"Curried quinoa," said a different waiter, when placing down a plate covered in bright yellow sauce. Underneath were potatoes, and a minute later the waiter returned to take back what were papas a la huancaina — but not before I was able to ascertain that the two potato wedges were lukewarm. The quinoa was quite good — moist, spicy, dotted with minced vegetables. Other side dishes include mashed potatoes, white rice and black beans, roasted Brussels sprouts, and grilled corn with chipotle mayo (all $6).
Waiters were not well trained in general. Side plates were brought to the table along with predinner crisps made of cassava and a dish of puréed tuna dip (a very tasty, light, and unique "bread basket"). A plate of lemon wedges was placed down to go with the water. Then the plates were taken away, along with the lemons, just as our shared appetizers and refills of water arrived. A number of other stumblings (such as removing entrée plates by piling them up in front of us) suggests a less-than-professional team led by lax management.
Pan-seared corvina
Location Info
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101 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach; 305-673-3763;
drodriguezgroup.com. Dinner Monday through Wednesday 6 to 11 p.m., Thursday through Saturday 6 p.m. to midnight, and Sunday 6 to 10 p.m.
View our De Rodriguez Ocean slide show.
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Don't bother asking the staff for bargains among the bottled wines; there aren't any. Typical is a Ravenswood Lodi Zinfandel that's priced at $46 and retails for $10 to $16.
Hot chocolate "croquettes" arrived as a trio of fried, nut-coated spheres with dark, bittersweet chocolate within. They tasted great, especially when dunked into a cup of condensed hazelnut-infused milk, but were lukewarm instead of hot-from-the-fryer; the chocolate was barely melted. Another of the five desserts, "baked Miami," is a take on baked Alaska — in this case a soft, fresh, bronzed meringue dome over hard-as-a-rock dulce de leche ice cream. "Half-baked" you might say, which would also be a very apt description of De Rodriguez Ocean.
