Given all of the traffic in Miami these days a new acronym is going to have to be added to my restaurant criteria: WTD as in worth the drive. At the recent Tropical Brunch given by Les Dames d’Escoffier there was a tasting from 20 restaurants one of which was Basil Park, sister and next door neighbor to Timo, 17624 Collins Avenue in Sunny Isles (T.305-936-1008). They served mini perfectly fried potato pancakes (“latkes” to me) with a small piece of smoked salmon and a dollop of crème fraiche. That, plus the charm of chef/co-owner Tim, and I resolved to check out Timo which I had been hearing about as well.
My first visit was with a good friend who lives in Aventura. The casually elegant décor with comfortable leather banquettes and thickly upholstered chairs, soft flattering lighting, and rich dark wood timbered ceiling was a surprise from its location in a small row of shops opposite Acqualina Hotel. We sat in a one of the booths flush to the wall and I was getting good vibes from the get go. Then, Lisa served us an 8 ounce perfectly dry martini brimming to the top and it kept getting better . My friend can only eat gluten-free, but they were very accommodating and though we were sharing, I didn’t feel deprived.
Chef Tim is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and apprenticed under Tony May of former New York City acclaimed Italian restaurant San Domenico. He opened Timo 12 years ago.
And now, back to the menu. The branzino, a regular menu item in the top restaurants in town, was better than anywhere else I’ve had it – cooked in parchment paper with lemon confit and basil butter, the filet was succulent and perfectly condimented.
Several weeks later I returned with Mr.W for a serious tasting. We sat at the same booth and would you believe, after just one visit Lisa asked me if I wanted a martini. Unheard of! We always ask the chef what he or she is most proud of, and then make our decision. The chef’s choices for appetizer were ours – crisp oyster salad with cannellini beans, frisee and pancetta. Oysters aren’t my thing but this was delicious. The other choice was a highly creative mix of shaved fennel with pomegranate, orange, radicchio and toasted pistachio nuts. With the color, complex flavors and textures, it’d be a topic of conversation for a dinner party.
Vegetable sides were equally original – from roasted turnips and wild mushrooms with black garlic butter to our choice, cauliflower with swiss chard, golden raisins, pinenuts and toasted breadcrumbs, a winner. Since we couldn’t possibly eat everything, we took some of this home and the next day combined it with spinach sautéed with garlic and it was a standout.
For a pasta dish we opted for the buccatini carbonara with Nueske farm pancetta, pecorino romano and five minute egg. Next time I’m going to try the burrata ravioli with fresh tomato, chili flakes, olive oil, garlic and basil or the homemade gnocchi with mushroom Bolognese and pulled duck also sounded delicious.
Since last visit I had the fish, this time we opted for the wood grilled bone in ribeye au poivre with crispy gorgonzola risotto cake and grilled asparagus. It was tender, perfectly cooked and had a smoky flavor, different from other ribeyes you’ll have around town.
Never can I resist a baked Alaska and this one was a slightly different riff on a classic. Instead of cake, it’s made with a shortbread cookie topped with blackberry swirl ice cream, meringue and a drizzling of blueberry sauce. OMG was it ever good.
Timo is very much a neighborhood, casual (note: with white tablecloths) watering hole for the high end condos in Sunny Isles but also attracts diners from Broward and others from all over Miami-Dade. It does no advertising, the chef is low key, preferring to let the quality of the food and value speak for itself, and it’s doing just that. The restaurant was full even on a Monday night.
For the quality, it’s a solid value.Appetizers are from $8 to $16; most pastas in the low 20’s; sides $7-$9; fish and meat dishes $25 to $32 except for the ribeye which is $46 and serves two. There’s also a four course tasting menu for $68 per person and free valet parking (or it’s easy to park yourself in the back).
Bottles of wine start at $36 and wines by the glass are $8 to $16. The wine list is divided into categories: full bodied and medium whites; light to medium bodied, soft and fruity reds; full bodied and rich reds, etc., a welcome detail.
Photography by William Oberheiser
