J.C. Restrepo and Joanna Fajardo have made a host of changes at their hidden treasure of a West Miami wine bar, Happy Wine. In a lightning-fast 17 days in January, they expanded their kitchen into a massive, modern, full-service operation. They’ve added larger, heartier dishes to their tapas and plates of Spanish Jamon and cheeses. And they’ve added an option for reservations on ever-busy weekends. The one change diners will notice before stepping inside their restaurant of 12 years is on the outside: the name.
The couple is changing the name of the restaurant after losing their Coconut Grove location three years ago to an investor, who took it over when Restrepo needed a life-saving kidney transplant. Now they expect to lose the name altogether. “Whether you call us Happy Wine or whatever name, people are going to come to us because they know us,” Restrepo says, hopefully.
They haven’t settled on a new name yet. But what hasn’t changed is the vibe. Wines ranging from affordable to splendid — from France and Spain to California and Latin America — fill rustic shelves made out of 2x4s. Christmas lights crisscross the ceiling, where an old bicycle hangs. And the live weekend music is as much a part of the shop’s DNA as the Saturday paella (which sells out within two hours). Restrepo hands this sparkling new stainless steel kitchen to his longtime Spanish chef, Lola, who used to own the favorite Calle Ocho spot Lola’s Gourmet. Backing her up is a young local chef, Oscar Zuñiga. And as always, Restrepo or Fajardo are always in the building to recommend some new, small winemaker you’ve never heard of at a price that still appeals to Flagami abuelitas and Coral Gables business lunchers (with a flat $8 corkage fee). “Happiness and a good time are why I got into this business,” Restrepo said.
If he could survive kidney failure, he says, he believes his restaurant can survive a name change as long as he and his spouse are still at its center. On a recent Tuesday afternoon, when locals come for pressed prosciutto paninis and chistorras sausages cooked in red wine, we tried several of the dishes coming out of the new kitchen as well as some old favorites.
HUEVOS ROTOS Huevos Rotos are housemade potato chips with serrano ham and a soft egg. Carlos Frías CFRIAS@MIAMIHERALD.COM These “broken eggs” are the best kind of tapas appetizers, with the runny yolks coating the crispy house-made potato chips and paper-thin strips of jamón serrano, all sprinkled with Maldon salt and drizzled lightly with truffle oil.
If you want to skip the eggs, there’s no better start than a simple platter of Pata Negra jamón Iberico with wedges of manchego cheese, anchovy-stuffed olives, and crusty, fresh-baked baguette.
For something more substantial, you can’t go wrong with the camarones al ajillo, tender gulf shrimp rendered simply with roasted garlic and salt. For those interested in vegetarian options, the restaurant now makes ricotta in house, which it serves with fresh heirloom tomatoes.
These bite-size Basque sausages are a meal unto themselves, rich in spices and swimming in red wine — perfect for sopping up with crusty bread. BOQUERONES Shishito peppers are everywhere now, in appetizer menus, and they fit well in a tapas-style of dining, especially if you’re trying to stay vegetarian.
But to me, there’s no better tapas experience than the boquerones, thinly battered and flash-fried anchovies, seasoned with maldon salt. Fresh out of the fryer and right into your mouth with a swirl of Albariño or vino verde — you can’t beat it.
HEARTIER PLATES
Among the heartier plates the kitchen can now handle is the snapper filet, slathered in a mild salsa vizcaina, another Basque influence here.
Between that and a 16-ounce New York strip, cooked medium rare and sliced for tapas-style sharing, the menu feels more robust.
Happy Wine — or whatever the Calle Ocho spot eventually is called — remains a treasure in a city that feels less affordable by the day.
Address: 5792 SW Eighth St., West Miami Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Tuesday; until 10 p.m., Wednesday-Thursday; until 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. 1-9 p.m., closed Sunday.
Prices: Tapas range from $6 to $32 for full charcuterie plates of Pata Negra Iberico ham.
More info: The corkage fee for wine bottles purchased at the restaurant is a flat $8. Contact: 305-262-2465, Instagram.com/happywinecalle8
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/miami-com/restaurants/article258014003.html#storylink=cpy