Okay, so...I really really really (get the picture?) like L'Artusi. I had heard about this place from several of my friends and was advised that it is one of the new "hot spots". I have dined here on several occasions and was never let down in any way.
DECOR Swanky. This multi-floor, modern set-up they have going on is so esthetically pleasing to the eye. The place is just beautiful.
SERVICE Pretty good each time that I've dined with L'Artusi. Definitely acceptable for a trendy restaurant but don't expect the best service you've ever had.
FOOD De-freaking-lish! Sit down and buckle up because the ride is about to get good! ++ Escolar - with avocado, basil, and chiles. This was seriously yummy in my tummy. Probably the best dish that I've ever had dining at L'Artusi thus far. It's so light and refreshing and while I had never even heard of escolar, it did not disappoint. A MUST ORDER ++ + Fluke ceviche - with pear, pomegranate, mint, and pumpkin seeds. Definitely an interesting take on the traditional ceviche. I am a huge fan of ceviche (and even make my own) and well, I had to be. I lived in Miami for the past 5 years and there are so many Peruvian influences throughout Miami that you can get ceviche pretty much anywhere. While I would say that this dish was also refreshing and light (and tasty) it was quite interesting. Don't expect your traditional ceviche. + Hamachi tartare - with blood orange, cara cara, and pistachio. Again, another interesting dish. I love hamachi and could literally eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The flavors of this dish were also unique where at first I was like huh?! but after awhile I "got" the dish. + Charred octopus - with potatoes, chiles, olives, and pancetta. I cannot eat at a restaurant with octopus on the menu and NOT order it. It's like against my religion (which I guess worships the octopus). Of course, I had to order this dish. It was also really delish. Octopus is really hard to cook and this tenderness was spot on.
I've also had one of their main course fish dishes but this is blurring together with another restaurant so I can't remember if it was the arctic char or the roasted cod. Hmmmm!
Did I eat pasta at L'Artusi? No. Never have. I know you must be questioning whether I'm crazy or just simply pondering why I would eat at an Italian restaurant and NOT order pasta (even despite being heavily persuaded by the waitstaff each time). Well, I guess I will have to leave this up for my next L'Artusi adventure!
Definitely worth the wait, definitely worth the money!
Listen up white people! Take a seat and take notes.
I couldn't believe what I saw when I walked into Neta. My friend advised me that Neta was an amazing sushi spot to go for Omakase and so after my 4-day juice cleanse was over, I ventured on over to Neta.
I walked in and saw all white people! WHAT? I looked at my friend and asked if he was sure that it was that good! Not just white people...white people eating rolls. Rolls?! WTF. Likely they were freakin' California rolls! I was definitely not confident that it would be a great meal. I'm white and listen, there's nothing wrong with white people eating at awesome sushi spots but I was just taken aback as usually when I go to "authentic" sushi spots, there are not many white people at all (like 1-2 max).
I was also surprised to see a mixologist behind the sushi counter in this small little bar area. He made me a great cocktail with soju vodka, yuzu juice, peychaud bitters, and simple syrup. It was quite strong and different but very tasty.
We ordered the omakase (chefs choice) that had 8-ish prepared/cooked dishes to start (can't remember), followed by 10-ish courses of omakase sushi. I forgot the exact numbers but whatever, you get the point.
Are you ready to start this magical journey with me?
Prepared dishes:
+ Leek soup - This was like straight out of a 3-Michelin starred restaurant. It was so well presented that I felt terrible actually eating it. Honestly (see photo above) it was ridiculously good. + Toro Tartare with caviar + White asparagus salad with miso tofu, scallion purée, quinoa, and pickled radish + Miso glazed seabass + Raw fish kara age + Wok fried lobster with miso and lotus root ********+ Wagyu beef with king mushrooms - I swear I almost damn near fell off my chair when I ate this. BEST PIECE OF MEAT I HAVE EVER CONSUMED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. Do I need to repeat this? Make bold letters and stars when you are taking notes about this. Legit, the best. It melted in my mouth.******* + Mochi rice (risotto) with uni and truffles - Is this for real?! Seriously. Come on guys, you can stop trying now.
The sushi pieces were quite heavenly as well. Very fresh and VERY good.
We ended with the peanut butter ice-cream (THEY MUST HAVE KNOWN THAT I AM OBSESSED WITH ALL THINGS HAVING TO DO WITH PEANUT BUTTER) and I can definitely say that I was in heaven. For a good 2 hours, I was sitting in heaven.
Neta definitely ranks within the top 2 sushi restaurants in NYC in my book and I have been to pretty much all of the top sushi restaurants in the city. YOU MUST GO and also make sure that you sit at the counter and get the omakase. Trust me, it's worth every penny!
No. This place is not a 3.5 star place. Absolutely NOT. It is 5-star. Sorry but I am QUITE familiar with the Miami food/brunch/nightlife/you get the picture/ "scene". I lived in Miami for 5 years and believe me, I have done and seen it all when it comes to dining or going "out" in Miami/Miami Beach.
This place has changed the game.
First of all, it's in the middle of legit NOWHERE. Taking a taxi there was shocking as when we pulled up I was sure that it was not the right address. We were reassured that it was by the velvet rope and bouncer at the door. Ahh, of course. It wouldn't be a "scene" type of restaurant without those two elements.
We made reservations like a week or two in advance and they easily accommodated 2 additional guests that we had joining us. We did have to wait about 30 minutes but we were on this big plush bed so we didn't mind waiting at all.
I absolutely love the decor and VIEW. Yes, it's not of the greatest water ever, but it's still better than what restaurants are in existence today in Miami. It's still a unique view. Yes douchey men will pull up on yachts which makes no sense because the dock isn't even big enough for most of them and it just looks so out of character compared to the other restaurants and empty warehouses in the area. I'd say if you are thinking of boating here, don't do it. It looks tacky and douchey. This isn't the south of France, it's downtown Miami.
I digress. Anyways, we were all starving so we ordered immediately. We ordered the king crab, the pasta with king crab, and the risotto. The best out of the 3 was the king crab in itself. The worst out of the 3 was the risotto (but it still wasn't bad). Service? Terrible.
Forget the food, forget the terrible service, let's talk about the ambiance! Suuuure you came to Seaspice for the food (uhhhh no?) Yes, the food is good. I will give them that, but, the real attraction of this restaurant is the brunch scene.
This Place Gets Wild.
You will likely see celebrities (okay maybe just some real housewives ones but whatever, I'm trying to explain the ambiance) and really old guys with really young girls. Hey, it's Miami! Don't be surprised. You will see every type of plastic surgery job that is in existence and girls dressed to the 9's for a simple brunch. Again, it's Miami.
The bar scene is pretty busy in itself but people also dance at their tables and the whole place is just a party. So it's not bad if you can't get a reservation and you just go for drinks at the bar.
There will likely be someone playing the bongos and getting the party started and there will definitely be a DJ playing some really great music. The music was a mix of everything.
We Had A Ball.
+Make reservations for outside because the inside doesn't get as wild (unless you want to be more tame, then I would suggest to sit inside) +Make reservations far in advance and go with more than just 2 people +Stop hating on this place and just know what you are expecting when you go there!!!!! This place is really awesome.
Okay...if you only read one Bagatelle review, you need to read this one. I'm going to give you the FULL rundown of Bagatelle boozy-brunch Sundays.
SO! To start, you better make a reservation. Don't even think of trying to come to Bagatelle on a Sunday brunch day and expect to be seated at a table. That's laughable. You MAY be able to get in and stand at the bar but who the hell wants to do that? Reservation time? This depends on if you want to eat beforehand. If you want to eat in peace without sitting in darkness and hearing music so loud you can't talk to anyone at the table then make it for 2:30/3pm. That will allow you time to order food and eat it before the madness starts. At exactly 3:30 the music starts going full-on. Make sure you also arrive within 10/15 minutes of your reservation or you risk them not allowing you to sit at your reserved spot.
Second of all, if you come with just a party of 2 for brunch, be prepared to have a shitty table. Yeah, I said it. I didn't see one party of 2 people that had an even halfway decent table. Two of the 2-top tables are literally in like the hallway/walkway of the restaurant so there will be tons of people blocking the view of the place. If you come to Bagatelle and want to do it right, get at least 4 people and make a day of it.
Third of all, at tables for large parties it's bottle service only. You can get some relatively cheaper wine bottles so it's not like you'll be shelling out thousands of dollars on boos but just keep that in mind that everyone will be pretty much drinking the same thing. They have this huge (I don't even know how to really properly describe it) almost like a vase thing filled with boos and there are like 10 straws in it so you can share (if wine and champagne isn't your thing). Basically, everything alcohol-wise is shared.
Food. Yes, order food here. It is after all, a brunch. I ordered the tuna tartare. I was a little skeptical because I hadn't had Bagatelle food in a long time and ordering raw fish was not the first choice for me but I didn't want something super sugary (pancakes/nutella) or super fattening (lobster mac & cheese/pizza) so I went with a much healthier option and it did not disappoint. Seriously, it was the best tuna tartare I've ever had (see photo that I uploaded with my review). It comes with chips to dip which I did not show in the picture, but seriously this is a must-order even to share as an appetizer (or main-course).
Now on to the scene. Yes every girl will be wearing a Chanel bag and look like she just took 7 hours to get ready. Yes you may see some creepy dudes with sunglasses on who look like they have a Jersey Shore audition after brunch but come on people, this is Bagattelle. It is to be expected. Just set your expectations properly.
If you order certain bottles of champagne and alcohol, they do their own show just for you in front of everyone. I believe it's $1,500 minimum but they deliver your bottle in really unique ways and never the same way twice. For instance, they can have 5 guys holding up one guy with your bottle and he's dressed as superman. The music cues as well so it's a big eye-catching production. If you want to see and be seen, I'd opt for that.
Now, on to the bill. I left early and gave him cash towards the bill for my portion of everything. I informed my friends of this and told them how much I gave so they could make sure that the bill was properly adjusted. He did not tell them at all that I had paid anything nor did he adjust it off of the bill. So, had I not told them exactly what I gave him, he would have tried to play it off like I never paid. I didn't like this at all because it just showed how shady he was. I think that they assume people get so drunk and want to take advantage as many others have stated in the reviews as well. SOOO be very careful with what your order. Even though you're having a good time, just try to monitor exactly what you guys order so that no surprises come at the end.
All & all, this is a really fun brunch spot for a special occasion. I wouldn't make this an every week thing, but it's a fun thing to do once in awhile. I have also had dinner here on regular nights and wasn't disappointed but the music was too loud for dinner. Anyways, for brunch, this is a go-to spot.
I moved back to NYC from Miami in September and haven't been back for a few months now. Upon my most recent trip, I had to get the 411 from many friends on what new restaurants opened while I was away. Vagabond was one name that kept coming up so of course I had to check it out. My girlfriend and I went on a Friday night and it was packed. We didn't have to wait long for a table and scored one right in the window.
AMBIANCE The atmosphere is unlike any other restaurant in Miami. It's a modern spin on the retro vibe. I absolutely loved it. The layout was awesome as well as you could see almost every table from wherever you are seated. Lastly, the kitchen is a part of the open layout, so you can see everything going on (and even sit at the counter by the kitchen to really get a closer look).
The staff was on point and we didn't have to wait long for anything (water especially, which is a pet peeve of mine). He was quick and attentive and recommended some great dishes.
FOOD + Chicken wings - I'm from Buffalo so trust me, I KNOW what's up! I'm always skeptical to order wings anywhere because yes, the rumors are true, they are the best in Buffalo! I was advised that these were not just your ordinary wings, they are smoked over allspice leaves. The flavor really shined through as these were seasoned to perfection. They had a really unique taste that made these a favorite.
+ Blistered Cauliflower with grilled goats milk and smoked trout roe - I am obsessed with cauliflower, like, obsessed. I could eat this for breakfast, lunch & dinner. The presentation of this dish made me not even want to touch it, as it was that well presented (see photo). This was like something out of a 3-Michelin starred restaurant. The flavor was even better than the presentation. Seriously delicious. A MUST-ORDER.
+ Octopus - Another thing that I'm obsessed with is octopus. Melanie and octopus are side by side in the dictionary. If there is octopus on the menu, I am compelled to order it. It's like an unspoken rule. All of my friends know this and so as soon as we saw this on the menu, my girlfriend was like I know what you're ordering...yup! It had rancho gordo bean, epazote, and hojasanta. Don't know what those are? Neither do I! What I do know was that the octopus was so tender it melted in my mouth. It's seared then braised then baked. What a process.
The food is really unique and not your traditional Miami restaurant with a wonderful scene and shitty food. This place doesn't disappoint. It's on par with some Michelin restaurants and is definitely making a splash in the culinary world in Miami.
COCKTAILS I'm a wine drinker. Me and vodka don't get along (well we do but it's a love/hate relationship). We went to the pool beforehand to check out the vibe (with dj spinning and all) and I was talked into ordering a Vagabond Collins. It's with vodka, lemon, lime, angostura bitters, and topped with rekorderlig pear cider. Another MUST-ORDER. Stop by the pool before dinner and definitely order this. I could have drank those like water all night. Inside at dinner, I had another type of cocktail and of course after a few of those, I forgot what I had (oops). They have mixologists that can serve up a mean cocktail.
Definitely check this place out and be prepared for an experience.
