Catch Arrives in Miami Beach
Who’s behind it: Catch Miami Beach is the eighth restaurant from Catch Hospitality Group and co-owners Tilman Fertitta (the owner of hospitality leader Landry’s, Inc.), Mark Birnbaum and Eugene Remm. It joins Wine Spectator Restaurant Award–winning Catch locations in Las Vegas and New York, as well as Catch Steak locations in New York, Aspen, Colo., and Los Angeles.
“We’re hyper-focused on becoming a restaurant for the local community of Miami Beach, not just those who are here for the season or visiting for a weekend,” Catch culinary director John Beatty told Wine Spectator via email.
When it opened: May 10
[article-img-container][src=2024-06/restaurant-news-catch-miami-pasta-061324_1600.jpg] [credit= (CatchRestaurants.com)] [alt= Lobster macaroni with grated parmesan breadcrumbs at Catch Miami Beach][end: article-img-container]
The culinary approach: As at other Catch locations, seafood dishes, sushi and steak are the stars of the show. (The restaurant’s cuisine is overseen by Beatty; culinary director Michael Vignola; traveling executive chefs Ryan Brooks, Adrian Vela and Paul Castro; and executive sushi chef Stanley Xu.) Dishes include Hamachi crudo with matcha sea salt, Wagyu gyoza, baked king crab hand rolls, Cantonese-style lobster and a prime, dry-aged, 40-ounce tomahawk steak. The menu also features other raw bar, seafood platter and specialty sushi roll options, as well as the 8-ounce filet with whipped black truffle butter. (Vegan and gluten free dishes are available too.)
“In Miami, specifically, we are testing a new menu section featuring dishes solely using Japanese fish flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market,” Beatty explained. “We’re offering some really unique, specialty dishes like the Hokkaido scallop … prepared in the local ceviche style with orange supreme, pickled star fruit and crispy rice pearls.”
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What’s on the wine list: Catch director of wine Emily Buse assembled a list of about 375 selections (including sakes), with plans to expand. Buse has already observed high demand for Bordeaux and sake. “Our food menu is globally influenced, so we are offering wines from all around the world,” she said. “We’re a catch-all, no pun intended.”
The list features plenty of seafood-friendly bottlings, including Champagnes from G.H. Mumm and Veuve Clicquot, Sonoma Chardonnay, Burgundy, German Riesling, Friuli Pinot Grigio, Chilean Sauvignon Blanc and more. “With a menu heavy on sushi and raw bar offerings, I hope we see a lot of mineral-driven white wines go out,” Buse said. “I feel closest to achieving nirvana when I’m chasing raw fish with Chablis.” For reds, look to Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir, Washington Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentine Malbec, Chianti, Burgundy and Rioja, among other options.
The by-the-glass list features several “Baller” selections, poured via a Coravin preservation system, including Dom Pérignon Champagne, PlumpJack Merlot Napa Valley, Ca’ Marcanda Bolgheri Magari and Château Brane-Cantenac Margaux.
[article-img-container][src=2024-06/restaurant-news-catch-miami-dining-room-061324_1600.jpg] [credit= (CatchRestaurants.com)] [alt= The green dining room at Catch Miami Beach, with green chairs, columns, tiered chandeliers and antique mirrors][end: article-img-container]
The location: The new Catch is located within a 23,000-square-foot space in the South of Fifth neighborhood of Miami Beach. It features a rooftop terrace with beach views; inside, Rockwell Group has designed the dining room as a “fantastical, tropical escape” in leaf green, with bronze, marble, lacquer, Venetian plaster and floral elements, as well as antique mirrors. Beams run through the space and arch overhead, intermingling with chandeliers and golden curtains.
Lafayette Steakhouse Opens in Miami
Who’s behind it: Lafayette Steakhouse, in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood, is the latest endeavor from restaurateur Mathieu Massa and his Mr. Hospitality Miami management group, which also owns Marion Miami and Queen Miami Beach. Leading the kitchen is executive chef Kylian Goussot, formerly of Eden Rock St Barths luxury resort, home to Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner Sand Bar; Goussot also worked with famed chef Joël Robuchon at the Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo in Monaco.
When it opened: May 11
[article-img-container][src=2024-06/restaurant-news-lafayette-dining-room-061324_1600.jpg] [credit= (Denis Craig)] [alt= The dining room at Lafayette Steakhouse, with floral lighting fixtures overhead, a brown baby grand piano, leather banquettes and a red accent wall][end: article-img-container]
What’s on the wine list: Lafayette features a 350-label wine program—representing a 4,000-bottle cellar—overseen by Mr. Hospitality Miami wine director Higor Valle, formerly of Grand Award winner Topper’s at the Wauwinet in Massachusetts. “The essence of our wine program extends beyond mere selection; it is an embodiment of sophistication and excellence,” Valle told Wine Spectator via email. “I have carefully selected a diverse array of bottles from renowned vineyards, ensuring that every palate is catered to.” There’s plenty to match with steak, including Opus One Napa Valley, Pétrus Pomerol, Giuseppe Quintarelli’s Alzero and Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Filling out the list are wines from Burgundy, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Portugal’s Douro, California’s Santa Maria Valley, Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino and farther afield. Wide selections of whites, sparklers and rosés include Champagne, Chablis, Muscadet, Sancerre, Sonoma Chardonnay and Provence pinks.
Notably, guests will find rarer bottles throughout the list, including Château Ducru-Beaucaillou St.-Julien 1982, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche 1993 (among other DRC bottlings), a vertical of Château Angélus St.-Emilion, a 3-liter bottle of Solaia 2005 and more. “I want our guests to leave feeling eager to come back—with unforgettable memories of exceptional dining and wine experiences that linger long after their last sip,” said Valle.
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The culinary approach: Lafayette brings a London speakeasy feel to the American steak house. The restaurant uses beef from family-owned ranches, which the culinary team cooks over a charcoal-fired Josper oven. This includes cuts like an 8-ounce filet mignon and a 16-ounce boneless ribeye from Châtel Farms in Georgia, and a tomahawk rib steak from Creekstone Farms in Kansas. Beyond beef are dishes like grilled diver scallops, a caviar service, a dozen oysters with mignonette and fermented hot sauce, line-caught bigeye tuna tartare and a whole chicken roasted with black truffles (for two).
“Lafayette goes beyond traditional dining, presenting a customized journey with inventive pairings and a highly curated collection of fine wines and rare spirits,” Valle said. “Which I’m personally the most excited for!”
[article-img-container][src=2024-06/restaurant-news-lafayette-chandelier-b-061324_900.jpg] [credit= (Brian Samuels)] [alt= The Chandelier Table at Lafayette, with an elaborate glass chandelier with blue and red details overhead and a wall with floral wallpaper][end: article-img-container]
The space: Lafayette is spread across an 85-seat main dining room, a private mezzanine dining space that can seat 57 (75 for private cocktail receptions when combined with the mezzanine bar) and a 10-seat “Chandelier Table,” which sits beneath an elaborate glass chandelier. Designer Carlos Rodriguez of Escala Forma Studio and Massa have created an energetic, colorful space with blue and red jewel tones, paintings of dogs, brown leather banquettes, a baby grand piano, bright flower arrangements and mahogany and oak elements.
La Padrona Opens at the New Raffles Hotel in Boston
Who’s behind it: La Padrona is the latest restaurant from restaurateurs Jody Adams, Eric Papachristos and Jon Mendez. The trio lead A Street Hospitality, the group behind Boston area restaurants Trade, Porto, Saloniki Greek and the Venetian. Adams, who leads La Padrona’s kitchen alongside executive chef Amarilys Còlon, was formerly the chef and owner of Rialto in Cambridge, Mass., which held a Wine Spectator Restaurant Award before closing in 2016.
When it opened: May 15
The culinary approach: Italian cuisine and New England ingredients star. “The design process for our team started with a team trip to Italy with our chefs,” said Papachristos. “We were particularly inspired by Turin.” Expect dishes like tuna crudo with potato and Cruschi chile sauce, seared black cod with braised tomatoes and nettle pesto, lobster and uni risotto, razor clams with Calabrian chiles, paccheri with Barnstable little gem clams, bistecca alla Fiorentina and cannoli (filled tableside).
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“When you sit at our table, you feel like you’re enjoying a meal prepared with the same care and love of a mom’s cooking,” Adams explained. “Our dishes are not just about taste; they are full of soul, invoking memories and warmth.”
What’s on the wine list: Italy forms about 80 percent of wine director David Danforth’s 450-label program (representing a 1,500-bottle cellar), with Prosecco, Franciacorta, Soave, Valpolicella Ripasso, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, MGA Barolo and more. Special focus is placed on minimal-intervention wines, as well as female winemakers: “We believe it’s important to showcase what these winemakers are achieving so that we might spark interest in another generation of young women winemakers,” Danforth told Wine Spectator via email.
The list features leading names like Sicily’s Arianna Occhipinti, Piedmont’s Ceretto and Tuscany’s Felsina. And there’s serious vertical depth and horizontal breadth here (fans of Paolo Scavino have a lot to look forward to). Plenty of picks come from France and California, with smaller selections from Germany and Austria. Also of note are the dessert wine list (with Vin Santo and recioto), a 25-wine by-the-glass list and 20 more wines served via a Coravin preservation system.
[article-img-container][src=2024-06/restaurant-news-la-padrona-dining-room-061324_1600.jpg] [credit= (Brian Samuels)] [alt= The dining room at La Padrona, with wood accents, set wooden tables and golden fringe hanging over the bar][end: article-img-container]
“I’m most excited about presenting my love and passion for Italian wine and culture,” said Danforth. “Maybe, just maybe, somewhere along the way, someone might fall in love with one of my favorite wines from Abruzzo: Pecorino!” Danforth plans to host wine dinners in the fall and winter with winemakers from Piedmont, Tuscany and Umbria.
The design: The new Raffles luxury hotel (part of the Singaporean hotel group), which opened this past September in Boston’s Back Bay, features the Lounge at La Padrona on the first floor and the main dining room on the second, with two private dining areas. AvroKo—the firm behind several new restaurant spaces—designed La Padrona with a nod to mid-20th-century Italian villas. There are exciting pops of blue and yellow, velvet seats, marble tabletops and golden fringe hanging over the main bar.
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“With this new era of hospitality and accommodation in Boston, we feel that La Padrona is the perfect complement,” said Mendez. “[We are] most excited about the depth of the culinary and beverage programs at the restaurant, [which] treat Italian regional cuisine and wine with reverence and respect.”
The location: La Padrona isn’t far from well-known restaurants like Grill 23 & Bar and Abe & Louie’s, as well as newer additions like Major Food Group’s Contessa.
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