We Recommend...

Welcome to the first installment of We Recommend... a place where you can count on honest reviews of great food, wine and travel.

Recently the staff of Eat, Drink, Go! was invited to appear in the Miami edition of a nationally-syndicated television show that features round table discussions on Miami's top eateries. The show airs in June, and we invite you to tune in then to both the show (we promise to share the URL as soon as we can) and Eat, Drink, Go! for six, provocative reviews of the restaurants we visited.

To hold you over until then, here are some restaurants that we recently enjoyed, and why We Recommend... them.

Michy's (69th Street and Biscayne Blvd, Downtown Miami)

$60 p/p with alcohol

There's a reason this upper-east side Miami bistro received the highest marks by Zagat South Florida. The 2008 Restaurant of the Year is small and in a nondescript part of Miami's Downtown. Michelle Bernstein, the chef, and David Martinez, her husband and restaurant manager, are happy to guide you through a delectably, varied menu that can be described as French-Continental meets Latin America in Miami.

Michy's Argentine background, French culinary training and Mexican influence produces a unique marriage of flavors and elegant dishes. We Recommend... :

• Blue cheese and ham croquettes with fig marmalade


• Tuna covered oysters with creme fresh and caviar


• Short ribs with creamy mashed potatoes and sweet carrots in a rich balsamic reduction


• Crispy duck con fit atop a frisee salad with quail egg and pancetta


• Gnocchi in veal meat sauce with fresh ricotta cheese


• Creme brulee bread pudding with gooey chunks of chocolate chips

Michy's staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and knows how to serve with integrity and style. The restaurant is quaint and decorated French-Country chic. With a modest but lovely wine list and incredibly fresh mixed drink list (try the Cucumber-Pineapple Mojito), Michy's is perfect for a casual, yet sophisticated night out that doesn't break the bank or hit you over the head with Miami pretension.

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Por Fin (Ponce de Leon, Coral Gables, Florida)

$50 p/p with alcohol

This Coral Gables restaurant and lounge doesn't translate to "At Last" for nothing. Chat with owner Carlos Centuriun to see how five years of construction and permit nightmares can turn into a beautifully, elegant restaurant with a Spanish and Mediterranean menu that takes you through Spain without passport stamps.

The restaurant is gorgeous. You can tell that serious attention was spent on architecture, design and decoration. The ground floor is used for dinner with lovely indoor and outdoor spaces that inspire the senses. The upstairs is meant for lounging with a drink and great conversation.

The menu is small but special. We Recommend...:

• Antipasto of savory hams, chorizos, cheeses, olives and tomatoes


• Roasted chicken with delicate vegetables
  


• Traditional Mojito


• Any of their wines by the glass

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Is Fort Lauderdale a Food & Wine Town?

By Eschel Hamel, Eat, Drink, Go! photographer
First installment in the blog series Is it a Food & Wine Town?


Ok, so first we have to answer the initial question. Is Fort Lauderdale a food and wine town? To that end, and to put it simply, I’d have to say no.

Fort Lauderdale, for all it’s seeming culture and sophistication is still, at it’s core, the oversized suburb of Miami to the north. Oh, plenty would argue otherwise, and it definitely has its merits, but when someone is looking for true elegance and culture, they invariably head to her sister city to the south.

But enough about what it isn’t. Let’s discuss what it is.

Fort Lauderdale is entertaining city. It’s got a decent night life, a collection of bars and restaurants that’s quite impressive. Unfortunately, much of that nightlife is comprised vast consumption of hard liquor and beer, rather than anything of real value or substance. But if you look carefully, you’ll find a few shining beacons of of quality amid the sea of mediocrity.

1. Eduardo de San Angel - excellent upscale Mexican fusion, the agave wine margarita is a must-try http://www.eduardodesanangel.com/

2. Himarshee Bar & Grille - a surprisingly elegant eatery in the heart of the party street, with an impressive wine selection http://himmarshee.com/

3. Galanga - a superior Japanese/Thai restaurant with great sushi and highly enjoyable cooked dishes as well http://www.galangarestaurant.com/

4. Greek Islands Taverna - some of the best Greek food I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating http://www.greekislandstaverna.com/

5. Chima - a taste of a Miami-style Brazilian churrascaria, all you can eat and gluttonously good http://www.chima.cc/

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