The Hottest New Table In Town: Table 8 To Open On South Beach

Slated to open in January/February 2006, beachside at the new Regent Hotel at 1458 Ocean Drive, Table 8 South Beach will feature the acclaimed California-style cuisine of celebrity chef Govind Armstrong (34), a charismatic culinaire who launched his career at the tender age of 13 with Wolfgang Puck at L.A.'s legendary Spago. At the South Beach location, Armstrong will serve his innovative cuisine - straightforward, simple food created with the freshest, natural products and local ingredients - while tapping the region's rich cornucopia of fish, fruits and vegetables to create an exciting new South Florida dining destination.

Possessing a distinctly relaxed yet sophisticated ambiance, equal parts L.A. glam and South Beach chic, the restaurant will feature entrances from both Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue. Encompassing 255 seats, Table 8 will consist of a main dining room (seating 160), a private dining room (seating 40) and a wine room, which will seat 15 and no doubt become one of South Beach's most sought after private event spaces. Complementing all of this will be the 40-seat lounge, dramatically situated beneath the Regent's glass-bottom pool, the perfect place to sip cocktails, see and be seen and sample the small plate lounge menu.

In addition to dinner service, Table 8 will handle all food & beverage for the hotel. Though the hours of operation, menu and price points are still in development, diners can look forward to sampling Armstrong's signature dish, salt roasted porterhouse: a carnivore's delight for two, which Robb Report cited for excellence in their 2004 "The Best of the Best" issue.

Open since August 2003, Table 8 Los Angeles has remained one of the country's hottest restaurants by virtue of its acclaimed cuisine and Armstrong's unabashed charisma. That combination has made him a media darling, notching several Iron Chef America and Today Show appearances, drawing critical acclaim from Food & Wine, Gourmet, and Bon Appetit, and attracted a slew of celebrity devotees, including Jennifer Aniston, Elton John and Leonardo
DiCaprio, and secured him the coveted role as co-host of the American Express Grand Tasting at 2006's South Beach Wine & Food Festival (Feb. 24-26, 2006).

Overseeing day-to-day operations and ensuring the South Beach location honors the concept's national reputation for impeccable food and service will be general manager Nick Fielding (30). Fielding was formerly with Wolfgang Puck at Spago in Beverly Hills, where he was director of service, and with The Turnberry Resort in Aventura, Florida, where he served as director of restaurants.

Table 8 South Beach is owned and operated by Meridian Entertainment Group, in partnership with Levy Restaurants. Meridian is a boutique Los Angeles-based restaurant management and development company responsible for such acclaimed venues as Table 8 Los Angeles, Rokbar and L Scorpion. Levy Restaurants is a private company that currently operates 95 foodservice outlets in 41 international markets.

Slated to open January/February 2006, Table 8 South Beach is located at the Regent Hotel, 1458 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida. Reservations suggested. Telephone: (305) 695-4114. www.table8southbeach.com.