mango&lime — a blog about food and eating in miami

I hesitated about writing this post because so much has been said about Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink already. And my impressions on my first visit last week weren’t much different from what I’ve read about Michael Schwartz’s recent addition to the Design District. Then again, how could I not write about it? This is a food blog after all.

For me, Michael’s was a change from other restaurants. Despite all the hype and buzz it has created, the restaurant seems to keep its feet on the ground. It creates a homey vibe in trendy surroundings. The menu — a choice of snacks, small, medium, large and extra large plates — was a welcome concept. Service was friendly and casual. I was surprised to recognize the waiter who waited my table at Nemo almost one year ago. “I follow Michael wherever he goes,” he told me. “I mean, his food is grrreat.”

We ordered a few usual suspects: the wood-oven roasted Vidalia onion stuffed with ground lamb with apricots, and the pork shoulder, which is served with the only grits I’ve liked to date. Before that, we tried meatballs in a tomato sauce from the snack section of the menu and the panzanella with heirloom tomatoes. The meatballs and the panzanella were straightforward dishes that wouldn’t seem out of a place at a home dinner table – and I don’t necessarily mean that in a negative way. The roasted onion and pork shoulder had a little more depth. I loved the contrast of the spices and the apricots in the ground lamb and the pork shoulder was so tender you need just pull off the pieces with your fork. For dessert – not that we had much room for it as we were only two – we ordered the Key Lime Meringue Tartlette, which is topped with a high crown of lightly browned meringue.

Our table was right by the kitchen, which is open for all to see. At one point, we saw Twinkies being unwrapped and wondered what was in the works. There was a birthday party going on in the adjacent space, which is also owned by the restaurant and reserved for private dining. A little later, the staff passed by us carefully carrying open Entenmann’s boxes and Twinkies with lit sparklers in place of candles over to the other room. Now I’m not sure if the Twinkies were the guest’s request or the restaurant’s doing, but it was nice watching all of it happen.

Maybe it’s this openness and candidness that makes Michael’s appealing. When you think about it, the restaurant’s concept is simple, but it succeeds because it’s executed with care and they somehow transmitted that to me as a diner.

Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink
130 N.E. 40th Street
305.573.0066

tags: Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink, Design District, Michael Schwartz