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Recent Articles By Lee Klein

National Features

At age twelve Adrianne Marie Calvo was pulling in $200 a week baking chocolate chip cookies and selling them at school. At sixteen she was voted one of the top ten up-and-coming chefs in Florida. At seventeen she captured the bronze in a national bake-off. Shortly thereafter, Calvo began training at Johnson & Wales University, where she was captain of the American Culinary Federation Competition team. And top of her class. First-place finishes followed at Cargill Salt's Search for the Seasoned Chef and Australia's Taste Down Under contests. The winning dish from the latter was served at a United Nations dinner attended by ambassadors, news correspondents, and numerous luminaries of the culinary world -- among them Food Network honchos, who invited Calvo to meet with producers the next day. A month later the ascendant redhead was receiving media training from Airthyme Co., whose clients include Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray, and Emeril Lagasse. According to her promotional materials, she then "sought out advice from culinary icons including Thomas Keller, and traveled extensively to explore the best in American food and ingredients." A return home brought a stint at Azul in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, as well as the simultaneous release of Maximum Flavor Essentials, her culinary product line, and Maximum Flavor, a cookbook collection covering favorite recipes of famous folks she has fed -- Will Smith, John Travolta, Diddy.... In 2006, after losing her younger sister to a rare cancer, Calvo partnered with St. Jude's Children's Hospital to launch Young Chefs Cooking for a Cure, a fundraiser to benefit cancer research. She has appeared on The Montel Williams Show, Fox, NBC, and Univision. She heads her own Terra Dolci Corporation, and a second book, Experience Taste, is due out soon. According to one of her two Websites, she is also an "internationally sought-after speaker who will deliver an unforgettable message of motivation and success." (Fee range: $5000 to $10,000.) Cookbook author, CEO, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and, with the May opening of Chef Adrianne's Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar, a restaurateur to boot. Adrianne Calvo has done it all.

She is 23 years old.

Out of respect for the extraordinary ambition and admirable accomplishments of this young woman, I'll begin with the positives regarding her 60-seater in the Hammocks area of West Kendall. Wine bottles, wine barrels, dim lighting, dark wood accents, terra cotta floors, and panels of hammered, copper-hue tin create the cozy, rustic charm of a country inn. The mood is only mildly undercut by a bright, tacky Coca-Cola dispenser and two TV screens regrettably tuned to a Yanni concert -- during both visits. Well, I suppose they could have chosen something worse. Or could they?

More pluses: Hefty wedges of bourbon-ancho rubbed pork tenderloin were softly engaging. Chicken breast stuffed with cremini mushrooms and provolone cheese, and drizzled with Merlot sauce, was likewise gratifying. The waitstaff is well-meaning and mannered, although service is awkward and amateurish. On one occasion we waited fifteen minutes for our waiter, and when she finally did come, she had to bring along the bus person, who was available the whole time, to translate her Spanish. Comical, really.

Oh, right, the positives: Prices are great -- appetizers $9 to $11, main courses $18 to $22 (except a $12 linguine and $34 lobster tail). And if Calvo's aim was to open an affordable, low-key neighborhood restaurant to fill a community desire (and judging by brisk business, this might be the case), she has succeeded. That's about it for the sunny side, unless I include easy parking.

It was somewhat shocking, after bouncing through the boastful and bountiful bio of the chef, to be handed a short menu of fuddy-duddy, Continental-style cuisine lipsticked with faux fusion modernities such as ancho, mango, and black bean sauce. Even more unexpected was the menu's poor conception. Dessert pricing is the most obvious gaffe -- $10 or $11 apiece, which is way out of whack for a place that charges $12 for a pasta entrée. And although it is wise, in terms of economics and freshness, to work with a limited number of ingredients and use them in more than one manner, when there are only six starters and nine main courses, repetition can be a real problem. Balsamic vinegar appears on so many plates it would not surprise me to learn that more of it gets poured in this kitchen than in all of Modena, Italy.

A basket containing the type of garlic rolls found at cheap Italian joints was a harbinger of our meals to come. A lamb chop starter -- two little cudgels of New Zealand meat coated in a sweet Asian mustard sauce -- was tasty enough (served on field greens dashed with balsamic dressing), but our waiter neglected to ask preference of doneness, as she also did for the aforementioned pork, and both arrived more cooked than we would have liked. An appetizer trio of prime-beef-and-chorizo sliders, also overcooked, were barely smaller than regular hamburgers -- way too large for an appetizer. I liked that they arrived with bacon and cheese toppings, but other diners might not welcome the surprise. These ingredients should be mentioned on the menu.

Two fat crabcakes came coated in crisp, coarse bread crumbs, but the beauty was only skin-deep. The interior comprised mushy, tepidly seasoned, shredded shellfish. "Chipotle aioli" squirted over the tops looked and tasted an awful lot like Russian dressing. Competing for sensory attention were arugula leaves dressed in maple-bacon vinaigrette.

A caprese salad did not bring lush slices of red tomatoes, milky-white slabs of mozzarella, and an aromatic plume of basil leaves. Instead the ingredients were petitely diced and tossed together with specks of prosciutto into a piddly little pile plied with olive oil and balsamic glaze. Didn't help that the plate still exuded warmth from the dishwashing machine.

Write Your Comment show comments (15)

  1. The restaurant is the best kept secret, the food is delicious, I live near by so I go all the time, all the items are exquisite. Mr. Klein, this is non sense , vendetta maybe??........

    Comment by Steve — July 5, 2007 @ 07:54PM

  2. I cannot believe this review for young chef Calvo. Aside from her true talent she is a savvy business woman trying to succeed in an area where it is not common to find a restaurant like hers. Instead of supporting such positive movements in our community, what Mr. Klein, you are doing is disgusting. Perhaps you are envious. Perhaps it is hard to accept that a 23-year old has accomplished what most middle aged men cannot and will not. There is some food for thought. And I won't waive my fee.

    Comment by Linda Blassetholm — July 5, 2007 @ 10:40PM

  3. Adrianne's is the best kept secret in all of Miami. You can taste the quality in her food. It is out of this world. These reviews are garbage. I reccommend for everyone to atleast try Miami's best New Restaurant which is Chef Adrianne's.

    Comment by Patrick Lane — July 5, 2007 @ 10:44PM

  4. Lee Klein has something wrong in his head or his taste buds. Chef Adrianne's is the best meal I've eaten in 5 years since I moved here from Manhattan. I can't get enough of her steak Au Poivre. Its to die for. I've done Christy's, Mortons, Flemmings and this is the best steak in town hands down. Give the girl a break you envious sons of bitches

    Comment by Richard Kurouscious — July 5, 2007 @ 10:52PM

  5. I never knew food critics need to criticize playing Yanni-something very classy. But what can I say being a food critic for the New Times isn't classy. Or is it? Chef Adrianne's is Miami's Best New Restaurant!

    Comment by Maria Pereira — July 6, 2007 @ 08:06AM

  6. Mr. Klein,
    It is really upsetting to see that your article is of malicious intent . I have visited Chef Adrianne's restaurant on numerous occasions, and really would like to set the record straight. This restaurant has brought an enticing dining experience to the heart of Kendall. It's really nice to be able to go out to dinner, a really nice dinner, and leave with such a memorable experience. I have enjoyed most of Chef Adrianne's plates which are impressive in taste and composition. According to your article, I believe the one that has a problem with repetition is you instead of Chef Adrianne......I have read your reviews of other restaurants and you can't seem to write anything worth reading. Mr. Klein, DO give credit where is due. Chef Adrianne's is a fine restaurant!

    Comment by Rosa Camara — July 6, 2007 @ 08:10AM

  7. I met Chef Adrianne at the NBC studios and have never met such a talented and quirky chef. She is one in a million and I guess people can't deal with that. Her foood is the best

    Comment by Monica Sureferi — July 6, 2007 @ 08:11AM

  8. I am very upset to read this review of such a distinguished restaurant. When you walk in to Chef Adrianne's you are transported to another place and time. Something she does not charge extra for. The prices are excellent. She really is throwing us a hand here. Sure the waitstaff could be a bit more polished but in a given time I am sure they will be. The other thing I am sure about is that in a short time, it will be incredibly hard to get a table at Chef Adrianne's.
    I had the best of the best there. I speak about this restaurant almost everyday and I ate there like three weeks ago. And the chef is really there. She came out to our table on a busy Friday night with such humbleness- a quality that few people have in this stuck up world.

    Comment by Charles Tanstein — July 6, 2007 @ 08:24AM

  9. Before writing all this bogus shit, you should have met Adrianne. You would know its not about "Fame Game". She's actually real and that's why she's always at the restaurant. Someone who is only worried about the cameras would be doing other things. I've gone to Chef Adrianne's three times on three seperate days and she has been there each time. What does that tell you? Someone who is dedicated and passionate and someone who is worth me eating their food.

    Comment by Jane Ambdeb — July 6, 2007 @ 08:28AM

  10. This girl wears her heart on her sleeve. I never met a Chef like this one. Whoever wrote "envious sons of bitches" was right on the money. This is so sad because Adrianne is just a hard working talented chef with a hell of a personality. The cameras came because of that charm she holds but it isn't fake. Whoever speaks with her for more than 20 minutes will feel that charm and passion transmit. I can't believe Klein is bitching about Rachel Ray who is not a chef and yet this girl who is so young gets her head cut off. This world is definetely not fair. But Chef Adrianne's is the best restaurant in south florida.

    Comment by Teresa Montenegro — July 6, 2007 @ 08:40AM

  11. This restaurant meets or exceeds a five star category. I have dined 4 times since they have been opened and the experience at Chef Adrianne's is by far exceptional. Mr. Klein, please educate yourself in the culinaty field and fine tune your palette.

    Mr John Dihart

    Comment by John Dihart — July 6, 2007 @ 11:02AM

  12. This is an incredible restarant with an incredible chef!

    Comment by Michael Manor — July 7, 2007 @ 04:08PM

  13. I feel you were really harsh on your comments with regards to the crab cakes and the mini sliders. While the sliders are a big appetizer, they are very tastey and can be shared. As for the crab cakes, they are delicious. As you mention, this restaurant has only been open for 3 months and Chef Adrianne is still testing menu items and training/hiring staff. You have to remember this restaurant is not in the "Gables" nor on "South Beach" and staffing can be difficult. Wouldn't it be more prudent to give constructive critizism and inspiration to a new Chef and restaurant owner than to try and tear down a new business? This is the problem I have with reviews such as yours. I believe if you go back in 6 mos you will see and experience the type of cuisine that Chef Adrianne is famous for and more.

    Comment by Ana Aja — July 7, 2007 @ 06:14PM

  14. I dined at Chef Adrianne's recently and it was the most remarkable meal I have had in ages. I cannot figure out her secret. The Food seems mostly simple. There are no gastriques or infused messes. Its the type of food you would drive anywhere from to get it. My wife said her steak was better than an orgasm and she has to have one every night. That's how good her steak is. Klein is absolutely wrong about everything he has written in this review. He must not want this young chef to succeed. Klein is probably gay. And I won't waive my fee either.

    Comment by Curtis Matthews — July 11, 2007 @ 03:50PM

  15. I have dined at Chef Adrianne's several times now, and each time it gets better. I cannot perceive a review of such. With so many bad restaurants in town, why would you want to drown the first good one? It makes you feel somewhere but here. It posseses a charm that now restaurant in Miami has. The food is vibrant and fresh reminicent of flavor of france. Sauces etc. Delectable!

    Comment by Reynold Whitaker — July 18, 2007 @ 03:14PM

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