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| revalesitalianrestaurant.com |
My father had a tradition with his children once we turned twelve years old. It was initiated with my twelfth birthday, and my two younger siblings were so anxious to experience that right of passage on their twelfth birthdays that the tradition became a family institution. According to my father, once one of his children turned twelve he or she was well on his or her way to becoming a young adult, and it was a wise decision at that time to forgo having children's parties and begin going out to elegant dinners for our birthdays, like adults were supposed to do. The idea was especially appealing to me. Why have hotdogs and pizza rolls and play pin the tail on the Ninja Turtle with the 1/2 dozen school friends that I had when I could go to a fancy restaurant with my dad, order anything I wanted and perhaps have a glass of wine (restaurants back then were not so strict if they saw you were with a parent)? The first restaurant I went to with my father was one that was owned by a friend of his named Claudio, and it was called La Bussola. The Coral Gables establishment has been closed for many years now, but I can still vividly remember my first fine dining experience wearing a blazer and a red bow tie. I ordered for both myself and my father, and remember a delicious plate of polenta cakes topped with a fricassé of mushrooms and sweetbreads, as well as a bowl of squid ink pasta with seafood fra diavolo. I was also given a splash of red wine to taste, being that this was my first of many grownup dinners. My father's friend then opened up another restaurant in Coral Gables called Claudius, and I remember going there for another birthday and having a plate of capellini with Florida Lobster and their Vesuvius dessert, a molten chocolate cake that is all-too-common these days but was quite novel to a 13-year old in the late nineties. Those two restaurants will always be near to my heart not only for being the first fine dining establishments that I've been to, but also for giving me the first taste of fine Italian cuisine and impeccably homemade pastas.
Last year, in trying to decide upon a restaurant in which to celebrate my birthday, I had stumbled upon Revales, which was in that odd area where Shorecrest, Miami Shores, and MiMo meet. Friends had told me that it was pretty good, online reviews were decent, menu selections seemed appealing, and the prices fit all of our budgets. The real deciding point in choosing this restaurant, however, was an article stating that the chef running the kitchen at Revales had worked in the kitchen at La Bussola, which was apparently near and dear to many Miamians. This was going to be great - a virtual recapitulation of a birthday dinner nearly 13 years ago with great friends! The decision to dine at Revales was a wise one, and it has continued to become one of my go-to restaurants for inexpensive, exceptional Italian cuisine.
Revales is definitely more casual than La Bussola ever was, meaning that the menu options are nowhere near as exotic or luxurious as they were at La Bussola. There are no sweetbreads and polenta cakes or black linguine here, but the menu offers a good selection of exceptionally-made Italian classics. A veal saltimboca was juicy, had a crisp and light crust, a generous layer of prosciutto, melted mozzarella cheese, and a drizzle of a red wine demi-glace. it was served with a purée of carrots, steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes on a plate that took up about a fourth of the table. My partner in crime, Lucy's, fettucine carbonara strayed from the traditional preparation and, instead, came with an alfredo sauce studded with pieces of bacon. Revales' version of the dish, despite its non-traditional preparation, is reason enough to come back, and while it had been over a year since I've been, Lucy had wasted no time in returning several times and introducing the almost hidden gem to her friends.
Revales is one of the few Italian restaurants that I'm aware of that is open for lunch on a Sunday. Most other independent Italian restaurants in the area are either close on Sundays or do not open until later in the evening for dinner service. That being said, it was a no-brainer choice for a long overdue lunch with John, Lucy and myself this Sunday afternoon. I was pleased to see that the restaurant was busy - always a good sign. Lucy stuck with her favorite, the fettucine carbonara, while I opted for the the fettucine bolognese. Lucy's dish was just as luscious as I remember it being, while mine offered all the bold flavors and meatiness that one would expect from a good bolognese sauce. The fettucine were obviously made on premises and perfectly al dente - springy and toothsome! Both gargantuan pasta dishes came out to $11 each. John had opted for the veal parmesan ($15) that presented a plate with two large, beautifully breaded cutlets topped with a fair measure of red sauce and a generous amount of melted mozzarella. The accompanying penne pomodoro dotted with pan-roasted slices of garlic and shreds of fresh basil was not bad, but in paled in comparison to the fettucine dishes. For dessert, we all partook in a piece of a peanut layer cake consisting of moist layers of yellow cake interspersed with caramel butter cream laced with chopped roasted peanuts and topped with more butter cream and dulce de leche. I was expecting a peanut butter pie flavor but was pleasantly surprised by its subtle peanut flavor.
A year after my first visit, Revales continues to satisfy returning patrons and impress first-timers, alike. Along with Fratelli Milano in downtown Miami and Il Mulino in Fort Lauderdale, it continues to be one of my favorite places for affordable Italian food in South Florida, and I'm glad to see that it's still thriving.
Revales
8601 Biscayne Boulevard
Miami, FL 33138
(305) 758-1010
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