My Best of 2006
A Foodie Breaks His Silence

I will touch on those restaurants and individuals I feel should have been mentioned or even replaced those who got the recognition.

Atrio does fusion fabulously.

By Mark Goldberg

Now that Erik, Robin and the rest of the SunPost gang have had their say about the best of 2006, I thought I would chime in with what the Dining Critic felt was the best of a year that actually has four and one half months to go. That means this is, in reality, the best of the first two-thirds of 2006, and that someone might come along and upset the shopping cart, topping everything that’s come before it. You never know.

I’m not going head-to-head on every item listed in the Dining category. But I will touch on those restaurants and individuals I feel should have been mentioned or even replaced those who got the recognition.

Personal Best

Like the Personal Best. We have two chefs in town to whom the city owes more than they owe the city. One is Edgar Leal, chef/owner of Cacao, in Coral Gables. The other is Allan Susser, chef/owner of Chef Allen’s. Both of these men spend almost as much time helping others as they do in their own restaurants.

Leal is the head mentor of the Easter Seals Miami-Dade County Culinary Arts Education & Training Program. Leal has been a champion of the learning and physically challenged for years. He has trained and given jobs to several and not only heads up the above-mentioned cause, but strives to encourage other notable chefs to join him. Two months ago, he was in Spain as the U.S. representative for Columbus’ 500th anniversary. He has opened restaurants in China and Turkey, and continues to be a goodwill ambassador.

Susser is “Mr. What Can I Do For You?” His name is synonymous with the Taste of the Nation events, specifically Share Our Strength, working toward feeding children here at home. He is the spokesperson for the Tropical Fruit Growers in Homestead.

Yet, despite all their time away from their kitchens, both these men still maintain notable restaurants.

Best Calamari — Capital Grille

OK, I cheated a bit here. There wasn’t such a category in the “Best Of” issue. But my chosen restaurant demands recognition. Yes, Capital Grille is a superb steakhouse. But the calamari was its signature. The huge platter of extremely tender, lightly breaded and flash-fried shellfish arrived sizzling, with an aroma of garlic butter and cherry peppers, rather than a lukewarm marinara, wafting across the table. Careful, though, there are jalapeños in there as well. Perfect to counter the hearty richness of whichever steak you choose. Address: 444 Brickell Ave., Miami. Phone: 305-374-4500

Best Place to Eat Homemade Pasta — Spiga

Every diner at Spiga receives complimentary bruschetta, thin toasted homemade bread topped with a bit of oil, garlic and diced tomatoes. All breads and pasta are prepared daily (Spiga does mean wheat), and while the breads were enticing, it’s the pastas that steal your heart. Pastas are lovingly homemade. For the Pappardelle special ($18), the noodles are run through the pasta machine three times, not once. The result is a much thinner, more delicate noodle whose taste and texture are marvelous. Executive Chef Saele Cantoni combines that with jumbo shrimp in a sauce of prosecco wine and leeks, slips in a bit of cream and diced tomatoes and creates pasta Nirvana. Ravioli Di Vitello ($14) is stuffed with a tasty veal and ricotta blend, oven baked and topped with sliced shiitake mushrooms and parmesan. The Gnocchi Di Patate ($12) are light potato clouds, simply splashed with a fresh tomato and basil sauce. Address: 1228 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. Phone: 305-534-0079

Best Sushi In Hollywood — Tatu

Tatu actually is a Japanese word that means a merging of cultures. Here a Japanese sushi master works side by side with a Chinese master chef and an executive chef. Binding the teams and making Tatu one of the most sociably pleasant restaurants we’ve visited are floor managers who continually visit every table, making certain things are perfect and the diners are happy. Sushi requires something different as well as quality fish to be memorable. Here the Red Dragon, which is similar to the regular dragon roll, had shrimp tempura inside and tuna instead of eel on top. The Utah Roll was very creamy with shrimp tempura and crab salad within and fresh tuna on top. A variation of the Utah was the Marilyn Monroe — it’s not on the menu, but ask and you’ll get it — which also had the tempura and crab salad but was topped with fresh scallops and spicy mayo. The Tropical Citrus Salmon Roll combined salmon, tobiko and avocado within and topped the light, summertime roll with mango and lemon. Address: In the Seminole Paradise at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel, One Seminole Way, Hollywood. Phone: 954-583-1499

Best Fusion Restaurant — Atrio

Atrio’s (pronounced Ah-trio) Executive Chef Michael Gilligan is an Englishman who spent some time living in a Spanish neighborhood in Brooklyn. The result is La-Sian food (Latin/Asian). Like a Swordfish dish with a tasty blend of cannelini beans and chorizo ragout, as well as a bright purple rosemary red cabbage fondue. Or the Barramundi Yakisakana grilled whole, so its white flesh is delicate, mild-flavored and relatively boneless. And with the center bone removed and the fish layered with finely sliced ginger and basil before grilling this dish would be a hit even without the sesame noodles and stir-fried vegetables. The accompanying mashed potatoes were heightened with lobster and roasted tomatoes. Saddle of Wild Rabbit Casserole is a must. Rich with forest mushrooms, shallots and fresh vegetables, this was a combination dish. The legs, front and hind, are slowly braised in a reduction of rabbit stock, cider vinegar and golden raisins, while the loin (saddle) is quickly pan-seared. The vinegar adds a strong tang, the raisins a sweetness and both work to remove any gaminess from the rabbit. Address: 1395 Brickell Ave., in the Conrad Hotel, Coral Gables. Phone: 305-503-6529

Best South Beach Seafood Menu — AltaMar

First Claudius Giordano gave us the (original) La Bussola, then Clavdivs and now AltaMar, where you just might discover fish as unique as the grapefruit swordfish, called such because of the pink color of the flesh. More so, most swordfish are too firm and a bit dry. But AltaMar’s was tender and actually light because it was caught just the day before. Marinated in mustard, ginger and herbs, then seared and placed on a bed of arugula with a baked tomato that had been marinated in herbs and vinegar, the dish was colorful, flavorful and fresh. Address: 1223 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach. Phone: 305-532-3061

Best Addition to the Local Culinary Scene — 8 ½

Jason McClain — formerly of Pearl and others — has risen to the top with this new endeavor. McClain placed the word “creative” in front of the global description on his menu. Then he proved the addition by blending Moroccan spices with his calamari, foregoing beef for a lamb carpaccio, wrapping a filet mignon of veal in Serrano ham, and topping a chicken breast with soft, pungent feta cheese. That Baked Free Range Chicken breast was lightly grilled, then layered with spinach and feta cheese and slowly finished in the oven. The result was moist and delicious, with the cheese in perfect counterpoint. McClain added roasted Peruvian purple potatoes, placing the dish in a Kalamata olive and sun-dried tomato jus. Address: 821 Washington Ave., in the Hotel Clinton, Miami Beach. Phone: 786-276-3850

Best Indian Restaurant – Anokha

Anokha is the ultimate Indian family experience, with father Rohit and daughter Jaymini Patel on the floor and mother Meena and brother Bhavesh in the kitchen, running their dozens of menu items in and out of the tandoor. All tandoori dishes are prepared in that Indian barbecue. The tandoor’s heat and the food’s own moisture create a pressure-cooker effect, which results in creamier dishes. The Tandoori Sampler gave us a taste of several. Tandoori chicken and shrimp are so pungent they’re almost hypnotic, with their curry base, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, garlic and fragrant almond oil. Boti kebab features lamb chunks marinated in the same yogurt base, but with star anise and cinnamon taking the flavor in another direction. Seekh kabob looks like sausage but is a softer treat made from minced lamb, ground cumin, chilies and the ginger/onion/garlic combination. In fact, unless otherwise specified, that trio is found in every dish. And that’s interesting in itself, because each item has its own distinct flavor. Address: 3195 Commodore Plaza, Coconut Grove. Phone: 786-552-1030

Best Meat Lovers’ Restaurant — Texas de Brazil

Texas de Brazil is an upscale steakhouse dressed in red and silver with a massive floral centerpiece surrounded by an impressive salad area, in front of a glass elevator that rises to a soaring second level beneath a 40-foot ceiling. Understand, this is not a steakhouse in the traditional sense, but a churrascaria. Here waiters bearing swords, each skewering different types of beef, lamb, chicken, pork and sausage, are constantly at your table. Each of the 15 different cuts is announced. Everyone at our table had a different favorite, from the rack of lamb to the chicken breast wrapped in bacon, to the meaty beef ribs to the filet mignon and spiced Brazilian sausage. All the meats are specially seasoned and slow-roasted over an open flame, all the grilling done behind a glass wall so we were able to watch the cooks, who work nonstop. Address: 11401 NW 12th St., Miami, in the Dolphin Mall. Phone: 305-599-7729

Best New Restaurant — See “8½” above

Best Restaurant of 2006 (and 2005) —Vix

Even if I haven’t been to Vix in a while, I come in contact with Executive Chef James Wierzelewski (that’s OK, just call him Chef James) on a regular basis, at tastings, events and charitable soirees. Every time, his presentation is fabulous as much for its creativity as its finesse and preparation. Like the Duck and Lobster Chow Mein — combining fowl and shellfish in the same dish is common in Asia and was outstanding here. The pulled duck and multiple Maine baby lobster claws were flavored with a sweet soyu and kaffir lime sauce and brought together with coriander noodles. Seafood Hot Pot was an undersea treasure. Not just because the huge diver scallops, shrimp, baby lobster tails and fresh fish were all prepared perfectly, but that first steaming lemongrass and ginger water was poured into a large plate, then the hot pot was placed on top of that. You don’t drink the water; its aroma merely infuses the dish magically. The dish itself is heightened with coconut broth and Asian aromatics. Address: 1144 Ocean Drive, in the Victor Hotel, Miami Beach. Phone: 305-779-8888

I could go on, but that’s all the space they’ll give me for rebuttal. But why don’t you go on and try out these fabulous restaurants for yourselves. And if you have others that neither I nor my editors have mentioned that you feel deserve notice (or at least a review), drop us an e-mail and we’ll check it out.

[Editor’s Note: Dining Critic Mark Goldberg respectfully declined to contribute his recommendations to the SunPost “Best of 2006” issue, which was published June 30.]

Comments? E-mail letters@miamisunpost.com.