Local Love: Bazaar @ SLS Hotel, Miami Beach

photo: Food for Thought

It was a Sunday afternoon and I was enjoying brunch at my usual Sunday haunt, Michael's Genuine Food & Drink. My fellow Cobaya co-conspirator, The Chowfather, had joined me and we were about three Sonny Rollins deep when we hatched a brilliant plan to hit up The Bazaar, Jose Andres' latest restaurant that had recently launched at the brand new SLS Hotel on Miami Beach.

Bazaar had opened surrounded by a ton of hype. The SLS was Miami's "shiny new object" and Andres the biggest culinary name to open shop here in some time. The menu listed tons of small plates to choose from and the prices what you would expect of this sort of restaurant - a bit higher than your average restaurant. As usual, the twitter and yelp crowd donned their armor, strapped on their helmets, and grabbed their swords ready to bash it down if their lofty expectations were not met on opening night. Many slammed the service and pricing of the meal on social media, which provoked a reaction by avid social media chef Jose Andres himself that perhaps McDonalds would be a better venue for them.

I had chose to wait, like I usually do, about a month or so for the restaurant to get into a rhythm before giving it a try. My experience was phenomenal and even included a chat with Chef Andres himself who happened to be in town when Chowfather and I made our visit that Sunday evening. I'm not going to go into detail about the meal I had that night or on the four nights in eight days that I dined there. Why? Simply because our other Cobaya co-conspirator, the venerable Mr. Frodnesor, has already typed up an insane recap of Bazaar and the meals he joined us on.

Instead , I'm here to tell you this: you can have an incredible meal at The Bazaar for $50 or less per person excluding tax/tip and alcohol. How can this be done without needing to hit the aforementioned McDs after to get full? With the help of Chowfather and Frodnesor, we've come up with some great options for ya. Keep in mind most of these scenarios are for parties of two. Take notes, kiddos...


My suggestions:

1.) "The Spaniard" - $48 total

Mediterranean mussels - $10
Escalivada w/ blue cheese - $10
Croquetas de pollo - $12
Black Rossejat - $16

This one starts light, adds body, and ends heavy with one of the best dishes (if not the best) on the menu. At $48 total for two, you could easily add a cocktail or wine and get out for under $50pp including tax/tip. Huge value here.

Kueh Pai Ti & Croquetas

2.) "Asia with a Friend" - $94 total

Traditional Siu Mai - $14
Kueh Pai Ti - $16
Japanese Taco - $10
Bao con Lechon - $18
Creamy Coconut Rice - $18
Baby Japanese Peaches - 18

This one gives bursts of flavor. Starting out with some dim sum is a good way to begin. The bao and rice are loaded with flavor and are filling and the Japanese peaches with Burrata make for a smooth landing with a light dessert quality.

Now a suggestion from Frodnesor:

3.) "The World Traveler" - $100 total

Kueh Pai Ti (Singapore) - $16
Pollo al Ajillo Cubano (Cuba) - $14
Conch Fritters (Bahamas) - $12
Papas a la Huancaina (Peru) - $24
Secreto de Iberico (Spain) - $22
Key Lime Pie (America) - $12

Frod takes us around the world, starting with some shareable bites before moving on to a knockout dish (Papas a la Huancaina) and another one of the biggest values on the menu (Secreto de Iberico which comes w/ iberico potato puree and pan con tomate). The deconstructed key lime pie is also a dish even local South Floridians can be impressed by.

And a couple of lineups from Chowfather:

4.) "Monday night football sandwiches" (pregame) - $47 total

Bao con lechon - $18
Frozen Blue Cheese Sandwich - $13
Corte de foie gras - $16

We're gettin' heavy with the sandwiches to pregame for MNF on this suggestion.  Just a simple gorge-fest courtesy of Chowfather to get you started before kickoff.  See Hillary at Bar Centro outside for an Old Fashioned, Manhattan, or Jose's Gin & Tonic to wash it all down properly.

Bagels & lox cone

5.) "Diverse Menu" - $50 total

Bagels and Lox - $7
Watermelon & Tomato Skewers - $9
Baby Japanese Peaches -$18
Black Rossejat - $16

Chowfather starts this suggestion with one of my favorite bites, the bagels & lox cone.  The lox in this case coming in the form of salmon roe.  This one stays light and packed with flavor before closing with the aforementioned rossejat.  I'm tellin ya, every time I type "rossejat" my mouth waters a little bit.

Finally, there's this suggestion...

6.) "The Chowfather" - $50 total

Jose's Taco - $50 (BOOM!)


Let's face it, with a menu that consists of about 60 items excluding the cured meats & cheeses section, dining at Bazaar can be a tad intimidating. These are just a few ways you can get in and out of Bazaar for under $50 a head. If you add the Rossejat or Secreto de Iberico to any lineup, you can score easily at Bazaar. In fact, a solo diner could opt for either of those dishes along with a beer or two and leave belly full and happy.

But seriously, why limit yourself?  I've found the best way to experience The Bazaar is as a party of three.  You can try lots more items that way and the bill divides three ways to soften the blow.  Some dishes that come as two pieces may require the "Hey look, it's David Bowie!" move where you snag a bite while the others foolishly look away from the table but, hey, when are you going to be able to use that move otherwise.

You've got the blueprints now, so if you'll excuse me, I've got a date with some rossejat!

Gracias, Sra Martinez

When Sra Martinez first opened in the Design District, I was pretty excited.  I had been to Michy's a few times and really enjoyed the food and 1/2 plate options.  Seeing that my friend/neighbor who shared a lot of Spanish dishes with me had just left town, I was looking forward to a new taste of Spain too.  My first few visits were outstanding and friends that accompanied me gave me quite a few pats on the back for my dining choice.  Amongst my original favorites were the crispy artichokes, patatas bravas, a pork belly dish, a tasty sweetbreads dish, and some clams that I could have and would have eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if given the option.  The restaurant had a nice vibe almost immediately after it opened, most of which probably came as a result of Chef Michelle Bernstein's endlessly growing popularity in Miami.  It was a great spot for dinner.

Then things changed a bit on my next couple of visits.  The one that hurt the most was the elimination of the clam dish that I so loved.  I later heard that it was a slow seller and clams aren't exactly something that keeps for a long time so a change needed to be made.  That was too bad because I'd have signed a contract that required me to eat X portions per week if it meant they would stay on the menu.  Seriously.  They were that good.  After a dinner that I helped organize came off as "just ok", I decided I need to take a break from Sra Martinez for awhile.

Lately I had been hearing great things about some new dishes and great service so I decided to make return visit.  After making a reservation for four, I was told we were to be six, changed the reservation, only to have to change it once again to a party of eight.  The hostess couldn't have been more polite and helpful with changing the reservation and putting us inside so the women would be warm.  Dinner that night was fantastic.  I really enjoyed the scallops with spinach and peas.  The scallops were cooked perfectly and very flavorful.  The table loved the uni risotto that I had ordered on a friend's recommendation.  It was topped with calamari and a chimichurri sauce.  I thought there was a bit too much chimichurri flavor but I was in the minority, even amongst friends who had the dish recently.  I guess I need to try that one again.  My favorite dish of the night was actually a vegetable dish called "choclo con chiles", a mixture of corn and chiles topped with shaved manchego.  The cheese actually looked like fresh snow had just fallen on the plate, covering the dish.  The corn was so flavorful and the chiles had a nice kick.  It was a phenomenal dish for being something so simple.

A few nights later, I returned to Sra Martinez for a cocktail after dinner down the street at Mandolin Aegean, the new hotspot in the Design District.  One of my favorite things about Sra Martinez when I first started going there was the little bar upstairs and the bartenders.  These guys make a great drink and can talk spirits too.  The bar has a prohibition era vibe to it, maybe because vials of drink-making liquids (shown above) bunch on the bar in certain areas and the bartenders dress in vests, ties, and drivers caps.  We went for "a drink" and ended up staying for three, sipping sidecars, sazeracs, and a drink called flor de espana that was made with scotch, sherry, lemon, and egg whites.  It was a good night.

I'm glad I went back and tried Sra Martinez again as they are doing some good things there.  It's also a great place to take a group and share a bunch of dishes.  I have a feeling I will be headed back soon.

Sra Martinez

4000 Northeast 2nd Avenue

Miami, FL 33137

Get Directions

(305) 573-5474

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.