Michael’s Genuine

Michael’s Genuine

I hadn’t read about Michael’s Genuine. It was only after I visited that I found out it had been featured on Food Network. It wasn’t on my original list of places to eat in Miami, but friends of mine gave it such a glowing recommendation that I changed my plans just to check the restaurant out. I am very glad I did.


I came for lunch on a weekday in June. The location is cute and the ambiance and service are warm and friendly. It’s an inviting place and when I sat down, too many things on the menu called out to me.

Starting with food, the menu is seasonal and changes daily. When I came in it was peach season and the back of the restaurant was decorated by a stack (practically a wall) of gorgeous fresh peaches.  So when I saw the burrata cheese and peach salad, I knew I had to order it. The peaches were ripe and juicy, the burrata was creamy and oozy, and the dish was dressed perfectly with good olive oil, salt/pepper, and fresh basil. Served with crusty bread, the restraint and simplicity let the gorgeous ingredients shine through.

Crispy fried hominy, a perfect snack.

From there I ordered a cocktail, my husband a glass of wine. The wine list is varied and affordable with lots of selections by the glass. The cocktails are well-made and simply delicious.  To go with our libations, we ordered the fried hominy. Crunchy, spicy and addictive, the bowl was empty before we knew it.

Excuse the mess, but I wanted to show the interior of their play on a reuben sandwich.

We both ordered sandwiches for lunch. My husband devoured his before I could snap a photo, but I did get a shot of my Reuben. Served with crispy fries (top notch fries are hard to come by) the sandwich was perfectly messy, rich, yet balanced.

We were pretty stuffed at this point, but the dessert menu looked too good and I knew we wouldn’t be back in Miami for a while, so I had to give something a try. Who doesn’t love donuts?


Ours came with passion fruit panna cotta that was bright, tart, and creamy, the perfect accompaniment to the rich and sweet fried dough.
And to make our meal even better, our server found out we were celebrating and brought out a cookie sampler to say Congrats! From house-made oreos to their kitchen sink cookie, we couldn’t stop ourselves from devouring every last bite even though we were pretty much bursting at the seams.
All-in-all, a pretty perfect lunch. The food never missed a beat and the service was impeccable. I highly recommend it and know that I’ll be returning on my next trip to Miami.
Michael’s Genuine
130 Northeast 40th Street
Miami, FL 33137
305-573-5550
http://michaelsgenuine.com/miami/