It’s that time of year when I reminisce about the best Miami dishes I’ve had all year. As usual, they range from starters and entrees to sides and even (this year), bread. I also included some standout entries from Sicily, Crete and Spain. And note, I’ve reviewed most of the restaurants mentioned. If you want to know more, click on the name for the review. Start drooling!
I couldn’t resist the tagine which I’ve had and loved in Marrakech, especially when I read that the lamb tagine at Zuri was made with dates, almonds and honey. A great choice, so much so that it’s on the list as a best dish of 2024. The lamb was meltingly tender and oh those dates and almonds in the rich sauce. We teamed it up with cauliflower shawarma with smoked pepper sauce which turned out to be a perfect combo, as it was a little spicy and served as an ideal counterpoint to the sweetness of the tagine.
For a birthday lunch I threw caution to the wind and opted for the Tagliardi With Tartufo Nero Di Norcia, pasta with black truffles and was glad I did. It was rich but not too much, and laced with lots of black truffles. In fact, it was so good, my girlfriend ordered the same thing. Enjoyed at Bellini at the Mr, C Hotel in Coconut Grove.
The bread of the year prize goes to El Cielo for its taste and over the top presentation, something this restaurant specializes in. The bread of the house was inspired by the tree from the Amazon’s “El Indo Desnudo” that turns the same copper tones of the tree trunk during the sunset. On top there’s a flatbrad made of cassava yuca, paprika and basil. On the side is toasted butter and an oregano and cilantro sour cream puree. Special mention goes to Gekko for its milkbread.
At Lafayette fine French restaurant, Mr. W raved about his burrata encircled with oh so tender grilled octopus, tender inside and crispy outside, that he said is the best he has eaten anywhere in Miami. Shout out too for the handsome decor and exceptional service.
At Michelin starred Le Jardinier I swooned over the snapper crudo with tropical sauce, avocado mousse, jalapeno and Royal Kaluga Caviar. The fish couldn’t have been fresher, the sauce was refined, and the caviar put it over the top. It was on the lunch special where they don’t cut corners.
I’m not one to wax enthusiastic about meatballs, but let me tell you, the meatballs in a tomato sauce at Rao’s were amazing. Each was double the size of an ordinary meatball, and packed with flavor that came from their being braised in a luscious marinara sauce all day.
Mona Lisa shined with its “million dollar” potato — lyonnaise potato squares resting on Miyazaki snow with crème fraiche and topped with Wagyu tartare, chives and caviar. The combination of textures and flavors popped.I wanted more. It was on the four course prix fixe special, everything delicious and the price oh so right.
Certainly the best risotto of the year and a top dish was the risotto with large chunks of lobster at waterside restaurant YAYA. Yummy. You can pull up to their private dock too, and make it an afternoon.
Rounding out the Miami dishes –Turkish restaurant Pickle has several contenders for best dish, but in the end we chose the Pachanga borek which was one of the stars of the evening. The thin, crispy and buttery phyllo dough is wrapped around a savory filling of cured beef, fresh kashkaval cheese, tomatoes and green peppers, and then fried to a golden crisp. We devoured it, and will surely order it when we go back along with the adana kebab.
Some of the best food we had in Europe this summer was in Ortigia, an island over the bridge from Siracusa in Sicily. The not to be missed low key restaurant ALevante was tops in everything we ordered, but the standout was the orechiette with rape, guanciale, clams and smoked provolone cheese. The mussels were also tops. Great water views too.
In the mountains of Crete the taverna Plateia was a surprising find. Its special wood fired grill produced the best ever lamb chops served with house made delectable French fries.
We had never had “presa”, pork before trying it at Toro Tapas, the restaurant owned by Osborne in Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain. Presa pork is a cut of meat taken from between the shoulder and loin of the pig. · It comes from the acorn-fed free-range Ibérico pigs, raised in Spain. From top brand CincoJotas, it was melt in your mouth tender and with a deep flavor that’s unlike anything else I’ve ever eaten. Wish we could find it in Miami. And this being Spain, of course the bread was delicious too.
