Posts Tagged ‘Moderate’
Thursday, April 1st, 2010
5600 Biscayne Boulevard
305-762-5751
andiamopizzamiami.com
To date, Andiamo continues to serve one of the best pizzas in an attractive, upscale, modern pizzeria. All the pizzas are made to order in their brick oven and the ingredients are fresh and the selections are inventive. Bring a friend or two– the pies are 10″, 14″, or 16″. If you’re not overly carb-conscious, the hot out-of-the-oven parmesan bread and garlic sticks with a warm tomato sauce on the side are scrumptious. Frankie, one of the owners also serves up a Philly cheese steak named after him and a selection of panini. Free parking available.
Sunday – Thursday: 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Friday – Saturday: 11:00 am – 12:00 am
Tags: Lunch, Moderate, Outdoor dining, Pizzeria
Posted in Upper East Side | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 19th, 2011
6789 Biscayne Boulevard
305-534-9191
balans.co.uk
This London based chain has popped up in locations such as Lincoln Road, Mary Brickell Village and S. Miami Avenue. Balans offers reliable and generous portions of familiar dishes such as wild mushroom linguini, penne all’arrabiata and a chicken, spinach and ricotta cannelloni for the pasta course. Grilled eggplant, smothered in tomato, garlic and aged Gruyere, or a Greek platter satisfy as vegetarian dishes in the appetizer category. Not every dish works, but I highly suggest the double cheese soufflé teamed with mixed greens and a citrus dressing. Steaks come lightly charred and served as ordered. There are occasional glitches in service, but the restaurant is attractive and modern.
Sunday – Thursday: 8:00 am – 11:00 pm
Friday – Sunday: 8:00 am – 12:00 am
Tags: Asian Fusion, Greek, Italian, Lunch, Moderate, Outdoor dining
Posted in Upper East Side | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 10th, 2013
6730 Biscayne Blvd.
(305) 576-0366
bluecollarmiami.com
Daniel Serfer, Chef de Cuisine for 5 years at Chef Allens in Aventura, and most recently, 15th Street Fisheries in Fort Lauderdale, has created a much buzzed-about neighborhood restaurant along Biscayne Boulevard. Now open a little more than a year, he is sending out some ambitious, mouthwatering, if oversized, plates in this tiny (25 seats) interior with an additional outdoor patio. Blue Collar certainly implies the working-class are being catered to, but the crowd is also young singles, and families who are joining the crowd for a sampling of Serfer’s widely varied American comfort food.
Appetizers to “nosh on ” seem the perfect place to start. Do not skip the shrimp and grits, which is outfitted with a Piedmontese trugole cheese charged with chunks of bacon, and a New Orleans style bbq sauce. It doesn’t get any better than this marriage of flavors topped off with lots of local pink shrimp. What blue-collar meal would be complete without a healthy portion of pork and beans and Berkhire sausage under an oozing egg? While “healthy” as in size, not as in “nutrition,” the menu is heavy on carbs and fried foods. The daily chalkboard always includes: Ribs with warm German potato salad, a “Parm,” that could be chicken, veal pork on angel hair with a red sauce, and a Braise which could be a tender brisket, pot roast or ox tails, accompanied by mash potatoes.
I don’t know of another eatery that offers more than 20 different vegetables, and at recession prices of $4.00 a plate. This is a vegetarian paradise of grilled asparagus topped with blue cheese, roasted butternut squash or fennel, sautéed kale and artichoke hearts in a lemon aioli among others. The choice of crispy snapper with rock shrimp, grilled Cobia, and Mahi Mahi are simple and pleasing local offerings.
Thirteen brews from Delaware to Belgium and some old fashioned sodas, such as orange, or black cherry cream soda, numbers among the offerings. The bread pudding is a popular conclusion to the meal. Be ready for small tables and close quarters, but it’s recommended over the outdoor patio, which is far too close to the Biscayne traffic.
Monday – Friday: 11:30 am – 3:30 pm
Monday – Thursday, Sunday: 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday – Saturday: 6:00 pm – 2:00 am
Saturday – Sunday (brunch): 11:00 am – 3:30 pm
Tags: American Bistro, Barbeque, Comfort Food, Lunch, Moderate, Outdoor dining, Saturday and Sunday Brunch
Posted in Recent Additions, Upper East Side | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
4582 NE 2nd Avenue
305-456-5909
www.buenavistabistro.com
It’s French comfort food served in a 24 seat neighborhood bistro at bohemian prices. The owner, Claude Postel, is a 7th generation chef and patissier. The menu and daily specials are listed on a blackboard and the bistro remains open everyday like true Paris bistros. Standouts include the market fresh grouper, snapper, and when Claude can find it, the escolar. Gloria Estefan calls ahead to find out if it’s on the menu that day. Other favorites include the steak and hand-cut French fries and the tuna tartar for entrees. Rustic pate (rillette) and crusty baguette, as well as endive and blue cheese salad to start are favorites of the locals. Sundays, a brunch of eggs benedict, French toast or the amazing pastries, all baked next door in the Deli/Bakery, will make you wonder why you haven’t done this before.
Monday: 5 pm – 12 am; Tuesday – Sunday: 11:30 am – 12 am
Tags: French Bistro, Moderate, Sunday Brunch
Posted in Design District | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 20th, 2013
3930 NE 2nd Ave
(305) 572-9444
Crumb on Parchment, a Michele Bernstein bakery and café, located in the atrium of the Melin building on NE 2nd Avenue that houses cutting edge furniture showrooms. Early mornings, you’ll find interior designers dining on steel-cut oatmeal and homemade granola. Other favorites are the French toast baguettes piled high with bananas, candied pecans and maple syrup, and the Croque Madame of melting cheese, Serrano ham, fried egg and béchamel.
You will want to return for the soup, salad and sandwich offerings at lunchtime. Pulled rotisserie chicken with carmelized onions and apples, seared Ahi Tuna accompanied by kimchi aioli and grilled portobello mushroom with onion and kale, round out the “Hot and Messy” category. Classic home-style sandwiches include a comprehensive list of chicken salad, turkey, homemade roast beef, “BLATs”, (add avocado to the traditional BLT), tuna salad and gooey grilled cheese. Fresh salads include a rustic Greek salad, Caesar, “Green Goddess” chicken, and a Greek style tuna salad.
Pastries and desserts are all lovingly made in- house. In any cookie competition, their chocolate chip takes first place. Mischy’s “Mama B” coconut cake with cream cheese icing will leave you dreaming about your next piece.
Monday – Friday: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Tags: Bakery, Breakfast, Lunch, Moderate, Sandwiches and Salads
Posted in Design District | Comments Off
Tuesday, January 18th, 2011
3470 North Miami Avenue
305-573-1520
www.giginow.com
A well-edited menu offers up urban chic Asian fare at a reasonable price. The chef, Jeff McInnis is a veteran of top chef and the Ritz Carlton. Your waiter texts your order to the chef, while you dine from communal tables. The design is minimal with steel columns and aluminum bistro chairs. Short rib meatloaf drizzled with soy molasses has already become the signature dish, but don’t hesitate to try the outstanding coconut infused risotto nestling a slowly braised duck leg accented with curry. “Gigi” bao buns, an Asian take on the ubiquitous beef ”sliders” come crowned with tasty pulled pork dusted with peanuts, pulled chicken with a smoky plantain sauce, or filled with shitaki mushrooms. Service is good and the waiters are knowledgeable concerning the ingredients and preparations. The dishes are, for the most part, quite flavorful and the side dishes, such as the cauliflower and Brussel sprouts, still linger in my thoughts. Nothing is over $20.00 and 25% of the menu is under $5.00.
The downside, for many a diner here, is the din of the chatter and bottleneck of human traffic waiting for tables, in a sliver of a holding area. Gigi’s is the latest from restauranteur, Amir Ben-Zion of Bardots, a lounge nearby, Sra Martinez and South beach’s Bond St. Sapporo and Stella Artois are on tap.
Monday – Friday: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Monday – Thursday: 6:00 pm – 3:00 am
Friday and Saturday: 6:00 pm – 5:00 am
Tags: Asian Fusion, Critic's Choice, Lunch, Moderate, Outdoor dining
Posted in Midtown / Wynwood | Comments Off
Thursday, April 1st, 2010
2506 NW 2nd Avenue
305-438-0488
joeyswynwood.com
Hip eatery in the heart of the Wynnwood Art district (adjacent to the Design district.) with an open kitchen serving Italian specialties from the Veneto region. Chef Ivo Mazzone, churns out thin crusted pizzas and foccacia in his gigantic oven and crafts home-made pastas in the early morning hours to bring to you that day. You’ll find a side patio lined with trees and dressed with lights in the evening. Local artists and gallerists frequent this noisy spot. Many items are offered in half portions to accommodate a modest budget. Farmhouse fare includes oven-roasted Cornish hen, beef stew with polenta and cod with eggplant and tomatoes.
Monday – Friday: 11:30 am – 3:30 pm
Monday – Thursday: 6 pm – 10 pm
Friday – Saturday 6:00 pm – 11:30 pm
Tags: Italian, Lunch, Moderate, Valet
Posted in Midtown / Wynwood | Comments Off
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
4312 2nd Avenue
305-576-6066
www.mandolinmiami.com
An authentic Aegean bistro, this family owned neighborhood restaurant is a great casual find. Decompress in the garden in the back under a sprawling tree where mezes, either the Turkish or Greek sampler are a great way to begin. Enjoy generous sized portions of lemony fava bean puree, smoked eggplant, tzatziki, hummus with the sesame-flecked Turkish flatbread served hot from the oven. The staff is friendly, the prices are reasonable and the classic dishes couldn’t be better. There’s Turkish chorizo, grilled octopus, fried calamari and a great zucchini fritter. Fresh whole fish simply grilled is offered daily. Try some of the traditional dishes such as tasty spanokopita (spinach and feta pie) and kefte (beef and lamb meatballs.) The seafood, tiny mussels in a classic white wine and garlic sauce deserve a repeat visit.
Just beyond the garden, a new indoor dining room has been added to accommodate the overflow Mandolin’s great popularity creates.
This charming 1940’s blue and white house reminded me of a seaside tavern on the Aegean Coast. The lantern- laden back garden makes you forget the undistinguished neighborhood. The friendly service brings you back.
Monday – Saturday: 12 pm – 11 pm
Tags: Greek / Mediterranean, Moderate, Turkish
Posted in Critic's Choice, Design District | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
3252 NE 1st Avenue
786-369-0430
mercaditorestaurants.com
Southern Mexican style tapas in a handsome new space, continues to enliven the Midtown area. A good place to start is the guacamole, either traditional or one of 4 alternative, inventive ways. Jicama and mango or apple and tomatillo with almond and habanero add brightness and fire to this old standard.
There are 11 different tacos to choose from and three perfect ceviches to cleanse and cool the palate. Save room for the main course,” platos fuertes,” where a chile relleno is stuffed with scallops and shrimp and drizzled with roasted tomato-arbol salsa. Don’t pass up the adobe marinated, organic chicken as too simple, it’s terrific-flavorful and moist. A nice lead-in to the mains are the “botanas,” or hot snacks of quesadillas, tostadas or flautas accompanied by tasty homemade corn tortillas or lettuce wraps. The service is friendly and able, so don’t be afraid to ask about the menu.
Monday – Wednesday and Sunday: 11:30 am – 12:00 am
Thursday: 11:30 am - 1:00 am
Friday and Saturday: 11:30 am – 2 :00 am
Tags: Critic's Choice, Lunch, Mexican, Moderate, Outdoor dining, Valet, Weekend Brunch
Posted in Critic's Choice, Midtown / Wynwood | Comments Off
Wednesday, April 10th, 2013
4141 NE 2nd Avenue
786-332-3772
Mckitchenmiami.com
Dena Marino of Mc Kitchen has launched a charming, casual breakfast and lunch petite cafe on Second Avenue, adjacent to her fine-dining establishment. This fills a void in the Design District which had few options for high quality, quick takeout or very casual eat in restaurants. The neighborhood business people are overjoyed. The menus is limited to sandwiches served on croissants or mulitgrain baguettes. Fillers include roasted turkey, Swiss cheese with fruited mustard a and local arugula($10) or rosemary Cotta ham, provolone, local arugula and mustard seed aioli.($9)
“Pressatas,” (pressed sandwiches) such as the Cubano, with shaved porchetta, Cotto ham, melted Swiss and Brooklyn pickles for the carnivore, or marinated and grilled garden vegetables, raise the bar on grilled sandwiches. Three salads are on the menu at $9-$11 and ask for the soup of the day, if you call for takeout. Cream of cauliflower, sampled recently, was an elegant rendition. All the salads are as fresh as spring after a light rain. Free Wi-Fi are available.
Luscious looking pastries and a Lazzaro coffee should fit the bill for the afternoon tea time.
Monday -Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Tags: Bakery, Breakfast, Critic's Choice, Lunch, Moderate, Sandwiches and Salads, Saturday Brunch, Valet
Posted in Critic's Choice, Design District, Recent Additions | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
28 NE 29th Street
305-976-9678
themorgansrestaurant.com
Morgans, on the border of Wynwood and the upbeat MidTown area, boasts a ”modern take on American comfort food.” Named after the owner’s Mom, this 1930’s home conversion features a wide, wrap around porch for outdoor dining and a small interior dining area with a minimalist decor. The restaurant originally opened it’s doors for weekend brunch and the crowds flocked here for brioche French toast, maple basted bacon and” voluptuous” grilled cheese. Lunch offers a wide range of sandwiches, soups and pizzas.
The dinner menu is an ambitious one for a small restaurant offering a wide range of options sure to please everyone, whether it’s date night or a family gathering. Laquered wild salmon, coconut mussels and half a lemon grilled chicken, along with a NY strip and a Moroccan stew with merguez sausage are just a few of the oh-so-tempting entries. Service could be better; we’ll give them more time for training. Weekend Brunch is still a very hot item.
Tuesday – Thursday: 11:00 am – 10 pm; Friday: 11:00 am – 11 pm
Saturday: 8:00 am – 11:00 pm; Sunday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tags: American Bistro, Lunch, Moderate, Outdoor dining, Weekend Brunch
Posted in Midtown / Wynwood | Comments Off
Wednesday, April 10th, 2013
35 Northeast 40th St
(786) 391-1818
Oaktavernmiami.com
Oak Tavern is a comfy rustic new entry in the heart of the Design District. A brick archway opens onto a pleasant garden with a namesake oak tree springing from the center courtyard. Taverns of Yore were seldom known for serving creative, or high quality fare. The weary traveler was more focused on the bar and beds. Such is not the case here, at David Bracha’s modern day version, where the food is surprisingly tasty. Bracha’s River Seafood and Oyster Bar has been a staple on Brickell for more than 10 years, and he knows his way with a crustacean. Oysters and stone crabs head up the list, “Jewels from the Sea,” but the scallop and snapper crudos are equally well presented and pristinely fresh from the sea.
A long list of small plates to satisfy everyone provides a strong supporting cast. Bistro fare such as deviled eggs, rabbit pâté, and crispy pigs ears with kale compete for your attention. Try a perfect offering of beets with whipped goat cheese, arugula and pistachio vinaigrette, along with an heirloom tomato salad with sheep’s milk feta. Bracha’s has been one of Miami’s earliest chefs to embrace buying his produce from the area farmers. Pizzas are a standout; my pick for the best is duck confit, mushrooms, oozing Fontina, and a bit of truffle, on a crisp and thin crust.
On one visit, the tavern’s wood grill yielded a perfectly grilled Cobia topped with a medley of peas in a light lemon olive oil, and it was a triumph. Whole branzino at $34 is in keeping with their moderate prices. The charcuterie offerings are crafted in-house, and the restaurant is justly proud of this area of the menu. Each is accompanied by marinated olives, mustard pickled fruit and country bread. The emphasis at this gastropub is craft beers, so enjoy one of the twenty microbrews and 10 draft beers on tap. Their Happy Hour should not be missed.
Monday – Thursday: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm, 6:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Friday – Saturday: 6:00 pm – 12:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am – 2:30 pm, 6:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Tags: American Bistro, Critic's Choice, Moderate, Outdoor dining, Sunday Brunch, Valet
Posted in Critic's Choice, Design District | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
2923 Biscayne Boulevard
(305) 573-9637
saboraperu.net
Miami now has a number of Peruvian restaurants, but this one feels like the real thing. From the moment you enter; you are confronted by clusters of Peruvian families engaged in conversations while sipping the traditional fruit juices, a glass of sangria or perhaps the native cerveza Cusquena. The restaurant is small, and the tables are close together. Pictures of Peruvian families grace the walls. A poster lists all the fruit juices with translations into English. The waitress offers to explain the menu with a welcoming smile.
Traditionally, Peruvians might start with papas a la huancaina, a saffron colored cheese sauce. Sharing is an especially good idea here as with all the dishes as the portions are enormous. Jump start the meal with a refreshing citrus marinated ceviche de pescado which was a striped bass on one occasion, then move on to the soups. Two outstanding choices are the Parihuela, a fish and seafood soup that overwhelms the senses with a deep and lusty broth and overflowing with bass, shrimp, large and small, squid, and mussels, or the Aguadito de Mariscos, an exotic, bright green cilantro broth chockfull of seafood.
Serious carnivors should try the Lomo Saltado; the house recommended dish of beef loin, sliced, sautéed and served like a giant stew piled high with peppers, onions and French fries.
Parking is in the rear and several tables exist outside on busy Biscayne.
Monday – Thursday: 10:00 am – 11:00pm
Friday – Saturday: 10:00 am – 12:30 am
Sunday: 8:00 am – 11:00 pm
Tags: Comfort Food, Lunch, Moderate, Outdoor dining, Peruvian, Sandwiches and Salads
Posted in Midtown / Wynwood | Comments Off
Wednesday, April 10th, 2013
4000 N E 2nd Avenue
(305) 573-5474
Southstreetmiami.com
Soul food in all its traditional renditions has arrived in the Design District at the distinctive, former Post Office, at the corner of 40th and 2nd Avenue. It’s a refreshing and welcome idea, but the restaurant has yet to fulfill the promise of “great Neo soul food.” Nor does Southstreet give the kind of service Design District regulars have come to expect. The menu features the family recipes of Philadelphia transplant, Amaris Jones. There is a vibe here that lets you know you have arrived at a happening spot. The interior’s coolness is a result of both an attractive crowd bent on having a good time, and the sounds of R & B, Motown soul sounds, and a bit of hip hop. Record covers line the walls, and the upper level finds occasional inspiration from the sounds of visiting DJ’s.
While the menu and service are the second and third reasons to go, (not the first), there are some bright spots in a rather mundane take on “Neo soul ” food. If stopping by for drinks and small plates, try the herb-flecked fries and catfish fingers with Cajun tartar sauce for dipping. Large plates suggested for sharing include a crowd pleasing, mom’s free-range fried chicken ladled with collard greens and candied yams, crispy skin wild salmon and bone-in short rib in sherry sauce and buttery mash.
Lunch is served with an abbreviated menu but offers a Wagyu burger, and a traditional Philly cheese steak.
Monday – Thursday: 12:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Friday: 12:00 pm – 2:00 am
Saturday – Sunday: 11:00 am – 4:00pm
Saturday: 6:00 pm – 12:00 am
Tags: Comfort Food, Lunch, Moderate, Outdoor dining, Valet, Weekend Brunch
Posted in Design District, Recent Additions | No Comments »
Thursday, April 1st, 2010
5556 NE 4th Court
305 759-3117
soykacafe.com
The owner, Mark Soyka, originally purchased this warehouse in 1999 to house his collection of vintage cars and one day in 1999 decided to transition it to restaurant status, a pioneering idea at the time. It has had its ups and downs. We are encouraged by the pleasant staff that greeted us and who related that the restaurant is under new management. A new chef has been hired away from a very popular local watering hole. This huge, high ceilinged room with massive steel beams and leather banquets focuses its menu on comfort food. One recent special was the lobster risotto with crab, peas and saffron and baked pompano with ginger soy. Happy hour is from 3-7PM and the restaurant is opened daily.
Sunday – Thursday: 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Friday and Saturday: 11:00 am – 12:00 am
Tags: American Bistro, Comfort Food, Lunch, Moderate, Sunday Brunch, Weekend Brunch
Posted in Upper East Side | Comments Off
Thursday, April 1st, 2010
3451 NE 1st Avenue
786-220-6681
thecheesecourse.com
Over 150 of the world’s greatest cheeses to choose from as well as a long list of sandwiches—applewood bacon, North Atlantic salmon, cheddar melts and an array of omlets. One of the great options is the cheese plate organized by country or by category (mild, medium or bold,) The more adventurous can create their own combination and the staff will make appropriate wine pairings either by the glass or the bottle. Even the salads can be chosen from a list of classic salads from 6 different countries. This is also a retail operation with a great selection of jams, spreads, olives and honey from around the world.
Monday – Friday: 10:30 am – 9 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10:30 am – 10 pm
Tags: Cheese Specialties, Lunch, Midtown / Wynwood, Moderate, Outdoor dining, Retail Wines, Sandwiches and Salads, Weekend Brunch
Posted in Midtown / Wynwood | Comments Off
Tuesday, January 18th, 2011
2550 NW 2nd Avenue
305-722-8959
wynwoodkitchenandbar.com
Debuting during Art Basel 2010 is this American style brasserie in the heart of the gallery district. The bar and adjacent dining room reverberate with the murals and paintings of street art provocateur, Shephard Fairey and the abstract paintings by the architect, Christian Awe. Outdoors, a spacious courtyard provides a third alternative on one of Miami’s many warm weather days. Here too, murals capture the eye in every direction.
Wynwood Kitchen and Bar is the creation of the late Tony Goldman and his daughter, Jessica Goldman Srebnick. Tony, who was also owner of Joey’s Café in Wynwood, was the ambitious developer who helped transform Soho and Chelsea in NYC into hip cultural neighborhoods.
Small plates are a hit here. Crispy artichokes, tomato gazpacho accented with watermelon, the Mediterranean platter( hummas, baba ghanoush and tabbouleh ) and a seafood ceviche bathed in lemongrass and coconut are all outstanding beginnings.
The menu serves both lunch and dinner and covers all bases from a choice of 6 omelettes to hearty burgers of beef, tuna, turkey and more. The clay pots such as snapper and mussel curry with charred pineapple and braised pork with garlic crumbs and mint were surprisingly good. Brunch is Saturday only.
Monday – Saturday: 11:30 am – 4:30 pm; 5:30 pm – 12:00 am
Tags: American Bistro, Critic's Choice, Lunch, Moderate, Outdoor dining, Saturday Brunch
Posted in Critic's Choice, Midtown / Wynwood | Comments Off
