Fi'lia

For the previous short-form review, please see here.

Hi Uncle Steve,

Lauren and I got out to Fi'lia again last night and, without the family, I think a long-form review is in order. Another great meal and highly recommended, which I'll get to in a minute, though the pictures were problematic.

So, in a repeat of our last meal, making a reservation on OpenTable is rather difficult. Last time around, we made an early dinner reservation for 6 p.m., because that was the only table available for 6 on a few days notice. Perhaps not entirely surprising given it was a Friday at a Brickell restaurant newly opened by one of Miami's own top chefs, though rather shocking when we show up and the restaurant remains half-empty the entire meal. Didn't give too much thought to it at the time until this time around when I have the same problem making a reservation for two. So, we forwent the reservation and just showed up and had no problem getting a seat, notwithstanding it was prime time 8 p.m. on a Friday in Brickell. In a nice turn of events, we got a little table outside by the sidewalk, though regretfully the camera lighting was rather poor and hence the pictures.

We began by ordering a pair of cocktails which lasted the dinner. Lauren ordered a Venetian, a wine spritzer made with aperol, prosecco, and club soda. Same drink she raved about last dinner; just as excellent this time around.

I ordered the Lacuna, a spin on a Manhattan made with Knob Creek Rye whiskey, carpano antica, mancino chinato, and bottled. That bottle ended up making the drink probably the best value on the menu, as it comprised at least two standard drinks, if not more. Oh, and it was delicious.

The meal of course began with fresh bread and olive oil. The restaurant's twist on this Italian American standard is that the olive oil (which is of incredibly high quality) is served with snips of fresh oregano. The bread was fantastic as well.

Getting to our ordered dishes, we began with a new one, snapper tartare, and an old (though it's only our second visit) standby, the tableside Caesar. The snapper tartare was itself topped with smoked trout roe, with a celery and radish 'slaw' and a parsley sauce on the side. The fish is apparently meant to be eaten upon potato chips, also included in the dish. It was excellent.

And we have our tableside Caesar. This image fails to do it justice, but as briefly mentioned last review, an attendant brings his cart tableside to make said Caesar. He begins by griddling garlic butter bread, to be sliced into cubes in lieu of croutons. As that browns, he begins the intensive process of making the dressing: fresh anchovies, garlic, salt, pepper beaten vigorously with little more than a fork in a large wooden bowl. Lemon juice, dijon mustard, and perhaps a few ingredients I missed and the sauce is ready. Whole leaves of romaine and a red bibb lettuce radicchio* tossed, plated, parmigiano-ed, and breaded, and our salad to share is ready.

* Despite enjoying it now twice, I had yet to identify the mystery red leaf lettuce involved. Our waiter this time, upon prompting, identified it as a bibb lettuce, though I found this questionable. After some research, I'm a bit ashamed to admit it is obviously radicchio. 😕

I turned the flash on finally. Lovely table, bad for pictures. 

Moving to our mains, Lauren had the corn agnolotti pasta (think ravioli) in a roasted lobster sauce. Excellent and perfectly portioned.

And I had, on recommendation, the wood-grilled cobia, with braised rapini and roasted cipollini. The fish was perfectly cooked, with the cobia holding up very well to the wood grill. The vegetables were excellent. And the sauce fantastic. Which brings us to the only disappointment, or rather complete failure, of the night.

Most of this was delicious.

This dish was topped with several pieces of toasted bread (or, as the put it on the menu, burnt bread). But, I regret to say it was neither toasted nor merely burnt.

I must digress to ask have you ever grilled a very fatty piece of meat that flared up in a grease fire? If so, you are well aware that the grease fire is not simply excess unwanted heat. Rather, the burning grease itself will put off all sorts of noxious organic compounds (mostly esters I think, but I'm a little rough on my organic chemistry), that can ruin food even if you avoid burning it.

Well, this bread was foul. To return to my original point, it was not merely burnt; it was imbued with the most noxious flavors I think I've had in a professionally prepared meal. This, of course, did not prevent me from eating all half-dozen or so pieces in the spirit of trying to find out what I was missing, until I was forced to conclude that it was likely some kitchen error on their part. The noxious flavors, though isolated to the bread, really ruined the remainder of the dish.

But, once again, Miami's dessert chefs are on point.

Moving on, Lauren ordered a scoop of pistachio gelato. And this wasn't just some almond ice cream with green food coloring; this was fresh, in-your-face, full-throated pistachio. And, it had a little pizzelle.

I, on the other hand, had a pine nut and honey tart, with a bitter orange marmalade to the side, and topped with creme fraiche and rosemary. It was excellent, with each of the three sides of the dish playing against the others. I also ordered a chamomile liqueur, Marolo 'Milla' (not pictured), to parse through dessert.

All in all, an excellent meal and I would highly recommend it. Fi'lia is the rustic Italian restaurant you never knew could exist. And, perhaps unlike most Italian restaurants, they really can handle their meat quite well, whether beef, pork, or chicken (or lamb or cobia). The Caesar really is the best I've ever had and is quite the experience (though I envisage even greater Caesars in the future). The cocktails and desserts are at the top of their game, though I remain somewhat perplexed about that 'burnt' bread on my main dish.

What's Italian for c'est la vie?