MIAReview
Included In
Certain people make you feel at ease no matter where you are—like that friend who assures you that you’re not the most underdressed person at the party, even though you totally are because you didn’t bother to read the invitation. Michael’s does this sort of thing too.
This place is located in the Design District, surrounded by a jewelry store and more high-end labels than the Met Gala red carpet. It’s a neighborhood that might give you that “underdressed” feeling on a spiritual level. But even though Michael’s is an upscale spot, it feels refreshingly casual compared to its immediate surroundings. No one cares who made your clothes or whether or not you want to buy the most expensive bottle on the menu. They just want to bring you some fantastic oysters and a cocktail.
photo credit: Justin Namon
Michael’s is one of the first places that made people want to eat in the Design District, and it’s still our favorite spot in the neighborhood. You’ll recognize just about everything on the menu: roasted cauliflower, stracciatella, octopus, pizza, deviled eggs, and snapper. But the food is never boring, either. The octopus is roasted in a wood oven like a pizza until the tentacle is soft as mozzarella. The snapper is roasted until the skin is crispy and the inside is super tender. And the massive roasted tuna collar is one of the most impressive (and delicious) fish entrees you’ll find in Miami.
photo credit: Photo Courtesy Michael's
There’s indoor and outdoor seating, both of which are good choices depending on whether it’s possible to sit outside for more than 60 minutes without bursting into flames. There’s also a rectangular bar that fills up quick for their weekday Happy Hour from 4:30-7:30pm. But when it comes to brunch, we like to sit outside so we can watch the occasional passing Ferrari while eating our breakfast pizza or kimchi benedict with crispy pork belly.
No matter what meal brings you to Michael’s, though, we can pretty much guarantee two things will happen. The food you eat is going to be very good and—like your friend who convinced you that shorts are totally fine at a black-tie wedding—you’ll relax and stop worrying about anything that doesn’t immediately involve the cocktail and oysters in front of you.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Justin Nam
Deviled Eggs
photo credit: Justin Namon
Stracciatella
photo credit: Justin Namon
Crispy Pork Belly
photo credit: Justin Namon
Wood Oven Roasted Cauliflower
photo credit: Justin Namon
Wood Oven Roasted Octopus
photo credit: Justin Namon