Wynwood Kitchen & Bar Gets New Executive Chef

Lesley Elliott

The tempura'd cod and fries at WKB.

​The ever popular Wynwood Kitchen & Bar welcomes a new kitchen leader. Miguel Aguilar has been appointed Executive Chef, replacing the Goldman's longtime collaborator, Marco Ferraro, who continues to helm Wish at The Hotel on SoBe.

There's no official comment on the reasons behind the switch-up, but it's clear that the restaurant is taking an entirely different direction. Out goes the strange mix of Americana meets global comfort foods: chicken curry, grilled cheese, fish and chips...now replaced by Latin flavors that capitalize on new culinary talents.

They have discontinued lunch service for the time being, preferring to spend the daytime concentrating on an overhaul of the current menu concept. The plan is to have a greater focus on sharable plates, with a hint of the global-latin influence that Chef Aguilar is known for. He hails from Philly, where he worked his way through Stephen Starr's restaurant empire. Aguilar was the Executive Chef at Alma de Cuba and opened El Rey.

The food at WKB was always good; never great. Inconsistency was a huge issue unfortunately. Most often, comments in the community cited it as a "great place for drinks" (the outdoor patio is mobbed during every Art Walk), but never considered the ultimate dining destination. We so look forward to the cuisine makeover of a neighborhood hot spot with plenty of ambiance and fabulous libations - they won for "Best Bar" of 2011.

The new menu will be offered later this summer, and lunch resumes on Monday, August 15. Until then, dinner service is still on Monday - Saturday, from 5 p.m. to midnight.

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