The Best Thing I Ate This Week: Salmon Nigiri & Chicken Parm
Don't you dare call it 'saL-mon'
Torched Salmon Nigiri with Smoked Tomato (from Palm Beach) at ZZ’s
In one of the most unsuspecting spots in town for Sushi, ZZ’s stole my heart with their salmon torched nigiri. Aside from the perfectly cooked rice which is game changer with sushi - we were told the fish was flown in daily. It most certainly tasted that way, too. So, this bite is topped off with dollop of blended tomato from a Palm Beach County farm that’s perfectly smoked. Lastly, let it be known that this jaw droppin’ good bite goes down in the books as the perfect bite. And, by the way - they are open for lunch to the public, so head on over for this divine delicacy. —EMN
@zzsmemberclub // 151 NE 41st St. Suite 117, Miami Design District
Chicken Parm at Blue Collar
Going to Blue Collar and trying to eat healthy is kind of like going to France and asking for a mocktail. Sure, you can do it. But it defeats the point of going, and your waiter is definitely going to judge you. I learned this when I went to Blue Collar on Sunday and asked for the chicken parm without cheese, and the waiter squinted at me like I’d just asked him for a glass of candle wax. “If I ask the chef, he’s going to send me out here to slap you,” he said.
So I conceded and ordered the chicken parm as God and Danny Serfer intended, and I’m glad I did. The overly-generous chicken breast is meatier than most chicken parms, with a thick, crispy breading and a rich red sauce. The gooey layer of mozzarella makes you forget its calorie count - like pretty much everything on Blue Collar’s menu. It’s all served on top of a single-parent-on-a-weeknight-sized portion of Angel Hair pasta, a welcomed change from Miami’s glut of $40 chicken parms that don’t even include noodles. And in a city where Italian restaurants are as interchangeable as the New York transplants who own them, it’s fitting Miami’s best chicken parm is from a local at Blue Collar. – MM
@bluecollarmiami // 6789 Biscayne Blvd., MiMo
Porterhouse from Daniel’s Miami
Ok, is this steak an off-menu dish? Yes. Is it a whopping $350? Also yes. I’m not saying this should be your Tuesday night dinner—but if you’re out celebrating, or just in the mood to ball out with friends, the porterhouse at Daniel’s is the move. Seared hard, juicy inside, perfectly marbled, and topped with flaky salt and a sprig of rosemary, it’s the kind of steak that makes everything else on the table fade away. And yes, you’re going to want the béarnaise on the side. -OF
@danielsmiami // 1500 San Ignacio Ave., Coral Gables