Sustain Lives Up To Its Name; Glass Half Full at Wine Depot & Bistro 555

Sustain Restaurant + Bar takes its name literally says Lee Klein, who says that, despite other restaurants' futile attempts at the whole local ingredient thing, "one bite into Sustain's 50-mile salad and any thoughts of gimmickry evaporate like morning dew." A "fine restaurant," says Klein, Sustain also "looks good," where "music is appropriate (not too loud in style or volume), the thermostat is set in sane fashion, and guests are attended to in a welcoming and competent manner at the front door." Staff is "trained well," and words and phrases served up by Klein to describe the food include "flawless," "hefty and heartwarming," "a gratifying mosaic of tastes," and "captivating caravan of flavors." Bottom line? "Yup, Sustain is real. And it is real good." [MNT]

Over on South Beach, Victoria Pesce Elliott visits Wine Depot & Bistro 555, whose 400 labels are impressive, with most bottles falling between $10 to $30. "Perhaps best of all-besides the free parking-is the sliding corkage: $7.50 for bottles under $30, $15 for pricier picks." In the review, VPE quotes a former Club Med exec, who said "Here all the restaurants are very traditional. I wanted to do something more casual, more New Yorky." And while we're not quite sure what's so New Yorky about a wine warehouse, according to the reviewer, the food's good. Among her faves: "a well executed croque monsieur;" "house made foie gras terrines and pates," "a fantastic plate of herb-encrusted halibut" and "over a dozen well tended cheese selections." End result: 2.5 stars.[Miami.com]