If you are reading this and have never been to Michael’s Genuine in the Design District, you have never been to Miami.

James Beard Award-winning Chef/Owner Michael Schwartz opened Michael’s Genuine over 12 years ago, and it has not only survived the Design Districts decline, rebranding and resurgence but also thrived, offering fresh, locally sourced ingredients meant to delight the diner.

And now, Chef Schwartz has set his eyes on Coconut Grove and opened Tigertail + Mary, literally on the corner of Tigertail Ave. and Mary Street.

The indoor/outdoor dining space is gorgeous with light wood, warm lighting and overlooks a small park anchored by a Fernando Botero sculpture.

Miami native, Executive Chef Stephen Ullrich masterfully helms the open kitchen and the menu changes often to reflect the season and fresh ingredients and is diverse and creative featuring numerous vegetable-forward dishes in addition to fresh fish, pizza and meat dishes. Each dish is unique in its ingredients and preparation and we were delighted with everything we selected

The menu offers multiple raw starters including steak tartare, yellowjack crudo and Florida fresh stone crabs. Small plates included a housemade rosemary and garlic focaccia, which we promptly devoured, and spicy lamb meatballs over smoked yogurt, with tomato and olives. And a “not so small” order of perfectly seared scallops over delicata squash puree, yuzu foam and basil pistou.

Vegetable mains included charred escarole, in a light meyer lemon and pecorino dressing topped with dried shrimp breadcrumbs. It reminded me of a much newer version of the classic Caesar salad. Roasted brussels sprouts were tossed with a kale pesto, and roasted acorn squash was sliced and sat on curried cashew crème and topped with crunchy cashew and fresno chilis.

Newly added and not to be missed is the Romanesco cauliflower with sumac labneh, pomegranate and fresh herbs.

The Family-Style section on the menu was most intriguing as it featured shareable portions of a whole fish, rack of lamb, 24 oz ribeye and the “showstopper”, a slow roasted pork shank ”thali”, which was a 3-4 person portion of tender pork in sauce, presented with multiple sauces, dal, pickled radish, plum chutney, charred sweet peppers and warm grilled pita bread.

We never hesitated and went full on for the pork shank, saving the rest of the excellent sounding entrée options, like the White Truffle Pizza and Veggie garganelli and T+M burger and Berkshire Pork Chop for our next visit.

PRO-TIP: Like us, go early as the bar area offers a nice Happy Hour Monday-Friday from 5-7 and features half-price Bar Lab cocktails, wine and beer and an assortment of snacks like spiced nuts, yellowjack crudo, plantain chips and melted cheese raclette in a hot skillet with sourdough, baby potatoes and cornichons to dip.

Tigertail + Mary

3321 Mary Street,

Miami, FL 33133

(305) 722-5688