Restaurant closures happen often in Miami, but they’re still sad. Naturally, we were bummed when Midtown’s late-night staple Gigi suddenly shuttered. But like rain and traffic, unavoidable discomforts are short-lived in this city.
Mason (3470 N Miami Ave; 786-618-5150), a new-wave American diner from Beaker & Gray’s chef/coowner Brian Nasajon, opens in Gigi’s former space on Monday, June 4. Filling the void and invariably our bellies will be Jewish/Latin dishes inspired by Nasajon’s upbringing, which translates to familiar items like bagel bites and media-noche sandwiches made with quality ingredients (never frozen stuff).
Pastry chef John Maieli is responsible for sending you home stuffed with help from desserts such as ice-cream and cookie jars, pie bars and breakfast-y favorites like waffles and French toast. On the cocktail front, Ben Potts, Beaker & Gray’s bar manager/coowner, has developed a variety of wine- and beer-infused drinks, such as the sherry-based Green Tea Cobbler and A Mason Grace that mixes sparkling rosé, blonde ale and a Belvoir cordial.
Cooking classes and interactive culinary experiences will come later in an adjacent commissary kitchen. For now, the only hands-on events taking place inside the immense 2,500-square-foot restaurant will be us hungrily double-fisting bagels and milkshakes—and maybe even a cocktail.
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