Another New York-based chef is coming to South Florida, this time to Doral.
Earlier this month, restaurateurs Julian Medina and Meghan Manzi announced they would be opening their first restaurant in Florida. The two, who also worked together to open their Mexican-style taqueria, The Chulain Manhattan, say they chose Codina Partners’ 250-acre mixed-use development in Doral to bring their latest venture to Miami.
Slated for release in mid-2023, the as-yet-unnamed restaurant will join the space’s growing list of establishments that includes Bachour Doral, Bulla Gastrobar, Dragonfly Izakaya & Fish Market, Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar and Barbakoa by Finka at the Doral Yard.
Medina says move to Miami came after Codina Partners founders Armando Codina and Ana-Marie Codina Barwick dined at his New York establishment when it reopened after a pandemic-induced hiatus.
“They invited me to come to Doral and see their project, and it was a no-brainer,” Medina says. “I never thought I would come to Florida, but the more we talked, the more I felt it was the right decision. I feel like home already.”
The restaurant will be located in the heart of Codina Partners’ Downtown Doral project, a large-scale, mixed-use development that, when completed, will house 70 shops and restaurants, a bustling business district and over 5,000 residential units.
“We have selected top chefs from across the country, as well as locally, to curate the most authentic dining experiences for our downtown Doral guests,” said Codina Partners CEO Ana-Marie Codina Barlick. new times. “Julian’s cuisine fits perfectly with our vision of culture and commerce.
The menu at Medina’s tenth establishment will showcase the chef’s take on coastal Mexican cuisine and pay homage to his family’s recipes.
Best known as the chef-owner of New York establishments Toloache, Coppelia, Tacuba Mexican Cantina, La Chula Taqueria, El Fish Shack and Kuxé, Medina has been creating fine Mexican cuisine for over 20 years.
Raised in Mexico City, the chef was first inspired by the authentic home cooking of his father and grandfather. After professional training in Mexico City, Medina arrived in New York to take on the role of head chef with chef Richard Sandoval. Maya.
While maintaining his position at Maya, Medina enrolled in the French Culinary Institute – but he never forgot his roots.
“When I was growing up in Mexico, vacations were the best time of year, when I would go to the beach in Acapulco with my dad and grandpa. My grandpa loved that seafood shack where you go out back, pick your own fish, and they butterfly it, grill it, and serve it with salsa and corn tortillas to make your own fish tacos From the moment I walked into the space from Doral, I knew right away that I wanted to recreate that experience in Florida.
In August 2007, Medina opened his first solo business, Toloache Mexican Bistro, offering his vision of modern Mexican cruising. The restaurant is famous for its guacamole bar, where the chef prepares his father’s recipe.
Medina then launched additional concepts, including its 24-hour Cuban restaurant, Coppelia, in 2011; multiple locations for Mexican canteen Tacuba, its authentic Mexican bar and restaurant; La Chula, its view of the taqueria; Fish house El, serving New England-style seafood; and kuxeoffering Mexican dishes.
With his very first restaurant outside of New York, Medina says he hopes to offer a refined approach pueblo coke — Homemade Mexican cuisine. Many dishes will take up the recipes of his ancestors.
The indoor dining area will be adorned with living palm trees, while an indoor/outdoor bar takes advantage of a large patio that will have access to the project’s park-like courtyard.
Expect to find a curated selection of the chef’s signature New York staples, served alongside coastal dishes, tacos and family meals inspired by his childhood. The restaurant will also offer a bar dedicated to ceviche and guacamole.
“Think fried snapper flavored with adobo pepper and a relaxed environment meant to transport you to the shores of Acapulco, just like my childhood memories,” promises Medina.
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