A supper club with four names on the door
Two big-name restaurants are headed here, and most of the commission wants Fabián Basabe to go.
Zebra Club is targeting a September opening in the subterranean space inside the Townhouse Hotel at 150 20th Street. Bartender Naren Young, chef Michelle Bernstein, David Martinez and Dan Binkiewicz are behind the supper club and cocktail bar. The plan emphasizes Champagne, martinis and other cocktails, with food from Bernstein. The room previously held K Ramen and, before that, Bond Street Lounge. Young was creative director of Dante when it was named the World’s Best Bar in 2019. The four partners also share ties to Sweet Liberty, while Binkiewicz is a partner in New York’s award-winning Schmuck. Schmuck was named Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar at the 2026 Tales of the Cocktail awards and ranked fourth on North America’s 50 Best Bars.
José Andrés is putting Bazaar Meat in the Andaz
José Andrés Group plans to open Bazaar Meat at Andaz Miami Beach in October. The restaurant will sit inside the oceanfront resort at 4041 Collins Avenue. Chef Manuel “Manny” Echeverri will oversee the concept. He is a longtime José Andrés Group chef and the company’s culinary director for Bazaar. The group describes grilled meats, cocktails and shareable dishes with bold flavors and theatrical presentations. Current Bazaar Meat menus elsewhere include Ibérico ham, wagyu, foie gras and caviar. Miami Beach will join existing locations in Las Vegas, Chicago, New York and Washington.
The Fontainebleau water park fight lands in court
A Miami Beach resident sued Jeffrey Soffer’s Fontainebleau over the resort’s contested water-park plan. The Fontainebleau is asking the court to dismiss the case. The 22-acre landmark is at 4441 Collins Avenue. The proposal has included a two-story cabana structure and a waterslide tower. Revised plans reduced the cabana structure’s height by 30 percent and cut the tower from 131 feet to 99 feet. Residents and city officials have raised traffic, safety, environmental and historic-preservation concerns. The court fight now joins the city and state disputes surrounding the project.
A sergeant off the clock, in another city
Miami Beach Police Sgt. Alex Bello was at La Viña Aragón Restaurant in Hialeah. The restaurant is near West Eighth Avenue and 81st Place. Bello noticed a diner choking. Bello performed the Heimlich maneuver. Miami Beach police publicized the rescue Tuesday and commended his courage, instincts and decisive action.
Most of the commission wants Basabe to resign
Five Miami Beach commissioners — Laura Dominguez, Alex Fernandez, Tanya Katzoff Bhatt, David Suarez and Monica Matteo-Salinas — say state Rep. Fabián Basabe should resign. A jury found Basabe liable. It ordered him to pay $450,000 to two former employees who sued him, Nicolas Frevola and Jacob Cutbirth. Mayor Steven Meiner did not respond to a request for comment. Commissioner Joseph Magazine said he had not followed the story beyond a headline. Basabe has asked the judge for a new trial or a reduced verdict. He said he will continue serving while the legal process moves forward.
Block off a Saturday morning at 73rd Street
The 73rd Street Beach Cleanup starts at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Miami Beach Bandshell area in North Beach. The free, all-ages event is led by the City of Miami Beach Environment and Sustainability Department and the Bandshell. It is part of the 41st International Coastal Cleanup, which includes more than 65 Miami-Dade sites and about 4,000 volunteers. Free RSVP is available on the event page. The municipal lot at 73rd Street and Collins Avenue costs $2 an hour, and street parking is another option.