Romeo in Love

Wherefore art thou more restaurants like these?

Comments (0) By Lee Klein Thursday, Jan 17 2002

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Romeo sauntered by to ask if we enjoyed the grouper, smiled and nodded at our kudos, and moved on. If there were any doubters in the room to begin with, at this point they were duly impressed and more than willing to unquestioningly submit their trust and control of the evening to the chef. A ring of white risotto on a black plate arrived in his wake, the center of rice mounded with morsels of filet mignon rapidly sautéed with onions and crunchy snippets of asparagus in a savory brown sauce again perfumed with truffles and fresh herbs.

The main course of lamb, two neatly trimmed New Zealand chops, were flawlessly grilled to medium-rare consistency -- we were never asked about temperature, so I suppose if you like your meats rare or well done, you should volunteer that information at the start. The chops were bathed in a buttery Barolo wine sauce subtly shaded by the piney scent of rosemary, with a small, crisp thatch of sautéed carrots, green beans, and bean sprouts on the side. Like every course preceding it, the lamb was simply prepared and inarguably delicious.

Steve Satterwhite

Come in! Sit down! Romeo will cook you a five-course meal, any way you like it

Location Info

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Romeo's Cafe

2257 Coral Way
Coral Gables, FL 33145

Category: Restaurant > Italian

Region: Coral Gables/South Miami

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Details

305-859-2228. Open for lunch Tuesday through Friday noon till 3:00 p.m.; dinner Tuesday through Thursday 6:00 to 11:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 6:00 p.m. to midnight.

2257 Coral Way

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Dishes that we didn't get to sample, but you might, include smoked mozzarella with asparagus sauce, potato stuffed with buffalo meat, fettuccine with goose and truffle oil, and mahi-mahi with coulis of watercress and cilantro. The six-course dinner is a steal at $50. Lunch, a more time-efficient four-course meal, is priced, unbelievably, at a mere $20.

Oh Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Oh here he is, coming by to ask: Do we like chocolate? Well, yes, of course. Shortly afterward a "chocolate soufflé, in chantilly sauce streaked with strawberry coulis," came hot from the oven and redolent of richly rewarding bitter chocolate flavor. Served outside the mold and sans runny center, this was more a soufflélike cake than an actual soufflé but nonetheless an exemplary finish to a darn near perfect restaurant experience.

Savvy romantics take note: Valentine's Day is just a month away, and as of this writing there are still tables available. Take someone you want to woo here, and I guarantee they will fall in love -- possibly with you, definitely with Romeo's Café.