Culinary stars from the Windy City & the Magic City collide at Miami Worldcenter

Miami World Center will soon welcome four new restaurant concepts to the Magic City.

Two-time Michelin-star chef Danny Grant is bringing Chicago-based steakhouse Maple & Ash and etta, a neighborhood restaurant centered around a wood-fired hearth. For some local flavor, beloved South Florida chef and James Beard nominee Michael Beltran, of Ariete Hospitality Group, will open two new concepts Brasserie Laurel, which offers a novel take on a French brasserie with Cuban influence, and El Vecino, a sophisticated cigar bar. 

“Our team is thrilled to unveil a stellar lineup of restaurants opening at Miami Worldcenter, with Maple & Ash, etta, Brasserie Laurel and El Vecino setting the tone for what’s to come. These restaurants exemplify the quality of the tenants and the experience we are curating for Miami Worldcenter’s residents and visitors,” said Nitin Motwani, Managing Partner of Miami Worldcenter Associates. “Bringing to life the retail components of Miami Worldcenter’s master plan is critical to transforming our 27-acre site into a thriving open-air destination, and we look forward to announcing additional retail concepts in the coming weeks and months.”

Maple & Ash and etta join a list of the reputable culinary establishments that have recently opened in Miami, including Greenwich Village’s Carbone; Austin’s legendary Uchi; Cote, which originated in the Flatiron District; and New York taqueria Tacombi, coming soon to Lincoln Road. 

• Maple & Ash offers a modern take on a traditional steakhouse, presenting classic wood-fired dishes while offering diners an elegantly seductive experience. At Maple & Ash’s original Chicago location, the restaurant’s wine list has been named “one of the most outstanding in the world” by Wine Spectator. Maple & Ash will be located along World Square at the corner of Miami Worldcenter’s 7^th Street promenade and 1^st Avenue Northeast, and will occupy 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, with ground floor and second floor seating. 

• etta is a neighborhood restaurant that serves delicious wood-fired dishes, from gourmet pizzas and warm focaccia to crisp seasonal salads and family-style shared pig and lobster picnics. Just as the kitchen is the focal point of interaction within a home, etta’s open kitchen design gives guests the same intimate experience. With two existing locations in Chicago, each etta location features a wood-burning brick oven and a giant wood-fired hearth for spit roasting and grilling. Located along the eastern side of the 7^th Street Promenade, etta will feature approximately 11,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space across two levels.

• Brasserie Laurel will offer diners a novel take on a French brasserie with hints of Chef Beltran’s Cuban influence, which is evident across Miami Chef Michael Beltran’s multiple concepts, including his revered Ariete. In addition to Beltran’s inventive French-Cuban fare, guests will be able to enjoy a limited selection of Cuban treats from popular Coconut Grove diner Chug’s. The casually chic restaurant will occupy 2,800 square feet of indoor and outdoor space on the ground floor of Caoba, Miami Worldcenter’s apartment tower, at the corner of the 7^th Street promenade and 1^st Avenue Northeast. 

• El Vecino, also developed by the Ariete Hospitality Group, will be a high-end first-class cigar bar serving a full liquor bar and light fare such as head cheese croquetas, an assortment of meat and cheese, and pastelitos by Pastelito Papi. The venue will occupy approximately 1,600 square feet of indoor and outdoor space joining Laurel on the ground floor of Miami Worldcenter’s Caoba apartment tower.