Restaurants in Aventura

Morgan's menu starts the day off with light breakfasts of brioche french toast ($6.50) and Parisian plates of buttery croissants and fresh fruit ($6), then throws in even more international flourishes. Try the hummus plate ($9), eggs benedict with king crab tail ($14), or panko-crusted coconut essence dipped in tofu-ginger-shoyu sauce ($6). By lunch, the board of fare has shifted to more substantial plates such as charbroiled skirt steak ($15), hog snapper butterflied with oreganato ($16), and Morgan's succulent beef burger ($12). The restaurant staff dares you to ask them why they call it the voluptuous grilled cheese ($9) and suspiciously denies that Christina Hendricks is hidden somewhere within it.

There are two approaches to ordering at miniBAR. You could poll your tablemates for a consensus on passable edibles, allowing everyone to try a bit everything, or just order one of everything, allowing everyone to truly try everything. The menu consists of small servings of sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, salads, sweets, and more. There are mini sandwiches, such as the roasted tomato, olive spread, feta, and spinach ($4), and sliders such as the beef, bleu cheese, and arugula ($5). Choose from a variety of inherently sharable pizzas such as the hummus, kalamata olive, and red onion ($6), or snack on bite-sized tortellini bites ($4), papas rellenas ($5), or truffle fries with parmesan ($5). Accompany your lightly filling meal with a few stimulating beverages from the bar. Sip on red and white wine by the glass ($6–$8), local and micro-brews by the pint ($5–$12), and sake by the bottle ($36), as well as a variety of other beverages, both alcoholic and non.

Chef Giancarla Bodoni's devotion to Italian culinary traditions transcends her time spent in the kitchen. She wanders South Florida's organic farms as though she were in the Tuscan countryside, picking fresh herbs, sampling artisan cheeses, and shaking earth from freshly harvested leeks for her seasonal menu.

There is one dish that she hasn't changed in 19 years—the asparagus flan. The time-tested appetizer ensures that feasts are launched with grace, suspending tender green shoots alongside shiitake mushrooms in a fonduta of fontina cheese, provola cheese, and white-truffle-infused oil. Pasta, meat, and fish menus divide the entree options, although each category unveils equally elegant flavors. Ravioli may be stuffed with caramelized pear and ricotta and then glazed with butter and marjoram, while tenderloins cut from grass-fed beef may arrive with asiago-cheese sauce and earthy porcini mushrooms.

The dessert menu rotates daily, reflecting the chef's creative impulses based on the best ingredients on hand. This commitment to using the freshest seasonal organic ingredients has earned Chef Giancarla and Escopazzo positive press attention, ranging from earning a place on Miami New Times's Ten Most Important Miami Restaurants of the Decade list to winning Best Organic Chef in the paper's 2012 Best Of Miami awards.

Escopazzo's decor further immerses guests in an Italian-style dining experience. A large mural extends around the main dining room, and wall sconces cast golden light over sand-colored tiles to evoke the atmosphere of an Italian villa. The second dining space houses a fountain and the bar area, where guests may sample one of the more than 400 Italian labels kept in a climate-controlled wine cellar. Built upon 15 years of tasting, the library holds many wines unavailable through general distribution. Each comes served by the bottle or in the traditional Italian quartino, which roughly translates to a glass and a half and increased dancing skills.

Nestled inside the Newport Beachside Resort, Kitchen 305 serves sea-inspired dishes in a modern dining room with linen-draped tables illuminated by vibrant blue lights. Chef Julius Brown, who brings talents perfected at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, directs the creative plating of seafood dishes including bluefin tuna, crab cakes, and steamed salmon. Turf options include chicken, rack of lamb, and skirt steak. On select evenings, a resident DJ pumps out tunes from the 80s, 90s and present day, and a master chef bestows expert sushi-making techniques during on-site culinary classes.

Insomniacs and early risers can take advantage of the Duck's modest morning taste menu. Salute the sunrise with a steamy hot chocolate ($2.50) and mini-croissant slathered in apple jelly ($.80) or try the fruit salad ($2.30). For lunch, the choices expand delightfully, like a magically growing animal tablet submerged in the bathtub. From fishy (Two Scoops salad with tuna salad) to fruity (Old Dixie chicken salad with orange sections), salad options run the gamut ($7.10 and up). Wraps, stuffed baguettes, sandwiches, and subs round out the menu.

The bistro brings the charming atmosphere and cuisine of the United Nations to southern Florida with the flair of a glitter-doused hot air balloon. Set in a convenient locale, Urbanite wraps patrons in an inviting cocoon of décor featuring lustrous cherry-wood furniture, earthy tones, and vibrantly colorful artwork. Assembled by chef and operator Frank Imbarlina and his palate-pleasing culinary talent, Urbanite Bistro’s menu melds international flavors with eclectic European fare. Sample smaller bites, such as the alligator egg roll with mango-roasted jalapeno creme ($9) or wild mushroom empanadas with vegan gravy and chervil ($9). Heartier dinner entrees feature plenty of game, such as the natural magret duck with cinnamon persimmons, Israeli couscous, and baby spinach with duck lardon ($21), or shoyu-glazed boar chops with a pecan crust, purple sticky rice, and grilled baby bok choy ($25). Cocktails, beer, and a varied wine list help wash tasty tidbits down like a boozy slip-n-slide.