In 2013 it's hardly news that that dining options in big luxury hotels have for the most part evolved way beyond the good-quality-but-bland fare of yore, with high-profile marquis restaurants showcasing some of the world’s top chefs. But in my experience, few offer a culinary experience so cozy, intimate, and downright romantic as downtown Miami’s Trapiche Room. The fine-dining star of the four eating/drinking venues at the 274-unit, Four-Diamond JW Marriott Hotel on downtown’s premier business corridor Brickell Avenue, its name harks back to the wineries of Argentina (whence hail the hotel's owners). And so as you might expect, its wine list is strong on chewy Malbecs and other delightfully fermented grape juice from Mendoza. But as it happens, Trapiche’s is mostly Mediterranean, and executive chef Daniel Goldich (right) may be from Philly, but he does a great job with a palette and flavors inspired by Italy, with soupçons stirred in from Spain, France, and North Africa.
That’s why given this particular hotel’s Argentine ownership, as well as the influence of that country’s many Italian immigrants on Argentina gastronomy, Chef Daniel’s latest project, a $39 “Taste of Argentina” menu, is nothing if not a perfect fit. It's a mix of the usual Mediterranean menu items with several inspired by the land of gauchos and Evita; I stopped by a couple of nights ago to check it out, and left not only stuffed (I'm glad I thought to skip lunch that day) but impressed. Herewith the highlights:
Following a pair of lovely olive-based amuse-bouches—slightly crunchy breaded/fried olives and a dab of olive pâté (a luscious first for me whose silky secret is, of course, butter), I started in on a quartet of appetizers (left): grilled chorizo sausage with salsa criolla on baguette slices; shrimp annointed with a light tomato-based sauce; baguette slices spread with goat cheese, tangy chimichurri sauce, and pimento; and fried risotto balls, which managed to be simultaneously crunchy and creamy (nice trick, Dan). There was also some delicately flavored New Zealand lamb a la milanesa (breaded Milanese-style, also popular in Argentina) with chimichurri. One dish I missed was a selection of empanadas (Argentina's iconic meat-filled turnovers, in case there's still anyone out there who hasn't heard of these).
Moving along to the main courses, I sampled some mighty smooth spinach ricotta ravioli with ragú alla Bolognese crowned with a parmigiano crisp, followed by another Italo-Argentine hybrid, steak a la milanesa done a caballo (“on horseback,” meaning with a sunny-side-up egg riding on top—in Goldich's version this is a quail egg). Accompanied by herb fries and asparagus, the beef, as with the aforementioned lamb, impressed me with both its flavor and its delicacy. (A third choice, by the way, was rosemary-marinated skirt steak with a Malbec reduction, accompanied by roasted fingerling potatoes and crispy pancetta.) Check ’em out:
For the sweet finish, even I, whose preferences lie decidedly more on the savory side of things, left nary a trace of this menu's two sinful choices. First up was a chocolate dome—said chocolate being a slightly denser version of mousse—with delectable pistachio gelato and a Grand Marnier/chocolate ganache (for those for whom too much chocolate is never enough). Then came my favorite (right), Goldich's tasty melding of two Argentine faves: flan (which as you know is Latin America's version of crème caramel) and dulce de leche (a creamy paste of sweetened caramelized milk). Now, dulce de leche is just dandy candy in measured doses, but on its own I find it something of an acquired taste, very sweet to the point of cloying (in fact, I'm not much a fan of the way they often eat flan in Argentina, with a big ol’ dollop of dulce right next to it). But as rendered here, in addition to this chef’s trademark smoothness, this flan strikes just the right balance of that toasty caramel flavor but without overwhelming the palate with too much sweetness. Me liked, very much.
And all of this was delivered, as I mentioned, in a petite, elegant space that feels practically like a private dining room, with mahogany paneling; wine racks on two sides; a pair of large, impressionistic vineyard paintings; a warm, floral area rug; and just ten to 12 tables. And service is not just attentive but friendly in a way that doesn't come across like a put-on. Our young waiter Douglas was happy to chat about his hometown of Santiago in the Dominican Republic, as was restaurant manager Pelayo about his native Asturias, Spain. And of course Chef Daniel came out more than once to see how we were making out and offer commentary on the menu (while researching Trapiche's online reviews, I discovered he does this for everybody). And I got to learn a bit about his own background, including training at Atlantic City's Academy of the Culinary Arts and stints at the Michelin-starred L'Essentiel in Avignon, France and U.S. luxury hotels such as the Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel, California's St. Regis Monarch Beach, and W Honolulu (now closed).
There's just one tiny catch with this particular menu: it has a very short shelf (er, table?) life—just till November 10—so it’s unlikely you'll actually get here in time to try its more Argentine-inspired items. But this is no bait and switch; I can quite honestly recommend you stop by for the regular menu, because my dining companion had several of its dishes and gave me a taste of his squid-ink risotto with braised calamari, marinated rock shrimp, and broccoli rabe, as well as a Chilean sea bass dusted with seasoned salt and bathed in lobster-limoncello sauce, served over a farro risotto. Exquisite (and now you can better understand why I waddled out so stuffed). The Argentine menu is likely to be back again at some point, along with other specialty menus, and if you can make it down here next August or September, Trapiche usually participates in the county-wide Miami Spice program, offering great deals on prix-fixe menus. (No charge for the pricy hotel valet if you dine here, BTW!)
And when you go, please give Chef Daniel my regards.
Tripatini co-director David Paul Appell is a longtime travel journalist based in Miami, and author of the new Frommer's EasyGuide to Miami and Key West 2014.
images | David Paul Appell
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