In the three years since it opened, Soyka’s has become a hub for a major redevelopment effort in one of Miami’s most historic neighborhoods. With the prospect of a Performing Arts Center finally becoming a reality, the entire Biscayne Boulevard corridor in Miami is undergoing a renaissance but, as usual, Mark Soyka got there ahead of the pack. He had done the same in the late 80s with his News Cafe and later the Van Dyke on South Beach, and he’s had a major impact in downtown Fort Lauderdale with the comfortable Brasserie Las Olas.
The charm of Soyka, the restaurant, is that the owner has developed not only the old warehouse he originally bought to house his car collection, but adjacent buildings as well. Soyka, the developer, is changing the entire block, so now there are a few art galleries, an art cinema house and other businesses enlivening the district. Within the last year several other restaurants have opened up in the neighborhood as well.
For all his tradition with News Cafe, I still like Soyka’s eponymous eatery most of all his properties. It’s more comfortable than the much louder South Beach properties and less gussied up than Las Olas. Soyka, with its distressed concrete interior and open ductwork in the ceiling has the half-finished comfort of a New York loft. The menu is filled with comfort food as well, and the locals from nearby Morningside and other historic neighborhoods pack the place, at the northern fringe of the Design District, every night.
Soyka’s comfort food is served with considerable polish by a very efficient wait staff, and most of the items they deliver are worth trying on repeat visits. The garden-fresh gazpacho ($4.50), the substantial French onion soup ($5), and mussels steamed in white wine, shallots, thyme and a splash of cream ($10.25) are all reliable starters.
Soyka is one of my favorite stops for an example of the handmade, slow-cooked burger. If the classic hamburger ($8.75) isn’t on your diet, the turkey burger ($8.75) and the delicious salmon burger ($10.25) are great alternatives.
Pizzas have thin crusts and mainstream toppings. In addition to straight tomato sauce with basil ($9), one can also order a very good artichoke, sun-dried tomato, feta and spinach combination ($9.75) and another pie topped with grilled chicken, roasted peppers and goat cheese ($10.25).
Frequent diners often order meatloaf ($13), a chopped sirloin steak with mushrooms, peppers and onions and a roasted half-chicken ($14). Like many other main courses, they come with creamy, flavorful mashed potatoes. I’ve also liked Soyka’s juicy marinated skirt steak ($17) and two fish dishes: a sesame-studded salmon fillet that is quickly seared and served with soy sauce and shiitake mushrooms ($18), and mahi-mahi with a tangy chimichurri ($17.75).
Soyka’s wine list is worth checking out; it is small but, carefully chosen, intelligently priced and — just perfect for a relaxed place like this — more than half the wines are available by the glass in generous pours. Service is good and the kitchen works at a rapid pace to keep the tables turning, though diners are never rushed to vacate the place before they’re ready. Even when there is a wait, it’s usually a short one, and well worth it for the simple comfort offered at Soyka.
Please phone in advance to confirm information on hours, prices, menu items and facilities. For review consideration, please fax a current menu that includes name and address of restaurant to 954-356-4386 or send to Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293.
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