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La Gamba in Coconut Grove

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Note from Karen:Sadly La Gamba is closed.

Comfort food from all regions of Spain, that’s the way Agusti Comabella, Barcelona born chef of the new Coconut Grove restaurant  La Gamba miami, 3437 Main Highway (T.786-464-0908) describes the cuisine. Our group of four, regulars at restaurants around town, gave it a  “thumbs up” and that’s following a solid review from a friend with a “foodie’s” palate.  First off, I’m always glad to see new eateries open in the Grove which in recent years hasn’t been a “player” on the dining scene. With the two new very high end condos under construction in the Grove by starchitects Rem Koolhaas and Bjarke Ingels, and the prospect of  more well heeled diners, we could very well see that change.

But back to La Gamba. You’ll find the traditional favorites, the kind of dishes in neighborhood restaurants throughout Spain, from organic fried eggs with fried potatoes plus ham and “bacalao a la vizcaina”  (cod with red pepper sauce) to jamon iberico, cheeses,  tortilla, rice dishes and “chuletas de cordero” (baby lamb chops). Then, there also some welcome twists on classics such as a gazpacho made without garlic, vegetarian paella and the not to be missed “espinacas a la catalana” — baby spinach with pine nuts, raisins and Serrano ham .

The much prized “cigalas” (langoustines), squid and carabineros (large red prawns) along with “lubina” (what is most often called branzino here), along with the bread are flown in from Spain regularly and though the shellfish is pricey (carabineros are $20 a piece; cigalas 3 for $28), isn’t that much more than what you’d pay in Spain. Our group had the eggs, gazpacho, cod and “fabada asturiana” (white bean soup with Spanish sausages), And all proclaimed them delicious and “authentic”. Other menu items that caught my attention for next time were the shrimp (“gamba” means shrimp in Spanish) made four ways — in garlic, grilled, with brandy, and with chocolate sauce; “almejas a la marinera” (clams in a tomato based sauce), and the fried eggs with “chanquetes”, whitebait fish. There’s a separate dessert menu with a wide selection, though I highly recommend the “torta de Santiago”, an almond cake, that comes with a shot of muscatel wine.

The restaurant is small and intimate, service is friendly, and people watchers can sit outside on high top tables. Entrees range from $14 to $28 and tapas from $8 to $13. La Gamba, welcome to the Grove, glad to have you with us!

Food Photography by William Oberheiser; image of exterior by www.miaminewtimes.com

La Gamba Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Karen Escalera

Karen Escalera

2 Responses

  1. sounds delightful…
    thank you for this and for including the address and phone number….
    …..thinking….why does egg and dart in the design district get so few patrons? the food is always good and the service very accommodating …low profile (maybe thats the problem in the design district) no theatrics, not noisy, and simply delightful….Karen, remember when our friends lunched there ? we liked it so much…..

    1. I totally agree about Egg and Dart, really enjoy the place. My favorite is to sit at the bar and have mezze (Greek tapas) and a glass of wine. I think they need to promote the place as you never hear about it.

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