After 12 years (a millennium in Miami time), Blue Collar is finally bidding farewell to its cozy, 800-square-foot spot at the historic Biscayne Hotel. But it’s not a goodbye for the elevated comfort food restaurant or its long-term relationship with the city’s charming MiMo neighborhood.
This April, Blue Collar will leave its current location and move directly across the street into a 4,000-square-foot space at 6789 Biscayne Boulevard (the location of chef José Mendín's shuttered Patio Isola and before that, La Placita). For the first time, the beloved restaurant will have a full bar, along with an expanded menu and much more space for both indoor and outdoor dining.
Danny Serfer, the passionate chef-owner behind Blue Collar and another local favorite, Mignonette, promises things won’t change too much: “I can assure folks that ‘The New Blue’ will embrace the same spirit, menu concept and pricing as ‘Classic Blue,’” he says.
With a much larger kitchen and seating for 140 guests between the dining room and patio, Blue Collar’s next iteration will build on its existing menu of flavorful homestyle dishes. Expect new dailies like soups (including a year-round matzo ball soup), chops and house-made pasta and breads.
The new full bar will focus on classic cocktails—think martinis, old fashioneds and cosmos—and none of those “handlebar mustached mixologists and drinks that take 30 minutes to make,” Serfer says. And yes, there will be a happy hour at the space’s newly constructed bar.
As for Blue Collar’s original home, “It’s staying in the family,” says Serfer. “The space is precious to me and I’ll be introducing something 100% new there when the time is right.”
Blue Collar will close at 6730 Biscayne Boulevard sometime in late March or early April for its official transition to 6789, which will open by the end of April 2024, according to the team. Lunch, happy hour and dinner will be served initially, with breakfast and brunch rolling out shortly thereafter. For updates, follow @bluecollarmiami.