High-end NYC eateries expand, flourish in Miami

His old-world restaurant serves classics like spicy rigatoni and veal parmesan with homemade mozzarella, hand-cut at curved banquette tables. The rooms are accented with 1950s flairs like Murano-style glass chandeliers and dramatic terracotta-hued curtains.

Carbone, which opened in January, often has a wait list that tops 3,000 a night. Beyoncé and Jay-Z and Victoria and David Beckham have all dined in the restaurant’s secret outdoor nook.

The Italian eatery was the first Miami outpost for Major Food Group, expanding on a portfolio that includes 10 New York eateries, two James Beard best-restaurant nominations and three Michelin Stars. ZZ’s, a swanky oyster bar with a members-only lounge upstairs, opened in the trendy design district, with three more Miami spots to follow.

ZZs has joined the growing number of high-end New York restaurants expanding in Florida, a trend accelerated by the pandemic. Many are also brimming with Michelin stars and James Beard awards.

Pastis, the iconic French bistro that started in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, is opening next year. Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto expanded his empire last year with a ramen spot in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood, which also welcomed Cote, the Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-nominated Korean steakhouse. Across town, “Chopped” judge Marcus Samuelsson, who owns Red Rooster in Harlem, opened a second one in Miami’s impoverished Overtown neighborhood. And New York spot Azabu’s new Miami location has a hidden sushi counter helmed by Tokyo-trained chefs.