By Monica Parpal | Senior Editor
“Both the design and cuisine are cultivated interpretations of nature.” — Maryam Miranda
The new addition to Seasalt and Pepper, Modern Garden blossoms in a once unlikely place. This new concept from Owners Carlos and Maryam Miranda offers an intimate dining experience on the Miami River, housed in a sleek, sultry, renovated post-industrial warehouse. Now an intriguing haven, Modern Garden is a dwelling for social interaction and a shared love of the culinary journey—a place to muster, revel, and savor a unique combination of art and cuisine.
With its unique design, natural and neoteric touches, outdoor porch seating, and 500 feet of docking space, this is a place for social gatherings and culinary enjoyment for all to share—not to mention an intriguing menu showcasing the freshest products prepared in a modern, visually-stimulating style. Specifically, Modern Garden will serve exquisite crudos lightly dressed with infused oils, sea salt, citrus, and fresh herbs.
“Crudos have been popular for decades, from ancient Japanese sushi to Peru’s notorious ceviche dishes,” Maryam explains. “At Modern Garden, we offer exquisite crudos with flavors from our urban herb cultivator as well as fruits and infused oils.”
Guests who like it hot can order from Modern Garden’s signature hot stone selection, and sear premium meats and seafood on 850-degree volcanic stone slabs right at their table. The sizzle of meat on the hot stone, the fun of interacting with the cuisine, and the delectable result is all part of Modern Garden’s appeal.
Adorned with an extraordinary permanent art installation that envelopes much of the space, Modern Garden is captivating with its organic design. The installation by architect Santiago Jose Palaez is scheduled to be unveiled during Art Basel 2014.
“Both the design and cuisine are cultivated interpretations of nature,” says Maryam Miranda.
The fusion of design, exceptional produce, and guest interaction forms the basis of the Mirandas’ artistic expression—one that began with their first restaurant in the Dominican Republic followed by their second endeavor in colonial Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. They’ve integrated their worldly travels by gaining culinary and artistic inspiration along the way. When they settled in Miami, they were especially interested in the concept of fusing art with culinary mastery for an unparalleled dining experience.
Now an intriguing haven, Modern Garden is a dwelling for social interaction and a shared love of the culinary journey—a place to muster, revel, and savor a unique combination of art and cuisine.
With this in mind, the Mirandas developed the idea to elevate the neglected, post-industrial warehouse space along the Miami River with a waterfront dining experience like no other. The vision? An upscale seafood brasserie and lounge, where fresh and local products, Old-World gastronomic techniques, and a breathtaking view of the Downtown skyline could create an experience that had yet to be discovered in Miami.
This vision took shape with Seasalt and Pepper, a seafood brasserie and lounge that opened in December of 2013. Rising proudly from the Miami River water, Seasalt and Pepper encompasses a casually-chic restaurant and an alluring outdoor courtyard replete with stylish décor, nautical accents, and 500 feet of private docking space now shared by the adjoining Modern Garden.
Like Modern Garden, Seasalt and Pepper’s artistic components were integral to the overall vision. The Mirandas commissioned a permanent installation by renowned local artist, Carlos Betancourt. This complex installation, dubbed Appropriations from el Rio, is composed of a variety of items found in or inspired by the Miami River. Suspended above tables, as the focal point of the restaurant, wooden oars, glass bottles filled with freshwater pearls, a sculpted fish, a white skull, and a silver chalice hang from the ceiling, among hundreds of unique objects. The sculpture was unveiled at the restaurant’s opening during Art Basel in 2013. It’s a nod to the restaurant’s nautical locale and industrial past, joining the two in suspended splendor.
But the real art is in the food. “Our mission is to serve the best quality products by offering freshly- caught local products as well as flown-in, exotic fish and seafood in a one-of-a-kind ambience,” Carlos states. In particular, Seasalt and Pepper serves casseroles baked in organic clay pots, fired in their wood-burning ovens. These deeply satisfying dishes are rich in flavor—idyllic blends of seafood and Old-World Mediterranean cooking techniques, using simple ingredients like olive oil, lemon, herbs, sea salt, and pepper.
Additional temptations include the Chilean Sea Bass Casserole, crusted with a savory truffled blend of gourmet mushrooms; the Octopus Tajine, a Mediterranean stew brimming with aromatic
fennel, fresh tomatoes, and black olives; the Filet Mignon with foie gras sauce; and the wood oven-roasted Black Truffle Veal Chop. If you’d like to pair your meal with a fine wine, Seasalt and Pepper offers vintages from Bordeaux, Tuscany, Mendoza, and Napa Valley, to name a few.
Seasalt and Pepper is also the perfect place for a casual meal. Choose from a variety of fresh, crisp salads such as the fresh Albacore Tuna Salad with watercress, lychee, and arugula, drizzled with lavender dressing; pastas like Short Rib Pappardelle; and handcrafted wood-fired pizzettas like the savory Gorgonzola Pear Pizzetta dotted with black truffles. All can be paired with a variety of cocktails from their house mixologists such as the Cloud 9 (tequila, ginger beer, and lychee), Melonade (watermelon and basil), Yellow Tail (pisco, passionfruit, and jalapeño), or Bitter Sweet Memories (gin and aperol).
Seasalt and Pepper’s memorable flavors have made their way to diners all over Miami and the world, with glowing affirmations from the likes of Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Steven Tyler, Jamie Foxx, and David Beckham. The opening of Modern Garden promises even greater allure, although the key values of hospitality, quality cuisine, and creative vision remain at the core of both concepts.
“Living here in Miami, where there is an abundance of talented artists, allows us to create a platform where guests can share and engage in all these art forms,” Maryam says.
Both Seasalt and Pepper and Modern Garden exemplify this seamless blend of art and cuisine. Firmly anchored in nautical history yet thriving with modernity, these restaurants are themselves pieces of art, pushing the boundaries of what a culinary experience can be. The owners’ passion will no doubt continue to evolve and grow, no matter what the churning waters of the future hold.