You don’t want to miss out on these Miami gems

Miami is no stranger to Mediterranean food. From crowd-pleasing Greek restaurants to serviceable falafel joints and Middle Eastern markets, there’s always been a way to get your za’atar fix. But what we’re finally seeing is ambitious chefs and restaurateurs nimbly adapting the ancient cuisine of the Middle East to that of the Mediterranean—dubbed “Middleterranean” by the food press—to cater to our city’s increasingly global palate. Meaning: Greek, Turkish, Persian, Lebanese, Israeli, Egyptian, Moroccan, and everything in between. What makes all of this so exciting is that Miami diners can finally experience the splendor of this culinary heritage in upscale restaurants where the setting, and not just the food, are as regal as a sultan’s crashpad (and if you’re lucky the cocktails are great, too).

From the folksy to the fancy, we’ve explored the best Mediterranean spots in the city and are tipping you off to some of their best dishes.

Byblos {1545 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; 305.604.5700}

The swankiest of the bunch, this stylish spot peddles “Middleterranean”  cooking via Toronto where its polished sibling restaurants have already garnered a loyal following and critical nods. For this outpost—their first in the U.S.—Owner Charles  Khabouth was excited about the fact that they could install a wood-burning oven in the space. “It was a tremendous expense, but now we can make authentic ‘pide’ bread. And you really need the right char and the right crust, which only this type of oven can provide,” explained the Lebanon-born  Khabouth. The Turkish bread gets topped with maitake mushrooms, spinach and Dukkah seasoning, and black truffles and haloumi cheese for an indulgent Levantine mash-up.

Executive Chef Ben Heaton is British but one would hardly know it given the kitchen’s confidence with dishes of tangy-sweet housemade labneh, barbari bread dusted with za’atar, and crispy eggplant with tahini aïoli. The cocktails also play with Middle Eastern flavors with drinks like the Gulab with rose-infused vodka and pomegranate syrup and the Arak Frappe made with the anise-flavored liquor and orange blossom water and honey.

Must try: The “sweet jeweled rice,” a traditional Persian wedding dish is an undeniable draw. Fragrant with saffron and festooned with pistachios, marcona almonds, shredded carrots, pomegranates, and barberries, it radiates color and texture and is emblematic of the elaborate and labor-intensive dishes common to Persian cooking. But the main allure is the fluffy rice’s sheer, unadulterated deliciousness. The kitchen makes each pot to order, and it easily feeds four as a side dish to the kitchen’s Turkish manti dumplings filled with smoked eggplant and the Cornish hen stewed in a herbaceous “sabzi” sauce.

Cleo South Beach {1776 Collins Avenue, South Beach; 305.534.2536}

This contemporary Mediterranean haunt on the ground floor of the Redbury hotel is a hit with the South Beach visitors and locals alike. Moroccan-born Executive Chef Danny Elmaleh has created a Pan-Arab journey with focus on the food of North Africa comprising a dizzying amount of small plates. And while his menu covers plenty of bases, it never strays far from its roots dishes, like harissa carrots, lamb shwarma, Moroccan fried chicken, and eggplant Moussaka.

Must try: The spicy Moroccan “cigars.” Finger food of the Maghreb, these delights are composed of spiced ground beef rolled up in phyllo sheets and fried. Cleo serves them in a bowl of thick labneh yogurt sauce, which tempers the heat from cumin, allspice, and cayenne in the meat.

Etzel Itzik Deli {18757 West Dixie Highway, Miami; 305.937.1546}

Say you’re craving a real shakshuka experience, complete with a side of pillowy pita bread and pitchers of mint-lemonade; then you should head to this no-frills North Miami joint where owner Itzik  Younis has been presiding over a menu of Israeli classics for almost 20 years. With the clatter of complimentary small salads (pickles, beets , carrots, chickpeas, coleslaw, and corn) that hit the table the minute you sit down, the experience is the closest you’ll get to Tel Aviv in Dade County.

Must try: The “hummus foul” is the closest dish you’ll get that mimics the fast-casual lunch of Israel’s hummus-only restaurants (also called “hummusiyas”). The large platter of chickpea dip is doused with stewed fava beans and topped with a healthy serving of tahini and a hard boiled egg along side with their thick pita bread.

By Sara Liss, contributing writer