Get a Taste of California Cuisine at the New Upland Miami

A New York restaurant setting up roots in Miami is nothing new, but a New York restaurant doing a stellar job at it is somewhat rare. Enter Upland Miami, the second outpost of mega-popular Upland New York. Helmed by chef Justin Smillie, the restaurant serves as an ode to his California roots and his hometown of Upland, California.

The new American menu is filled with rustic and seasonal classics. We began with the much buzzed about Pistachio Pizza topped with fontina, stracciatella and red onion and it certainly didn’t disappoint. That was paired with a fresh Little Gem Salad filled with avocado, cucumber, ricotta salata and walnut vinaigrette; Crispy Duck Wings tossed in lemon, olive oil and yuzu kasha; Seared Octopus with cilantro-avocado pesto, pomelo and marcona almonds and a massive Whole Crispy Hen of the Woods Mushroom served with cloumage and herbs that was the hit of the table.

Next up was the pasta course. While the table was admittedly already getting full, we kept trucking through the delectable carb feast. We got a taste of the Pappardelle made with spicy sausage ragù, kale and parmigiano; the pasta dish that seems to be on the menu of just about every restaurant in town lately, Cacio e Pepe; and the Rigatoni with coal roasted vegetables, house ricotta and smoked pine nuts.

Finally were the massive — and delicious — main courses. Definitely have your appetite ready for these large dishes, the standouts included the Coal Roasted Short Rib for two with Castelvetrano olives, walnuts, celery and horseradish; the perfectly cooked Wood-Fired Amish Chicken with chicories, market radish and anchovy vinaigrette; and the Coral Roasted Salmon with Florida grapefruit, pickled beets and farro salad.

Helping us wash down all these dishes were the stellar cocktails including the Italian Sour with Aperol, Strega, Campari, Grapefruit Lemon, Egg White; the Shakedown Street with Cimarron Blanco Tequila, Yellow Chartreuse Agave, Hibiscus-White Pepper Tincture, Lime; and the Upland Old Fashioned with Plantation Pineapple Rum, Habanero Tincture Orange, Cardamom and Angostura Bitters. And one must always end on a sweet note, and the California Dreamsicle with blood orange-vanilla twist and chocolate crunchies certainly didn’t disappoint.

Get a taste for the dishes yourself at Upland Miami and in the meantime check out the mouthwatering pictures below.

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