Indulge In Mango Season At These Miami Restaurants
It's that magical part of the summer when mangos are ripening and falling off the trees at rates that South Floridians can hardly keep up with. This sweet, juicy fruit is only available fresh for a very short period of time each year, making mango season something local restaurants dive into when it comes to creating delicious seasonal additions to their menus.
Mangoes begin to ripen at the end of May and continue to do so through October, though the bulk of the season takes place in June and July as temperatures heat up. If you're one of the lucky ones who has their own tree, you might be scrambling to use all of your mangoes. But if you don't have a tree of your own, and are craving all things mango, there are tons of restaurants that can help you satisfy the summer craving.
From cocktails to salsa to salads and more, it's not uncommon to see mango-inspired menu specials popping up all over the Magic City. Here are just a few places where you can get your mango fix this season.
aguachile de camaron con mango fresco
At KoKo by Bakan the Aguachile de Camarón con Mango Fresco is made with shrimp, fresh cilantro, lime, celery, pumpkin seeds and bell peppers. Topped with bites of juicy mango, this colorful and refreshing dish is perfect to bring in the summertime. 'Beyond just freshness, the diced mango is a vital component, providing a juicy, sweet counterpoint that harmonizes beautifully with the heat and tang of the aguachile,' says Eduardo Durazo, CFO of DZO Hospitality.
Local mango cheesecake
This beloved bakery in Wynwood is known for using local mangoes to make delicious treats every year. The mangoes this team uses are so local that they hold an annual Mango Trade each year where locals are encouraged to trade their homegrown mangoes for fresh baked goods. 'The Mango Trade is our way of honoring this unique season, celebrating the abundance of South Florida's summer harvest and the spirit of community that sustains us,' says the bakery on an Instagram post. This year's exchange rate is six mangoes = one loaf of bread – which sounds like a super solid deal. There are a few rules though: one trade per person per day, mangoes must be larger than a closed fist, and no bruised, cut, bitten, or overripe fruit. One of the mango treats you'll currently find on the Zak the Baker menu is a Mango Basque Cheesecake made with those local mangos and a Biscoff crust.
Known for its extensive menu of premium spirits, specialty cocktails, and small-batch wines, the Living Room at Faena has a summer cocktail that's right up any mango lover's alley. 'The Queen of Collins pays homage to the hotel's previous incarnation as the glamorous Saxony Hotel, an opulent hotel described as The Queen of Collins Avenue. The base is a carefully crafted blend of Santa Teresa 1796 Solera style aged rum, Caribbean pineapple liquor, giving it a fruity, crisp, and aromatic touch. At the heart of the cocktail is lush mango purée, adding a rich, golden layer of tropical sweetness. The mango's flavor brings vibrant depth and smooth texture, evoking warmth and brightness in every sip. A hint of cilantro adds an herbal note, while fresh lime juice provides a zesty finish to balance the sweetness,' says Joshua Rodriguez, Director of Nightlife at Faena Miami Beach. The Queen of Collins is a mouthwatering, mango-forward cocktail made with Santa Teresa 1796 Rum, mango purée, cinnamon, Giffard Caribbean Pineapple Liquor and fresh-pressed lime juice.
Grilled Mango Salad
If mango salad is your jam, head over to Stiltsville Fish Bar in Sunset Harbour. Made with local mango, butter lettuce, sesame seed vinaigrette, radish, candied pecans, heirloom tomatoes & pickled onions. It is a light and refreshing take on the perfect summer salad. 'The Grilled Mango Salad has been on our menu since opening,' says Jeff McInnis, executive chef of Stiltsville. 'We cut the mango and lay it on the char grill with olive oil, salt and pepper. The smoke and char really changes the mango and gives it an earthy + savory flavor. We combine a sesame dressing with some sweet & spiced pecans.'
Located at Bal Harbour Shops, Makoto is known for its delicious sushi and great people watching. This season, the menu features a delicious mango dessert. The Toban Yaki combines passion fruit-white chocolate, almond cookie crumble and mango sorbet, creating a light and playful summer dessert. A perfect way to end your meal on a sweet note. 'We chose to use Mango as a main component of this dish because it adds a refreshing touch for the guest to enjoy while having the other parts of the dish, which are quite rich and strong in flavors,' says Daniel Garner, executive chef at Makoto. 'It is also a big part of Miami culture, as there are many mango trees throughout the city and when Mango season comes around, they are in abundance for all to share and enjoy.'
Dance the night away at Little Havana's Ball & Chain. Once you've worked up a sweat (or maybe you need a little liquid courage to get out on the dance floor), order a Call Me a Cooler. This bright, tropical cocktail is made with Absolut Mango vodka, vibrant passion fruit purée, fresh lime juice, and a touch of simple syrup, topped with crisp club soda. 'We use Absolut Mango vodka to infuse this cocktail with a clean, ripe mango essence that forms the fruity backbone of the drink,' says Darius Green, Director of Operations at Ball & Chain. 'Paired with passionfruit, lime, and a splash of Aperol, the mango adds a tropical roundness that ties everything together, making it ultra-refreshing and perfect for Miami's heat.'
Spice, Spice Baby
Rooftop cocktails are such a vibe in the summer and Level 6 is the perfect backdrop for them. For those who want to skip the actual alcohol, the Spice Spice Baby is a solid choice. Crafted with jalapeño-infused Seedlip, notas de agave, mango, pineapple, coconut, and lemon, it's a bold, non-alcoholic option bursting with vibrant, tropical summer flavors. Refreshing with a touch of heat, it's the perfect zero-proof sip. 'Anytime I think of making a tropical cocktail, mango is always a front-runner in my ingredient selection,' Derick Washington, Assistant General Manager at Level 6. 'It's such a versatile fruit with an amazing but subtle sweetness that can be used with any spirit. It goes perfectly in our Spice Spice Baby non-alcoholic beverage at Level 6 where it's a blend of mango, a touch of spice and smooth agave to create a non-alcoholic tropical paradise in a glass.'
El Dorado cocktail
While strolling Lincoln Drive, make your way up to Oro Miami Beach to order an El Dorado. This cocktail is a vibrant, subtly spiced margarita made with cocuy saroche, yellow bell pepper, aji amarillo, and mango. Inspired by the legend of the lost city of gold, it delivers layered notes of fruit and vegetal spice, with a tingling heat that lingers. Bold yet refreshing, it's a creative take on the classic margarita that captures the spirit of adventure. 'When introducing new flavors, I've always found it essential to anchor the unfamiliar with the familiar,' says Evan Lewis, head beverage manager at Oro Miami. 'In Miami, mango is more than just a fruit - it's a symbol of sun-soaked abundance. In the El Dorado, it brings both sweetness and nostalgia, grounding vibrant notes of bell pepper, aji amarillo, and our breezy base spirit in something that feels like home.'
Octopus Carpaccio
At Elia on the River the octopus carpaccio features tender slices of octopus paired with cherry tomato, mango, radish, and a vibrant citrus herb vinaigrette, making it a refreshing and flavorful choice for the summer season. 'At Elia we celebrate peak-season mango by slicing it fresh and folding it into our citrus herb vinaigrette, adding a tropical brightness to our Octopus Carpaccio,' Pete Valdez, says chef at Elia on the River. 'Paired with cherry tomatoes, radish, and tender octopus, the mango balances the dish with a touch of natural sweetness and vibrant acidity. It's a refreshing expression of coastal Italian flavors with a Miami twist.'
Mango season is a big deal at Michael's Genuine in Miami's Design District. "One of the reasons I love mango season is that it's so unique in the U.S. to South Florida. And as we come out of our proper growing season (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers etc) mango gives us this amazing opportunity to play,' says Michael Swchartz, owner/chef of Michael's Genuine. 'I'll often unload hundreds of pounds of fruit onto the MGFD team and challenge them to feature it in all sorts of ways. From sweets to savory preparations to cocktails, and canning and preserving to prolong the season." This year the menu features a few delicious menu items including wood toasted prawns brushed with a homemade mango habanero glaze served with a green mango salad, peanuts in a nước chấm sauce; a King Mackerel crudo topped with local mango, basil, coconut milk, chili oil and crispy rice; and a Market Special cocktail made with Quebranta pisco that's shaken with fresh mango, lemongrass, and fresh lime juice.
Arroz con Mango cocktail
For those who want to sip a little mango magic, Finka Table & Tap has the perfect cocktail for you. This juicy beverage is made with Haku Rice vodka, toasted rice syrup, mango purée, habanero tincture, fresh lime juice, rice lime zest foam, and mango rice powder. 'Our new Arroz Con Mango cocktail might surprise you. The name sets you up for something sweet, but it hits differently,' says Alex Aportela, the beverage director at Finka Table & Tap. 'You've got creamy mango, nutty toasted rice, a citrusy rice-lime foam, and a subtle kick of heat that catches you off guard. It's familiar, but with a twist that keeps you coming back.'
Over at Arcano, guests can enjoy a healthy quinoa dish that features fresh mango 'The Quinoa de los Andes is a vibrant celebration of flavor, color, and Latin American roots,' says Juan Diego Canahuati, owner of Arcano. 'From the heart of the Andes to the shores of the Caribbean, this dish brings together the rich diversity of Hispano-American ingredients in one nourishing and irresistible bowl. Served warm, it's both comforting and refreshing, perfectly balanced by the tropical brightness of mango and the depth of grilled shrimp in a house-made glaze." This dish is made with Andean Red Quinoa, Mushrooms, Bell Pepper, Pomegranate, Mango, and is topped with grilled shrimp. Wash it down with a Sabor y Sol cocktail made with pisco, spinach-cucumber-jalapeño shrub, mango purée, lime juice, and simple syrup. 'Our Sabor y Sol cocktail is sunshine in a glass – tropical mango, a hint of herbs, and a smooth finish that tastes like golden hour in Miami,' says Canahuati. 'Fresh mango pairs beautifully with our spinach-cucumber-jalapeño shrub, creating a vibrant, refreshing cocktail with a tropical twist and a touch of heat."
Mango Seltzer
Sip on a housemade mango seltzer at Brickell's Kaori. Made with Ketel One Citroen vodka, Mizu Lemongrass Shochu, Grand Marnier, mango, lemon verbena, lime zest, and Co2, it's a fun and refreshing way to celebrate mango season. 'This cocktail was inspired by the idea of elevating a classic mango seltzer, like a White Claw or Truly, into a gourmet version using real, high-quality ingredients,' says Diego Deleon, Beverage Director at Kaori. 'It's garnished with an olive, a playful nod to a cocktail I once tried by Shingo Gokan that combined mango and olive brine. Surprisingly, the pairing worked beautifully. The bright salinity of the olive followed by the mango's natural sweetness creates a unique and refreshing contrast. To make it service-friendly, we force-carbonate and bottle the cocktail in advance, so it's ready to pour and garnish during service.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fast Company
8 hours ago
- Fast Company
Trump rollback on clean energy subsidies stalls major solar, wind projects and manufacturing plans
Singapore-based solar panel manufacturer Bila Solar is suspending plans to double capacity at its new factory in Indianapolis. Canadian rival Heliene's plans for a solar cell facility in Minnesota are under review. Norwegian solar wafer maker NorSun is evaluating whether to move forward with a planned factory in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And two fully permitted offshore wind farms in the U.S. Northeast may never get built. These are among the major clean energy investments now in question after Republicans agreed earlier this month to quickly end U.S. subsidies for solar and wind power as part of their budget megabill, and as the White House directed agencies to tighten the rules on who can claim the incentives that remain. This marks a policy U-turn since President Donald Trump's return to office that project developers, manufacturers and analysts say will slash installations of renewable energy over the coming decade, kill investment and jobs in the clean energy manufacturing sector supporting them, and worsen a looming U.S. power supply crunch as energy-hungry AI infrastructure expands. Solar and wind installations could be 17% and 20% lower than previously forecast over the next decade because of the moves, according to research firm Wood Mackenzie, which warned that a dearth of new supplies could slow the expansion of data centers needed to support AI technology. Energy researcher Rhodium, meanwhile, said the law puts at risk $263 billion of wind, solar, and storage facilities and $110 billion of announced manufacturing investment supporting them. It will also increase industrial energy costs by up to $11 billion in 2035, it said. 'One of the administration's stated goals was to bring costs down, and as we demonstrated, this bill doesn't do that,' said Ben King, a director in Rhodium's energy and climate practice. He added the policy 'is not a recipe for continued dominance of the U.S. AI industry.' The White House did not respond to a request for comment. The Trump administration has defended its moves to end support for clean energy by arguing the rapid adoption of solar and wind power has created instability in the grid and raised consumer prices – assertions that are contested by the industry and which do not bear out in renewables-heavy power grids, like Texas' ERCOT. Power industry representatives, however, have said all new generation projects need to be encouraged to meet rising U.S. demand, including both those driven by renewables and fossil fuels. Consulting firm ICF projects that U.S. electricity demand will grow by 25% by 2030, driven by increased AI and cloud computing – a major challenge for the power industry after decades of stagnation. The REPEAT Project, a collaboration between Princeton University and Evolved Energy Research, projects a 2% annual increase in electricity demand. With a restricted pipeline of renewables, tighter electricity supplies stemming from the policy shift could increase household electricity costs by $280 a year in 2035, according to the REPEAT Project. The key provision in the new law is the accelerated phase-out of 30% tax credits for wind and solar projects: it requires projects to begin construction within a year or enter service by the end of 2027 to qualify for the credits. Previously the credits were available through 2032. Now some project developers are scrambling to get projects done while the U.S. incentives are still accessible. But even that strategy has become risky, developers said. Days after signing the law, Trump directed the Treasury Department to review the definition of 'beginning of construction.' A revision to those rules could overturn a long-standing practice giving developers four years to claim tax credits after spending just 5% of project costs. Treasury was given 45 days to draft new rules. 'With so many moving parts, financing of projects, financing of manufacturing is difficult, if not impossible,' said Martin Pochtaruk, CEO of Heliene. 'You are looking to see what is the next baseball bat that's going to hit you on the head.' About face Heliene's planned cell factory, which could cost as much as $350 million, depending on the capacity, and employ more than 600 workers, is also in limbo, Pochtaruk said in an interview earlier this month. The company needs more clarity on both what the new law will mean for U.S. demand, and how Trump's trade policy will impact the solar industry. 'We have a building that is anxiously waiting for us to make a decision,' Pochtaruk said. Similarly, Mick McDaniel, general manager of Bila Solar, said 'a troubling level of uncertainty' has put on hold its $20 million expansion at an Indianapolis factory it opened this year that would create an additional 75 jobs. 'NorSun is still digesting the new legislation and recent executive order to determine the impact to the overall domestic solar manufacturing landscape,' said Todd Templeton, director of the company's U.S. division that is reviewing plans for its $620 million solar wafer facility in Tulsa. Five solar manufacturing companies – T1 Energy, Imperial Star Solar, SEG Solar, Solx and ES Foundry – said they are also concerned about the new law's impact on future demand, but that they have not changed their investment plans. The policy changes have also injected fresh doubt about the fate of the nation's pipeline of offshore wind projects, which depend heavily on tax credits to bring down costs. According to Wood Mackenzie, projects that have yet to start construction or make final investment decisions are unlikely to proceed. Two such projects, which are fully permitted, include a 300-megawatt project by developer US Wind off the coast of Maryland and Iberdrola's 791 MW New England Wind off the coast of Massachusetts. Neither company responded to requests for comment. 'They are effectively ready to begin construction and are now trapped in a timeline that will make it that much harder to be able to take advantage of the remaining days of the tax credits,' said Hillary Bright, executive director of offshore wind advocacy group Turn Forward.
CNN
8 hours ago
- CNN
Tesla's stock is tumbling after Elon Musk failure to shift the narrative
Elon Musk's big promises apparently no longer seem to be enough for many Tesla investors. Shares of Tesla (TSLA) fell 9% on Thursday following another dismal earnings report, released after the bell Wednesday. Tesla's earnings and revenue both fell by double-digit percentages following the biggest sales drop in the company's history. The automaker also faces a number of financial headwinds, including the loss of a $7,500 tax credit for US EV buyers starting in October, and the vanishing market for regulatory credit sales, which has earned Tesla $11 billion since 2019. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk barely talked about that on the earnings call Wednesday, although he did acknowledge the company 'probably could have a few rough quarters.' Instead, he talked about his grand vision for the future, including Tesla's long-promised robotaxi service; and its humanoid robot, Optimus, which is still in development. The lack of details about the company's plans to solve problems in the near term disappointed some investors and analysts. 'Investors have been very forgiving of Tesla for several quarters now, despite obvious headwinds to their business,' Garrett Nelson, analyst at CFRA Research, told CNN Thursday. 'But I think its investors are taking a more realistic view of the story at this point. Some of his brilliance has been his ability to keep investors focused on the long term and ignoring the near term and intermediate term. Now, headwinds are difficult to ignore.' Nelson downgraded the company's stock to a neutral rating in April. But even some of the Tesla bulls on Wall Street are saying that the time for Musk to take action is running out. 'The street is losing some patience,' Wedbush Securities tech analyst Dan Ives told CNN Thursday, although he said he still believes in the autonomous vehicle and artificial intelligence vision laid out by Musk and Tesla. Musk has made big promises about his robotaxi service, including that it would be in service within a year as early as 2019. Tesla's robotaxis finally rolled out in June this year, albeit in a limited portion of Austin, Texas, to friends and fans of the company, and with an employee sitting beside the empty driver's seat. However, that limited rollout wasn't enough to stop Musk from making extraordinary claims on Wednesday that the service would be available to half the nation's population by year's end. To achieve that, Tesla will need to get regulatory permission to operate in two states per week through the rest of the year, including New York, which does not allow autonomous vehicles on its roads. Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein said that while he does believe Tesla will eventually be successful in its robotaxi venture, 'the software will require further testing' and he does not expect a full robotaxi product until 2028. But Musk has a history of making grand promises that do not pan out. Like the Cybertruck – the only new vehicle Tesla has offered in the last six years. Musk said Tesla was supposed to be delivering 250,000 vehicles annually by this year. But full-year sales of the Cybertruck and Tesla's two other expensive models were less than 80,000. Sales of the three plunged 52% in the most recent quarter. Tesla also started the year forecasting it would achieve higher sales following its first annual sales drop in its history in 2024. But after two quarters of record sales declines, most investors now assume that it will not meet that goal either. And with Musk himself barely mentioning car sales during an hour-long conference call, it doesn't appear that is enough for shareholders any longer. 'We are mixed on Tesla's ability to meet its robotaxi timelines, cost targets, and scale,' wrote Ben Kallo, an analyst for Baird, in a note to clients late Wednesday. 'So far Tesla has received a pass due to how ambitious/revolutionary these products are, but we think continued sluggishness in the auto business could cause more focus on the near term.'
Entrepreneur
8 hours ago
- Entrepreneur
4 Signs It's Time to Abandon Your Patent
How to make smart, strategic calls on when to abandon patents — and why doing so is essential to long-term innovation and budget health Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Patents are often filed early, before a startup knows what the market really wants. That's smart, but it comes with a challenge: Not every idea turns out to be worth protecting. Markets shift. Products pivot. And eventually, founders ask: Should we keep paying for this patent or cut our losses? It's a tough call. Abandoning a patent midway can feel like giving up. But continuing just because you've already spent money? That's the sunk cost trap, and it quietly drains your budget. Many startups keep prosecuting every idea, paying rejections, annuities and attorney fees. But a smart IP strategy means knowing what to keep and what to walk away from. Here's how to make that call strategically. Related: How to Identify the Patent-Worthy Innovations in Your Business Built-in checkpoints in patent lifecycle — use them Roughly, you can split a patent's entire lifecycle cost into three parts. The first third goes to drafting the application, another third is for arguing the patent through issuance, and the final third covers patent maintenance fees for the next 20+ years. In a way, these financial checkpoints are decision checkpoints, too. When drafting, consider whether the invention aligns with your core business or is just a side experiment that may never get to market. During prosecution, evaluate whether it's still worth the legal wrangling, as each round of argument is costly. And when renewal fees come due, ask if the patent still supports your product, blocks competitors or adds leverage against others in the market. Unfortunately, many startups treat these pivotal stages as administrative formalities. Instead of evaluating whether continued investment is justified at each stage, many companies default to pushing forward — whether by extending prosecution unnecessarily, filing continuations without a clear purpose, or simply paying maintenance fees — without assessing strategic alignment. That's how portfolios get bloated with low-impact patents. The only solution here is patent pruning: Abandon some patent filings at the right checkpoints. Related: Don't Let Patent Costs Crush Your Startup — Here's How to Protect Your IP Without Breaking the Bank What are the signs that it's time to abandon a patent? Every dollar spent defending or maintaining a weak patent is a dollar not spent protecting something truly valuable. Therefore, you must look for the signs at different checkpoints to spot a patent to discard. Here are some signs to look for: 1. No market validation A patent is only valuable if the protected product actually sells. If your invention fails to gain customer traction, the patent will be a failure. Experts emphasize focusing on "high-impact" problems with real demand. Without that market pull, even a granted patent is a dead weight. For example, Google Glass — once hyped as the future of AR eyewear — never found a viable consumer market. It was pulled from sale in 2015 (and again in 2023) due to poor adoption, illustrating how patents tied to unvalidated products offer no return. 2. Shifting industry direction Industries evolve, and a patent can lose value if the tech horizon moves on. In practice, companies are advised to ask whether their invention still aligns with "the target industry and market." If adjacent innovations eclipse your solution (for example, cloud services replacing old networking hardware), the patent's relevance vanishes. In that scenario, it makes little sense to keep paying maintenance fees. Better to refocus on protections for innovations that fit the new direction of your field. 3. Prior art kills the novelty Sometimes, what initially feels like a breakthrough ends up being something others have already attempted or fully disclosed. If prior art eclipses your claims, the chances of securing meaningful protection drop significantly. At that point, even if you receive a patent, it may be so narrow that it offers little real-world value. Continuing to prosecute a case like this can quickly become a drain on time and legal budget. 4. Weak business use case Every patent in your portfolio should earn its keep through business impact or the potential to do so on your current roadmap. If it's not protecting a revenue-generating product, blocking a competitor or supporting licensing efforts, its value is questionable. Startups often hang on to patents without a clear path to monetization or strategic use. But unless a patent strengthens your market position or serves a legal or commercial purpose, it's just another expense on the books. To actively prune your patent portfolio, just looking for signs isn't enough. As the portfolio grows, you need a deliberate, repeatable process for patent abandonment assessment. Build a patent pruning system: Health checks and ranking framework An effective patent pruning system should take two things into consideration: 1) lifecycle stage and 2) multiple perspectives. For the first one, you want to start by ranking each patent across key lifecycle stages: At the idea stage : Is this innovation aligned with your product roadmap or market differentiation? Post-filing : Has the landscape shifted? Is the application still strategically relevant? Pre-renewal: Is the granted patent still supporting revenue, blocking competitors or enhancing leverage? The higher a patent scores at a certain stage, the more you want to invest in it. Please note that not only your legal counsel team but also others, such as product, technology, marketing and finance, must contribute to this ranking system, as pruning cannot be undone. The goal is to ensure that patents are evaluated through a business lens, not just a legal one. Consider using patent management tools that provide full portfolio visibility and enable seamless collaboration as part of your patent pruning process. Related: 4 Surprising Patent Myths That Could Cost You Big — What You Need to Know Now Pruning a patent portfolio isn't just about saving money; it's about fueling what's next with the reclaimed budget. In 2020, IBM stepped back from chasing patent volume. "We're no longer pursuing patent leadership," they said. "We're being more selective." The result? Fewer filings, stronger focus and more investment in high-growth areas like AI and quantum computing. That's the lesson: Pruning isn't cutting back. It's reallocating toward where your business is growing. Because IP should follow your future, not fund your past.
