Amara At Paraiso In Miami

Miami chef and restaurateur Michael Schwartz has a lot of things under his belt: an impressive portfolio of award-winning restaurants, a cookbook we're still swooning over six years later and, unsurprisingly, a James Beard Award. So when he bills his latest project his personal "love letter to Miami," we pay attention.

The chef's latest restaurant, Amara at Paraiso, opens its doors tonight. As promised, everything about it is a tribute to the city, from the stunning Biscayne Bay views to the menu of wood-fired Latin American dishes. Start with small plates, such as grilled flatbread with chimichurri and fried oregano and flaky short rib empanadas, before moving on to entrées that include banana leaf-wrapped cobia over mashed yuca. Meanwhile, sip on-tap drinks that pour into punch bowls (and more modest single servings), like a cocktail spiked with Diplomatico Planas rum and Velvet Falernum coconut crème.  

Just be sure to grab a reservation before everyone else in Miami does.