Alter: Miami's Most Exciting New Restaraunt

[David] A lot of people think Miami is just South Beach.

You know, I'm taking my talents to South Beach.

But actually that's just a small part.

This is the real Miami.

(upbeat jazz music)

Wynwood is the street art capital of Miami.

It is off the beaten path.

This is the side of Miami you say, across that bridge.

Alter is the most hyped restaurant

in many years in these parts.

Brad has been receiving accolades left and right.

He just got named like the chef of the year in Miami.

His restaurant just got named by the Harold

as like the restaurant of the year.

It stays exciting because it's always evolving.

Gentleman, Mr Morales.

It's great to see you buddy.

How are you? Hugo.

Today I brought my dad to Alter for the first time.

David.

I mean we met at a pop up dinner I did

with another chef here in Miami.

And we just started talking

and I really hadn't met a diner, a non-chef,

so immersed and incredibly excited about food.

And really knowledgeable as well.

He's come in and eaten my entire menus.

Every time he has a friend in town

he brings them to the restaurant.

Not because we're friends or we know each other

because he wants to share experiences that he has.

I like to recommend the good stuff

because it's a mitzvah.

It's a good deed.

To see the way that he talks about food,

it's great to know that he can share that same passion

with what I'm able to create too.

It's my favorite thing to do.

So this is the best place to do it.

How're we doing here guys?

We're doing great.

Chefs counter okay for ya?

Preferred.

[David] There's nothing like

sitting at the chef's counter.

It's a window right into the action.

Really what's exciting about where we're at

with the food and where we're going is

finding really what the capabilities are

for ingredients in Florida.

Throughout all the time I've known him

it's always evolving, always changing.

I've never put the same dish back on.

So we'll see where that goes.

I think everything is a constant evolution.

But the part that doesn't change is you eat it

and then you ask yourself,

Why is that so delicious?

So Dad I've been wanting to take you to this place.

It's my favorite restaurant in Miami right now.

What do you like the best?

Dad that's an impossible,

Because everything looks incredibly delicious.

You know that's an impossible question.

You know.

Wow.

Here we go.

So this is our cobia.

It's been cured for about two days now in kombu.

Which is a Japanese seaweed.

It kind of brings out the natural body.

Served with a ponzu made of hibiscus.

Curd of local key lime.

Some raw tomato and green apple.

Enjoy.

Thank you chef. Thank you.

I really thought it was very important to be in Miami

and if we're gonna do something different with the food,

how important it was to make the price point approachable.

I thought it was very important because I want everyone

to be able to eat here and I also want you to want

to eat here on a Tuesday because you're hungry.

How is that?

Not because you waited for your mom's birthday

or you anniversary, you know, to come eat something.

Delicious.

Another dish we had the shumi.

When you taste the texture,

you wouldn't think it's a curry.

It's not creamy or heavy at all.

It's just a green pop of flavor.

The relish that he puts on the shumi

are sort of like his version of an Argentine chimichurri

but he makes it with culantro.

It's very fresh and light.

That dish is very tough to pass up.

Very bright.

Mmm.

I remember when you were doing

the version with the crab cake.

Like the rice crust on the outside?

I don't know which version is my favorite though.

That's a good problem to have.

Following that dish we had,

oh we had that risotto.

With his dish,

Brad finds a way to keep it light.

Even though it's two kinds of cheese.

You know like it's rich

but not heavy at all.

Take it easy over there.

The egg.

I mean I don't even know

if more words can be said about the egg.

The egg is the egg.

The egg is luxury.

It's simple luxury.

It's accessible luxury.

Those with cheese crackers? Wow.

Soft cooked,

truffle pearls,

olive oil,

scallop bascuma.

Don't wait.

Light as air and a green air crisp.

It's everything you want.

Really really good.

Where do you think I learned this taste

for fine cuisine?

From your mother. (laughs)

My mom and my dad they taught my brother and sister and I

about good food and about family.

And that's what great meals are really about.

You can eat something that will take you back

to any kind of memory.

And that memory might not even be

like it's not like because you're eating

the exact same thing.

It's a feeling.

It's about a feeling.

What you guys do today didn't happen as much back then.

It was not common.

You know, people ate at home a lot.

All that not eating out as much.

[Hugo] Right right.

Yeah well now dining out is like the new going out.

[Hugo] It can be very entertaining

watching these guys do their stuff.

Brad is certainly one of the most ambitious chef's I know.

One of the most ambitious people I know.

But as a chef he just really has this hunger

to be the best.

There's an element of finesse

and creativity and artistry.

Everything he puts on a plate.

It's great to the eyes.

It's great to a palette.

This is where I am.

This is where I live.

This is my home now and this is the home of Alter.

And we want to continuously support

the infrastructure of local cuisine.

(light piano music)

When someone takes a bite

and they look over at their partner

or their friend that they're eating with

and they just mouth something

because that's all I can see.

And they might just look at it and try it,

What did I just have?

That's my favorite part.

That's what I like to do.

(light piano music)