Restaurant Openings: September 2014

L’echon highlights French seafood in Miami, and Natural Epicurean emphasizes organic fare in Colorado.

New Pubbelly venture L’echon in Miami features shareable plates, alongside craft beers, small-production wines and classic cocktails.
New Pubbelly venture L’echon in Miami features shareable plates, alongside craft beers, small-production wines and classic cocktails. (Photo by Pubbelly Media Group)

Miami Hotel Welcomes Contemporary French Bistro

Putting a modern spin on the French brasserie, L’echon opened in June in the Hilton Cabana Miami Beach hotel. The eatery is the seventh concept to join the Pubbelly Restaurant Group portfolio and is the company’s first venue with an oceanfront outdoor patio. L’echon follows Pubbelly’s signature dining style, emphasizing shareable plates, classic cocktails, craft beers and small-production wines. The restaurant offers modern and classic French fare and seafood, featuring tartines, fruits de mer, and à la carte grilled meats and fish (entrées are $19 to $35). Signature dishes include braised lamb shank, suckling pig, duck leg confit and grilled branzino, as well as a chef’s selection of charcuterie ($35) and the Cabana Plateau ($70), comprising oysters, chilled shrimp and mussels, lobster and ceviche. L’echon’s cocktail list highlights classics like the French 75, Corpse Reviver and Sazerac ($12 to $14), while the beer selection boasts brews from Europe, Canada and the United States ($9 a bottle). Wines ($9 to $29 a glass) are predominantly European, including French labels like the 2011 The Furst Pinot Gris and the 2009 Château Picau Perna Merlot. Spanning 2,500 square feet, L’echon has a rustic, modern feel, with a bright and welcoming décor.

Colorado’s Natural Epicurean restaurant serves local and organic cuisine and drinks.
Colorado’s Natural Epicurean restaurant serves local and organic cuisine and drinks. (Photo by David Beichtel)

Natural Food, Drinks Dominate In Colorado

The Broadmoor hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado, unveiled Natural Epicurean in June. The restaurant is inspired by the hotel’s longtime commitment to sustainable agriculture and locally made products, emphasizing healthy fare, organic spirits and wines, and regional craft beers. The menus change seasonally and highlight each dish’s nutritional content. Signature items include steamed steelhead salmon, grilled Atlantic swordfish and Indonesian stir fry (entrées are $13 to $26). Natural Epicurean’s cocktails ($11.75) are made with fresh ingredients and Colorado spirits like CapRock gin and Montanya rum. The beer menu lists offerings from Coors, Oskar Blues, New Belgium and Great Divide ($5.75 to $7 a bottle). Designed with hardwood floors and recycled light fixtures, Natural Epicurean features communal seating and an open kitchen.

Restaurant Briefs

 

  • Television chef Giada De Laurentiis unveiled her first restaurant at The Cromwell Las Vegas hotel in June. Named Giada, the venue emphasizes Italian fare with Californian and Roman influences. The large wine collection features New and Old World offerings, and the specialty cocktails pay homage to her late grandfather, film producer Dino De Laurentiis.
  • Miami culinary star Barton G. Weiss made his first foray to the West Coast in June with the launch of Barton G. The Restaurant in Los Angeles. The venue boasts his traditional theatrical style, with a touch of Hollywood glamour. Its contemporary American fare is complemented by liquid nitrogen-infused cocktails.
  • The operators of Philadelphia’s Feliz Restaurants added the modern greasy spoon concept Beast & Ale in June in the suburban Manayunk area. The bi-level eatery serves diner classics and comfort foods and features a selection of eight rotating draft beers and classic cocktails.
  • Chef Bryan Voltaggio added a second location of his upscale Italian restaurant Aggio in June in Baltimore. Like its sister venue in Washington, D.C., the restaurant serves simple Italian cuisine made with ingredients from the Mid-Atlantic region and highlights Italian wines and spirits.