 87 single-family listings during the period, up from last year’s 71.

Here, three properties that came online this month, priced just above the median. Two are new builds in the last decade, one is a hundred years old, recently refreshed.

→ 221 Atlantic Ave (Palm Beach, above) • 4BR/5.2BA, 4246 SF house • Ask: $13.9M • 2016 build with two covered loggias onto lap pool • Days on market: 28 • Agent: James Cosel, Sotheby’s.

→ 226 Merrain Rd (Palm Beach) • 4BR/4.1BA, 3801 SF house • Ask: $15.775M • modern Mediterranean built in 2021 with private gardens • Days on market: 6 • Agent: Tierney O’Hara, Sotheby’s.

→ 420 Brazilian Ave (Palm Beach) • 4BR/5.1BA, 4193 SF house • Ask: $16.75M • renovated 1924 villa in-town • Days on market: 16 • Agent: Shelly Newman, Corcoran.

WORK • Thursday Routine

Back on the treadmill

ROBIN DIAMOND • founder, head publicist • Robin Diamond Public Relations
Neighborhood you live in: Brickell

It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
My boutique agency delivers a mix of PR, marketing, and influencer relations for beauty and fitness wellness brands and personalities. Every day is something new in the world of PR, and while most of them start with a hot yoga class at Mimi Yoga (where I also teach), Thursdays are my standing client call days, so instead, first thing, you’ll find me at my treadmill desk. I hop on early to get my steps in while getting busy work like press clips, media lists, and some writing out of the way. Then it’s a quick shower (thankful for WFH office life) and a smoothie before I plant myself at my desk, ready to take on the day with exercise checked off my list.

What’s on the agenda for today?
Today’s lineup consists of sending out a new business proposal for a new yoga studio/cafe in Delray Beach, drafting content for the Mimi Yoga weekly newsletter and scheduling an eblast for their weekly community class with FP Movement , following up with journalists regarding media dinners at Michelin-starred Tambourine Room, and locking in a TV segment for Jones Road, another project I’ve been working on (among many other things).

Any bar or restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Pastis is always a good idea. The food is consistently good, the vibe is chill day and night, and they have Chablis by the glass. It’s equally great for a girls’ lunch or date night. Another new favorite for lunch is Maman in Wynwood. I’ve been dreaming about the bean salad I had there last time.

Any weekend getaways?
As a wellness girlie, Carillon Miami is my favorite place to staycation in the city. The property has it all — beach, pool, boardwalk access for long walks, insanely well-equipped gym, and the most impressive thermal experience in the spa. Their treatments are super innovative and unique. The rooms are all apartment-style suites, and they have the most comfortable beds, which are also smart beds allowing you to track your sleep.

What was your last great vacation?
I just returned from my favorite city, Paris. There’s so much to see, do, and eat. While we did some touristy things, we spent most of our days walking the city, exploring new neighborhoods, stopping at cafes for coffee, and just taking in the Parisian lifestyle. My favorite find of this trip is a bakery in the 10th Arrondissement, Copains, which is 100% gluten-free. As someone who can’t eat gluten, these pastries weren’t only next-level delicious, but also like pieces of art.

What store or service do you always recommend?
That’s a limiting question! Hair: Valery Joseph Salon in the Miami Design District, Eyal Berger for cut and blowout. Skin: SknMe by Ariela has totally transformed my complexion. Aesthetic treatments: Beauty By Nuvo You and Ashley Calvo for injectables.

MIAMI WORK AND PLAY LINKS: After sagging in March, Miami home sales and prices pick back up in April • Fashion magazine Elle plans first branded residences in Edgewater • Plans filed for Winwood’s tallest-ever tower • Blue Suede Hospitality buys another Miami Beach hotel • Developer proposes wild, cantilevered 22-story tower for Ft. Lauderdale • After ETH approval, more crypto ETFs are coming.

CULTURE & LEISURE • Adult Swim

Swim Week VIP Pass, SLS South Beach Miami (South Beach), Thurs-Sun, GA, $2250 per
Mike Birbiglia, The Fillmore Miami Beach (Miami Beach), Fri @ 7p, orchestra center, $52 per
Rangers vs Panthers, game 6, Amerant Bank Arena (Sunrise), Sat @ 8p, section 118, $916 per

GETAWAYS • The Keys

Ciao Bella

Before Isla Bella Beach Resort came on the scene in 2019, Marathon — the key floating just above the iconic Seven Mile Bridge, signaling Key West as only about an hour’s drive away — was mostly overlooked as an overnight destination. Recently, on my way back to Miami after a stay in Key West, I checked in and was happy to discover the perfect escapist buffer before returning to the mainland.

There’s really nothing else quite like Isla Bella in the Keys, although it comes from the same developer behind The Marker and Parrot Key in Key West, and Oceans Edge on Stock Island. It’s the expansiveness of the 24-acre, village-like grounds, and the white stucco buildings that feel more suited to Greece than the Keys that set it apart as a destination unto itself.

The rocky, mangrove-fringed shoreline opens up to a sandy beach with cushy blue-and-white-striped lounge chairs and umbrellas, while a pier and observation deck are designed specifically to take in sunset and sunrise views. The main pool, a form in overlapping concentric circles, feels as though it was made by raindrops, while four additional rectangular pools line the grounds to ensure every room is never more than a few steps from a cool plunge. There are also multiple restaurants, a marina, putting green, and a freestanding marketplace, spa, and gym.

With plenty of spacious one- and two-bedroom suites, as well as traditional guestrooms, each with ocean views and private outdoor space, it’s particularly comfortable for family vacations or extended stays.

Take this as an opportunity to explore the idyllic Bahia Honda State Park, just a few miles south, where remnants of the Historic Overseas Railroad extend above the cove at Calusa Beach. From the park, you can also embark on snorkel trips to Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary, a protected section of the Florida Straits coral reef — the third largest in the world — where preservation and restoration efforts are ongoing. Chances are, you’ll spy rainbow parrotfish, yellowtail snapper, damselfish, and maybe even a loggerhead sea turtle. On the drive back to Isla Bella, tuck into Lazy Days South for prime dockside dining and incredible sunset views, paired with peel-and-eat shrimp and frosty beers. –Shayne Benowitz

→ Isla Bella Beach Resort (Marathon) • 1 Knights Key Blvd, MM 47.

GETAWAYS LINKS: Four Seasons Bahamas launches sales for new residences • New St. Regis Aruba sets November opening • A new Panama vacation rental that comes with its own beach • Why NYC hotel rooms are so expensive right now • After debuting a new sister hotel brand there, Aman’s first standalone branded residences will also be in Tokyo.

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