1) Household Affair: A shared love of meals led husband-and-wife crew Cesar Olivo and Adriana Perez Benatar to develop into restaurateurs. It’s greater than meals, although, says Perez Benatar; it’s about gathering family and friends to take pleasure in treasured recipes and delight in several flavors from around the globe. “We’d do these meals reunions at residence with mates, and so they loved what we did,” she says of the impetus behind a restaurant journey that features Perez Benatar’s brother, Samuel, who’s been with the couple since their first enterprise in Venezuela. The trio debuted a South Florida idea in 2019—Reunion Ktchn Bar in Aventura. After the overwhelmingly constructive response to Reunion’s international delicacies, they changed their fast-casual restaurant, Salsa Fiesta, which had taken over the previous Johnny Rocket’s location on the nook of Predominant Avenue, to a extra upscale providing. Korner 67 opened in February 2022.
2) Canines and Salsa: The foray into meals started with a gourmand sizzling canine restaurant, which grew right into a franchise empire of 18 of their native Venezuela. Perez Benatar says the concept got here from private expertise whereas in Caracas; they realized that the one place to get a late-night chunk was at a sizzling canine stand. “The standard wasn’t superb,” she recollects. “Cesar began making sizzling canine and placing fancy toppings on them, and mates cherished it.” They left Venezuela for the USA in 2008 to flee the socioeconomic and political disaster of President Hugo Chávez, Perez Benatar says, after it turned too tough to do enterprise within the nation. They opened Salsa Fiesta, a Mexican restaurant, in Miami’s midtown in 2009.
3) Let’s Share: At Korner 67, diners arrive in teams. “Everyone shares a bit little bit of every part,” says Perez Benatar. With nearly 50 gadgets on the menu, it’s the best way to take the culinary tour that covers practically each nook of the world. Tapas, the mainstay of the menu, are indicated with an S, M or L, which provides a good suggestion of the portion dimension. Perez Benatar says each recipe is from the household cookbook—hers, Cesar’s and Samuel’s. Chef Adriana Cisneros, additionally a local Venezuelan, works with them to verify the meals is genuine. A couple of favorites: Truffle-Shitake Croquettes with aioli, a tasty tackle the Cuban croqueta ($15); and the Japanese-inspired Crispy Rice, which options ocean trout, avocado, sashimi and tartar ($19), within the small and medium classes. For big dishes, both of the risottos (seafood or mushroom, $27 and $23), or the Peruvian-inspired Nikkei Lomo Saltado ($26) are crowd pleasers.
4) Splurge-worthy: The distinctive Cinco Jotas ($44) is a should. Sliced Iberico ham is a delicacy that comes from particular black pigs which can be solely fed acorns on the plains of the Iberian peninsula, giving the meat a young, melt-in-your mouth texture. Additionally elevating the gourmand bar is the Caviar Flight ($225), which options white, black and gold caviar, a few of the most luxurious on the planet sourced from the Caspian and Black seas.
5) Within the Spirit: The cocktail choice is as plentiful because the meals menu. One of many specialties of the home is Guav-a-Woman ($16), fairly in pink and served in a classic martini goblet (known as a coupe cocktail glass). Although additionally made with vodka, guava cordial, mint and lemon, it’s the elderflower liqueur that stands out. Regulars to Korner 67 say the Banana Gorilla ($16), created with top-shelf bourbon and Banane du Brésil liqueur, which will get its taste from Brazilian bananas soaked in cognac, is one to not miss.
