VIDA & ESTILO GROUP CULINARY LIFESTYLES IN MIAMI BEACH

Vida & Estilo Restaurant Group | V&E Hospitality Group (V&E), which translates to Life and Style in Spanish, is a culinary industry pioneer behind some of the most recognizable and finest restaurant concepts. The brand exudes lifestyle concepts that blend gastronomy, mixology, entertainment and unique vibes into their locations.

V&E’s award-winning portfolio includes Cafe Americano, PaperFish, Barsecco, Oh! Mexico, La Cerveceria de Barrio, Havana 1957, Cortadito Coffee House, Marabú and Mercato Della Pescheria.  A second PaperFish recently opened on Espanola Way,  and the team revamped the iconic Ocean Drive News Cafe and Oh! Mexico Taco Shop. The July ED Business Newsletter spotlights Jamil Dib, co-founder and owner of V&E Restaurant Group.

1. Please share the history of your restaurant concepts and what inspired you to open in Miami Beach?

Vida & Estilo opened its first restaurant in 1997. Our inspiration, for moving from Mexico to Miami Beach,  was about changing our lifestyle. We were spurred by the magic of Miami Beach and I am now proud to call the city my home.

2. How would you describe the atmosphere and ambiance of your restaurant concepts?

Our concepts are about having a memorable experience. We curate our locations with absolute dedication to the theme and restaurant concept. The relaunched News Cafe, an operation in partnership with Goldman Properties, and dedicated a great amount of effort to recreating the essence and spirit, past, present and future, of Ocean Drive and South Beach.

3.  Please share some of your popular culinary offerings, and what makes them stand out?

We are proud to highlight Cuban cuisine at Havana 1957, which was the second restaurant for Vida & Estilo.  We now have five Havana 1957 locations, the first opened over a decade ago on Española Way, and was recently included in the Best Cuban Foods in Miami listing, specifically highlighting our vaca frita (fried shredded beef). Havana 1957 is also known for our signature chicken, Pollo Havana, a family recipe, which is oven cooked for 3 1/2 hours and marinated for 72 hours. Additionally, our Japanese food lovers enjoy our signature sushi roll, the Acevichada, at PaperFish, which is wildly popular in Miami Beach and Miami.

4. What unique ingredients or cooking techniques do you use in your dishes?

We use a Josper oven at Mercato Della Pescheria. It is a charcoal oven that allows us to combine tradition elements with modern and innovative cookery. We also enjoy cooking with seafood and fish, such as our celebrated branzino, and preparing savory meats with this coal grilling technique.

5. How do you source your ingredients, and do you prioritize using locally sourced or organic products?

Our purchasing department is constantly improving our selection of quality products, produce and vendors. We strive  to source  local, where  possible, and keep a close eye on availability and value.  We purposely work to keep our food cost reasonable to preserve a menu that is cost-friendly to our clientele.

6.  What kind of dining experience can customers expect when they come to your restaurants, and how do you ensure high-quality service?

Excellence and honesty are on the menu. Our food is what attracts patrons, and our customer service, reputation, cleanliness, safety, decor are the added essentials that complete the dining atmosphere. We pay close attention to the entire diner experience and make it memorable.

7. What steps do you take to accommodate dietary restrictions and personal preferences?

Being able to accommodate dietary restrictions and personal preferences, such as vegetarian and gluten free options, is key to our dining delivery and our customer service. For example, Cortadito Coffee House offers a variety of non-dairy options, such as  a café con leche with an assortment of milk choices, which has been widely indulged and appreciated by our patrons.

8. What are your future plans and goals, and how do you plan to continue growing and evolving?

Adapting, transforming, and understanding the needs of our consumers and cultivating the next generation of patrons is our plat du jour.

We are working to understand and foster our younger culinary consumers, nurture our existing Miami Beach diners, making our restaurants “must experience” destinations, and continuing to grow our culinary offering in the ever expanding hospitality and gastronomy world.

For more information, please visit: https://www.verestaurants.com