Lauren Bacall Would Have Loved Slim's. So Do I.
Slim's brings 1930s glamour, The New Yorker-inspired murals, and one very good $100 cheesesteak to Bal Harbour
If you're a fan of The New Yorker magazine, boy oh boy, do I have some good news for you. The moment you step inside Stephen Starr's newcomer to Bal Harbour, Slim's, you're almost immediately transported into its pages. The walls are covered in murals by Christoph Niemann - the illustrator behind some of the magazine's most iconic covers - commissioned specifically for this space. As an avid reader, I clocked it immediately and nerded out.
That’s just one of the many small details that make Slim’s such an interesting addition to the scene. While Miami doesn’t have a shortage of fancy steakhouses, this one, with its 1940s throwback feel and menu, offers a fresh take on a familiar concept, complete with all the signature Stephen Starr touches.
The Space: Starr built Slim’s around the glamour of 1930s Hollywood, taking its name from a Lauren Bacall film where her character was nicknamed Slim – and the space is designed the room to land somewhere between an old Hollywood supper club and a very good night out in Miami, without trying too hard to be either.
The restaurant boasts plenty of beautiful details like checkered floors, brass fixtures, plush banquettes, a big beautiful bar with a serious martini list, and the aforementioned Niemann murals decorating the space.
Slim’s opened in March in the original Makoto space at Bal Harbour Shops, a detail that might resonate with anyone who spent a decent amount of time at the previous restaurant. The outdoor area retains some of the familiar bones of the Makoto space with a new twist. Of course, as Bal Harbour does, there are plenty of fun people watching also on hand.
What to Eat & Drink: Start with the pigs in a blanket. I’ve ordered them both times I’ve been here, and I will order them every single time going forward. I don’t fully understand why this dish doesn’t appear on more menus across this city, but I suspect Slim’s is about to change that for a lot of restaurants watching what does well here. Also get the crab stuffed avocado. They fill an avocado half with crab salad, press it back together, and coat the outside so it looks like an intact whole avocado. It’s a fun and delicious illusion.
The chopped wedge salad comes with an option to have it pre-chopped, which, if you’ve ever wrestled an iceberg wedge at dinner and lost, you will appreciate it. Ours came pre-split into two bowls for my husband and me without anyone asking. Small detail, but that’s the kind of thing that separates a good restaurant from one you keep going back to.
One note for the lunch crowd: the Chinese chicken salad has since moved off the dinner menu. I had it on my first visit and it reminded me immediately of the famous one from China Grill (RIP). Hearty, satisfying, the kind of dish that also makes great leftovers, which obviously is a good thing on this site ;) It’s lunch-only now, which I understand, but I was bummed that I couldn’t order it for dinner.
Now. The cheesesteak. Yes, it’s a hundred dollars and, yes, that’s literally built into its name: the $100 cheesesteak, which has been a staple on plenty of Starr’s restaurants and finally made its way down to Miami. I’ve had it twice now and somehow, it was bigger the second time, which I appreciated. Hand-cut wagyu, black truffle, foie gras, fried onions. It’s as ridiculous and delicious as it sounds, and so filling honestly one could be shared amongst a table and everyone would enjoy.
For dinner, the steaks are the centerpiece and they certainly deliver. The wagyu ribeye my husband and I split was one of the more tender pieces of beef I’ve had in recent memory. There was a touch more char on the outside than we would have chosen, but it didn’t reach the interior and the quality of the meat carried it without much trouble. Starr told me on opening night his personal pick is the Delmonico, the 36 oz. prime dry-aged cut listed as the aptly named Owner’s Choice at the bottom of the menu. I haven’t tried it, at least not yet, but Starr’s stamp of approval certainly carries weight.
The sides are steakhouse-serious. The unique stuffed hash brown side dish could feed a small family. The creamed spinach is thinly cut and decadent, which is the version you want. I did not get the onion rings, but the table next to me did. They were enormous, thick-cut, the kind you notice from across the room. I thought about them on the drive home, and I’m mentioning them here so you don’t make the same mistake I did.
For dessert, the pink champagne cake with vanilla custard frosting is the move if you have any kind of a sweet tooth. I devoured mine. The bananas foster comes out tableside with actual fire and actual production, which is exactly what “tableside” is supposed to mean. It’s fun, it’s a little extra, and it earns both.
As for drinks, the full martini list is solid, the classic cocktails are there for the non-martini crowd, and the wine-by-the-glass program is more extensive than you’d expect.
Perfect For: Any night you want to go somewhere that feels like it was made for the occasion. Birthdays and anniversaries, obviously, but also a Wednesday when you just feel like it.
Pro Tips: Pigs in a blanket, crab stuffed avocado, the cheesesteak, wagyu ribeye, stuffed hash brown, pink champagne cake. Lunch crowd: the Chinese chicken salad.
Expect to Pay: Around $150 to $200+ per person with drinks, depending on how deep you go into the steak program.
How’s the parking? Bal Harbour Shops garage is right there, however, word to the wise, the mall is currently under major construction so give yourself some additional time to find parking.
@slimsbalharbour // Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., Bal Harbour