Derrick Turton, owner of World Famous House of Mac, pulled off a major career flip in 2014.

• He went from working in the music industry, where he managed Pitbull, to opening a mac and cheese food truck, which eventually spawned five locations.

Why it matters: Twelve years into his reign as Miami's mac and cheese ambassador, Turton is celebrating a new partnership with the Miami Marlins, selling his soul food to baseball fans at loanDepot park for the first time this season.

• We caught up with Turton, aka Chef Teach, to ask him about his journey in the culinary business and how his restaurant has been able to survive COVID and an ever-changing city.

Catch up quick: Turton, who became known for cooking homemade meals in the studio and at post-tour barbecues, was convinced by UGK rapper Bun B to open his own restaurant.

• "He's just somebody who's opinion that I really respect, and I gave my word I was gonna do it. And the funny thing is, through me doing this, it inspired him to do Trill Burgers, [a burger restaurant Bun B started]," Turton says.

State of play: World Famous House of Mac — which ships its food nationwide, counts celebrities among its customers and has been featured on national TV shows — operates out of one physical location in Allapattah after Turton says COVID forced him to close his other storefronts.

• He says the pandemic taught him to save as much money as possible instead of investing everything back into the business, like he had been doing.

The latest: Turton says selling his food at loanDepot park represents a full-circle moment for him because Pitbull christened the new stadium back in 2011 when Turton was working with him.

• "I opened this arena with Pitbull. We walked through this when they were building it with hard hats, and we were the first performers in Marlins arena when they opened."

The bottom line: Turton may be originally from Brooklyn, but he has strong ties to Miami and relationships with local legends like Uncle Luke and Pitbull.

• "I just want to do my part, you know. I want to just deliver an experience where people come in, they feel at home, but they they can feel a part of the culture of Miami."

Tell a hungry friend

The developer of a planned condo tower in North Miami aims to build an "aquatic playground" that activates Biscayne Bay with floating pools, a beach deck and private swim zones.

The big picture: The Continuum 12000 Sport & Wellness Residences wants to stand apart from other bayfront projects by making the water itself a "main amenity," a spokesperson says.

How it works: Developer Continuum Company, which plans to demolish the existing Mariners Bay Condominium at 12000 N. Bayshore Dr., owns 1.5 acres of underwater land through grandfathered rights belonging to an old dock, the spokesperson says.

• Pending Miami-Dade County environmental approvals, the developer plans to build a new beach deck designed for yoga, sunbathing and relaxation, along with aquatic-themed activations in the bay.
• The waterfront area will be part of a 150,000-square-foot wellness center called Mermaid Club, which will also include an indoor fitness center, spa and multi-sport courts.

By the numbers: The project will rise 20 stories high and include 263 units, with prices starting at $1.4 million, according to the South Florida Business Journal.

Tell your NoMi neighbors

🚗 Smorgasburg Miami, the outdoor food market, is moving from Wynwood to Fort Lauderdale. It will launch on April 11 in Flagler Village. (Sun Sentinel)

• Smorgasburg closed in December to make way for a residential project.

🔥 Former Heat player Ray Allen and his family opened Grown, a new take on a fast food restaurant. The South Miami restaurant will sell organic bowls, smoothies, burgers and fries. (WPLG)

😭 Mignonette, the popular Edgewater bistro, closed over the weekend after nearly 12 years. (Miami Herald)

🍕 Pizza Tropical is officially open at 7010 Biscayne Blvd. (Insta)

After visiting Frankie & Wally's, I said it filled a gap in what I believed to be Miami's subpar deli sando scene.

• And, well, I'd like to apologize to the folks at Jholano's Deli. I wasn't familiar with your game.

Why it matters: This Italian shop, tucked away in an old Coral Gables apartment complex, opened in 2022 and cultivated a loyal customer base following a series of viral videos.

• Its second location opened in Brickell last year.
• Apparently, I live under a rock! Or maybe just North Beach.

The intrigue: The only marker is its red door.

• There's no sign or dining room, just a small counter where a handful of employees build sandwiches to music that is objectively too loud for anyone older than 23. ("I Ran (So Far Away)" by A Flock of Seagulls was blasting when we walked in.)
• Outside, there's a few picnic tables next to the tarped-over communal pool.

State of sando: The menu includes about a dozen freshly made sandwiches.

• I ordered the "Deep N2 Florencia," a toasted panini-style sando with focaccia, hot soppressata, hot capiola, pepperoni, mozzarella, arugula, dijon mustard and pesto.
• My friend Stephanie (who informed me of Jholano's) got the "Tartufo Pesanti," a cold sandwich made with strecci doppio bread, mortadella, truffle burrata, tomato, arugula and balsamic vinegar.

Both were delicious.

• The meat on mine was thinly sliced and the mustard really came through. Steph's many layers of meat with a thick slick of burrata was refreshing.

The bottom line: This is your reminder to explore other parts of town!

Send this to a co-worker

Margie took a drive down South a few weeks ago for a sweet treat!

• Can you guess where she went?

Send us your best guess for a shoutout in tomorrow's newsletter!