Habitat by José Mendín Arrives on South Beach This Weekend

The chef behind the Pubbelly empire, José Mendín, has a new restaurant to add to his ever growing roster – Habitat, debuting this weekend inside the 1 Hotel South Beach in the former Beachcraft location. It’s the first restaurant under his newly formed Food Comma Hospitality Group made of up Sergio Navarro, Maximiliano Silva and Juan F. Ayora.

Leading the kitchen is Angel Palacios, who returns to South Florida as Habitat’s chef de cuisine fifteen years after opening the Miami outpost of La Broche – his two-star Michelin restaurant in Madrid. The menu is divided into several categories including raw, cooked, wood-fire grill. Raw options include dishes like wahoo “esqueixada” – a take on a traditional Catalonian dish – as well as wagyu Milanesa cruda. Cooked plates continue the Spanish feel of the menu with ham croquetas, squab rice, patas arrubravas, and Spanish octopus. As for grilled items think dishes like Spanish octopus, bone marrow and fish.

As for dessert, the group tapped Maria Orantes and pastry chef Patricio Larrea who are making dishes like pecan praline bonbons, mint chocolate, and raspberry coated marshmallows. And for drinks the restaurant will serve drinks by Pedro Sanchez, along with white, red and bubbly by the glass as well as local craft beers both on tap and bottled.

Habitat is slated to open to the public November 11 inside 1 Hotel South Beach at 2341 Collins Avenue on Miami Beach. Lunch will be served Monday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m. and dinner nightly from 6 to 11:30 p.m. Call 305-604-6700 for more information.