this is a "Taste of the Town" special: The best of 2021.
Here's CBS4's Lisa Patrillo.
>>Welcome, over the next half hour,
we're going to give you a little bite of some
of 2021s best "Taste of the Towns."
It's certainly been an unprecedented year
with a pandemic forcing us to rethink where we eat and how.
We pivoted when we had to
with our dine out takeout additions.
Pearl by Chef IP is the brainchild
of a private chef who turned his love
for cooking into a restaurant in North Miami Beach.
But, our first tasting is
at celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson's Red Rooster Overtown.
>>So the floors, where are these from?
>>It's fun, right? >>After a year of delays
due to the pandemic, Chef Marcus Samuelsson is
proudly showing off his new crown jewel here
at Red Rooster Overtown.
So, chef, so exciting.
I've been talking to you on Zoom this whole year.
>>Yeah. >>In person now.
>>Socially distances though! >>Social distanced.
>>You better keep over there.
Stay there. >>Keep out.
The 10,000 square foot two story building is
the former Clyde Killen's Pool Hall in Overtown,
a notable hotspot in the 1960s.
>>We have a huge patio of 90 seats
and we only seating, basically, 50, 60%, right?
Because we don't want people to feel uncomfortable
and safety is number one, and we've got a roof on the patio!
>>Most of the staff live in and around Overtown,
all part of the plan for Samuelsson.
>>Just to be able to provide job in a time
where people are losing their job is also very powerful.
>>Samuelsson, who was born in Ethiopia
and raised in Sweden, blends his multicultural background
and love for diversity into everything in Red Rooster,
which begins with the food.
>>We want to really just kind of caramelize that glaze.
All right, so let me just do a little,
(man yells) bird on fire, bird on fire.
>>It's the Rooster Royale,
a full roasted bird presented
by Red Rooster's executive chef Tristen Epps.
>>It's fun! It's festive and super delicious!
>>The caramelization on it, keeping it so moist.
It is delicious, tender, tasty.
The large whole burnt and cauliflower sits
on a fresh urban almond salad.
This cauliflower has Gusto.
So, it's a vegetarian dish that doesn't feel like it.
I mean, it feels hearty.
We end on a dish chef calls the Viking.
>>Which is really a fun play of a key lime pie
that looks nothing like a key lime pie.
But, it's light. It's delicious.
(both imitates rockets launching)
>>We're good! (upbeat music)
Our all new "Taste of the Town" Dine Out, Take Out
takes us to Pearl by IP on Miami Gardens Drive
in north Miami Beach.
It's named after chef and owner Isaac Perlman,
who made quite a name for himself,
first as a private chef and later as a successful caterer.
>>For the last five years I wanted to do restaurant
'cause then it was, "Okay,
how do we get the people who can't afford private service
at their house to try our food?"
We said, "Okay, let's look for a space
and we finally found our home here
in this beautiful new building."
>>We're sitting outside, safely six feet apart
from chef Isaac in the eatery's outdoor patio space.
Pearl also offers inside dining
and a modern, clean, and homey feel.
>>First thing we said to them is this is our home.
>>The menu combines influences
from Mediterranean and Japanese fare
with Chef Isaac's personal touch.
Back in the kitchen, Chef Isaac is joined
by his chef de cuisine, Chef Malcolm,
where they create our first tasting dishes.
First up, the chicken katsu sandwich.
It's thinly pounded chicken breast with remoulade,
Swiss cheese, and spicy green cabbage slaw.
There's a crunch of, you described, it: the thin chicken.
It's thin. It's crunchy.
>>(indistinct) style. >>And there's a little
bit of a kick of heat. >>Kimchi.
(upbeat rock music)
>>Next, Chef's signature local fish tacos
with red snapper, smashed avocado, pickled onion,
lime roasted jalapeno aioli, inside black corn tortillas.
>>You're going to get spicy.
You're going to get a little sweet from the pickled onions.
>>And, finally, salmon tiradito.
That could be my favorite salmon tiradito.
That fattiness, a little bit of the fish,
and then coupled with the lemon, with the acidity?
It's so good! (upbeat rock music)
If there's one thing about South Florida dining,
it's that there's something for everyone.
Strawberry Moon, inside The Good Time Hotel on South Beach,
is a partnership between Music mogul Pharell
and the man known as Miami's nightlight king David Grutman.
But, first, we take you inside Green Bar and Kitchen,
a Fort Lauderdale vegan hotspot known
for its plant-based offerings and so much more.
(oil sizzles) (gentle music)
It's a lot more than just green juices and salads
at Green Bar and Kitchen in Fort Lauderdale.
Although the menu is vegan, meaning it's all plant-based,
they also pride themselves on knowing that vegans,
or anyone who chooses to eat healthy,
want their version of junk food as well.
>>Vegan food isn't just vegetables. It can taste good.
It can really be a staple of an everyday diet.
>>Green Bar Kitchen is fast casual style,
where diners order up front and get served at the tables.
The decor is clean and green as is the food,
more modern on the inside, more Bohemian and artsy outside.
They also serve beer and wine as well
as a few fancy drinks thrown in.
Taking one for the team, I sampled the blueberry Mojito.
>>There's nothing better on a hot Florida day.
>>Nothing better!
We begin with sashimi.
Yes, you heard it right.
But, it's fish free ingredients
replicating your favorite tuna and salmon sashimi.
This is the tuna, but there's no tuna in it.
>>There's no tuna in it.
A lot of water and a lot of flax seed oil.
>>I would never know that that's not tuna.
>>No, it's (indistinct). >>Wait, what?
We move on to vegan-style, junk-free junk food.
It's the Green Bar burger, meatless of course.
>>And what holds it together is our quinoa
and our chickpeas.
>>There's a crunch inside.
It's just a wonderful sandwich burger.
(oil sizzles)
Next, Green Bar's fried chicken sandwich.
It can be served mild or spicy. It's clear which one I got.
Great crunch, definitely heat.
>>Definitely some heat. >>Whoo!
>>Definitely some heat.
>>Green Bar and Kitchen:
proving vegans can have their taste of junk food, too,
all of it without the junk.
(upbeat dance music)
It's always an adventure sitting down
with Miami's nightlife king
and restaurant owner, David Grutman.
We're here at Strawberry Moon inside his Good Time Hotel
on Washington Avenue on Miami Beach.
The hotel and restaurant is a dream realized
for Grutman who feels like he's back where it all began.
>>For me, it has such a place in my heart
because this is, when I first moved to Miami Beach,
this is the block that I went to find a bartending job
that no one would hire me.
But, this was the block.
>>The restaurant is the second collaboration
with Grutman's Groot Hospitality
with multi-talented producer, recording artist,
and entrepreneur Pharrell Williams.
>>I have one way of looking at things
and he has a complete opposite way
and together it becomes something very special.
>>The look is whimsical with a modern mid-century,
Caribbean-inspired decor, designed by Ken Folk.
>>Everything for us is an Instagrammable moment.
Come here, Instagram away.
>>Always the marketer, celebs like Kim Kardashians,
David Beckham, and Trevor Noah were spotted
at the place right from the beginning.
Back in the kitchen, executive chef Ian Fleischmann
prepares our food and joins me tableside to sample the menu.
Plate after plate of feel good food that begins
with moon bread topped with tahini butter and coarse salt.
>>Life's short. Start with dessert.
(Lisa chuckles) >>Gosh, it's so goof!
We move on to chef's chicken kebabs, marinaded in yogurt
and served with an Israeli side sauce called amba,
made from pickled mangoes.
I love the flavor of pickled mango.
>>I can eat this for lunch every day
and feel good about myself.
>>The exotic grilled pawns had the perfect heat and crunch.
It is kind of worldly.
So, much flavor! >>Exactly.
>>Excellent dish! (upbeat music)
When we come back,
whether you're a small family restaurant
or launched by a successful major food group,
you can be a south Florida success story.
>>A lot of people wonder where did you get the Lil?
It's because we're smaller than little.
>>It has truffle. It has mushrooms.
It's from heaven. It's insane.
>>That and more when this CBS4 News Special:
"Taste of the Town," the best of 2021 continues.
"Taste of the Town:The Best of 2021."
Once again, here's CBS4's Lisa Petrillo.
>>Welcome back.
With four restaurants under her belt,
and the author of five cookbooks,
Chef Adrianne Calvo's Coral Gables eatery,
honors her mother's Italian heritage.
It's called Forte, by Chef Adrianne.
But first we take you to Carbone,
one of the hottest high-end spots in South Beach,
which has New York roots, and a reputation for fine dining
with spectacular service.
(funky rock music)
Welcome to Carbone Miami,
the sister restaurant of the original in New York,
which has been called the most influential
American restaurant, of the last decade.
The South Beach location on Collins Avenue,
which opened in January, marks the fourth Carbone
in the roster, along with Hong Kong and Las Vegas.
>>It was always part of our hopes and our dreams
and I think that with the last year and COVID,
and everything that's happened,
and the fact that we were pretty shut down in New York,
sped up our process and our thoughts here in Miami,
and so, we made a quick pivot here.
>>The restaurant seats about 50 people
on their retro tropical outdoor patio,
and another 140 inside.
which is ornate with fancy chandeliers,
rich fabrics, Mario describes it this way.
>>1960s sort of, if my Aunt Maria had a bunch of money,
this was what she would build.
>>Reservations are tough to get.
There's a lengthy wait list,
big name celebrities and hipsters fill the scene.
(funky rock music)
Modern cuisine does not apply.
>>We make, hopefully, the best version of something
that you've had hundreds of times before in your life.
(funky rock music)
>>The Carpaccio Piedmontese is a filet
of rare grass fed beef.
It has truffle.
It has mushrooms.
It's from heaven.
(laughs) It's insane.
(funky rock music)
So is the veal Parmesan,
which is pounded, breaded, and seasoned.
>>Pan fried, half butter, half olive oil.
Topped with our homemade tomato sauce
and mozzarella that we make everyday here.
(funky rock music)
>>We end on Mario's favorite dessert,
flaming bananas ala rum.
Just leave me here.
This is so rich, so decadent.
They leave the table at the end of the night.
What do you want them thinking about Carbone?
>>Their next reservation.
(Lisa laughs)
(funky music)
>>Well we just wanted to bring people back
to be connected with food, with wine, with stories.
>>It's all about connecting authentic food,
service, and style at Forte by Chef Adrianne
on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables.
Award-winning chef Adrianne Calvo's fourth restaurant
in her roster.
Forte is her mother's maiden name.
Her grandfather is from Sicily.
>>She owned a beauty salon
and all these Italians would share these recipes
that were a hundred years old.
Plus my family's recipes.
I'm like, you know what?
It's a good time to do Forte.
>>The look is clean and warm
with special attention to detail,
like the copper bar that greets diners upon entry.
We begin our tasting at the bar with the creative cocktails.
>>And we believe in like detox retox.
If you're having pineapple,
you're obviously intoxicating with vodka,
but you're detoxing with pineapple.
>>Detox retox.
>>Yeah.
>>I'm buying it.
We open with a charcuterie board,
filled with the finest of meats, cheeses, breads, olives,
and more before moving on
to chef's signature spaghetti carbonara cooked al dente
with pork cheek and egg yolks.
(whimsical music)
I taste the truffle, the pork cheek,
which I was afraid of by the way, is just yummy.
The perfect amount of salt.
Then fall off the bone braised lamb shank
with polenta, Cipollini onion, and spinach.
Oh my goodness, look at that.
>>It's been cooking in a lot
of wine and vegetables, garlic.
>>It's warm, it's comforting, it's like a hug.
Plate after plate our never ending feast
is one for the books, as we end
on chefs beyond creamy, homemade gelato.
Wow.
The ultimate in decadence.
>>And this is why Italians go around the street
with their big cones of gelato
and they're just like living their best life.
>>They're living, and so are we right now.
>>Right, so are we, yeah.
(whimsical music)
>>Just delicious.
You know, a family restaurant with humble origins
can also be a recipe for success.
Lil Greenhouse Grill started out as a food truck,
but has grown into a restaurant so popular
Oprah Winfrey even paid a visit.
That's our next stop for a twist on traditional soul food.
(lively music)
Welcome to Lil Greenhouse Grill,
a charming eatery in the heart of Overtown
with the emphasis on Lil,
says managing partner, Nicole Gates.
>>And a lotta people wonder where did you get the Lil.
It's because we're smaller than little
as you can see (laughs)
>>Little little.
>>It's Lil.
>>With just 35 seats inside. Gates
and her co-partner Chef Karim Bryant
fill the small space with special touches
making it feel homey and warm.
The art is custom made by Chef Karim's uncle.
>>So we are a family owned restaurant
and we incorporate family as much as possible.
>>As for the food, they call it neo soul,
a healthy alternative of soul food.
>>Especially back in the earlier years,
some of the food was not cooked in a healthier form
with lots of fats and that sort of thing.
Well, we have kind of altered the recipes a little bit.
(loud cheering)
>>Back in early 2019, Little Greenhouse Grill
was honored for its healthy options.
>>I can't wait to have delicious soul food
that's actually healthy.
>>They received a surprise visit from the one
and only Oprah Winfrey along with her bestie, Gail King
and a CBS News crew as a promotion with Weight Watchers.
Back in the kitchen, chef prepares our dishes
and joins me for the tasting.
We begin with a beautifully plated fried snapper
with a side of corn bread
and house-made pineapple chutney and aioli.
>>I love snapper.
>>The crunch.
There's a little bit of a kick to it.
It is like a, this is a fun dish, but it, it's a delicacy.
(smacks lips) Really nice.
And finally their classic pork ribs smoked
with Hickory and Applewood.
And it's fall off the bone good
and you just wanna just have fun with this all day long.
(lively music)
When we come back celebrating South Florida's
Hispanic heritage with what else?
Food.
>>We're the only Cuban sandwich pretty much in the country
that makes everything in house down to my mustard,
pickles, the ham we brine, the pork we make here.
(whooshing)
>>This really could be my favorite plantain ever.
I love that it's so flat.
>>This CBS4 News special
"Taste of the Town: The Best of 2021,"
will be back right after this (lively music)
of the Town, the Best of 2021.
Once again, here's CBS4's Lisa Petrillo.
>>Welcome back.
South Florida is a melting pot of residents and restaurants.
Earlier this year, we served up a series of tastings
to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month.
Puerto Sagua, on Miami beach is one
of our oldest family owned and operated eateries.
But first, a casual little Havana destination
that makes what many say are the best Cuban sandwiches
in town.
(upbeat music)
It's a celebration of Cuban culture at Sanguich.
A charming and authentic eatery
on Southwest Eighth Street in Little Havana.
>>Hi guys, how are you?
>>Created by husband and wife team,
Daniel Figueredo and Rosa Romero,
where guests feel at home wherever they're from.
One day, Daniel, a former architect,
told Rosa, who was a paralegal, he had an idea.
>>Yeah, he came to me, he says,
"I would really love to open up a sandwich shop."
And I said, "Well, we're Cuban and if we're in Miami,
if we're going to open up a sandwich shop,
it's gonna be Cuban sandwiches and batidos.".
>>We're the only Cuban sandwich pretty much in the country
that makes everything in house, down to my mustard, pickles,
the ham we brine, the pork we make here.
The bread is our recipe, all the ingredients are made here.
Even my Turkey.
>>They serve the classics like croquetas
and cafe Cubano and decadent, batidos or milkshakes,
let's get to the sanguiches.
The key is the pressing of the bread or la plancha.
>>La plancha is essential
to pressing a true Cuban sandwich.
>>We begin with this sandwich, to Miami, it's turkey,
hand-cut smoked bacon, Swiss cheese,
lettuce, tomato, and mayo on Cuban bread.
The warmth and the crunch from la plancha is insane.
It makes it like thinner.
>>Yes.
>>And then the turkey is so warm that all
of those sauces in the insight.
Next, the Cubano, it's ham, lechon,
Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard.
>>It for us it it was really important to make sure that all
of our sandwiches are authentic
and that we stayed true to our culture.
>>This is, you know what abuela.
>>Right.
>>Makes at home, this is fantastic.
(upbeat music)
You'll feel like you've stepped back in time
at Puerta Sagua, located on the corner of Collins avenue
and Seventh street on Miami beach.
This family owned business has been here since 1968,
says general manager, David Rivero,
whose grandfather and father began at all.
>>My grandfather and his two sons, you know,
starting this here, one being my father
and making sure that that legacy carries on
and making sure I can take care
of what they started is very important to me.
>>Keeping in the family tradition, David's son,
Alex also works at the restaurant,
which has kept the same old school look for decades.
The centerpiece of the restaurant is this painting
by the Scull Sisters, legendary Cuban twins
who created whimsical three-dimensional paintings
of street scenes in old Havana.
>>That gentlemen here in black, apparently he existed
because many customers come in here and says,
"Oh, that's so and so."
(upbeat music)
>>The menu is huge.
A feast has arrived at our table beginning
with those familiar Cuban sides,
like the oversized flat tostones I cannot stop eating.
>>It's a green plant thing, you pre-fry them.
Then you smash them down like this
and you fry them for the second time.
>>This really could be my favorite plantain ever.
I love that it's so flat.
We end on their classic Vaca Frita served with beans
and rice, it's slow cooked beef marinated in lemon,
garlic and salt, served crispy with grilled onions.
So delicious and the onions are the right consistency.
(gentle music)
I don't know about you, but I am hungry.
Taste of the Town, the Best of 2021 will be right back.
any of my "Taste of the Town" profiles,
just head over to our website, cbsmiami.com/tasteofthetown.
We also have recipes from those restaurants
you can make at home.
I hope you enjoyed "Taste of the Town the Best of 2021."
From all of us at CBS4, I'm Lisa Petrillo
wishing you memorable meals and delicious dining.
And here's to more appetizing "Taste of the Towns" in 2022.
(upbeat music)