are cooking up some of the state’s most
unique and inventive dishes.
- Cosmopolitan Greater Miami and Miami Beach offer a bright blend of natural bounty and global flavors that bring the zing to every bite.
- Tampa Bay is a growing destination with an increasingly diverse population, serving up fun and multifaceted plates that surprise and delight.
- It’s not just the theme parks that are daring — multicultural Orlando is a hotbed of adventurous eats with bold, authentic flavors and chefs who think outside the box.
A bright, flavorful
city where
characteristics of
Miami’s culture
are reflected in
its cuisine.
With its tropical climate and vibrant international culture, Miami has long been a beloved vacation destination. These elements are also the recipe for exceptional dining, lifting the restaurant scene into a class of its own, driven by local ingredients, the indoor-outdoor settings and dynamic global influences.
“You have coconuts, you have
banana trees, you have all of this
really lush agriculture,” says
decorated restaurateur and Miami
native Sachi Statz.
“Even if it’s not something that you can eat or ingest, I think just seeing the colors people
wear, the way they dress…it’s a huge influence on us, as people who are from Miami.”
Greater Miami and Miami Beach has even attracted the attention of the MICHELIN Guide and solidified its status as the most decorated city in Florida, earning commendations for 68 restaurants. “To know that Miami has come so far, to be able to be a part of this [MICHELIN] big league is huge just in itself.”
Among the award-winning honorees is Statz’s exceptional Tinta y Café in historic, landmark-dotted Coral Gables. The mid-century-style coffee shop is a neighborhood gathering place that draws regulars on a daily basis to enjoy conversation over coffee, pastries and sandwiches on the palm-shaded patio or beside a wall of books in lounge chairs indoors.
MIAMI
RESTAURANT SHOWCASE
Tinta
y cafe
Cuisine: Cuban
Chef: Sachi Staz
Cuisine: Cuban
Chef: Sachi Statz
Listen to Sachi highlight her favorite dish
Listen to Sachi highlight her favorite dish
Nearly two decades in, the tiny café could perhaps rest on its laurels. But Statz prides herself on exceptional fare, working with farms in nearby Redlands and Homestead to create some of the region's best croquetas, Cuban-
style sandwiches and pastelitos, ideally filled with zippy guava jam and cream cheese. “Tinta y Café is a familiar and a family experience,” Statz says. “We take a lot of pride in knowing each customer or at least knowing some part of either their day or their coffee order.”
“Tinta y Cafe
is a familiar
and a family
experience.”
Hear Sachi recount on what the restaurant means to the community
The generations-old, family-owned operation paired with exceptional food have earned not only a loyal following, but also critical acclaim, including the legendary Bib Gourmand from the MICHELIN Guide for two years in a row.
Statz says the value for money
associated with the Bib Gourmand
accolade is important to her
because she’s providing attainable
ways for diners to experience
exceptional cuisine without
breaking the bank.
“We take a lot of pride in knowing each customer or at least knowing some part of either their day or their coffee order.”
Outside of her own restaurant, Statz is thrilled by the expanding restaurant scene and is often out supporting the close-knit community of chefs, artisan producers and farmers, as well as cheering the newcomers as they take advantage of all that Miami offers. “Even people who had restaurants in New York or anywhere else can experience new ways of growing things, experimenting, making things more local,” she says. “That sort of thing is how Miami influences the people who are coming down, as well.”
The culinary
scene in Miami is
growing and
restaurateurs are
embracing Miami’s local
flavors and are
embodying a
vibrant
environment.
Orlando has
increasingly
become a
surprising
hotbed
of inventive
international
fusion.
While most might associate Vietnamese cuisine only with pho, Vietnamese restaurant Z Asian will immerse you in the many different and delightful flavors of the country. Take a seat at the crisp and casual Z Asian, and chances are owner Huong Nguyen will stop by to chat. “Pho is amazing, but it’s only 10 percent of what you’d see in Vietnam,” the Ho Chi Minh City native says.
Beyond the theme parks in the nondescript downtown area, Orlando’s array of Asian kitchens evolved over the past 50 years. The Orlando community at large is rich with residents, restaurants and festivals representing China, Japan, India and other Asian cultures where Chinese bao buns, Lao sticky rice and soy sauce-butterscotch Filipino-style ice cream are all available and enjoyed.
“[Orlando’s culinary scene] doesn’t get the recognition it deserves,” Nguyen observes when noting her family’s priorities when visiting Central Florida. “They were all about the theme parks, the beach and Miami,” she says candidly. “Food got lost somewhere. You don’t come to Orlando for the food. That’s not the point.”
Or…it wasn’t. Today, with a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand distinction, Nguyen finds guests from France, Germany and Brazil in her dining room. “They said they had to stop by Z Asian because it’s in the MICHELIN Guide,” she reports, seeing food tourism as a major change. “It’s like an open chapter of Orlando, saying that we have more than just the attractions and beaches. ‘There’s amazing food here, so let’s try it out when we’re in town.’”
ORLANDO RESTAURANT SHOWCASE
Z Asian
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Chef: Huong Nguyen
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Chef: Huong Nguyen
Listen to Huong describe the versatility of Vietnamese food
Listen to Huong describe the versatility of Vietnamese food
Like many Orlando restaurants recognized by the international MICHELIN guide, Z Asian honors its chef’s culinary heritage by presenting imported flavors in creative modern ways. Z Asian makes its pho noodles in its kitchen and simmers the broth overnight — and that’s not all being created in-house. The soy sauce, fish sauce, bright green jalapeño topping for grilled squid and even the fiery chili condiment that’s placed on every table are all conjured up in the back of the house. “It’s more authentic when you make your own products,” says the bubbly chef.
“It's more authentic when you
make your own products.”
Hear Huong describe her
favorite dishes on the menu
In addition to getting 74 million visitors per year, the Orlando area itself has a growing and diverse population, bringing in more adventurous eaters — a thrill for someone like Nguyen who has lived in the Boston and New York markets. Restaurants here are scattered throughout the tri-county metro area where food from regions in China is clustered in a mall known as Chinatown. A variety of South Asian restaurants can be found along International Drive and sushi and teriyaki can be found everywhere.
That exposure to, and
acceptance of, new-to-Orlando flavors allows Nguyen to offer customers surprising hits like the seafood-noodle soup bun mam. “It has an anchovy base and a little fish smell to it,” she says, admitting she feared non-Asian customers would dislike the distinct, intriguing and fishy flavor that comes from imported whole salted anchovies. “They love it,” she reports. “Some say it’s better than pho.”
“We step
outside the
box. We are
willing to take
chances.”
A more diverse population, together with more people, funnels in more guests open to Z Asian’s unique menu items. Nguyen thinks her establishment stands out because it goes beyond the staples familiar to an American audience. “We step outside the box. We are willing to take chances,” Nguyen says, noting that hers is only one of “so many different, unique restaurants” in Orlando.
Pairing curious
foodies with
unique dining
experiences,
Orlando’s
culinary scene
has so much to
offer.
Where diversity is
booming, Tampa
Bay
is a dynamic
destination for
foodies.
“A downhome Florida meal can be so many things now,” Tampa Bay’s Chef Ferrell Alvarez says, noting the region’s culinary offerings and quality in a relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere.
Alvarez is the founding chef and co-owner of the Proper House Restaurant Group, which owns and operates six diverse restaurants in the Tampa Bay region. Its crown jewel is Rooster & the Till, a New American eatery in Tampa’s eclectic Seminole Heights neighborhood.
Against a backdrop of cement finishes and a soundtrack of hip-hop music, Rooster & the Till serves an ever-changing menu: ginger tofu dumplings today, seared foie gras with cashew pear Nutella tomorrow. The diverse offerings ensure that ingredients are in-season and no one gets bored, including Alvarez, who is constantly dreaming up new concepts. One of the few dishes that never leaves the menu is gnocchi. Inspired by the comfort food Alvarez’s mother loves to cook and eat, his is an elevated version that includes short ribs, ricotta and pickled peperonata.
“The cool part about Rooster is that it’s multifaceted,” Alvarez says. “You can come in and do something really relatively affordable or you can blow it out and do a tasting menu and put on a suit if you want,” he says. “But ultimately, we really want to convey that Rooster is nothing pretentious and fancy.
Indeed, Rooster has a lot to crow about. In the decade since it opened, the restaurant has earned accolades including a Florida MICHELIN Bib Gourmand in 2022, 2023 and 2024 and Alvarez was named a semi-finalist by the James Beard Foundation in the category of Best Chef South.
TAMPA
RESTAURANT SHOWCASE
Rooster
&thetill&the
till
Cuisine: New
American
Chef: Ferrell
Alvarez
Cuisine: New
American
Chef: Ferrell
Alvarez
Listen to Alvarez on restaurant atmosphere and philosophy
Listen to Alvarez on restaurant atmosphere and philosophy
In this age of Yelp reviews,
Alvarez says official accolades
still matter — particularly in Tampa Bay, a region often snubbed for major restaurant awards, many locals contend. “Awards matter in every profession, whether it’s movies, music, culinary,” Alvarez says. “But as a chef and as a business owner… those [awards] are resume-changing for my employees and it can be somewhat life-changing for the business.”
Alvarez notes that Rooster & the Till has enjoyed an uptick in visitors from other states and even Europe who rely on culinary awards to choose their dining destination. Chef-driven, diverse and fun — what Tampa Bay’s food scene is all about. And Alvarez has had a front-row seat for the area’s growth. “I've seen Tampa go from tumbleweeds to a bustling downtown area that's under a huge revitalization,” Alvarez says. “The culinary scene is growing literally every day. It seems like there's restaurants opening up all the time.” Of course, Rooster is just one of the options Alvarez has contributed to Tampa Bay’s restaurant scene.
“The cool part about Rooster
is that it’s multifaceted.”
Listen to Alvarez on what the restaurant represents to the community
Chef-driven, diverse and fun — what Tampa Bay’s food scene is all about. And Alvarez has had a front-row seat for the area’s growth.
“I’ve seen Tampa go from tumbleweeds to a bustling downtown area that’s under a huge revitalization,” Alvarez says. “The culinary scene is growing literally every day. It seems like there’s restaurants opening up all the time.”
Along with business partners, Alvarez runs Gallito Taqueria; Italian-inspired Ash; Asian street food purveyor Dang Dude; and Nebraska Mini Mart, a self-described “adult playground” situated on a 1.5-acre property with a burger menu, shuffleboard courts, ping pong table and other amusements to make you feel like a kid again. “What makes them all similar?” Alvarez asks, reflecting on the seemingly disparate collection of restaurants. “They’re all similar because they are all a true representation of me and my partners, Ty Rodriguez and Chon Nguyen. In the Tampa Bay area, we see that there’s a void for a specific cuisine, so we’ll fill that void.”
“I think that,
we’re in such a
great unique
stage of growth,
and we have so
much to offer.”
The region’s growing diversity and life are reflected in the food. “I just encourage everybody to put some of their Florida beliefs aside and come check out the Tampa Bay area and give us a shot,” he says. “I think that we’re in such a great unique stage of growth, and we have so much to offer.”
Restaurants in
Tampa Bay deliver on
the expanding,
diverse and
surprising
characteristics
Alvarez
describes.
