Going Underground - Cobaya Dinner with Chef Alberto Cabrera

This past Thursday, the Cobaya "underground" dinner actually lost its' parenthesis as 43 Guinea Pigs gathered in a legit underground wine cave at La Bottaga in Coconut Grove for a 8-course meal courtesy of Chef Alberto Cabrera.  Chef Cabrera has an extensive resume here in Miami and currently heads up the kitchen at a badass spot called The Local in Coral Gables.  Having dined there many times and sampled other bites from Alberto at various events, I knew this was going to be a great meal.  First glance at the menu confirmed that.

The Vesper
Ridge Silver Tip Gin – Boyd & Blair Vodka – Lillet Blanc Aperitif
Mixologist David Ortiz

Charcuterie
Pig’s Head Terrine
Pickled Vegetables
Foie Gras Brioche
Mustards

Maine Sea Urchin
Corn Custard - Yuba - Compressed Cantaloupe - Ginger Flowers - Dashi Froth
Paul Cluvner Gewurztraminer, Elgin, South Africa 2010

Cured Foie Gras
Country Duck Ham – Frisee - Pickled Mango - Scarlet Beet Puree - Duck Fat Vinaigrette

Beef Heart
Broccoli – Farro – Shiso – Coriander Flowers – Gochugang
Neudorf Chardonnay, Nelson, New Zealand 2008

Matsutake Mushrooms
Pine nut Risotto – Coconut Fondant - Shellfish Emulsion – Parsley 

Cuttlefish Linguini
Cotechino - Romesco – Almonds – Orange - FennelInama Soave Classico, Veneto, Italy 2009

Squab
Quinoa – Dark Chocolate – Strawberries - Whipped Balsamic - – Red Vein Sorrel
Chateau de St. Cosme Crozes Hermitage, Rhone Valley, France 2009

Pork Tenderloin
Crispy Shoulder – Anson Mills Grits Puree – Grapefruit Gel - Local Honeycomb
Marietta Cellars Angeline Cuvee, Alexander Valley, California 2007

Raspberry-Yuzu Sorbet
Crème Fraiche – Mexican Vanilla - Thyme
Moscato d’Asti, La Spinetta, Piedmont, Italy 2010

Peanut & Dark Chocolate Turron
White Chocolate – Grapefruit – Lavender

The night underground started out with a cocktail, The Vesper, courtesy of local mixologist David Ortiz who said this cocktail was good for cleansing the palate before the meal.  The flavors of the gin, vodka, and lillet blanc had a harmonizing flavor to them with a sort of musty finish that I likened to tequila.  And we're off!

When we first walked in, I noticed the centerpieces on the table looked like pickled veggies.  That was indeed the case and they were to be paired with a nice head cheese terrine.  An added touch was a foie gras brioche that I thought was fantastic.  The foie really came through nicely. 

The hits kept coming after that first bite.  Up next was a small bowl with a corn custard in it, layered with compressed cantaloupe, crispy bean skin, ginger flowers and some uni.  This dish was exploding with fresh flavors, each component announcing itself through the chew and working in harmony to brighten the overall flavor.  A fantastic dish.  

A pretty plate

The next dish was impressively plated with our server, Leslie (whom I later discovered was Chef Alberto's wife), making sure the plate was rotated properly for presentation.  Frisee greens with pickled mango and a kickass country duck ham were covered in a duck fat vinaigrette and then layered with cured foie gras.  I liked the way the acidity of the pickled mango and vinaigrette balanced out the richness of the foie.  A swipe of beet puree added a fresh flavor that, to me, served as a nice bridge from the previous dish.

Beef heart, shaved thin and flavored with Gochujang (a Korean fermented hot pepper paste that Chef Cabrera also uses at The Local in his homemade beef jerky) took the stage for the next course.  It was paired with one of my favorite grains, farro, and a nice bushy piece of broccoli that had some spiciness to it.  The thin shavings of the beef heart were light on the tongue while the farro and broccoli provided a nice textural contrast.

Our fourth dish was my favorite of the night.  Matsutake mushrooms were paired with a pine nut risotto and shellfish emulsion to create a masterful dish.  The earthiness of the mushroom took center stage, supported by pine nuts that had been pressure cooked (I think) to soften them up for a risotto.  It's been two full days since Cobaya and I am still wanting more of that dish.  Damn, it was good!  I think it was so good that I totally forgot the next dish, a cuttlefish linguini.  I actually omitted it from the menu and this post after The Chowfather and I talked and couldn't remember having it at all.  We were convinced it didn't happen until we saw that Mr. Frodnesor had posted a picture of it.  Weird.  Maybe it was the wine haha.

The last two savory courses brought some nicely prepared proteins to the table.  First up was a half of squab with its' leg wonderfully crispy and plated with some quinoa which is another one of my favorite grains.  After that was a pork tenderloin laid on top of Anson Mills grits puree with grapefruit gel and a piece of local honeycomb laying nearby on the plate for dipping and mixing.  At first I didn't think I would like the honeycomb but it did play nicely with the savory meat and slight tartness of the grapefruit gel.

The final two courses were desserts but I was pretty much done after the first one, a Raspberry-Yuzu sorbet paired with flavors of vanilla and thyme.  I'm not really a dessert guy but this was the perfect dessert for me, especially after the number of courses we'd already had.  This was a light dessert with the raspberry-yuzu combination giving the old taste buds a nice massage before sending them to bed for the night.  Fresh, clean flavor.  I ended up wishing that I had stopped after that as the peanut/chocolate dessert that came next was way too rich for me.  

I knew when I first talked to Chef Cabrera about doing a Cobaya dinner that he would put out a kickass meal and he really did a great job embracing the spirit of Cobaya and plating dishes with a myriad of flavor and textural contrasts.  It felt good afterwards when we were chatting and he told me that it felt good to do a dinner like this where he could really get creative.  Courses like the matsutake mushroom dish and the sea urchin dish really impressed me as phenomenal compositions.  A huge thank you to Chef Cabrera for a truly fantastic meal and for securing one of the coolest locations we've had for a Cobaya dinner as well.  Additional thanks to local chefs Jeremiah Bullfrog of the gastroPod and Brad Kilgore of Azul who also runs a pretty badass blog called The Power of Passion, as well as all of the servers, additional kitchen help I may have missed, and the good folks at La Bottega in the Grove for letting us use their awesome wine cave.  That's not to leave out the Guinea Pigs whose enthusiasm and sense of adventure is what drives these dinners and keeps them going.  Here's looking forward to the next one!

Local Lunch Love

Recently, I've had some great lunch experiences at two places where I didn't think it was possible.  The first is Tarpon Bend in Coral Gables.  I went to lunch there on Saturday and had a fantastic Southwestern Chicken Salad.  It was HUGE, so huge that I couldn't finish it!  They serve nice pile of lettuce studded with bits of corn, black beans, cilantro, tortilla strips, and thinly sliced chicken breast.  A sort of chunky salsa vinaigrette and a slightly sweet but spicy red pepper (i think) dressing that I had served on the side brightened up the flavors.  One damn good salad.  The shrimp sandwich also looked really good.  A couple of Arnold Palmers made for a nice lunch on a late Sunday afternoon.

The second lunch experience that surprised me was at Chipotle in Hialeah.  Yes, Chipotle is a chain that I'm sure many have been to but when you add Hialeah into the mix, who knows what you're gonna get.  I happen to work on the Hialeah border, so my lunch options are limited.  When I heard about this Chipotle opening and that we could order online, I was pumped.  Their website has what I believe is the best online ordering system I've ever used.  I order for my boss and the two owners of my company too and they are somewhat picky eaters.  The website lets me choose their options and then attach their name to what they order so we don't end up playing "Who's Burrito Is This Anyways?"  You can also pay online which is awesome.  That way, after you battle crazy Hialeah traffic, you can just walk in and go to the register and pick up your order.  I maybe spent a total of 30 seconds inside Chipotle on my last lunch run.  I annihilated my still-warm-chicken-burrito ten minutes after that.

Be sure to check these places out if you're in the mood for a quick and healthy lunch.

Running with the Bulls (and possibly the devil too) at Por Fin

Friday night I met up with some new friends who had gathered at Por Fin in Coral Gables. They had the whole "running with the bulls" happy hour thingy going on with 2 for 1 on some drinks and lower priced tapas from what I gathered. I never looked at a menu though since I was with a group that fluctuated from 6 to 9 people throughout the night and a few of them knew the menu. Sometimes its nice not to have to make decisions, ya know? The upstairs was packed when I got there around 630pm and stayed that way pretty much until midnight. I did check out downstairs at one point around 9pm and it too was full.

The food...was really good! I thought the croquetas were incredibly tasty and I liked how they were plated with the choice of a garlic aioli or fig jam on opposite corners of the plate for dipping. There was some sort of bruschetta that appeared early in the night that I thought was just OK and seemed to be overly "olive-y" in flavor. Both a meat and a cheese plate made their way around too and everything seemed typical, none too exciting, with the exception of a blue cheese (cambozola?) that I really liked but cant remember its name. A bowl of potato chips with blue cheese all over them was also very tasty. Someone ordered some dish that looked like a potato skin with cheese and prosciutto on it but I didnt really get a good look at it nor a chance to take a bite. The one non-tapas-menu dish that I did get to try that I really, really enjoyed was the Huevos Por Fin. A bowl of potato chips, a fried egg, some melted cheese, some cured pork (serrano?), and some truffle oil really tasted like pure awesomeness once it was mixed together a little. I didnt notice any potato foam though which someone had mentioned was once on the dish.

Beer, sangria, and a crapload of wine flowed throughout the night. Apparently the Pinot Noir was good, let's just leave it at that. People also enjoyed the sangria but only when they asked that the simple syrup be removed as it was much too sweet. I had a sip of the white sangria sans syrup and still found it to be sweet but also refreshing. Beer selection was Bud Light, Grolsch, or a new organic beer from Michelob called Stone Mill. I went with the Stone Mill on a friend's recommendation and was surprised when it tasted really good! Unfortunately, they ran out before I could get another one so I switched to Grolsch and then later to Maker's Mark. The weak beer selection needs to be improved and running out kinda blew. With all the alcohol I've listed here, you can probably understand how we ended up at some whacky karaoke bar until 2am...yeah.

The food was great and everyone in the room seemed to have a great time. However, the biggest buzzkill was dealing with the check. Apparently their computers werent set up properly for the 2 for 1 or the cheap tapas because the bill was an absolute trainwreck. Luckily we had one guy on a mission to make sure that they got it right and he managed to do so in a completely calm and understanding manner which I think really helped the situation. I think this back n forth went on for about 45 minutes which was a tad absurd. Granted, we were a large party but I still think the bill at the end of the night was effed up. We did tip well though since the service was VERY good. I actually give the servers a lot of credit and the kitchen and bar as well because they really did a great job and were really polite and accommodating even though the place was packed and it was tough to move between the tables. Id definitely recommend Por Fin to friends and I'll have to make it back sometime myself. It was a fun place with a great vibe and the food was delicious.

Restaurant Review: Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering

One thing that I really find annoying when going out to eat is a boring menu. Items like "Steak & Potatoes", "Chicken & Rice", and "Seared Tuna & Salad" are way too safe and are also things I could easily make at home with minimal effort. I like food that combines different ingredients, sauces, and/or spices that make you think, "I like all of these things on their own, but can they really work together?", before you realize that they can and do very well. Its funny because when I was a kid I used to hate that my mom couldnt just make plain food. Her dishes would always have some spice, sauce, or twist to them and my unrefined palate wanted plain just like all the other kids had when I ate at their house. These days, when I dine out I want creativity, dammit. Luckily, I stumbled upon a restaurant that chants that same mantra. Its a little slice of heaven known as Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering and the food is anything but ordinary.

Whisk is located in a tiny strip mall on Le Jeune Road in Coral Gables, just off of US1. Owned and operated by the brother/sister tandem of Brandon and Kristin Connor, this tiny eatery really makes the best use of what little dining space it has. The layout of Whisk consists of 3 glass top tables with wicker chairs as seats along with a tiny stainless steel countertop with a few stools to sit on. The walls are creatively decorated with pictures of actual Whisk menu items, a chalkboard lists daily specials, and there are also shelves filled with supplies, though most are hidden from view by white curtains. Its cozy and inviting, and for those claustrophobic diners, orders can be called/faxed in for pickup.

The menu offers home style, gourmet dishes with ingredients obtained from local and organic purveyors. There are lots of healthy sandwiches, salads, and entrees, all of which sound delicious on paper. While looking over the daily specials last Friday, I found myself making the same sound in my head that Homer Simpson makes when he thinks about chocolate covered bacon. Its sort of an "Mmmmm..ahhhhhgggg" followed by some drooling. On my visit, I decided on one of the house specialties - Dry Marinated Skirt Steak with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola & Sliced Avocado Salad. I opted to have the meal without the onions since I have never really been an onion fan. This is where things got interesting. I got my entree and was told that the chef, Brandon, was going to give me some of the onions in a little cup on the side because they were so good that I HAD to at least try them. I chuckled and said, "Ok, I'll give it a shot." I figured if someone was that confident in his food that he would make a ballsy statement that a non-onion eater should try his caramelized onions, then the least I could do was give it a shot. I took the first bite without the onions and it was great. The steak was cooked to a spot on medium rare, which is a big deal to me. It was nicely marinated and the hefty portion of gorgonzola allowed me to take enough while ensuring I would have enough left for each remaining bite. After a few bites of the avocado salad, which had a killer mustard dressing, I decided it was time to try the onions. I piled a few on a bite of steak, added some gorgonzola, and took my first bite. The gorgonzola was the first thing I tasted, followed by the steak, but then there was this great flavor from the onions that was a perfect compliment. I sat there in disbelief as I chewed... I was eating caramelized onions! Up to this point, just looking at them made me shudder. Abandoning all of my inhibitions, I piled the rest on the steak and chowed down like it was my job to leave nothing but traces of steak juice on the plate.

Damn, that was good. The bill, including my iced tea, came to about $19 and I left a $6 tip because I was on a high from liking a vegetable that I had previously loathed. I will definitely be returning to try other menu items and I recommend this place to anyone looking for dynamite food made with fresh ingredients. Be sure to visit their website as well for catering and other services. Bon Apetite!

Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering
4702 S. Le Jeune Rd.
Coral Gables, FL 33146
786-268-8350
www.whiskgourmet.com