Michael Mina Unveils STRIPSTEAK In Miami Beach

Famed San Francisco-based chef Michael Mina has added to his growing restaurant empire with STRIPSTEAK, his second outpost in the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel. Just a year after launching his bistro Michael Mina 74 in the Fontainebleau, the James Beard Award-winning chef has unveiled a high-end, contemporary steakhouse in the renowned hotel.

STRIPSTEAK offers an inventive menu, expansive bar, and cushy two-story, indoor-outdoor venue. The food itself, which includes numerous cuts of steak aged in the onsite aging room and butcher shop, as well as fresh seafood caught by the hotel's daily charter BleauFish, is executed by chef de cuisine Derrick Roberts.

Standout appetizers include peekytoe crab cake with fresh chile, cilantro, and avocado; "instant bacon" comprising pork belly, tempura oyster, and jicama; and ricotta cavatelli with duck confit, black trumpet mushrooms, and butternut squash. Though most will be anxiously awaiting the arrival of meat, the truffle butter bread and extensive raw bar are not to be missed, as the latter features highlights such as South Florida's signature (and seasonal) stone crabs as well as myriad caviars.

Roberts, a resort alumnus (formerly of the foregone Gotham Steak and FB Steakhouse) and graduate of The French Culinary Institute, will helm daily operations. Chef Mina said the he is "Thrilled to continue what's been a wonderful partnership with Fontainebleau Miami Beach. STRIPSTEAK Miami will perfectly align with the hotel's luxury and glamour by offering a world-class steakhouse experience in an alluring setting that melds the past, present, and future of dining."

The restaurant's massive, glass-windowed kitchen serves up imaginative entrées, many from the unique wood-burning grill. Favorites include the American vs. Australian Wagyu mainplate: two beautiful portions of Wagyu served with parsnip purée, granny smith apple, and fresh horseradish; the Berkshire pork: wood-fired tender belly with turnips; and the seared tuna and foie gras: a lighter, but nonetheless meaty option.

While steakhouses aren't particularly known for dessert, STRIPSTEAK stands out in this manner; be sure to leave room for the maple bread pudding for two.