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Michelle Bernstein’s Sra. Martinez will be debuting this Monday
in the Design District. On Tuesday the Wynwood hood, which has been
quiet as an empty canvas concerning food, will finally have a restaurant: Joey’s,
a contemporary Italian café at 2506 N.W. 2nd Avenue. Developer Joey
Goldman and well-known father/partner Tony have tapped Ivo Mazzon, from
Veneto, Italy, to be executive chef. “Healthy, classic dishes from Veneto and
other Italian regions” are in store, and blackboard specials “produced
from fresh, seasonal and sustainable ingredients”. Prices look more
than fair: entrees from $15-$24, pastas $7-$12, a 3-course prix fixe
lunch for $19 and a 3-course prix fixe dinner for $28. The Italian wine
list will be compiled by Goldman, whose dad owned the Soho Kitchen and
Bar in New York — once the largest wine bar in America. Joey’s will
serve lunch Monday through Friday, and dinner Monday through Saturday.
Taj Mahal on 78th St. (the old Renaisa spot) is now Anise —
owners formerly operated Ouzo’s in South Beach, and before that, Ouzo’s
in Normandy. It is usually said that ouzo has an anise flavor, but in
this case Anise will have an Ouzo flavor.
The Grove recently welcomed the debut of Angelo & Maxie’s Steakhouse at
the Mayfair Hotel. I wish Angelo and Maxie the best of luck, but it
might be noted that past restaurants in the Mayfair haven’t lasted long
enough to properly age a sirloin. Coming to Cocowalk is Crazy Pianos,
a wacky live music venue/bar/pub with dancing, eclectic bar food, and
Scheveningen shenanigans (the original hails from Scheveningen, a
district of The Hague in the Netherlands).
Aventura Mall, with locations in California, Illinois and Texas, is up
and running with an extensive menu of steaks, seafoods, salads, pastas,
pot pies, cheesecakes, and so forth.
Miami will have a location of the chic, Philippe Starck-designed Katsuya,
a full-fledged Japanese restaurant/sushi bar started by authentic
master chef Katsuya Uechi. The original Brentwood venue opened in 2006
and immediately drew a celebrity-studded clientele. Two other Los
Angeles locations followed, and the company website says Katsuya will
be debuting here “in the winter of ’09”. Philippe Starck also designed
Asia de Cuba in L.A.’s Mondrian. Jeffrey Chodorow is opening an Asia de Cuba in SoBe’s Mondrian as well. But you already knew that.
660 Mediterranean Kitchen is now in the Angler’s Resort, where the Mediterranean Maison d’Azur used to be. Maison d’Azur is open at the Astor Hotel, where Joley used to be. Maison is also opening a branch in The Shops At Midtown, as is Sugarcane Lounge, a spin-off from the SushiSamba folks.
