Cavalli Club, 150 Ocean Drive, T.305-695-4191, is a fashionista’s restaurant fantasy offering high style and a menu you can imagine Italian star designer Roberto Cavalli himself would have his private chef make at home (or shall we say homes)? The design flourishes — Zebra charger plates. Silk like tablecloths in a collage of his signature patterns with forest green, purple,and electric blue. Leopard covered menus. Flattering lighting, and a sleek stainless steel bar with lime green fluorescent light. Eye candy is everywhere.
The food is equally indulgent (though there’s a good selection too for those who want to keep their fashion friendly figures). We started out light – with the heirloom tomato salad with burrratina cheese and prosciutto crudo, a tough choice considering the yellow fin tuna tartare and grilled octopus with lentils, radish, tropea onion and pistachio (all highly recommended by a “regular”). All of the ingredients were top rate, which is the bottom line in these kind of dishes.
Of course we had to have a pasta. Being serious truffle lovers, the choice was obvious — risotto with black truffles .Risotto can be very different – sometimes made with little or no cream, other times with half and half, and this one with the throw-caution-to-the-wind full cream, laced with generous shavings of truffles. Other dishes that caught my eye were the short rib ravioli with wild mushrooms and mascarpone and crab ravioli with artichokes and Genova pine nuts.
We were going to order two entrees but were advised to save room for a kitchen highlight, desserts. Though I like the traditional beef osso bucco, this lamb version was even more flavorful and so tender. It comes with saffron rice. We preferred to order truffle mashed potatoes which turned out to be exceptional, and a perfect accompaniment for the sauce.
A separate dessert menu features Italian favorites like Sicilian gelato and tiramisu. We opted for the lavendar crème brulee (excellent) and the bomboloni, Italian donuts laced with nutella crème. They tasted freshly made (take it from a donut lover) and just sweet enough.
The molto charming and knowledgeable sommelier, Matias, did the wine pairing for us with Cavalli’s own vintages (only available in Miami in the restaurant), ending with an exquisite grappa they should sell.
The restaurant is small, seating 150 people, equally divided between indoor and outdoor tables. Upstairs there’s a lounge for late night entertainment and small bites which is undergoing a refurbishing and will reopen before the end of the year.
Starters are priced from $22 to $29; pastas from $29 to $40 ; entrees from $29 to $ 90 for lobster; and desserts average $15.
Cavalli is unlike any other place in Miami, uniquely creative, festive and fun.
2 Responses
Excellent post, I was there a few months ago and plan to definitely return after reading this, thank you for the tips!