Oh, crowded opening parties, how we've missed thee!
Tonight Miami welcomed beef-emporium BLT Steak to the fray of Ocean Drive and our steak-happy city. From the looks of the handsome dining room in the revamped Betsy Hotel, BLT Steak is going to be quite popular. Yes, it's another steakhouse, but that doesn't mean we can't get excited. It's Laurent friggin Tourondel. The man is quite celebrated in New York and all his eponymous restaurants seem to impress both the critics and food lovers. Just the fact that he decided to open a place down here speaks volumes to the faith he places in our city and our dining public.
The wine and champagne was flowing and the buffet was generous. It seemed like the entire menu was up for tasting with four different salads including a great burrata, moist roasted chicken, salt-crusted red snapper, roasted lamb and NY strip. Plus all the gluttonous sides like creamed spinach, potatoes gratin, wasabi mash, asparagus and sauteed mushrooms.
The cheese table was a curd-lovers dream with Humboldt Fog goat cheese, cows milk brie and plenty of stinky and sharp varieties to satisfy the nibble-happy party goers.
The desserts were mini-versions of the good stuff including ille-flottante (floating island - made of delicate meringue), peanut butter chocolate mousse (amazing), crepe Suzette (great passion fruit syrup) and carrot cake (best in show).
The crowd seemed to be digging the food because the buffet line never shrank, and the food and drink kept coming. The staff seemed effortlessly on their game, clearing plates, offering more wine, courteously slicing all that beef.
All in all a good sign of things to come at the new resto.
