Inside Chateau ZZ’s in Miami, Main Meals Group’s First Mexican Restaurant

Major Food Group is trying its hand at a new cuisine: Mexican.

The esteemed restaurant empire—led by Jeff Zalaznick, Mario Carbone, and Rich Torrisi—this weekend opens Chateau ZZ’s, an extravagant Mexican restaurant in Miami. Housed in a former private estate, the new spot offers up a downstairs dining room for enjoying Mexican classics and an upstairs area just for ZZ’s Club members.

“As is always the case when MFG moves into an incredibly historic location, we have assembled a team of the most accomplished talents to honor the rich legacy—and to create a nostalgic and unabashedly luxurious restaurant serving the best Mexican cuisine and cocktails in the entire region,” Carbone said in a statement. “We couldn’t be more honored.”

The Ken Fulk-designed dining room is where all guests can get a taste of Major Food Group’s first foray into Mexican cooking, which hews to the classics but with the company’s lavish spin. From the raw bar you’ll have Michelada oysters, colossal stone crab claws, and coconut snapper ceviche. Tostadas come topped with spicy tuna, caviar and crema, Wagyu and truffle, and other luxe combos. And you can’t forget the made-to-order guacamole.

Main courses all come with house-made tortillas, salsas and sauces, plus garnishes like radishes, herbs, and lime. Choose among steaks served grilled or al pastor, whole branzino brushed with red and green sauces, and spicy lobster fideos. Finish off your meal with stand-by desserts such as coconut tres leches, mango cheesecake, and churros.

Drinks, unsurprisingly, are focused on tequila and mezcal. Chateau ZZ’s has gone all-in here: There are more than 1,000 tequilas and mezcals offered, with dozens of rare bottles not found at any other restaurants. Order those neat, or opt for a Margarita, a Paloma, or a Michelada.

Members of ZZ’s Club, which Major Food Group launched in 2021 at the namesake location in Miami, have special access to the upstairs portion of the estate. There, you’ll find a covered terrace and a lounge with a fireplace and vaulted ceilings, among other members-only amenities. Even if you’re not bought-in, though, you’ll still be able to enjoy the space’s well-appointed interiors, designed to complement the building’s French-manor architecture.

Chateau ZZ’s is a new adventure for one of the biggest restaurant groups in the country—and its betting big that MFG fans will bite (quite literally). The food, drinks, and space do make that proposition look appealing.

Click here to see all the images of Chateau ZZ’s.

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