Michaels Genuine Food & Drink
I don’t think I have ever visited Miami and not dined at Michael’s Genuine. I’m not quite sure how it became my go-to place but I suppose that years ago it completely stood out as one of the best places in the city. Every time I come back its just crazy to see how much the Design District has changed. Consistently solid and I always love their off the street outdoor dining.
falafel – tahini sauce & pickled red onions
golden tilefish ceviche – tangerine, crispy hominy, cucumber, red onion, avocado, cilantro
yellowfin tuna tartare – green tomato, shallots, smoked olive oil, mete lemon aioli, potato chips
roasted broccoli salad – shaved vegetables, quinoa, preserved meyer lemon, tahini dressing
caramelized onion pizza – cave aged gruyere, mozzarella, tomato sauce, thyme, chili flakes
Broken Shaker
Perhaps its just because I prefer to be drinking and dining outdoors, but I love the original Broken Shaker much more than its Chicago version even though they did manage to achieve a similar vibe in completely different settings. However when I tried to order off menu, I ended up with the drink I was debating just minus one ingredient. It was one of those times that an actual conversation with the bartender would have been useful as I really just wanted something ‘like’ one of the drinks on the menu.
Alter
First a congratulations to Chef Kilgore on being one of this year’s Food & Wine Best New Chefs, an honor which has prompted me to finally finish this post. Overall this was a really great dinner and I think Alter has an immense amount of promise. It was too bad that we visited just before the outdoor bar opened as this is a very small space and there was nowhere to wait but on the sidewalk when earlier reservations ran late. This visit was also slightly after the James Beard semi-finalist nominations came out so perhaps it was busier than usual. But after being seated very late we waited quite a while for a server to appear at all. It was very dark so unfortunately these are not the best photographs. The soft egg was absolutely fantastic and I think on a return visit I would absolutely order two. I’m missing a description of the strawberry dessert but loved it (and the first course as well). I’m looking forward to seeing how this place evolves over the next year.
shaved cobia – vetrano olive snow, rice masago, green mustard oil, garlic dashi
soft egg – sea scallop espuma, chive, truffle pearls, gruyere, caviar
udon noodle – porcini sabayon, rabbit confit, blistered scallion, shiitake
grouper cheeks – black rice, shoyu hollandaise, sea lettuces
glazed short rib – grits, red onion caramel, wild garlic oil, smoked peanuts
strawberry ??
meringue