Michy's

I was able to escape the cold this past weekend and visit South Florida, which among other things made for a few remarkable dinners, none quite as good as Michy’s in Miami. Michy’s is a reasonably young restaurant that gets a ton of press, in part because it won last year’s James Beard Award for Best Chef of the Southeast U.S. The chef, Michelle Bernstein, cooks mostly Italian and French rooted dishes with accents from her Jewish and Argentine background. The menu’s filled with unique and ambitious flavors, but most dishes come together to actually comfort your tastebuds rather than shock them.

Located in what would be generously called an up and coming area of Miami, the restaurant is housed in a very basic space, enough for about 20 tables, a small bar, and the kitchen. Upon walking in you are immediately struck by the décor, bold and striking in its change from the norm. There are a mix of flowered designs along the walls and on the furniture, giving off both a South Florida and 70’s feel. A huge mirror ran across one entire wall of the restaurant while the other wall had a simple white drape across.

Aside from the décor, the first standout feature of the restaurant was service. The front of the house is run by Bernstein’s husband, David Martinez, who oversees a small army of incredibly knowledgeable staff ensuring that every diner receives the same great service. At one point early in the evening we counted 16 staff tending to a half-empty 20-table restaurant; detailed for sure but also possibly overkill. Either way, the restaurant ran beautifully throughout the night with a cycle of waiters and staff tending to each table in addition to both the chef and husband making rounds at different points to greet diners.

The menu was unique both in form and cuisine. For one, Michy’s offers almost every dish in half and whole sizes, in my opinion a brilliant and underutilized concept. Not only can you eat portions that fit your size and hunger level, although these "half portions" were quite generous, diners can also try more dishes and really make the meal their own creation. On a side note, I really wish this trend would catch on more, I think restaurants would see happier customers and more of them. As for food, the menu was both ambitious and unique, but the final creations often tasted like great classics – keeping both adventurous and traditional eaters happy.

For the first course we had the white gazpacho soup ($9) and the veal sweetbreads over a mini cassoulet ($14). The soup was a puree of cucumber, almonds, and grapes poured on top of a few cucumber slices, almonds, white grapes and breadcrumbs. I’ve never seen gazpacho without tomatoes before but it was so simple and excellent, an innovative take on a basic soup. As for the sweetbreads, there was one large piece that looked like a thick chicken finger and tasted crispy on the outside but soft and fleshy inside. The cassoulet under was incredibly light and juicy, just a few bites of beans, duck sausage, and chorizo in a dark red sauce. For such distinctly heavy French food, this had real finesse.

For the second course, we had half courses of the pappardelle with whole shrimp and steamed salmon with horseradish cream, both $20. Showcasing Italian skills, the homemade pappardelle was light and airy and would hold its own against any good Italian restaurant. The shrimp with heads attached (below) were enormous, plump, and fresh. Sprinkled with some chopped parsley on top, the juicy shrimp is just one clear advantage of cooking in a coastal area. While the shrimp shined, the fish stock broth did not. A house made stock that was then cooked with cold butter, it suffered from an overload of pepper that overwhelmed the pasta and would’ve done the same to the shrimp if they weren’t placed on top of the pasta.


Pappardelle with whole shrimp in a fish broth

On the other hand, the salmon was excellent throughout. I’m no fan of cooked salmon, but my fellow diner is a salmon expert, consuming it nearly six days a week, and attested that this was the best salmon dish she’s had in years. The steamed fish came just as ordered, med-rare, with a bright orange center that screamed of just undercooked deliciousness. The garnishes, however, really made the dish. The salmon was served with steamed spinach, a soft deep purple roasted beet, thin slices of reddish pink raw beets, and a few mandolined slices of a crisp apple on top with horseradish cream sauce throughout. The textures, flavors, and colors were all so different and vibrant but really worked together, soft and crisp, savory and sweet, yet none overwhelmed the salmon. Nor did the horseradish cream sauce, which with just a hint of heat was practically licked dry from the plate.


The salmon with beets, spinach, crisp apples, and horseradish cream sauce

Different angle to see the roasted beet and horseradish cream sauce

Our stomachs already reaching our limits, we moved on to the next course: half portions of the shrimp pappardelle and braised short ribs in a mashed potato puree with caramelized carrots and toasted breadcrumbs on top ($20). Slow roasted for over four hours, the short ribs were served as a long boneless strip that literally fell apart at the first touch. The meat was surrounded by pureed mashed potatoes that were light and airy, not the least bit cumbersome or too thick. For a South Florida Mediterranean restaurant, this was an incredibly delicious, hearty, and homey dish, just another example of finesse in their cooking. If this wasn’t comfort food, I’m not sure what is.

But those short ribs weren’t used just for the main course. They were also featured in an appetizer as thinly sliced strips below an arugula salad with cherry tomatoes. Versatile for sure, the table next to us swore by its flavor as well. As for other meat dishes, there was also a churrasco, a thick cut of skirt steak, which paid homage to the chef’s Argentinian roots.

Completely full by now since I probably would’ve been more than satisfied after a half appetizer and half main dish, the dessert menu came. Our waiter, who had given great advice so far, put us on notice that for our first time dining here the bread pudding ($8) simply could not be missed, a salute to the chef’s Jewish upbringing. Growing up in a Jewish home, I’ve had more than my share of bread pudding and have never been in love with it. It’s always so lumpy and usually hit or miss. Well, this could not have been different. The pudding was smooth yet thick with a crisp apple flavor and rich chocolate running throughout (from chocolate chunks that melted in the hot dessert). Served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top, it was both elegant and traditional home cooking - and wildly good.

Far from DC and certainly expensive (especially in these times), Michy’s was a true eating experience. If in Miami and in the mood for a nice meal, I absolutely suggest it, few South Florida meals compare (Costs range between $30 and $70 per person including tip depending on just how large your appetite is). While obviously geared to adventurous eaters who enjoy new and exciting flavors, the menu had something for everyone. Their half portion system allowed for us to try more of their menu, a real bonus here, but also gave us the feeling that we had some ownership over our meal. I was both wowed and reassured throughout, eating foods that surprised the palette as well as reminded me of simple great dishes from my childhood. I really can’t convey just how satisfying the meal was; probably my favorite since coming back from Argentina.

Michy's

6927 Biscayne Blvd
Miami, FL 33138
(305) 759-2001