Where You Should Eat: Best Restaurant in Miami 2021 - Mandolin Aegean
At Mandolin Aegean, on every level, your senses will be satisfied: by the wooden archways, and the white stucco with blue accents surrounding a quaint garden dining space that will transport you halfway around the world; You truly do feel as if you are stepping into a mediterranean hide away. If the aesthetic alone is not enough, the quality of the food is second to none; this place is hard to beat. And the Baklava, oh the baklava, it is utterly transcendent.
Since arriving to the sunshine state I have not been able to eat at as many new places as I would have hoped, but I have still managed to tick off a few boxes I was dying to try. At the top of my list was Mandolin Aegean and it did not disappoint, the food, service and overall vibe all knocked it out of the park. The magic of this spot is the impact of the flavors; perfect balance of salty, sweet, sour and rich. Everything here really is spectacular, and the ambiance just feeds this feeling even more.
Dish Of The Day: Octopus
In reality there is not much more to this dish then exactly what you see; a PERFECTLY cooked piece of Octopus.
Whether you eat this normally or not, I would highly recommend trying octopus from a great mediterranean restaurant. This is one of the main proteins in the diet in this part of the world, and the difference a skillful cook or chef makes on a dish like this is massive. Octopus can be chewy and flavorless quiet easily, but can also be finessed into one of the most creamy delicious bites from the sea you’ll ever have.
One bite into this dish Gabi and I smiled at each other in recognition of how well done this was. For me the simplicity here is what makes it special, fresh olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, the highest quality octopus and masterful cookery; what it’s all about!
When I start “judging” what the level of a meal is, where does a restaurant or chef land on my internal catalogue of great meals I’ve eaten, one of the key and almost fundamental aspects to a great restaurant is having those X factor moments. Those special added touches of thoughtfulness, of unique service, the added effort that make a meal memorable. This can be a performance element of service, a thoughtful gesture or a physical product; finishing off a dish at the table, a cocktail with a ‘Wow”, unique glassware/dishware, housemade products and condiments, complimentary amuse-bouche or intermezzo, etc... These elements of a restaurant give it something special, something a bit different and totally memorable to hold onto as more than your average dinner.
At Mandolin, one X factor came in the form of a gorgeous hand thrown pitcher that the house specialty white sangria was served in. I found myself looking at it smiling several times during our meal. It was beautiful, a little piece of art for the table and it added a special aesthetic to our environment that felt just right. Something so simple really did have a great impact on our overall experience.
The second thing I loved about this experience was that they had a house made hot sauce that was delicious. I love hot sauce, and I definitely have my preferences so this was an extremely pleasant surprise for me. Again, the added time and effort to create and produce a great condiment shows a level of skill and more importantly care from the ownership and chefs that you do not see everywhere.
More than any one thing, I appreciate what this restaurant is doing as a whole; cranking out consistent high quality dishes with impeccable service, a focus on the details in a truly special space! When you are in Miami this is an absolute must, but make sure you make a reservation a week or two ahead of time!
