Breaking Brad

A Superstar Chef Makes A Triumphant Return At His New Floridian Brasserie

BY PAUL RUBIO

Throughout the 2010s, James Beard “Best Chef: South’’ nominee and Food & Wine “Best New Chefs in America” recipient Brad Kilgore ruled as a Miami top chef, redefining the city’s restaurant landscape with Alter, Kaido, and Ember. Post-pandemic, Kilgore has re-entered the Wynwood dining scene, this time shaking things up with MaryGold’s at Arlo Wynwood, a collaboration with internationally acclaimed beverage experts Bar Lab. Here, the chef dishes on his latest culinary adventure with Aventura (marygoldsbrasserie.com)

Aventura: When Alter opened in 2015, it was the disrupter of the Wynwood food scene. How does it feel to be back in the neighborhood with your latest hot spot, MaryGold’s?

Kilgore: Wynwood has been part of my DNA for so long, it really does feel good to be back. Top that off with opening alongside Elad Zvi and Gabe Orta from Bar Lab, who are longtime friends and have always wanted a Wynwood project. The restaurant landscape in Wynwood has changed, but we felt it was still missing a local brasserie-style restaurant that is nice with highquality service but you can go any day you like.

We’re loving the interior design at MaryGold’s (as is Robb Report, which named it one of the 25 most beautiful restaurants in America). Please tell us more about it.

The design strives for a welcoming, warm room that makes you want to stay, enjoying the wonderful cocktail creations at the bar, then moving onto the patio or dining room for a fantastic meal.

What’s the culinary inspiration behind the restaurant?

Our restaurant is a Florida brasserie. When Gabe, Elad, and I sat down to conceptualize the menus and restaurant style, we said we wanted to represent the current and future Miami, just the way Wynwood does. Miami, as we all know, is a melting pot—of talents, cultures, people, styles, and, of course, flavors. I also think it’s important to source locally when applicable and let local products shine through.

The menu has many standout plates, but the robiolina tortellini is nothing short of epic. Could you walk us through this dish?

I worked in Italy twice, so pasta dishes have always been a part of my repertoire; I take them to heart and love to suggest them to our guests. The tortellini is filled with a very creamy but still sharp ricotta-like cheese called robiolina, and the handmade tortellini are made every morning. The classic brasserie dish of escargot bourguignon is reimagined into a ragout over the pasta, finished with pistachios and parsley and much lighter on the butter and garlic than the original.

Can you tell us about a personal menu highlight? The Chicken and the Egg is my favorite dish. The egg is a nod to an old dish I used to make called the Soft Egg, and the local young chicken is presented tableside after being smoked with hay and herbs.

Do you have any suggested pairings among the Bar Lab–created cocktails and your dishes?

Nicole Garcia is our bar manager at MaryGold’s, and she is the best at pairing cocktails with food. Her favorite is the Apricot Soursop Old Cuban that is paired with our local sashimi sauced with a sour orange aguachile. Her other favorite pairing is the briny Caper Berry Martini with my tortellini dish. That pairing is special to me because I collaborated with the bar team to develop the cocktail’s umami brine.

What’s on deck for the rest of 2023? Is it all about MaryGold’s or do you already have other ventures in the pipeline?

MaryGold’s and all the food and beverage outlets at Arlo Wynwood are the focus for now, but I always have something new I want to cook and create.