Beauty & the Butcher Jeremy Ford’s New Restaurant in Coral Gables – Robb Report | Daily News Byte

Jeremy Ford is known for the plates he serves at his Michelin-starred Stubborn Seed. But the Florida-based chef’s latest venture, Beauty & the Butcher, is closer to home.

“It’s in my backyard. I live 12 minutes from the restaurant,” he said Robb reports. “This restaurant really has a lot of soul from me.”

And that motif goes beyond location. The name is a nod to his first daughter Madelynn (the beauty) and himself (the executioner). Most of the food is inspired by what Ford would cook at home on a day off: With his family, he uses a lot of different spices, and that’s reflected in the new menu. “It’s not a concept, it’s not a style of food; it is world-spice driven,” he added. “It’s a combination of really good flavors that you’ll be reaching for again and again.”

One of Ford’s favorite dishes is actually moving away from the restaurant’s meat-focused moniker. Jerk-marinated carrots are slow-cooked and charred, then served atop local Stracciatella, giving the dish a punch of flavor that combines sweet, sour and crunchy. He’s also excited for diners to try the dry-aged hamachi crudo, which uses a technique he says he’s never seen in the Miami area.

Of course, meat features heavily on the menu. As you can imagine, Ford is pretty pumped about that side of things. The dry-aged cuts are a particular star, with some marinated in whiskey and others appearing in a cacio e pepe. Ford tried that version the other day, and “it was amazing. I was totally blown away by what we were able to dry. Covered in black pepper and “a ton” of Parmesan then wrapped in cheesecloth and then left to sitting for 60 days, this is a steak for the pasta lovers among us. (Although not on the opening menu, it may appear soon.)

The meal is rounded off with top desserts and drinks. Ford brought in executive pastry chef Ana De Sa Martins from Stubborn Seed, and here she created some delights, like an apple Dutch baby and carrot cake. The cocktails, meanwhile, really bring the whole concept together, according to Ford. Her current fave? A “mezcal Mai Tai on steroids,” made with in-house cashew orgeat. The Little Piggy is another riff on a classic, an Old Fashioned variation made with hickory-smoked, pork-belly-washed Maker’s Mark. What else would you expect from a restaurant with “butcher” in its name?

This time next year, Ford will open another new concept in Fort Lauderdale, where he first lived when he first moved to Florida from LA. Details on that project are tight at the moment, giving Floridians and visitors to the state a chance to truly focus on Beauty & the Butcher products.

“All in all, it’s been a fantastic collaboration,” Ford said. “We’ve really created a menu where there’s something for everyone… [And I want diners to experience] how much time and effort and love we put into the food here.”

Beauty & the Butcher opens on Wednesday, December 21.

Click here to see all Beauty & the Butcher photos.