After a quick pit stop in
San Francisco, my travels for work took me across the country to Miami! There, we (well I was) were fortunate enough to dine at
Scarpetta as guest of chef
Scott Conant, who is a friend of my boss.
Located in the famous
Fountainbleau hotel, Scarpetta has a glamorous yet airy nautical vibe. With studded leather and boating rope decorating thick pillars around the room, mirrored panels and an eye catching marbled-effect tile bar, the decor is as sexy as the city itself.
Since we were guests of the chef, we were treated to the Chef's tasting menu with wine pairings- a dinner that would have costs me an arm and a leg and then some... I love the perks of my job!
To start the dinner, we had the NV Fantinel Prosecco, bubbly, crisp and refreshing! I was ready to eat!
For our first course, we were served a duo of Crudo- Raw Yellowtail Hamachi with olio di zenzero (or ginger oil), flaked sea salt, pickle oil and topped with baby greens (right), and Tuna Susci with marinated vegetables (green chives, carrots etc) with preserved mushrooms (left).
The Yellowtail Hamachi was fresh and delicate, enticing my appetite for more. The ginger and pickle oil gave just enough acid to offset the rawness of the fish. However, my one complaint was that the fish itself was so thin and measly! I wanted more meat, well flesh if you are getting technical.
As for the Tuna Susci, I quite enjoyed the sublime freshness of the Ahi Tuna, although it was a little on the salty side. The marinated vegetables in the middle were like a little Asian cold slaw and provided nice textural contrast against the soft tuna.
For our second flight we were served a bunch of small plate appetizers to share family style.
First up, the braised short rib of beef with vegetables and farro risotto.The short ribs were braised to tender perfection and were complimented masterfully by the creamy and comforting risotto. The fresh peas and carrots hidden among the farro grains definitely won me over as I'm a peas and carrots girl, through and through.
The second dish served with this course was the burrata cheese with heirloom tomatoes and baby greens.The chewy burrata cheese and sweet tomatoes (a classic combination) did not fail to impress. The burrata itself was so creamy and fresh that it was actually a struggle to keep it on the fork. But I did my best to eat it elegantly. Meanwhile, some at my table, I will not divulge who, just used their fingers. Tut tut!
Keeping with the cheese theme, we also were served an order of the Mozzarella in Carozza sitting atop stewed baby tomatoes. While the burrata was soft and creamy, the mozzarella carozza was fried and sinful. The breading was just beautifully crisp and crunchy, while the mozzarella was a seamless blend of melty-smoky goodness.
Also served with the appetizer course was the creamy polenta cooked for hrs with milk and cream with a fricassee of truffled mushrooms and truffle oil sitting on top of it.
Before I tell you about this dish, let me tell you what my boss said about this Polenta. He said, and I quote "the polenta at Scarpetta is about as definitive as
Joel Robuchon's mashed potatoes." Now that is a high order.
My verdict? This famous polenta was very creamy and smooth but strong enough to stand up to the earthiness of the truffled-mushrooms that was added table-side. To be honest, there was a tad too much dairy and milkiness to it. But that's just me, the girl who hates the smell of milk.
With this course, we were served the Antinori Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, a earthy white wine with nice acidity.
Up next, the pasta course, again shared family style. It must first be said that all pastas are made fresh at the restaurant and definitely make The Olive Garden look like an amateur (although, I am not going to lie, I love me some soup, salad and bread sticks from the OG :D)
First, we sampled some of the eggplant & burrata Raviolini with confit tomatoes and ricotta salata. Not being a huge fan of the texture of eggplant in general, I indulged in the cheesy ravioli and enjoyed the sweetness of the confit tomatoes.
Then, we reveled in the simple but rich flavors of Scarpetta's signature entrée of spaghetti with tomato and basil. While some may say this is too basic a dish to be a signature dish, I always admire a chef that can cook the basics well. No bells and whistles to distract, just the simple classic flavors of the food.
However, to be honest, I found that the spaghetti had just a tad too much tang in the tomato sauce. I like my sauce with a touch of sweetness to it, even if it means polluting the dish with a pinch of *gasp* sugar.
Sourcing from the ocean, we tasted some of the Strazzapreti with lobster, tomato and capers. While I loved the combination of the seafood and tomatoes, what this dish really needed was more seafoodness in sauce, if that makes sense at all.
I guess I wanted to taste the ocean in this dish but instead tasted more of the tomatoes and capers. All that being said, the Strazzapreti dish was still one that I enjoyed thoroughly.
Next, we had a dumpling-esk pasta dish that I did not catch the name of (the waiter was rambling on a little too fast and I felt bad asking him to repeat himself). But that had chicken leg, veal and one more meat, pork (?)and topped with chives, diced carrots and mushrooms.
This nameless pasta dish was by far my favorite of the entire course! Hearty and lusciously meaty, it had the distinct taste of liver (potentially the 3rd mystery meat?) to it.Yet for all that heartiness, the pasta still had style and refinement. I could have eaten an entire bowl of this pasta and called it a day. Alas, we had a lot more food to get through.
Lastly, we were served the duck and Foie Gras ravioli made with semolina dough and caramelized onions; and drizzled with a Marsala reduction.
Now this dish, was relentless in its richness and unctuousness. As it marched across my palate, leaving a path of destruction and taking no hostages on its way, I could not help but enjoy the way it melted in my mouth and, yes, clogged my arteries.
With our pasta course, we enjoyed the
Castello della Sala (also by Antinori) Cervaro della Sala Umbri. A lovely full-bodied Chardonnay with crisp notes of apple and cloves.
Moving onto the main course, we had samplings of steak, duck and fish. Phew.
First up, the 21 day aged dry NY prime steak with porcini mushrooms, marble potatoes and parmigiano.
Admittedly, while the steak was tender and juicy, I felt like I had had this exact dish before. Furthermore, I think I didn't enjoy the steak as much, seeing as how I was already stuffed to the brim.
We also dined on some Long Island duck with red and yellow golden beets, crispy potatoes and an orange scented jus.
This Long Island duck was elegant and the orange scented jus complimentary, however, it was a touch too salty for my liking.
On the fish side, we tried their Alaskan halibut with baccalà mantecato, smoked paprika and white asparagus. Now despite the fact that I was feeling stuffed, I quite enjoyed this dish.
As I ate the halibut, images of white asparagus waltzing elegantly with the delicate fish popped into my mind. Meanwhile, the smoked paprika added a complexity and depth that took this dish to the next level.
And lastly, I forced my-already-bursting-self to try the Black cod with caramelized fennel and concentrated tomatoes. Here, there was an interesting sweet and sour flavor profile going on that I had not ever had with cod.
To complement our main course, we sipped and swirled a brunello di montalcino (I did not catch the producer- sorry!)- a definitive tuscan wine. Lush, with deep manly tones, the wine was lovely with the duck and steak.
And finally, despite being oh so full, I forced myself to clear some stomach space for dessert!
For dessert, we had the Amedei Chocolate Cake with toasted almond gelato, salted caramel sauce and
a chocolate cigarette. If you know me, or have been following my blog, you'll know that there has never been a chocolate cake I didn't like.
This amedei chocolate cake was no exception. The deep chocolate goodness paired harmoniously with the salty caramel sauce and cold almond gelato. I could not get enough of the dessert and somehow found my 5th stomach that one usually reserves for dessert :)
Another chocolate delight offered for dessert was the chocolate zeppole with a nutella center, vanilla anglaise and candied hazelnuts.While some in my dining party were on this like white on rice, I thought it was a mediocre attempt at zeppoles.
The nutella filling was measly and you did not get any hazelnut flavors what so ever.
And last but not very least, we had their coconut panna cotta with a caramelized pineapple and guava soup. An interesting dessert to say the least, I adored the tropical combination of guava and pineapple as it brought back childhood memories. However, the coconut panna cotta I did not really care for.
All in all, I came away from Scarpetta fully stuffed and wholly satisfied, having tasted a sampling of Chef Conant's masterful cuisine.
Details:
Scarpetta
4441 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33140
(305) 674-4660
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