Altamare Team To Open "Tikl" on Brickell

Altamare's raw seafood sampler would fit in at Tikl.

​In March 2010, Claudio Giordano moved his AltaMar restaurant into larger digs up the same Lincoln Road block, removed capitalization of the letter "m" and added an "e" to the end of the name, and brought chef Simon Stojanovic on board. Through the first nine years and then the reincarnation, Altamare has been a favorite of clientele and critics alike. Now comes news that Stojanovic is partnering with Giordano and a third party in an upcoming restaurant called Tikl (pronounced "tickle"). I spoke with Simon by phone yesterday and got a few details about the place.

It will have "an industrial feel, very casual and relaxed," Stojanovic said. "There are 25-to-30-foot ceilings. The facade is all glass, with two concrete columns between which are two red steel beams." Concerning the food, Simon refused to commit to any set cuisine.

"I don't want to put a label on it," he explains, as this would limit his ability to "cook what I want to cook." But he did allow that it would be a "raw bar and grill, all small plates...based on the Japanese Izakaya pub concept." And that "we'll have a double robata grill, a flat top grill, and a char grill. So we're set on grills."

Izakaya implies a good mix of sake and beer, and Tikl will have "a nice big full bar," with a "pretty extensive wine list," and "craft and local beers, some California beers...not the usual suspects." Stojanovic promises "a nice sake list too."

While he "would like to be open March 1," Simon allows that any time during March, even the end, would be fine. Some pending restaurant openings create more anticipation than others.Based on the proven talents of Giordano and Stojanovic, this is one we'll be looking forward to. Stay tuned for more info as March marches closer.

Tikl will be located at 1450 Brickell Avenue in downtown Miami.

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