Modern Comfort at Miami's Blue Collar Restaurant

Blue Collar's Pork & Beans

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Walking into Blue Collar, which opened in Miami's MiMo District in January, the cozy dining room, open kitchen and row of old-time lunch pails on the wall gives off a vibe that my dinner companion called "diner-chic" during a recent visit.

The same description can be used about much of the intriguing menu devised by chef Daniel Serfer. Pork and beans with a fried egg on top is a tasty twist on a classic, and the shrimp & grits can't go wrong when Trugole cheese, Neuske bacon and a New Orleans-style barbecue sauce is thrown into the mix. Plus, the butterscotch Heath Bar bread pudding (topped with chili-spiked whip cream) might be the most delicious dessert I've ever tasted.

Entrees under $20 and a friendly staff that learns your name as you walk in makes Blue Collar a place that feels like a neighborhood gem with an upscale but down-to-earth atmosphere, and will certainly help create a loyal set of regulars.

Tags: dining | Florida restaurants | food | Miami | new restaurants