The Team Behind NY’s Ray’s Takes Over Miami Beach’s Broken Shaker | Eater Miami
"After more than a decade as a defining force in Miami’s cocktail culture, the bar—originally a scrappy pop-up in 2012 under Bar Lab founders Gabe Orta and Elad Zvi and later a mainstay at the Freehand Miami hotel—has entered a new era with New York’s Authentic Hospitality (the group behind Ray’s and Pebble Bar) taking over operations earlier this year after the Bar Lab team amicably parted ways. The new cocktail menu focuses on simple tropical drinks like the La Bamba Colada, made with tequila, and the Breakfast in the Moonlight, a passionfruit version of a zombie. Chefs Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske Valtierra from New York’s Wildair created the food menu, which includes dishes like shrimp ceviche with passion fruit and hominy, curry shrimp skewers, and a jerk chicken sandwich topped with pepper slaw on a potato bun. Designer Melissa Bowers preserved the tropical garden ambiance by enhancing the indoor‑outdoor space with vintage furnishings, updated lighting, and new greenery. The concept began in 2012 as an alternative to Miami Beach’s expensive hotel bars—serving well-made cocktails in a casual outdoor setting—and grew to locations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York within Freehand Hotels. The original Miami location earned multiple James Beard Award nominations (Outstanding Bar Program in 2013 and 2014) and was named one of “The World’s 50 Best Bars” in 2014 and 2015. Bar Lab went on to open several other Miami spots, including the recently closed 27 Restaurant next door and wine bar Margot. As Generator & Freehand Hotels CEO Alastair Thomann said, “...has long been a space beloved by locals and travelers alike, especially in Miami Beach where the concept helped bring a new spirit to the scene.” It is open at 2727 Indian Creek Drive from Sunday through Wednesday from 4 p.m. to midnight and Thursday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.; the kitchen serves until midnight daily and reservations are available through Resy." - Olee Fowler
