I can completely understand why Michael’s is one of the most popular places in town. I’ve always eaten well there, the service is lovely and fast and the setting relaxed. Inside’s all a bit dark red and cramped/cosy to quite sit well on a hot Miami night, but the leafy courtyard is just perfect. Plus the Design District location is perfect for a bit of walking and quality window shopping after dinner.
They’re always busy, it seems, and sometimes that means the table they want to give you bears not much relation to the size or time of your booking or whether you’d preferred inside or out. Yesterday though we lucked out and got a generously sized outside table, along with a lovely inked waiter with a vestigial ponytail who called everyone at the table “young man” and “young lady”, irrespective of age and experience. He also suggested my non-alkie ginger and lemongrass ale which was zingy (can you apply that adjective to anything else but ginger?) and fresh.
I really like the way the menu is divided up by the size of plate, small to extra-large (not that I’ve been brave enough for an XL). The smalls can be a bit variable in heft, so yesterday’s local triggerfish crudo was just a few weeny slices of fish, whereas others are more robust, like the homemade pate (a chunky block with generous helpings of toasted bread, pickles, fresh fruit chutney and mustard) or the egg cocotte with gruyere. Mediums are spot on for my appetite as a main, especially when combined with a side order – every last scrap of chargrilled octopus was devoured while my duck confit was crispy with pumpkin seeds, the fat offset with a zingy (hah!) lemon sauce. The slow roasted pork shoulder lived up to its large billing, a huge hunk of forkable, unctuous meat with cheese grits. The Italians at the table analysed the pizza margherita (also a large) and pronounced the dough very good indeed, tomato and basil flavoursome, just let down by some substandard mozzarella which is understandable, I suppose, at the price that the good stuff commands over here. The french fries are far, far too good.
Puddings are also great – we’ve had the chocolate cremoso with olive oil and salt before, a pot of velvety chocolate heaven (not quite dark enough perhaps?). Yesterday there was a wobbly cheesecake flan (kiwi? lime?) topped with a cloud of meringuey cream which disappeared in short order before I could extend my fork. Ice-creams (luckily closer to my seat) are always served just right – three scoops in individual bowls (so you don’t get that mixing of runny flavours, yuck), usually with some kind of biccy alongside. Mochaccino was yummy and on my list to replicate at home, butter popcorn was as advertised. Wish I’d persuaded Mr. R&R into the roasted banana though.
I also went home with a copy of the Michael’s cookbook – well, as Mr. R&R pointed out, I’m chronically short of recipes and some days we risk not eating at all… On first glance, morning coffee in hand, I’d say that I’d agree with Food for thought Miami in saying that perhaps the most interesting bits (especially for somewhat experienced cooks) are in the Basics section and in the lovely ideas for accompaniments and sauces (mustard with black cod, yoghurt sauce with bass, kimchi with everything!). I like the practical way the recipes are written and the whole book reads as appetisingly as if sitting down for lunch at the restaurant itself – food I’d want to cook and eat, in other words. Roll on the next dinner at Michael’s, a class act.
