This intimate restaurant in South Miami was just named one of the best in U.S.
An intimate and inventive South Miami restaurant was just named one of the best restaurants in the country.
In its 20 Best New Restaurants list for 2025, Bon Appétit praised Recoveco, the remarkable gem from wife-and-husband chefs Maria Teresa Gallina and Nicolas Martinez, which opened last summer.
The magazine praised the restaurant at 6000 SW 74th St. for its ability to find “less obvious treasures,” like a ballyhoo appetizer. Generally considered a bait fish, particularly in fishing-mad South Florida, the ballyhoo is artfully cut into pieces and served in a white soy ponzu, its presentation so eye-catching Bon Appétit used it in the cover story, calling it “a work of art.”
Bon Appétit also praised the chefs themselves, who met while working as sous chefs in the kitchen at Brad Kilgore’s Alter, one of first foodie restaurants to lure diners to Wynwood.
“Chef-owners Maria Teresa Gallina and Nicolas Martinez serve only what excites them most,” the story says. “The pits of the custardy fruit called mamey sapote are saved from the compost bin, shaved and infused into an almond-like syrup they pour over fudgy wedges of chocolate cake scattered with pearls of finger lime. Restrained plating accentuates the kaleidoscopic color and surprising flavor of each dish. Sapodilla, a pear-like fruit that looks like a coconut, adds a malty butterscotch intensity to a sticky toffee pudding. Every bite elicits wonder, provoking a quiet moment of gratitude for this lush, miraculous habitat.”
Miamians in the know, of course, have already discovered Recoveco and its creators, who were among the chefs honored in April when StarChefs, a magazine that highlights up-and-coming culinary talent and industry trends, named the couple among its 2025 Miami Rising Stars.
Recoveco was also named a Michelin-recognized restaurant earlier this year by the 2025 guide, along with Kojin 2.0 in Coral Gables, Sunny’s Steakhouse in Little River and ViceVersa in downtown Miami.
Gallina and Martinez were pleased by making the list and said it would inspire them.
“It feels like it validates a lot of choices and hard work,” Gallina said. “At the same time, the list is best new restaurants. We want to be the best restaurant, so we have to keep working.”
Like many Miami restaurants this summer, weekdays have been a little slower than usual at Recoveco, especially at the early seatings, but a loyal clientele has kept Fridays and Saturdays busy, she said.
The chefs have clearly helped Miami diners expand their palates, serving unusual dishes that could potentially make diners uneasy, like the ballyhoo, which Martinez said should return to the menu once the season starts in a few weeks. Another item that caused mild consternation when the restaurant first opened is the now-popular shaved beef tongue served with whipped sesame, chimichurri and homemade crackers. Some customers were wary at first, but Gallina sent out samples until it became a customer favorite.
The beef tongue is what Gallina and Martinez think of as part of “the Big Four,” items that have remained on the changing menu with only slight changes from time to time (the others are the chicken liver, the chicken entree and a fig dessert).
“Those are the things people ask most about,” Gallina said.
Recoveco was the only Florida restaurant to make the list. The other restaurants honored were: Acamaya, New Orleans; Avize, Atlanta; Baan Mae, Washington, D.C.; Camelia, Los Angeles; Dogon, Washington, DC; Feld, Chicago; Fet-Fisk, Pittsburgh; Giovedi, Honolulu; Ha’s Snack Bar, New York City; Komol, Los Angeles; Lenox, Seattle; Mezcaleria Alma, Denver; Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement, San Francisco; Perseid, Houston; Provenance, Philadelphia; Sun Moon Studio, Oakland; Vinai, Minneapolis; Wildweed, Cincinnati; The Wren, Baltimore.
Recoveco
Where: 6000 SW 74th St., Suite 1, South Miami
Hours: 5:30-10 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday
Reservations: Resy
More information: recovecorestaurant.com
This story was originally published September 12, 2025 at 11:35 AM.