Eight years.

That’s how long there’s been a Michael’s Genuine.

And in Miami that’s the equivalent of about 56 years.

What we’re saying is, Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink was due for a little freshening up. And Michael Schwartz agreed. So he closed his doors for a couple of weeks and did just that.

And now it’s back. And it’s officially reopen as of... today. But first, here’s what’s changed and what’s stayed the same. (You can also take a look here.)

Then: A cozy (read: small) 11-seat bar with a private dining room in the back.
Now: An expanded bar area (RIP, private dining), bringing the total number of seats there to 25. Oh, and they’ve added gold-coin mosaics of queen snapper and yellowedge grouper. You’ll see.

Then: No raw bar.
Now: A mahogany counter with a fairly large sign that says “Oysters” overhead. You know, just in case you missed the Kumamotos and Hama Hamas on ice.

Then: Between 3 and 5:30pm, you’d get... closed doors.
Now: You get “afternoon service” filled with oysters, crispy sweet-and-spicy pork belly and wood-fired pizza.

Then: Hedy Goldsmith’s chocolate cremoso.
Now: Hedy Goldsmith’s chocolate cremoso.

Never change, Hedy.