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Fishing for Compliments
The Recently Opened
Oceanaire Seafood Room Gets
Plenty From This Critic
“If it swims, floats or squirms in the ocean, you’ll find it on
our table.”
Oceanaire Seafood
Room serves up to 15 varieties of fish per day….
By Mark Goldberg
Yes, this review could begin with a description of the
Oceanaire Seafood Room’s attractive 1930s luxury liner design, but
there is too much good food to discuss to take up space with dark
woods and red leather banquettes. Instead, let’s define a seafood
steak house as an upscale fish house that serves steak house-size
portions (10 ounces) of as many as 15 varieties of fish per day.
The six-week-old Oceanaire has a menu that changes
daily, because, as Executive Chef Sean Bernal explains, they are at
the mercy of the ocean. He also adds that “if it swims, floats or
squirms in the ocean, you’ll find it on our table.” That includes
everything from Carolina Ruby Red Trout to South African #1 Bigeye
Tuna.
There are several salads available, including the
old-style iceberg lettuce wedge, but we decided on the Local Farm
Greens ($9.95). Inspired by wine tastings he enjoyed in Spain,
Bernal combined the colorful greens with slices of Anjou pears,
cubes of cabrales cheese and thin slices of crisped Serrano ham. The
bleu cheese, while delicious, was way too sharp for the delicate
greens and muted everything else in the dish. Perhaps a few more
slices of pear would have helped. The vinaigrette was an intriguing
reduction of Rioja, red wine vinegar, shallots and honey. We could
tell that our Crab Cake ($13.95) was literally all blue crab just by
looking at the prominent lumps. The tiniest bit of mayo, soft bread,
Old Bay seasoning and mustard complemented the flavor, which
was all sweet, natural crab. The mustard mayonnaise dipping sauce
was nice but unnecessary. The Escargots Bourgogne ($8.95) were
classic in presentation and preparation, with snails from Burgundy
cooked in a highly flavorful mix of garlic, butter and shallots.
Crispy Point Judith Calamari ($9.95) were very tender beneath their
light and crisp rice flour coat, but their tamarind chipotle drizzle
was more like an overly sweet heavy glaze that muted the calamari’s
natural flavor. The Steamed Mussels ($11.95) were magnificent. Plump
and tasty, they were overseen by a line cook who scooped them out of
the pot as soon as they opened, so they wouldn’t overcook. They were
steamed in beer with a Caribbean collection of julienne vegetables,
cilantro and scotch bonnet for a touch of heat. The only thing
missing was some garlic crostini for dipping.
Complete with an
oyster bar.
While this Oceanaire is brand new, there are a dozen
more across the United States. But it’s not a cookie-cutter
operation, and each chef has autonomy over his menu. Take, for
example, the delicious Florida Cobia Black and Blue ($28.95),
so-called because the two large filets were Cajun blackened and
topped with bleu cheese (gorgonzola) butter. The dish was brought
together by a bed of caramelized onions that finished the spicy and
sharp with a touch of sweetness. A moist, white Chilean Golden
Tilefish ($28.95) filet was topped with a ground mix of toasted
pumpkin seeds and whole cumin and cooked on a flattop for a nice,
even color. The sauce was a blend of grapefruit juice, orange juice,
champagne and butter, but its sweetness was subdued to allow the
tilefish to shine. There are a few meats on the menu. We tried the
Black Angus Churrasco ($26.95), a perfectly prepared 18-ounce skirt
steak brushed with Argentinean chimichurri. Our stand-out entrée was
an Oceanaire staple: the Baked Stuffed Gulf Flounder ($25.95). This
simple, classic dish took the flounder filet and wrapped it around a
blend of blue crab, shrimp and brie cheese bound by a little mayo
and a touch of dill. The combination was then delicately poached and
served with à beurre blanc.
Like most steakhouses, Oceanaire’s entrées are a la
carte. The side dish of Steamed Baby Potatoes ($7.95) was buttery,
with a tang of roasted garlic and the crunch of coarse sea salt.
Baby Bok Choy ($7.95) was simply stir-fried with sesame oil, ginger,
garlic, lemongrass, soy sauce and a few scallions. Joining the bok
choy were whole shiitake mushrooms.
Desserts are mostly homemade, like Bernal’s mother’s
trademarked caramel Flan ($5.95) and the Five Spiced Apple Crisp
with vanilla bean ice cream and toasted almonds. The only two
desserts not made on the premises were the fabulous rum cakes — the
Jamaica Blue Mocha Rum and the evening special Pineapple-Coconut Rum
($8.95), both high-octane choices.
Oceanaire Seafood Room is a deep-sea treasure that
will be recommended for a long time to come.
Oceanaire Seafood Room
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ADDRESS: 900 S. Miami Ave., Suite 111, Miami
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PHONE: 305-372-8862
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HOURS: Lunch 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays; dinner 5 to
10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday; until 11 p.m. weekends.
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FOOD: Seafood Steak House
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SERVICE: Professional yet very personable
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PRICES: Appetizers $4.95 to $18.95, entrées
$23.95 to $59.95
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WINES: Very nice mix of domestic and
international labels in a broad price range
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ATMOSPHERE: Look of a 1930s luxury liner
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RESERVATIONS: Suggested
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CREDIT CARDS: All major credit cards
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