Chef Brad Kilgore (@brad_kilgore) and BarLab (bar-lab.com) collaborate to debut their highly anticipated Wynwood concept, MaryGold’s (@marygoldsbrasserie) at Arlo Wynwood. We chat with the culinary master on his grand return to Wynwood and what we can expect.
The interior of MaryGold’s at Arlo Wynwood PHOTO BY CHAT CHOW
Tell us about the opening of your most recent concept, MaryGold’s. What inspired the concept?
We want to do something refreshing, inviting, but still engaging and delicious. You take the word brasserie and it makes me think of a nice restaurant with quality service, great food and will have a little bit for everyone—handmade pasta, nice steak, roasted chicken, we have all of that. Then, we wanted to represent Florida—not the Florida of several decades ago but Florida of now in the next 10 or 15 years. It is a melting pot with so many different cultures going on, so much influence and so much growth. That’s the Florida that we want to be a part of.
Why was this the right concept for you to embark on your next endeavor? What drew you to the project?
Working with my longtime friends and two guys that I respect so much for their talent and tenacity was an easy decision, and an exciting decision, to be honest. Collaborative efforts have gone on both sides—we collaborated on the martini that MaryGold’s serves with an umami-driven olive brine, and Christine Wiseman from BarLab drove it home. Wynwood has always been home to me, and I’m very happy to be back. And such a beautiful restaurant and hotel to be partners with makes it a very special project.
Chef Brad Kilgore with Elad Zvi and Gabe Orta of BarLab PHOTO BY: ROBERT GENAO
What are some of the standout dishes guests can look forward to?
My former restaurant Alter was known for its bread and butter, and I wanted to bring that back but do it with a level-up. So we offer a layered brioche bread with sourdough butter. It has components of the old dish but is very new and pretty special. Also combining different cultures, we took a French chicken liver mousse with chorizo, served with preserved gooseberries. Overall, my favorite dish is the handcut tagliatelle with local pomodoro sauce and a caramelized cheese crema finished with sweet crab and chile flake. I created that recipe because it’s the way I like to eat pasta.
Kilgore’s favorite handcut tagliatelle dish RUBEN CABRERA
Why will dining at MaryGold’s be unique?
The room and design is so inviting and the cocktails are world-class but not confusing. The food is creative but not over the top, and engaging at the same time. You can bring anyone there for any occasion; you can pop in for the French onion burger or you can go for the caviar waffle and handmade tortellini with escargot and truffles. The desserts are very special and creative—the baked Florida is a play on the classic baked Alaska with tropical flavors, and it is bruleed tableside with Haitian overproof spiced rum. My favorite is the carrot cake bread pudding that is served warm with an espresso-medjool date hot caramel and triple cream cheese ice cream. Pastry chef Leiti and I worked on the menu for months, and it’s a very exciting end to the meal.
MaryGold’s Caper Berry. RUBEN CABRERA
What do you hope to contribute to the Miami dining scene?
I truly enjoy sourcing interesting and new ingredients but presenting them in a recognizable way. Just good cooking, great ingredients and a room that allows you to have an amazing time.
Photography by: Photo By Chat Chow
