SEAFOOD
Prima, a hidden gem in the East Village (58 East 1st Street) is what results when a Rat Pack-esque group of five restaurant biz friends join forces to create a seafood focused café and bar. Prima is owned and operated by Hamid Rashidzada, Greg Seider, Ken Nye, Mathieu Palombino, and David Malbequi, who runs Prima’s kitchen fulltime. The friends wanted to open an eatery with seamless service giving guests a place to eat when many other restaurants are closed in between lunch and dinner service. Prima opens at 8 a.m. for coffee (provided by Nye’s Ninth Street Espresso) and pastries, so no matter the time, they’ll be there serving up their delightful dishes.
Come December 2011, the Mare Nostrum Restaurant Group will open its first hospitality industry venues in the United States. As a subsidiary of Polaris World Development, known for its golf resorts, restaurants and hotels in Europe, the group has naturally chosen Miami as the perfect location to first test the U.S. market . "Miami’s climate, demographic make-up and geography make it the perfect destination for Mare Nostrum to debut stateside,” said Oscar Suarez, the group’s Miami-based director of operations. The group will open two restaurants in Brickell this December, both located at 1111 SW First Avenue directly across the street from the Brickell Avenue Metrorail and Metro Mover station.
With a name that means “our sea” in Latin, Mare Nostrum is expected to make a lasting impression on Downtown Brickell visitors with its majestic 8,000 square foot venue at The Axis Building and its fresh culinary approach. The restaurant plans on impressing diners with a healthy, delicious and affordable spin on Mediterranean cuisine. Everything on the menu will be made fresh daily using nothing but the finest ingredients, including everything from freshly caught local fish to imported European specialties brought together to form the perfect harmony of flavors from Spain and Italy. House-made pastas, salads, pizzas, risottos and regionally attributed entrees will comprise the majority of the menu. However, the main attraction will be the seafood, and Chef Pedro Gallardo, who hails from Spain, pledges to deliver nothing but the freshest and most delicious. The restaurant will include seating for 154 in the main dining room as well as an outdoor patio large enough for 60. As you enter, you won’t miss the 11-foot tall glass wine room which holds over 2,000 bottles of wine and separates the bar/lounge from the dining room. Continuing with the seafood theme, a beautiful 25’ long seafood/raw bar will showcase a variety of the freshest oysters, langoustines, crab claws and other specialties. The restaurant will open daily for lunch and dinner.
Next, delivering the true Irish tradition of great food, drinking and lively entertainment is The Lucky Clover Irish Pub. Sure to be easily mistaken for a pub straight out of Dublin, the restaurant will be complete with hand-decorated wooden ceilings, charismatic memorabilia and period lighting to create an authentic environment found in a typical Irish ale house. This will easily become Miami’s go-to spot for live entertainment and sports-watching activities. Pick from 24 flat screen TVs or a large screen HD TV to watch your sport of choice or join in on the real fun on the stage. To complete the package, they will serve up the most delicious fish n chips, juicy burgers and salads, as well as a beer and libations list. Looking for a late night bite in Brickell? This spot may just be the answer to your prayers, as The Luck Clover plans on staying open late on weekends.
Mare Nostrum
1111 SW 1 Avenue Miami, Fl 33131
(786) 691-2771
http://marenostrumrestaurant.com
The Lucky Clover
1111 SW 1 Avenue Miami, Fl 33131
(786)691-2772 http://luckycloverbar.com
On October 19th, Blue Door Fish located inside the surreal, yet iconic, Delano hotel in South Beach will be hosting a Wine Maker Dinner featuring five courses of Blue Door’s seafood-centric cuisine and wine pairings for only $95! Tommy Oldre of Tablas Creek Vineyards will be the host for the evening, guiding diners through the various wine selections and how they pair with Chef Claude Troigros’ novel seafood creations. Menu options feature lobster hors d’oeuvres, a coupling of scallops and foie gras, oysters with a wasabi caviar, swordfish, and to break up the fruits de mer theme, oxtail ravioli. Dessert will be a surprise to diners but is sure to please!
Like the Schubert song, this restaurant serenades me and indulges my passion for seafood, bringing me back to the start of my love affair with shrimp, clams and anything else fish and seafood. Even as a little girl growing up in the city, a lobster dinner was a grand treat reserved for special occasions, and when on a summer beach jaunt, clams on the half shell doused with hot sauce was an absolute hit the spot choice. While many my age would be eating hamburgers and fries, I would challenge my taste buds with spectacularly fresh delights gleaned from the sea.
So I walk into this dining spot and the lyrics ring true. Ave Maria... Gratia plena. “Full of grace," with a deliberate seafood emphasis and an airy contemporary feel. First the atmosphere sets the mood, playing on the theme with conch shells lining the window ledges and clay toned booths. Proper white clothed tables about the space cast a nice balance of seriousness in honor of the culinary masterpieces about to be served. From business lunches, to an obvious romantic trysts, this room allows for all diners with a common passion; their seafood rich menu.
Chefs Michael White and Jared Gadbaw (the Chef Di Cucina here) are all about the accenting of seafood with Italian influence and unique interpretations of Mediterranean coastal cuisine. The menu is loaded with choices, using fresh catches sourced from both the Mediterranean and waters worldwide. For those who require no wrappings start with a basic platter of raw oysters, and a nice glass of effervescent Prosecco from Veneto, Italy.
Be sure to order one of their seafood-focused entrees such as the risotto with shrimp, lobster, scallop and bass. If you are looking to keep things simple, try the grilled octopus, smoked potatoes, pickled red onion and chilies. Though it packs a punch, it's certainly not overpowering.
In all of my years of being a seafood fan, I thought that I had tasted it all.
Not the case.
I enjoyed my virgin taste of razor clams at Marea; marinated with fennel and peperoncino. For Branzino fans, the local wild striped bass with roasted eggplant, fava beans and grilled ramps with an apricot mustard is delicious. At the end of the meal, my vote was for the razors. For me it wasn’t just about the stretched body of these clams, resting juicy and tender in their matching shell shapes, like bikini clad sunbathers on the beach. The length of these treasures translates to a larger size clam and at the end of the day being the seafood lover that I am, simply and splendidly it meant: more clams for me.
Marea
With warm weather finally here, now is the time to take advantage of the outside dining options the city has to offer. Whether you’re looking for some really good grub or prefer to leisurely sip a cocktail while people watching, al fresco dining options abound. And there are plenty of spots the city to find a table.
West Philly is often thought of as the academic pocket of the city. Home to both Penn and Drexel, this corner of downtown Philadelphia often gets skipped by non-students. Midatlantic, the brainchild of restauranteur and chef Daniel Stern, is just the reason for you to cross the river and explore West Philly. Located on Market Street, this seafood themed restaurant has a large outdoor patio where patrons can enjoy dishes like Crispy Clams and Skate Fish & Chips. Cocktail options are also strong. Plus, you really can't beat the chic atmosphere.
Blue Door Restaurant at the illustrious Delano hotel has been revamped into Blue Door Fish. The new restaurant has been completely renovated as well as offering a fresh new Mediterranean inspired seafood menu. The menu, which has been in the works for more than a year was compiled by the hotel's executive chef Claude Troisgros and his son Thomas who helped finalize the menu. Previously offering French inspired cuisine, the restaurant now aims for a more casual approach and is less expensive than the preceding Blue Door Restaurant. However, fans of Blue Door shouldn't fret, as some of the restaurants greatest hits are still on the menu (i.e. Thon Thon, Crabavocat, Big Ravioli, Loup Cajou, Homard Banana and Boeuf Gorgonzola).
There are many areas around the world that produce wine. One such region is California with a production one third larger than that of Australia. As everyone on the west coast knows two of the popular areas are Sonoma and Napa Valley. But love for California wine (red and white) stretches around the world. I well focus on the different varieties of white wine, which are produced in the California region.
Chardonnay
Mainly the most popular wine produced in California is Chardonnay. The taste can range from dry and bold to light and fruity, depending on the vineyard that produces the wine. Chardonnay can be paired with many different types of entrees. It goes best with poultry, fish, and certain pasta dishes. Stick with heavy cream or butter based recipes.
There are many areas around the world that produce wine. One such region is California with a production one third larger than that of Australia. As everyone on the west coast knows two of the popular areas are Sonoma and Napa Valley. But love for California wine (red and white) stretches around the world. I well focus on the different varieties of white wine, which are produced in the California region.
Chardonnay
Mainly the most popular wine produced in California is Chardonnay. The taste can range from dry and bold to light and fruity, depending on the vineyard that produces the wine. Chardonnay can be paired with many different types of entrees. It goes best with poultry, fish, and certain pasta dishes. Stick with heavy cream or butter based recipes.
There are many areas around the world that produce wine. One such region is California with a production one third larger than that of Australia. As everyone on the west coast knows two of the popular areas are Sonoma and Napa Valley. But love for California wine (red and white) stretches around the world. I well focus on the different varieties of white wine, which are produced in the California region.
Chardonnay
Mainly the most popular wine produced in California is Chardonnay. The taste can range from dry and bold to light and fruity, depending on the vineyard that produces the wine. Chardonnay can be paired with many different types of entrees. It goes best with poultry, fish, and certain pasta dishes. Stick with heavy cream or butter based recipes.
 |
 |
 |
 |
