Shepherd

A coffee house with Mediterranean dishes percolates on Miami Beach

Shakshuka and avocado toast in a coffee shop? Yes, at Shepherd Artisan Coffee. A long-neglected stretch of mid-Miami Beach between 27th to 35th streets on Collins Avenue is now the Faena district with emerging boutiques, including this six-month-old coffee house. It has an urban vintage look and serves Mediterranean influenced fare, sandwiches and salads.

Founder Yishay Ben-zour is from Tel Aviv, where he was a well-known music producer. He invested in a condo building here and when he couldn’t find an upscale coffee shop he liked, he opened one. He even included a selection of books customers can browse.

The coffee is a blend of Arabica and Robusta beans, roasted in Livorno, Italy for a bold taste and full body with just the right amount of acidity.

Coffee drinks are made with state-of-the-art Italian machines and include espresso, macchiato, cappuccino, latte, mocha, Americano and affogato (vanilla ice cream drowned in a shot of hot espresso). There are also hot chocolate, chai latte, teas and iced drinks.

Smoothies include the Fresco (pineapple, strawberry, coconut and banana) and Mango Tango (passion fruit, pineapple and coconut). Fresh juices include a blend of carrot, lemon, spinach, apple and ginger.

Try the specialty of the house, shakshuka: two sunny-side-up eggs in a thick mixture of tomato, garlic and red peppers with feta or tahini sauce. The Green Breakfast is toast covered in mashed avocado and sprouts with two eggs and a side salad. Order the Shepherd Breakfast and get two eggs any way with salad, roasted red peppers, feta, a scoop of tuna salad and olives served with a bagel.

Sandwiches include smoked salmon and cream cheese with red onion and capers; grilled chicken with pesto and mozzarella. The King Shepherd is a sandwich with a two-egg omelet with mozzarella, cream cheese, scallions and roasted peppers. There are also a couple of simple pizzas to choose from.

Try the tahini cookies or slice of limoncello mousse cake.

Hidden Gems highlights out-of-the-way restaurants in Miami-Dade County. It is not intended to be an anonymous, critical review.