The Early Word on Modern Garden

Late last month, the people behind the Miami River hot-spot Seaspice opened its adjacent lounge Modern Garden. The menu, prepared by former Shikany sous-chef Benjamin Goldman, serves up an assortment of fish crudos and meats cooked right at your table on 850-degree volcanic stone slabs. Here's what diners have had to say about the concept so far.

The Ritzy: Miami.com got a first taste of the menu, with its writer noting that "prices are high," but the, "minimal menu makes a lot of its limitations." Since it's so close to sister restaurant Seaspice make sure to, "expect plenty of champagne shenanigans." [Miami.com]

The Good: Over at the Miami New Times its writer Carla Torres seemed impressed with the restaurant. Noting that the space is, "quaint and intimate, Modern Garden looks like an origami orchard." Raw dishes like the salmon rosettes are a must-try and are, "melt in your mouth good, and it's kind of like a refined version of a salmon lox bagel, sans the bagel." As for cooked dishes she recommends the duck saying it's "fatty, rich, and utterly delicious. Make sure to put it on the hot stone skin down so it crackles." [Miami New Times]

The Praise: One Yelper seemed head-over-heels for the new space, saying the space is, "very elegant and chic." For his meal he says the eggplant was "perfectly crisp" and topped with the, "creamiest burrata we've ever had," and goes on to describe many of the dishes as very original and unique. The only hiccup he notes is the, "mushroom side was a bit slimy in texture." [Yelp]