L'Atelier is the "visionary creation of Joël Robuchon, combining gastronomic cuisine with a unique atmosphere of relaxed conviviality and interaction with an open kitchen."



"L'Atelier's name refers to a craftsman’s workshop, emphasizing Chef Robuchon’s hallmark of elevating the simplest of dishes into something extraordinary using pristine ingredients, immaculate technique, and abundant creativity. Chef Robuchon's protégés carry on this culinary philosophy at L'Atelier Miami, with a Modern French menu featuring iconic signature dishes, alongside new, ever-changing seasonal creations utilizing ingredients sourced from top local and regional purveyors. L'Atelier is honored to retain our two Michelin Stars in the 2024 Florida Guide."



This restaurant is dark and kind of sultry. Lots of red and an open kitchen makes it feel primal in some way.



The menu features hot and cold appetizers, signature creations and main courses. We ordered a couple of each to get a good variety.



We began with the famous bread basket - freshly baked Escargot rolls, artisan breads and baguettes made in-house daily by the boulanger.



Foie gras parfait with port wine reduction and parmesan emulsion



Zucchini mousse



La Betterave - prepared with beet, apple and avocado duo, green mustard sorbet & fresh herbs



La Langoustine - Crispy Langoustine Served with Basil Coulis. The Langoustine is wrapped in brick dough "papillote" allowing it to be juicy inside, and crispy on the outside.



Le Pigeon - Caramelized free-range squab, foie gras and mashed potato.



Side of mashed potatoes - Robuchon created his signature purée de pomme out of just four simple ingredients: potatoes, butter, milk and salt. Just look at that perfection.



Sorbet dessert



Final gift from the chef: cookie. Tiny portions, ginormous flavor. Such a fun experience and creative executionn.

Grade: A

Versailles Bakery is a famous Cuban bakery that is the counterpart to the famous Versailles Restaurant.



"Versailles eventually expanded to accommodate the now equally popular Versailles Bakery. The bakery makes all the desserts and pastries for the restaurant. Aside from famously sweet and decadent desserts, the bakery carries all the elements for a typical casual Cuban breakfast. Our loyal morning customers come in for a cortadito, a pastelito, and a croqueta, which they enjoy while sitting in the cafe reading their copy of El Nuevo Herald," reads the website.



I know pretty much no Spanish so I did a lot of pointing and trying to sound out words. But I still made sure to try a variety of items.



I tried a trea leches cake, guava and queso pastelito and jamon and queso pastelito.



Pastelitos, or Cuban pastries, are baked puff pastries with sweet or savory fillings. Similar to an empanada.



Every single item was perfection. I wished I could have tried even more. But the fried pastries are perfectly crisp without any grease. The flavors are explosive.



The tres leches cake was so moist and rich. It is one of my favorite cakes.



Really, it is a wonderful display of pastries, both sweet and savory, that are satisfying any time of day or night.



Have you been?



Grade: A

Joe's Stone Crab is a world-renowned Miami landmark that opened in 1913.



"When Joe Weiss opened his lunch counter in 1913, Miami Beach didn’t even have paved roads, and customers had to take the ferry to cross over. One century later, as high-rises and shopping districts blossomed all around, this restaurant has endured as one of the city’s prime attractions. Celebrities, politicians and locals alike make a beeline to this crustacean hot spot, now open year-round. And if the dedicated parking lot across the street is any clue, waits for a table here can get lengthy. Boiled, chilled and served with a signature mustard sauce, this seasonal specialty is also sustainable since crabs can regenerate their claws in around two years. End the meal with a refreshing, tart slice of key lime pie," according to the Michelin Guide.



Weiss came to Miami from New York City along with his wife, Jennie, in 1913, when his doctors told him that the only help for his asthma would be a change of climate. In 1918 they bought a bungalow near the beach, moved into the back, set up seven or eight tables on the front porch, cooked seafood in the kitchen, and called it Joe's Restaurant. In 1921, Joe brought in a Harvard ichthyologist, who mentioned that he should try cooking up the area’s plentiful stone crabs – which were abundant but nobody was eating. He took a chance and added them to the menu, and – lo and behold – they were delicious, and have been the restaurant’s signature dish since then.



Joe's son, Jesse, recalls on their website: "My dad threw the stone crabs in boiling water and that was the beginning of it. The bay was full of them! When we started serving them chilled and cracked with hash brown potatoes, cole slaw, and mayonnaise, they were an instant success. We charged seventy-five cents for four or five crabs, twenty-five cents for potatoes and twenty-five cents an order for cole slaw. And this is the way we have been serving them since. We hit the jackpot with that one!"



Stone crabs have a firm texture and sweet meat. Stone crabs differ from blue crabs in that only the oversized claws are harvested. This highly nutritious meat is considered a delicacy and, at Joe’s, is usually boiled and served chilled in the shell with mustard sauce. The meat resembles lobster in appearance and flavor, according to the website.



Kaitee and I parked across the street and approached the Maître D’ podium. The Maître D’ took our name and the number of our party. Then we grabbed a drink at the bar and waited for our name to be called when the table was ready. I went for a strawberry lemonade.



To start, we had a bread basket with a pretzel roll, regular roll, onion roll, rye slice and more.



We tried the grilled tomatoes with spinach stuffing and melted cheese; fried shrimp with garlic butter; lobster mac & cheese with white cheddar and butter breadcrumbs; snow crab bake and stuffies - baked stuffed clams with andouille sausage, onions, peppers and breadcrumbs.



Stone crabs weren't at the top of our list on this visit simply because they were out of season. Next time, though, I would love to check them out.



But everything that we had was delicious. I love seafood, so it's hard to go wrong here. But everything was just dripping with decadence.



Have you been?



Grade: A

Nobu is a famous, celebrity-loved Peruvian/Japanese restaurant that has locations in major cities, such as Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and more.



In 1987, Nobu Matsuhisa moved to Los Angeles and opened the eponymous restaurant Matsuhisa. Actor Robert De Niro first visited the restaurant in 1988. After that, he became a regular customer. De Niro suggested to Matsuhisa that he open a restaurant in New York City. They agreed to a joint venture: Nobu. While living in Lima, Peru, Matsuhisa developed his signature style: melding Japanese techniques with Peruvian ingredients. Nobu's famous signature dish is black cod with miso," reads Wikipedia.



I ordered a PINA MARTINI to drink, which had Van Gogh Pineapple, Crème de Peche, Pineapple, & Fresh Lime. This was delightful.



Kaitee and I ordered a few different dishes and just split everything. We figured that would allow us to try a little bit of a bunch of dishes.



WAGYU TACOS - two small tacos with tender, beefy wagyu, a crunchy shell and minimal toppings. Simple.



ROCK SHRIMP TEMPURA WITH CREAMY SPICY SAUCE - How do you keep it both crunchy and saucy? Poppable bites that are addicting.



YELLOWTAIL JALAPEÑO - thin slices of yellowtail are dipped in minced garlic, then plated with razor thin slices of jalapeno and topped with a yuzu ponzu sauce. Yum.



DUMPLINGS - Crispy outside. Tender wagyu interior.



CRISPY RICE WITH SPICY TUNA - crispy rice cakes topped with avocado, sashimi grade tuna, spicy mayo and sesame seeds.



SANTANDAGI - Japanese donuts and ice cream.



While everything here was good, it wasn't otherworldly good - especially for the price. Don't get me wrong; I enjoyed it. But I've had better, for less.



Have you ever been?



Grade: B

Islas Canarias is a Cuban restaurant in Miami that is known for its croquetas and more.



"Islas Canarias Restaurant is a family owned and operated restaurant, established in 1977 by the late Raul and Amelia Garcia and currently ran by their daughter Nancy Andrade along with her children Eileen and Jonathan Andrade. Raul’s family recipes have been preserved throughout the years under the careful watch of his children and grandchildren. The family has served generations of locals and tourists alike with the same quality service and attention to detail as its founders. Using the finest ingredients, Islas Canarias Restaurant aims to prepare quality, traditional plates from the family’s original recipes from Cuba. With a casually elegant atmosphere inspired by the European architecture of 1950s Cuba and the friendly ambiance of personnel that always recognizes a familiar face, every experience is pleasant when complimented by deliciously authentic Cuban & Spanish cuisine."



I ordered a strawberry shake to begin with. It was refreshing, which was so nice in the warm Miami sun. Kaitee went for a Cuban coffee.



Complimentary Cuban bread was served - nice crisp texture gives way to a soft interior.



Croquetas are a popular Cuban appetizer made of ground ham mixed with a creamy bechamel sauce that is shaped into an oval, coated with breadcrumbs, and deep-fried until golden brown. Islas Canarias offers ham, chicken, and fish varieties. I tried the ham and fish ones; what stood out to me is how almost creamy the interior was.



I also tried a Cuban sandwich with potato sticks. The Cuban sandwich has pork, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles, and it is pressed. this version had potato sticks on top, which gave a little extra saltines and crunch.



Grade: A