Taste of the Town: ‘The Drexel’ continues fine tradition of Mediterranean dining in Miami Beach

MIAMI – The Drexel is a hidden gem, nestled at the corner of Drexel Avenue and the historic Espanola Way on Miami Beach with dining both inside and out.

It’s the brainchild of Anastasia Koutsioukis and Ahmet Erkaya, the husband-wife duo behind Miami’s hugely popular Mandolin Aegean Bistro. 

They teamed up with their friends, Chef Nano Crespo, who created the menu, and his wife Tamara, who previously was General Manager at Mandolin.  

Chef Nano describes the cuisine as coastal Mediterranean.

“Simple. Super simple,” said Chef Nano. “There’s lots of seafood, fresh, light dishes, that’s what it’s about.”

Koutsioukis designed all the interiors of this historic 1920s building which is part of the Esme Hotel. 

She created a warm, natural environment found throughout European coastal towns.

 All of the ceramics and other pieces in the vignettes, she carried back from her personal travels.

“There’s a lot of personal touches to the space. It was important for me to give it more of a residential feel and a personal feel as well,” she said.

The restaurant, she says, is all about celebrating homegrown roots.

“We say this is a local restaurant, created by locals for locals,” she explained.  “It was important for us to create a type of gathering space that we would want to go to.  So, it’s an area where you can come with your family and  dine outside, and the kids can run around in the little plaza area.”

Back in the kitchen, Chef Nano creates many family-style sharing plates with light and bright flavors for tasting.

They begin with the ultra-creamy Gigande Bean Dip with crunchy crudité and house-made whole wheat pita before sampling the Mediterranean fish known as Sea Bream.

“It’s butterflied, deboned, and then simply grilled with lemon,  olive oil, and sea salt. Then Chef has created a beautiful signature sauce,” she said.

“So you spend the summers in Greece, and this is what Greece tastes like to me.  It’s so fresh, elegant, and not complicated. Just clean and tasty,” said CBS4’s Lisa Petrillo after tasting.

So are, Petrillo said, the elegant Jumbo Prawns served with fresh herbs and lemon.

They end on Greek Style Lamb Chops with an herb crust, served with tzatziki and cucumber salad.

“That herb crust sets it apart. It has so many flavors and a little bit of a kick,” Petrillo said. 

“The meat is moist. Excellent.”

The Drexel is open seven days a week for dinner. They serve brunch and dinner on the weekends.

For more information, visit their website here.