Thomas Keller's New Restaurant: Surf Club In Miami

The beautiful citizens of Miami will soon have the opportunity to try beef like they have never tried before. Because Thomas Keller, the famed chef behind the legendary The French Laundry in Napa Valley and Per Se in New York, is gearing up to open his first Florida restaurant, The Surf Club Restaurant, landing in Miami next month.

Keller's blockbuster namesake will anchor the iconic Surf Club property, located less than 10 miles from South Beach in the town of Surfside. The beachside restaurant, which will specialize in Keller's classic continental cuisine, has been in the works for more than a year and marks a rather high point in culinary milestones for the Magic City.

With Art Deco-inspired chandeliers, beaded ceilings and terrazzo floors, The Surf Club Restaurant pays homage to the glitz of a bygone era. The Mediterranean Revival building, which stretches across nine acres of sand, first opened on New Year's Eve in 1930. Over the past few years, it underwent an extensive renovation and debuted once again in March 2017. Around the same time, Keller signed on to the project to conceive its main dining component.

"Returning to Florida in this capacity is both thrilling and gratifying," Keller,  who spent his childhood in Palm Beach, says. "Continental cuisine grounded in European cooking will be presented in a carefully choreographed fashion and transport guests to a vibrant and casual environment that still maintains relevance in today's modern dining scene."

Unlike The French Laundry and Per Se, The Surf Club Restaurant is aiming for a more casual setting. But the menu will stick to Keller's tried-and-true cuisine, from the aforementioned beef Wellington to roast chicken for two and a rib eye. As for dessert, save room for a classic lemon meringue tart and light coconut cake.

Clarissa Buch is a writer and editor who has covered Miami for more than half a decade. She focuses on food and culture (and food culture).