New Restaurant in MiMo!

You might have heard it called The Upper East Side or MiMo.  Regardless of the name, that stretch of Biscayne Boulevard between NE 54th Street and NE 79th Street was where I called home for about a year, and although that year was fraught with headaches, I have really fond memories of that neighborhood.  Before the recession, it was scheduled to be Miami's next "it" 'hood with a lot of promising restaurants that focused on the food rather than the hype (as is common in other parts of Miami).  Good restaurants opened and closed, but the best ones stood their ground and continue to this day:  Michy's, Andiamo, Moonchine, East Side Diner, and a few others.  There were some that started with good intentions, but failed like Verdade's Taco Shop, American Noodle Bar, and Wine 69.  There are also one or two that changed owners and now have gone to crap, like Dogma (the founder's girlfriend turned him into a juice fasting hippy, convinced him to sell the business, and now there is no more mint lemonade and really crappy chili fries!)

After American Noodle Bar closed, I hadn't heard much about MiMo's food scene until I received a press release about a new venture on 63rd and Biscayne called Blue Collar...and trust me when I tell you that the menu looks a lot better than the name implies.  the Chef and owner, Daniel Serfer, has taken cues from his favorite haunts in NYC and brought the idea to Miami with a few local spins (vaca frita-topped tostones, for one).  Like a diner, the menu offers a little for everyone, but with a more gourmet taste profile, utilizing quality ingredients and interesting combinations.  Pork n' beans with Berkshire sausage, bacon, and a fried egg looks very promising!  Additionally, Serfer makes his own pasta in house, will offer daily barbecue specials, and supposedly celebrates Hanukah every day with latkes.  There's also a short, but well-selected beer and wine list.  The prices all seem pretty fair, too.

Blue Collar is scheduled to open this lucky Friday, January 13th.  Let's hope that if the food is good, Chef Serfer's choice of grand opening date isn't a bad omen for things to come.  Miami needs more casual neighborhood joints like the one he's promising.

for more information, including the full menu, check out the website:  www.bluecollarmiami.com 

In other news...

I was supposed to go to Il Mulino (in Broward, not the exorbitantly-priced Sunny Isles status symbol) tonight, but plans changed.  I was looking forward to their excellent house-made pastas, and particularly their tortellini.  I had work to do at home for Joonbug, where I'll be publishing some interesting articles on my friend and wine genius, Melissa Dotson's, wine picks, as well as a review of brunch at Michael's Genuine Food & Drink and a "best-of" list of Jewish delis.  Additionally, I was polishing up my application for NYU's Food Studies Masters Program.  I'm just a few steps away from sending off my application, and then the rest is in God's hands.  Additionally, I had to help The Momster register us on Iberia's (the airline, not the beans) website for our February gastro-trip to Paris.  A lot is going on this year, and I hope everything goes well.  I'll post updates on Joonbug articles, NYU, and Paris.

Il Mulino, we will meet again soon, I hope, and you will get your rightful review.

Gilt Taste Offers Peruvian Products

So I guess Peruvian cuisine is getting a little more recognition within the US gourmet scene as evidenced in Gilt Taste's offerings of organic Peruvian products that include things that are exotic even to most Peruvians (Pussac Punay and Kañiwa?).  I was glad to see a collection of ají pastes that include ají amarillo (the backbone of Peruvian cuisine), ají limo (for ceviches), and ají panca (Peru's answer to chipotle).  Ají is what us Peruvians call chili peppers (chiles for Mexicans).  There is also a selection of dried ají powders, which I've never had experience with, but considering that 99.9% of Peruvian cuisine - regardless of the region - uses fresh ají, I wouldn't recommend the powders.

There are also a lot of flours and grains offered, like quinoa, kiwicha (amaranth), purple corn flour, and others.  While some of these products are not representative of products Peruvians actually use, it is interesting to see that such native products are being cultivated and packaged and will probably go to use in the nouveau Peruvian cuisine that is coming into its own these days but has yet to conquer the world like other ethnic cuisines have.  It might just be an issue of marketing, although I think that the issue is much deeper than that and has a lot to do with how non-Latin Americans view Latin American cuisine drawn from their experiences with Mexican and Caribbean cuisines, which have nothing to do with Peruvian cuisine.  You'll probably read more of my thoughts on contemporary Peruvian cuisine in the future, but for the mean time, check out the Peruvian products on sale at Gilt Taste, as well as their well-chosen selection of other gourmet products (I'm ogling the molecular gastronomy pantry items....maybe it's the year to experiment with xanthan gum and soy lecithin)

Something to look forward to in 2012: Mercadito's Lunch Special!!!

Of course there are great authentic and informal Mexican taquerias throughout South Florida, but Mercadito is perhaps the best sit-down, chic Mexican restaurant around.  I've been Rosa Mexicano and Cantina Laredo and even the short-lived Tacontento (thank God that place finally shut down!), and from what I've heard of other high-end places (i.e. Dos Caminos), I can safely assume that of all of the upscale Mexican restaurants in South Florida, Mercadito is the best and most authentic.  This international chain mostly specializes in botanas and antojitos, which are little snacks like tostadas, tacos, guacamoles, and ceviches, just to name a few, and their various locations are usually housed in a beautifully-designed spaces and cater to a well-healed crowd of expat Mexican elites, trend-seekers, and sophisticated gourmands.  Their Midtown Miami location is no different.

John and I "discovered" it in 2010 during Miami Spice and were instantly drawn to it by its very generous restaurant month offerings, which enabled diners to sample a good portion of the menu, including a cocktail.  A la carte, Mercadito can put a significant dent in your wallet, especially considering that your meal will consist mostly of "snacks".  However, they do have some pretty stellar deals, like their weekend brunch:  $18 per person for 1 cocktail each and three huge entrees served family-style, like a rich pozole rojo, addictive chilaquiles, and a unique selection of tacos.  They also had a weekday lunch special for $22 that included 1 cocktail per person, 2 types of guacamole, 2 ceviches, 3 types of tacos (1 of each type per person), 1 side dish, and 1 dessert to share.  This is how I introduced my mother (The Momster) to Mercadito, which turned into an instant love affair.  When I checked Mercadito Midtown's lunch menu a few months ago, it seemed as if they had gotten rid of their Veintidos prix fixe lunch.  However, when I checked their website this month, it looks as if it's back in for this upcoming year, which means that 2012 will definitely have its fair share of exquisite gourmet Mexican lunches that will include jicama and mango guacamole, roasted sweet plantains with chipotle cream, and steak tacos topped with crispy leeks, pears, and shaved brussels sprouts.  If you ever have a weekday off during lunch hours, this is a deal not to be missed!

Mercadito Midtown

3252 NE First Avenue
Miami, FL 33137Tel. 786.369.0430