I was invited to a preview tasting of the Miami Spice menu at Bourbon Steak Miami earlier this week. Miami Spice runs from August 1 through September and offers a $39 three course set menu. At places like Bourbon Steak it also represents a great value.
Two dozen media folks gathered in the private dining room, along with our wonderful hosts from the Turnberry
Isle Resort for a tasting of all the offerings. Have you ever wanted to go to a restaurant and order everything on the menu? We didn’t have to. We were simply brought plate after glorious plate.
Appetizer choices include sweet corn and Maine lobster chowder (delicious, sweet and not too heavy. The corn used is local, although in another month or so the season will be over and they will need to start getting corn from Georgia.) The hand rolled angel hair, is served cacio e pepe, with butter, Pecorino cheese and black pepper. It is one of my favorite pasta dishes because it is so simple and still so flavorful. The version at Bourbon Steak was no
exception. The final appetizer option is a tempura squash blossom with Meyer lemon ricotta, basil and ratatouille. Next time I go I will get this, since it was served alongside the pasta, I was too busy stuffing noodles in my mouth to fully appreciate the squash blossom in all its fried goodness.
Just when I thought it impossible to eat more, we started with the
entrees. First up is a deconstructed truffled pot pie made with Cornish hen and served with a roulade of the breast. While it was good, pot pie is not among my favorites, so I am sure others appreciated it more than I did. The other two entrees were outstanding. Tapioca crusted yellowtail served with coconut forbidden rice, was tender and delicious. Even the person sitting across from me, who proclaimed that he didn’t really like fish, was enjoying it. The final entree, and my favorite of the bunch, was the rib eye steak, served with a farro and pea “risotto” that was
creamy, cheesy and over the top. I could eat that every day and never get sick of it. (You know, if I weren’t on a diet, and I moved into the private room at the restaurant. Come to think of it, there was a good wine supply, so I’d probably be ok.)
As if there was room for another morsel of food in me, we were presented with dessert. Pineapple upside down cake is not something I would choose, and yet…. Candied ginger, pound cake
cubes and pineapple sorbet make this refreshing. It is not too sweet and the perfect end to a meal. The peanut butter snickers, with caramel mousse, chocolate ganache and peanut rice crispies, served with honey ice cream was also absurdly good, but dare I say it? I think I enjoyed the pineapple even more than the chocolate peanut butter.
So, go check out the Miami Spice menu once it is launched on August 1. I already have reservations to go back with friends that week.
