Small Business Summer: Ashoka Miami

Don’t Sleep on this Incredible Indian Food Direct from the Holy Spirit

There is a restaurant in Doral that has been quietly serving some of the best Indian food in Miami for ten years, and if you don’t know about it yet, that’s on you, but we’re fixing that right now. Ashoka is the kind of place that makes you wonder why you ever settled for anything less. The owners left everything, careers, comfort, 8 thriving restaurant locations in Costa Rica, because something bigger told them it was time to move. They landed in Miami, found Ashoka, and transformed it into something the city didn’t know it was missing: a restaurant that goes far beyond the butter chicken. Rava Dosa. Pistachio lamb chops. Chaat. Chicken Tikka. Everything made from scratch, from a kitchen where the owners feed their own kids, you can taste the love.

Now, G-d has told them to do something even crazier. New York has Gray’s Papaya, a 50-year institution where the Recession Special gets you two hot dogs and a drink for $7.50. Simi is doing that for Indian food in Miami. In honor of Ashoka’s 10th anniversary, the buffet is back, one month only, all of July, and $20 gets you endless curry and dosas at lunch. An elevated, made-with-intention spread from one of Miami’s most authentic kitchens, at a price that is genuinely an act of generosity in 2026. They’re calling it the The Second Coming (of the Buffet). We’re calling it the most important lunch deal in Miami this summer. Gray’s Papaya built a legend on a hot dog and a papaya drink. Ashoka is building one on butter chicken, pistachio lamb chops, and the kind of hospitality that makes you feel like family.

Go to Doral now, and eat lunch like its 1999.

Breakthrough Offer: The Second Coming (of the Buffet): $20 lunch | Endless Curry + Dosas | All of July

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The Heat is On: WGM X The Leftovers Heat Index

I’ve spent the last decade arguing that Miami deserves real media. Not pay-for-play coverage dressed up as editorial. Not another breathless opening item because someone bought a table at a charity dinner. Real opinions from people who’ve actually eaten the food, sat in the room, and don’t owe the publicist anything.

This week, that argument got company.

On Wednesday at What’s Good Studio at The Moore, I sat down with three of the most credentialed food journalists this city has ever produced, Erin Michelle Newberg, Olee Fowler, and Matt Melzer, to record the first episode of “What’s Good? The Leftovers”, a monthly podcast collaboration between What’s Good Miami and The Leftovers Miami. Sixty collective years of food writing. One room. Zero sponsored content.

The centerpiece of everything we’re building together is The Heat Index, and I’ll say it plainly: this is going to be the most important restaurant list in Miami. Not because we say so. Because of who’s making it and why.

Why the Heat Index is Different

Every city gets the food media it deserves. For too long, Miami got press releases repackaged as reviews. Got stars handed out by people who flew in on a Tuesday. Got “best of” lists shaped more by advertising relationships than actual opinions. The result was a city with world-class restaurants and no one trusted enough to tell you which ones actually earned it.

The Heat Index changes that. Erin Michelle Newberg has been covering Miami’s food scene as an OG journalist for decades — she knows what’s happening behind the scenes before it hits anyone’s feed. Olee Fowler spent ten years as editor of Eater Miami and is a fourth-generation native; if it opened in this city in the last decade, it went through his hands. Matt Melzer covered Miami for Thrillist for thirteen years. Combined, these three have forgotten more about Miami restaurants than most critics will ever know.

They are not here to be nice. They are not here to protect relationships. They started The Leftovers because private equity gutted Eater Local and Thrillist Miami in the same week, both owned by Vox Media, both cut, and they looked at what was left and decided Miami deserved something better. The Heat Index is that something. It is a monthly ranking of the most culturally relevant restaurants in Miami, built on sixty collective years of expertise, assembled by people who eat here, live here, and genuinely care what this city becomes.

Placement is never for sale. That’s not a tagline. That’s the entire foundation.

The List June 2026

The June 2026 Heat Index is live. Twenty-five restaurants. Three Michelin stars. One Palm Beach import that just walked into the building like it owned the place.

Buccan sits at No. 1. Chef Clay Conley’s Coral Gables debut, fifteen years of earned Palm Beach reputation landing on Miracle Mile, is the most anticipated opening in Miami earning exactly the spot it deserves. No hype machine. No corporate backing. Just a chef who came up under fine dining and never forgot how to run a room that feels human.

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WHAT’S GOOD MIAMI: 6.9.26

• Special Report: Happy Giannis Day. Finally!!!!! Miami Heat Sign Giannis

  Pat Riley built this city into a basketball destination through sheer force of will and an almost frightening refusal to be outworked. And now, at what everyone assumed was the end of his run, with every chip on the table, he went and got the Greek Freak.

• On My Mind: James Dolan Doesn’t Need Your Vote

  Congrats, James Dolan. Thanks for showing us what real determination looks like, what it looks like to build when nobody believes, to stay when everyone says sell, to speak your mind when the whole world wants you to shut up.

Beach Business

• Jeff Soffer’s Billion Dollar Bailout Of Mercedes Benz Miami

  Jeff Soffer’s Fontainebleau Development is bailing out the Mercedes-Benz Miami condo project, stepping in as a partner to close a $1.06 billion construction loan and end the foreclosure litigation.

• W South Beach Has Closed

  W South Beach is closing August 20, 2026. The Marriott/W affiliation is severed. 337 employees notified. No reopening date announced.

Hospitality Local Insider

• The Nora Hotel And Pastis West Palm Beach

  The Nora Hotel opens this fall in the heart of the NORA District, a 40-acre mixed-use development rising along North Railroad Avenue just north of downtown.

Real Estate

• Luxe Developments We Love: Waldorf Astoria Hotel & Residences Miami

  The vertical flex. 300 Biscayne Boulevard. Downtown Miami. A 1,049-foot tower stacking ten glass cubes into the sky above Biscayne Bay.

Happy Giannis Day. Finally!!!!!

Let’s talk about what just happened.

Michael Jordan, the most competitive human being who ever laced up a pair of sneakers, said the most competitive person he ever encountered was Pat Riley.

Pat Riley does not lose gracefully. Pat Riley does not rebuild. Pat Riley does not accept a narrative where Miami isn’t the center of the basketball universe. And Pat Riley, at 79 years old, just scored! The Miami Heat acquired Giannis Anetkoumpo, two-time MVP, one of the best players alive, and made the entire league look stupid for sleeping on us. And not for nothing, we went all in on this prediction months ago in a very public way.

The Celtics thought they had him. An hour before the announcement, Celtics odds on Kalshi shot above 70%. The whole league was watching, the whole internet was watching, Boston was already celebrating — and then Miami walked in and closed.

Because that’s what Miami does.

This isn’t a sports story. This is a city story. Miami attracts. The weather, the culture, the freedom, the feeling, the upside, it’s a different proposition than it was twenty years ago and everybody knows it. Giannis knows it.

Pat Riley built this city into a basketball destination through sheer force of will and an almost frightening refusal to be outworked. And now, at what everyone assumed was the end of his run, with every chip on the table, he went and got the Greek Freak.

Fuck a rebuilding year. Fuck a five-year plan. Fuck the Celtics.

The Knicks are on notice. Boston is on notice. The rest of the East is on notice. And Bam and the Greek Freak are the perfect antidote to the Alien.

Pat Riley isn’t going out anywhere but on top. The same place Miami is going.

Welcome to South Beach, Giannis. Thank g-d you don’t have to live in the US anymore.

What’s Good, Miami. Everything. And now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

On My Mind: James Dolan Doesn’t Need Your Vote

For twenty years, James Dolan was the punchline.

Worst owner in sports. Couldn’t get out of his own way. Couldn’t get out of his father’s shadow. Charles Dolan built Cablevision into an empire. James inherited it and got mocked on ESPN every other week for what he was doing to the Knicks.

But here’s what nobody talks about: he didn’t stop.

While everyone was writing him off, he was building something no one had ever built before. A $2.3 billion sphere in the desert. Not a stadium. Not an arena. Something that had never existed. People said it was ego. People said it was insanity. People said it would bankrupt him.

The Sphere is now the number one grossing venue in the world. 2.2 million tickets. $290 million at the box office. Booked through the end of the year. Abu Dhabi next.

And the Knicks? NBA Champions for the first time in 53 years.

Two days ago, at the championship parade, the mayor of New York gave an eight-minute speech about Knicks history. Passionate. Detailed. The crowd went crazy.

Then James Dolan walked to the podium.

“I don’t need your vote. I don’t need to quote to you about what happened here because if you’re a Knicks fan, you know it already.”

That’s it. That’s the whole speech.

People hated it. Of course they did. But that’s exactly the point. The man has spent twenty years being told he was wrong, being told he was a failure, being told to sell the team, being told the Sphere was a $2.3 billion ego trip, and two days after winning a championship he built from the ground up, he walked to the microphone and said what he’s always said.

I don’t need your vote.

That’s not arrogance. That’s a very specific kind of freedom most people never access, the freedom to be wrong in public, repeatedly, and keep building anyway.

Congrats, James Dolan. Thanks for showing us what real determination looks like, what it looks like to build when nobody believes, to stay when everyone says sell, to speak your mind when the whole world wants you to shut up.

Persistence and determination are omnipotent. Calvin Coolidge said it. James Dolan proved it.

BEACH BUSINESS

Jeff Soffer’s Billion Dollar Bailout of Mercedes Benz Miami

The most important stalled development in Miami just got a lifeline, and the man providing it knows this market better than almost anyone.

Jeff Soffer’s Fontainebleau Development is bailing out the Mercedes-Benz Miami condo project, stepping in as a partner to close a $1.06 billion construction loan and end the foreclosure litigation that had the project frozen. Michael Dell’s BDT & MSD is among the lenders. The deal hasn’t closed yet, but the direction is clear: Soffer is in, the capital stack gets rebuilt, and one of Miami’s most ambitious developments gets back off the ground.

The backstory is messy. Michael Stern’s JDS Development had been in a foreclosure fight with Cottonwood Management since May, after an affiliate allegedly failed to repay an $86 million loan that matured in January 2025. The city of Miami had already notified the developer of a default on a public benefits agreement, including an $8 million fire station JDS was required to build. The whole thing was unraveling fast.

Now it isn’t.

The project itself is worth understanding. This is a 791-unit, two-tower, 67-story development on the Miami waterfront, the first Mercedes-Benz branded condo development in the world. Valued at over $2 billion at completion. 130,000 square feet of amenities, a 174-key hotel, 200,000 square feet of office and wellness space. Designed by SHoP Architects. Sales launched in 2024 starting at $500,000, led by Ryan Serhant’s firm.

Soffer brings more than capital. He and his collaborators understand Miami in a way that outside developers rarely do, the market, the relationships, the capital networks, the patience required to build something that actually gets finished. The Turnberry Resort & Country Club. Turnberry Ocean Club. The Fontainebleau. These are not just trophy assets, they are the connective tissue of South Florida, built and operated by a family that has been shaping this market for generations. His track record isn’t just impressive, it’s specifically Miami. When Soffer gets behind something here, it gets built. And he doesn’t blink.

W South Beach is Closed

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The Weekender: A Field Guide to the Great Miami Summer Exodus

The most annoying question in Miami doesn’t start in summer. It starts in March.

You’re at a dinner. The bread hasn’t even landed. Someone leans in with a smile that already knows the answer, and asks: “So… where are you going this summer?”

It is not a question. It is an audit.

Because in this city, where you go is never random - it’s a verdict. Your summer address has a return label, and that label says everything. So we built the map. Find your block. We’ll tell you where you’re really going - and what it says about you, whether you like it or not.

LIVE: Fisher Island & Indian Creek → SUMMER: St. Tropez

The bunker crowd. They don’t pack they “have things sent.” The boat left in May without them; it keeps its own calendar. Lunch at Club 55 that becomes dinner that becomes a minor diplomatic situation. The flex was never about being seen it’s about being unreachable. Phone off. The assistant says “he’s in Europe.” Nobody can confirm which country, and that’s the point.

LIVE: Star Island → SUMMER: Wherever the Boat Happens to Be

For this set, the destination isn’t a place, it’s a question: whose deck? They don’t ask where you’re going. They ask if you’re “doing the Med this year,” as though there is only one Med and you simply haven’t been invited. Meanwhile the Star Island house sits dark, the plants on a drip system, one guy named Carlos holding the only key. The real house is 200 feet long and currently dodging a port tax off Sardinia.

LIVE: North Bay Road, Sunset Islands & Venetian → SUMMER: Ibiza or Aspen

Same waterfront, two completely different ways of lying to yourself about your age. Ibiza is for the ones who refuse to age out - villa in Es Cubells, sunglasses worn indoors, will tell you the DJ “is actually a really close friend.” Aspen is for the ones who swapped the DJ for the Food & Wine Classic, did exactly one hike, and have brought it up unprompted every week since “rosé at altitude just hits different.” Both are flexes. Only one of them requires an IV drip the next morning.

LIVE: Coral Gables → SUMMER: Nantucket & East Hampton

The Gables spent a hundred years engineering itself to look old, so naturally it summers somewhere genuinely old, just to feel seen. Nantucket reds, grey shingles, a rental that’s been in someone else’s family since 1840. The East Hampton contingent wants the establishment and the ocean and will correct you, gently but firmly, if you say “the Hamptons” like it’s all one place. It is not all one place. You’ll be told why.

LIVE: Coconut Grove → SUMMER: The Berkshires & Shelter Island

Sailboats, banyan trees, and at least one man who will explain his catamaran to you in full. The Berkshires set wants Tanglewood, a tote bag, and Yo-Yo Ma with the picnic. The Shelter Island set finds the Hamptons “a bit much” while owning a home there. Old money that reads, will ask what you’re reading, and will visibly recalibrate based on your answer.

LIVE: Bal Harbour → SUMMER: Southampton

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WHAT’S GOOD MIAMI: 6.9.26

• On My Mind: Yesterday I turned 47.

  Some years bring life-altering wins. Others bring deafening failures. I’ve had both. What I’ve learned is that the journey doesn’t lead to the destination — it is the destination.

Beach Business

• The New Conquistadors: The Smartest Hotel Group You’ve Never Heard Of Just Made Its Move

  Dean Group bought the Gates a few months ago and now they bought the Mayfair.

• North Beach Update: A Gourmet Grocer is finally on the Way

  A grocery store that matched the neighborhood’s ambition. A place where you could buy a $14 jar of tomato sauce and feel genuinely good about it.

• Magic City: The $3 Billion Bet That Refused to Die

  Zangrillo is partnering with Plaza Equity Partners on a proposed 7.8 million-square-foot, $3 billion mixed-use district anchored around artificial intelligence, asset management, and venture capital.

Hospitality Local Insider

• The Economics Of Summer Restauranting

  The restaurants that survive summer aren’t necessarily the best ones. They’re the ones with the deepest pockets, the leanest operations, or the most loyal local base.

Real Estate

• Luxe Developments We Love: Ocean House Surfside

  9317 Collins Avenue. Surfside. Nestled between Miami Beach and Bal Harbour on one of the last truly serene stretches of oceanfront in this county.

On My Mind: Yesterday I turned 47.

I don’t know what I thought 47 would look like. But I never imagined it would look like this.

It’s better than I thought. Deeper. More profound. More alive.

It’s also harder than I thought. More uncertain. More humbling.

That tension, between the beauty and the weight of it, is something I’ve stopped trying to resolve. It’s not a problem. It’s the point.

The difference between greatness and failure is inches. Between the life you dreamed of and the one that slipped away, a conversation you had or didn’t have, a bet you took or didn’t take, a moment of clarity or cowardice. Achieving anything real is about threading the needle, over and over, finding that slight edge and having the courage, and the stamina, to exploit it.

And the only way to find those edges is to persist. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. I believe that completely.

Some years bring life-altering wins. Others bring deafening failures. I’ve had both. What I’ve learned is that the journey doesn’t lead to the destination — it is the destination. The results matter. I intend to deliver them. But what I cherish more every single day are the relationships, the small moments, the look on someone’s face when they experience something I helped create. Watching each of my children fall asleep at night. Finding a creative solution to a problem I didn’t think I could solve.

The most important choice any person can make is to choose positivity. To choose happiness. To choose love. To see the good in things and assume positive intent — because whether or not the world earns it, what is life if you don’t wake up every morning reaching for joy, toward the people you love, toward the endless possibility of what’s still ahead?

I thank g-d for every moment I spend chasing my dreams, sharing my gifts, and connecting with the people I love and collaborate with.

I would not change a thing.

- Alan

BEACH BUSINESS

The New Conquisatadors: The Smartest Hotel Group You’ve Never Heard Of Just Made Its Move

Ponce de León didn’t stumble into Florida. He chose it. A calculated entry point into a new world.

Dean Group is doing the same thing.

The Dublin-based hospitality group — built by a team of former Ennismore executives who know exactly what it takes to make a boutique brand travel — just secured its second Miami property. Elliott Investment Management, Paul Singer’s $128 billion hedge fund, partnered with London-based Lifestyle Hospitality Capital Group to acquire the Mayfair House Hotel & Garden in Coconut Grove for $69.4 million. Dean Group is the operator. Miami is the jumping-off point.

Their model is simple and hard to execute: hotels rich in character, rooted in the culture of the neighborhoods they inhabit. No flags. No sameness. No corporate lobbies that could be anywhere. Every property has a point of view — and the Mayfair, whatever name it ultimately carries, will be no different.

This is Singer’s second South Florida hospitality play, following the $53 million acquisition of the Gates Hotel South Beach in 2024. The capital is serious. The operator is serious. And Coconut Grove is the right neighborhood — walkable, cultured, undersung — for a group that builds hotels for people who actually know where they are.

The States are next. Miami is just where they landed.

→ More on The Dean Group

NORTH BEACH UPDATE: A Gourmet Grocer is finally on the Way

For years, North Beach has been a tale of two Publixes.

Bookended by the one on 71st and the one on 41st, with a collection of beloved mom-and-pops filling the gaps, the neighborhood has made it work. Nobody complained too loudly. This is Miami Beach. There are bigger problems.

But something was always missing. A grocery store that matched the neighborhood’s ambition. A place where you could buy a $14 jar of tomato sauce and feel genuinely good about it.

That place is coming.

Fresh Market is officially headed to North Beach — and yes, we know there was a Target rumor. We mourned it briefly. We moved on. Because Fresh Market is not a consolation prize. Fresh Market is an upgrade.

Here’s what North Beach is about to experience for the first time: classical music piped through the speakers while you deliberate between three varieties of artisanal sourdough. Cheese sections that require a docent. Olive oils from regions you will immediately Google. Flowers at the entrance that make you feel like a better person just for walking past them.

Brickell can have Nude. In North Beach, we want gourmet.

Magic City: The $3 Billion Bet That Refused to Die

Some visions are too big to kill. Even when the legal system tries.

Bob Zangrillo first unveiled plans for the Magic City Innovation District in Little Haiti over a decade ago. He assembled the site, secured city commission approval in 2019, then watched it stall — not because the vision was wrong, but because federal prosecutors came for him in the college admissions scandal known as Operation Varsity Blues. He was later pardoned by Trump on the final day of his first term.

Now he’s back. And the timing couldn’t be better.

Zangrillo is partnering with Plaza Equity Partners on a proposed 7.8 million-square-foot, $3 billion mixed-use district anchored around artificial intelligence, asset management, and venture capital — with 2,600-plus residential units, a hotel, and retail. Palantir, Apple, Amazon, and Gemini have all expanded in Miami-Dade. The tech migration Zangrillo predicted 14 years ago has actually happened. He wasn’t early. He was just interrupted.

The unresolved question is the human one. The project has faced opposition from residents concerned about displacing Little Haiti’s working-class community. Zangrillo’s team has committed $31 million to the Little Haiti Revitalization Trust. Whether that’s enough depends on who you ask.

What isn’t in question: the man spent years in legal limbo and came back with a $3 billion swing. Miami has a way of rewarding that kind of persistence.

HOSPITALITY LOCAL INSIDER

The Economics of Summer Restauranting: Working Hard for Nothing

Let’s talk about what nobody in the restaurant industry wants to say out loud.

Summer in Miami is a math problem with no good answer.

The rent stays the same. Food and beverage costs stay the same. Insurance stays the same. The only variable, the only lever you can actually pull, is labor. And if you cut labor, you cut the product. And if you cut the product, you lose the customers you still have.

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GOOD COMPANY INTERVIEW: ILAN WAISBROD, DESIGNER BEHIND BOND ST, CAFETERIA, TAO VEGAS, W HOTELS, OPENS STUDIO IN LITTLE RIVER TO DO HIS BEST WORK.

The Man Who Designed the Rooms You Remember Just Moved to Miami to do his best work.

There is a generation of New Yorkers who came of age in a particular kind of room. A long communal table. A light they couldn’t explain. The feeling that a place knew exactly what it wanted to be and didn’t need to tell you. Republic in Union Square. Cafeteria in Chelsea. Bond Street in Noho. The 40/40 Club. The W Seoul. The MGM Skylofts and Tao in Las Vegas.

Most of those people couldn’t tell you who designed those rooms.

That’s exactly how Ilan Waisbrod wanted it.

The man who designed the rooms you remember just moved to Little River.

Ilan Waisbrod is the founder of Studio Gaia, one of the most consequential hospitality design firms of the last half century. If you have eaten at Republic in Union Square, drunk at Cafeteria in Chelsea, had your first sushi at Bond Street, or stood in the 40/40 Club or the W Seoul or the MGM Skylofts or Tao in Las Vegas, you have been inside his work. You just didn’t know his name.

That’s how Ilan prefers it.

I sat down with him this week for a full conversation — his childhood in Tel Aviv, the Israeli army, the leap to Milan with $100 in his pocket and no Italian, the fight with Jay Z, the pandemic, the decision to leave New York after thirty years, and why, at this stage of his career, he is doing the best work of his life in a small office five minutes from his apartment in Miami.

I should say something about how we got here, because it’s part of the story.

BOND ST, REPUBLIC, CAFETERIA, TAO, & W HOTELS

Years before I met Ilan in person, I knew him through books. Design books I kept for inspiration — the kind you flip through late at night looking for the feeling behind a room. His work was in those books. Cafeteria. Republic. Bond Street. I would study the photographs and try to reverse-engineer what made them feel the way they felt. I didn’t know his name the way I know it now. I just knew the rooms.

Then, years later, I got invited to consult on a project in Macau — a Playboy Mansion concept that never got built, which is its own kind of story. And there was Ilan. The designer from the books, standing in the same room. We shared meals in Hong Kong. We went to press conferences together in Macau. We stayed in touch the way you do with people you meet on the other side of the world — loosely, with genuine warmth, across a distance that makes follow-through hard.

Then life moved on. He kept building his empire in New York. I built a family and a life in Miami. A decade passed.

And then Miami brought us back together. He showed up in my feed. We reconnected. And now he has a studio ten minutes from mine, and we are figuring out what we might build here together.

That’s the version of this city I believe in. Not just the real estate and the hotel rates and the restaurant openings — though all of that matters. But Miami as a place that reunites people with unfinished business and gives them something new to make.

Before any of the restaurants, before New York, before the hotels, there was Milan.

Ilan arrived in the mid-eighties with almost nothing — a student visa, a new wife, a daughter named Gaia on the way, and a hunger that had been building since he was a child in Tel Aviv filling notebooks with invented figures. He had been pushed there by a mentor at his design school who told him plainly: you’ll get wasted here. Go.

MILAN & THE MEMPHIS MOVEMENT

He arrived at exactly the right moment. Milan in the late eighties was the center of the design world, and at the center of that center was the Memphis movement — a collective of designers led by Ettore Sottsass that included Michele de Lucchi, Alessandro Mendini, Andrea Branzi, and collaborators from Japan and the United States. What Memphis declared, loudly and deliberately, was a reversal of everything the Bauhaus had established. Form does not follow function. Function can follow form. A chair sits empty for twenty-three hours a day. It’s a sculpture. Design it like one.

The colors were saturated. The shapes were unexpected. The references were global and irreverent. And the underlying philosophy — that beauty was not an indulgence but a legitimate purpose, that the emotional experience of an object or a room was as real and valid as its utility — was something Ilan had been feeling his whole life without having the language for it.

Milan gave him the language.

He studied at Politecnico di Milano. He knocked on doors. He was taken under the wing of Alberto Scattella, a dean and architect who handed a group of international students a real commission, a new student housing building, and told them to design it while he watched. Ilan did. He kept working with Scattella after. He went to the Fiera di Milano, the furniture fair where Philippe Starck was making small exhibitions outside the main hall and nobody yet knew who he was. He met people who were building the world he would eventually inhabit.

“It was explosive,” he told me. “These designers were saying: who said it has to be this way? And just taking things and turning them upside down.”

That inversion never left him. You can find it in every room he’s ever designed, the moment where something unexpected appears, the light from a place you didn’t anticipate, the swing in the corner, the color that shouldn’t work but does. Modern, warm, playful without being obvious. The Memphis influence metabolized into something distinctly his own: hospitality spaces that felt like they had a point of view without making you feel like you were inside someone’s thesis.

A few more things that stay with you from the conversation.

He designed Bond Street before he had ever eaten sushi — one of the most celebrated sushi restaurants in New York history. The first time he tried it was at Bond Street’s opening night, when he mistook an entire mound of wasabi for guacamole. He describes what happened next with the kind of matter-of-fact humor that belongs to someone who learned long ago not to take himself too seriously.

He spent years sending emails to Adam Tihany, another Israeli designer who had made it in New York, that went unanswered. Years later, they ended up in the same hotel meeting with the Palace Hotel with the Sultan of Brunei. Tihany looked at him and said: There’s a time for everything. Come work with me when you’re done here. Two months later, Ilan did. He spent three years learning hospitality design at the highest level. It changed everything.

He designed Republic in a studio apartment with Jonathan Morr, working at night after everyone went home, with no real concept of what they were building. The restaurant ran for twenty-two years. A few weeks before it closed, he went for dinner with his ex-wife and a nineteen-year-old waitress told him it was one of the coolest, most modern restaurants she’d ever worked in. He had designed it three years before she was born.

He left New York because the pandemic broke something that couldn’t be put back. Not the city — the era. His era. The one he’d spent three decades building inside twenty-five-person offices, eight hotels on the drawing board simultaneously, running between projects and clients and deadlines. He realized that era was finished. He realized, more slowly, that he didn’t want to rebuild it.

He is now doing three projects at a time. A 16th-century building in Tuscany. A restaurant for a superstar chef in New York. A men’s club in Coconut Grove. He is sketching by hand. He is putting the music on at six when the rest of the team goes home. He is, by his own description, doing things without knowing exactly what he’s doing — the way he did when he was a child in Tel Aviv, filling notebooks with invented figures, front view, side view, top view, before he knew what perspective was.

“I think I have another ten years of doing it,” he told me. “I want to do it more in an artistic way than a professional one. Almost like an artist who wakes up in the morning, draws something, does a painting, and takes a glass of wine in the middle of the day.”

The full interview is live. Watch it. It’s one of the best conversations WGM has had.

The Mr. Miami Take: Miami keeps attracting people who have already built something significant and are now building something true. That’s a different kind of city than the one that just attracts people who are hungry. Both are necessary. But only one of them produces work that a nineteen-year-old calls modern thirty years later.

KEN GRIFFIN IS BUILDING A CITADEL CITY WITHIN OUR CITY

The WSJ had the story this week and it deserves more attention than it got. Ken Griffin, Citadel founder, $50 billion net worth, the most consequential financial transplant Miami has received since the city started pulling capital away from New York, just revised his plans for the 2.5-acre site at 1201 Brickell Bay Drive. He’s adding a 300-unit residential tower and a 1,420-space parking garage to a development that already includes what will be the tallest office building in Florida. The $2.5 billion Citadel headquarters supertall hasn’t broken ground yet. He is already thinking about what surrounds it.

This is not a real estate play. This is a declaration of permanence. Griffin moved Citadel from Chicago to Miami in 2022. Since then he has spent over $1 billion assembling waterfront land, commercial buildings, and estates from Miami to Palm Beach. In January he partnered with Goldman Properties to buy 545Wyn, the premier office building in Wynwood, for $180 million. He owns a private superyacht marina in Miami Beach with pools, pickleball, and crew facilities. He paid nearly $200 million combined for homes in Coconut Grove and Star Island. He is not hedging. He is building infrastructure for a life, and a headquarters, that assumes Miami is permanent.

The revised Brickell proposal adds 300 apartments and 1,420 parking spaces to the site, alongside the supertall office tower already in planning. What’s interesting about that combination, residential, office, parking at scale, is that it’s the blueprint of a neighborhood, not a building. Griffin is not just coming to Miami. He is attempting to build the kind of walkable, self-contained urban ecosystem that Brickell has been gesturing toward for twenty years but never quite delivered. When capital at this level commits to a specific block, the blocks around it reprice. When an investor of his caliber enters a neighborhood, underwriting assumptions immediately change, cap rates compress, land pricing recalibrates, and long-term institutional capital feels safer stepping in. That’s not hype. That’s how cities get made.

The Mr. Miami Take: Miami has been selling itself as a serious city for five years. Ken Griffin is the proof of purchase. He didn’t come here for the weather. He came here because he believes Miami is where the next chapter of American financial power gets written. More than 74 companies relocated their headquarters to Florida between 2020 and 2025, more than any other state. Griffin isn’t leading that trend. He’s accelerating it. The question Miami should be asking isn’t whether he’s committed. It’s whether the city can build the infrastructure, transit, schools, housing, fast enough to deserve what’s coming.

WHAT’S LISTED: BEST REAL ESTATE LISTINGS THIS WEEK IN MIAMI

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Dear Entrepreneurs,

Restaurants. Hotels. Dentists. Plastic surgeons. Chiropractors. Caterers.

Stop blaming summer!

The miami locals are here. They’re spending. They want to support the businesses that make this city great.

Miami has two and a half million people that don’t go anywhere in the summer.

What’s Good Miami has created a way for you to reach th…

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WHAT’S GOOD MIAMI: 6.9.26

• On My Mind: Maybe Just Enjoy It?

  You know what nobody talks about at dinner in Miami? That Miami is the #1 hotel market in America. You know what everyone talks about at dinner in Miami? Traffic on the MacArthur. Which, by the way, all of that is caused by the same thing. Miami is the #1 hotel market in America.

Beach Business

• The Nautilus Has a New Name. Again.

  It’s coming back again, $40 million later, as The James Nautilus Miami Beach. Late 2026.

• Peter Thiel Just Signed Miami’s Most Expensive Office Lease.

  Peter Thiel doesn’t make noise. He makes moves. And his latest one says everything about where Miami is headed.

Hospitality Local Insider

• China Grill at Bal Harbour Shops. The 90s Are Officially Back.

  Rumor has it Kris Kross, MC Hammer, & Mili Vanilli are performing at the opening party.

• Rumor Has It: Sant Ambroeus is Coming to the Design District. I Think.

  SA Hospitality Group is betting: that Sant Ambroeus can out-Italian the Miami’s Italians.

Real Estate

• Luxe Developments We Love: Miami Tropic Residences by Jean-Georges

  Developed by David Martin’s Terra and Lion Development Group, the team that doesn’t build without a thesis. Architecture by Arquitectonica. Interiors by Yabu Pushelberg. Culinary program conceived and personally overseen by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Michelin-starred, globally revered, and apparently not done expanding his universe.

On My Mind: Maybe Just Enjoy It?

You know what nobody talks about at dinner in Miami? That Miami is the #1 hotel market in America. You know what everyone talks about at dinner in Miami? Traffic on the MacArthur. Parking in South Beach. The restaurant that used to be great before it got too crowded. The neighborhood that used to be cool before everyone found out about it. Which, by the way, all of that is caused by the same thing. Miami is the #1 hotel market in America.

Miami-Dade led the entire country in hotel occupancy, room rates, and revenue per available room for the first four months of 2026. Not top five. Number one. Miami Beach alone hit 80.6% occupancy with room rates averaging $401 a night up 13.5% from a year ago. People are complaining about the lines. People are complaining about the prices. People are complaining about the crowds. That’s not a problem. That’s the scoreboard.

Then Thursday happens. The World Cup kicks off and Miami becomes the center of the sports world for the next month. Billions of eyes. Hundreds of thousands of visitors. The kind of global audience that cities spend decades and billions trying to manufacture, and Miami gets it because of what it already is. Not because of infrastructure. Not because of a convention center. Because of the vibe. Because of the heat. Because there is nowhere else on earth that looks and feels like this in summer. And yes, the MacArthur is going to be a nightmare. That’s the price of being number one.

More locals. More tourists. More is more. The businesses that win the next decade in Miami are the ones that stop treating the crowds as an inconvenience and start treating them as the opportunity. The person stuck in traffic on the MacArthur complaining about Miami is the same person who told twelve friends to move here. The restaurant that’s too crowded is too crowded because it’s great. The neighborhood that got discovered got discovered because it deserved to be.

The Real Real: World Cup starts Thursday. Miami is the #1 hotel market in America. If you’re spending your energy complaining about the results of living in the most exciting city in the country, that’s on you. The window is wide open. The whole world is looking in. Maybe just enjoy it.

BEACH BUSINESS

The Nautilus Has a New Name. Again.

The Nautilus Hotel is one of those Miami Beach addresses that always lingers. Morris Lapidus designed it in the early 1950s, the same architect who gave us the Fontainebleau, and for decades it held its place on Collins Avenue as genuinely mediocre. Now it’s coming back again, $40 million later, as The James Nautilus Miami Beach. Late 2026.

Sonesta Hotels is behind the relaunch, planting its lifestyle brand The James Hotels at one of Miami Beach’s most storied addresses. The concept is built around a fictional host character named James, charming, always in the know, effortless taste, brings people together. The F&B program is being handled by LDV Hospitality, the New York group behind Scarpetta and American Cut, and they really broke the mold with this one, jk: a Mediterranean restaurant by the pool, an omakase experience, and a late-night lounge.

The bones of Miami Beach’s hotel scene were always exceptional. The question has always been whether the operators could live up to them. The Nautilus has changed hands and concepts more times than anyone can count, and this relaunch has the same problem every previous one did: it’s trying to manufacture a soul. A fictional host named James and an LDV food program isn’t a point of view, it’s a press release.

The Real Real: The Shelborne by Proper was already the modest bet on Collins Avenue. This feels like a lesser version of that. $40 million and a mascot isn’t a brand. Miami has seen this movie before.

Peter Thiel Just Signed Miami’s Most Expensive Office Lease.

Peter Thiel doesn’t make noise. He makes moves. And his latest one says everything about where Miami is headed.

Thiel Capital, his family investment firm, just signed a full floor at 830 Brickell. 18,158 square feet on the 44th floor at $250 per square foot. That’s $4.5 million a year. A Miami-Dade record. The previous record was $225 per square foot, also at 830 Brickell, set just months ago. The ceiling keeps rising and nobody is done pushing it.

The building itself is the story within the story. 830 Brickell was developed by Vlad Doronin’s OKO Group and Cain International, designed by the same firm behind the Burj Khalifa, and delivered fully leased in 2024 with a tenant roster that reads like a who’s who of global capital: Citadel, Microsoft, Kirkland & Ellis, Thoma Bravo, Sidley Austin. It refinanced for $630 million in December 2025. Thiel is now sitting one floor above Citadel’s Miami headquarters. That’s not an accident.

This is also not Thiel’s first Miami move. He’s had a home here since 2020. Founders Fund opened a Wynwood office in 2021. Thiel Capital quietly followed on New Year’s Eve 2025. The 830 Brickell lease is the upgrade, from creative neighborhood to the most prestigious corporate address in the city. In 2021 the top of Brickell was $60 per square foot. Today it’s $250. Manhattan’s record is $327. Miami is closing the gap faster than anyone predicted.

HOSPITALITY LOCAL INSIDER

China Grill at Bal Harbour Shops. The 90s Are Officially Back.

In 1995, two things happened that changed Miami forever. The Delano reopened on Collins Avenue and Jeffrey Chodorow opened China Grill on South Beach. Ian Schrager and Chodorow didn’t just open businesses, they opened a new version of the city. Miami became a destination that year. The kind of place people flew in for a weekend just to say they were there.

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Summer Shake Up: Mr. Chow is Out. The Rumor Mill Says Major Food Group is in and the W is changing to Waldorf.

After 17 years on Collins Avenue, Mr. Chow has closed its doors at the W South Beach. The iconic dining room, the 123-foot gold leaf chandelier, the Beijing duck, the nightly noodle show, is done. It had a good run. South Beach in 2009 was exact…

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WHAT’S GOOD MIAMI: 6.2.26

• On My Mind: Two Miami’s. Same city. Two completely different places.

  3 scenes. Same week. Same city. Two people who will never compare notes.

Beach Business

• Sunshine’s Coffee’s New Home: The 2nd Location Arrives in North Beach, and She Is a Beauty

  Sunshine Coffee. North Beach. Born. Raised. Roasted. And June 4th, open.

• Adam Neumann Is Coming to Aventura

  Flow, Adam Neumann’s residential real estate company, just received approval for three 29-story towers in Aventura.

• DeSantis Property Tax Plan for Dummies

  If you own your home in Florida, the government wants to stop making you pay rent on it.

Hospitality Local Insider

• First Kosher Restaurant in the World to Earn a Michelin Star is in Miami

  Mutra is not a flashy venue backed by major investors. It’s an intimate space where the chef cooks from memories of Jerusalem.

Real Estate

• LUXE DEVELOPMENTS, WE LOVE: ZIGGURAT, COCONUT GROVE

  19 ultra-luxury residences, 2 to 5 bedrooms, ranging from 1,500 to over 4,000 sq ft, each with private elevators and expansive terraces overlooking Kirk Munroe Park.

ON MY MIND: TWO MIAMIS

Same city. Same week. Two completely different places.

Cities don’t transform quietly. They do it in the middle of everything, while people are still trying to live their lives, getting coffee, going to the beach, sitting in traffic. Miami is in that moment right now. Not falling apart. Not finished becoming. Just in the middle of the most important negotiation a city ever has with itself.

These are three scenes from the same week. The same city. Two people who will never compare notes.

SCENE ONE: GROWTH

Sunday morning. Miami Design District. A new café just opened where a parking lot used to be.

The Arrival: Did you see this place? The owner moved from New York two years ago and put everything into it. The beans are from a farm in Venezuela he visited himself.

This is why I’m here. This city keeps saying yes. Every month something opens that couldn’t have existed anywhere else and somehow it still feels like we’re just getting started. Miami is becoming something unreal.

The Original: That used to be a parking lot. Before that, my uncle had a shop there for nineteen years. He couldn’t make the new rent. He’s in Homestead now.

I’m happy for the guy with the Venezuelan beans. I really am. But I grew up two blocks from here and I can’t afford two blocks from here anymore. I still come back on Sundays. Habit, maybe. Or something I don’t have a word for yet.

Miami is becoming something. I just don’t always recognize it as mine.

They pass each other in the doorway. One arriving. One remembering.

SCENE TWO: THE BEACH

Saturday afternoon. South Beach. The water is the color of something you’d frame.

The Arrival: I’ve been to beaches on four continents and nothing touches this. The light here does something to everything it hits. There’s a version of the good life and we’re standing inside it.

I used to live somewhere where winter lasted six months. Now I wake up and this is just Tuesday. I never take it for granted.

The Original: My grandmother used to bring us here when parking was free and the beach was empty by nine. She’d make croquetas wrapped in foil and they’d still be warm at noon.

I brought my kids last month. Parking was forty dollars. A woman asked if I was “with a hotel” like I needed permission to be on my own shoreline.

I still love this water. I just have to fight a little harder to reach it now.

They’re watching the same wave break.

SCENE THREE: THE TRAFFIC

Thursday evening. I-95 South. Nobody is moving.

The Arrival: This is not traffic. I sat on the Cross Bronx for two hours on a Tuesday in February in the dark. I missed a wedding rehearsal dinner. I called my wife from a parking lot in the middle of a highway and knew I was done with that city.

This is a delay with palm trees. Windows down. Seventy-eight degrees. I genuinely don’t know what everyone is upset about.

The Original: I know every back road, every cut-through, every trick. None of it works anymore. They built a hundred thousand new units and one new lane. I leave forty-five minutes early and I’m still late.

I’m not comparing it to New York. I’m saying this is my city and I can’t move through it the way I used to.

Adjacent lanes. One of them is smiling. One of them is watching the clock.

SCENE FOUR: THE SAME BLOCK

Saturday afternoon. They pass each other. Neither one knows the other’s story.

The Arrival: God, I love this city.

The Original: God, I love this city.

Cities evolve. They always have. The question was never whether Miami would change, it was whether we could hold both truths at once without letting go of either.

Paradise is what you discover. Home is what you build. Miami has always been both.

The people who found it and the people who built it are still here, on the same streets, watching the same water, sitting in the same traffic. They just aren’t always speaking the same language yet.

That’s not a failure. That’s what becoming looks like from the inside.

BEACH BUSINESS

Sunshine’s Coffee’s New Home: The 2nd Location Arrives in North Beach, and She Is a Beauty

When we first moved here, we searched for the right neighborhood. We tried everywhere, but it always came back to North Beach.

It felt real. Genuine. Honest. Unbothered. Like the Miami we fell in love with, before the noise, before the rest of them showed up.

North Beach is home. A feeling, rarer than people think, of actually belonging somewhere. For River. For Teddy. For Sunshine, our daughter who the shop is named for. And now Lucky, who was born shortly after we opened Sunshine on Española Way. As I like to say: first we had Sunshine, then we got Lucky.

On June 4th, we open Sunshine Coffee at 7351 Collins Avenue. Two blocks from where we live.

This one is different. Not because Gelareh and I designed a space with 15-foot curved ceilings and a wave-inspired bar that is genuinely one of the most beautiful things we’ve ever built together. But because this time we’re not opening in someone else’s neighborhood. We’re opening in ours.

The menu has everything people love, the Miami Iced, the Sunshine Sando, the Pancake Cake, the Brown Butter Focaccia Cinnamon Roll, the soft serve Dream Team plus new things we’ve been working on for months. We have expanded Gelly’s Matcha program and added a Chopped Buffalo Chicken Caesar Wrap and Spicy Tuna Wrap with Crispy Rice Crumbles that I’m currently craving daily.

But honestly, none of that is the point.

The point is the neighbor who comes in every morning. The family stopping by after the beach. The person who just needs a great iced coffee and a place that makes them feel welcome. That’s why we built Sunshine, for the Miami we love and the community that has given us so much.

Now we are here. And so are you. And so is she.

Sunshine Coffee. North Beach. Born. Raised. Roasted. And as of June 4th, open.

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Adam Neumann Is Taking Over Aventura, Sort Of.

Flow, Adam Neumann’s residential real estate company, just received approval for three 29-story towers in Aventura, 674 apartments, 250,000 square feet of office, and 39,000 square feet of retail, rising adjacent to the Aventura Corporate Center on Biscayne Boulevard.

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SUMMER SHAKE UP BEGINS: JAMES JULIUS OUT AT HARBOR CLUB

The Bermuda Triangle of Sunset Harbor has claimed another victim.

The Harbor Club, the Sunset Harbor spot that never quite resolved the tension between restaurant and private club, is parting ways with its founder, James Julius. By all accounts, James is talented and turned out genuinely good food and experiences. But in the hospitality business, great product doesn’t always survive the investor relationship. James and his backer Joe Sitt have chosen to go in different directions, and James is moving on.

Sitt is reportedly bringing in new operators from London to take the club in a different direction. Meanwhile, there’s positiv e buzz around the Caracas Bakery that recently opened on the main floor, though whether that’s a Julius initiative or a Sitt initiative remains unclear.

What is clear: The Harbor Club as Miami has known it is no longer. Whether the new direction can break the Sunset Harbor curse is the only question that matters now.

James Julius, we wish you well. The city will be watching what you do next.

A Fully Furnished Waterfront Remodel on Biscayne Point. This is a rare turn-key opportunity on one of Miami Beach’s most secure gated islands.

1792 Cleveland Road is a meticulous 2024 total transformation that brings high-end contemporary utility to a classic single-story footprint. Located within a 24/7 guard-gated island community, this residence serves as a private waterfront sanctuary that feels entirely fresh and modern. It is the ideal play for a buyer who wants the “new construction” experience without the multi-year wait, complete with 60 feet of canal frontage and a private dock for easy bay access.

The 2,770 SF interior is a study in premium finishes, anchored by massive 48”x48” porcelain tile floors and a gourmet kitchen featuring Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances. Every one of the four bedrooms is a full en-suite, offering a level of privacy and comfort usually reserved for much larger estates. The technical details are equally elevated, including a whole-house water filtration system and an epoxy-finished two-car garage. Outside, the property is built for the Miami lifestyle, centered around a saltwater pool and a fully equipped BBQ cabana. Sold fully furnished and ready for immediate occupancy, it’s a high-design retreat in a neighborhood known for its security and seafaring culture.

THE DEETS:

• Price: $4,999,000

• Neighborhood: Biscayne Point, Miami Beach

• Square Footage: 2,770 SF

• Lot Size: 9,000 Square Feet

• Built: 2024 (Complete Remodel)

• Rooms: 4 Bedrooms, 5.5 Bathrooms

• Amenities: Waterfront with Private Dock, Saltwater Pool, Outdoor BBQ Cabana, Sub-Zero/Wolf Appliances, 24/7 Gated Security

• Listing Agency: Global Luxury Realty LLC by Kid Leitao

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A Balinese-Inspired Tropical Oasis in Shorecrest. This double-lot compound is a complete departure from the typical Miami mainland aesthetic.

994 NE 78th Street is a sprawling, 2015-built modern retreat that functions more like a private nature preserve than a standard residence. Set on a massive 36,369 SF double lot, the property transports you into a serene jungle environment, detailed with 300-year-old handcrafted doors imported from Bali. With 175 feet of wide canal frontage and no fixed bridges to the bay, it delivers an elite-level boating setup complemented by its own private sandy beach.

The 3,255 SF interior emphasizes architectural soul and warmth, moving away from the “sterile” feel of many new builds. The two-story, elevated floor plan features floor-to-ceiling impact glass and an open-concept living area that flows into a gourmet kitchen outfitted with Gaggenau appliances. Upstairs, four en-suite bedrooms each open onto private balconies, offering immersive views of the lush canopy and water. The outdoor grounds are a true “lifestyle compound,” featuring a resort-style pool, a volleyball court, a children’s playhouse, and even an oversized garden chess set. For the buyer who values privacy and character over high-gloss minimalism, this is one of the most unique waterfront holdings in the Upper East Side.

THE DEETS:

• Price: $7,900,000

• Neighborhood: Shorecrest, Miami

• Square Footage: 3,255 SF

• Lot Size: 36,369 Square Feet (Double Lot)

• Days On the Market: 1

• Built: 2015

• Rooms: 5 Bedrooms, 4.5 Bathrooms

• Amenities: 175’ Waterfront, Private Beach, Boat Dock, Resort Pool, Bali-Imported Details, Gaggenau Appliances, Volleyball Court

• Listing Agency: Charles Rutenberg Realty FTL by Ana Maria Mendiola

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A Modern Tropical Compound on the Sunset Islands. Architectural scale of this magnitude rarely hits the open market.

Sunset Estates is a once-in-a-generation waterfront assembly that feels more like a private island than a residential lot. Positioned within the guard-gated security of Sunset Island III, this 2025-completed estate spans over 32,000 SF of prime land with an incredible 187 feet of combined water frontage. It is a one-of-one collaboration between architect Kobi Karp and developer Todd Michael Glaser, delivering a primary residence and an elegant detached guest house that function together as a unified modern tropical fortress.

The 10,791 SF living space is a masterclass in organic modernism, utilizing Brazilian Ipe wood, exposed concrete, and soaring 12-foot ceilings to create a seamless indoor-outdoor experience. The primary residence is an entertainer’s dream, featuring six bedrooms, an elevator, a gated motor court for 10+ cars, and a primary suite equipped with an outdoor shower and private terrace. Steps away, the detached guest residence is a high-functioning wing of its own, housing a waterfront gym, a conference lounge, and a double-height garage. Anchored by an Olympic-length lap pool and surrounded by lush landscaping, this estate provides a level of privacy and utility that is nearly impossible to replicate in Miami Beach’s most coveted enclave.

THE DEETS:

• Price: $110,000,000

• Neighborhood: Sunset Islands (Island III), Miami Beach

• Square Footage: 10,791 SF

• Lot Size: 32,845 Square Feet

• Days On the Market: 1

• Built: 2025

• Rooms: 9 Bedrooms, 11 Bathrooms (9 Full, 2 Half)

• Amenities: 187’ Waterfront, Olympic Lap Pool, Waterfront Gym, 13-Car Garage, Guest House, Elevator

• Listing Agency: ATR Luxury Homes by Ana Teresa Rodriguez

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“Consume Less, Create More”: Interview with Rachel Robinson of RachelFitness & Barry’s Bootcamp

A conversation with Rachel Robinson at What’s Good Miami’s new content studio at The Moore, on freedom, family, and the discipline of showing up every single day, for six straight years.

There’s a moment, sitting in any room with Rachel Robinson, when you realize the workout isn’t actually the workout. The sweat is real. The treadmill is real. The 10.0 sprints she calls out by name yours, mine, the woman in the back are real. But the thing Rachel is actually doing, the thing that has packed her 9:30 a.m. Monday class on Purdy Avenue for years on end, is something else entirely. She’s having a conversation with herself out loud, and inviting fifty people to listen in.

I sat down with Rachel last week at What’s Good Miami’s new content studio at The Moore. The room felt right for it. She came up on reality television, where the cameras turn the room into the performance. She built her business on Instagram Live, where the bedroom is the studio. And she’s spent the last decade teaching one of the most kinetic group fitness classes in the city, where the studio is, in the end, a kind of broadcast. Rachel doesn’t really exist in private. Or maybe more accurately: Rachel doesn’t really make a distinction between the two. The whole point of what she does and the reason it works is that there isn’t one.

If her name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, it should.

The Lineage

Rachel is Miami fitness royalty in the most Miami way possible. Born in the Chelsea Hotel in New York to a photographer mother who, in her own words, “always had a camera on me.” Raised in Miami since she was five. A true OG of a city that has very few of them left.

She came up on reality television during the original Road Rules era the analog days, before social media, before the playbook, before anyone went on the show planning to make a career out of it. She left it behind to live a life, got married to Natalie (the founder of G-Beauty, the family-built skincare and facial studio business that’s expanding into a new flagship in Toronto), had three kids under three, and built the kind of family life that most reality TV alumni quietly envy.

Then, after an eleven-year hiatus, she went back. The producers had been calling her for years. The timing finally worked. She returned to The Challenge as an all-star and won. A literal Cinderella moment for a woman in her late thirties who hadn’t been on television in over a decade. She’ll tell you herself: that doesn’t normally happen.

But by then, she wasn’t really a reality TV person anymore. She was a fitness person.

The Barry’s Story

The Barry’s Miami origin story is, by itself, worth the price of admission.

Rachel had been a client of Barry’s in LA. She loved the workout the club-in-a-room intensity, the treadmill-and-weights structure, the way it functioned as both a physical experience and a social one. When she heard Barry’s was finally opening in Miami, she reached out to CEO Joey Gonzalez through mutual friends and asked to be introduced to the franchise owners, Derek and James.

Every other instructor candidate sat down for a job interview.

Rachel sat down and told them what time slot she wanted.

“I basically told them I was hired and what time slot I wanted,” she said in our conversation. “They literally left the meeting and were like, ‘We’ve never had another meeting like that.’”

She got the slot. And then she got every slot. For nearly a decade, Rachel’s classes have been the ones in Miami that people plan their week around not the ones they fit into a free hour.

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WHAT’S GOOD MIAMI: 5.26.26

• On My Mind: GO NEW YORK GO NEW YORK GO

  The last time you were in the finals I was sitting at The Grill in the Hamptons with my father watching OJ get chased on the freeway.

Beach Business

• New York Is Now Americas #1 Hurricane Risk

  The New York metro has been named the most at-risk for hurricanes.

• Pura Vida Expands Again: HQ Heading To Wynwood

  The most-Miami-Beach restaurant is growing up, and staying close to home.

• Palm Tree Crew Is Building A 483 Unit Air BnB Building In Downtown

  Only in Miami. 37 stories. 483 fully furnished units. Festival friendly?

Hospitality Local Insider

• LPM: Our Favorite Restaurant Just Closed To Get Better

  LPM Miami is shutting the doors. June reopening. “Slipping into something new.”

Real Estate

• Luxe Developments We Love: Mandarin Oriental Residences Brickell key

  One Island Drive. Two towers. The southern tip of Brickell Key. The biggest branded residential bet in Miami history.

ON MY MIND: GO NEW YORK GO NEW YORK GO

Look, I have to admit it. I enjoyed watching Michael Jordan beat your asses back in the day. I really enjoyed when Jimmy whooped your butt. And I might have even taken some quiet pleasure in Haliburton’s miracle last year.

But with the Heat out of it and the way you’re playing right now? You can’t help but get infected by Knicks-mania. A 4-0 sweep of the Cavs. A 130-93 closeout. Brunson with the Larry Bird Trophy. First Finals since 1999. That’s not luck, that’s a team that figured it out.

The last time you were in the finals I was sitting at The Grill in the Hamptons with my father watching OJ get chased on the freeway. Great memory, great chili.

With OKC and Wemby going head-to-head in the West, it’s going to be very interesting to see who you draw. A couple of years ago, this whole thing would have been unimaginable. Dolan was a zero. The Knicks were a punchline. The Garden was where dreams went to die. But persistence pays. The front office got it right, Brunson became Brunson, and here we are.

The Mr. Miami take: Whatever happens in the finals, this is a victory for the city that never sleeps, and that’s a city we have a lot of love for down here. Knicks in the Finals. we will all be watching. Let’s f-ing go.

BEACH BUSINESS

NEW YORK IS NOW AMERICA’S #1 HURRICANE RISK. SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK.

Every June, the same script. A cousin in Manhattan, a friend in Brooklyn, a client in the Hamptons, somebody, somewhere, sends the eye-roll: “How do you LIVE down there with the hurricanes?” This year, hand them Cotality’s 2026 Hurricane Risk Report and walk away.

The headline: the New York metro has the largest concentration of homes exposed to hurricane risk in the country, more than 3.27 million, representing nearly $1.93 trillion in reconstruction value. Houston is second. Miami is third. New York also leads the U.S. in storm surge exposure, 631,000+ homes, $329 billion on the line.

Here’s the part nobody up there wants to hear. It’s been 14 years since Sandy and five since Ida, and the New York metro lags behind its southern counterparts on coastal preparedness and building practices. Translation: when it comes, it’s worse. Down here, we build for it, codes written in the language of Andrew, shutters in the closet by May, a guy on speed-dial. Up there? Submerged Audis on the Jackie Robinson Parkway, exactly what happened days after the Cotality report dropped, when flash floods shut down major highways across Queens.

Mr. Miami Take: Miami’s “risk” is the most overpriced narrative in American real estate. We’re not denying the risk, we’re saying we built a city that understands it. The next person who asks how you live down here? Ask them how they sleep up there.

PURA VIDA EXPANDS AGAIN: HQ HEADING TO WYNWOOD

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WHAT’S GOOD MIAMI: 5.19.26

• On My Mind: It’s so Much Better than Listening to Someone Else.

  Entrepreneurship is one of the hardest things in the world.

Beach Business

• North Beach Is Becoming Magical. The Herald Just Noticed.

  The Miami Herald just published the long version of something we told you months ago.

• Where’s David Martin? Miami Beach Review Board. Winning.

  330-foot waterfront tower on West Avenue. 28 stories. 106 luxury units averaging nearly 3,500 square feet. Two penthouses with rooftop pools.

• Miami Office Rents Just Hit “New York Penthouse” Prices

  Approaching $200 per square foot and 830 Brickell reportedly pushing as high as $250/SF.

Hospitality Local Insider

• The End of an Era: Blue Collar Miami Closes Its Doors

  After 14 years of serving as the heartbeat of the MiMo District, Blue Collar has officially served its last meal.

• Brickell Gets Its “Erewhon”: Nude Miami Officially Opens

  High-end, wellness-focused grocery experience that locals are already calling “Miami’s Erewhon.”

• What’s Going to be Good: A Pasta Bar

  Sushi Garage’s old footprint is getting A Pasta Bar, a New York SoHo import.

Real Estate

• Luxe Developments We Love: The Perigon Miami Beach

  5333 Collins Avenue. Seventeen stories. The first new oceanfront tower in this Miami Beach cycle to top out.

ON MY MIND: SO MUCH BETTER THAN LISTENING TO SOMEONE ELSE.

The risk. The hours. The cash flow. The sleepless Sunday nights where the math doesn’t math and you’re staring at the ceiling running through the P&L.

People think entrepreneurs are wired for risk. Wrong. We are wired against sitting in a meeting listening to someone with worse taste make a worse decisions and being asked to execute it. The truth is, even with all the challenges, it is so much better than listening to someone else.

Miami is a hotbed of brand development right now, billions in real estate, hundreds of new hotels and restaurants, an influx of world-class founders, investors, and operators. Combine that with international attention, small-town mechanics, and regular visitation from the largest markets in the world, and you get the perfect low-risk, high-reward proving ground. New York is too crowded to hear you. LA is too spread out to see you. Miami sees everything, and says yes or no fast, and sends the verdict back home with everyone who came down for the weekend.

If your done being told what to do and your ready to build, there is no better place in the world than Miami. Get down here, the proving ground is open.

BEACH BUSINESS

Introducing What’s Good Miami Studio at The Moore in the Design District. Finally a studio that matches Miami’s ambition.

The Moore Miami in partnership with What’s Good and Rebel Audio is launching a super-premium podcast and content studio at The Moore on Wednesday evening. What’s Good Studio at The Moore is the first studio of its kind in South Florida. Super-premium in every dimension. One of the most beautiful and historically relevant locations in the city. Concierge-level hospitality. Built-in distribution opportunities with What’s Good Miami, the cities most trusted editorial authority. Broadcast-grade AI technology powered by Rebel Audio.

The Moore is the physical home of Miami’s creative class. Zaha Hadid’s Elastika in the atrium, Massimo Bottura’s Torno Subito on the ground floor, The Club, The Workplace, and a 13-suite hotel, 100,000 square feet of Design District landmark brought to our great city by the awesome Brady Wood and the Woodhouse group. WGM is the digital home of that same community. The studio is where the two worlds converge.

Walk in, sit down, record, and walk out with an ultra-stylized episode ready to ship and a perfect martini ready to sip.

As we always say, “Content isn’t the king. It’s the kingdom.” Miami is producing the most interesting businesses and creative outputs in America right now, and it deserves a studio experience that matches its ambition. The Moore is the backdrop. What’s Good is the voice. Rebel Audio is the engine. The work starts Wednesday.

What’s Good Studio Launch Event, Wednesday May 20th, 6 PM - 8 PM at the Moore. Live podcast filming with the great Rachel Robinson of @rachelfitness and @barrys bootcamp.

—> Book Studio Now

North Beach Is Becoming Magical. The Herald Just Noticed.

The Miami Herald just published the long version of something we told you months ago.

WGM called it last fall. North Beach is the most important neighborhood story in Miami Beach.

Here’s what’s on the ground: 1,300-plus residential units in the pipeline, not including North Bay Village with thousands more. 72 Park is already open at 22 stories. Five more projects under construction. The Byron Carlyle is becoming a cultural arts center. Ocean Terrace is getting ultra luxury beachfront condos and hotel towers. David Martin’s Terra Group is taking the old Deauville site. Russell Galbut’s Crescent Heights is in on several. His quote sets the tone: “We made South Beach a magical place. They’re doing the same in North Beach.”

The Herald hedged. WGM won’t. Yes, traffic is a mess and the police chief took an hour to drive eight blocks. Yes, the 2016 plan said 125 feet and the 2018 rezoning allowed 220. That’s not a betrayal that’s how cities get built. The “character” everyone says they want to protect was built by an earlier generation of developers who bet on a beach nobody else wanted. The real question isn’t whether North Beach changes. It’s whether the people building it have the taste and vision to get it right. Sunshine Coffee’s second location is about to land on 74th and Collins, right next to Sandwicherie. Sushi Bici, Sazon, Burgers and Shakes, and the bandshell are bumping daily and nightly. Altos del Mar has the only beachfront single family homes in Miami Beach, selling already for 40m +.

Don’t sleep on the neighborhood everyone is going to be talking about.

Where’s David Martin? Miami Beach Review Board. Winning.

The Miami Beach Design Review Board unanimously approved 1250 West Avenue on Thursday.

330-foot waterfront tower on West Avenue. 28 stories. 106 luxury units averaging nearly 3,500 square feet. Two penthouses with rooftop pools. ODP Architects designing. Terra developing with RG Development Group and GV Development. The site replaces a 15-story, 238-unit building from 1964, fewer units, bigger units, generational upgrade on one of the best bay front parcels in South Beach.

The give-backs are the part most newsletters will skip. Terra is required to complete its segment of the Baywalk and turn the Bikini Hostel parcel across the street into a city park. More than a dozen West Avenue residents showed up to speak in favor. Terra even committed to washing nearby cars and windows during construction. This is how you get a unanimous vote. Show up early, give before you take, and let the neighborhood see the project before the board does.

WGM’s take: this is David Martin’s signature move. While other developers fight zoning battles in public and lose neighborhoods one Yelp review at a time, Martin builds consensus first and asks for approval second. 1250 West Avenue is one of three major Miami Beach wins on his desk right now. The man is quietly assembling the most ambitious portfolio in the city.

Miami Office Rents Just Hit “New York Penthouse” Prices

Miami’s office market has officially entered its luxury era. According to The Real Deal, the top tier of Miami-Dade office space is now commanding rents once considered unthinkable here, with some buildings reaching or approaching $200 per square foot and 830 Brickell reportedly pushing as high as $250/SF. What used to be a shocking benchmark has become the new flex for trophy office space.

Read more

“Always Be a Gentleman, and Never Play by the Rules”

A conversation with Ben Pundole at the new Delano, on dreaming, trusting, and the city that finally stopped following.

“As we pulled up to the porte cochère, I remember being thrilled. The entrance to the Delano had a magnitude and energy I’d rarely, if ever, experienced before. The valets were all perfectly dressed in crisp white outfits, the people getting out of their cars were beautifully put together, and the architecture was the perfect combination of classic Art Deco and clean modern lines.

While the arrival alone was magnificent, it wasn’t until I entered the lobby that I was swept away: fifty-foot ceilings, a straight-shot visual hundreds of feet from the entrance to the rear orchard, and charming vignettes of whimsical seating and social areas throughout. The beauty was unmistakable, and the energy was so real you could almost drink it. Every step I took built on the drama of the experience. By the time I exited the lobby and stepped into the orchard, I felt changed, as if my appreciation for what the imagination could manifest had been heightened. I didn’t say a word for ten minutes after I walked outside. I just smiled, completely satisfied by what I had just consumed.”

- The Age of Ideas by Alan Philips (Yes Me :))

There’s a moment, sitting in the new Delano, when you realize the building is doing something quieter than it used to. The old Delano was a statement, flowing white curtains, Philippe Starck swagger, a lobby that felt like the velvet rope of an entire decade. The new one isn’t trying to be that. It’s trying to be something harder: a place you actually want to come back to.

I sat down with Ben Pundole there last week. If that name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, it should. Ben is hospitality royalty in the most British, understated way, “I just happened to be in the room when it all started” kind of way. He came up at the Groucho Club in London in 1992, what he calls his university. He was at the Met Bar when the Met Bar was the room. He spent 23 years orbiting Ian Schrager, the man credited with birthing boutique hospitality as we now understand it.

What I wanted to know was simple: what does that lineage build, and what’s it doing in Miami right now?

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WHAT’S GOOD WEEKENDER: 5.15.26

WHAT’S LISTED:

• Best Home’s for Sale this Week: First Move, Power Move, Forever Home

  We scoured the market to find the newest and best listings, sub-5 million, 5-15m million, and one for motivation, 15m and up. There’s one for everyone.

GOOD COMPANY:

• Interview with Delano’s Ben Pundole on his Lifelong Hospitality Journey

  A conversation with Ben Pundole at the new Delano, on dreaming, trusting, and the city that finally stopped following.

WHAT’S LISTED

An Art Deco time capsule in Mid-Beach? They’re rare, but they exist.

While most of the buzz in 33140 centers on sleek new builds, 4490 Royal Palm Avenue stands as a masterclass in preserved Miami elegance. This is the real estate equivalent of a perfectly tailored vintage Chanel suit - timeless, structured, and impossible to replicate. Located in the heart of the Postview neighborhood, this 1939 residence offers a level of soulful sophistication that glass and steel simply can’t provide.

Step inside and you’re met with a layout that honors the golden era of Miami architecture. The 2,829 SF interior is defined by its crisp lines and original details, featuring a light-filled living room that flows seamlessly into a formal dining space. The aesthetic is “quiet luxury” before it was a trend - think original hardwood floors, classic moldings, and an abundance of natural light pouring through oversized windows. The chef’s kitchen and updated baths bridge the gap between historic charm and modern necessity.

Outside, the property transforms into a private Mediterranean sanctuary. A lush, manicured backyard serves as an outdoor living room, anchored by a pristine pool and framed by tall hedges for total seclusion. It’s a literal oasis just minutes from the 41st Street corridor and the beach. For those who value pedigree over square-box minimalism, this is the ultimate Mid-Beach trophy.

THE DETAILS:

• Price: $2,699,000

• Neighborhood: Mid-Beach (Orchard Sub), Miami Beach

• Square Footage: 2,384 SF

• Lot Size: 6,900 Square Feet

• Built: 1936

• Rooms: 4 Bedrooms, 3.5 Bathrooms

• Amenities: Pool, 1 Car Garage, Basketball Court, Marble Fireplace, Impact Doors, Flex Office/Gym

• Listing Agency: COMPASS by Mendel Fellig

→ BUY NOW

A Ten-Bedroom Mediterranean Compound on the Bay. This is the kind of architectural gravity Shorecrest hasn’t seen before.

1201 NE 83rd Street is a massive residential anomaly tucked away at the edge of a secluded cul-de-sac in Bayshore Estates. It functions more like a private coastal resort than a standard family home, commanding a rare half-acre lot and 140 feet of direct, bridge-free saltwater frontage. It is the ultimate mainland alternative for a serious boater, offering unrestricted ocean access and deep-water dockage that typically commands a massive premium on the islands.

The 8,573 SF floor plan is an exercise in pure volume, anchored by a grand salon with 25-foot soaring ceilings. This estate is a hospitality powerhouse, featuring ten bedrooms and a chef’s kitchen equipped with double appliances for large-scale catering. The primary suite serves as a high-altitude sanctuary, complete with its own lounge area and twin balconies overlooking the bay. Outside, the property transforms into a walled tropical fortress, featuring a resort-caliber pool and spa, a full summer kitchen, and a detached 2-bedroom guest cottage. With a four-car garage and enough space to house a legacy, it’s a powerhouse property for a buyer who refuses to compromise on scale or sea-readiness.

THE DEETS:

• Price: $9,800,000

• Neighborhood: Bayshore Estates, Miami

• Square Footage: 8,573 SF

• Lot Size: 25,060 Square Feet

• Days On the Market: 7

• Built: 2010

• Rooms: 10 Bedrooms, 9.5 Bathrooms

• Amenities: 140’ Waterfront, Pool & Spa, 2-BR Guest House, 4-Car Garage, 25-Foot Ceilings, Summer Kitchen

• Listing Agency: COMPASS by Mendel Fellig

→ BUY NOW

A Glass-Edge Masterpiece in Keystone Point. This brand-new modern estate just redefined the ceiling for North Miami luxury.

13390 Biscayne Bay Drive is a high-concept architectural statement tucked away on a private cul-de-sac within Keystone Point’s gated enclave. This 2023-built residence is the residential equivalent of a modern superyacht, trading traditional walls for massive expanses of floor-to-ceiling glass and 8,200 SF of sheer transparency. With 136 feet of direct, bridge-free water frontage and rapid Atlantic access, it is a flagship property for boaters who want the proximity of Bal Harbour without the high-density traffic.

The three-level layout is a clinic in modern volume, featuring soaring ceilings, a sleek Mia Cucina kitchen, and an elevator that connects every floor from the ground-level suites to the rooftop entertainment deck. The primary suite is a true architectural retreat, designed to capture panoramic eastern exposures and sea breezes. Outdoors, the property functions as a private beach club, centered around a dramatic glass-edge infinity pool, a summer kitchen, and even a private putting green. It’s an ultra-prime trophy for a buyer looking for a turn-key legacy home that balances futuristic design with elite-level dockage.

THE DEETS:

• Price: $15,490,000

• Neighborhood: Keystone Point, North Miami

• Square Footage: ~8,200 SF

• Lot Size: 14,258 Square Feet

• Days On the Market: 1

• Built: 2023

• Rooms: 6 Bedrooms, 9.5 Bathrooms

• Amenities: 136’ Waterfront, Glass-Edge Infinity Pool, Rooftop Deck, Elevator, Putting Green, Mia Cucina Kitchen

• Listing Agency: Global Luxury Realty LLC by Dmitry Maccabee

→ BUY NOW

FEATURE: DELANO’S BEN PUNDOLE, THE HOSPITALITY LEGEND BRINGS BACK A HOSPITALITY LEGEND

WATCH THE FULL LONG FORM INTERVIEW BY CLICKING ABOVE

“Always Be a Gentleman, and Never Play by the Rules”

A conversation with Ben Pundole at the new Delano, on dreaming, trusting, and the city that finally stopped following.

“As we pulled up to the porte cochère, I remember being thrilled. The entrance to the Delano had a magnitude and energy I’d rarely, if ever, experienced before. The valets were all perfectly dressed in crisp white outfits, the people getting out of their cars were beautifully put together, and the architecture was the perfect combination of classic Art Deco and clean modern lines.

While the arrival alone was magnificent, it wasn’t until I entered the lobby that I was swept away: fifty-foot ceilings, a straight-shot visual hundreds of feet from the entrance to the rear orchard, and charming vignettes of whimsical seating and social areas throughout. The beauty was unmistakable, and the energy was so real you could almost drink it. Every step I took built on the drama of the experience. By the time I exited the lobby and stepped into the orchard, I felt changed, as if my appreciation for what the imagination could manifest had been heightened. I didn’t say a word for ten minutes after I walked outside. I just smiled, completely satisfied by what I had just consumed.”

- The Age of Ideas by Alan Philips (Yes Me :))

There’s a moment, sitting in the new Delano, when you realize the building is doing something quieter than it used to. The old Delano was a statement, flowing white curtains, Philippe Starck swagger, a lobby that felt like the velvet rope of an entire decade. The new one isn’t trying to be that. It’s trying to be something harder: a place you actually want to come back to.

I sat down with Ben Pundole there last week. If that name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, it should. Ben is hospitality royalty in the most British, understated way, “I just happened to be in the room when it all started” kind of way. He came up at the Groucho Club in London in 1992, what he calls his university. He was at the Met Bar when the Met Bar was the room. He spent 23 years orbiting Ian Schrager, the man credited with birthing boutique hospitality as we now understand it.

What I wanted to know was simple: what does that lineage build, and what’s it doing in Miami right now?

The Schrager Gospel

Two things Ben took from Schrager and never put down.

The first is permission. “Don’t conform,” he told me. “Just because you’re hearing ninety-nine people telling you it should be done a certain way, it doesn’t mean that because you think it should be done a different way that it shouldn’t be done that way.”

Read more

For less than the cost of your matcha, subscribe to get full access. Cement your status as an insider and support your community. We love you Miami.

Subscribe now

WHAT’S GOOD MIAMI: 5.12.26

• On My Mind: Life Is A Video Game That Doesn’t Come With Instructions

  Life is not for the faint of heart. Neither is Super Mario Bros.

Beach Business

• The Raleigh’s 690-Seat Tell

  The Planning Board convenes June 2 to decide whether the Raleigh gets two more floors, eight more condos, and a 690-seat restaurant.

• The Cadillac Hotel Is Becoming an Escalade

  A phased renovation lands late 2026 into 2027, guestrooms and public spaces.

Hospitality Local Insider

• Heat Watch: Gaia

  Picture Milos combined with LPM, the seafood seriousness of one, the see-and-be-seen energy of the other, and you have the shape of it.

New Openings

• Casa Tua Cucina Wynwood

  The legendary food hall arrives with major square footage in Wynwood.

• 400 Vinyl Room

  100 years of deal making. Right next to Yamashiro. Sixty seats, vinyl only.

• Buccan Sandwich Shop

  The Palm Beach cult favorite opened in Coral Gables.

Real Estate

• Luxe Developments We Love: Cipriani Residences Brickell

  1420 South Miami Avenue. Eighty stories. The tallest residential tower in Miami.

ON MY MIND: LIFE IS A VIDEO GAME THAT DOESN’T COME WITH DIRECTIONS

Life is like a video game. We are always all working to get to the next level. The only difference between life and the video game is that life doesn’t come with directions.

Yes, there is philosophy. There is religion. There is history. And yes, some of it works. But beyond that, your rules are internal. They are what you can live with. What works for you. What you can tolerate and still wake up every morning feeling good about yourself.

That’s the game. Not the one your parents played. Not the one your friends are playing. Your game is your game, your rules.

You will lose lives. You will get stuck on the same level for years until you find a new move. You will meet players who change everything. You will meet enemies who teach you more than your friends ever could. And eventually you will figure out that the boss at the end of every level is yourself. You have to overcome you.

Press start. Risk everything and figure out the rules for yourself.

BEACH BUSINESS

The Raleigh’s 690-Seat Tell: Who will the operator be?

Nahla Capital filed its hand with Miami Beach this week. The Planning Board convenes June 2 to decide whether the Raleigh redevelopment gets two more floors, eight more condos, and a 690-seat restaurant.

The headline is the height. The story is the seat count.

Nahla paid $270 million for the three-acre site last October, the former Raleigh, Richmond, South Seas Hotels, all stripped to their facades, all waiting for someone to finish what Shvo couldn’t. The 2020 approval was 86 hotel keys and 84 condos. By 2022 it was 44 and 60. Today’s filing pushes residential back up to 52 units across 17 stories, keeps the hotel at 60 rooms, and adds 66,264 square feet to the tower.

That’s the developer math. The 690 seats are something else.

Under Shvo, the F&B program was an exclusive amenity, Milan’s Langosteria flying in for their first U.S. location, designed by Peter Marino, sized for residents and a hand-picked membership. A private club. Marino is now out, suing over his designs. Langosteria’s status is unconfirmed and the silence is loud. Kobi Karp is architect of record.

Nahla isn’t replacing an amenity. They’re building a destination.

Six hundred and ninety seats next to the fleur-de-lis pool is an attempt to build a revenue machine. Who lands it matters. Is it a lease deal or a management deal? There are very few players who can deliver on the scale and the feel required for ultra luxury at 690 seats. Whoever wins this room will have a big impact on what defines the Rosewood Raleigh when it opens in 2028.

Compass is selling residences. Rosewood is branding the hotel. The restaurant will tell you who the building is really for and what it will feel like.

The Cadillac Hotel Is Becoming an Escalade

Mid-Beach is getting another new look.

Davidson Hospitality Group just took over management of the Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club on Collins and 39th, the 357-room Roy France Art Deco landmark that’s anchored that stretch since 1940. Hersha owns it. Marriott’s Autograph Collection still flies the flag. A phased renovation lands late 2026 into 2027, guestrooms and public spaces, both.

This is the second generation of the Cadillac. And it’s the one that matters.

The bones are exceptional. Oceanfront. Two towers. Original terrazzo. Two pools. 6,200 square feet of event space. A wraparound mezzanine that most hotels would kill for. The first renovation got it back on the map. This one can make it a destination.

HOSPITALITY LOCAL INSIDER

Heat Watch: Gaia

Gaia has landed at 801 South Pointe Drive, and the room already tells you everything. Picture Milos combined with LPM, the seafood seriousness of one, the see-and-be-seen energy of the other, and you have the shape of it.

Read more

For less than the cost of your matcha, subscribe to get full access. Cement your status as an insider and support your community. We love you Miami.

Subscribe now

WELCOME TO THE WHAT’S GOOD WEEKENDER!!

Three properties worth touring this weekend. One feature worth reading on the sand. Just enough to get you off your phone, into something interesting, and armed with something to actually talk about Monday morning.

That’s the deal.

LUXE LISTINGS WE LOVE

A 1930s Secret on San Marco? Miami Beach still has those.

Most assume the Venetian Islands are strictly a collection of modern glass boxes. But tucked away on San Marco is a “Med-Deco” estate that feels more like a private compound than a beach house. This is the Miami equivalent of finding a hidden, ivy-covered carriage house in the West Village. Positioned behind a lush wall of tropical privacy at 1281 S Venetian Way, this 1935 residence offers a rare “if you know, you know” prestige just five minutes from the Design District and Sunset Harbour.

The 2,912 SF interior is a masterclass in architectural volume, centered around a dramatic Great Room with soaring vaulted ceilings and a classic fireplace. The home features a high-contrast mix of original terrazzo and warm oak floors, a chef’s kitchen with gray granite and gas cooking, and a dedicated office with custom built-ins. Outside, a walled tropical fortress of ancient Banyan trees surrounds a heated saltwater pool, spa, and a covered loggia with a custom bar and summer kitchen. Entirely turn-key with a rare four-car driveway, it delivers historic character with modern utility.

THE DEETS:

Price: $3,975,000

Neighborhood: Venetian Islands, Miami Beach

Square Footage: 2,912 SF

Lot Size: 7500 Square Feet

Days On the Market: 1

Built: 1935

Rooms: 4 Bedrooms, 3.5 Bathrooms

Amenities: Pool, 2 Car Garage, Soaking Tub, Patio with Bar, Landscaping

Listing Agency: Luxe Living Realty by Dora Puig

→ BUY IT NOW

A High-Tech Fortress in the Grove. No Electric Bill.

Coconut Grove is famous for its lush canopy, but 3232 Emathla St introduces a level of sustainable luxury that is rare even for this neighborhood. It’s a 2017 contemporary compound that functions as a private, off-grid sanctuary blending high-design architecture with a massive solar array that offers “zero-bill” living. Tucked away on a quiet street near Kennedy Park. Think West Coast tech retreat dropped into the heart of Miami’s most tropical zip code.

The 5,721 SF interior is defined by massive scale and volume, anchored by a professional-grade private cinema and glass walls that fully retract to the outdoors. The layout is built for a lifestyle of ease, featuring a sprawling primary wing with spa-inspired finishes and a secondary lounge upstairs for the ensuite bedrooms. Outside, the property is a walled oasis, where a resort-style pool is framed by a dense bamboo perimeter for absolute seclusion. Equipped with twin EV charging stations and smart-home integration, it is a future-proof residence that prioritizes privacy as much as performance.

THE DEETS:

Price: $6,995,000

Neighborhood: Coconut Grove

Square Footage: 5,721 SF

Lot Size: .25 Acres

Days On the Market: 4

Built: 2017

Rooms: 6 bed, 6.5 bath

Amenities: Movie Theater, Fully Retractable Doors, Solar Panels, Resort Style Pool

Listing Agency: Compass (Bradi Sigurdsson)

→ BUY IT NOW

An Oceanfront Fortress in Altos Del Mar. Only Ocean Front Private Homes in Miami Beach.

Miami Beach is famous for its high-rise skylines, but 7815 Atlantic Way belongs to a much more exclusive world. It is one of only 12 private residences in Altos Del Mar, the only gated community in the city where your backyard is the actual sand. This three-level contemporary estate feels like a sleek, coastal sanctuary that values absolute privacy, offering direct boardwalk access while remaining entirely shielded from the public eye.

The 5,868 SF interior is a masterclass in architectural transparency, featuring a private atrium with a decorative waterfall and walls of glass that frame the Atlantic. The layout includes a professional-grade Pedini kitchen with a backlit onyx island, a 45-foot grand salon with 11-foot ceilings, and a dedicated media lounge. The entire third level is a primary retreat, boasting 14-foot ceilings and a private terrace overlooking the sea. Outside, the resort-style grounds feature a saltwater pool, a sunken conversation pit, and a full summer kitchen designed for entertaining against the backdrop of the ocean.

THE DEETS:

Price: $24,990,000

Neighborhood: Altos Del Mar, Miami Beach

Square Footage: 5,868 SF

Lot Size: .37 Acres (Beachfront)

Days On the Market: 7

Built: 2015

Rooms: 5 bed, 6.5 bath

Amenities: 1 of only 12 oceanfront homes in gated Altos Del Mar, 45’ x 45’ salon with 11’ ceilings and ocean-framed art walls, Third-floor primary suite with 14’ ceilings and private oceanfront terrace, Sunken conversation pit, saltwater pool, and summer kitchen opening to the boardwalk and beach

Listing Agency: Douglas Elliman (Dina Goldentayer)

→ BUY IT NOW

WEEKENDER FEATURE

GOOD COMPANY, BAD BALANCE SHEET

Brightline finally became the product Florida deserves. The only question left is whether it gets the time.

There is a version of this story that is about $5.5 billion in total debt, an Ernst & Young going-concern letter, $233 million in total losses last year, a cash position that fell 52% to $139 million, and a deferred interest payment with a grace period clock ticking toward June 15.

That is not the story I want to write.

The story I want to write is about a train that, for the first time in years, is actually working and a country that has forgotten how to give good things enough time to win.

Brightline launched in 2018. For most of its life since, it has been an idea more than a product. A beautiful station in downtown Miami. A handsome livery. A promise about what South Florida could feel like if we ever decided to act like a real region instead of a chain of zip codes connected by I-95.

The early years were rough. Underbuilt ridership. Grade-crossing tragedies. A pandemic that gutted the entire premise of intercity travel. A cost of capital that turned a long-duration infrastructure bet into a high-wire act in real time.

And then, quietly, the product got good.

Not “fine.” Not “better than driving I-95 in the rain.” Good. The Orlando extension opened. The schedule densified. The trainsets multiplied. The on-board experience, Premium, MasterCard lounges, the whole choreography, started to feel less like an American compromise and more like something you might step onto in Madrid or Tokyo. Ridership between Orlando and South Florida is up 16% year over year. Regional ridership is up 8%. Revenue hit $214 million in 2025, up 14%. The operating loss, while still ugly, narrowed from $153 million to $127 million.

This is what a turning product looks like. Not an inflection point on a deck. The real thing, where customers start showing up faster than your spreadsheet predicted, and the experience starts referring more customers, and the brand starts doing the work that paid media used to do.

Read more

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WHAT’S GOOD MIAMI: 5.5.26

• On My Mind: Miami Is Not Manhattan. Miami Is Monaco.

  A small, dense, international city-state with disproportionate influence, a magnetic policy posture, and a self-selecting population of people who chose to be here.

Hospitality Local Insider

• First Look: The Delano

  Only time will tell whether the Delano returns to her grandeur. She will never be what she was and that is the point. She needs to be what she is.

Beach Business

• Implosion Number 2: The Fight For The Deauville

  A 110-page lawsuit, an 88-year-old matriarch, $500 million of oceanfront, and the developer who keeps ending up in the room.

• Carbone Beach Vs The Met Gala

  New York can keep the staircase. We’ll take the rigatoni, the ocean, and the music.

Real Estate

• Elon Watch: 300 Million Dollar House & A Helicopter

  A mystery billionaire landed a chopper in Biscayne Bay, took a raft to shore, and walked the most talked-about lot in America.

• Palantir’s Alex Karp Spends 75 Million On The Venetian

  Alex Karp has now spent roughly $75 million on a Venetian compound.

Family Affair

• Disney On Ice Was The Move

  Saturday afternoon, 30 minutes to Coral Gables, none of the Orlando hassle, and a smile on my daughter’s face I will not forget.

ON MY MIND: MIAMI IS NOT MANHATTAN. MIAMI IS MONACO.

There are two Miamis right now, and they are sitting at the same table.

On one side: small businesses are hurting. I’m hearing it directly, bookings are down across multiple operators from doctors to tennis instructors I know personally, the kind of soft-quarter signal that doesn’t show up in a press release but tells you exactly where the consumer is. Spirit Airlines, the airline that quietly made South Florida accessible to half the country, is gone, and combined with rising fuel costs, that almost certainly means a meaningful dip in visitation for a stretch. Or maybe the opposite happens: maybe it just means the people who would have gone to Europe this summer come here instead. I genuinely don’t know which way it cuts. Both are possible. Brightline, a train I deeply want to win, is carrying $5.5 billion in debt against $214 million of revenue and a going-concern letter from its auditors. The macro picture has teeth.

On the other side: mega-restaurateurs from Dubai and hoteliers from all over the world are arriving with plans to build entire empires here. Gaia reportedly spent north of $30 million on their build-out, and they don’t even own the real estate. That is not a restaurant opening. That is a statement of belief about where the next decade of global capital wants to eat dinner. U-Hauls are still pointed south. Stephen Ross, a man who has built more of this cities than most governments, is on record saying we are in the first inning of corporate relocation to Miami. The capital is here, and the capital is still moving.

How do you hold both of those Miamis in your hand at the same time?

You stop trying to compare Miami to the rest of America, and you start comparing it to the right peer set.

Miami is not Manhattan. Miami is Monaco. A small, dense, international city-state with disproportionate influence, a magnetic policy posture, and a self-selecting population of people who chose to be here. We are no income tax. We are pro-business permitting. We are second-home capital from São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Lagos, Riyadh, Madrid, Dubai, and yes, New York and Los Angeles. We are the only American city where the international money treats us as the home market and the domestic market as the secondary one.

That is not a soft factor. That is the entire game.

The rest of the country is staring down a hard 18 months, a debt cycle that has run too long, a consumer that is tapped, a federal balance sheet that doesn’t get fixed by hoping. There will be pain. There will be retrenchment. There will be cities that get smaller and meaner before they get better.

Miami will not be one of them. The capital here is global, not American. The migration here is structural, not cyclical. The policy stack, state and local, is the most business-friendly and residential-friendly in the country, and it was built deliberately, by people who watched what happened to the cities that chose otherwise. We are insulated. Not immune. Insulated.

But, and this is the part that matters, insulated is not invincible. Monaco is Monaco because Monaco protected what made Monaco. Every great city-state in history that lost its edge lost it the same way: it stopped defending the conditions that created the magic.

Miami’s job, right now, in this moment, is to protect the protections. Keep building, keep welcoming, keep saying yes.

The world is in a very interesting moment. We are in our own world inside of it.

Welcome to the new world.

CARBONE BEACH vs THE MET GALA

Two events. Same Monday. One winner.

Food:

Met Gala: Anna Wintour has reportedly banned chives, onions, garlic, and anything resembling flavor. Past menus have included a single edible flower on a plate.

Carbone Beach: Mario Carbone’s spicy rigatoni vodka. Veal parm the size of a hubcap. Meatballs. Bread that tastes like bread used to taste.

Setting:

Met Gala: a museum, a building specifically designed for not eating and not having fun.

Carbone Beach: the Atlantic Ocean is the centerpiece, the sand is the floor, the sky is the ceiling, and God did the lighting.

Entertainment:

Met Gala: a string quartet and a brief Rihanna sighting.

Carbone Beach: Ludacris, John Summit, DJ Khaled, Fat Joe, Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Snoop Dogg, fifteen feet from your linguine.

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WHAT’S GOOD MIAMI: 4.21.26

• On My Mind: Miami Wins, Wins, Wins, No Matter What.

  Moron Mamdani attacks Ken Griffin. Gary V concedes Miami is #1.

Hospitality Local Insider

• Restaurant Review: Slim’s Steakhouse, Starr Does it Again

  At Slim’s, the elder statesman energy is in full effect.

Beach Business

• The F1 Cheat Sheet for Normal People

  F1 was the unofficial end of season. Not this year.

• Where’s David Martin & Jorge Perez? Brickell Key Buyout.

  The 134-unit St. Louis condo on Brickell Key is close to selling.

• Eyal Shani has 50 Restaurants. He’s Opening Another.

  Eyal Shani is a genuinely talented chef. He’s not in the room.

Real Estate

• Luxe Listings We Love: The Scarface House Hits the Market For 237m

  The compound that served as Frank Lopez’s home in the 1983 film is for sale.

The Local Advantage

• Apa Aesthetic Arrives in Miami

  Kendall and Kylie Jenner. Jennifer Lopez. Uma Thurman. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. And now you.

ON MY MIND: MIAMI WINS WINS WINS, NO MATTER WHAT.

There’s a video on X with 52 million views.

NYC Mayor Moron Mamdani standing outside 220 Central Park South, Ken Griffin’s $238 million apartment, announcing a new pied-à-terre tax on luxury second homes owned by people who don’t live in New York City.

Griffin doesn’t live in New York City. He lives in Miami. He moved Citadel there in 2022. He just bought the 545Wyn building in Wynwood for $180 million. And now, because a mayor with a camera decided to make him the face of everything wrong with wealth in America, Griffin is reconsidering his planned $6 billion Park Avenue tower, the one that would have created 15,000 permanent jobs and injected billions into the New York City economy.

Citadel’s COO called it shameful. He noted Griffin paid $2.3 billion in city and state taxes and directed $650 million in charitable gifts to New York institutions. Bill Ackman described the potential exodus response to Mamdani’s actions as “Ken Griffin leaving Chicago for Miami on steroids.”

Miami did none of this. We didn’t run an ad. We didn’t post a billboard. We didn’t tweet. New York did our marketing again. And the $5M-and-above sales segment is up 27% year over year.

The money already moved. The restaurants already moved. The hedge funds already moved. And while the Moron Mamdani films content outside a billionaire’s homes, Miami just keeps welcoming them with open arms.

And that my friends is how the empire state falls.

IN RELATED NEWS, GARY V CONCEDES MIAMI IS NBA. LAUNCHES NEW AGENCY.

It started, like most things do these days, with a post. Gary Vee took a swing, called Miami the G League. Not the NBA. I wasn’t letting that one slide.

What followed wasn’t noise, it was a proper back-and-forth, point-for-point, until it turned into something better: a live debate at the launch of his new agency, Tamara Group, named after his mother and led by CEO Ryan Harwood (we love you Ryan!). Not a bad setting to settle it.

Then came the twist.

Somewhere between the speeches and the skyline, aboard a yacht that felt more like a floating proof point than a party, Gary said it plainly: Miami is the best. Not just good, the top of Maslow’s hierarchy. The place where it all comes together. And just to drive it home, working on a yacht beats sitting in an office. Every time.

That’s the thing about Miami. You can argue it from the outside, but once you’re in it, really in it, the conversation tends to end the same way.

Thank you for blessing us, Gary V. Congrats on the new agency, check it out here.

HOSPITALITY LOCAL INSIDER

RESTAURANT REVIEW: SLIMS STEAKHOUSE, STARR DOES IT AGAIN.

Stephen Starr is the last of a dying breed. A restaurateur from a different generation, the days of Danny Meyer, Keith McNally, Drew Nieporent. He was the Philly guy. The second-city guy. The one who had the desire, the capability, and the style, but wasn’t yet THE guy. Over the last two decades, with the exception of Meyer, he has largely eclipsed everyone from his era. Concert promoter to nightclub owner to second-city restaurateur to the pre-eminent fine dining operator in the country. That’s not a career arc. That’s a masterclass.

One reason Starr has pulled away from his generation is his instinct for association. He understands that opening at Bal Harbour Shops, partnering with Ian Schrager, or operating alongside Keith McNally and Roman and Williams makes him as good if not better than the company he keeps. It’s the same principle that built Kith and Aimé Leon Dore, proximity to greatness as a deliberate strategy. So as Starr becomes the elder statesman of American restaurants, still rocking the deep tan, the black t-shirt, the black suit jacket, his restaurants are aging as elegantly as he is.

At Slim’s, that elder statesman energy is in full effect. The word that kept coming back, again and again: elegant. The decor was elegant. The captain and waiters’ suits were elegant. The dishes were elegant. Some of it pushed slightly too far, five knife options for your steak is a statement, but the point was well taken. We do things right here. We thought about everything.

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The Miami Transplant Journey: 24 Months to a Better Life

Month 1: Euphoria You’re at the pool on a Tuesday. You text your group chat a photo of your coffee. You’ve already said “I’m never going back” to three people who didn’t ask. You post a sunset. You post another sunset. You feel sorry for everyone you left behind.

Month 3: The Search You ask where the smart people hang out. People look at you like you asked where the air is. You try to explain what you mean, the dinners, the debates, the feeling that the conversation matters. You realize the people you’re meeting are obviously smart. They’ve built companies, raised families, made fortunes. They listen to podcasts on boats. They just don’t intellectually masturbate. They prefer to relax and have fun. It takes you another six months to figure out that might be the smarter move.

Month 5: The Dinner You get invited to a dinner on North Bay Road. You assume it’s a small thing. You pull up and there’s a valet. The house is the size of a hotel. The host is either a genius or a criminal, or possibly both, or possibly something else entirely that nobody quite explains. The woman next to you owns a boat that is unusually large and has a gift wrapping room in her house. The guy across from you claims to own a country. You realize this is just dinner for the PTA.

Month 6: The Publix Incident You go to the Sunset Harbour Publix looking for the things that made your old kitchen work. The specific Miso. The Labne. The bread. You cannot find any ethnic food. You have been walking in circles for 40 minutes, you are standing in the aisle and feel something crack. You call your wife. You say “I don’t think I can live here.” You are a grown adult. You are having a breakdown in a grocery store. On the way out, defeated, you grab the fried chicken because you haven’t eaten. You get to the car. You try it. It’s better than any fried chicken you had in New York. You sit in the parking lot and eat it in silence. You order the Labne and Miso on Amazon, they arrive the next morning.

Month 7: The Asian Food Reckoning You accept that the Asian food here is not close to what you had in your Chinatown. You try everywhere. You cry a little. You text your friend in New York a picture of what’s passing for ramen. He sends back a laughing emoji. That afternoon you are driving in North Miami Beach, you see a ramen shop, its delicious. You realize media doesn’t write about things like this here. Review sites only review restaurants like Amazonico.

Month 8: The Trip Back You go home for a wedding. You’ve been looking forward to it. You get off the plane and the cold and filth hits you like a brick. Your coat isn’t warm enough anymore, your body has changed and can’t handle it anymore. You see your old friends. They’re tired, aged, and pale. They’re complaining about the same things they were complaining about when you left. The restaurants you missed are fine. The energy you romanticized is just stress with better branding. You fly back to Miami and you feel the sun kiss your face, you love the humidity and your blood pressure drops back to chill. You rarely romanticize the old city the same way again.

Month 9: The Gaps You start noticing what isn’t there. There’s no dentist in Miami Shores. There’s no normal restaurant on 41st Street. There are no Jewish Deli in Miami worth eating. There’s no neighborhood bar in your neighborhood. In New York you assumed every category was saturated because every category was saturated. Here, entire industries are just missing. You start a note on your phone called “ideas.” It gets long. You realize the reason nothing is here isn’t that it can’t work, it’s that the people just don’t realize its missing. You did. You might be a genius. You start taking meetings.

Month 10: The Service Economy You slowly discover that Miami has quietly solved problems your old city never bothered with. Sudsies picks up your dry cleaning and returns way better than anyone in NYC. A man comes to your driveway and details your car for less than a carwash in Manhattan. When you get sick, a nurse comes to your bed with an IV, tests you for everything, bills your insurance, and leaves. You didn’t know this was a thing. You join a beach club. It’s where your family lives on weekends, where you take every visiting friend, where half your meetings happen. The one thing you can’t solve is a good doctor. There aren’t enough, the good ones are all concierge, and most of them are opening a med spa. You keep your guy in New York. You fly up once a year for the physical. Then he moves to Miami. G-d loves you.

Month 11: Assimilation You complain about the traffic, even though its nothing close to New York or LA rush hour. You know which causeway to take at which hour. You have a guy at Joe’s and got the VIP email for Major Food. You vow never to go back to Mila because your not a tourist, except maybe for brunch. You ask people where they are going this summer and read Whats Good Miami. You are, technically, a local now.

Month 12: The Taxes You do your taxes. There is no state income tax. You call your accountant. You say “are you sure?” He is sure. You sit in silence for a long moment.

Month 13: The Car You go to buy a car. You realize you don’t have to pay $800 a month for parking. You realize insurance and car payments are cheaper. You realize you can actually drive the car you always wanted. You buy it. You feel no guilt and you look great doing it.

Month 14: The Call For a year you’ve been trying to get into places. Then one day someone you barely know says “let me make a call.” An hour later you’re on the floor at the Heat arena. The next week someone else gets your construction permit unstuck, turns out his guy knows the commissioner’s guy, who knows the Cuban guy who stamps it. You stop trying to buy your way in. You start paying attention to who knows who. You realize the whole city runs on this. The real city is a group text you didn’t know existed. You start getting added to group texts.

Month 15: The Friends You talk a lot about missing your friends. Then your friends come visit. They’re better here. On vacation, on the boat, at dinner, they’re the people you fell in love with years ago. You realize you were never really hanging out with your friends back home. You were coexisting with their stress. You see them now for long weekends, at their best, and you love them more than you did when you lived in the same zip code. You keep the friendships. You lose the anxiety. Everyone wins.

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