Michael Mina 74 has a subterranean feel, a cool cellar away from the south Florida heat. Tucked away from the madness of the Hotel Fontainebleau’s lobby, this is your go to for quick bites and yummy pick me ups when you’re spending some down time in Miami. Mr. Mina’s signature cart service is perfect for snacking with an American share plate experience that features a decadent raw bar with bites of market shellfish, seasonal veggies and MM classics. Roving trolleys circulate throughout the dining room tempting you to indulge and it’s hard to look away especially when you’re looking at items like King Crab Summer Rolls and a fresh beet salad with 2 kinds of beets, watermelon and feta. What’s more you’ll definitely want to linger in the dark, sexy environment sipping signature cocktails like The Cramer, concocted with Grey Goose, Aperol and lime, or a Don Facundo Daiquiri, an outrageous take on the original.
Created uniquely for the Fontainebleau, Michael Mina 74 delivers a high energy culinary and social destination to Miami Beach’s denizens. Award winning chef and restaurateur Michael Mina, a James Beard Foundation “Who’s Who of Food and Beverage” inductee delights diners with exquisite cuisine and creative cocktails. The setting in this dazzling iconic Morris Lapidus property, a spectacular blend of neo-Baroque glamour and modern luxury, merges eye catching design with modern technology. Surfaces gleam, sight lines disappear around undulating corners and swanky semi-circular banquettes offer a “see and be seen “environment that’s fun for everyone.
A sophisticated small plates-driven menu is full of surprises and guests are encouraged to order several dishes at a time to share. Says Mina, “When we opened the menu was more traditional but it became obvious later as plates kept getting passed around that a rethinking of our menu concept was needed and we’re excited about the new direction we’ve taken.” The new sharing menu was rolled out in June of 2014 and it runs the gamut.
We chose to start with the Ahi Hamachi Poppers, light as a cloud and brimming with the fresh succulent light pink fish. A sumptuous Tuna Tartare followed, prepared table-side, with Asian pear, pine nuts, mint, scotch bonnet peppers and sesame oil. We decided to take a break, have another round of Daniel Love’s flawless craft cocktails and survey the scene, de rigeur in Miami. The gorgeous crowd was loving it all while taking in that fabulous view out to the hotel’s stunning pool. Wisely, Mr. Love’s beverage program offers a selection of carbonated bottled cocktails dubbed “Fizzy Lifting Drinks.” We couldn’t resist trying a Ginger Gimlet and the Iceberg Slim, both with delicate flavors that were truly original but more importantly super quenching. Then it was on to a Duck Confit and Scallion Crepe, worthy of Chinatown.
When it came time to choose the mains we sensed frivolity on the menu. As it reads, “to share or not to share” are the Chef’s killer burgers including a signature dry-aged steak burger, with double smoked bacon, Romaine and a secret sauce and a Peanut Butter Crunch Burger with pimento cheese, bacon and potato chips. These are sliced into quarters and to really strike the mother lode, you’ll most definitely want to try more than one. In Miami the night is forever young, so don’t resist nibbling on a slice of Key Lime Pie after then segue to one of Mr. Love’s exotic punches on tap, batched using fresh ingredients. By then you’ll be primed to mingle with the bar crowd and make some new friends, always an adventure in this sunny yet shady town.
Here’s the skivvy: Michael Mina 74 is open 7 nights a week, till 1 a.m. Sunday-Thursday, and until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday! Late nights never looked so good.
Michael Mina 74
The Fontainebleau Hotel
4441 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, Fl. 33140
305-674-4636