New Chef, New Menu Stir Things Up At The Spillover

Craving some delightful comfort food and Mesmerizing Miami memories?We got a spot for you! Kush Hospitality Group’s The Spillover from Miami restaurateur Matt Kuscher or as most know him, “Kush” will satiate your old school Miami cravings.

Kush is a charming and cool dude. He is a bit of a local bred Miami hero who entwines wonderful Miami nostalgia into all of his scrumptious properties. If you grew up here like me, you could spend hours just in the bathroom reminiscing about Miami’s good ole days!

The seafood-centric eatery – a local favorite since opening in May 2016 in the heart of the Grove at 2911 Grand Avenue, is rolling into 2020 with a tempting new menu and along with it, a talented new chef, Juan Borjas.

A graduate of The French Culinary Institute in New York City, Borjas joined the Kush team this past fall. Upon taking the helm of The Spillover as Executive Chef he and Kush began developing the new menu with the plan of keeping certain signatures that would cause mutiny if they were removed while adding his own creative imprint. The two first met in 2007 working together at Hillstone Restaurant Group in Coral Gables. Offered Kuscher, “Juan’s an amazingly talented guy with a great work ethic but above all else a real passion for cooking. The kind of heart he puts into everything he does is exactly what Kush Hospitality is built on. I’m thrilled to be working with him again after all this time.”

Additional high points on Borjas’ resume include stints working under celebrity chef Chris Santos at Tao Group’s Beauty & Essex, Stanton Social and Le Cirque (all in New York City) and at The White House during the Obama Administration. The move to The Spillover stems from his desire to connect with local community, something he and Kuscher value. “Matt and I love the industry and definitely see eye-to-eye on how we approach it day-to-day,” adds Borjas. “A sense of team is important and our number one priority as a team is always the guest experience.”

Given The Spillover’s dedication to excellence in sustainable seafood, standout new dishes include a bevy of pescatarian options including Borjas’ signature prawn toast with a chipotle lemon butter. If you could you would fill your bathtub with this extraordinary sauce and spend hours on your knees lapping it up. Ask for some extra incredible sour dough bread to fully absorb this masterpiece!

Another fave was the supple Hamachi crudo ponzu! Ridiculously fresh & beautifully balanced. Other options include crispy rice salmon tartare, steaming bowl of Khao Soi-style mussels is served with a coconut curry broth and cauliflower popcorn. Yaki tuna tataki pinchos (Spain meets Japan) is served atop soba noodles with a soy chili vinaigrette.

Also new, fried gator fra diavolo; octopus salad with spicy sausage, chickpeas and harissa vinaigrette and Baja-style fish tacos. Many signature favorites remain on the restaurant’s vast menu including the bestselling buffalo cauliflower, campfire gator ribs and Spillover’sever-popular Happy Hour offering, snapper scraps.

New cocktails are in development but one eye-catching new concoction has already made its premiere: the Cocolito with RumHaven Caribbean rum, Coco Lopez, mint and lime. Served in a 305 appropriate flamingo koozie, the Cocolitio tastes like the offspring of a mojito and a piña colada. Of course, the Spillover continues to offer one of the most well-curated menus of ciders, meads and craft beers in town.

Like all Kush Hospitality concepts, The Spillover’s generosity of flavor is matched by its décor and design. Kuscher has curated every inch of the restaurant’s 3,000 square feet with upcycled materials and personal affects that reflect his family, his childhood and his home in the 305 – all with a sensibility that has garnered awards and accolades for the use of sustainable resources. From the façade of the restaurant’s bar that consists of more than one hundred used Old Bay seasoning containers, to the tables and chairs that were passed along from another restaurant, and the ceiling covered in reclaimed wood doors, the attention to detail is truly something to marvel at.

A diehard ambassador for all-things-Miami, Kuscher has decked out The Spillover – including its bathrooms – with an array of commissioned art pieces by local artist Camilo Rojas, celebrating Miami-centric pop culture icons from Steven Bauer (Que Pasa, USA?) and Don Francisco to El Chapulin Colorado. And for those who may forget what neighborhood they’re in, on the worn blue brick wall opposite the bar, in a funky 1980’s style font, the words “Welcome to Coconut Grove” are scripted loud and proud. In addition to the cozy interior, the quaint outdoor patio area encourages passersby and their dogs to help themselves to homemade doggie treats and, quips Kuscher, “offers the best fountain view in Miami”.