Acclaimed chef Michael Beltran, born in Hialeah and raised in Little Havana, has been a key figure in Miami's culinary scene since his early days. He opened Ariete, the Michelin-starred restaurant in Coconut Grove, in 2016. Beltran argues that "real Miami food" is more ingredient-driven than anything else, and that it can distinguish a restaurant from a restaurant born and bred in Miami through its ingredients. He also addressed the growing divergence between restaurants catering to locals and tourists, stating that while many have cited rising prices of rent, food and insurance as reasons for their decline in support for local restaurants, locals need to stop saying yes to high rent.