Lee Klein

Vic & Angelo's is closed.

​​Vic & Angelo's Coal Oven Enoteca, the mid-priced Italian eatery that replaced restaurateur David Manero's higher-priced eatery, DeVito, has closed. A visible for-lease sign hung on the building's facade when Short Order stopped by this afternoon.

The South Beach outpost held a grand opening bash in November with George Clooney's ex, Elisabetta Canalis, in attendance. Still, not even Clooney by proxy could help the eatery, that, according to critic Lee Klein, suffered from a "lengthy menu" and featured pizzas that were "overbaked until the sauce was dry."

The restaurant, which served coal-fired pizzas, meatballs, and over a dozen pasta dishes, was the third Vic & Angelo's. The two other restaurants in the chain, located in Palm Beach County, are still open.
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Courtesy of Lolita

Ceviche at the new Lolita Cocina

​​​​If January is any indication of things to come, 2012 will be a banner year for Miami dining. This past month saw the debuts of popular local haunts such as Blue Collar and Federal Food Drink & Provisions, as well as a new caviar lounge (The Dome Bar), Bianca at the Delano, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten's first entry into Florida via J & G Grill at the new St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort. Not too shabby.

Here then, a list of openings, a couple of closings, and a long lineup of projects yet to come.
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Mai Tardi is going out with a bang!

​When a Miami restaurant closes, it usually slinks away in the middle of the night, leaving only note on it's door as a reminder of all the good times you had together.

Not Mai Tardi, the lively design district eatery known for beautiful al fresco dining. The restaurant will be officially closing its doors on February 11, after a lease buyout from Dacra. The reason for the closing? Extensive construction work which would interfere with Mai Tardi's business, which is mostly outdoors.
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​We noted the opening of some 100-plus restaurants this past year; only half that number was on our "closed" list. There might be more of the latter: PR firms rarely trumpet the shuttering of businesses.

It was, overall, a great time to be a diner in Miami (you can read why in my yearly wrapup). So many fine new chefs and so many cool new eateries -- and even a slight sense of sophistication -- are seeping into our scene.

Better news: 2012 is shaping up to be a blockbuster season, and, quite frankly, things will only get better (barring unforeseen circumstances, like, say, Europe crashing and dragging the U.S. economy with it or Romney becoming prez and issuing a decree that U.S. restaurants can serve foods that only Mormons like). (Pass the mayo!)

So here, then, is a nostalgic look back at the restaurants that joined us and the ones that left in 2011:
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Naoe is on the move.

December proved to be an active final month of the year. There was the re-opening of the splashy, remodeled Rusty Pelican; the re-opening of Pearl Restaurant & Champagne Lounge; the re-opening Philippe by Philippe Chow in a new SoFi location; the second Sakaya Kitchen venue downtown, and the second 100 Montaditos shop in SoBe. Throw in a MexZican joint, another boutique burger joint, a salumeria, an Irish pub, and a couple of local places like Lokal and we're on a roll going into 2012.

Only notable closing is that of Miami's pride and joy -- Naoe -- but this is just a temporary hiatus while Kevin Cory moves his gem to Brickell Key. Now that's something to look forward to in the new year.
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Phuc Yea to stay open through Saturday.

​Vietnamese pop-up Phuc Yea has received an extension on its death sentence. The little restaurant that could was originally scheduled to close last night.

But by popular demand, Phuc Yea will stay open for the weekend, closing Saturday. The restaurant's two last dinner services are tonight and tomorrow from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m.

If you feel like you're going to be missing the team, don't fret because the Federal Food Drink & Provisions will open in January 2012. This time around, the Phuc Yea team is creating a restaurant around a concept closer to home -- the traditional American Pub (with a PG-13 rating this time, instead of the R-rated Phuc Yea).

For those of you already jonesing for Phuc Yea's humorous take on traditional Vietnamese cuisine, fret not. According to partner Aniece Meinhold, Phuc Yea will resurface at some point. Sounds like a restaurant empire in the making.

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​Lil' Anthony's Restaurant and Pizzeria, the pizza staple for Miami lawyers, judges and police known for its Italian menu of pizzas, sandwiches is closing for good. Its last day is Friday.

Strategically-placed across the street from the Stephen P. Clark Government Center and one block from the Miami-Dade County Courthouse, this quaint little joint has been serving pizza and pasta to lawmen as well as other customers for a decade.

The downturn in the economy and rent hikes hurt, says the seven-year owner Rafaelle Scatamacchia. Business has fallen about 50 percent over the last year and a half. "We're taking a break," says Scatamacchia. "It's been nice while it lasted. It's better to be wounded than dead."
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November was defined by The Dutch treat.

In September's Openings & Closings report, we cited a handful of openings (including Harry's Pizzeria and Phuc Yea!) and just a few closings. In the October edition, there were some dozen openings (like Yardbird and the two Pubbelly spin-offs) and again just three shutterings. November's numbers look a lot like those of September, with fewer than half the debuts seen last month, and the closings remaining but a few. Only real exciting November premiere was The Dutch. December, on the other hand, is shaping up to be a blockbuster (see "On Deck" for what's coming up).

Our November list of restaurant openings, closings (with anything we may have missed in October added in), and on-deckings:
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Alex Rodriguez

Viet-nom before they're gone

​Last call! Miami's first pop-up restaurant, Phuc Yea!, has officially started the '10 Day Countdown til [they] Peace Out' of the local food scene.

While we're all sad to see the quaintest and dankest place go, here are the perks to enjoy before they bid adieu:

From today to December 8, the place won't close as usual on Sunday and Monday. Instead, it will be open every day from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Parking is free in the area after 6, and it's a nice spot to grab a bite of Vietnamese fare between Art Basel attractions.
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​At the beginning of this week Tokyo Bowl closed in North Miami. A sign on the door reads "Thanks for your patronage." The drive-thru window is what made this sushi place unique. It was a savior for rumbling stomachs in search of fast sushi on the busy intersection of NE 123rd Street and Biscayne Boulevard.

Some people turn up their noses at the idea of drive-thru sushi. One girl, we'll call her "CL" said, "I threw up there once -- I think I had the rainbow roll or something." For others, like out of town visitors Ann and Joe, a visit back to the MIA was not complete without a trip to Tokyo Bowl; tempura cheesecake was among their favorite offerings. Which other sushi place offers the convenience of not having to get out of your car while you order?

Some swore by the savory beefy umami flavored sides of wonton soup; Others by the combo rolls which offered either a mix of sashimi or up to three rolls of sushi for around $8. And who can forget the $14 all-you-can-eat special?

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