Constellation Culinary Group Launches New Art-Inspired Menu at Verde at Pérez Art Museum Miami

MIAMI, FL (January 12, 2025) – Constellation Culinary Group has unveiled a new seasonal menu at Verde, the waterfront restaurant at Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). Curated by Executive Chef Valeri Fuentes, the menu is inspired by the museum’s current exhibitions, including Carlos Cruz-Diez: Chromosaturation, which explores the immersive power of pure color, and Elliot & Erick Jiménez: El Monte, the first solo museum show by the Cuban-American twin photographers. Guided by a distinct culinary vision and her Latin American roots, Valeri makes Verde an extension of the museum experience, offering guests a multisensory journey that translates visual and emotional themes from the galleries into edible works of art.

The new offerings can be enjoyed amid the restaurant’s stunning indoor–outdoor setting overlooking Biscayne Bay, where lush greenery, world-class art and the museum’s scenic sculpture garden immerse diners in a uniquely Miami experience.

Diners can scan a QR code to learn more about the art that inspired select menu items marked with a paintbrush icon, including: 

• Raspado Ceviche | Inspired by Cruz-Diez’s Chromosaturation

• Love Letter Empanadas | Inspired by Cruz-Diez’s “Chromointerference of Additive Color”

• Dagger to Your Heart | Inspired by the Jiménez brothers’ “The Incredulity of the Ibeyí”

• Chromosaturation Salmon | Inspired by Cruz-Diez’s Chromosaturation

• El Monte | Inspired by the Jiménez brothers’ “El Monte”

The Raspado Ceviche ($22), an homage to Cruz-Diez’s immersive color theory installations, layers corvina with passion fruit and leche de tigre shaved ice, sweet potato, baby corn, avocado, pickled shallots, pomegranate seeds and watermelon radish.

The Love Letter Empanadas ($17), filled with chorizo, mozzarella and sweet plantain and served with black garlic truffle aioli, ají dulce romesco and guasacaca, are inspired by Cruz-Diez’s “Chromointerference of Additive Color” at the Maiquetía International Airport—an installation walked by more than 8 million Venezuelans as they fled their home country. “These empanadas are a love letter to that diaspora,” Valeri said. “A plane, a note, and a taste of memory.”

Dagger to Your Heart ($16), served with labneh and black garlic aioli, is a charcoal falafel dish inspired by “The Incredulity of the Ibeyí,” a photo work from the Jiménez brothers’ exhibition. The artwork’s bold palette and purposeful details, down to the delicate bow of the curtain, guided the dish’s visual language and emotional tone.

Other small plate offerings include the Cornbread Cachapa Brûlée ($20), a tribute to Valeri’ and Cruz-Diez’s shared Venezuelan roots, pairing delicately caramelized cornbread with creamy feta mousse and herb butter, and Peas Be Mine ($16), a creamy green pea soup with poached egg, lime sour cream, basil oil and crispy mortadella. The Miami Caesar Salad ($19), made with frisée, baby gem, lemon zest, Caesar dressing, queso fresco and chicharrón croutons, joins the menu as a fresh complement to the heartier plates. Protein add-ons include Pan-seared Salmon ($12), Shawarma-spiced Chicken ($9), Grilled Shrimp ($12) and Pan-seared Halloumi ($8).

Among the large plates is the Chromosaturation Salmon ($31), an herb-crusted fillet with Japanese sweet potato purée, ají dulce romesco, grilled green onion and basil oil inspired by the radiant hues of Cruz-Diez’s Chromosaturation. Additionally, the Chile En Nogada ($24) features a charred poblano pepper filled with vegan chorizo and chickpeas and topped with coconut milk, beet-cashew sauce, pomegranate seeds and dried apricot.

Pizza additions include the Burrata & Mortadella ($23), topped with fontina sauce, toasted pistachio and spicy apricot marmalade.

El Monte ($19), one of the featured desserts, reimagines the sacred ceiba trunk at the heart of the Jiménez brothers’ installation with layers of chocolate, dulce de leche alfajor, pistachio gelato, pistachio sponge and tarragon. “We built a miniature forest and infused it with palo santo smoke, creating a moment of cleansing,” said Valeri. “It’s an homage to the spiritual energy embedded in the piece.” Meanwhile, the lighter Dulce de Lechoza ($17) delivers a lighter option with ricotta ice cream, green papaya confiture and puffed rice.

New brunch offerings include the Breakfast Khachapuri ($22), with mozzarella, fontina, bacon, sweet corn, chives and egg; Red Shakshuka ($19), with roasted peppers, tomato sauce, Argentine chorizo, feta, avocado and za’atar flatbread; Moussaka ($28), with abuelita’s bolognese, roasted eggplant and sarrapia béchamel; Tres Leches Pancakes ($21), layered with coconut sauce, whipped mascarpone and dulce de leche chantilly, and Flan on the Rocks ($16), a limited-edition chef’s secret rum and flan recipe available on weekends only.

Verde’s cocktail program complements the menu’s visual storytelling with signature drinks, including the Matcha Martini ($18), made with Baileys, matcha, Tito’s vodka, vanilla syrup and amaretto; the Rose & Dragonfruit Tonic ($18), featuring rose water, lime juice, dragon fruit purée, Botanist gin and tonic; and the Whiskey Honey Moon ($18), with Maker’s Mark, grapefruit juice and honey syrup. The Hot Honey Margarita ($18) adds seasonal flair with apple cider, Mi Campo tequila, triple sec, hot honey and lime juice, while the Red Wine Sangria ($16) balances cabernet, pineapple juice, brandy and Angostura bitters. Lighter options include the Sunrise Mimosa ($16), with pineapple-orange juice, grenadine and cava brut, and the Spicy Melon Mojito ($16), a refreshing mix of watermelon juice, Bacardi rum, lime, mint, jalapeño and soda. The Elderflower Apple Martini ($16) rounds out the list with vodka, apple juice, lime and agave.

Zero-proof options include the Boba Passion Fruit ($12), made with green tea, mango syrup and pineapple juice; the Coconut Cooler ($12), with coconut water, citrus juices, cucumber and mint; the Gingerberry Smash ($12), blending lime, strawberries, mint and ginger beer; and the Blank Canvas Lemonade ($12), offered in classic or a mint-and-basil variation.

Verde is open Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the last seating at 3:30 p.m. Verde’s Bistro Bar, which offers grab-and-go snacks, is open Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Friday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.