TIKL, the new small plates concept by Altamare's owner Claudio Giordano, chef Simon Stojanovic and general manager Frank Scottolini, is scheduled to bring a bit of Altamare's flair for fresh local seafood, to Brickell late Spring.
The 7,500-square-foot restaurant will feature a large bar area, extended happy hours (perfect for stressed out bankers to seek a little down time from their offices), and an extended small plates concept.
Though Altamare's executive chef Simon Stojanovic is known for his work with fresh, local seafood, he doesn't want TIKL to be pigeonholed as a seafood restaurant -- or anything else for that matter. "I'm not going to put a label on the cuisine. I'm just going to cook whatever I feel like cooking", he told Short Order. "So food could be inspired by Japanese cooking, or Vietnam, or the Middle East, home [Australia], or Italy. There's going to be a lot of raw seafood, because I like working with it, and maybe a sushi element, though I'm not planning on doing traditional rolls. We'll have nice, juicy Florida oysters from the east coast, shrimp, and stone crabs when they're in season."
Stojanovic said he wants TIKL to be a restaurant with "a lot of sharing going on. I want people to look at the menu and order some plates, keep a menu handy and order some more." The restaurant, which, by the way wasn't named after the Mayan site in Guatemala, will offer inexpensive plates, ("everything under 20 bucks, hopefully if I can work it," said Stojanovic) in a relaxed atmosphere with "good beer, good alcohol, and a nice sake selection."
If you can't wait until TIKL's late spring opening to sample some of the dishes, check out Altamare's guest chef dinner this Thursday, April 19 at 7 p.m. The meal is $80 per person, excluding tax and gratuity.
Altamare executive chef Simon Stojanovic and Top Chef alum Lindsay Autry are joining forces for a special five-course dinner. The menu will combine chef Autry's Southern-style cooking with a preview of dishes from TIKL by chef Stojanovic. Altamare's pastry chef, Michelle Cabrera will provide a sweet finish to the meal, which is limited to 20 guests. The menu is:
Salad
Swank Farms Green Salad
Grapefruit, pickled Key West pink shrimp, green goddess dressing
(Lindsay Autry)
Appetizer
Robata Grilled Dayboat Scallops
Butternut dashi, pumpkin seeds, lime zest
(Simon Stojanovic)
First Entree
Grilled Local Yellowjack
Fiery couscous risotto, chorizo,charred Swank Farms kale
(Lindsay Autry)
Second Entree
Duck Confit
Hudson Valley foie gras, cherries, apple crisps
(Simon Stojanovic)
Dessert
Cantaloupe Tier
Herb sorbet, Kalamansi soda shot
Chocolate Petit Fours
Coffee and Tea
(Michelle Cabrera)
Updated: Short Order received word that the chef's dinner has been postponed due to an emergency in Lindsay Autry's family. Short Order will update you with a new date and further information, as we are informed.
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