Mikawhich opened in Coral Gables on December 12, is part of chef Michael White's new luxury chapter. But White, who became New York's go-to practitioner of Italian-focused seafood when he opened Marea in 2009, won't stop blasting his hits. So, of course, Mika shows bangers, like his lobster with burrata and his fusilli with octopus and bone marrow, born in Marea.
“It's like Jimmy Buffett had to sing 'Cheeseburger in Paradise,'” White told the Observer. “Those two bowls will really set the tone.” White, also a freshman Stme in New York, he continues to do what he does best and what his die-hard fans want him to do. It serves high-quality pasta, made with care and clean, well-glazed crudo.
He believes this is the right time to present Mika, his first independent Florida restaurant outside of a hotel, because Miami has become a restaurant destination and is home to many expat New Yorkers and longtime locals. Plus, finding ingredients and supplies is easier now that purveyors like Baldor and Chef' Warehouse have arrived in Miami.
“There's been a lot of infrastructure built down here,” said White. So, we've been getting the same kind of product that we buy in New York City. And it makes sense for White to do the same in Miami because the appetite for sea scallop crudo and handmade pasta is as big here as it is in New York.
“I'm pushing hard now to make different pastas, different textures, using different flours to keep raising the bar,” said White, who has dishes like the squid-ink lobster mezzaluna on the menu at Mika. “Everyone was making sour dough during Covid. I was making pastas and other things that I had never done before and I was thinking about what I wanted to do now. “
White, who opened Mika with partners Alex Pirez (a real estate and hospitality executive who has also partnered with Major Food Group and Groot Hospitality) and Matt Safchik (former vice president of food and beverage development at Wynn Las Vegas), left. Marea in 2021 during the pandemic. Marea is also now in expansion mode, with its Beverly Hills location slated to open in January. And beyond Beverly Hills, Major Food Group has partnered with Altamarea Group opening locations outside of Marea around the world.
Major Food Group debuted Carbone Vino, just a few miles from Mika in Coconut Grove last week, and this is the time when White believes a rising tide will lift all of these fine Italian boats. There is a lot of history shared here. Jeff Zalaznick of White and Major Food Group are longtime friends. White vividly remembers going out to eat with Zalaznick and the late food writer Josh Ozersky nearly two decades ago, back when Zalaznick was the food blogger behind Always Hungry. White also remembers Zalaznick eating with his parents at Marea.
“I talked to Jeff and his team the other day, and they're going to honor my legacy at that restaurant,” White said. “I really respect and appreciate that. I am so humbled that I have left an indelible mark on everything. There is a core set of values in making pasta that will stay in the restaurant.” The honor is shared between White and Major Food Group, which Zalaznick runs with chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi.
“We have nothing but love for him,” said Carbone. “I have fond memories of eating at Marea. Rich, Jeff and I used to go there to celebrate the end of the year. I hope you kill it. To do well for Gables would be good for us.” Mhlophe laughed when asked how far they had traveled. He was part of a decades-long movement that took Italian ingredients and techniques to the fore in American cuisine.
“Listen, I was working in 1991 with Paul Bartolotta in Spiaggia making pasta, and we would drizzle this green sauce over the gnocchi and it was called pesto,” White said. “Prosciutto has just arrived in America. And we mixed this ugly rice in a pot and it was called risotto. ” It's not lost on White that many Americans are making risotto at home now. He continued to add to the conversation his fancy version of Italian food such as Mika's excellent spaghetti with blue crab, caviar and lemon butter. For dessert, there are mini gelato cones topped with a truffle cone. It's a happy ending and feels like a new beginning in Coral Gables.
