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Head: Tiramesu Times Two
Subhead: A Dining Critic Regains His Appetite and
Returns for Dinner
Pull Quote: All Tiramesu dishes are very generously
sized. So you can understand why this took somewhat of a review and
a half to complete.
Photo by Michael Menchero
By Mark Goldberg
What happened to our
entrées? To be honest, we filled up on cuttlefish, scallops, and
three excellent pastas (not to mention saving room for dessert) to
the point that we could not have properly reviewed Tiramesu’s
entrées. There will have to be a Tiramesu Due.
And so it goes. Last month’s visit to Tiramesu, on
Lincoln Road Mall, was so filling we had to return last night to
complete our meal. But we didn’t want to simply repeat what we’d
done the month before, so we borrowed a little bit of pleasure from
what was on the other side of a pocket doorway, as well.
You see, Tiramesu is just one of the restaurants
created by Graziano Sbroggio. On the other side of that doorway is
his Le Bon, as unique a concept as we have in this town: a Belgian
restaurant. The Belgians love their mussels … and their beer. In
fact, there are about 25 Belgian beers on Le Bon’s menu. And 16
types of mussels (1/2 kilo $15.50/1 kilo $24.50). Half those dishes
are hot buckets; the other half are cooked platters.
We love mussels, in either red sauce or white wine.
But here we had choices of mussels in a lobster bisque sauce. Or
with braised onions in cream sauce. There were mussels steamed in
blond beer or simmered in a curry sauce with lime, coriander,
coconut and chili. We went for the lobster bisque. And when we had
made enough room in the pot, we took our bread to the bisque.
Without question, these are the most plump, sweetest, softest
mussels you will find anywhere — Mediterranean mussels brought to
Washington State to be farm raised and then delivered to Le Bon
every three days.
We were treating the mussels as an appetizer, but, uh
oh, it was more than mussels. It was soup with good bread and, just
as in Belgium, it was served with pomme frites. Those fries were
crusty and flavorful on the outside and creamy within, served with
both our favorite fries dipping concoction (ketchup) and Belgium’s
(mayonnaise).
Keeping with the theme, we passed on wine and went
for the beer. The strong, dark ale was just heavy enough and tangy
with an overindulgence of malt. We could have drunk this all night,
but we had Tiramesu entrées to attack.
Trancio Di Tonno Al Popovero ($24) was a richly
spiced and poppy-seed-crusted Ahi tuna, sliced and fanned out,
alongside potatoes and a salad of wild greens, served with balsamic
reduction. Tuna and swordfish joined with mussels, calamari, shrimp
and clams to complete a beautiful Cioppino ($26), in a spiced red
sauce that became another dipping ground for toasted brioche.
All Tiramesu dishes are very generously sized. So you
can understand why this took somewhat of a review and a half to
complete. I was scheduled for a Sunday brunch the next morning, but
declined, thinking exercise is a better way to work off a dinner at
Tiramesu.
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Tiramesu
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ADDRESS: 721
Lincoln Road, Miami Beach
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PHONE:
305-532-4538
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HOURS: Monday
through Thursday: lunch from noon to 4 p.m., dinner from 5:30
p.m. to midnight; Saturday noon to 1 a.m.; Sunday noon to
midnight
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FOOD: Northern
Italian
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SERVICE: Very
knowledgeable and accommodating
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PRICES:
Appetizers $4.95 to $16, entrées $8.50 to $36
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WINES: An
impressive international list with reasonable pricing
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ATMOSPHERE:
Inside there’s Old World charm; outside it’s the active Lincoln
Road Mall
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RESERVATIONS:
Suggested on weekends and for large parties
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CREDIT CARDS:
MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Diner’s Club
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