9343 E. Shea Blvd.   Scottsdale
480-990-1777


What’s not to love about South Beach? It’s the hottest vacation spot in Miami Beach, and now it’s a sleek, fun restaurant in Scottsdale that offers something for everyone from drink menu to entrees and décor.

Owned by Scottsdale couple Mario and Angela Rana, who once owned a supper club in Manhattan, and their partner Frank and Georgia Tsikitis, South Beach filled a much-needed restaurant void in its location, according to Angela. “We live in the area, and for years we just wanted a restaurant like South Beach that was trendy and fun with a relaxed atmosphere,” Angela says.

And South Beach is all of that and a whole lot more. The menu covers everything from soups and salads to steaks, pastas, pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and seafood. There’s even a full sushi bar. There are 107 menu items to choose from and 140 wine selections.

Executive Chef Bob Roca, who came to South Beach restaurant after many years with Radisson Hotels & Resorts, has even added a bit of a Cuban flair in some of South Beach’s dishes. For example, the uniquely delicious Cubano is a roasted pork loin and ham sandwich with dill pickles, Swiss cheese and mojito mayonnaise and mustard on a Cuban baguette. In addition, many of the pasta dishes are fish based.

The appetizer selection, which was created for the late-night diner, is extensive, as is the drink menu, which covers everything from mojitos to martinis. Diners can also enjoy live music on select nights at South Beach.

But don’t expect to get a beach bum feeling at this restaurant just because beach is in the name. The owners have wisely gone with a sleek art deco theme for their restaurant’s décor, which includes browns, blacks and a nice splash of aqua here and there.

Delicious food in a comfortable atmosphere – you can’t go wrong at South Beach.

Close-Up
with Executive Chef Bob Roca

South Beach Restaurant’s Executive Chef Bob Roca says that the first job he ever had was in a restaurant. And lucky for him, he never needed to look any further for his career.

Roca grew up in a Spanish household, which has influenced his cooking style, although his training has been in classic French. All of Roca’s training has been on the job doing apprenticeships under different chefs, and he’s spent a good portion of his career in the hospitality business. In fact, he has more than 30 years of experience working in hotels.

It’s Radisson Hotels & Resorts that transferred Roca to Scottsdale from his East Coast home in Vermont. And when he recently decided to make a change in his career, he chose the sleek, new neighborhood restaurant called South Beach. He says it’s in a location that needed a South Beach kind of restaurant, and the menu is diverse enough to satisfy pretty much any tastes. Roca says he hopes that under his tutelage South Beach becomes known as a place to get “top quality, delicious food.”

“I believe in keeping food simple and clean, which I think takes care of everything else in terms of attractiveness,” Roca says. “You also have to start with top-quality products.”

Q&A

Q: Who or what has influenced you the most in your cooking style?
A: I have been influenced by the chang-ing popularity of food since the 1970s. And I’ve been influenced by my Spanish heritage. That is where the Cuban dishes on the South Beach menu come from.

Q: What made you decide to work at South Beach after working for Radisson Hotels & Resorts for so many years?
A: I was ready for a change. I had been working in hotels since 1976. South Beach is located right where I live, and the area was in need of a place just like it.

Q: Tell me a little bit about the restaurant’s menu and what drives it.
A: The South Beach menu has everything on it. There’s Italian and Cuban – a lot of different influences. There’s basic American or Continental. We have a sushi bar and pizzas. Our menu has everything. It was a team effort with the ownership of South Beach to come up with the menu.

Q: What are your favorite dishes on the SB menu?
A: The Cubano sandwich is great. The Thai Chicken and Spinach Salad is really good, too. I also like the Grilled Ribeye with angel hair onions.



Sobe Gator Chowder

4 Servings

Ingredients:
4 pieces bacon, diced
½ cup onion, diced
½ cup celery, diced
2 ounces butter
2 ounces flour
½ cup alligator meat, diced
½ cup crawfish tails, diced
2 cup fish stock
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon parsley chopped
¾ cup potatoes, diced & cooked until tender
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
• Saute bacon until browned.
• Add onion and celery; cook over medium heat for 2 minutes.
• While stirring, add butter and cook for one minute.
• Add alligator meat and cook until firm.
• Add crawfish meat, fish stock, thyme, bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Continue stirring for 3-4 minutes.
• Add parsley, heavy cream, diced potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 2-5 minutes, reduce heat and serve.