Miami Herald flags Ecuadorian-led restaurant

Miami Herald has put Cotoa, the Miami restaurant led by Ecuadorian chef Alejandra Espinoza, on its short list of Florida restaurants to watch ahead of this week’s Michelin announcements. Ecuador’s Expreso, citing the Herald, reported that Cotoa was named among the favorites to win a Michelin star in Florida before the next round of awards on May 28. Michelin’s own website shows Cotoa already inside the guide as a recommended restaurant in Miami, a status that often places a restaurant in the conversation before star decisions are announced. ### Which restaurant is at the center of the report? Cotoa is the restaurant named in the Herald-linked report. Expreso said the restaurant opened in Miami on May 22, 2024, as an expansion of Somos, the Quito restaurant connected to Espinoza, and that it has now entered the discussion around possible new Michelin stars in Florida. (expreso.ec) Michelin lists Cotoa at 12475 N.E. 6th Ct., Miami, and describes it as a Latin American restaurant where “Ecuador is at the heart” of the concept. The guide’s listing points to dishes including mahi mahi with coconut, ginger and peanut, cassava muchines and tortellini con seco de pollo. ### Why is Cotoa already in the Michelin conversation? (expreso.ec) January 2025 is the key earlier date in Cotoa’s Michelin trajectory. Expreso reported that Michelin added the restaurant to its Florida selection that month as a recommended establishment, and Michelin’s current listing confirms the restaurant is part of the guide. (guide.michelin.com) OpenTable said in an August 2025 feature that Cotoa became the first Ecuadorian restaurant in America to be included in the Michelin Guide. That description aligns with the restaurant’s growing profile in Miami and with later coverage describing it as a rare Ecuadorian presence in South Florida fine dining. ### What exactly did the Herald-linked report say? (expreso.ec) May 23 coverage in Expreso said the Miami Herald included Cotoa among the restaurants with the best chances of receiving a Michelin star in Florida. Primicias, another Ecuadorian outlet, separately reported that the Herald had placed Cotoa among the possible winners ahead of the Florida reveal. (opentable.com) The upstream reports did not reproduce the full Herald article or a complete candidate list. What they do establish is narrower: Cotoa was singled out in Herald coverage as a leading candidate before Michelin’s Florida announcement. ### What is Michelin announcing on May 28? (expreso.ec) Michelin said on its official site that the Florida 2026 restaurant guide ceremony will stream live on May 28 at 2:00 p.m. EST. The guide also said that, for 2026, its Florida coverage expands statewide after earlier editions focused first on Miami, Orlando and Tampa and later added Fort Lauderdale, the Palm Beaches and St. Pete-Clearwater. (expreso.ec) Miami New Times reported earlier that Michelin had delayed the Florida 2026 selection from an original April 14 date to Thursday, May 28, and canceled an in-person ceremony. Michelin’s livestream notice now fixes the timing of the digital reveal. ### Why does this matter for Alejandra Espinoza? (guide.michelin.com) Alejandra Espinoza is the chef identified across the coverage as the force behind Cotoa. Expreso said the Miami project is an international extension of Somos in Quito, and Michelin’s listing centers Ecuadorian ingredients and identity in the restaurant’s presentation. (miaminewtimes.com) Caplin News reported in April that Ecuadorian cuisine had long been underrepresented in South Florida and described Cotoa as helping put Ecuador on Miami’s dining map. If Michelin upgrades the restaurant from recommended status to a star on May 28, that would add a new benchmark to that trajectory. That final step remains unconfirmed until Michelin publishes the 2026 Florida results. (expreso.ec) ### When will the answer be official? May 28 is the date that matters. Michelin says the Florida 2026 ceremony will stream live at 2:00 p.m. EST on its platform, and that is when Cotoa’s status — whether it remains recommended or moves up to a star — is expected to be made public. (guide.michelin.com) (caplinnews.fiu.edu)