Chef-Owner, Ariete Hospitality Group; Miami, FL

Michael Beltran is chef, owner, and partner of Ariete Hospitality Group, which includes restaurants Ariete, Navé, and Chugs Cuban Diner as well as popular watering holes The Scapegoat and The Taurus. Beltran was raised in a traditional Cuban-American household in Miami that was big on home-cooked meals shared at the family dinner table. His grandparents owned bodegas in Cuba before coming to the US; Ariete is named for one of the restaurants they operated before emigrating. One of the city’s most dynamic concepts, Ariete is notable for innovative dishes that meld the flavors of his Cuban-American upbringing with New American cuisine. Chug’s Cuban Diner, an all-day American style diner with a menu studded with Cuban classics at affordable prices, is known for its legendary pastelitos and fritas. In 2019, collaborating with Chef Justin Flit, formerly of Proof Miami, Beltran opened Navé to rave reviews. Adjacent to Ariete, Navé features a simple, yet sophisticated, seafood-centric menu and an extensive libations program served in a casual indoor/outdoor space. Beltran was a 2020 James Beard Foundation Awards’ Best Chef: South semifinalist, his restaurant was named Eater’s Restaurant of the Year, and was named Miami New Times’ Best New Restaurant. He has also been featured in Bon Appetit magazine and received multiple nods from The New York Times. (Miami, FL) @piginc