I recently visited Miami, FL for work, and while I was there had some of the best food I've had in quite some time. First of all, there are more restaurants in Miami than you can shake a stick at, but today I wanted to dwell on one in particular. I went to Olivo's (technically in Doral, FL) thinking it would be a good place for a martini to unwind for happy hour (I travel a lot for my job, and a cool buzz at the end of the day can turn dining alone from mundane into tolerable) and enjoy some Argentinian cuisine.
Despite the name, however, there is no liquor on the premises of this establishment. I was slightly disappointed by that, and also because a look at the menu gave me the impression that this would be great place for a really nice date. Too bad my rental car is a 2010 metallic pumpkin-colored Camaro.
(This car makes it hard to find classy girls, sorry Chevy)
Nevertheless, I stayed and did not regret my decision.
I started with the piquillo peppers stuffed with goat cheese. Pretty good I have to say, but I mean, really, how hard is it to mess that one up? Goat cheese is delicious all the time, and using it to stuff a roasted pepper is just a medium so we don't have to use our hands to stuff it in our mouths as fast as we can (as I'm sure you will agree, we are all wont to do). Alas, I digress...
Have you ever had a meal so good that it gave you goosebumps? Yeah, me neither until I ate the salmon. Recommended to me by my beautiful, yet non-English speaking, bartender, I was a little skeptical at first (had she said Jamon or Salmon?), but my doubts were soon washed away when the entree arrived.
Salmon on a bed of risotto with mint jelly.
First off, I noticed the presentation immediately. The pastel colors of the salmon and risotto contrasted vividly with the green of the mint jelly (it brought back memories of the key-lime pie in the black and white intro to 'Natural Born Killers'). It was a great way to set the Olivo's tone (if anyone gets that joke, please leave a comment).
The flavor of this dish was the true prize, though. That sweet v. salty taste that always will triumph was there in spades. I couldn't believe my taste buds. I am not a big guy (a buck fifty is my fightin' weight); so after the four or five peppers in the appetizer course, I didn't know how far I would be able to go into the main dish. Let me tell you though, I took that thing to the face like there was no tomorrow. I couldn't, in good conscience, stop and think that I would be able to warm it up later in my Springhill Suites microwave. No! It would be a disgrace to the food. I ate through that meal like I would never taste something that good again.
Replete to satisfaction from the salmon, I ordered coffee which was served with a nice little caramel candy to round off the meal. I should also go on record as saying that the restaurant's menu looked very good overall; I was not considering the salmon at all and was actually having quite a bit of trouble deciding when the recommendation brought me around. I'm not sure what constitutes true Argentinian fare, but I was so blown away that day, that I couldn't have cared if it was a cheap, Peruvian knock-off. It was good!
This was the kind of meal that you eat and it makes you think about the bigger culinary picture. Confusion sets in, and you ask yourself all those gastrointestinal, existential questions (Is all food supposed to be this good? If so, where have I been this entire time? How can Applebee's exist in a world where this meal is available?).
Summary: I approve of Olivo's in Doral (greater Miami), FL and give kudos to the folks that got my movie joke.
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