Tag Archives: grouper

Mignonette

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Well, I was back in Miami, and had to hit up some of the places I just didn’t have time for during my last visit. So, I paid a little dinner visit to Mignonette.

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One of the top restaurants in Miami, this seafood spot has a great mix of upscale and casual dining all in one. They have a playful vibe here, but the focus on the food is no joke. We started with some wine, and ordered from the Prix Fixe menu that they were offering that night. I chose to start with the Boston Lettuce (pickled shallots, croutons, buttermilk dressing). All the ingredients were fresh, and the buttermilk dressing was on point, so, this was a pretty fool proof choice, but, I do love a salad. 

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For my entree, I ordered the Grouper (roasted cauliflower with smoked trout roe). I loved this. Grouper might not be an all-around crowd favorite, but I actually really like it. The texture is a bit more firm than most white fish, it’s not as delicate and flakey, but this was still very tender and flavorful. It paired really nicely with the nuttiness of the the roasted cauliflower flavor, which also balanced out the saltiness of the roe. 

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For dessert, I went with their Butterscotch Heath Bar Bread Pudding (cayenne whipped cream). Now, if the name alone doesn’t sell you, maybe this will. Holy F*&k, it was amazing. The saying, “save the best for last” is super relevant here. Don’t get me wrong, everything else was definitely delicious and wonderfully prepared. But, I’m a huge sweet tooth and definitely fell in love with this. It’s served warm, and has a dense, yet light and custardy type of consistency, making it a perfect comfort food. If you’re just out and about, already ate dinner, just go in for this. You can thank me later. 

The Shorts:
Name: Mignonette
Location: 210 NE 18th Street, Miami, FL
The Long and Short: Would I go back? For sure. I really liked the atmosphere, and the food was excellent.
Would I recommend it? Definitely. Whatever you order, I’m sure it’ll be delicious. But whatever you do, don’t leave without that damn bread pudding.

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The Farm House

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When in Nashville, you can expect to find lots of Southern cooking. But, when you can also find farm to table, locally sourced food in a restaurant decorated and furnished with handmade accents and re-purposed barn wood, well, that’s a bonus. And, you can find it all at The Farm House in the SoBro district in Nashville. 

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Everything on the menu sounded great, and I had to start with a drink while I decided on the food portion. I ordered their Casey Jones Spring Train Ride (American Born Sweet Tea Shine, smoked blackberries, simple, soda). I had a similar sounding drink at The Southern in Nashville, but, the two drinks were pretty different. I really enjoyed both, but this one was great since the sweetness of the drink was really subtle, basically coming from the blackberries themselves. You can also really taste hints of smokiness from the blackberries too, which is a really interesting and nice combination. 

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Then, for the table we ordered a couple snacks to start. First, was Pickled Egg Whites (smoked trout filling, alfalfa sprouts). This was really great. Served like a deviled egg, the white of the egg is delicately pickled, giving a nice, slight, salty and acidic flavor, balanced out by the smooth, smokey, creaminess of the trout, replacing the traditional egg yolk. 

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Next, I had Skillet Cornbread with porkbutter. Holy buttery, corn skillet goodness. This was awesome, and definitely a great thing for a table to get to share to start. The cornbread had the perfect balance of sweet and savory, served hot in the skillet, crusting the outsides just enough and keeping the center soft. Put a dab, or a slab, of the whipped porkbutter on top, and it melts right in. I think I could hear Paula Dean squealing somewhere in the distance. 

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For my entree, I had the Pan Seared Grouper (Meyer Lemon grits, braised pistachios, braised white raisins). I really loved this. This fish was tender, flavorful, and set atop of the creamy grits. I’ve never had citrusy grits, and I really liked them. The flavor cuts some of the richness and almost keeps it on the lighter side. The braised pistachios and raisins add a really nice, sweetened, crunch and texture contrast to the delicate fish and creaminess of the grits. 

The Shorts:
Name: The Farm House
Location: 210 Almond Street, Nashville 
The Long and Short: Would I go back? Definitely. Everything was delicious, the service was great, and the aesthetic is really nice as well. 
Would I recommend it? Absolutely, it’s a great, casual restaurant with a chic sophistication. And don’t forget to order the cornbread.