Ebony, Ivory, and Plantain-Crusted Grouper...
...is the answer to: What might you find at a Puerto Rican-owned piano
bar/café? Merly Velazquez, niece of the late fashion designer David
Fernandez, has partnered with Raymond Klein in opening Miami Arts Café
across the street from the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing
Arts (255 NE 14 Street). The Puerto Rican native describes the venue,
which debuted last Thursday, as "a nice, cozy place, like a house where
friends can come and play the piano, where we can make a 'parranda' for
Christmas as we have fun in Puerto Rico, in a bohemian atmosphere." Executive chef, Amarylis Guindín (who used to work at the Ritz Carlton) and chef Wallace (from the Delano Hotel) are putting out an array of tapas and main course dishes such as sweet-and-sour chicken and the aforementioned grouper (shown in photo) -- plus a wine list that includes about a dozen by the glass. Lunch and dinner are served daily, except Sunday, from 11:00 a.m.. to 9 p.m.
Merly and Raymond aren't finished yet -- next year they plan to open a 16,000 square foot high end nightclub in the same building. Not sure what they'll be naming it, but may we suggest Karu & Y 2?
--Lee Klein
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