A handful of Miami restaurants prove that organic, local, and farm-to-table fare is more than a fad—it's a way of life.
If Executive Chef Julie Frans can’t be found in the kitchen, chances are she’s with her “baby”: a secret organic garden at The Palms Hotel & Spa growing everything from shishito peppers and kale to tomatoes and holy basil (India’s most sacred plant). “This is where I come for inspiration,” she says. From “beyond organic” Strauss grass-fed American beef to Amazonian paiche (an exotic freshwater fish) caught by conscientious fishermen in Peru, and even local links from Proper Sausages, Essensia’s offerings all have one thing in common: They are salubrious. “Just like with our bodies, energy flows through food, too.” The Palms Hotel & Spa, 3025 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-908-5458
For restaurateurs to forgo a freezer in the kitchen is a risky move, but at 27 (The Broken Shaker’s culinary offspring), Bar Lab guys Gabriel Orta and Elad Zvi don’t need one. “I know a lot of people say they do local, but we don’t [just] say—we do,” says Zvi. The staff pluck herbs straight from the rooftop or The Broken Shaker garden before mixing them into cocktails, or sprinkling them, along with Florida citrus, onto the whole fried daily catch of the day. Says Zvi, “Today we got sea urchin and octopus that came in from Little River Farms, but it won’t be available tomorrow.” Florida middleneck clams swimming in a chorizo broth, however, are a sure thing every night. 2727 Indian Creek Dr., Miami Beach, 305-531-2727
Don’t want to take a trek down to Homestead to get your dose of fresh heirloom tomatoes from Teena’s Pride? Pick some up at Cafe 221 (formerly the Filling Station) in downtown. In addition to produce to go, the all-organic bistro proffers java from Panther Coffee, fresh juice, and Zak the Baker sandwiches or toasts (try the roasted red peppers with artichokes and feta). “In France, farm-to-table isn’t something people say, it’s all there is,” says owner Carène Zaragoza, who moved from her home country with her husband, Jean, just a year ago. “We thought Miami was a good place to bring that type of food.” 221 NW First Ave., Miami, 786-536-2268
Choices Café creator Alex Cuevas believes that you are what you eat. “People are too busy to think about food and where it comes from,” he says. But he started thinking about it as a child: His father was a butcher in Mexico, which led him to become a vegetarian at the age of 10 and, decades later, to open Miami’s first fully vegan eatery. Here, the chorizo is made of soy, the produce is 95 percent organic, and the cheesecake is dairy free. Bite into La Pixsa, Choices’ version of pizza made with a gluten-free tortilla and topped with cashew cheese, black beans, walnut paté, carrots, onions, and either pesto or chipotle mayo. “We make choices every day,” says Cuevas. “Why not make good ones?” 2626 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, 786-534-5806
From the selection of rare craft brews to the hormone-free beef ground in-house daily, Wynwood’s hippest burger and beer joint keeps it as local and clean as possible. “Everything is made from scratch every single day—even the ketchup,” says owner Matt Kuscher, who abandoned a life of corporate stability (he was the general manager of Houston’s) to spread his dogma of fresh, local, and clean. It’s a feat Kuscher has accomplished, in part, by Kush being the first restaurant in Miami-Dade County to purchase clean energy from windmills. Start your meal with the Florida alligator bites and finish with a slice of fresh Key lime pie. 2003 N. Miami Ave., Miami, 305-576-4500
PHOTOGRAPHY VIA INSTAGRAM.COM/FREEHANDMIAMI; FACEBOOK.COM/ORGANIC221CAFE; FACEBOOK.COM/MYCHOICESCAFE; FACEBOOK.COM/KUSHWYNWOOD