Nightlife King, Restauranteur David Grutman Adds 3 Retro, Yet Modern Restaurants To Roster, Offering Comfort Food
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Standing at the corner of 16th Street and Alton Road on South Beach inside the former Firestone Tire Shop is a brand new trio of restaurants owned by restaurateur and nightlife king, David Grutman.
Grutman's Groot Hospitality, which includes Papi Steak, Komodo, Swan, and Strawberry Moon, is now adding three more to the roster this week, all under one roof: They are Winker's Diner, Sushi Fly Chicken, and Toothfairy.
CBS4's Lisa Petrillo asked Grutman about the marketing strategy behind all three.
"I was very concerned that people thought it was going to be a food hall. It's not a food hall," he said. "There are three separate environments. Three separate restaurants. They all have their own DNA and it creates a whole entertainment facility."
Winkers Diner is named after Grutman's own one-eyed cat.
It's his version of a classic diner. It's retro, yet modern, serving easy-going comfort food.
Petrillo asked about the food on the table in front of them. Specifically, Isabella's Matzo Ball Soup, named after his wife.
"My wife makes amazing matzo ball soup for Shabbat every Friday night and I wanted everyone to experience Isabella's Matzo Ball Soup," he explained.
There's an enormous pastrami sandwich, prime rib, a lobster cobb salad, and a crazy good cinnamon French toast.
Just around the corner is "Toothfairy," the bakery and ice cream parlor that's both modern and a throwback to desserts of your youth.
Pastry chef Dallas Wynne whips up all the mouth-watering sweet treats.
"We're doing cakes, cookies, soft serve. We will have great breakfast sandwiches fresh-baked croissants, a little bit of everything," Wynne said.
Finally, on the other side, is Sushi Fly Chicken (or SFC), an Asian-inspired bar, restaurant, and lounge where guests will find themselves in a secret, tucked away, after-hours dining spot.
"So that's Sushi Fly Chicken. That's a Tokyo hidden gem. It's a den of food and drinks. It's very secret so enjoy when you go there," Grutman said.
For Grutman this new venture solidIfies his drive to continue making his mark in the place he calls home.
"I saw this corner. It is a really special corner and if we were going to be bringing the people to this corner, we want to make sure that we're creating an experience for every guest," he said.
"Is this a Grutman take over of South Beach between the hotel and restaurant down the street and now this, What's going on?" asked Petrillo.
"Listen, we're doubling down on South Beach," he said. "We love South Beach."
Winkers Diner, Sushi Fly Chicken, and Toothfairy officially open this Friday, September 3rd. The location is 1575 Alton Road, Miami Beach.
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