South American Summer Vacation

Get a Passport for Your Palate

By Mark Goldberg

We picked up our passports and went to Brazil for dinner. The food was great and the waiter stamped our visas and told us we were eligible for a monthly drawing. And possibly for a trip to Puerto Rico if we filled our whole passport. Oh, wait, we weren’t actually in Brazil. We were enjoying authentic feijoada and xim xim at Ola, Doug Rodriguez’s newest relocation of his Nuevo Latino restaurant in The Sanctuary, on South Beach.

Brazil is Ola’s South American country for the month of June, during Rodriguez’s Passport to Summer Dining. Last month was Mexico; July is Argentina. More important than the passport is the three-course dinner you can order for only $35. It’s like taking advantage of Miami Spice before spice time.

Of course, Ola’s full menu is also available during this time and so, in addition to our dalliance in Brazil, we also sampled many of the famed staples. Like the ceviches.

Most ceviches tend to run into each other, flavor-wise. The fish may change, but the recipes are usually always the same. Not at Ola. There are 10 choices ($16 each) and, based on the two we enjoyed, each has its own individuality. The Rainbow paired corvina and salmon fillets — marinated in fish sauce, soy sauce, orange juice and a lot of jalapeño for some fire. These were topped with a diced tuna that was just marinated slightly so it wouldn’t lose its rich color. The Escolar — a rich, fatty local fish — was perfect in its sweet and spicy blend of blood oranges and Tabasco. Both ceviches were light and refreshing.

Spotting it at another diner’s table, we had to try Ola’s answer to Oysters Rockefeller. Oysters Rodriguez ($15) sported three super-sized, crisp-coated fried oysters on the half shell. The shells were layered with fufu — a plantain mash with garlic and other spices and smoked bacon bits — that created a sweet and smoky base. Next came fresh spinach in a creamy horseradish for some spice, followed by the oyster. Feijoada ($12) was a delicious “peasant dish” that’s part of the Passport menu (as well as a regular selection). This simple meat and black bean stew involved slow-cooked smoked pork, bacon and thyme as well as the beans prepared with garlic and onions. When the time was right, they were combined and allowed to cool down slightly. We got involved by adding our own micro cilantro and pickled jalapeño, and squeezing lime over the whole.

The Rack of Lamb ($40) was crusted with pumpkin seeds, the perfectly prepared chops given a crunch to go with their tenderness. The lamb was a visual bridge, cresting over a watercress and endive salad with a touch of almond vinaigrette. Dots of butternut squash puree, enhanced with caramel, cinnamon and allspice, finished the plate. Returning to Brazil, we were thrilled with the Xim Xim ($27). The dish’s centerpiece was a pair of U6 (that means six to a pound) shrimp, prepared à la minute so they weren’t overcooked. They tasted like lobster tails. Sharing the plate was very slow-cooked chicken breast, sliced so thin it was like fettuccine. Together they rested in a sauce of dende oil, orange juice, coconut and a little habanero. Bordering the plate was farina de farofa, a crunchy powder made from ground cassava, to which a little butter was added.

Desserts ($10 each) included a Deconstructed Key Lime Pie — a key lime custard served over a bed of toasted meringue — and a clever Chocolate Cigar — almond chocolate cake wrapped in a frozen and semi-sweet chocolate mousse, with a real cigar wrapper, coffee ice cream and a candy-and-cookie matchbox.

In the back of the menu, Rodriguez lists his entire staff, from the managers all the way to the runners and busers, including our excellent waiter Jackson. That makes a work environment more of a family atmosphere. And those who benefit the most from that are the diners.

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