Atrio Restaurant: Conrad Miami

Executive Chef Michael Gilligan is no stranger to the kitchen– we were glad (and very pleased) to try his newest creation called Atrio, a gem of a restaurant tucked inside the Conrad Hotel in Miami during our trip to the area last month. Gilligan’s resume is impressive– food has been in his blood ever since he was born in a room above the family-owned pub in his home town of Birmingham, England. A graduate from The College of Food and Arts, he has done everything from sous-chef at the Ritz Carlton in NYC to owning and operating several restaurants such as Candela, as well as cooking everywhere from Antonio’s Ristorante to Metro 53 in NYC, and Rumi on South Beach–we feel like it’s safe to say he has made it around. Atrio really shows off his power of creation, and of course, his imagination. He calls many of his creations ‘la-sian’, a cross between Latin American cooking and Asian cuisine. Rarely on one menu do you find such gems as a Sushi of the Day, delicious crab cakes, chilled avocado soup with lime and jalepeno, and a broiled miso marinated black cod (our favorites). Interesting combinations, exquisite tastes, and a wonderful atmosphere off the beaten path.