Miami Spice 2007 ($22 lunch/$35 dinner)

[nsequitur]

Non-locals monitoring this board should make note of August/September "Miami Spice" event in Miami-Dade county. Every year, more restaurants participate, and this year there is 80 restaurants (up from 70 last year). Also up this year is the price of the 3-course prix fixe lunches and dinner: lunch was $20.06 last year, $22 this year; Dinner was $30.06 last year, $35 this year.

A list of all participating restaurants, including their event menus, are at "ilovemiamispice.com" (for some reason, the website describing the event also changes every year - guess someone in the tourism bureau is too cheap or lazy to renew the prior year's domain name).

I'd like other locals to comment on where they will be heading, particularly those who have experienced miami spice in prior years (this is the 6th year of operation).

My tentative 'sure thing' picks are:

Bouley (because I've always wanted to go, and now can afford to)

Escopazzo (because it's good, and a 'special occasion' spot for my wife and I)

Chef Allen's (because it's close to where I live)

Then I'm kind of torn. I can't go out an unlimited number of times, since I have 2 kids and babysitter money negates the value of Miami Spice! The next tier of choices are:

Mark's South Beach (which I enjoyed before, but was hard to get to)

Blue Door at the Delano (enjoyed very much before - food and setting)

Vix (no nothing about it)

Table 8 (again, don't know anything about it)

The link to all participating restaurants is: http://www.ilovemiamispice.com/participants.htm

Recommendations?

[annecros]

Wow, it's hard to choose from that list!

We'll probably be going. I need to spend more time in Dade County. I think it's great that the Visitor's Bureau has this organized for the off season.

The only place on your list that I am familiar with is Mark's - always good. But hopefully I'll know more in the near future.

[nsequitur]

Wow, it's hard to choose from that list!

We'll probably be going. I need to spend more time in Dade County. I think it's great that the Visitor's Bureau has this organized for the off season.

The only place on your list that I am familiar with is Mark's - always good. But hopefully I'll know more in the near future@

←

Nobody needs to spend time in Dade County

(those of us who live here never seem to want to go to South Beach's gridlock).

But Chef Allen's would be an easy place to go to from South Broward.

The event is pretty well-publicized this year, even though its the 6th year. I actually saw a tv commercial yesterday morning.

[annecros]

I saw that commercial last night during the local news.

I am going to put Chef Allen's on my list. I live in South Broward (actually the Miami-Dade county line is in the lot behind my home), and have easy access to Biscayne Blvd., I-95, T-Pike.

Any other suggestions from the big list on the web site? Hubby and I are going to be vetting it together if things settle down around here a bit.

[sabg]

i am going to try the setai...stopped by once and for 53.00 had a martini and 6 oysters ...for 35 seems like almost free

[nsequitur]

Checked out so far for Miami Spice 2007:

Escopazzo: always a favorite, during the promotion or not. Lots of choices (I think as many as 6 mains!). I went with the risotto of the day and was not disappointed.

Bouley: wanted to try given the ordinary high prices. The limited choices (2 app, 2 main, 1 dessert) were not very inspired. Bottom line: glad I tried it at the $35 price tag. Highlight: truffle bread rolls. Biggest disappointment: wines by the glass priced as high as wines by the bottle anywhere else (and forget buying wine by the bottle altogether). The $35 corkage fee, if I'd opted to exploit it, would have been a bargain.

Tomorrow: Palme D'or at the Biltmore

Later: Chef Allen's. It's fallen from grace the last few visits, but on the last wed this month they are doing the $35 menu, WITH WINE PAIRINGS. A rare good deal at Allen's (the last one was a mango dinner with pairings and a martini he did years ago when the book was released, which I think was $45).

[nsequitur]

Tomorrow: Palme D'or at the Biltmore

This was the best so far this year by far.

Menu: APPETIZER choice of

Lobster Bisque With Maine Scallop and Rosemary Ravioli

Wild Mushroom Cassolette Grilled Bacon, Creamy Spinach and Poached Quail Egg

[we both went with bisque, which had great tableside presentation]

ENTRÉE choice of

Maine Halibut Filet “Aux Aromates”, Mousseline Potato Provencal Herbs Chicken Jus; or

Seared Bufalo Tenderloin, Crushed Potato Leek Confit and Green Peppercorn Sauce

[both were great, but my preference was for the buffalo - the fish was not large, but perfect for my wife]

DESSERT choice of

Warm Chocolate Fondant with Sweet Orange Consomme Mixed Berries Compote

Basil Lime Sorbet and Strawberry Infusion Pistachio Mascarpone Mousseline

[both could have been a little larger, but were good palette cleansers]

[Caitlin]

I was in Miami the last weekend in August and had the Spice menus at Wish and Table 8. I don't recommend the Spice menu at Wish. The three entree choices were chicken, sea bass with eggplant griddlecakes, and a pork chop with clam and chorizo hash. I don't recall anyone in my group ordering anything other than the sea bass (other than me), and no one was very impressed. The eggplant griddlecakes were basically soggy pancakes. The chickpea ravioli and beet salad were okay, as were the deserts. I can't comment on the other two entree choices, but I ordered the crispy skinned snapper off the regular menu. It was served with shrimp, chinese sausage, and jasmine rice. I did enjoy this dish, but for the Spice menu, I would not recommend going to Wish.

Table 8 was a different story. I had the green bean salad with duck prosciutto as my starter, and the fish dish as my entree. I can't remember exactly what the fish dish was, but it was just okay. I also wasn't too excited about the green bean and duck salad, but the other dishes ordered at the table were all very good. I wish I had gotten the fava bean soup with pancetta and either the steak or lamb entree. I shared someone else's soup and loved it, and I also sampled the steak and lamb dishes, both of which were very good. I can't remember the dessert - I'm not big on sweets - but Table 8's Spice menu is definitely worth while.