A pop-up experience of the iconic and trend-setting restaurant Ortanique is set to reignite the South Florida dining scene, thanks to the efforts of a dynamic duo that have been monumental figures on the culinary scene for years. Chef/restaurateur Cindy Hutson and her long-time partner Delius Shirley are behind the limited-engagement pop-up, considered among Coral Gables’, if not South Florida’s, most revered and missed restaurants.
In addition to being a renowned chef with a well-deserved reputation as one of the top talents in Miami’s culinary scene, Hutson is also the Culinary Ambassador of the Miami Cancer Institute. Moreover, she has authored a critically acclaimed cookbook called From the Tip of My Tongue.
“This limited-engagement pop-up is more a tribute than a formal relaunch,” Shirley says, who owned and operated Ortanique with Hutson for a remarkable 21-year run. “Since we closed in 2020, fans—especially our diehard regulars—kept asking us if there would ever be a chance for them to have a favorite dish or get a little bit of that Ortanique magic. After much work, that time is now.”
Two nightly seatings are available for guests, with each seating limited to 40 guests and a two-hour time limit. The first seating can be reserved from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., while the second seating can be booked from 8:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Each seating offers a prix-fixe menu priced at $98 per person (including tax but excluding bar and gratuity). Upon arrival, the evening begins with a complimentary amuse-bouche, followed by a lavish three-course meal with four appetizers, five entrees, and three desserts.
A thoughtfully selected cocktail menu will be available, featuring Ortanique’s renowned mojito and various beers and wines. Every weekend, the menu will offer a range of new and exciting dishes, enticing patrons to return and indulge in their favorite creations from Hutson’s “Cuisine of the Sun.” Customers interested in hosting special events, catering, or buyouts can also reserve the entire venue.
For the opening weekend, Hutson and Shirley are considering a few items, such as Red Stripe steamed Mediterranean mussels, braised short rib with Caribbean butter beans and truffle gnocchi, West Indian Cornish game hen with Jamaican rice and peas, and butterflied yellowtail snapper escovitch with malanga mash and Scotch Bonnet pickled veggies.
The pop-up will take over the former QP Tapas space inside MKT Kitchen in Coral Gables at 1831 Ponce de Leon. Reservations are now available only on a first-come, first-served basis. Call the pop-up hotline at (305) 458-8422 to secure a seat.
