Miami Restaurant Openings & Closings, May 2012

Lee Klein

Estiatorio Milos has arrived and brought some stunning Mediterranean imports along.

May was certainly an eventful month concerning Miami dining. A trio of favorites closed shop (Anise Taverna Rustica, Fratelli Lyon, Sustain Restaurant + Bar), and newcomer Mare Nostrum dropped away faster than squid on a stripper pole.

There were quite a few openings, the ones of note mostly debuting on South Beach: Estiatorio Milos and La Gloutonnerie, two high-end establishments, are a stone's throw apart in the South-of-Fifth neighborhood, while The Meatball Joint, new from Bernie Matz (The Café at Books & Books, Bernie's LA Café), offers a more affordable snack for the SoBe crowd.

As usual, plenty of exciting places are on deck. Most buzz is obviously over the June 14 premiere of José Andrés Bazaar, but there's plenty more coming up soon. Keep going for the (mostly) complete list...

Openings
Bella Beach Club at Trump International, 18001 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles Beach (actually opened late April)
Dominique Bistro - 1451 S Miami Ave., Miami
Estiatorio Milos - 730 First St., Miami Beach
Mesa - 264 Miracle Mile, same address and same chef/owner of Charlotte Bistro, new name and menu
Pasta Folies - 3252 NE First Ave., Miami
La Gloutonnerie 81 Washington Ave., Miami Beach
The Meatball Joint - 1570 Alton Rd., Miami Beach
RiverShack - 620 NE 78th St., Miami
Shoji Sushi - Same 100 Collins Avenue address, same menu, but with new ownership and management.