Make it a Netflix and chilled caviar night with an array of goodies offered at these tempting Miami markets
JOANNA’S MARKETPLACE
For homestyle meals made with love since 1992, head over to this charming South Miami spot with its deli cases brimming with tuna salad, grilled vegetables, Mediterranean fusilli pasta, mini quiches, chicken cutlets, corn salsa, artichoke hearts with vinaigrette, Israeli couscous, sesame seed snow peas and more. The entire vibe is family-oriented, from the hand-iced cookies in the bakery to the comfort food offerings. Daily specials span luscious soups (like chicken noodle and tomato bisque), hearty entrees (chicken Parmesan and beef brisket) and flavorful sides (mashed potatoes and honey carrots). They even make pot pies every Friday! At the full- service sandwich counter, choose from to-die-for sammies with bread baked on premises on a stone deck. joannasmarketplace.com.
NORMAN BROTHERS
One of the mainstays of Miami, this Kendall area produce market started in the ’70s and has grown into an emporium of fine foods and epicurean delights. Peruse the barn-like structure for a selection stretching from imported cheese and fresh seafood to just out of the oven breads, pies, cakes and cookies. Elevate your meals with prepared butters (honey, blue cheese, chipotle cilantro and sriracha garlic), spice rubs, and pâtés. The butcher sells Wagyu beef burgers, whole Bell & Evans chickens and bone-in veal chops, just next to the seafood counter with its array of wild lobster tails, sea scallops and stone crabs. If you don’t want to cook at all, take home their prepared smoked mussels, stuffed potatoes (including gruyere and pancetta), potstickers (try the edamame version), spicy turmeric cauliflower, snapper with garlic herb butter, and orange ginger duck breast. normanbrothers.com.
JOE’S TAKEAWAY
While Joe’s Stone Crab has been around since 1913, their takeaway is relatively newer. Insiders used to go through the alley to get the coveted crustaceans to go, but nowadays the “claw set” can visit the next door annex for homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, seafood, sides and, of course, stone crabs — including the perfect mustard, drawn butter and heavenly rolls. Whether you’re catering a party or just craving delicacies from the sea, you’ll find fresh shrimp cocktail, oysters, ceviche, lobster mac & cheese, jumbo lump crab cakes, king crab claws and lobster rolls. Decadent side dishes round out any meal including their famous hash brown potatoes, creamed garlic spinach, grilled tomatoes, skinny sweet potatoes and onion rings. Top it off with Key lime pie and a curated selection of wine and bubblies. joesstonecrab.com/joes-take-away.
MARKY’S
For a taste of Russia, pull into the nondescript, fenced-in parking lot off 79th Street crammed with Bentleys and Ferraris. Entering Marky’s is like visiting a grocery store in Moscow, with the largest selection of authentic Russian delicacies in South Florida. Cases of caviar, smoked salmon, foie gras, escargot and truffles line the store, perfect for entertaining, holidays, special occasions and just your everyday Miami snack. While most connoisseurs come for the Osetra caviar, Marky’s offers so much more: The dairy section is loaded with cheese, sour cream, yogurt and butter imported from Russia, and there’s smoked fish aplenty. Recreate a typical Russian meal, from headcheese to creamy mushroom salad and pierogies (Eastern European dumplings). On the higher end, an entire area of the market is devoted to truffles, olive oils, vinegars, salts and dried mushrooms. Pick your favorite fine wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux and Provence and pair them with Japanese Wagyu beef and lobster tails. markys.com.
MR. PASTA
When Laurenzo’s closed last year, it left a void in the Italian gourmet community. However, local nonnas have long known about Mr. Pasta, a North Beach gem literally cranking out homemade pasta on a daily basis. The flavors and fillings are endless: Red pepper, black squid, spinach, egg and porcini for the pasta; ricotta, spinach, beef, lamb and chicken for the ravioli; goat cheese, wild mushrooms, crab and asparagus for the panzottis. Gnocchi is equally elevated from the traditional potato pillow, to combinations spanning potato basil, ricotta Parmesan, spinach ricotta, red pepper ricotta and pumpkin. Dress it all with savory sauces like marinara, vodka, four-cheese, lobster, pesto, Bolognese and carbonara. More recently, they’ve added specialty items like gluten-free pasta, whole wheat noodles and vegan gnocchi. With a rainbow of ribbons to choose from, there’s no need to buy supermarket pasta ever again. mrpastausa.com.
THE PLANTISSERIE
Perched in the burgeoning Little River neighborhood, The Plantisserie is an adorable vegan market and café with an organic kitchen that recreates gourmet dishes with plant-based ingredients for conscious eating. Pasta dishes like lasagna and cannelloni exchange almond ricotta for cheese, and roasted jackfruit makes a refreshing substitute for pulled pork. Vegans will savor staples like potatoes au gratin, quiche, broccoli and spinach soup, lentil balls, and stuffed artichokes without the guilt. Portions are sold by the pound, and the refrigerated cases are always filled with gluten-free pizza and gnocchi, beet and bean burgers, quiches, pomodoro sauce, fresh soups and vegan-friendly empanadas. theplantisserie.com.