Barceloneta Bistro or Pubbelly
Price: Lunch, $19; Dinner, $33 and Lunch, $23; Dinner, $39.

We aren’t quite sure what the proper name for the group of restaurants by Jose Mendin, Sergio Navarro, and Andreas Schreiner is — but the trio occupies our favorite stops off the Venetian Causeway in a neighborhood that they’ve single-handedly boosted into a foodie destination. We’ll call it the Pubbelly Area, based on the restaurant's seniority.

If you haven’t tried Pubbelly, Pubbelly Sushi, Barceloneta, or Macchialina, use Miami Spice as an opportunity to get on board with the surprising flavors, tapas-style bites, and sometimes eyebrow-raising combinations (i.e. duck and pumpkin dumplings) that have become signature to the Pubbelly Area. Only Pubbelly and Barceloneta are offering Spice menus, but that’s a good way to start knocking them off the list — did we mention you get nine dishes with Pubbelly Spice? Get your belly ready.

Pubbelly, 1418 20th Street; 305-532-7555.
Barceloneta Bistro, 1400 20th Street; 305-538-9299.

Photo: Via Pubbelly