Soleá, the latest venture from noted Miami-based restaurant group KNR Food Concepts, opens today in the highly-anticipated W South Beach. Soleá’s inspired menu of fresh Mediterranean flavors and casual ambiance is the perfect mix of W style and South Beach’s social attitude. The menu is influenced by a variety of cuisines that touch the Mediterranean Sea with a focus on Spanish and Greek flavors. Local Miami talents Executive Chef Michael Gilligan and Chef de Cuisine Arturo Artiles have collaborated on the menus.
“Following our local and national success with Quattro and Sosta on Lincoln Road, KNR is excited to bring our unique European style of cuisine and service to the beach," said Partner Karim Masri of KNR Food Concepts. “W South Beach will raise the bar for hospitality in Miami Beach; we are extremely proud and honored to be involved in such a fantastic project.â€
“Chef Artiles and I are both excited by the simple preparations and clean but bold flavors of the Mediterranean," said Gilligan. “Soleá’s small plates are meant for sharing – ideal to taste a variety of dishes and linger over a convivial meal with friends.â€
Signature hot and cold appetizers and salads include crispy salt-cod Croquettes served with garlic-saffron aioli; traditional Greek Salad of cucumber, tomatoes, feta, red onions and Kalamata olives; warm Foie Gras & Goat Cheese Empanadas with house-made cilantro potato chips and salsa verde; and Garlic Shrimp á la Plancha with spicy fume and garlic chips. Crudo selections like Lobster with tomato, roasted peppers and lemon zest is the perfect counterpoint to crisp warm flatbreads with toppings like Olives, Piquillo Peppers, Rosemary and Goat Cheese or Chorizo, Mushrooms and Fried Egg from the restaurant’s brick oven.
In addition to a small selection of pastas and a signature Paella for Two, Soleá serves the best local seafood and Mediterranean fresh fish flown in daily. Whole fish are prepared simply with sea salt, olive oil, garlic and lemon, and cooked a la plancha. The chefs also use the dining room’s handsome brick oven to cook meat and poultry such as the Brick Oven Roasted Veal Chop and Roasted Colorado Rack of Lamb. Sauces and vegetable sides are available to accompany any dish or share with the table.
Desserts by Pastry Chef Antonio Bachour are not to be missed. Offerings like Frozen Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse with banana beignets, roasted banana sorbet and gianduja sauce; Traditional Spanish Flan with cava “gelee†and strawberries and cream capture; and Pistachio Semifreddo with amaretto cake, citrus salad and extra virgin olive oil ice cream capture the flavors of the Mediterranean. Cool Coconut Panna Cotta with guava soup, caramelized pineapple and coconut sorbet incorporates local tropical flavors, and a tangy Goat Cheese Cheesecake is accompanied by seasonal summer fruits like roasted peaches, cherry compote and white peach sorbet.
The modern yet relaxed design by Anna Busta of Studio B Design integrates the restaurant with the W Living Room (W’s twist on the traditional hotel lobby) and Grove, a whimsical outdoor space landscaped by Paula Hayes. The 180-seat restaurant features indoor and al fresco seating in a warm color palette of cream, black and brown. Walnut floors, two extravagant wine walls, and glowing glass light fixtures create an intimate dining atmosphere, enhanced by inviting chocolate brown leather seating. The restaurant also features a semi-private dining area for 12 and communal tables crafted from single slabs of fallen maple trees perfect for sharing, socializing and large groups. Shaded patio seating is adjacent to Grove.
KNR Food Concepts is also involved in the development and operation of food and beverage for the W Living Room and WET pool service at W South Beach as well as the property’s nightlife destination Wall. The menu in the Living Room and at WET will include light bites featuring the flavors of Soleá as well as a number of inventive and refreshing hand-crafted cocktails.
Soleá is located in the W South Beach (2201 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139). For reservations, please call 305-938-3111. Soleá serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, and is open from 6:30 AM – 11:30 PM Wednesday – Sunday, and 6:30 AM – 12 AM Thursday – Saturday.
About KNR Food Concepts
KNR Restaurant Group is owned by Karim Masri, Nicola Siervo and Rony Seikaly, and comprised of Quattro Gastronomia Italiana (2006), Sosta Pizzeria (2009) and Soleá at the W Hotel South Beach (2009) in Miami. Upcoming projects include Quattro Gastronomia Italiana, scheduled to open at The Trump SoHo Hotel Condominium in New York City in late 2009.
About W South Beach
W South Beach and The Residences at W South Beach opened their doors July 2009. This 408-unit condo hotel features magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean from every room and unique amenities such as Wall ultra-lounge, Living Room and Grove make W South Beach the crown jewel of Miami’s cultural renaissance. With Bliss Spa and an impressive list of restaurant partners including celebrity-magnet Mr. Chow and Soleá, W South Beach solidifies its spot as the choice destination hotel for both W’s jet set guests and Miami’s most fashionable locals. With secluded water sanctuaries and full-service, poolside bungalows, the expansive property offers a contemporary and vibrant lifestyle experience set against the stunning shores of South Florida’s most fashionable beach. The property teamed with some of the most innovative designers and artists including Anna Busta of Studio B Design, conceptual landscape designer Paula Hayes, legendary photographer Danny Clinch and architectural firms Costas Kondylis and NBWW & Associates. For more information, please visit www.whotels.com/southbeach.
About W Hotels Worldwide®
W Hotels is an innovative contemporary lifestyle brand and the hotel category buster with 30 properties in the most vibrant destinations around the world. Inspiring, iconic, innovative and influential, W Hotels provides the ultimate in insider access to a world of “Wow.†Each hotel offers a unique mix of innovative design and passions around fashion, music, entertainment, design, architecture, pop culture, and everything in between. W Hotels are unique and individual expressions of modern living, reflected in the brand’s sensibility to a holistic lifestyle experience with cutting-edge design, contemporary restaurant concepts, glamorous nightlife experiences, and signature spas. With 10 years of proven success, W Hotels will more than double its footprint by 2011. In North America and Latin America, W Hotels have been announced in Austin, Boston, Hollywood, Huntington Beach, Downtown New York, Santiago, South Beach, and Washington, D.C. In Europe, W Hotels have been announced in Athens, Barcelona, London, Manchester, Milan, Paris and St. Petersburg. In Asia, W has announced properties in Bangkok, Guangzhou, and Shanghai. In Africa and the Middle East, W has announced properties in Marrakech, Amman, and Dubai. W has plans to open W Retreats in Bali, Koh Samui, Vieques Island and Verbier, the latter of which will serve as W Hotels’ first ski retreat. For more information, visit www.whotels.com.
