Latest news with #JamesBeardAward
Axios
10 hours ago
- Business
- Axios
Miami's summer slowdown claims even more restaurants
Less than two months after Chef Nando Chang won a James Beard Award as the head chef of Itamae AO, the restaurant announced it was closing on Saturday — the latest in a summer of high-profile restaurant closures. Why it matters: This year's seasonal slowdown has been marked by a seemingly never-ending stream of social media posts thanking customers for their support and news outlets announcing final services. Between the lines: Itamae AO's future became unclear in late June after his sister, award-winning chef Valerie Chang, announced she was stepping away from Maty's, the Peruvian restaurant next door. Customers accessed Itamae through the adjoining Maty's space. In an Instagram post Tuesday night, the intimate, Michelin star restaurant said it wasn't going away for good: "We're excited to find our new home." The big picture: Just shy of the season's halfway mark, the Miami Herald this month reported that many local chefs and restaurant owners felt this summer was "shaping up to be the worst" one yet, citing "non-existent" foot traffic and a drop in reservations. Others blamed the rising cost of food, rent and insurance. State of plate: The outlet at the time listed nine recent closures, ranging from Michelin-stared restaurants like Maty's to longtime favorites like Miami Beach's Sardinia Italian restaurant, which closed after almost 20 years. Since then, a handful of others have shuttered, too: CHICA, which closed after six years; Piegari Italian restaurant, which closed after just one year; and Erba, the award-winning Italian restaurant, which operated in Coral Gables for about two years. What they're saying: "For a lot of our businesses, most of them being outdoors, heat" is a factor, Emi Guerra, co-founder of Breakwater Hospitality Group, which owns restaurants across South Florida, told Axios. Still, a restaurant's location — whether it's in a busy, walkable neighborhood or has a strong local clientele — plus its ability to pivot over the summer to things like events or parties, can also determine how hard it's hit during the summer slowdown, he said. Meanwhile, while speaking on a podcast in May, Felix Bendersky, founder of F&B Hospitality Leasing, said one of the reasons the summer slowdown is punching harder is because Miami's peak season is "getting less and less." While it used to end in June and start up again in September, Bendersky said it is now more likely to end after the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, which was the first weekend in May this year, and restart around Art Basel, which isn't until December.
Eater
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
A Korean Vegetarian Cafe From One of Ann Arbor's Most Celebrated Chefs Arrives in Kerrytown
is an award-winning writer and journalist who covers the local food scene from her home base in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Chef Ji Hye Kim always visits her favorite Buddhist temple when she's back in Korea — but not just for the spiritual experience. She discovered the temple's kitchen also serves up top-notch vegetarian food. 'I was blown away by how delicious it can be,' she says. Back at her flagship restaurant, Miss Kim — consistently recognized as one of Ann Arbor's best — some patterns emerged: vegetable dishes were among the most popular on the menu, and vegetarian-themed dinners sold out fast. And on a personal level, Kim started eating less meat for health reasons. Ji Hye Kim has been on the James Beard Awards committee's long list five times for her work at Miss Kim. Gerard + Belevender Kim tells Eater that all of these experiences inspired Little Kim, a fast-casual restaurant with an all-vegetarian menu, opening on Thursday, July 31. The 24-seat restaurant with counter ordering is next door to Miss Kim in the Kerrytown courtyard, in a spot formerly occupied by Eat. Little Kim's menu prices are lower than her full-service restaurant, but Kim wants to make something very clear about her latest concept: 'We're not going to have [plant-based] Impossible Meat or fake chicken nuggets.' Instead, featured proteins include tofu, tempeh, kidney beans, chickpeas, and eggs. For the make-your-own bowl, diners choose their protein and pair it with a base of jasmine rice, greens, or french fries. From there, they can add fresh and house-pickled vegetables — like tangles of pickled red onion, carrot salad, or refreshing bites of smashed cucumber — and finish off their bowls with toppings such as sambal hot sauce, garlic vinaigrette, toasted seaweed, or fresh herbs. The menu draws inspiration from Korea, Japan, China, and India, but tastes of Ann Arbor also come through in the partnerships with local businesses. A fried tofu sandwich with red cabbage, cucumbers, and seaweed mayo is served on crusty Zingerman's Bakehouse bread. Kim also partners with her Kerrytown neighbor Tracklements, known for its smoked fish, to create smoked tofu, and with the Brinery for smoked tempeh. Little Kim also has a mini-mart with grab-and-go items, including bean salad, seasonal kimchi, and homemade marinades and sauces — a sweet and spicy gochjung-based 'marinara' can be tossed into freshly cooked noodles at home. A build-your-own bowl. Gerard + Belevender Kimbap is one of the daily offerings at Little Kim. Gerard + Belevender While the restaurant doesn't yet have a liquor license (Kim hopes to extend Miss Kim's to the new space), the drink menu features homemade sodas made with fruit juices, sweet vinegars, and bitters, alongside iced tea, cold brew, and Vietnamese coffee. If all that sounds bold and original, consider the source: Kim has been recognized as a James Beard Award semifinalist five times and was named one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs of 2021. In August, she'll appear alongside other award-winning chefs at the inaugural Traverse City Food & Wine event. Kim calls the Beard recognition a 'great honor' and credits it to Miss Kim's consistency. 'But on a community level, it's a recognition of smaller towns and smaller markets,' she says, and especially meaningful from a foundation historically focused on restaurants in New York, San Francisco, and other big cities. With Little Kim, chef Ji Hye Kim is leaning into her vegetarian cooking. Gerard + Belevender A fried tofu rice bowl. Gerard + Belevender Kim's origins are as humble as the small Midwest city she calls home. She trained not in culinary school but in the kitchens of local restaurants such as Zingerman's Delicatessen and Zingerman's Roadhouse (another top-ranked A2 restaurant). Her greatest culinary inspiration? Her mom, a talented home cook who made batches of kimchi every fall with seasonal vegetables, dumplings for New Year's, and rice cakes for harvest festivals. Her personal favorite was seaweed soup. 'It's known as birthday soup, because every Korean child gets it on their birthday. So American kids get cake; Korean kids get seaweed soup.' Jjajangbap, or black bean sauce with rice. Gerard + Belevender She's especially excited about the local Michigan produce that shines at Little Kim. Cucumbers, green beans, and radishes are in now, but things really get going in August as tomatoes, corn, and other late-summer crops hit their peak. It seems appropriate, then, that Little Kim is just steps away from the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, whose stalls are now overflowing with produce and people every Saturday. The cozy restaurant is a simple yet welcoming space with leafy plants and traditional Korean earthenware. 'I like clean white spaces filled with green things,' Kim says, adding that she decorates her own home in a similar motif. Little Kim is located in a courtyard-facing space in Kerrytown. Gerard + Belevender The restaurant is counter service-only, with takeout and delivery available. Gerard + Belevender Ji Hye Kim favors a minimalist aesthetic accented by plants. Gerard + Belevender Customers eating onsite will order at the counter, and staff will bring food to their tables. Online ordering through Grubhub and Uber Eats is coming soon. However you enjoy it, Little Kim offers a special kind of vegetarian experience in Ann Arbor: deeply flavorful, refreshingly unfussy, and rooted in both tradition and community. Little Kim is located at 407 N. 5th Avenue in Ann Arbor; opening Thursday, July 31; hours are 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; takeout and delivery via the restaurant website, Snackpass, UberEats, and Grubhub.
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
This Miami restaurant has a Michelin star and an award-winning chef. Now it's closing
Another Michelin-starred Miami restaurant is closing, this one from a celebrated James Beard Award-winning chef. Itamae Ao, the stunning 10-seat Peruvian-Japanese restaurant in Midtown from Chef Nando Chang, has announced that it's closing, with the final service Saturday, Aug. 2. The announcement comes a month after Maty's, the Peruvian restaurant operated by Chang's sister Valerie, also a James Beard Award winner, shut down. Itamae Ao's future was immediately uncertain: It's accessed through the adjoining Maty's space, and with Maty's closure, there was no way for customers to enter the smaller restaurant. Chang, who said he is looking for a new home for his award-winning concept, said he was grateful for 'the great run we've had in this special space.' 'Itamae AO has always been closely tied to Maty's — not just because my sister was its chef but because it literally serves as the entrance to our restaurant,' he said. 'When she stepped away, we knew it would soon be time for us to move on as well. Itamae AO isn't going away, and I'm excited to find our new home.' This summer, while he actively seeks a new space, Chang plans to take Itamae on the road with pop-ups in Milwaukee and New York City. The Changs entered the Miami restaurant industry with their father Fernando, operating the original Itamae counter at a Design District food hall. Later, they opened the restaurant as a standalone. Valerie Chang went on to open Maty's, earning the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South in 2024; her brother earned the same award in 2025, a two months after Itamae Ao earned a Michelin star. The guide praised Chang's skill with classic Peruvian-Japanese flavors. 'Searing levels of acidity and spice figure prominently on this bold tasting menu, often in the form of leche de tigre,' the guide says. 'From lobster bisque with sweet potato gnocchi to creamy rice with Hokkaido scallops and parmesan, the cooking possesses style and substance in spades.' At the Michelin ceremony in Orlando, Chang delivered an emotional speech, thanking his family and the city where he has found a home. 'I want to say I could not be prouder . . . to be a part of this beautiful country,' he said. 'Thank you, America, and thank you, Miami. ' He also thanked the James Beard Foundation for their commitment to diversity: 'All food is immigrant and immigrants make America great.'
Eater
a day ago
- Business
- Eater
One of Seattle's Oldest Diners Is Closing After 62 Years
The Ravenna Varsity — typically just called the Varsity — which has been holding down the corner of 65th Street and 23rd Avenue Northeast for an astonishing 62 years, will close permanently on Sunday, August 3, Vanishing Seattle reports. The diner was a North Seattle landmark and outlived its original building, which was torn down in 2002; the Varsity reopened in the mixed-use building that replaced it in 2004. According to Vanishing Seattle, Mariners manager Lou Pinella had a meal at the Varsity after arriving in town for the job and asked waitress Sandy Pelkey for directions to the Kingdome. Pelkey has been working there since 1979 and bought the Varsity from original owner Ozzie Boyle; she now runs the restaurant with her son Bryan. Pelkey told Vanishing Seattle that the Varsity is closing after she couldn't reach an agreement on a new lease with the landlord. Rising prices and pandemic-related losses also contributed to the decision (common factors in many recent restaurant closures). 'While it breaks our hearts to see the Varsity shut its doors, what we will miss the most is the customers that have become like members of our family,' the Pelkeys told Vanishing Seattle. 'The doors may shut, but the connections and community we built will last a lifetime.' Here are more notable restaurant and bar closure announcements from around Seattle. If you know of a closure we missed, please email us at seattle@ CAPITOL HILL — Gold Bar, on Pike and 12th Avenue, has closed permanently, reports Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. The owners told CHS that they lost the lease due to a 'real estate deal,' but the building has not been sold recently, notes CHS. Afterlife, a nightclub that was connected to the bar, has also closed. FREMONT — Acclaimed restaurant the Whale Wins will be closing on October 28, the Sea Creatures restaurant group announced this month. Star chef Renee Erickson still has several restaurants in her portfolio (with plans to open more in Pioneer Square), but the Whale was the one that earned her a James Beard Award in 2016. Still, it had been losing money for some time, Sea Creatures co-owner Jeremy Price told Eater Seattle, and ownership decided not to renew the lease. BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — Longtime Seattle-area chef Greg Atkinson, a pioneer in the 'eat local' movement, has retired, closing his restaurant, Marche. The Seattle Times reports that it will be replaced by a new seafood restaurant called Sweetwater Tavern, which will open later this year. RAVENNA — A bizarre early July incident in which a car drove through the storefront of the Mioposto on 55th Street and 35th Avenue Northeast led to the pizzeria being closed temporarily for repairs. Several diners were injured by the car crash, though thankfully none critically. MADISON PARK — Three years after opening, the nonalcoholic-friendly bar, restaurant, and hangout spot Kamp Social House has closed permanently. 'This decision comes after much reflection and is rooted in the need to take a personal pause,' wrote owners Marceil Van Camp and Katy Knauff in an Instagram announcement. KIRKLAND — Arleana's, a Carribean cocktails and dinner spot from the owners of Island Soul, has closed after just two years, reports the Seattle Times. 'This wasn't an easy decision, but please know how grateful we are for every visit, every shared meal, and every smile,' the owners wrote on Instagram. The family's Columbia City restaurant remains open. BELLTOWN — Also via the Times, Korean Bamboo, home of some killer silken tofu, has closed permanently, 'with a notice from the owner citing safety issues in the neighborhood and more, while sincerely thanking fans for all the love.' CAPITOL HILL — Finally, Capitol Hill Seattle Blog reports that Finch and Pine has closed permanently. Owner Sara Moran (of famed Seattle restaurant Sitka and Spruce) wrote on Instagram that 'the main reason is because I'm ready for a new chapter.'
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2FTAL-zou-zous-pendry-manhattan-west-HTLRESTAURANTS0725-68724d2f8db2446289c8aea52d5d8b23.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Travel + Leisure
a day ago
- Travel + Leisure
These Are the Top 100 Hotel Restaurants in the U.S., According to OpenTable and Kayak
Gone are the days of bland hotel breakfasts and lifeless nighttime buffets. Now, hotels and resorts are dedicated to making each meal better than the last. And with keeping the trend of hotel restaurants becoming destinations in their own right in mind, booking site Kayak and OpenTable worked together to release their first-ever list of the top 100 hotel restaurants in America. The list was created based on "diner insights" and spanned more than two dozen states, including spots from James Beard Award winners and Michelin-starred haunts. "Hotel restaurants have become formidable players over the years as hoteliers have recognized the power of serving their guests memorable and locally-inspired dining experiences," Scott Hudson, the VP of global sales and services at OpenTable, said in a statement. "The hotel restaurants we have on OpenTable are not just attractive to the 60 percent of diners that use us while on the road—but many are equally as popular among locals too." Orlando topped the list with seven total restaurants in the area (which also encompassed Lake Buena Vista and Golden Oak), including Nami, the Bull & Bear Steakhouse, and Ravello at Four Seasons Orlando. Next was Las Vegas where six Sin City restaurants make the list. Those included Beauty & Essex, the Catch at Aria, and Momofuku Las Vegas. Miami also boasted five of the top hotel restaurants in the country, including Gianni's at the Former Versace Mansion, and The Roof at Esmé. Other highlights on the list included California's three Michelin-starred Addison in the Fairmont Grand Del Mar and Philadelphia's Vernick Fish from James Beard-winning Chef Greg Vernick. The abundance of incredible hotel restaurants is great news considering nearly half of Americans (47 percent) said they have booked a trip specifically to visit a restaurant, according to the study."Travelers aren't just asking 'Where should I go?' They're asking 'What's on the menu when I get there?'" Kate Williams, the chief communications officer at Kayak, said in the statement. "Great dining experiences are an essential part of today's travel itineraries, and hotels are rising to the occasion." To complete the study, Kayak and OpenTable surveyed more than 1,000 Americans who had dined at a restaurant in a hotel within the last five years as well as looked at data on flight and hotel searches made on Kayak between Jan. 1 and June 22. OpenTable also analyzed seated diners by traveler type from online reservations for all active hotel restaurants on the OpenTable platform in the United States between June 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025. See all the winners, and find your next hotel and restaurant to book all in one, at
