MikaOpened December 12 in Coral Gables as part of a fascinating new chapter by chef Michael White. White, who opened Marea in 2009 and became New York’s foremost practitioner of high-end seafood Italian cuisine, never stops dishing out his hits. Of course, Mika’s specialties are sausages, such as his lobster with burrata and his octopus fusilli with bone marrow, all born in Marea.
“It’s like Jimmy Buffett always has to sing ‘Cheeseburgers in Heaven,'” White told the Observer. “These two dishes will really set the tone.” Bai, who is also just debuting SantI’m in New York, continuing to do what he does best and what his long-time fans want him to do. He serves elegant, well-crafted pasta dishes and pristine, beautifully plated cuts of meat.
He decided now was the perfect time to open Mika, his first standalone restaurant outside of a Florida hotel, as Miami has become a dining mecca, home to many New York transplants and discerning longtime locals. Plus, now that vendors like Baldor and Chefs’ Warehouse have made their way to Miami, getting ingredients and supplies has become easier.
“There’s massive infrastructure built here,” White said. “So we’re getting the same product that we would buy in New York City.” It makes sense that White would do the same thing in Miami, since the appetite for sea scallops and handmade pasta is as big here as it is in New York.
“I’m working on making different pastas now, different shapes, using different flours to keep raising the bar,” said White, who has dishes like cuttlefish and lobster mezzaluna on Mika’s menu. “During COVID, everyone is making sourdough. I’m making pasta and other things I haven’t made before and really digging into what I want to do now.
White opened Mika with partners Alex Pirez (a real estate and hospitality mogul who also works with Major Food Group and Groot Hospitality) and Matt Safchik (who was vice president of food and beverage development at Wynn Las Vegas) and later left Marea during the 2021 pandemic. Marea is also currently in expansion mode, with a Beverly Hills location expected to open in January. Outside of Beverly Hills, Major food groups partner with Altamarea Group Open Marea outposts around the world.
Now that Major Food Group debuted Carbone Vino last week in Coconut Grove, just a few miles from Mika, White believes the rising tide will lift it. High all these Italian luxury ships. There’s a lot of shared history here. White and Jeff Zalaznik of Major Foods are old friends. White fondly remembers dining with Zalaznik and the late food writer Josh Ozersky some two decades ago, when Zalaznik was a food blogger for Always Hungry. White also remembers Zalaznik having dinner with his parents in Marea.
“I spoke with Jeff and his team the other day and they’re going to honor the legacy I left at that restaurant,” White said. “I really respect and truly appreciate that. I feel so humbled that I left an indelible mark on everything. The restaurant will retain a core set of values and pasta-making philosophy. There is mutual respect between White and Major Food Group, which Zalaznick runs with chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi.
“We have nothing but love for him,” Carbon said. “I have very fond memories of eating at Marea. Richie, Jeff and I used to go there at the end of the year to celebrate. I hope he kills it. He did a really good job at The Gables and it’s good for us . White laughed when asked how far everyone has come. He was part of a major, decades-long movement that brought Italian ingredients and techniques to the forefront of American dining.
“Listen, Paul Bartolotta and I were making pasta together at Spiaggia in 1991, and we put this green sauce on the gnocchi and it was called pesto,” White said. “Ham just arrived in America. We stirred this damn rice in a pot and it was called risotto. It’s not lost on White that many Americans now make risotto at home. What he keeps adding to the conversation are his luxurious versions of Italian cuisine, such as Mika’s delicious pasta with blue crab, caviar and lemon cream. Dessert was a small ice cream cone topped with a slice of truffle. It’s a sweet ending but also like a new beginning in Coral Gables.
