Letter From the Editors

When we began thinking about what city to focus on for this issue, we didn’t decide on Miami so much as feel pulled there by gravitational force. In this, we were hardly alone. Miami has cast a potent spell over many in recent years, with thousands flocking here not just for a hit of sultry weather but to relocate permanently, bringing with them new ideas and businesses. Combined with the local culture that has long pervaded—the Caribbean and Latin American swagger, the Art Deco glamor, the collective thirst for an epic night out—the city today has the intoxicating sizzle of one in transformation.

One result of all this is what we explore and celebrate in these pages: a frenetic and expansive restaurant landscape like no place else. Cuban homestyle cooking, lavish omakase speakeasies, street corner BBQ, reimagined Jewish delis, old-school and new-school Mediterranean, taco stands pivoting into Michelin-starred Italian restaurants—the diversity is dizzying, the innovation inspiring, the flavors delicious.

Yet for all the culinary variety on display in the justly named Magic City, what the pioneering chefs and owners responsible for this bounty share is an anything-goes mentality, a sweaty mix of small-town scrappiness and big city ambition that has long been central to its spirit. Come up with an idea, chase it hard, ask questions later, adapt on the fly. We came to think of this as Miami’s almighty hustle—an ethos that fuels the city’s restaurant culture and animates the stories in this issue. We hope in each you find a taste of inspiration—and that, together, they showcase the vibrant community nourishing Miami.

Thanks for stopping by!
We’ll see you in the next city!

Editors
David Amsden & Erin Ruffin

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