Southern-inspired deliciousness at root of Root & Bone

The Shelborne South Beach's resurgence as one of the premier hotels in the area has been going strong for several years now. What better spot than to introduce a restaurant concept by Chefs Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth.Both are Top Chef alums and McInnis left his mark at Yardbird Southern Table & Bar where he spent years executing their menu that's an ode to traditional Southern cooking. You'll see that Yardbird touch sprinkled throughout the Root & Bone menu and that's a wonderful thing.Always wanting to keep things interesting and fresh, McInnis and Booth like to change up the menu here regularly, a great thing for foodies. But there are those traditional Southern dishes that are regular menu items and my husband and I chose those when we dined there.The atmosphere is wonderful, Southern simplicity at its best. Delicate flowers on the table, soft candles in Mason jars and an inviting rustic communal table with a simple table runner.The whiskey selection here includes more than 80 whiskies along with bottles of some rare, hard to find ones. I opted for something lighter, a simple glass of Prosecco.One glance at the menu and the choices for us were easy. Start off with Grandma Daisy's Angel Biscuits. The name alone, c'mon Grandma's biscuits? You know those are going to be great. And out they came on a cute wooden board with a bit of chicken jus for dipping along with a small mound of each sea salt and benne seeds. The waiter explained the process. Dip the biscuit in the jus then into the sea salt and seeds, in that order, for the perfect bite. He wasn't kidding, it is the perfect bite.What else would we go with to follow that than fried chicken and mac 'n cheese. It's a sweet tea brined tea lemon dusted and served with honey tabasco sauce. The mac description reads "big pasta, crunchy cheese and biscuit herb crust." 'Nuff said.One guess what we ordered for dessert. Why apple pie of course, with fresh whipped cream. The perfect ending to an unforgettable Southern-inspired meal in the heart of South Beach.Root & Bone in the Shelborne South Beach, 1801 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305.531.1271