I think Miami boasts its share of ambitious restaurants where chefs push the envelope of what they can do. We dine at Duo downtown, near Brickell (South Miami Ave. at 14) very often, and Maria Frumkin has thrived on a different idea. Her restaurant doesn’t try to dazzle diners with how fancy the food can be. Instead, she revels in the flavor and texture of ingredients, and her creations always cozy up to wine, which, to me, is very important. Make sure you don't miss dessert; Frumkin's experience working at patisseries in France (and at The French Bakery in Bay Harbor) comes across in yummy dessert plates such as a soft, velvety dulce de leche crème brulee and doughnuts of surprising intensity.
Many high-profile chefs get so wrapped up in their fancy presentations and clever ideas that wine becomes an afterthought, not so with Frumkin. She and her husband offer pristine, utterly natural food that encourages a good glass of wine to come alive.