Chef Niven Patel struck gold with his Kendall restaurant last spring and now he’s duplicating its success with a second outpost in the Miami Design District. Aside from a new zip code and a smaller dining room, the new restaurant is nearly identical to the original, down to the wall of pickled jars and the modern Indian fare, most of which is made using locally sourced ingredients (Patel grows about 20 percent of the produce and herbs on his farm in Homestead). Ghee offers a generous tasting menu ($55 for three courses), though if going the a-la-carte route, make sure to order the cheddar naan (warning: it’s spicy!), smoked lamb neck (it takes about five days to make, says Patel) and the green millet, which is like polenta and happens to be the chef’s favorite. “We get the millet from a small Indian village where my ancestors are from; we support the whole village on this one dish because we buy out everything they can produce,” says Patel.
Time Out tip: Can’t stand the heat? Tell your server; most dishes are on the spicier side and normally mild items like the cheddar naan, while delicious, will make your mouth feel like it’s on fire.
