Michael's Genuine Offers a Prix Fixe Menu

Simon Hare

We were more than surprised when Michael's Genuine Food & Drink (130 NE 40th Street, Miami; 305-573-5550), located in Miami's Design District, was noticeably absent from the Miami Spice participating restaurants list. We wondered if all the accolades, including a mention in the New York Times' "Coast to Coast, Restaurants That Count," had gone to its head.

But little did we know Michael's would be "spicing" up Miami alone with its own prix fixe lunch and dinner menus. We already think the place is well priced considered the quality of food, but it's always nice to save a bit of money, especially in the middle of a recession. The lunch is priced at $22 Monday through Thursday, while dinner is $35 Sunday through Thursday; both exclude tax and gratuity. The deal ends September 30.

According to the press release, the menu changes every week. What can you expect this week? For lunch, appetizers include a choice of the soup of the day; panzanella, a rustic bread salad with hierloom tomatoes; or a cripsy sweet and spicy pork belly with kimchi, crushed peanuts and pea shoots. Entree choices include a chopped salad with tomato, avocado, cucumber, carrot, onion, olives, chickpeas and tahini dressing with a choice of grilled free-range chicken or grilled shrimp; pulled pork sandwich with celeriac slaw and homemade BBQ sauce; or wood-roasted fish of the day with sauteed escarole, grilled lemon and Provencal vinaigrette. Dessert includes a choice of summer peaches with blueberry cobbler ice cream, fennel Madeline and orange dust; or chocolate cremoso with sea salt extra virgin olive oil, sourdough crostini and espresso parfait.

Dinner choices start with housemade country pate with mustard remoulade and grilled sourdough; house salad with assorted greens, heirloom tomatoes, pickled carrots, radish, piave vecchio cheese and herb vinaigrette; or house-smoked sockeye salmon rillettes with perserved Meyer lemo, cornichon, creme fraiche and sourdough crostini. Entree choices include wood oven pizza with braised beef, smoke tomato, grilled eggplant, bufula mozzarella and pecorino romano; grilled rib eye cap steak with a greak faro salad, French feta and salsa verde; or pan-roasted local yellowjack with charred fennel and citrus salad and a citrus glaze. Dessert choices are the same as the ones offered for lunch.

-- Jose D. Duran