Restaurant Preview 2

Michelle Bernstein's Sra. Martinez will be debuting this Monday in the  Design District. On Tuesday the Wynwood hood, which has been quiet as an empty canvas concerning food, will finally have a restaurant: Joey's, a contemporary Italian café at 2506 N.W. 2nd Avenue. Developer Joey Goldman and well-known father/partner Tony have tapped Ivo Mazzon, from Veneto, Italy, to be executive chef. "Healthy, classic dishes from Veneto and other Italian regions" are in store, and blackboard specials "produced from fresh, seasonal and sustainable ingredients".  Prices look more than fair: entrees from $15-$24, pastas $7-$12, a 3-course prix fixe lunch for $19 and a 3-course prix fixe dinner for $28. The Italian wine list will be compiled by Goldman, whose dad owned the Soho Kitchen and Bar in New York -- once the largest wine bar in America. Joey's will serve lunch Monday through Friday, and dinner Monday through Saturday.
 
Taj Mahal on 78th St. (the old Renaisa spot) is now Anise -- owners formerly operated Ouzo's in South Beach, and before that, Ouzo's in Normandy. It is usually said that ouzo has an anise flavor, but in this case Anise will have an Ouzo flavor.

The Grove recently welcomed the debut of Angelo & Maxie's Steakhouse at the Mayfair Hotel. I wish Angelo and Maxie the best of luck, but it might be noted that past restaurants in the Mayfair haven't lasted long enough to properly age a sirloin. Coming to Cocowalk is Crazy Pianos, a wacky live music venue/bar/pub  with dancing, eclectic bar food, and Scheveningen shenanigans (the original hails from Scheveningen, a district of The Hague in the Netherlands).

The Grill On The Alley at Aventura Mall, with locations in California, Illinois and Texas, is up and running with an extensive menu of steaks, seafoods, salads, pastas, pot pies, cheesecakes, and so forth.

Miami will have a location of the chic, Philippe Starck-designed Katsuya, a full-fledged Japanese restaurant/sushi bar started by authentic master chef Katsuya Uechi. The original Brentwood venue opened in 2006 and immediately drew a celebrity-studded  clientele. Two other Los Angeles locations followed, and the company website says Katsuya will be debuting here "in the winter of '09".  Philippe Starck also designed Asia de Cuba in L.A.'s Mondrian. Jeffrey Chodorow is opening an Asia de Cuba  in SoBe's Mondrian as well. But you already knew that.

660 Mediterranean Kitchen is now in the Angler's Resort, where the Mediterranean Maison d'Azur used to be. Maison d'Azur is open at the Astor Hotel, where Joley used to be. Maison is also opening a branch in The Shops At Midtown, as is Sugarcane Lounge, a spin-off from the SushiSamba folks.

--Lee Klein