Soyka

Soyka Restaurant Review:

About a mile north of the Design District, visionary Mark Soyka (of The News Café legacy) has erected his namesake restaurant, an upscale utilitarian brasserie that draws mainly professionals who live in Miami Shores, Buena Vista and other surrounding neighborhoods. Enormous overstuffed chambray chairs furnish the entrance and eat-in bar area. Sleek design-industry movers-and-shakers rendezvous with corporate execs over casual lunches that easily linger for hours in a dining room that feels more like living room. Young families arrive for early dinner. Gourmet comfort foods abound, from meatloaf sandwiches with mashed potatoes and gravy to artisan brick-oven pizzas and a pâté plate with Brie. Timeless favorites such as eggplant Parmigiana, meatballs (the spicy chorizo kind), and matzo ball or French onion soup make it easy to come here multiple times a week. Don't miss the mussels marinière in creamy, thyme-infused sauce. There's even a kids' menu with simple pizzas and plain pastas. An inspiring wine list adds a new dimension to Soyka's usual bar repertoire. Quite affordable, this is Soyka's most serious venue, set in a tourist-free zone and aimed at a discerning crowd.