DOWNTOWN DISRUPTER

MAJOR FOOD GROUP

Miami propelled to gastronomic superstardom in 2022 with the city’s first Michelin Guide, international accolades aplenty, and a surfeit of big deal restaurant openings. Our highlight of the year: the arrival and exceptionalism of Dirty French, a New York City transplant reimagined for the Magic City in the best way possible.

The downtown delight, positioned in the heart of Brickell, channels a modern take on Miami Vice–era excess, emboldened by a jungle-themed aesthetic and fortified by a contemporary menu that speaks to the decadence of yore (hello: tableside theater). True, the Ken Fulk–designed spot attracts a crowd solely for its personality-driven nooks, but Dirty French is so much more than hanging in an Instagram-perfect universe.

The food balances classic American steak house with sophisticated French gastronomy, resulting in memorable evenings of towering raw bars, 30-day dry-aged duck a l’orange, melt-inyour-mouth spit-roasted prime rib, and buttery Dover sole meunière, presented and filleted in a traveling cart. A wine list comprising more than 700 bottles and a mixology-forward cocktail menu amplifies the hedonistic affair.

In total, Dirty French skews more experience than restaurant, a place to satisfy all modern cravings of bragworthy food, drink, flash, fun, and more. (dirtyfrench.com) –Paul Rubio