Fantastic Miami bistro find

[markk]

While searching the Miami New Times online (a very trusted source for excellent restaurants) I came upon the description of a little French bistro in a strip mall on Biscayne Blvd. in North Miami - the Bistro Plein Sud.

Well, the food was so good that we ate there three times in our week in Miami. It's a tiny storefront restaurant, extrememly prettily done up, and the people who work and cook there (and own it) are all French.

The first night we started with a sublime terrine of foie gras (in very generous portions) and followed with the special of the day, a veal chop with wild mushrooms in a light cream sauce, which was superb.

A few nights later I had called to ask the specials, and one was whole Daurade (sea-bream) baked in the oven with vegetables and potatoes, and they kindly saved me two of them, for when we arrived at 10 pm, it had sold out. As had just about all the appetizers! So no foie gras that night. We had a salad which was excellent, and the fish was outstanding.

We learned that a few nights later they were having a "themed" night - a celebration of Perigourd, so we reserved our tables and brought the video camera, from which these (not great) stills came.

The first course was a generous and excellent sauteed foie gras, plus another cold foie gras (different from the first terrine we had had) and some smoked duck breast in a raspberry sauce:

The main course was a trio: duck confit, rare duck breast with an excellent sauce that I don't remember the name of, and a little side dish of "cassoulet" which was an exquisite preparation of beans and a duck and pork sausage:

The dessert we had each time was an individual tarte tatin served warm with ice cream, and it was sublime.

This place is just a wonderful find, and honestly would be for any city. It's like a little bit of France transported over here, great chef and all.

PS - If you copy this link and paste it into a browser window, you can see a little video we made of the place!

http://guyarts.com/plein_sud.wmv

Edited June 4, 2006 by markk (log)

[Adrienne Carmack]

Sounds good. I live in N Miami and am not aware of it. Do you know the address, or at least the approximate cross streets it was near on Biscayne Blvd?

[markk]

Sorry. It's at

12409 Biscayne Boulevard

North Miami 33141

305-891-2355

If you'd be kind enough to explain that you saw the photos on eGullet by a guy who had been there on vacation, I think they'd get a kick out of that.

It's barely visible from the road - but it's in the plaza with the Fedex, and it's one very short block north of the 123 St. Causeway, and on the east side of Biscayne.

[Susan in FL]

Mark, NICE! It looks like a great restaurant, and possibly worth an overnight in Miami. Your "food video" is awesome, very well done! I am impressed by that. Thanks so much for giving us a link to it, along with your review.

[markk]

Mark, NICE!  It looks like a great restaurant, and possibly worth an overnight in Miami.  Your "food video" is awesome, very well done!  I am impressed by that.  Thanks so much for giving us a link to it, along with your review.

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