This Michelin-starred chef from New York just opened a restaurant in Coral Gables
The new restaurant from Chef Michael White, whose New York restaurants have earned a total of six Michelin stars, is now open at The Plaza Coral Gables.
Highlighting dishes from the Mediterranean Riviera, Mika is focused on Italian coastal cuisine, with an emphasis on seafood. Also on the menu are some of the pastas for which White has become famous.
White is a James Beard Award winner and creator and founding chef of the celebrated Mediterranean restaurant Marea on Central Park, which earned two Michelin stars under his watch.
He has partnered with Alex Pirez, a partner in Groot Hospitality and Major Food Group who has collaborated at such venues as Komodo, Swan and Gecko; and Matt Safchik, former vice president of food and beverage development for Wynn Resorts.
White, who worked in the kitchen at Lido Restaurant at The Surf Club restaurant in Surfside and helms Mirabella Coastal Italian by Michael White at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, envisions Mika as a setting for every event from a casual dinner to an upscale evening on the town.
“I really want this to be a Coral Gables restaurant,” he told the Miami Herald earlier this fall. “Mika is not necessarily a special occasion restaurant. You can order crudo and pasta and eat simply and be in and out in an hour, or you could go more than once a week. It’s not just for special occasions.”
Crudos range from $24 to $38 and include amberjack, sea bream and sea scallops, as well as a bluefin tuna carpaccio, while the pasta selections include fusilli with octopus and bone marrow ($28); tagliatelle with ragu Bolognese ($28) and spaghetti with blue crab, caviar and and lemon butter ($38).
Among the seafood entrees you’ll find salmon with crispy artichokes and salsa verde ($36), branzino with tomato livornase and lemon; and swordfish with braised sepia, chickpeas, capers and olives while other entrees include Ligurian chicken ($36), veal parmigiana ($88) and a 24-ounce ribeye ($98). A 36-ounce Bistecca Fiorentina is $165.
The restaurant spans 8,195 square feet, with seating for 100 diners. There’s also a 35-seat private dining room with its own outdoor lounge.
Mika
Where: 3007 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Suite 248, Coral Gables
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday
Reservations and more information: mikacoralgables.com
This story was originally published December 23, 2024 at 4:30 AM.