Miami restaurant numéro très - Carpaccio

On our last night out in Miami we ventured up to beautiful Bal Harbour Shops, just a 20 minute cab ride from South Beach. I had heard great things about Carpaccio, so we decided to give it a whirl. They don't take reservations and the line was fairly long, but luckily it moved quickly.  What a perfect way to spend our last night! The server was so accommodating and the menu was extremely flexible - don't want a cream sauce? They can change it to a red. Don't want linguine? Try penne instead. Carpaccio was truly a dining experience worth the drive and the line- you can't beat fresh, homemade food paired with a vibrant, social atmosphere.

  

Quattro Stagioni pizza - eggplant, spinach, mozzareella cheese,

red peppers, and mushrooms

   

Beef carpaccio with shaved parmesan and arugula

Pennette a la Harry's Bar - Penne with garlic, oil, fresh spinach,

sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, with tomato sauce and parmigiano cheese

Pasta Selvaggio - Linguine in garlic and oil, topped with 3 types of 
mushrooms, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and mozzarella

Tortellini Aurora - Rounded pasta filled with veal in a cream sauce

Grilled prawns with a side of spaghetti in a tomato basil sauce

Back in Toronto now, just in time for a snow/slush storm and 0 degrees weather. *sighhh..

Happy Tuesday!

A.C

Miami restaurant numéro due - Maya Tapas and Grill

On our second night out in Miami we went looking for something different and, preferably, non-italian (had a slight pasta overload from the night before). Cue Maya Tapas and Grill, offering an international cuisine with some Spanish/Argentinian fusion in their menu. Tapas are a Spanish style dish, usually consisting of hot or cold appetizer-esque plates that can be shared amongst the table.  They're great if you  aren't sure what to order and want to try a little bit of everything. Personally, I think tapas is better for two people (read: date night) as each order is usually fairly small and it can get complicated with bigger crowds, but I think we did just fine.....

Chorizo Argentino, grilled with homemade chimchurri
(Incredible taste made up for poor presentation)

Avocado salad with prosciutto and cilantro

Fish special - Grouper on a bed of mashed potatoes

Spaghettini with tomato, garlic, and basil sauce

Baked brie with honey and walnuts

Smoked salmon and arugula salad

All that and a pitcher of their home made sangria...perfecto!

Happy Sunday!

A.C

Miami restaurant numero uno - Quattro

Okay, I know I've been M.I.A for a while, but I swear there is a legitimate reason for my abscence. It's just...I've been extremely distracted by the glorious weather, fantastic shopping, and indescribable dining experiences down in South Beach, Miami. I spent the past week at the oceanfront Shelborne Hotel, right on Collins Ave. in the heart of the Art Deco district. Not only did we have amazing weather (I have the tan lines to prove it) but I ate myself silly at some truly awesome restaurants (I have the belly to prove it). One of these was Quattro Gastronomia Italiana -  authentic Northern Italian cuisine, right on South Beach's stylish Lincoln Road. For those that haven't had an opportunity to visit South Beach yet, Lincoln Road is the go-to spot for quick and tasty dining. Restaurants literally line the entire street, which is pretty overwhelming when deciding where to eat for the night. Quattro is a perfect choice if you're looking for a delectable Italian meal with a relaxed, but sophisticated ambiance.  Identical twin chef's Nicola and Fabrizio make sure that everything on the menu is made fresh daily (with ingredients especially imported from Italy) and, as you can see from what we ordered, they specialize in their unique and flavourful pasta dishes. Following a prosciutto and mozzarella charcuterie board, here's what my family decided on for their mains:

Tri-coloured mushroom ravioli with a porcini truffle sauce

Home-made fontina (a soft Italian cheese made from cow's milk) 

ravioli with white truffle oil

Beef ravioli with a braised beef sauce

Strozzapreti (a thick, elongated pasta) with tomatos, 

spinach and pine nuts

Each of these pasta's tasted completely different, but were all delicious in their own way. The fontina cheese ravioli was my favourite - I'm not usually a big fan of cream, but it was really light and didn't have that "rich" taste you can get from most cream sauces.  Surprisingly, the beef ravioli was also very well done. I thought it would be hard to combine beef into a pasta without making it taste too "meaty", but they do a really great job of making their dishes savoury, without over-doing it. If you're heading down south, I would definitely recommend Quattro for some authentic Italian!

More photos to come from the rest of the trip!

A.C