The decade has seemingly flipped by faster than a griddlecake in midair: The Tenth Annual Mrs. Beeton Flapjack Flip-Off
is just around the corner (Mrs. B. being our patron saint for her
prescient in-print assertion, made 101 years ago, that pancakes "must
be regarded as somewhat beyond the capabilities of average digestive
organs"). Leading up to next week's publication, Short Order will each
day highlight one of the five unwitting contestants. Today: Morgans Restaurant.
The Stars and Snubs Award is bestowed upon the Morgans Restaurant. A small selection of minipastries is brought to each table during weekend brunch, the sort of generous gesture generally good for generating a few extra Flip-Off points -- unless, of course, the only table not to get these pastries is that of the esteemed judge. A snub like this is much worse than pastries not being offered at all (the sound you hear is penalty flags hitting the ground). We ordered the regular pancakes rather than a signature raspberry-studded version in order to maintain consistency among the competitors. The four-stack of "flat cakes" was, indeed, flat; somehow many of this year's contestants omitted baking powder from their batters. Tasty? Check. Pleasant vanilla aroma? Check. Moist and tender? Check and check. Additional pluses include authentic maple syrup; softened butter; fresh, potently brewed coffee amiably and regularly refilled; and Louis Aguirre of Deco Drive fame. Louis became just the second supercelebrity to attend, if unwittingly, a Flapjack Flip-Off event; the first was Kyle MacLaughlin, who sat at a nearby Biltmore Hotel table with his wife the night after their wedding, during FF2. Star power is one of those intangibles that can only enhance a contestant's chances. On the other hand, I would have really liked one of those pastries.
Four (thin) pancakes, $10; coffee, $2. Total: $12 (by far the priciest stack).
The Morgans Restaurant
28 NE 29th St., Miami
305-573-9678
