MaryGold's

In a previous life, MaryGold’s had an overzealous menu that focused too much on dramatic presentations. For $72, you could order two paltry chicken breasts surrounded by burning hay that got paraded around the table for no reason at all. 

But that’s no longer true.

MaryGold’s revamped its menu and is now a restaurant that brings sophistication to Wynwood without unnecessary arrogance. Expect polished dishes that aren’t ostentatious but have enough subtle creativity to stand out. Which is exactly what we’d always hoped for from the restaurant whose lineage includes Alter, a now-closed fine dining spot that helped establish Wynwood as a place for exciting restaurants.

It didn’t happen at the starting line, but MaryGold’s caught up by losing some baggage, adding more relatable dishes, and keeping winners like a burger that tastes just like French onion soup. But there are new additions now too, like an heirloom tomato appetizer with stracciatella in leche de tigre that looks like a garden on a snowy day and boasts every flavor known to man (rich, tangy, creamy, nutty, citrusy, spicy, and herbaceous).

The food reflects the space: simultaneously interesting and elegant, but also comfortable. It has an enormous marble bar with globe lights on a bent track that reminds us of those bead mazes in pediatrician offices. Long hammered mirrors hang over half-moon booths. Custom plates are individually stamped on the bottom. It’s a beautiful dining room with thoughtful touches and a fantastic bar program created by the Broken Shaker team. 

MaryGold’s is a lot like this review. The first version was, honestly, disjointed and lost. The restaurant tried too hard to be grand and innovative when it needed to be more accessible. But it’s pulled itself together into something that finally makes sense: a place that’s inviting but refined, creative yet uncomplicated. As a reader, you never get to see first drafts—just the final version. A restaurant doesn’t have that liberty. Their choices are criticized the moment those doors open. It takes a very good one to step back, reassess, and understand the work isn’t finished. And we love MaryGold’s new direction. 

Food Rundown

photo credit: Courtesy MaryGold's

Brioche

The brioche is one of the best examples of how skilled this kitchen is. It’s a delicate croissant layered into a flakey swirl and served with a side of orange blossom honey butter. The butter is stamped with a mold that gathers the honey into deliciously tiny pools.

Tagliatelle

Chunks of sweet crab poke through the tagliatelle noodles like the face of a toddler learning how to play peek-a-boo. The sauce is made with Homestead pomodoro tomatoes and caramelized cream. Mix it all up, and you’ve got a dish more balanced than that guy in yoga class who does fancy handstands.

Agnolotti

There’s nothing visually outstanding about the corn agnolotti with brown butter and sumac—except that someone took the time to arrange it into a little pasta pyramid. But all of these ingredients create a dish that’s like the perfect partner: sweet, rich, and bright.

photo credit: Courtesy MaryGold's

Ribiolina Tortellini

If you haven’t noticed yet, we really like the pastas here. But the tortellini is the best thanks to the pistachio bourguignon. The tortellini are topped with escargot and pistachio ragout, then coated in a creamy pistachio and parsley stock. This is a squirrel’s dream pasta.

photo credit: Courtesy MaryGold's

Beignets

This is a hold-over from MaryGold’s early days that should’ve retired. The first few times we ate it, these were denser than folks who leave negative comments without reading the articles. Now the beignets are fluffy, but the oxtail is dry, and the flavors are all fighting each other and getting nowhere.

photo credit: Courtesy MaryGold's

French Onion Burger

It tastes exactly like it sounds—a cross between French onion soup and a cheeseburger. Taking a bite creates a cheese rope between your mouth and the burger you can use as a one-stringed harp. It’s $30, so it’s not an everyday burger. It’s more like a splurge-burger—a splurger?