Eos has finally appointed a new executive chef, Matthew Leonard, who will be taking the helm of both the restaurant and banquet program at the Viceroy. His background is mainly resort focused, logging kitchen time at an array of four and five star properties across the U.S. -- from the Ritz Carlton in Chicago to the Biltmore in Arizona. The top spot had remained vacant since Michael Psilakis left the building this past February, lending an element of instability to what was an extremely strong showing among Miami's fancy hotel-restaurants.
Current selections still carry the stamp of Psilakis, with unusual components that capture the heart, stomach and mind -- smoked octopus with spicy sticks of salami and pineapple, lobster risotto trumped up with sea urchin and egg yolk; the small plate oriented menu at EOS was a total foodie find. Chef Leonard will be working on the new menu behind the scenes to see what does, and does not, work over the next few months before debuting his own signature offerings.
He says his cuisine is "fresh and simple, yet contemporary," and like
most of us, he is buoyed by the Magic City's recent restaurant
explosion." Miami's evolution into a burgeoning culinary
destination is very exciting." Plans are to fuse Spanish, Mediterranean
and Italian flavors, which kinda means the same thing, but we shall see.
What remains to be seen is whether or not that spark of creativity that
made Eos more than just a hotel-restaurant, will transfer to
the new menu. We hope so, and look forward to tasting Leonard's food, which he promises will be "delicious!"
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