Miami Life: NYC Restaurants, Hurricanes, Sunny’s, Paradox
Miami has long been considered New York with good weather. Now it feels like Miami is becoming New York with good weather and the best New York restaurants. Now we have a Michael White restaurant. How lucky can we get? Brook Dorsch, the founder of the Emerson Dorsch Gallery in Miami, was at his home in Asheville, North Carolina when Hurricane Helene stormed through. I’m sharing his story. I recently mentioned the opening of Sunny’s Steakhouse In Miami’s Little River and recently had dinner there and it was the biggest surprise ever. And just heard about the New Paradox Museum in Miami and I can’t wait to go.
Coral Gables Gets a Michael White Restaurant
Chef Michael White, well known for scoring two Michelin stars and winning a James Beard Award for Marea on Central Park South when it was brand new, is opening an Italian restaurant called Mika at the Plaza in Coral Gables.
White said he is creating the restaurant with his partners Alex Pirez and Matt Safchik. They all wanted a casual restaurant in the Coral Gables area that is not just for special occasions. They want the community to have a restaurant that offers the best food without breaking the bank.
Mika will feature an “Italian coastal cuisine, with an eye toward featuring Florida seafood.” He was also happy to announce that some of the pasta he is famous for will be on the menu. “There’s a bounty of fish in Florida, with an emphasis on amazing pompano and hogfish and snook. You don’t see those fish names on the menu as much. It’s going to be very special.”
White’s list of restaurants that he has been famous for are Spiaggia in Chicago and Fiamma Osteria, Alto, Convivio, Ai Fiore and Osteria Morini in New York. In Miami everyone knows him for the Lido Restaurant at The Surf Club in Surfside and Mirabella Coastal Italian by Michael White at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
Chef White sure gets around. He is a perfect match for Coral Gables. It’s a stunning suburban community that needs a big-name restaurant to make it a must destination. READ MORE IN THE MIAMI HERALD.
Brook Dorsch’s Personal Account of Hurricane Helene In Asheville
Brook Dorsch, the founder of the Emerson Dorsch Gallery in Miami, was at his home in Asheville, North Carolina when Hurricane Helene stormed through the beloved city known as an art colony, a healing resort and a home to notable luminaries, statesmen and bohemians.
Brook describes the force of the hurricane, the destruction, and the fast action efforts to save his house. With him at the time was his wife and business partner Tyler, their young daughters and coincidentally their gallery director, Ibett Yanez del Castillo, who was visiting on that day with her family.
Everyone pitched in to place buckets where water was pouring in after hundred-year-old trees fell on their house. Together they limited the damage and when the rain stopped, they ran out to help neighbors. That’s the way it has been ever since. Brook says Asheville has shown its true colors. Every day the citizens of the city are devoting time to getting everyone back home and rebuild their businesses. So many of the arts and crafts work have been destroyed forever. You cry when you hear him describe what happened to the art community.
One statement Brook made that is very important to convey in writing as well as to hear from him is …. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) has been doing exceptional work in Asheville with both finances and people on the ground. Any news information to the contrary is just not true. FEMA is working side by side with Asheville, a city Brook says will be in full swing a few months from now. Yes, there will always be residents that need help. The community will continue to help each other forever.
More about Sunny’s Steakhouse
We actually made it to Sunny’s Steakhouse in Miami’s Little River. It turned out to be the biggest surprise ever. I couldn’t believe the size of this restaurant. It was exquisite. So many rooms and courtyards. The astonishing fact is that the restaurant is in the middle of a warehouse district with no other dining or entertainment centers around it. The good news is that 14 other restaurants are scheduled to be opening in this area over the next year or two.
Sunny’s is a 13,000 square foot, 220-seat restaurant. It’s so big you will feel like you have traveled to a faraway luxury destination. It’s pricey but you can share several dishes to limit what you spend. We went with our friends Alison and Jan Gerits from City Life Guru. There was enough food to split four ways, The steaks and pastas are delicious, so you are going to get a great meal.
Of course, the crowd is super fashionable and filled with influencers but that is to be expected in any new Miami place. The staff treats you completely first class so that’s refreshing too. Don’t miss it. It’s a new dining experience. Sunny Steakhouse is located at 7357 NW Miami CT. GET MORE DETAILS.
The New Paradox Museum
My mind needs bending and this new museum in Miami features more than 70 mind-bending wonders. A little bit of abstract thinking has always been good for me. It takes me away from the things that are annoying and makes me focus on the future.
I just heard about the place. I will visit it soon so I can give you a firsthand report. Paradox claims to challenge the perceptions of people at all ages. Some of the illusions include an epic zero-gravity zoom, paradox couch, clone table, and an infinity room.
Located at 2301 N Miami Avenue, just half a mile from Wynwood Walls, the Paradox Museum educates and entertains. It certainly is a unique indoor adventure.
Walk on the wild side inside an upside-down room, disappear into a camouflage installation, or shrink yourself down within a distorted room.
Every installation in the museum provides insights into the science behind paradoxes. This experience is perfect for the whole family and offers countless photo opportunities. The museum is filled with helpful signs outlining the best ways to document each illusion, and the friendly staff onsite is more than happy to assist you! That sound good to me, GET THE DETAILS.